Bruce Geller
Encyclopedia
Bruce Israel Geller was an American
composer
, screenwriter
, and television producer
.
, New York
, Geller graduated from Yale University
. He pursued a career writing scripts for shows on the DuMont Television Network
including Jimmy Hughes, Rookie Cop
(1953) and others. He also wrote lyrics for musical theatre
productions including Livin' the Life (1957) and All in Love (1961) but his efforts met with only modest success. Geller left New York for Hollywood, where he was employed writing scripts for episodes of several television series, including Zane Grey Theater, Have Gun, Will Travel, and The Rifleman
. He also worked as the co-executive producer of the Rawhide
series for the 1964-1965 television season.
In 1966, Geller wrote, created, and produced the television series Mission: Impossible
, the accomplishment for which he is best remembered. The show ran on CBS
from 1966 to 1973 and earned him an Emmy Award
in 1966 as the show's producer plus another for "Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama." During the first season, a photograph of Geller was included in the dossier of Impossible Missions Force agents that IMF leaders Dan Briggs and Jim Phelps perused each week and was often visible on screen (such as in the episodes "Memory" and "Operation Rogosh"). The series was revived
in 1988 and aired until 1990 on ABC
.
Geller also wrote and produced for the popular Mannix
series which was twice nominated for an Emmy Award. In 1973 he made his one and only venture into feature film
s, directing and producing Harry in Your Pocket
starring James Coburn
and Walter Pidgeon
.
A flying
enthusiast, Bruce Geller died when the Cessna
337D Skymaster
he was piloting ran into difficulty in fog
gy conditions and crashed into Buena Vista Canyon near Santa Barbara
, California
. He is interred in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
in Los Angeles
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, and television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
.
Biography
Born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Geller graduated from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He pursued a career writing scripts for shows on the DuMont Television Network
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
including Jimmy Hughes, Rookie Cop
Jimmy Hughes, Rookie Cop
Jimmy Hughes, Rookie Cop is an American crime show that aired on the DuMont Television Network from May 8 to July 3, 1953. The show starred William Redfield, later Conrad Janis, in the title role of Jimmy Hughes...
(1953) and others. He also wrote lyrics for musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
productions including Livin' the Life (1957) and All in Love (1961) but his efforts met with only modest success. Geller left New York for Hollywood, where he was employed writing scripts for episodes of several television series, including Zane Grey Theater, Have Gun, Will Travel, and The Rifleman
The Rifleman
The Rifleman is an American Western television program that starred Chuck Connors as homesteader Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son, Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show, filmed in black-and-white with a half hour running time, ran...
. He also worked as the co-executive producer of the Rawhide
Rawhide (TV series)
Rawhide is an American Western series that aired for eight seasons on the CBS network on Friday nights, from January 9, 1959 to September 3, 1965, before moving to Tuesday nights from September 14, 1965 until January 4, 1966, with a total of 217 black-and-white episodes...
series for the 1964-1965 television season.
In 1966, Geller wrote, created, and produced the television series Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
, the accomplishment for which he is best remembered. The show ran on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from 1966 to 1973 and earned him an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in 1966 as the show's producer plus another for "Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama." During the first season, a photograph of Geller was included in the dossier of Impossible Missions Force agents that IMF leaders Dan Briggs and Jim Phelps perused each week and was often visible on screen (such as in the episodes "Memory" and "Operation Rogosh"). The series was revived
Mission: Impossible (1988 TV series)
Mission: Impossible is an American television series that chronicles the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The show is a revival of the 1966 TV series of the same name...
in 1988 and aired until 1990 on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
.
Geller also wrote and produced for the popular Mannix
Mannix
Mannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors...
series which was twice nominated for an Emmy Award. In 1973 he made his one and only venture into feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
s, directing and producing Harry in Your Pocket
Harry in Your Pocket
Harry in Your Pocket is a 1973 film, written by James Buchanan and Ronald Austin and directed by Bruce Geller, starring James Coburn, Michael Sarrazin, Trish Van Devere and Walter Pidgeon....
starring James Coburn
James Coburn
James Harrison Coburn III was an American film and television actor. Coburn appeared in nearly 70 films and made over 100 television appearances during his 45-year career, and played a wide range of roles and won an Academy Award for his supporting role as Glen Whitehouse in Affliction.A capable,...
and Walter Pidgeon
Walter Pidgeon
Walter Davis Pidgeon was a Canadian actor, who starred in many motion pictures, including Mrs...
.
A flying
Flight
Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
enthusiast, Bruce Geller died when the Cessna
Cessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
337D Skymaster
Cessna Skymaster
The Cessna Skymaster is a United States twin-engine civil utility aircraft built in a push-pull configuration. Its engines are mounted in the nose and rear of its pod-style fuselage. Twin booms extend aft of the wings to the vertical stabilizers, with the rear engine between them. The horizontal...
he was piloting ran into difficulty in fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
gy conditions and crashed into Buena Vista Canyon near Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He is interred in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries refers to two Jewish cemeteries in the Los Angeles, California metropolitan area. The original cemetery is located at 5950 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. The cemetery was originally established in 1953 by the neighboring Forest...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.