Fritz Jean - Brady, Brady, Brady

The Complete Story of THE BRADY BUNCH

as Told by the Father/Son Team Who Really Know

RUNNING PRESS

PHILADELPHIA LONDON

2010 by Sherwood Schwartz and Lloyd J. Schwartz
All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright Conventions

This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher.

9 8 7 6 5 4 3
Digit on the right indicates the number of this printing

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010922442

ISBN 978-0-7624-3962-1

Cover and interior design by Corinda Cook
Edited by Greg Jones
Typography: Garamond, Helvetica Neue, and Typography of Coop

All photographs courtesy of Lloyd Schwartz.

Running Press Book Publishers
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Philadelphia, PA 19103-4371

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I dedicate this book to my wife, Mildred.
For me, it was love at first sight,
and so far it has lasted sixty-eight years.

Sherwood Schwartz

To my father.
Read what Ive written. Youll see why.

Lloyd Schwartz

It takes a special art to balance the emotional elevator ups and downs of a single family, but a blended family of two different mindsets, DNA, and provoking lifestyles is indeed a creative challenge.

Not for Sherwood Schwartz and his son Lloyd, who blended their talents together to write Brady, Brady, Bradyan intimate, behind-the-scenes look at one of the most successful family series in TV history, The Brady Bunch.

It was a statistic in 1965which said that 30 percent of all marriages involve offspring from a previous marriagethat caught Sherwoods inquiring mind, giving bloom to 117 episodes, three specials, and two feature films.

Culling from Sherwoods long and loving marriage and the success of his children, life experiences can be transferred to any family. This book is a tribute to both father and son (with a bit of insight from mother, Mildred Schwartz, thrown in no doubt). Ive always thought Mildred was as funny as Sherwood in that forest of humor.

Monty Hall

A word about Brady, Brady, Brady.

This is an unusual book. Many books have been written by two authors together, but the two parts of this book were written by two authors independently.

Sherwood Schwartz wrote the first section about the creation of The Brady Bunch series, and his partner and son, Lloyd J. Schwartz, wrote the second and third parts about the production of the show and its legacy.

They didnt collaborate in the traditional sense, because they wanted readers to appreciate their individual perspectives. So, if they write about some of the same things, they hope their views of the events will be somewhat different and enlightening.

It was certainly enlightening to them.

This book would never have been finished without the help of my personal assistant, Bonnie Kalisher Dukes. Thanks to Mrs. Dukes for her patience in keeping track of the many rewritesonly God and Bonnie know how many of those there have beenplus all the articles, photos, clippings, graphs, and drawings from 1967 to the present.

Very special thanks to my son, Lloyd, who went from dialogue coach for the Brady kids, to associate producer, and finally producer in the space of six years. It took me 25 years to make those moves.

And special thanks to his encyclopedic mind for detail, not only for all the episodes, but also for the various permutations and combinations of Brady projects from the two-hour specials to the spin-offs and features; and if Ive left anything out, for all else as well, because my own memory is no longer as good as it never was. Thanks also, in alphabetical order, to all my co-workers, friends, and other helpmates regarding specific events and conversations, some as long as 41 years ago: ABC, Jack Arnold, Jim Aubrey, Jim Backus, Blanche Baker, Cecil Barker, Bob Blumofe, Joyce Bulifant, Captain Pettito, CBS, Hank Coleman, Steve Cox, Doug Cramer, Ann B. Davis, Frank De Vol, Bob Denver, Barry Diller, Mike Eisner, F.C.C., Fluffy, Dabs Greer, Monty Hall, Florence Henderson, Howard Anderson Company, Jeff Hunter, Ed James, Lauren Johnson, Paul King, Christopher Knight, Jimmy Komack, Bruce Lansbury, Emmett Lavery, Mike Lookinland, Monte Margetts, Maureen McCormick, Hattie McDaniel, NBC, Susan Olsen, William S. Paley, Paramount, Eve Plumb, Robert Reed, John Reynolds, John Rich, Irv Robbins, Peter Robinson, Floyd Schwartz, Lloyd Schwartz, Mildred Schwartz, Solomon & Finger Co., Hunt Stromberg Jr., Tiger, Frances Whitfield, Barry Williams, Writers Guild, and George Wyle.

And especially to my wife, Mildred, who came up with the book title Brady, Brady, Brady.

Sherwood Schwartz

Read my fathers acknowledgements and add my acknowledgements to those acknowledgments. Just skip the part about me.

In addition Id like to acknowledge my wife, Barbara; my sons, Andy and Elliot; and Andys wife, Lindsay; as well as many people who have listened to me telling these stories for far too many years. Indeed, they have had to endure a lot of reliving the past while putting up with me in the present.

Some people who have helped me along the Brady way: Peter Baldwin, Larry Becsey, Ralph Berge, Bruce Bilson, Mike Blue, Marshall Coben, Adam Conger, Roger Cruz, John Cygan, Paul Denniston, Bonny Dore, Mike Fierman, Jo Anne Fox Avnet, John Gallogly, Kathy Garrick, Barry Greenberg, Peter Greenwood, J.J. Hoffman, Matthew Hoffman, Erin Holt, Mary Garripoli, Neal Israel, David Johnson, Pamela Johnson, Lattice Productions, Elaine Leff, John Thomas Lenox, Marsha Lenox, Barbara Mallory, Robert Mania, Sal Maniaci, Laura Marion, Justin Meloni, Michael Petok, Marci Pool, Kelly Stables, Theatre West, and Sarah Victor. And a special thank you to Karen Lipscomb for many of the behind-the-scenes pictures.

And all the actors and crew who have worked on the myriad of Brady projects in all forms. And the Brady fansespecially the Brady fans.

Lloyd Schwartz

The Brady Bunch
Is Born

Ive read eight books about The Brady Bunch written by devoted fans. Thats very flattering.

However, I created The Brady Bunch and my son Lloyd and I produced the series. If youre looking for all the secrets about The Brady Bunch, youll find them right here in this book.

Making
The Brady Bunch

A book with two introductions, two dedications, and two sets of acknowledgements? Probably a first, but why not? Dad and I have been the first to do a lot of things. We were the first, and as far as I know still the only, father/son writer/producer team in TV history.

There have been many books about The Brady Bunch, but in Dads part and now in my part we thought wed clear up some misconceptions and reveal some things that have never been told before. It was fun remembering many of the events; it was painful remembering others.

Over the years, The Brady Bunch has been criticized for being an idealized family, with many saying that families arent really like that. Maybe other families arent like the family that