Howard Storm

Director

An old-timer said to me, "I'm going to give you some advice. You're the director. They're going to ask you a lot of questions. They're gonna ask you what color jacket you want, the red one or the blue one? Never tell them you don't know because you'll scare the hell out of them. Always make a decision. Pick a color and do it." And then we're shooting and someone said to me, "Where do you want A camera?" and I yelled, "Red jacket!"

About This Interview

In his two-and-a-half hour Archive interview, Howard Storm talks about his comic teaming with Lou Gostel in his early career, and outlines the various venues they worked. He talks about his single appearances in variety series of the '50s and '60s, including such series as The Merv Griffin Show (where he appeared with his then-retired vaudevillian father). He acknowledges his tenure at Desilu Studios and gives his impressions of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. He looks back on his association with Woody Allen, assisting him on his earliest feature films. He relates how he came to break into directing, due to his success directing the play "Where Has Tommy Flowers Gone" and the artistic atmosphere at MTM Productions. He speaks about his first directorial credit on Rhoda and his continued association with Valerie Harper on her subsequent series. He speaks in great detail about his extensive work on the popular sitcom Mork & Mindy, commenting on the series stars, the production work-week, and favorite episodes. Among the other series he discusses, of the many he served on as guest director, were: Laverne & Shirley, Taxi, Too Close for Comfort, Best of the West, Amanda's, Brothers, The Redd Foxx Show, Full House, Good Grief!, Head of the Class, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Kenan & Kel. He also speaks about several series for which he contributed as a writer, including All in the Family and Happy Days. Lastly, he talks about his participation in "Yarmy's Army," a monthly meeting of legendary comics, named for the group's late friend Dick Yarmy. Jenni Matz conducted the interview in Beverly Hills, CA on August 20, 2008.