Lela Swift: Television Director

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Lela Swift began her career in television during the early 1940s as an assistant to the chief television engineer at CBS, where she was at the forefront of an evolving broadcast industry. By 1945, she had moved into production as a writer and studio assistant floor manager, and in 1950, she was promoted to director. During a decades-long career, Swift directed a variety of genres, including early 1950s television anthologies such as CBS’ prestigious Studio One, ABC’s Wide World of Mystery and NBC’s Purex Specials for Women, and won three Emmy Awards for directing the daytime series Ryan’s Hope. Swift’s prolific creative output traces television’s history of innovation, imagination and changing audience taste.—Maya Montañez Smukler

Screening 1 of 2

The Web: “Time For Hate”

Year: 1953
Country: U.S.
Language: English
Runtime: 30 min.
Digital. B&W.

With original commercials

As a pioneering staff director at CBS Television in New York, Lela Swift helmed episodes of the live anthology mystery The Web on alternating weeks, trading duties with series producer Herbert Hirschman. In this Swift-directed installment, a mysterious man (John Baragrey) seemingly returns from the dead to upend the lives of a domineering mother (Jessie Royce Landis) and her tormented daughter (Marian Russell). Punctuated by close-ups and a gently foreboding atmosphere, this early effort by Swift anticipates her later innovative work directing hundreds of episodes of the cult-classic gothic soap opera Dark Shadows (1966–71).—Mark Quigley

DCP. CBS. Production: A Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Production in association with the CBS Television Network. Producer: Herbert Hirschman. Director: Lela Swift. Writer: Art Wallace. With: Jessie Royce Landis, John Baragrey, Marian Russell.

Preservation funding provided by the John H. Mitchell Television Preservation Endowment. Digitally preserved by the UCLA Film & Television Archive from a 16mm kinescope. Laboratory services by Endpoint Audio Labs.

Screening 2 of 2

Justice: “House of Hatred”

Year: 1955
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 30 min.
Digital. B&W.

Produced live, this Dragnet-style series explored social justice cases adapted from the files of the Legal Aid Society of New York City. Lela Swift directs this tense installment starring Gary Merrill (All About Eve, 1950) as an earnest lawyer attempting to help an innocent family being unfairly persecuted following the murder conviction of their son. At a time when the Hollywood Blacklist dictated many hiring practices in the film and television industry, the episode, written by Anne Howard Bailey (The Adams Chronicles, 1976), boldly examines the immorality of “guilt by association” and prejudice.—Mark Quigley

DCP. NBC. Production: Talent Associates-John Rust Production. Producer: David Susskind. Director: Lela Swift. Writer: Anne Howard Bailey. With: Gary Merrill, Glenda Farrell, Frank McHugh.

Preservation funding provided by the John H. Mitchell Television Preservation Endowment. Digitally preserved by the UCLA Film & Television Archive from a 16mm kinescope. Laboratory services by Endpoint Audio Labs.