Irving Pincus
Encyclopedia
Irving Pincus was a film and television writer and producer who created the ABC
and CBS
situation comedy
, The Real McCoys
, which aired in prime time from 1957 to 1963 and subsequently in rebroadcasts over many years.
Though The Real McCoys did not air until 1957, Pincus had already coined the title and in 1955 was shopping the prospective series with NBC
. Irving Pincus and his brother, Norman Pincus (1906-1978), wrote many of the scripts for The Real McCoys, which landed two years later on the ABC schedule. Irving Pincus joined the series star, Walter Brennan
, in the formation of Brennan-Westgate-Marterto Productions, with filming of the series at Desilu Studios. Pincus produced ninety-one episodes from 1957 to 1961 and wrote scripts of eighty-five segments spread throughout the duration of the program, from the third episode "The Egg War" to the series finale "Pepino's Mama."
Hy Averback
, a former actor, was the principal director of The Real McCoys, but versatile co-star Richard Crenna
, in the role of Luke McCoy, later assumed duties as a director along with two others.
Kathleen Nolan
, one of the last two living members of the cast of The Real McCoys, recalls how the Pincus brothers discovered singer and bandleader Tony Martinez, the Puerto Rican
native selected to play the Mexican farmhand Pepino Garcia. Martinez was playing at a club in Hollywood, California
, which the Pincuses visited. Nolan, who played housewife Kate McCoy in the first five years of the series, said that Martinez first failed to contact the Pincus brothers because he thought that their interest in his services was merely a joke, but the producers pursued Martinez and signed him to the cast. Nolan, who was also the president of the Screen Actors Guild
from 1975-1980, called Martinez's selection as Pepino "a major breakthrough in terms of minority representation on television. It may not have been the representation that we are seeking now, but it certainly was a breakthrough to have a major character on television that was not white..."
After The Real McCoys, Pincus did not produce again until the 1971 television movie Eddie and the 1972 theater film To Find a Man
, starring Pamela Sue Martin
. Pincus's first directing had occurred in 1950 and 1951 in two episodes of the original Dumont
network version of The Adventures of Ellery Queen
. Even earlier, he was the creator of the 1940 musical comedy at the Schubert Theatre
on Broadway, Higher and Higher, with music by Richard Rodgers
and lyrics of Lorenz Hart
. The play was made into a film
of the same name in 1943.
It is unclear how Pincus, formerly of New York City
, spent most of the remainder of his life from 1963 until his death in 1984 at the age of seventy in Los Angeles
, California.
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...
and 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...
situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
, The Real McCoys
The Real McCoys
The Real McCoys is an American situation comedy co-produced by Danny Thomas' "Marterto Productions", in association with Walter Brennan and Irving Pincus's "Westgate" company...
, which aired in prime time from 1957 to 1963 and subsequently in rebroadcasts over many years.
Though The Real McCoys did not air until 1957, Pincus had already coined the title and in 1955 was shopping the prospective series with NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. Irving Pincus and his brother, Norman Pincus (1906-1978), wrote many of the scripts for The Real McCoys, which landed two years later on the ABC schedule. Irving Pincus joined the series star, Walter Brennan
Walter Brennan
Walter Brennan was an American actor. Brennan won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on three separate occasions, which is currently the record for most wins.-Early life:...
, in the formation of Brennan-Westgate-Marterto Productions, with filming of the series at Desilu Studios. Pincus produced ninety-one episodes from 1957 to 1961 and wrote scripts of eighty-five segments spread throughout the duration of the program, from the third episode "The Egg War" to the series finale "Pepino's Mama."
Hy Averback
Hy Averback
Hyman J. Averback, known as Hy Averback , was a radio, television, and film actor who eventually became a producer and director.-Radio:...
, a former actor, was the principal director of The Real McCoys, but versatile co-star Richard Crenna
Richard Crenna
Richard Donald Crenna was an American motion picture, television, and radio actor and occasional television director. He starred in such motion pictures as The Sand Pebbles, Wait Until Dark, Body Heat, the first three Rambo movies, Hot Shots! Part Deux, and The Flamingo Kid...
, in the role of Luke McCoy, later assumed duties as a director along with two others.
Kathleen Nolan
Kathleen Nolan
Kathleen Nolan is an American actress. She is sometimes confused with actress Jeanette Nolan. From 1957 to 1962, she played the role of Kate McCoy, a housewife in her late twenties, in the Walter Brennan series The Real McCoys....
, one of the last two living members of the cast of The Real McCoys, recalls how the Pincus brothers discovered singer and bandleader Tony Martinez, the Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
native selected to play the Mexican farmhand Pepino Garcia. Martinez was playing at a club in Hollywood, 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...
, which the Pincuses visited. Nolan, who played housewife Kate McCoy in the first five years of the series, said that Martinez first failed to contact the Pincus brothers because he thought that their interest in his services was merely a joke, but the producers pursued Martinez and signed him to the cast. Nolan, who was also the president of the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
from 1975-1980, called Martinez's selection as Pepino "a major breakthrough in terms of minority representation on television. It may not have been the representation that we are seeking now, but it certainly was a breakthrough to have a major character on television that was not white..."
After The Real McCoys, Pincus did not produce again until the 1971 television movie Eddie and the 1972 theater film To Find a Man
To Find a Man
To Find a Man is a 1972 American drama film directed by Buzz Kulik. It was entered into the 1972 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Pamela Sue Martin - Rosalind McCarthy * Darren O'Connor - Andy Elliott Morrison...
, starring Pamela Sue Martin
Pamela Sue Martin
Pamela Sue Martin is an American actress best known for playing Nancy Drew on The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries TV series and Fallon Carrington Colby on the ABC nighttime soap opera Dynasty.-Biography:...
. Pincus's first directing had occurred in 1950 and 1951 in two episodes of the original Dumont
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...
network version of The Adventures of Ellery Queen
The Adventures of Ellery Queen
The Adventures of Ellery Queen is the title of a radio series and four separate television series made from the 1950s through the 1970s. They were based on the fictional character and pseudonymous writer Ellery Queen.-Radio:...
. Even earlier, he was the creator of the 1940 musical comedy at the Schubert Theatre
Shubert Theatre (Broadway)
The Shubert Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 225 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan, New York, United States.Designed by architect Henry Beaumont Herts, it was named after Sam S. Shubert, the second oldest of the three brothers of the theatrical producing family...
on Broadway, Higher and Higher, with music by Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
and lyrics of Lorenz Hart
Lorenz Hart
Lorenz "Larry" Milton Hart was the lyricist half of the famed Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart...
. The play was made into a film
Higher and Higher (film)
Higher and Higher is a 1943 musical film starring Michèle Morgan, Jack Haley, and Frank Sinatra, loosely based on a 1940 Broadway musical written by Gladys Hurlbut and Joshua Logan. The film, however, written by Jay Dratler and Ralph Spence with additional dialogue by William Bowers and Howard...
of the same name in 1943.
It is unclear how Pincus, formerly of New York City
New 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...
, spent most of the remainder of his life from 1963 until his death in 1984 at the age of seventy in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California.