Innovative Director Shapes Medium

Director Robert G. Myhrum '48 encapsulated a generation of television, as he shaped the field in its formative stages, and then exited nearly 30 years later from a world which he saw as overly formulaic and corporate.

Over his long and distinguished career, Myhrum worked on a wide variety of projects, most notably as the director of "Sesame Street" and numerous soap operas, including "Secret Storm."

Fifty years after his Harvard graduation, Myhrum returns to the University this week, and he credits much of his success to his Harvard experiences.

Playing in the Pudding

Although he skipped graduation commencement in favor of his wedding, Myhrum calls Harvard "the best thing that could have happened to me."

As an active member of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, Myhrum played the female lead in the company's 100th anniversary production and the male lead the following year.

"My experiences in the Hasty Pudding had as much to do with [my career choice] as anything," Myhrum says.

In addition, as president of the A.D. Club and a member of the Signet Society, he says he made friendships that influenced both his decisions and choices.

After graduation, Myhrum taught English in prep schools during the school year, but worked in theater in Duxbury in the summers. He became increasingly involved in theater and graduated in 1955 with a Master of Fine Arts in theater from Yale.

TV: A Transformative Medium

Myhrum planned to go on and teach at Smith College, but a coincidence changed his plans--his wife inherited a television. Although he jokingly describes his family as being too snobbish to get a television, watching the McCarthy hearings transformed his view of the medium.

After watching the hearings, Myhrum refused the teaching offer at Smith and began as a mail clerk in the CBS mailroom.

"I went into TV due to J.P. Welch who destroyed Senator McCarthy, not for show business," Myhrum says.

Over the next few years, Myhrum rose quickly through the ranks to the position of director in news and public affairs. However, a few years later, CBS decided his department was not profitable enough and eliminated what Myhrum labeled an "intellectual ghetto."

While at CBS, Myhrum oversaw the first electronic analysis of an electoral primary, which marked one of the first times that computers caught the public eye.

Myhrum also watched the television industry make a transition from live shows to taped productions. This change was not for the better, in Myhrum's view, as he was interested in the live aspects of the work.

"Coming from theater, live TV had a great deal more appeal because of its similarities to live theater," Myhrum says.

Myhrum says the difference between live and taped TV is the same as "the difference between a practice and a race. [Live TV] is a race every time."

After leaving CBS he went briefly to "Captain Kangaroo," and then helped start Channel 13, the flagship public television station in New York.

Myhrum eventually left network TV and became a freelance director. With his own production company he worked on everything imaginable, from Giants football to the Philharmonic. However, his favorite shows were those that maintained a pseudo-live quality, such as soap operas and "Sesame Street."

Sam Hall, a soap opera writer and a friend of Myhrum, calls Myhrum "a marvelous director" who maintained high professional standards in a field known for its sleaze.

"He had taste," Hall says. "He really elevated what is usually a very dreary business."

Alfred Hyslop, a colleague of Myhrum and former producer of "Sesame Street" and many other children's shows, says that "unlike some TV producers," Myhrum "brought an intellectual component to his shows."

Myhrum took over as director of "Sesame Street" after the first year of pro- duction and instituted several major changes.

The set was altered from a single "street" totwo separate segments, framing the well-knowncourtyard in the center.

Exemplifying his motto that "you're only asgood as your last show," Myhrum made theproduction more efficient, increasing the schedulefrom about a show per day to two shows per day.

"Myhrum helped them organize a system where itwas possible to do 100 to 200 shows per season,"Hyslop says.

Calling the show "quite good fun," Myhrum leftafter 13 years as part of what he describes as his"slow retirement" from the business. While hejokingly quotes his wife as saying that he had"been in New York too long," the primary reasonfor his departure, he says, was a growingdisillusionment with the television business.

He recalls an illuminating discussion with asoap opera producer as a sign that he needed toleave the business. When the producer asked him ifhe had enjoyed the show they had worked togetheron the previous day, Myhrum responded that whilehe enjoyed the people and the process "youcouldn't pay me enough to watch it." It was thenthat he realized it was time to leave.

Hall seconded Myhrum's view of the medium,saying that maintaining standards is nearlyimpossible when overall direction is dictated bynetwork heads and specific content decisions aremade by committees of producers.

"As long as you're willing to keep eating yourown vomit, you're fine," Hall says.

Hall says he has great respect for Myhrumbecause he quit when he could no longer maintainhis own standards.

After his retirement, Myhrum and his familyspent a year cruising the Intercoastal Waterwayfrom New York to Mexico. He and his wife stillspend five months a year on the boat, and spendtheir summers in a house near Lake Superior.

Myhram previously served as an environmentalchair for his district in southwestern Vermont,and now spends his free time restoring his 1930sFords and directing plays

The set was altered from a single "street" totwo separate segments, framing the well-knowncourtyard in the center.

Exemplifying his motto that "you're only asgood as your last show," Myhrum made theproduction more efficient, increasing the schedulefrom about a show per day to two shows per day.

"Myhrum helped them organize a system where itwas possible to do 100 to 200 shows per season,"Hyslop says.

Calling the show "quite good fun," Myhrum leftafter 13 years as part of what he describes as his"slow retirement" from the business. While hejokingly quotes his wife as saying that he had"been in New York too long," the primary reasonfor his departure, he says, was a growingdisillusionment with the television business.

He recalls an illuminating discussion with asoap opera producer as a sign that he needed toleave the business. When the producer asked him ifhe had enjoyed the show they had worked togetheron the previous day, Myhrum responded that whilehe enjoyed the people and the process "youcouldn't pay me enough to watch it." It was thenthat he realized it was time to leave.

Hall seconded Myhrum's view of the medium,saying that maintaining standards is nearlyimpossible when overall direction is dictated bynetwork heads and specific content decisions aremade by committees of producers.

"As long as you're willing to keep eating yourown vomit, you're fine," Hall says.

Hall says he has great respect for Myhrumbecause he quit when he could no longer maintainhis own standards.

After his retirement, Myhrum and his familyspent a year cruising the Intercoastal Waterwayfrom New York to Mexico. He and his wife stillspend five months a year on the boat, and spendtheir summers in a house near Lake Superior.

Myhram previously served as an environmentalchair for his district in southwestern Vermont,and now spends his free time restoring his 1930sFords and directing plays