American film and television producer (1923?2006)
Aaron Spelling
(April 22, 1923 – June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor.
[1]
His productions included the TV series
Family
(1976?1980),
Charlie's Angels
(1976?1981),
The Love Boat
(1977?1986),
Hart to Hart
(1979?1984),
Dynasty
(1981?1989),
Beverly Hills, 90210
(1990?2000),
Melrose Place
(1992?1999),
7th Heaven
(1996?2007), and
Charmed
(1998?2006). He also served as producer of
The Mod Squad
(1968?1973),
The Rookies
(1972?1976), and
Sunset Beach
(1997?1999).
Through his production company
Spelling Television
, Spelling holds the record as the most prolific television producer in US television history, with 218 producer and executive producer credits.
[2]
[3]
Forbes
ranked him the 11th-highest-earning deceased celebrity in 2009.
[4]
Early life
[
edit
]
Spelling was born in
Dallas
, Texas. He was the son of Pearl (nee Wald) and David Spelling,
Russian Jewish
immigrants.
[5]
His father worked as a tailor and changed his surname from Spurling to Spelling after emigrating to the United States.
[6]
Spelling was the youngest of five children. He had three older brothers: Maxwell "Max" Seltzer (circa 1909??), Sam Spelling (1916?2001) and Daniel Spelling (1921?2009)
[7]
and an older half-sister, Becky Seltzer Giller (1910?1978).
[8]
[9]
At the age of eight, Spelling
psychosomatically
lost the use of his legs due to
trauma
caused by constant anti-semitic
bullying
from his schoolmates, and was confined to bed for a year. He made a full recovery.
[10]
After attending
Forest Avenue High School
in Dallas, he served in the
United States Army Air Corps
as a pilot during
World War II
.
Spelling later graduated from
Southern Methodist University
in 1949, where he was a cheerleader.
[11]
Career
[
edit
]
Spelling made his first appearance as an actor in a film as Harry Williams in
Vicki
, directed by
Harry Horner
, in 1953. That same year, he appeared in the TV series
I Led Three Lives
and
Dragnet
(six episodes, 1953?55).
[12]
Spelling appeared in episode 112 of
I Love Lucy
("Tennessee Bound", season 4, 1955);
[13]
[14]
[15]
in
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
("Breakdown", 1955);
[12]
and as Weed Pindle in
Gunsmoke
'
s season one, episode 35, "The Guitar" (1956). He continued to appear in films and TV (often uncredited) over 25 times by 1957, appearing briefly as an actor in 1963, 1995, and 1998 (all uncredited.)
[16]
He guest-starred in 1954 as a dogcatcher in the premiere episode of the
CBS
situation comedy,
Willy
, starring
June Havoc
as a young lawyer in
New Hampshire
, who later relocates to New York City to represent a
vaudeville
troupe.
[17]
Spelling sold his first script "Twenty Dollar Bride" to
The Jane Wyman Show
in 1956. He gained experience as a producer and additional credits as a script writer working for
Four Star Television
on the series
Zane Grey Theater
, which aired between 1956 and 1961. Of the 149 episodes in that series, he wrote 20 of the teleplays and produced many others. Spelling produced
Burke's Law
while at Four Star.
[18]
The show was the first success for Spelling and pioneered the multiple guest star format, later seen on
The Love Boat
and
Fantasy Island
.
[19]
In 1965, he quit Four Star to set up his own production company with a two-year agreement with
United Artists Television
to produce television shows and movies.
[20]
Thomas-Spelling Productions was a
television
production company
formed by comedian
Danny Thomas
and producer Aaron Spelling on April 15, 1966, as a partnership with 24 properties. Thomas continued his existing partnership, T&L Productions, with
Sheldon Leonard
.
[21]
The company adapted its name by July 18, 1966, when it announced the financial involvement of ABC with its first show,
Range
(later
Rango
), a half-hour comedy western starring
Tim Conway
[22]
[23]
and its rented space on
Desilu Productions
' Gower lot.
ABC
also picked up another show for a pilot, just in an outline treatment, in
The Guns of Will Sonnett
.
