Radio and television writer/producer William Spier was born and raised in New York City. Beginning his career as a journalist, he joined the editorial staff of Musical America magazine when he was fifteen. Several years later he entered the field in which he was to achieve his widest success--radio. Described as “the first man in radio to wear the title `producer,' one of the first men involved in radio programming, and at the time of the demise of radio's golden days, probably the biggest man radio had (short of running the network),” Spier first produced the Atwater Kent Radio Hour. The success of that program led to his increased involvement in radio production: the General Motors Family Party, a broadcast series from Hollywood, and The March of Time series. The latter series, a milestone in the history of radio, was produced by Spier for seven consecutive years.
In 1940 Spier was selected to head the writing department at CBS. Combining creative and supervisory responsibilities, he was also appointed “producer” of CBS; a small and select group of men were placed in charge of the network's programming. Among the shows Spier produced during this period were Forecast and Only Yesterday.
In 1942 William Spier moved to California, where he produced and directed the Suspense series. For the following eight years the show employed “name” stars and developed into an outstanding radio series. In 1945 he created a new private eye show which became the standard of its genre--“the greatest private detective of them all”--Sam Spade. Spier produced and directed this classic detective series for all of its five years.
In 1948 Spier married June Havoc and the two talents have subsequently worked together on several projects. Not content with one medium, Spier tried his hand at movie-making. The film Lady Possessed (1952), starring James Mason and Miss Havoc, was written and directed by Spier.
Since William Spier had achieved such success in radio, it was only natural that he try his hand at its companion medium, television. 1951 found Spier producing his first television series, The Clock; that series was followed by the production of The Fred Waring Hour,Columbia Workshop, and various pilot programs, among which was You Are There. During 1952 and 1953 he inaugurated and produced Omnibus, the series with which, it was later written, “television came of age.” During the 1954-55 television season he created and produced Willy, a situation comedy starring his wife, June Havoc.
Since 1956 Spier has devoted most of his time to writing. Among the shows for which he has written scripts are Peter Gunn,The Untouchables,Perry Mason,Alfred Hitchcock,The Richard Boone Show,Playhouse 90 and Burke's Law. His two-part script, “The Big Train” for The Untouchables, was named the best television script of 1961 by the Writers Guild of America. He is also the recipient of three Peabody awards, awards from the Mystery Writers of America, Look magazine, and many others.
For June Havoc, working on stage has been literally a lifetime endeavor. Born June Hovick on November 8, 1916, Miss Havoc began working professionally at the age of two, and by the time she was seven, she was a child star in vaudeville. Following vaudeville's decline, Miss Havoc took part in the marathon dance craze of the 1930's. Those experiences are graphically documented in her autobiography, Early Havoc, and the stage adaptation of the book, Marathon '33.
In 1940 Miss Havoc came to Broadway, where she found instant and continued success. Her debut in Pal Joey won critical acclaim and was followed by roles in Sadie Thompson (1944), Dunnigan's Daughter (1945), Dream Girl (1945), and other plays. Her Broadway career was paralleled by her Hollywood career; My Sister Eileen,Gentlemen's Agreement and Lady Possessed are numbered among her film credits.
Just as her husband, William Spier, entered the field of television in the early 1950's, so did June Havoc. Her television work includes two series of her own, Willy (1954-1955) and More Havoc (1964-1965), and starring roles in such dramas as Anna Christie and The Bear.
Although Miss Havoc is most well known as an actress, she also writes and directs. She is now serving as the artistic director of the New Orleans Repertory Theatre. The permanent residence of the Spiers is Weston, Connecticut.
