Gerald Clifford Gardner (July 22, 1929 – October 11, 2020) was an American

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

scriptwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. T ...

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

comics writer A script is a document describing the narrative and dialogue of a comic book in detail. It is the comic book equivalent of a television program teleplay or a film screenplay. In comics, a script may be preceded by a plot outline, and is almost al ...

story editor Story editor is a job title in motion picture and television production, also sometimes called "supervising producer". In live action television, a story editor is a member of the screenwriting staff who edits scripts, pitches stories, and reports ...

and producer who was active in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Gardner frequently teamed with his longtime writing partner,

Dee Caruso Dee Caruso (April 7, 1929 – May 27, 2012) was an American television and film screenwriter and television producer, whose credits included ''Get Smart'', ''The Monkees'' and ''The Smothers Brothers Show''. Caruso and his longtime writing partne ...

, for their work.

Career

He wrote 22 episodes of ''

The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conc ...

'' and 11 of ''

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, an ...

'', including "The Amazing Harry Hoo", "Washington 4, Indians 3", and "Diplomat's Daughter" (featuring The Craw). ''Get Smart'' episodes he worked on were nominated for

Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

. Gardner was a senior writer on the live broadcasts of ''

That Was The Week That Was ''That Was the Week That Was'', informally ''TWTWTW'' or ''TW3'', is a satirical television comedy programme that aired on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced, and directed by Ned Sherrin and Jack (aka John) Duncan, and pre ...

'' (TW3), the NBC-TV series of topical satire. His producing credits include ''

The Red Skelton Show ''The Red Skelton Show'' is an American television comedy/variety show that aired from 1951 to 1971. In the decade prior to hosting the show, Richard "Red" Skelton had a successful career as a radio and motion pictures star. Although his televis ...

'' (1970–1971). Gardner and Caruso co-wrote the Walt Disney motion picture ''

The World's Greatest Athlete ''The World's Greatest Athlete'' is a 1973 American sports comedy film directed by Robert Scheerer and starring John Amos, Roscoe Lee Browne, Tim Conway, Dayle Haddon, and Jan-Michael Vincent. Released by Walt Disney Productions, it is one of the ...

'' starring

Jan-Michael Vincent Jan-Michael Vincent (July 15, 1944 – February 10, 2019) was an American actor known for portraying helicopter pilot Stringfellow Hawke in the TV series ''Airwolf'' (1984–1987) and the protagonist, Matt Johnson, in the 1978 film ''Big W ...

and

John Amos John Allen Amos Jr. (born December 27, 1939) is an American actor known for his role as James Evans Sr. on the CBS television series ''Good Times''. Amos's other television work includes ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', a recurring role as Admir ...

. He is also the author of more than 30 books, including the political satire series "Who's In Charge Here?" In 1963 he also wrote gags for the daily comic strip ''Miss Caroline: The Little Girl in the Big White House'' by

Frank B. Johnson (cartoonist) Frank Johnson may refer to: Entertainment * Francis Johnson (composer) (1792–1844), known as Frank, American musician and composer * Frank Johnson (musician) (c. 1790–1871), American musician * Frank Tenney Johnson (1874–1939), painter of the ...

, about the supposed daughter of the U.S. President. When President Kennedy was murdered later that year the comic strip was instantly canceled. Gardner was the father of media executive

Lindsay Gardner Lindsay Gardner (born 1960) is an American media executive and strategist. The senior vice president and chief content officer at T-Mobile, he previously held senior positions at media companies including Miramax, Tribune Media, and AMC Networks ...

. Gardner died October 11, 2020 of lung cancer at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills, California, aged 91.

References

External links

*
Gerald C. Gardner biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardner, Gerald 1929 births 2020 deaths American television writers American television producers American screenwriters American comics writers American male television writers