[22]
Thomas-Spelling Productions' active operations ended with the last season of
The Mod Squad
in 1972. Spelling formed a new partnership with Leonard Goldberg, Spelling-Goldberg Productions.
Beginning in 1965, Spelling began producing successful television shows including
The Mod Squad
,
The Rookies
,
Family
,
Charlie's Angels
,
Fantasy Island
,
The Love Boat
,
Dynasty
,
Beverly Hills, 90210
(which starred his daughter
Tori
),
Melrose Place
,
7th Heaven
,
Charmed
,
Jane's House
and
Sunset Beach
.
[24]
Spelling founded
Spelling Entertainment
in 1965, alongside partnerships with comedian/actor
Danny Thomas
(Thomas-Spelling Productions, 1966?1972), and television/film producer
Leonard Goldberg
(
Spelling-Goldberg Productions
, 1972?1986)
[25]
He produced the unsuccessful
situation comedy
The San Pedro Beach Bums
in 1977.
In 2004, Spelling was portrayed in two television movies:
Dan Castellaneta
portrayed Spelling in
Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Charlie's Angels
,
[26]
and
Nicholas Hammond
portrayed Spelling in television movie
Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure
.
[27]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Spelling married actress
Carolyn Jones
in 1953, in California when he was 30 and she was 23. They divorced in 1964.
[28]
He briefly dated actress
Jill Haworth
when he was 42 and she was 19.
[29]
Spelling married
Candy Gene
(nee Marer) in 1968 when he was 45 and she was 23. The couple had daughter
Tori
in 1973 and son
Randy
in 1978.
[30]
In 1988, Spelling bought the 6-acre (2.4 ha) property of
Bing Crosby
's former
Los Angeles
house.
[31]
He demolished the property and built a 123-room home on the lot in 1991. Known as "
The Manor
", it has 56,500 square feet (5,250 m
2
) of floor space and as of 2006 was the largest single-family home in Los Angeles.
[32]
[33]
Spelling's widow Candy listed the home for sale in 2008 for $150 million.
[33]
Heiress
Petra Ecclestone
ultimately purchased the property for $85 million in 2011 through a brokered agreement that was developed by Brandon Davis, the brother of
Jason Davis
and grandson of wealthy industrialist
Marvin Davis
.
[34]
[35]
[36]
In 1992, Candy, Spelling's second wife, commissioned
pinball
manufacturer
Data East
to produce a personalized table as a gift to Spelling. The game, a modified version of Data East's
Lethal Weapon 3
table, has since appeared publicly at collector's expos.
[37]
Legacy and death
[
edit
]
On September 15, 1978, Spelling was honored with a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
located at 6667 Hollywood Blvd. In 1996, he was inducted into the
Television Hall of Fame
.
In 1983, he was accorded the NAACP Humanitarian Award for his monetary donation that permitted a 21-year-old's heart transplant operation.
[38]
In 2001, Spelling was diagnosed with
oral cancer
.
[39]
On June 23, 2006, Spelling died at
The Manor
, his estate in
Holmby Hills
, Los Angeles, from complications of a stroke he suffered five days prior.
[40]
[41]
He also suffered from
Alzheimer's disease
.
[42]
A private funeral was held several days later, and Spelling was entombed in a mausoleum in Culver City's
Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
.
On August 27, 2006, Spelling was posthumously honored at the 58th Annual
Primetime Emmy Awards
by former employees
Joan Collins
,
Stephen Collins
,
Heather Locklear
,
Farrah Fawcett
,
Kate Jackson
and
Jaclyn Smith
.
7th Heaven
'
s May 13, 2007, episode, the last before the series finale, was dedicated to Spelling.
[43]
When
7th Heaven
ended its run, it was touted by the network as being Spelling's longest-running series and the longest-running "family drama" in American television history.
[44]
Filmography
[
edit
]
Spelling was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.
