Worthington Miner

Worthington Miner was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter born on November 13, 1900, in Buffalo, New York. He died on December 11, 1982, at New York Hospital at the age of 82. He was married to actress Frances Fuller, and together they had three children, including producer and director Peter Miner. His paternal granddaughter is actress Rachel Miner.

Miner's career in theater began with his direction of Up Pops the Devil in 1929. He subsequently directed a number of productions, among them Reunion in Vienna, Both Your Houses, On Your Toes, Jane Eyre, and For Love or Money. His Broadway performing credits include the 1935 play On to Fortune. After more than a decade working in theater, Miner publicly voiced criticism of the industry at a Theatre Guild panel discussion held in Williamstown, Massachusetts, in 1939. He characterized the theater as serving a narrow, wealthy audience, describing it as "a Park Avenue nightclub, a luxury for a selective few with the price of admission," and stated that the situation was "deplored by every author, actor and manager in the business."

Miner transitioned into television, where he became a significant figure in the medium's early development. One of his first roles at CBS Television was producing At Home, a variety series that ran from 1944 to 1945. He went on to create and produce Studio One, for which he also served as writer and director on numerous episodes. Among his other television productions were The Goldbergs, the children's program Mr. I Magination, The Toast of the Town — for which he cast Ed Sullivan as master of ceremonies — The Play of the Week, Playhouse 90, and Kaiser Aluminum Hour. His television work as a producer also included The Iceman Cometh, Frontier, and Medic. Miner articulated a philosophy of the medium, arguing that television could not be made to fit existing patterns from film, theater, or radio, and instead offered what he called "a superlative opportunity to absorb every type of experiment in all other entertainment media." His film producing credits include The Fool Killer and The Pawnbroker, and he appeared as an actor in the film They Might Be Giants.