Aaron Ruben (March 1, 1914 – January 30, 2010) was an American

television director A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the prod ...

and producer known for ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The ...

'' (1960), '' Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.'' (1964), and '' Sanford and Son'' (1972).

Early life

Ruben was born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, Illinois, the son of Polish Jewish immigrants. He grew up on the

West Side West Side or Westside may refer to: Places Canada * West Side, a neighbourhood of Windsor, Ontario * West Side, a neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia United Kingdom * West Side, Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Westside, Birmingham E ...

of Chicago and attended Lewis Institute but did not graduate. He was involved in theater in Chicago after leaving college. After service in the military he worked for studios and wrote for radio programs including those of

Dinah Shore Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, and television personality, and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during ...

George Burns George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; January 20, 1896March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film and television. His arched eyebr ...

and

Gracie Allen Grace Ethel Cecile Rosalie Allen (July 26, 1895 – August 27, 1964) was an American vaudevillian, singer, actress, and comedian who became internationally famous as the zany partner and comic foil of husband George Burns, her straight man, ...

, and

Fred Allen John Florence Sullivan (May 31, 1894 – March 17, 1956), known professionally as Fred Allen, was an American comedian. His absurdist, topically pointed radio program ''The Fred Allen Show'' (1932–1949) made him one of the most popular and for ...

. He co-wrote Milton Berle's 1947-48 radio series with

Nat Hiken Nathan Hiken (June 23, 1914 – December 7, 1968) was an American radio and television writer, producer, and songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1950s. Early years Hiken was born on June 23, 1914, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Jewish p ...

Television career

Ruben started his TV producing and directing career in 1954 when he directed the TV series '' Caesar's Hour'' (1954). He then directed eleven episodes of ''

The Phil Silvers Show ''The Phil Silvers Show'', originally titled ''You'll Never Get Rich'', is a sitcom which ran on CBS from 1955 to 1959. A pilot titled "Audition Show" was made in 1955, but it was never broadcast. 143 other episodes were broadcast – all half-a ...

'' between 1957 and 1959 along with Silvers'

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

TV special, '' Keep in Step'' (1959). He later produced ''

'' (1960), working on that series for five seasons as producer, writer and story consultant. He went on to create the ''Andy Griffith'' spin-off '' Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.'' (1964), which turned out to be his only TV creation. Other credits include '' The Headmaster'' (1970), '' Sanford and Son'' (1972), '' C.P.O. Sharkey'' (1976) and ''

Teachers Only ''Teachers Only'' is an American sitcom on NBC that centered on the faculty of a Los Angeles high school who spent a lot of time in the teacher's lounge, where the students were not allowed. Following a short first season, the show was completely ...

'' (1982). Aaron Ruben last did a voiceover in the videogame ''Buick Berle, 1954'' (1995). In 2003, Ruben won the

Writers Guild of America, West The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. It was formed in 1954 from five organizations representing writers, including the Screen Writers Guild. It has around 20,000 m ...

Valentine Davies Valentine Loewi Davies (August 25, 1905 – July 23, 1961) was an American film and television writer, producer, and director. His film credits included ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947), ''Chicken Every Sunday'' (1949), '' It Happens Every Sprin ...

Award for public service, for his work on behalf of abused children.

Film

Ruben co-wrote and co-produced (with

Carl Reiner Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, stand-up comedian, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned seven decades. He was the recipient of many awards and honors, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, ...

) a 1969 film about the silent-movie era, ''

The Comic ''The Comic'' is a 1969 American Pathécolor comedy-drama film co-written, co-produced, and directed by Carl Reiner. It stars Dick Van Dyke as Billy Bright (which was the original title of the film), Michele Lee as Bright's love interest, and R ...

'', starring Dick Van Dyke.

Death

Ruben was married to actress

Maureen Arthur Maureen Louise Arthur (April 15, 1934 – June 15, 2022) was an American film, television, and stage actress. Life and career Arthur appeared in numerous movies and television programs from the late 1950s through the early 1990s as well as on Br ...

. He died from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

on January 30, 2010, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, aged 95.

Primetime Emmy Award Nominations

*Outstanding New Series: '' Sanford and Son'' - Shared with

Bud Yorkin Alan David "Bud" Yorkin (February 22, 1926 – August 18, 2015) was an American film and television producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. Biography Yorkin was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, to Jewish parents. He earned a deg ...

, 1972 *Outstanding Series - Comedy: ''Sanford and Son'' - Shared with Bud Yorkin, 1972 *Outstanding Comedy Series: ''Sanford and Son'' - Shared with Bud Yorkin, 1973

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruben, Aaron 1914 births 2010 deaths 20th-century American Jews American television directors Television producers from Illinois American television writers American male television writers Deaths from pneumonia in California Artists from Chicago Screenwriters from Illinois 21st-century American Jews