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 sitcom television series that was 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 series ...

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

Early life

Ruben was born in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Illinois, the son of Polish Jewish immigrants. He grew up on the West Side 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, television personality, and the chart-topping female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during the ...

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 eyeb ...

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, ap ...

, 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 forw ...

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

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'' between 1957 and 1959, along with Silvers' CBS 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). Other credits include '' The Headmaster'' (1970), '' Sanford and Son'' (1972), '' C.P.O. Sharkey'' (1976) and '' Teachers Only'' (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 Spr ...

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, author, comedian, director and screenwriter whose career spanned seven decades. He was the List of awards and nominations received by Carl Reiner, recipient of many awards and ...

) 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 Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. Dick Van Dyke on screen and stage, His work spans screen and stage, and List of awards and nominations received by Dick Van Dyke, his awards includ ...

Death

Ruben was married to actress Maureen Arthur. He died from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

on January 30, 2010, at his home in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hills ...

, aged 95.

Primetime Emmy Award nominations

*Outstanding New Series: '' Sanford and Son'' - shared with Bud Yorkin, 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 American television show creators 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