- Founder of the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)
- William S. Paley was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1988.
- Wife Babe Paley was one of the most revered fashion icons of the century, and the youngest of the famed Cushing Sisters, a well-wed trio of New York socialites.
- Two adopted children (Jeffrey and Hilary). Additional children William Paley Jr. (b. 1948) and Kate Paley (b. 1950).
- Is portrayed by Frank Langella in Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005) and by Lee Ritchey in Infamous (2006).
- Met first wife Dorothy while she was married to John Randolph Hearst, the son of William Randolph Hearst.
- His father was an immigrant from Ukraine who ran a cigar company.
- He was an American businessman, primarily involved in the media, and best known as the chief executive who built the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) from a small radio network into one of the foremost radio and television network operations in the United States.
- Paley was a notorious womanizer his entire life. Indeed, his first marriage to Dorothy ended when a newspaper published a suicide note written to Paley by a former girlfriend. As a result of another relationship he provided a stipend to a former lover, actress Louise Brooks, for the rest of her life. In his later years he enjoyed keeping company with several women. Paley was included in a list of the ten most eligible bachelors compiled by Cosmopolitan magazine in 1985; the irony of the octogenarian Paley being on the list was an inspiration for Late Night with David Letterman's nightly Top Ten lists.
- Was the son of a wealthy cigar manufacturer
- Attended the University of Pennsylvania
- Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 679-681. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999.
- In 1964, he purchased the New York Yankees from Del Webb and Daniel Topping, and sold it to in 1973 to a group of investors led by George M. Steinbrenner III.
- Provided former mistress Louise Brooks with a yearly pension for the rest of her life.
- Upon completion (January, 1956) of Noël Coward's second CBS TV "Ford Star Jubilee" directing and starring appearance in "Blithe Spirit", Noël narrowed down prospective plays considered for his third CBS special. In Jamaica, Noël sprang at his play "Present Laughter" cutting the script down for TV, planning for camera shots, camera angles and close-ups, from the very beginning. Bill Paley was anxious for Noël not to do "Present Laughter", instead proposing Coward's 1940's London success "This Happy Breed". The play (This Happy Breed) had been made into a British feature Technicolor film in 1944, directed by David Lean. In early March, Ford Motor Company announced in the press without warning that Noel's third television appearance was canceled because the ratings on "Together with Music" and "Blithe Spirit" had not been high enough. Noel flew to New York on Tuesday (13 March) arriving at 9:45 p.m. in snow. Meeting Bill Paley Wednesday morning at eleven o'clock, Noël's only policy was stately reticence and outraged dignity. Bill Paley received Noël, and his agents "Russel and Hamilton" with twitching apprehension! After their meeting, a - CBS TV press release announcing Noël Coward's next CBS TV appearance had been postponed until October 1956, when Noël would launch the new "CBS Playhouse 90" series with Noël starring in his play "This Happy Breed". Ford Motor and J. Walter Thompson Advertising Agency had made their announcement to the press without consulting CBS obviously to humiliate Noël as publicly as possibly. Unfortunately, they had not taken into account the fact that Noël Coward's previous CBS TV appearances had been triumphant successes, ratings or no ratings. The reason for Ford's rage was the result of Noël ridiculing them in the Hollywood Press interviews for trying to censor some of his risqué lyrics in "Together with Music" and also certain specific risqué dialogue lines in "Blithe Spirit; TV audiences in the Mid-West were considered eminently shock-able and likely to alleviate their outrage by refusing to buy Ford cars. Bill Paley declared Ford's press release about ratings for Noël Coward's television special ratings being inadequate was false and untrue. By the end of March, all was changed around again from Ford's high eminence - Noël was now to do "This Happy Breed" on Saturday, 5 May, per the original "Ford Star Jubilee" network contract. Added to their discomfiture, Ford Motor realized that they had nothing prepared for the 5 May broadcast schedule and that they were up shit creek without a paddle. Noël's first instinct was to refuse haughtily. Bill Paley urged Noël with pulsating sincerity to do the damned thing on 5 May.
