Directing 80s Television with Karen Arthur

80s TV Ladies

What was it like to break into directing in the 1970s and '80s? Let's find out!
Sharon and Susan are honored to talk with Emmy-winning director Karen Arthur. Karen started out as an actress on such shows as “Get Smart”, “The Streets of San Francisco”, “Mannix”, “That Girl” and “The Monkees”. In 1975 she made the transition to directing and has since helmed episodes of classic TV series including “Judging Amy”, “Hart to Hart”, “7th Heaven” and “Remington Steele”, as well as the powerful true story TV movie “The Rape of Richard Beck” and the award-winning mini-series “The Jacksons: An American Dream” starring Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs and Angela Bassett.
In 1985, Ms. Arthur was the first woman to win a primetime Emmy award for directing, for her work on the “Cagney & Lacey” episode “Heat”. She has worked with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, including Ed Asner, Kirstie Allie, Delta Burke, Barbara Hershey, Diane Ladd, Bernadette Peters, Christopher Plummer, Christopher Reeves, Jane Seymour, Susan Sullivan and Angelina Jolie.
THE CONVERSATION

• How drinking wine and dreaming of Hollywood with a friend in summer stock led to “Remington Steele” creator Michael Gleason going to bat for Karen to get her first TV directing job: “Rich Man, Poor Man Book II”.
• Almost getting kicked off the lot for parking in the “Director” spot – and then telling the Security Guard: “I AM the director!”
• Fun and heartache on “Hart to Hart” with the great Stefanie Powers.
• Meeting and falling in love on “Cagney & Lacey” with her husband of 39 years -- director of photography Thomas Neuwirth.
• Winning the Emmy and how it changed everything for Karen – and the women directors to follow.
• DOWN IN FRONT: How sitting in the front row when the bosses are watching your work is the best director trick she’s learned -- and why…
• Working with Lee Grant and Carol Kane on The Mafu Cage and learning to give actors – and herself – “room to fail”.
• The choreography of directing and creating intricate shots.
• Choosing her projects carefully -- and getting the nickname “Karen No”.
• Filming “The Rape of Richard Beck” with Richard Crenna -- and the message he showed the crew written on his own butt!

So join Susan and Sharon – and Karen – as they talk about bumping into Tyne Daly on Broadway, getting checks from Paul Newman and swallowing fire with Pierce Brosnan!
PLUS – 80’S TV LADIES TRIBUTE salutes the recent passing of some legendary TV and film ladies…
AND -- listener feedback from our fans!
AUDIOGRAPHY
Defining Women: Television and the Case of Cagney & Lacey by Julie D'Acci. Get it at Bookshop.
Primetime Feminism: Television, Media Culture and the Women’s Movement Since 1970 by Bonnie J. Dow. Get it at Penn Press or Amazon.
Part of Weirding Way Media with Mike White & Chris Stachiw
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For more information or to download a transcript of this podcast, visit our website - 80sTVLadies.com.
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