Abner E. "Abby" Singer (December 8, 1917 – March 13, 2014) was an American production manager and

assistant director The role of an assistant director on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have to tak ...

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

between the 1950s and the 1980s. His name has become famous in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

as a phrase describing the second-to-last

shot Shot may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Shot'' (album), by The Jesus Lizard *''Shot, Illusion, New God'', an EP by Gruntruck *''Shot Rev 2.0'', a video album by The Sisters of Mercy * "Shot" (song), by The Rasmus * ''Shot'' (2017 fi ...

of the day as the "Abby Singer". According to Burt Bluestein of the

Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Directors Guild in 1936, the group merge ...

, "It all began when Abby was a 1st AD and people on the crew would ask him how many shots were left to do before lunch. Abby would answer, 'We'll do this and one more.' At the end of the day, when they asked what was to be done before the wrap, Abby would say, 'This and one more, then we're out of here.'"DGA Monthly, March 2002
Abby Singer himself explains the reason behind calling out the second to last shot; "In television, we would make maybe five or six moves during the day — going from one set to another, or from one stage to another. Or we'd move from the back lot to a stage. I would say, 'Fellas, we'll do this

hot Hot or the acronym HOT may refer to: Food and drink *Pungency, in food, a spicy or hot quality *Hot, a wine tasting descriptor Places * Hot district, a district of Chiang Mai province, Thailand **Hot subdistrict, a sub-district of Hot Distric ...

and one more and then we're moving.' This would give the crew a chance to begin wrapping up their equipment or to call transportation for gurneys, so they'd be ready to get out quickly... I did it really to save time for the director. If we did it during the day, I could save 10 to 15 minutes each time we had to move. I could give the director another hour a day of shooting." The last shot of the production day is referred to as a "

Martini Shot In filmmaking and video production, a shot is a series of frames that runs for an uninterrupted period of time. Film shots are an essential aspect of a movie where angles, transitions and cuts are used to further express emotion, ideas and mo ...

," referring to the alcoholic beverage. Abby Singer died of cancer on March 13, 2014, in California at the age of 96.CBS Atlanta obit on Singer

Selected filmography

As assistant director

* ''Death of a Salesman'' (1951) (Second AD) * ''Income Tax Sappy'' (1954) (as Abner Singer) * ''Shot in the Frontier'' (1954) (as Abner E. Singer) * ''The Jack Benny Show'' (1958) (as Abner E. Singer) * ''7th Cavalry'' (1956) (as Abner E. Singer) * ''The Guns of Fort Petticoat'' (1957) (as Abner E. Singer) * ''M Squad'' (1957) TV Series (assistant director) * ''Hellcats of the Navy'' (1957) (assistant director) * ''The Guns of Fort Petticoat'' (1957) (assistant director) * ''7th Cavalry'' (1956) (assistant director) * ''He Laughed Last'' (1956) (assistant director) * ''Over-Exposed'' (1956) (assistant director) * ''A Lawless Street'' (1955) .k.a. ''Marshal of Medicine Bend'' (USA)(assistant director) * ''Gypped in the Penthouse'' (1955) (assistant director) * ''Cannibal Attack'' (1954) (assistant director) * ''Shot in the Frontier'' (1954) (assistant director) * ''Massacre Canyon'' (1954) (assistant director) * ''Income Tax Sappy'' (1954) (assistant director)

As production manager

* ''Columbo: Sex and the Married Detective'' (1989) (TV) (unit production manager) * ''Columbo: Murder, Smoke and Shadows'' (1989) (TV) (unit production manager) * ''Columbo: Columbo Goes to the Guillotine'' (1989) (TV) (unit production manager) * ''Thunderbolt and Lightfoot'' (1974) (unit production manager) * ''

Remington Steele ''Remington Steele'' is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from Oc ...

'' TV series ** "Signed, Steeled & Delivered" TV Episode (executive in charge of production) ** "Your Steele the One for Me" TV Episode (executive in charge of production) ** "Sting of Steele" (1983) TV Episode (executive in charge of production) ** "Steele's Gold" (1983) TV Episode (executive in charge of production) ** "Vintage Steele" (1983) TV Episode (executive in charge of production) ** "Steele in the News" (1983) TV Episode (executive in charge of production) ** "Steele Among the Living" (1983) TV Episode (executive in charge of production) * ''

The Bob Newhart Show ''The Bob Newhart Show'' is an American sitcom television series produced by MTM Enterprises that aired on CBS from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978, with a total of 142 half-hour episodes over six seasons. Comedian Bob Newhart portrays a psy ...

(production manager) * ''

WKRP in Cincinnati ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' is an American sitcom television series about the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio broadcasting, radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson (director), Hugh Wilson ...

'' (1978–1982) (executive in charge of production) * ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station loca ...

'' (1981–1987) (executive in charge of production) * ''

St. Elsewhere ''St. Elsewhere'' was an American medical drama television series created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982, to May 25, 1988. The series stars Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd, and William Daniels as ...

'' (1982–1988) (executive in charge of production) * ''A Little Sex'' (1982) (production manager: Los Angeles) * ''First, You Cry'' (1978) (TV) (supervising production manager) * ''Something for Joey'' (1977) (TV) (production manager) * ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Moor ...

'' (1974–1976) (unit production manager 1974–1975; production manager 1975–1976) * "Rhoda" (1974) TV Series (unit production manager) * ' (1968) (TV) (unit manager) * ''

The Doris Day Show ''The Doris Day Show'' is an American sitcom which was originally broadcast on CBS from September 1968 until March 1973, remaining on the air for five seasons and 128 episodes. The series is remembered for its multiple format and cast change ...

'' (1968) TV Series (production manager) * ''

The Meanest Men in the West ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1967) (TV) (unit production manager) * ''Out of Sight'' (1966) (unit production manager) * ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'' (1955) TV Series (production manager)

References

External links

*
Abby Singer

Abby Singer

''Abby Singer'' movie
( ''Abby Singer'' the Movie, named after Singer)
AbbySinger.net
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Singer, Abby American television producers American television directors 1917 births 2014 deaths