- Maxwell Anderson (at age 61 in 1949) first considered a musical adaptation of "High Tor" for television in 1949. Mid-1954 Bill Paley (CBS) first approached Maxwell Anderson with the intent to produce the play for his newly planned anthology series "The Ford Star Jubilee". During production development, Maxwell Anderson (at age 66) and John Monks Jr. (at age 44; b.1910-2004; 94) adapted the play specifically as a made-for-television musical fantasy in early 1955, with music composed by Arthur Schwartz (at age 54) and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson. Another factor to consider in the relationship and history between Bing Crosby (b.1904-1977; 77) and William S. Paley (b.1901-1990; 89) should be noted: In the mid 1930s, Bill Paley signed and contracted Bing Crosby (at age 32) to be a regular radio performer on his daily-and-weekly CBS radio network schedule. Bing Crosby (at age 51 in 1955) became the leading drive for the "High Tor" project which brought indirectly creative film talents at Paramount Studios where Crosby's Production office was situated. Because Crosby was uncomfortable with the exigencies of live television, performing 90 minutes non-stop in front of a television studio audience, he insisted that it be filmed. Bing Crosby did not want to use the CBS Hollywood Television City studio facility nor the New York Studio 72 studio-stage. Situated adjacent to Paramount Studios is the former RKO-Pathé Film studio/stages, renamed Desilu Studios when husband and wife comedy team Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball acquired the studio to film their CBS television series "I Love Lucy." The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz television "filmed" production unit had pioneered a number of methods, still in use in television production - filming before a live studio audience with a number of cameras; this established the multiple camera filming procedure to produce, edit, and deliver their filmed show to the CBS network. Paramount Studios negotiated with the Desilu studio facilities to utilize the Desilu "I Love Lucy" production unit facility system, their feature-film production crew in staging, filming, editing and delivering the color film musical special to CBS. Network executives considered the use of film an unnecessary extravaganza. Bing Crosby convinced CBS to allow him to cover all additional costs with filming "High Tor". The total cost of the CBS production was $450,000.00, the most expensive television production up to that time, and the first special filmed for broadcast by CBS. Bing Crosby was reportedly paid $375,000.00. The production was filmed during the month of November 1955 on the Desilu Studios' lot-stages with 35mm cameras. Director of photographer Lester Shorr (at age 48,1907-1992; 85) experienced in filming filmed productions for network clients was part of the Hollywood Paramount-Desilu production package. Two Hollywood directors James Neilson (at age 46, 1909-1979; 70) and Franklin J. Schaffner (at age 35, 1920-1989; 69), both had television-film experience with network filmed productions, shared directorial reigns. Discovered in 1948 on stage at UCLA, Paramount signed Nancy Olson (at age 19, b.1929) to a studio contract. Nancy Olson as a relatively inexperienced starlet was given the role of a lifetime as script girl Betty Schaefer (at age 21), who attracts never-do-well writer William Holden (at age 32; 1918-1981; 63) and irks reclusive diva Gloria Swanson (at age 51, 1899-1983; 84) in the towering classic "Sunset Boulevard" (1950). Her pairing with Holden, in fact, went over so well, they were teamed in a succession of Paramount standard features. With these film credentials Nancy Olson (at age 26in 1956) was cast in the musical project. Nancy married to renowned lyricist Alan Jay Lerner knew that Julie Andrews (age 20; b. 1935) had been discovered by her husband lyricist Alan Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe having seen Andrews' Broadway debut in the British hit musical "The Boy Friend" (1954-1955, 485 performances). Julie Andrews had been signed to perform the Eliza Doolittle role in their Broadway bound musical "My Fair Lady". After appearing in "High Tor" Nancy Olson's increasing status in her Hollywood career came to a virtual halt. She abruptly put her acting on hold in favor of raising their two daughters and her career never fully recovered. After Nancy Olson and Alan Lerner divorced in 1957, Nancy decided to return full-time