Charles S. Dubin

Charles S. Dubin
Credits
Position	Director
Biographical Information
Birth Name	Charles Samuel Dubronevski
Birthdate	February 1, 1919
Birthplace	Brooklyn, New York, United States
Death Date	September 5, 2011 (age 92)
Death Place	Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, United States

Charles S. Dubin was a director on the Tabitha television series. He directed the episode, Tabitha's Weighty Problem (1977).

Biography

Charles S. Dubin (Charlie) was born on February 1, 1919, as Charles Samuel Dubronevski. He was a director and producer who worked prolifically over the course of more than four decades.

Born in Brooklyn, Dubin initially wanted to become an opera singer. After graduating from Brooklyn College in 1941, he studied acting with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse.

Early Career

In the Catskills, he did comedy, drama and music performances as well as some directing. He worked as a stage manager in theater in New York, including with Moss Hart.

Dubin began his career as a television director in 1950, just as the medium was becoming viable, when ABC hired him as an associate director. He directed classic live arts programming during television's golden age such as “Pulitzer Prize Playhouse” (1950-1952); “Omnibus” (1955-1958), for which he worked with the likes of Leonard Bernstein, Agnes de Mille and George Balanchine; and “The Seven Lively Arts.” In 1959, he filmed the Bolshoi Ballet for television during its first American tour.

Dubin produced and directed a 1965 television adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Cinderella,” starring Lesley Ann Warren, earning an Emmy nomination. In the wake of his success with this high-profile production, which also starred Ginger Rogers and Walter Pidgeon, Dubin became one of the busiest directors in television over the next twenty-five years.

Blacklist

Dubin was blacklisted twice, first in 1952, then in 1958, while directing the NBC quizshow “Twenty-One” (the show became the center of the quizshow scandal, but Dubin said he was unaware of the backstage practices that led to the show’s demise). At that time, he appeared before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. He later explained that he was not, at that time, a Communist Party member and had never known of any activity contrary to the interests of the United States, but also believed in his right not to testify. He was never cited for contempt, but NBC and the producers of “Twenty-One” dismissed him the next day.

Hollywood

Dubin moved to Los Angeles in 1966. He helmed multiple episodes of television series including “The Defenders,” “The Big Valley,” “The Virginian,” “Ironside,” “Room 222,” “Medical Center,” “Kung Fu,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “Kojak,” “Lou Grant,” “Too Close for Comfort,” “Matlock” and “Father Dowling Mysteries” (starring Tom Bosley). He also directed two episodes of the 1979 miniseries “Roots: The Next Generation.”

Dubin was nominated by the Directors Guild Association (DGA) for an episode of “Hawaii Five-O” and won a DGA Award for an episode of “Kojak.” He won a Daytime Emmy in 1990 for PBS’ “Square One TV” and was nominated again in 1992.

He directed two theatrical films, “Mister Rock and Roll” (1957) and “Moving Violation” (1976).

M*A*S*H

Dubin was already a television veteran when he became associated with "M*A*S*H". He helmed more episodes of “M*A*S*H”, forty-four, than any other director. Dubin was Emmy nominated three times for “M*A*S*H,” including for the famed episode “Point of View,” which was shot entirely from the point of view of a wounded soldier. He also picked up Directors Guild Award nominations for two episodes of “M*A*S*H,” including “Point of View.”

“M*A*S*H” star Mike Farrell said: “. . . He was the favorite director of the group of us on ‘M*A*S*H’ - a man with a history, an extraordinary career, ballet, classical music behind him. He became a part of the family.”

Death

Charles S. Dubin died of natural causes on September 5, 2011, in Brentwood, California. He was 92. He was survived by his second wife, Mary Lou Chayes, and daughter, Zan Dubin Scott, a publicist.