Comedy writer-producer-actor Bill Idelson died last night. He had been hospitalized for some time after a bad fall and that's all I know about his health problems. What I do know is that he was a successful and creative man who worked behind (and sometimes, in front of) the camera on some fine TV shows including The Twilight Zone, The Andy Griffith Show, Love American Style, The Odd Couple, The Bob Newhart Show, M*A*S*H and Gomer Pyle, USMC. He was also a writer on The Dick Van Dyke Show, and occasionally played the role of Sally's bland boy friend, Herman Glimcher.
In an earlier life, Bill was a child actor, appearing often on radio, in movies and on early television. His big radio credit was the Vic and Sade series, on which he played the role of Rush Gook.
The last decade or two, he was primarily a teacher, running a successful writing workshop that graduated many top professional writers. He also authored several books about his life and work, one of which — Writing for Dough — I often recommend to people who are curious about television writing in the fifties and sixties. He was one of the good guys and he leaves behind a fine legacy of good writing and good writers.