to acting, the writing was already on the wall. An actress' prime can be ruefully short; to revive her film career with little luck, by the late 50s, Nancy was perceived as too mature to now play the fresh-faced girl-next-door type, for which she was so identified, since her cute fresh charm of being an ingénue had faded. Bing Crosby (at age 52; b.1903-1977; 74) had also seen Julie Andrews in her Broadway debut in "The Boy Friend" and invited her to appear in his television-musical "High Tor". It was Andrews' first work in a Hollywood color film-production, and her American television debut. Hollywood film and Broadway stage performers Hans Conried (age 38; b.1917-1982; 65), Keenan Wynn (age 39; b.1916-1986; 70), Everett Sloane (age 46; b. 1909-1965; 55), John Pickard (age 42; b. 1913-1993; 80), Lloyd Corrigan (age 54; b. 1900-1969; 69) completed the illustrious cast; James Neilson (age 46; 1919-1979; 70) was an established Hollywood film director. Arthur Schwartz, who had also produced films for Columbia Pictures, was a highly successful stage/film composer. The songs Arthur Scwartz composed in collaboration with Maxwell Anderson as lyricist for "High Tor" follow: "Living One Day at a Time"/"When You're in Love"- Bing Crosby; "Sad Is the Life of the Sailor's Wife - Julie Andrews; "When You're in Love - Everett Sloane and Julie Andrews; "A Little Love, a Little While"- Bing Crosby; "When you're in Love" (reprise) - Everett Sloane; "John Barleycorn"- Bing Crosby; "Once Upon a Long Ago"- Julie Andrews; "Once Upon a long Ago"- Bing Crosby; "John Barleycorn"- Bing Crosby & chorus; "A Little love, A Little While (reprise) - Bing Crosby. "High Tor" is considered the first television film musical. "High Tor" was broadcast Saturday night, March 10, 1956 as a 90 minute color production on the CBS television network's short one season series "The Ford Star Jubilee". The following week on a Thursday night, Julie Andrews and Alan Lerner and Frederick Loewe's musical-play "My Fair Lady" premiered on Broadway on March 15, 1956. Maxwell Anderson had little interest in television, and considered his adaptation a "potboiling job". Julie Andrews later wrote that she thought her performance was "very stilted," and, "Alas, High Tor was not a memorable piece, and received only lukewarm reviews". The song score of the show, with story narration by Bing Crosby, was also released by Decca Records in 1956.
- Between November 1954 through March 1955, William "Bill" S. Paley, founder of Columbia Broadcasting System Radio and Television Network, negotiated to inaugurate a new CBS television series "The Ford Star Jubilee", a spectacular color television live special program to counter National Broadcasting Company Color Television Network's live "Producers' Showcase" series. NBC inaugurated the live televised-color-program-series on 18 October 1954, a dramatic color broadcast production of Noël Coward's stage-play "Tonight at 8:30" starring Ginger Rogers, directed by Otto Preminger, electronically transmitted from NBC Television's New York City studio. Both Networks, NBC (Monday night) and CBS (Saturday night), scheduled their 90 minute color specials once a month. During the early 1950's not all of NBC's television product was broadcast in color, NBC becoming a full color network in the late 1950s. Bill Paley began scheduling program content for his new Ford Motor sponsored series "The "Ford Star Jubilee", signing Judy Garland, Noël Coward and Bing Crosby. In the 1930's Bill Paley's Columbia Radio Broadcasting System Network had major success with Paley signing a contract with Bing Crosby to perform regularly on his CBS radio broadcasting programs. James Glaser, Noël Coward's New York City agent had proposed Noël's talents to the three major automobile manufacturers, General Motors, Chrysler and to the Ford Motor Company. To William "Bill" Paley and his CBS Network television programing division, making an offer to Noël Coward was a coup: to star in three of "The Ford Star Jubilee" ninety minute CBS color Spectacular Specials. Noël Coward's managers Lance Hamilton and Charles Russel negotiated with Bill Paley and CBS-TV - New York, to pay Noël's TV production company $450,000.00 to produce the three specials. Noël's American television appearance was scheduled after Noël's Las Vegas Desert Inn (3 June-4 July, 1955) cabaret concert appearance. Noël's first CBS commitment would coincide with the CBS inaugural new "Ford Star Jubilee" special live color television series. "The Ford Star Jubilee" premiere special featured (#1.