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Felton, Norman

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1913-

Biography

Norman Felton was born in London, England in 1913. At the age of fourteen, he left school to work as a printer's helper. When he was sixteen, he and his family immigrated to the United States. His parents later returned to England, but Norman Felton stayed in the United States and became a citizen in 1939. He had many jobs, and it was while he was a truck driver in Cleveland, Ohio that Felton was introduced to the theatre. He quickly developed an interest in the theatre and began writing plays. In 1935, Felton won a playwriting fellowship to the University of Iowa (later, in 1965, he established his own playwriting fellowship there). Felton earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a Master of Arts from the UI, as well as meeting his future wife, Aline Stotts, whom he married in 1940.   After graduation, Felton worked in community theatres in St. Paul, Minnesota and Saginaw, Michigan. While in Saginaw, he developed a new way of staging plays which he called Arena Theatre. An article [copy located in Box 88] he wrote about this new staging method interested an executive of NBC radio in Chicago and earned Felton the job of radio producer - director at NBC radio.   In 1948 Felton briefly visited New York to learn about television, returning to Chicago as a television executive producer. Felton's career took off in 1950 when he returned to New York to direct and write teleplays for Alcoa Hour, Goodyear Playhouse, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Robert Montgomery Presents, Studio One, and U.S. Steel Hour.   In 1958, Felton became the executive producer and program executive of Playhouse 90. In 1960 he became the director of television programs for MGM and formed his own company, Arena Productions, the following year. Felton developed and produced: Dr. Kildare, The Eleventh Hour, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., Jericho, The Lieutenant, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Strange Report, and The Psychiatrist. Felton is often credited with discovering Richard Chamberlain, but modestly claims he only picked Chamberlain out of a group of actors auditioning for the role.   Felton has earned many honors as producer or director. Among them are:   Emmy for Robert Montgomery Presents (1952)   Emmy nominations for:   Studio One, (1957)   Dr. Kildare, (1957)   The Eleventh Hour, (1963)   The Man from U.N.C.L.E., (1964 & 1965)   American Cinema Editors, 1965   Two Sylvania Awards for distinguished achievement in television, (1952 & 1956)   Two Christopher Awards, (1954 &1956)   TV Guide Gold Medal (1952)   TV Guide Silver Bowl Awards, (1963 &1964) for best Series   TV Guide Silver Bowl Award, (1964) for Best Individual Drama, Tyger Tyger   TV Guide Silver Bowl Nominations, (1962,1963, &1964)   Look Magazine Award, (1952) for Robert Montgomery Presents   Golden Globe Award, (1965)   Western Foundation of Myasthenia Gravis, (1961 & 1962)   California Federation of Women's Clubs, (1963)   Felton and his wife had three children: Julie Anne, born in 1948, John Chirstopher, born in 1953 and Aline Elizabeth, born in 1957. Aline, her husband David Berkley, and their nine-month-old daughter Jessicca were murdered December 18, 1982 in Detroit near Wayne State Medical Center where David was a medical student.   Felton is a member and past president of the Screen Producers Guild, a member of Caucus Producers, and is a co-chairman of the Writers and Directors of America.

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

Norman Felton Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MsC0265
Abstract

British born American television producer and director. Correspondence, clippings, photographs, notebooks, binders.

Dates: 1940-1993; Majority of material found within 1960-1969