Paul Alter

Paul Alter, Born in Chicago, Illinois, is an American TV game-show director and producer. His career spanned fifty years and he is credited for producing and directing over 60 game shows and other productions. He studied at NYU the Yale School of Drama from where he graduated. Before starting his TV career, he also studied piano with Teddy Wilson, from the Benny Goodman Quartet and for that matter was a talented musician. Composing the 1969 theme music for To Tell the Truth, he finally put his talent to use. He is best known for his work on "I've Got a Secret", "To Tell the Truth", "What's My Line", "Password", "Family Feud" and "The Price is Right", "Man Against Crime", "Playhouse 90", "Perry Como Show", Member of ASCAP, DGA and other shows. He entered the entertainment industry in 1950 when he was hired as director for "Beat the Clock". After exploring the opportunities of the game shows arena he became a key figure in the field. Paul Alter has had a long- lasting association with Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, and in the period from 1956 to 2000, he helped them create over 60 game shows, and directed the pilots for most of the production's series. Broadening his horizons, Alter also edited and scripted episodes of a 1950s crime drama called "Man Against Crime," called the shots in some of "The Perry Como Show" episodes, and in several occasions helped director Sidney Lumet with the editing tasks on the TV series "Danger". Going out of his comfort zone, in 1972, Paul Alter produced Simon Gray's "A Wise Child" which showed on Broadway. From 1986 to 2000, he served as the director and producer of "The Price Is Right", and directed both versions for the hit show. Since its debut the show aired over 8,000 episodes, and became one of the longest-running network series in United States television history. In 2007 it was even named "the greatest game show of all time". In 1996, Paul Alter won a Daytime Emmy award for his work on this show. However this wasn't his first Daytime Emmy as in 1982 he won his first Daytime Emmy for "Family Feud". In addition to his wins, he also has 14 Emmy nominations. Although he was already known as a legendary game show producer and director, in 1992 Paul Alter became even more famous after he filed a lawsuit against the Walt Disney Co. He claimed that Disney used his treatment to develop the story for their movie "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid". In the late 1970s, the producer submitted his 12-page sketch to Disney which was turned down. In 1992, after he asked and was rejected for a letter of apology by Disney Company, he filed a lawsuit against Disney. During the case trial, Alter listed 17 areas of similarities and gained both notice and fame. The jury sided with Alter and ruled in his favor, while Disney was required to pay him $300,000. After his departure from The Price Is Right in 2000, he retired and dedicated his time to composing the music and lyrics for the holiday season album "The True Spirit of Christmas," recorded by Pat Boone. On June 11, 2011 in Los Angeles, California, Paul Alter died of natural causes at the age of 89, leaving behind his wife Lorraine Cole Alter, his three daughters, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren which he all adored passionately.