Al Schwartz Live

By Susan Lampert Smith '82

When the curtain fell on the comedy hour, Schwartz was faced with starting over to establish his reputation in a new town. He directed and produced all kinds of ventures, ranging from game shows and hunting programs to Saturday morning kids' entertainment. One series, Far Out Space Nuts, starred Bob Denver of Gilligan's Island fame, which impressed the Schwartz children.

By the mid-1970s, Schwartz's career began to take off. He directed the television hit Welcome Back, Kotter, which starred a young John Travolta, and he produced his first big live show, a Donny and Marie Osmond special. This was followed by the American Music Awards (which Schwartz has produced since 1977) and a number of popular "TV Bloopers" specials. And he met the legendary Dick Clark when Clark hosted Sea Adventure, a series produced by Schwartz. That first meeting led to another collaboration, Dick Clark's Good Old Days.

"It was so successful that NBC ordered another one," Schwartz says. "It opened up a door. I liked working with Dick, and he liked working with me."

In 1977, Clark offered Schwartz a role in his company. Although Schwartz was hesitant at first, since his independent career was finally taking off, he decided to give it a try. He's now senior vice president of television at Dick Clark Productions and couldn't be happier. His tenure of twenty-four years there, like his marriage, is a rarity in Hollywood.

One awards show followed the next. If you look at the credits, you'll see "Al Schwartz, producer" after the Golden Globes, the Academy of Country Music Awards, the Daytime Emmys, the Primetime Emmys, the MTV Music Video Awards, and the Jim Thorpe Awards.

"Live-event producing really goes back to those days with live TV on WKOW, when everything was live," he says.

While viewers are checking out the glittering evening gowns, Schwartz is backstage, fretting over teary acceptance speeches that run too long.

"It's a show within a show," he says of this entertainment phenomenon. "While it's on the air, it takes on a life of its own. There's a backstage drama going on. We're pulling things out because something else went on too long."

One memorable American Music Awards show wound up two minutes short. Schwartz told host Glen Campbell to fill up the space by recapping winners, but he forgot to tell the cue card people. They held up a card saying "Good Night," and Campbell read it.

Another year, Schwartz was standing backstage with Michael Jackson, who he figured was a sure winner.

"The presenter said, 'And the winner is Michael ...' and we sent Jackson walking out ... 'Bolton!' " Schwartz says. "We had to tackle Michael Jackson before he got to the stage."

The stars themselves - who range from daytime divas to rap artists - need special handling, according to Schwartz. "It's like being the maitre d' at a fancy restaurant. You have to make sure you get them all to the right table and keep them all happy."

After a lifetime of working with entertainers, you'd think the thrill would wear off, but Schwartz still finds it exciting. He counts his biggest delight as working with Fred Astaire on a 1978 Movie of the Week.

"I think it's an advantage to be impressed by the stars - it's what makes this job fun," he says.

And as long as he's having fun, ladies and gentlemen, you'd be wise to stay tuned. Al Schwartz will be right back!

Susan Lampert Smith '82 spent the 1970s watching Welcome Back, Kotter and other Al Schwartz creations, and is now a reporter at the Wisconsin State Journal.

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