Paul Alter

Paul Alter is considered as veteran of TV game-show. For more than 50 year Alter served as a director and producer of the most successful American game shows.

Biography

Paul Alter was born on March 11, 1922 in Chicago, Illinois. There he studied piano with Teddy Wilson, from the Benny Goodman Quartet and developed his musical talent. However, later on he decided to study and the Yale School of Drama from where he graduated. In the early 50’s he started his career as a television director and producer.

The Beginnings

His first job was for the game show “Beat the Clock”. This helped him make some valuable connections in the entertainment industry, and after a while he became a key figure at Mark Goodson Productions, specialized in game shows. His long-lasting association with Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, resulted with the creation of nearly 60 shows, such as What's My Line?, I've Got a Secret, To Tell the Truth, and many others, which couldn’t have been created without Alters’ help with the production. In addition to that, he also directed most all of the show’s pilots, and for some of them he wasn’t even credited as a director, and other people were took the credit for the series.

Early Career

During his career of fifty years as a TV director at CBS, Paul Alter directed and produced around 60 game shows and other productions. In addition to that he also did some work outside the TV game show scene. For example he edited and scripted episodes of the 1950s crime drama “Man Against Crime,” took the leadership position in some episodes of “The Perry Como Show”, and served occasionally as editor for the TV series “Danger” directed by Sidney Lumet. For the first time ever, in 1972, he produced Simon Gray’s “A Wise Child”, a Broadway show.

Awards, Recognition and Lawsuit against Walt Disney Co.

Paul Alter directed both versions for the hit show “The Price Is Right”. Since its debut, the shoe aired over 8,000 episodes and became known as one of the longest-running network series in United States television history. He served as the show’s director and producer from 1986 to 2000. In 1996, he won a Daytime Emmy for his work on “The Price Is Right”, the show which was named “the greatest game show of all time" in 2007. This producer and television veteran also directed the original version of ABC’s Family Feud. The show aired from 1976 to 1985, but in 1988 it was revived. Alter returned and directed that version of the show as well. In fact, he won his first Daytime Emmy for “Family Feud” back in 1982. Although he has won only two Emmy awards, he has been nominated 14 times in several categories. Apart from his television work, Paul Alter was also known for his noteworthy lawsuit against Walt Disney Co. Listing all similarities between Disney’s movie “Honey, I Blew Up the Kid” and his treatment which he had written and submitted to Disney Co. in the late 70’s, in 1993 he took his case to trial and proved that the movie was based on his 12 page sketch. The jury sided with Paul Alter and in the end Disney paid him $300,000 for damages.

Retirement and Music Composing

He retired in 2000, after departing from The Price Is Right, and used his time to create music. Thus, at the age of 87, he composed the music and lyrics for the holiday season album “The True Spirit of Christmas,” recorded by Pat Boone. At the age of 89, this television legend died from natural causes. Paul Alter was married to Lorraine Cole Alter, and had three daughters, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. This TV legend will stay remembered for the quality of his work, and introducing the world with game shows.