Film
[
edit
]
- As writer
- As an actor
Television
[
edit
]
- As writer
- As an actor
- Miscellaneous crew
- Soundtrack
Year
|
Title
|
Role
|
Notes
|
1956
|
Gunsmoke
|
Performer:
"Red River Valley"
|
Uncredited
|
1958
|
Zane Grey Theatre
|
Writer:
"The Ballad of Dan Case"
|
- As director
- Thanks
Year
|
Title
|
Role
|
2006?07
|
7th Heaven
|
In memory of
In loving memory of
|
2012
|
The Adventures of Dugg & Lemmy
|
Very special thanks
|
Awards and nominations
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Carter, Bill (June 24, 2006).
"Aaron Spelling, Prolific Television Producer, Dies at 83"
.
The New York Times
.
- ^
Aaron Spelling
at
IMDb
- ^
Idato, Michael (September 19, 2005).
"The Great Escape"
.
The Sydney Morning Herald
. SMH.com.
Archived
from the original on January 30, 2009
. Retrieved
February 25,
2009
.
- ^
Miller, Matthew (October 27, 2009).
"Top-Earning Dead Celebrities"
.
Forbes
. Archived from
the original
on June 13, 2013.
- ^
"Spelling, Aaron"
.
Encyclopedia.com
. Retrieved
February 2,
2019
.
- ^
"A Look at Tori Spelling's Family Tree"
. Genealogymagazine.com. Archived from
the original
on October 19, 2013
. Retrieved
October 18,
2013
.
- ^
"Daniel Spelling Obituary (2009) the Miami Herald"
.
Legacy.com
. Retrieved
February 11,
2022
.
- ^
"AARON SPELLING BIOGRAPHY"
.
Biography Channel
.
Archived
October 25, 2013, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
"A Look at Tori Spelling's Family Tree | GenealogyMagazine.com"
. May 29, 2017
. Retrieved
February 11,
2022
.
- ^
Hal Erickson
(2012).
"Aaron Spelling biography"
. Movies & TV Dept.
The New York Times
. Archived from
the original
on June 26, 2012.
- ^
"Aaron Spelling and SMU – News and Communications"
. Smu.edu. Archived from
the original
on October 31, 2013
. Retrieved
October 18,
2013
.
- ^
a
b
Aaron Spelling - IMDb
, acting credits
- ^
a
b
"
I Love Lucy
episode "Tennessee Bound" S4,E14, aired Jan 24, 1955"
. IMDb
. Retrieved
February 11,
2024
.
- ^
Nick at Nite
's Classic TV Companion
, edited by Tom Hill, copyright 1996 by
Viacom International
, p. 278
- ^
"7 surprising guest stars on 'I Love Lucy'
"
.
- ^
"Aaron Spelling at IMDb"
.
IMDb
.
- ^
"First Case"
. Internet Movie Data Base. Archived from
the original
on April 3, 2012
. Retrieved
March 12,
2011
.
- ^
"10 things you never knew about 'Burke's Law'
"
.
Decades
. June 28, 2016. Archived from
the original
on July 5, 2022
. Retrieved
September 3,
2021
.
- ^
Michael Mallory (Winter 2009).
"
'Burke's Law - A weekly whodunit so lighthearted it nearly floated away.'
"
.
Mystery Scene
(108). KBS Communications, Inc. 2021
. Retrieved
September 3,
2021
.
- ^
"Spelling forms own production company"
(PDF)
.
Broadcasting
. October 25, 1965. p. 66
. Retrieved
November 8,
2023
.
- ^
"Spelling, Thomas join in TV production firm"
(PDF)
.
Broadcasting
. Broadcasting Publications: 10. April 18, 1966
. Retrieved
August 23,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
Broadcasting, Dec 12, 1966, pg. 103
"Aaron Spelling -partner with Danny Thomas in Thomas/Spelling Productions and president, Aaron Spelling Productions."
- ^
Broadcasting, Jul 18, 1966, pg. 48
- ^
"Aaron Spelling Awards"
.
IMDb
.
- ^
"Aaron Spelling biography"
.
biography.com
.
Archived
November 14, 2013, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
"Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of "Charlie's Angels"
"
.
IMDB.com
. Archived from
the original
on March 26, 2012
. Retrieved
March 8,
2004
.
