- Born
- Died
- Birth nameTheodore Jonas Flicker
- Nickname
- Ted
- Theodore J. Flicker was born on June 6, 1930 in Freehold Borough, New Jersey, USA. He was a writer and director, known for The President's Analyst (1967), Up in the Cellar (1970) and Spinout (1966). He was married to Barbara Flicker. He died on September 12, 2014 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
- SpouseBarbara Flicker(September 30, 1966 - September 13, 2014) (his death)
- RelativesJonathan M. Flicker(Niece or Nephew)
- One of his television movie ideas that didn't get made was "My Husband the Detective," written for comedian Alan King, which led to his biggest hit. He recalled, "Alan King loved it, the network hated it. But a smart agent saw a sitcom in it." He teamed with sitcom veteran Danny Arnold and together they created Barney Miller (1975), about a mismatched group of police detectives in a gritty New York City precinct. "Barney Miller" ran from 1974-82, giving Flicker and his wife Barbara enough money to say goodbye to Hollywood. Flicker, by his own admission, did not play studio politics well, As detailed in the 2008 documentary Ted Flicker - A Life in Three Acts (2008), he fought often with network executives and didn't always choose his battles wisely, at least in terms of career advancement. Shortly after he'd have a blowup with someone in the front office, Flicker would say, "They were on the cover of Time magazine and then be a new head of the studio." People would ask Ted, "Why are you leaving?" Flicker's response: "We had enough".
- After retiring from Hollywood and moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico, he became a sculptor, a collector of sculpture, which he displayed in his own four acre sculpture garden next to his home in Santa Fe, and also an art gallery owner. Other than his own sculpture, his collection included the works of Allan Houser (a Chiricahua Apache sculptor, painter and illustrator considered one of the most renowned Native American painters and Modernist sculptors of the 20th century), Michael Bergt, Tony Price, and Paul Moore, among many others.
- In the mid-'50s he worked with 'Elaine May' and others in the pioneering improvisational Chicago-based theatre company Compass Players. In 1960 he established his own improvisational group, the Premise, that played several cities, including London and Los Angeles. He went on to direct numerous episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961), The Streets of San Francisco (1972) and Night Gallery (1969). His first film, The Troublemaker (1964). written with Buck Henry, was about a naive farmer trying to open a coffee shop in New York City. Flicker's best-known feature film was the 1967 comedy The President's Analyst (1967) which critic Roger Ebert early in his career called "one of the funniest movies of the year, ranking with The Graduate (1967) and Bedazzled (1967) in the sharp edge of its satire." The frantically paced movie was about a psychiatrist on the run from spies from around the world because he heard vital secrets during therapy sessions with the president. The film lampoons the Washington establishment, FBI, CIA, hippies, suburban living, psychedelic rock and a sinister evil force that turns out to be the telephone company. Despite good reviews, the film was not a commercial success. It has, however, achieved cult status.
- He legally changed his name to Ted Flicker (from the more formal Theodore J. Flicker) on May 13, 1994.
- Dramatist, stage director, film and television writer, director and actor, a former Greenwich Village satirist. An early member of the improvisational comedy troupe Chicago's Compass Players. Best known for the political lampoon The President's Analyst (1967) and as creator of the popular TV series Barney Miller (1975).
- [on Shelley Berman] Shelley was a swine. I didn't bring Shelley from Chicago to St. Louis. He was a greedy, selfish performer. Severn [Severn Darden] would come onstage and hold his hands out like he had something in them and say, "Look at my rabbit." Shelley would do the cardinal sin of improvisation. He made the audience his ally in making a fool of Severn because there was no rabbit. I saw him do that and said, "When it's my company, he ain't going to be with it." He was a mean man. I didn't like Shelley. But he was talented and he was funny.
- [on Sandy Baron] Sandy was funny. He was a little vulgar. He lacked character. It was not fun to be around Sandy, but he was talented.
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