#1) "The Judy Garland Show" broadcast live in color Saturday night September 24, 1955 from CBS' Hollywood Television City - Studio 43, in California. The second color special to air live with a studio audience (#1.#2) "Together with Music" starring Noël Coward and Mary Martin was a color broadcast the next month on Saturday night October 22, 1955, from CBS' New York City - Studio 72, Broadway and 81st Street. Noël Coward had also been approached by Chrysler ($600,000) and General Motors which had both offered him more money to perform on television. Noël, hesitant, decided on the lesser fee since he was comfortable with Paley's CBS firmer deal . Paley insisted that Noël's first television appearance be based upon his Las Vegas Desert Inn Hotel and Casino concert act material. Noël agreed proposing his close friend Mary Martin to appear in the 90 minute musical special with him. Mary delighted with the proposition, agreeing to share the CBS stage. The 41-year-old Martin was fresh from her Broadway and NBC-TV "Producers' Showcase" triumph in the live Broadway musical "Peter Pan" tele-cast. After Las Vegas, Noël returned to Jamaica on Friday September 9th, 1955. Peter Matz arriving later on Sunday September 11th, followed by Mary Martin and her husband/manager Richard Halliday on Tuesday September 13th, with Noël - to develop, write, compose, arrange and orchestrate the television show material. Upon first hearing the two new songs "Together with Music" and "Ninety minutes is a long, long time", Mary objected to the opening "Together with Music" song and lyrics. Noël, during the night, rewrote the music and lyrics for "Together with Music". Noël scripted the entire 90 minute musical-concert-play; Noël staging, directing, rehearsing, memorizing the script with Mary; daily, pianist-arranger-orchestrator Peter Matz rehearsed Noël and Mary for their television special. The last Saturday September 24th night in Jamaica, giving a cocktail party, Noël and Mary performed the entire show to test an audience reaction to their material. After the cocktail party guests departed, Noël remarked "Mary was magical. She performed like she was giving a command performance". Mary and Richard returned to the mainland the next day, Sunday September 25th. After Noël's arrival In New York on October 5th, in studio rehearsals, Noël blocked every technical aspect of the camera positions related to Noël's staging and blocking of the TV concert act. The camera dress rehearsals in front of a live studio invited audience were performed first on Thursday night 20 October 1955, repeated Friday night 21 October, each recorded on B&W kine-scope. The kine-scope processed during the night, viewed the following Friday - 21 October, and early Saturday - 22 October morning by Noël, Mary, Bill Paley and the entire CBS stage camera-technical crew. Noël gave the camera crew his notes. The studio booth camera-director Jerry Shaw accepted Noël's pick-up shot notes. Noël insisting on single camera masters primarily moving into a close-up screen frame. After resting in their hotel rooms that Saturday afternoon show-day, Mary and Noël returned to the CBS studio stage, performing their concert act in front of a completely new invited live CBS studio audience. Afterwards, one of the first telephone calls came from Marlene Dietrich, in Las Vegas, ecstatic and praising the performance. "Together with Music" proved the public would stay tuned-in to a ninety-minute television program with only two entertainers holding their own in a networks time slot schedule. This "The Ford Star Jubilee - Together with Music" color television program broadcast from New York - was the "first color show" transmitted from the New York CBS studio-facility by the CBS television network. This telecast copied during the network-electronic-transmission in black-and-white-kine-scope is the only example of Noël Coward and Mary Martin performing his famous cabaret concert material on film, his rapid-fire recitatives of his own comic songs and medleys.
- His father Samuel was a Ukrainian Jewish immigrant.
- Turned down a chance to finance the play "Fiddler on the Roof" because it was "too Jewish".
- He was awarded the Carlos Manuel de Cespedes National Order of Merit by the Cuban government in recognition of his efforts to foster greater understanding between the peoples of Cuba and the United States of America.
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