- ^
"Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure"
.
Variety
. December 28, 2004.
- ^
Spelling, Aaron; Graham, Jefferson (1996).
A Prime-Time Life: An Autobiography
. New York: St. Martin's Press. p.
51
.
ISBN
978-0-312-14268-1
.
- ^
"Presley Romance Seems to Be Ended".
Hartford Courant
.
- ^
Aaron Spelling
. Detroit: Gale. 2006.
- ^
"Spelling's Widow Fires Back at House Sale Reports"
.
Hollywood.com
. Archived from
the original
on February 20, 2012
. Retrieved
July 7,
2006
.
- ^
Brown, Len (June 13, 2011).
"UK Heiress Purchases Aaron Spelling Mega Mansion"
. Archived from
the original
on October 18, 2013.
- ^
a
b
Jose, Katharine (July 5, 2006).
"Aaron Spelling's Widow Puts Infamous Mansion On Market For $150 Million..."
Huffington Post
.
Archived
from the original on July 6, 2006
. Retrieved
July 5,
2006
.
- ^
Chung, Juliet; Jackson, Candace (June 14, 2011).
"L.A. Mansion for U.K. Heiress"
.
The Wall Street Journal
. Archived from
the original
on October 2, 2013
. Retrieved
June 13,
2011
.
- ^
"Brandon Davis Key Person in Spelling Mansion Sale"
.
TMZ
. Retrieved
November 14,
2017
.
- ^
Laporte, Nicole (June 21, 2011).
"Petra Ecclestone, Candy Spelling, Aaron Spelling and the Spelling Mansion"
.
The Daily Beast
. Retrieved
November 14,
2017
.
- ^
"Aaron Spelling - The Internet Pinball Database"
.
- ^
London, Michael (December 6, 1983).
"NAACP Confers Image Awards"
.
The Los Angeles Times
. Los Angeles, California. p. 66 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
"Prime time patriarch"
.
Oralcancerfoundation.org
. Archived from
the original
on September 19, 2013
. Retrieved
July 11,
2001
.
- ^
Carter, Bill (June 24, 2006).
"Aaron Spelling, Prolific Television Producer, Dies at 83"
.
The New York Times
.
Archived
from the original on April 29, 2011
. Retrieved
June 24,
2006
.
- ^
"TV innovator Aaron Spelling dies at 83"
.
MSNBC
. June 26, 2006.
- ^
"After Aaron: Dynasty in Distress"
.
PEOPLE.com
. Retrieved
December 31,
2019
.
- ^
"
7th Heaven:
Will Camdens Reunite for Last Episode?"
.
TVSeriesFinale.com
. Archived from
the original
on April 10, 2007
. Retrieved
April 5,
2007
.
- ^
"10th Season Pick-Up Earns "7th Heaven" A Place In Television History"
.
Time Warner
.
Archived
from the original on February 16, 2005
. Retrieved
February 15,
2005
.
- ^
"Honoree for Excellence in Television in 1999"
.
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
. Retrieved
July 13,
2021
.
- ^
"Britney, Janet, Taylor & More Stars Who Have Won The GLAAD Vanguard Award"
.
Instinct
. July 30, 2020
. Retrieved
July 13,
2021
.
- ^
"Aaron Spelling"
.
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
. Retrieved
July 13,
2021
.
- ^
Keeps, David A. (September 18, 2015).
"When Aaron Spelling Ruled Television: An Oral History of Entertainment's Prolific, Populist Producer"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
. Retrieved
July 13,
2021
.
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
Feature films
| |
---|
TV series
| |
---|
TV films
| |
---|
TV miniseries
| |
---|
Awards for Aaron Spelling
|
---|
|
---|
Excellence in Film
| |
---|
Excellence in Directing
| |
---|
Worldwide Contribution to
Entertainment
| |
---|
British Artist of the Year
| |
---|
Excellence in Comedy
| |
---|
Excellence in Television
| |
---|
Humanitarian Award
| |
---|
Retired Awards
| |
---|
|
|
---|
International
| |
---|
National
| |
---|
People
| |
---|
Other
| |
---|