Bruce Bilson
Bruce Bilson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | May 19, 1928 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | January 16, 2026 (aged 97) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Resting place | Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Education | UCLA |
| Occupations | Director, producer, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1955–2006 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2, including Danny Bilson |
| Relatives | Rachel Bilson (granddaughter) |
Bruce Bilson (May 19, 1928 – January 16, 2026) was an American film and television director. He is most notable for his work as a regular director on the spy spoof Get Smart. He won the 1967–1968 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for the third season Get Smart episode "Maxwell Smart, Private Eye".
Early life and career
[edit]Bilson was born in Brooklyn on May 19, 1928, to Jewish parents. His mother, Hattie Bilson (née Dratwa; 1907–2004), was an American screenwriter, and his father, George Bilson (1902–1981), was a British producer/writer/director of Ashkenazi Jewish descent who was born in Leeds, England.[1] His brother, Malcolm is a fortepianist and professor of piano at Cornell University.
He graduated from UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television in 1950.[2][3]
Personal life and death
[edit]Bilson married Mona Weichman on August 31, 1955; they divorced in 1976. They had two children, Danny Bilson (born 1956), a film and video game writer/producer and father of actress Rachel Bilson, and Julie Ahlberg, a film producer.[4]
In 1981, he married Renne Jarrett.[citation needed]
Bilson died at his home in Los Angeles, California on January 16, 2026, at the age of 97.[5]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]- Pate Katelin en Buenos Aires (1969)
- The Girl Who Came Gift-Wrapped (1974)
- The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West (1976)
- The North Avenue Irregulars (1979)
- Chattanooga Choo Choo (1984)
Television
[edit]
|
|
References
[edit]- ↑ Bruce Bilson Biography, filmreference.com; accessed May 23, 2017.
- ↑ "DONOR HONOR ROLL 2017". UCLA School of TFT. August 11, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- ↑ Leszczak, Bob (August 23, 2014). The Odd Couple on Stage and Screen: A History with Cast and Crew Profiles and an Episode Guide. McFarland. ISBN 9781476615394.
- ↑ "Julie Ahlberg". IMDb. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- ↑ Jacob, Arushi. "Bruce Bilson, Emmy-Winning Director on 'Get Smart' and 'The Odd Couple,' Dies at 97". Variety. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Two Chairs No Waiting 363: Neal Brower Interviews Bruce Bilson 2011 (Part 4)". imayberry.com. February 3, 2016.
External links
[edit]- Bruce Bilson at IMDb
- Bruce Bilson at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television
- Bruce Bilson at People.com
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 1928 births
- 2026 deaths
- American television directors
- Television producers from New York City
- American male television writers
- American television writers
- Jewish American screenwriters
- Film directors from New York City
- Screenwriters from New York (state)
- Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
- UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television alumni
- 21st-century American Jews
- American Ashkenazi Jews
