John Erman, Emmy-Winning Director and Frequent Ann-Margret Collaborator, Dies at 85
His credits included 'Roots,' 'That Girl,' 'Peyton Place,' 'Star Trek,' 'The Fugitive,' 'M*A*S*H' and 'Who Will Love My Children?'
He was not on the list.
John Erman, the Emmy-winning director who worked on Roots, That Girl, Peyton Place, Star Trek, The Fugitive and M*A*S*H during his 40-plus years in television, died June 25 in New York after a brief illness, a publicist announced. He was 85.
A 10-time Emmy nominee, Erman won his statuette for helming the 1983 ABC telefilm Who Will Love My Children? starring Ann-Margret as a woman diagnosed with cancer in 1952 determined to find homes for her 10 kids.
Erman also called the shots for the actress in the miniseries The Two Mrs. Grenvilles in 1987, Queen in 1993 and Scarlett in 1994 and in the telefilms A Streetcar Named Desire in 1984 and Our Sons in 1991.
The two-time DGA Award winner helmed the second installment of 1977’s Roots and three installments of 1979’s Roots: The Next Generations as well as 1985’s An Early Frost, one of the first network telefilms to tackle AIDS.
He also directed two features: Making It (1971), written by Peter Bart, and Stella (1990), starring Bette Midler.
The son of a regional manager for the American Woolen Co., Erman was born in Chicago on Aug. 3, 1935. He moved with his family to Los Angeles when he was 6, then attended Beverly Hills High School and UCLA.
At a party attended by his parents, Miracle on 34th Street screenwriter Valentine Davies talked about a funny kid he had seen in a play at UCLA, and that turned out to be Erman. He ended up portraying the young brother of Benny Goodman — a role written for him by Davies — in The Benny Goodman Story (1956), starring Steve Allen.
Erman also appeared as a student in Blackboard Jungle (1955) and in Anything Goes (1956), and after graduation he studied acting with Sanford Meisner in New York. He became a casting director at Republic Studios before breaking into directing.
His first helming assignment came on a 1961 episode of CBS’ Father of the Bride, and he went on to work on The Fugitive, Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, The Flying Nun, Room 222, That Girl, Peyton Place, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Star Trek — the 1968 episode “The Empath” — Marcus Welby, M.D., The Bob Newhart Show, M*A*S*H and Family, among other series.
His telefilm and miniseries credits included Green Eyes; Eleanor, First Lady of the World; The Atlanta Child Murders; The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank; Breathing Lessons; The Boys Next Door; The Sunshine Boys; and Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke.
He worked with Marlon Brando, Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland, Peter Falk, Joanne Woodward, Gena Rowlands, Bernadette Peters, Nathan Lane, Angela Lansbury, Lee Remick, Claudette Colbert, Sylvia Sidney, Hugh Grant, Morgan Freeman, James Earl Jones, Tony Curtis, Richard Chamberlain and Lauren Bacall during his career.
Erman taught theater and film appreciation at Fordham University and NYU after he retired from television, and at the time of his death, he was serving on the Tony Awards nominating committee.
Survivors include his partner of 42 years, Richard Blair.
Filmography
Films
Year Film Credit Notes
1955 Blackboard Jungle Actor (Uncredited) Role: Daly
1956 The Benny Goodman Story Actor Role: Harry Goodman (aged 16)
Anything Goes Actor (Uncredited) Role: Boy
1959 The Cosmic Man Actor Role: Radar Operator
1971 Making It Director
1973 Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies Director Credited as Bill Sampson
Letters from Three Lovers Director Television Movie
1977 Green Eyes Director, Producer Television Movie
Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn Director Television Movie
1978 Child of Glass Director Television Movie
Just Me and You Director Television Movie
1979 My Old Man Director Television Movie
1980 The Scarlett O'Hara War Director Television Movie
This Year's Blonde Director Television Movie
The Silent Lovers Director Television Movie
1982 The Letter Director Television Movie
Eleanor, First Lady of the World Director Television Movie
1983 Another Woman's Child Director Television Movie
Who Will Love My Children? Director Television Movie
1984 A Streetcar Named Desire Director Television Movie
1985 Right to Kill? Director Television Movie
An Early Frost Director Television Movie
1987 When the Time Comes Director, Producer Television Movie
1988 The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank Director, Supervising Producer Television Movie
David Director Television Movie
1990 Stella Director
The Last Best Year Director, Producer Television Movie
1991 The Last to Go Director, Producer Television Movie
Our Sons Director, Production Supervisor Television Movie
Carolina Skeletons Director, Supervising Producer Television Movie
1994 Breathing Lessons Director, Producer Television Movie
1996 The Boys Next Door Director, Producer Television Movie
The Sunshine Boys Director Television Movie
1997 Ellen Foster Director, Producer Television Movie
1998 Only Love Director, Executive Producer Television Movie
2004 The Blackwater Lightship Director, Producer Television Movie
2006 Candles on Bay Street Director, Producer Television Movie
Television
Year TV Series Credit Notes
1957 Navy Log Actor 1 Episode
West Point Actor 1 Episode
1958 Playhouse 90 Actor 1 Episode
1962-63 Stoney Burke Director, Associate Producer, Assistant to Producer 11 Episodes
1963-64 The Outer Limits Director, Production Associate, Casting Consultant 19 episodes (first season only)
1964 The Fugitive Director 1 Episode
Ben Casey Director 1 Episode
1965 Karen Director 1 Episode
Profiles in Courage Actor 1 Episode
1965-66 My Favorite Martian Director 12 Episodes
1966 Please Don’t Eat The Daisies Director 6 Episodes
1966-67 That Girl Director 10 Episodes
1967 Occasional Wife Director 1 Episode
1967-68 The Second Hundred Years Director 4 Episodes
1967-69 Judd, for the Defense Director 3 Episodes
Peyton Place Director 12 Episodes
1968 Star Trek Director 1 Episode
The Flying Nun Director 4 Episodes
1968-70 The Ghost & Mrs. Muir Director 8 Episodes
1969 Bracken's World Director 1 Episode
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Director 2 Episodes
1969-74 Marcus Welby, M.D. Director 5 Episodes
1970 Room 222 Director 2 Episodes
1971 Arnie Director 1 Episode
1974 The Girl with Something Extra Director 1 Episode
1975 The Bob Newhart Show Director 1 Episode
Karen Director 3 Episodes
M*A*S*H Director 1 Episode
1976 Family Director 4 Episodes
Good Heavens Director 1 Episode
1977 Roots Director 1 Episode
1979 Roots: The Next Generations Director 3 Episodes
1985 The Atlanta Child Murders Director
1987 The Two Mrs. Grenvilles Director, Supervising Producer
1993 Alex Haley's Queen Director, Co-Producer
1994 Scarlett Director, Producer
1999 Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke Director
2001 Victoria & Albert Director 2 Episodes
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