Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling was an American film and television producer. His productions include the TV series Family, Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Hart to Hart, Dynasty, Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, 7th Heaven, and Charmed. He also served as producer of Mod Squad, The Rookies, and Sunset Beach.
Through his eponymous 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. Forbes ranked him the 11th top-earning deceased celebrity in 2009.
Personal life
Spelling was born in Dallas, Texas. He was the son of Pearl and David Spelling, Russian Jewish immigrants. His father worked as a tailor and changed his surname from Spurling to Spelling after emigrating to the United States. Spelling had three brothers: Sam, Max, and Daniel, and a sister, Becky.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.
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.
He married actress Carolyn Jones in 1953, in California. They divorced in 1964. Spelling married Candy Gene in 1968. The couple had daughter Tori in 1973 and son Randy in 1978.
In 1988, Spelling bought the property of Bing Crosby's former Los Angeles house. He demolished the property and built a 123-room home on the lot in 1991. Known as "The Manor", it has of floor space and is the largest single-family home in Los Angeles. Spelling's widow Candy listed the home for sale in 2008 for $150 million. 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.
Career
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. Spelling appeared in episode 112 of I Love Lucy and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He continued to appear in films and TV over 25 times by 1957, appearing briefly as an actor in 1963, 1995, and 1998Spelling sold his first script to Jane Wyman Presents in 1954. He guest-starred that same year 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. Two years later, Spelling gained experience as a producer and additional credits as a script writer working on the Four Star television 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.
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. The company adapted its name by July 18, 1966 when it announced the financial involvement of ABC with its first show, Range, a half-hour comedy western starring Tim Conway 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. 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, Melrose Place, 7th Heaven, Charmed, Jane's House and Sunset Beach. Spelling founded Spelling Entertainment in 1965, alongside partnerships with comedian/actor Danny Thomas, and television/film producer Leonard Goldberg 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 , and Nicholas Hammond portrayed Spelling in television movie Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure.
Death and legacy
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.
In 2001, Spelling was diagnosed with oral cancer.
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. He also suffered from Alzheimer's disease. 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 Heavens May 13, 2007, episode, the last before the series finale, was dedicated to Spelling. 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.
Filmography
All films, he was producer unless otherwise noted.Film
;As writer| Year | Film |
| 1960 | Guns of the Timberland |
| 1960 | One Foot in Hell |
;As an actor
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1953 | Vicki | Harry Williams | |
| 1954 | Three Young Texans | Catur | |
| 1954 | Alaska Seas | The Knifer | |
| 1954 | Black Widow | Mr. Oliver | |
| 1954 | The Bamboo Prison | Skinny | |
| 1955 | Wyoming Renegades | Petie Carver | |
| 1955 | Mad at the World | Willie Hanson | |
| 1955 | Target Zero | Pfc. Strangler | |
| 1955 | Kismet | Beggar | |
| 1955 | Dementia | Nightclub Patron | |
| 1957 | The Spirit of St. Louis | Mr. Fearless |
Television
;As writer| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1957 | Fireside Theatre | |
| 1957 | Big-Foot Wallace | Television film |
| 1958 | Playhouse 90 | |
| 1958 | Decision | |
| 1958 | Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse | |
| 1957−59 | Wagon Train | |
| 1959 | The David Niven Show | |
| 1959−60 | Johnny Ringo | |
| 1956−61 | Zane Grey Theatre | |
| 1962 | The Dick Powell Show | |
| 1962 | Kraft Mystery Theater | |
| 1962−63 | The Lloyd Bridges Show | |
| 1965−66 | The Smothers Brothers Show | |
| 1967−69 | The Guns of Will Sonnett | |
| 1969−70 | The New People | |
| 1970 | Carter's Army | Television film |
| 1971 | The Trackers | Television film |
| 1974 | The Rookies |
;As an actor
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1953 | I Led 3 Lives | Elevator Operator | |
| 1954 | The Lone Wolf | Loran Dane | |
| 1954 | Willy | Dog Catcher | |
| 1954 | Treasury Men in Action | ||
| 1955 | I Love Lucy | Gas Station Man | |
| 1955 | Soldiers of Fortune | Charlie Applegood | |
| 1955 | The Man Behind the Badge | Billy | |
| 1955 | Fireside Theatre | Olaf | |
| 1955 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Road Worker | |
| 1953−55 | Dragnet | Bruce Marcus 'Bigs' Donaldson Charlie Coleman Ollie Charles Boyd | |
| 1956 | Big Town | ||
| 1956 | Crusader | Andrew Hock Valentino | |
| 1956 | Gunsmoke | Weed Pindle | |
| 1956 | The Millionaire | Max | |
| 1955−56 | Studio 57 | Docker Olaf | |
| 1955−56 | TV Reader's Digest | Colonel Dornet Ben Williams | |
| 1963 | Burke's Law | Harry Penn | |
| 1995 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Executive in Limo | |
| 1998 | Sunset Beach | Vincent Duke | |
| 2001 | Charmed | Aaron Mourner |
;Miscellaneous crew
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1957−58 | Zane Grey Theatre | Story supervisor | |
| 1982 | The Renegades | Creative consultant | Television pilot |
;Soundtrack
| Year | Title | Song | Notes |
| 1956 | Gunsmoke | Performer: "Red River Valley" | |
| 1958 | Zane Grey Theatre | Writer: "The Ballad of Dan Case" |
;As director
| Year | Title |
| 1959 | Wagon Train |
;Thanks
| Year | Title | Notes |
| 2006−07 | 7th Heaven | In memory of In loving memory of |
| 2012 | The Adventures of Dugg & Lemmy | Very special thanks |