Paul Alter Television Director

Paul Alter came to the broad public as a graduate from New York University Tisch School of the Arts and the Yale School of Drama.
He was born on March 11, 1922 in Chicago, Illinois and during one period of his life studied piano the well-known member of Benny Goodman Quartet, Teddy Wilson. But, because he chose to explore the opportunities of the entertainment industry, Alter wasn’t able to put his talent to use all until 1969 when composed the theme music for To Tell the Truth. He got his first job as a game show director in 1950, when he was hired to work for “Beat the Clock”. This position helped him establish himself as a director and producer, and it connected him with Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, which grew into a long-lasting association. He helped Goodson-Todman production to create more than 60 game shows, and directed almost all of their shows pilots.

Outside the TV game show world, Paul Alter did some work as an editor and scriptwriter of a few episodes of Man Against Crime”, a 1950s crime drama, he did some editing for director Sidney Lumet on the TV series “Danger”, and directed some of “The Perry Como Show” episodes. In 1972, he produced Simon Gray’s Broadway show “A Wise Child”. This Emmy-winning game show director and producer directed the original version of Family Feud which ran on ABC from 1976 to 1985. After a three year break the show was revived in 1988, and he continued to direct that version until 1990 when he left the show and got a new position as the director of “To Tell the Truth”. He is also the director of both versions for the hit show “The Price Is Right”, directing it from 1986 to 2000. The show aired over 8,000 episodes since its debut and became one of the longest-running network series in United States television history. In 2007 “The Price Is Right” was named “the greatest game show of all time".

After his departure from The Price Is Right, Paul Alter retired and decided to go back to his old dreams of creating music. At the age of 87 he composed the music and lyrics for the album “The True Spirit of Christmas,” recorded by Pat Boone. Two years later, at the age of 89, Paul Alter died on June 11, 2011 of natural causes in Los Angeles, California. He was a husband, father of three daughters, and grandfather of four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. In addition to his work as a director and producer, Paul Alter will also stay remembered as the man who won a lawsuit against Disney Co. The cause for this lawsuit was over the origin of the 1992 movie “Honey, I Blew Up the Kid”, which has too many similarities with the treatment that he wrote and submitted to Disney back in the 70’s. After listing all 17 areas of similarities, the jury sided with Paul Alter, and awarded him with $300,000 in damage. Before filing the lawsuit, Alter asked Disney Company for a letter of apology, but they refused and the case went to trial. This veteran director and producer has been honored with two Daytime Emmys, the first one in 1982 for “Family Feud” and the second one in 1996 for “The Price Is Right”. Overall he has had 14 nominations.
Paul Alter is fond of art. During his lifetime he managed to get an array of valuable art pieces he has gathered in an outstanding art collection, completed by his two Emmy Award statues.