Tom Schiller
Tom Schiller is an American writer best known for his eleven-year stint writing and directing short films for Saturday Night Live (following the show's original short film makers Albert Brooks and Gary Weis). His films, often featuring members of the original SNL cast, aired on the program in a segment titled, "Schiller's Reel."
He is the son of former TV comedy writer/producer Bob Schiller.
Career
Schiller was part of the original 1975 writing team when Saturday Night Live debuted on NBC. Notable films included the Federico Fellini send-up "La Dolce Gilda" and "Don't Look Back in Anger", which depicted an elderly John Belushi as the last living "Not Ready For Primetime Player" and dancing on the graves of his deceased castmembers. (Ironically, Belushi would be the first SNL cast member to die, four years after the film first aired). Another favorite was "Java Junkie", a send-up of a 50s style cautionary film about a coffee addict (played by Peter Aykroyd). Schiller wrote and directed the short film "Love is a Dream" for SNL with Phil Hartman and producer/cinematographer Neal Marshad. Schiller also wrote and directed a feature film, Nothing Lasts Forever (1984). The film, which has never been officially released theatrically or for home media, featured Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Zach Galligan, Sam Jaffe, Mort Sahl, Lauren Tom, Imogene Coca, Apollonia van Ravenstein and Eddie Fisher, has gained a cult following and influenced a number of young directors.
Prior to working on Saturday Night Live, Schiller worked as an assistant to documentary filmmaker Robert Snyder and directed a film about his longtime friend and mentor, author Henry Miller. Schiller is the son of sitcom writer Bob Schiller, who was a staff writer on I Love Lucy.
Schiller has gone on to direct over 500 comedy TV commercials and is currently represented by his own company, Schillervision.
In spring, 2013 the comedy album "Tom and Don" which is a compilation of improv interviews between Schiller and musician Donald Fagen was released. Schiller's body of work is the subject of the 2005 book Nothing Lost Forever: The Films of Tom Schiller by Michael Streeter. Schiller is married to writer, humorist and partygiver Jacque Lynn Schiller.
Further reading
- Streeter, Michael (2005). Nothing Lost Forever - The Films of Tom Schiller. Albany: BearManor Media ISBN 1-59393-022-4
References
External links
^ Interview - Tom and Don: Part 1 at Apple ITunes
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| 1970–1973 |
- Gary Belkin, Peter Bellwood, Thomas Meehan, Herb Sargent and Judith Viorst (1970)
- Herbert Baker, Hal Goodman, Larry Klein, Bob Schiller, Norman Steinberg, Bob Weiskopf and Flip Wilson / Bob Ellison and Marty Farrell (1971)
- Art Baer, Roger Beatty, Stan Burns, Stan Hart, Don Hinkley, Ben Joelson, Woody Kling, Mike Marmer, Arnie Rosen and Larry Siegel / Anne Howard Bailey (1972)
- Bill Angelos, Roger Beatty, Stan Hart, Robert Hilliard, Woody Kling, Arnie Kogen, Buz Kohan, Gail Parent, Tom Patchett, Larry Siegel and Jay Tarses / Joseph Bologna and Renee Taylor (1973)
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| 1974–1978 | | Specials |
- Rosalyn Drexler, Ann Elder, Karyl Geld Miller, Robert Illes, Lorne Michaels, Richard Pryor, Jim Rusk, Herb Sargent, James R. Stein, Lily Tomlin, Jane Wagner, Rod Warren and George Yanok (1974)
- John Bradford, Cy Coleman and Bob Wells (1975)
- Ann Elder, Christopher Guest, Lorne Michaels, Earl Pomerantz, Jim Rusk, Lily Tomlin, Jane Wagner, Rod Warren and George Yanok (1976)
- Buz Kohan and Ted Strauss (1977)
- Chevy Chase, Tom Davis, Al Franken, Charles Grodin, Lorne Michaels, Paul Simon, Lily Tomlin and Alan Zweibel (1978)
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| | Series |
- Roger Beatty, Gary Belkin, Dick Clair, Rudy De Luca, Arnie Kogen, Barry Harman, Barry Levinson, Jenna McMahon, Gene Perret, Bill Richmond and Ed Simmons (1974)
- Roger Beatty, Gary Belkin, Dick Clair, Rudy De Luca, Arnie Kogen, Barry Levinson, Jenna McMahon, Gene Perret, Bill Richmond and Ed Simmons (1975)
- Anne Beatts, Chevy Chase, Tom Davis, Al Franken, Lorne Michaels, Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Michael O'Donoghue, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Rosie Shuster and Alan Zweibel (1976)
- Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Tom Davis, James Downey, Al Franken, Lorne Michaels, Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Bill Murray, Michael O'Donoghue, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Rosie Shuster and Alan Zweibel (1977)
- Roger Beatty, Dick Clair, Tim Conway, Rick Hawkins, Robert Illes, Jenna McMahon, Gene Perret, Bill Richmond, Liz Sage, Larry Siegel, Franelle Silver, Ed Simmons and James Stein (1978)
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| 1979 | |
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- Complete list
- (1957–1969)
- (1970–1979)
- (1980–1989)
- (1990–1999)
- (2000–2009)
- (2010–2019)
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- Buz Kohan (1980)
- Jerry Juhl, Chris Langham and David Odell (1981)
- Jeffrey Barron, Dick Blasucci, John Candy, Chris Cluess, Bob Dolman, Joe Flaherty, Paul Flaherty, Stuart Kreisman, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, John McAndrew, Brian McConnachie, Rick Moranis, Catherine O'Hara, Mert Rich, Michael Short, Doug Steckler and Dave Thomas (1982)
- Dick Blasucci, John Candy, Bob Dolman, Joe Flaherty, Paul Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, John McAndrew, Martin Short, Michael Short, Doug Steckler and Mary Charlotte Wilcox (1983)
- Chris Elliott, Sanford Frank, Ted Greenberg, David Letterman, Merrill Markoe, Jeff Martin, Gerard Mulligan, Steve O'Donnell, Joe Toplyn, Matt Wickline and David Yazbek (1984)
- Randy Cohen, Kevin Curran, Chris Elliott, Sandy Frank, Eddie Gorodetsky, Fred Graver, Larry Jacobson, David Letterman, Merrill Markoe, Jeff Martin, Gerard Mulligan, Joe Toplyn and Matt Wickline (1985)
- Randy Cohen, Kevin Curran, Chris Elliott, Sandy Frank, Fred Graver, Larry Jacobson, David Letterman, Merrill Markoe, Jeff Martin, Gerard Mulligan, Steve O'Donnell, Joe Toplyn and Matt Wickline (1986)
- Randy Cohen, Kevin Curran, Chris Elliott, Sandy Frank, Fred Graver, Larry Jacobson, David Letterman, Jeff Martin, Gerard Mulligan, Steve O'Donnell, Adam Resnick, Joe Toplyn and Matt Wickline (1987)
- Jackie Mason (1988)
- John Bowman, A. Whitney Brown, Greg Daniels, Tom Davis, James Downey, Al Franken, Shannon Gaughan, Jack Handey, Phil Hartman, George Meyer, Lorne Michaels, Mike Myers, Conan O'Brien, Bob Odenkirk, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Robert Smigel, Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner and Christine Zander (1989)
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- Complete list
- (1957–1969)
- (1970–1979)
- (1980–1989)
- (1990–1999)
- (2000–2009)
- (2010–2019)
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