David Dortort

David Dortort (born David Solomon Katz; October 23, 1916 – September 5, 2010)^[2] was a Hollywood screenwriter and producer, widely known for his role as producer in two successful NBC television series: Bonanza (1959–73) and The High Chaparral (1967–71). Dortort's focus shifted in the late 1960s to the newer series, leaving the production of Bonanza largely to his associates during its last five and a half years (1967–1973).

David Dortort
Born	David Solomon Katz[1] (1916-10-23)October 23, 1916 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	September 5, 2010(2010-09-05) (aged 93) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	City College of New York, 1936
Occupation(s)	Writer; Television producer
Years active	1957–2001
Spouse	Rose Seldin ​ ​ (m. 1940; died 2007)​
Children	2

From 1954–55, Dortort was involved in directing and writing for The Public Defender. He produced The Restless Gun (1957–59), The Cowboys television version (1974), and a prequel series featuring younger versions of the Bonanza characters called Ponderosa (2001), which was produced with Beth Sullivan. In 1979–1980, he created the 13-week CBS miniseries, The Chisholms. Michael Landon appeared in a supporting role in the pilot for The Restless Gun, starring John Payne, aired on March 19, 1957, as an episode of The Schlitz Playhouse of Stars and Dan Blocker played multiple roles in five episodes of The Restless Gun.^[3]

Alan W. Livingston of NBC hired Dortort to write the screenplay for the pilot episode of Bonanza.^[4] He did it at night, while producing The Restless Gun by day.^[5]

In 2001, the alumni association of City College of New York, where he had studied history, honored him with its John H. Finley award.^[6]

Personal life

A native of New York City, Dortort was married for 67 years to the former Rose Seldin, who died September 30, 2007, at age 92. They had two children, Wendy Dortort Czarnecki and Fred Dortort.

Death

Dortort died in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles, California, on September 5, 2010, a month and a half before his 94th birthday, following a history of heart disease.^[1]

Writings

Dortort published two books, Burial of the Fruit in 1947^[7] and The Post of Honor in 1949.^[8]

Filmography

Films

Year	Film	Credit	Notes
1952	The Lusty Men	Screenplay By	Based on the novel "King of the Cowpokes" by "Claude Stanush"
1956	A Cry In The Night	Screenplay By	Based on the novel "All Through the Night" by "Whit Masterson"
	Reprisal!	Screenplay By
1957	The Big Land	Screenplay By	Based on the novel "Buffalo Grass" by "Frank Gruber"
1958	A Gift for Heidi	Screenplay By
1987	Going Bananas	Executive Producer
1988	Bonanza: The Next Generation	Produced By	Television Movie
1993	Bonanza: The Return	Story By, Executive Producer	Television Movie
1995	Bonanza: Under Attack	Executive Producer	Television Movie

Television

Year	TV Series	Credit	Notes
1952	Cavalcade of America	Writer	2 episodes
1952-54	Fireside Theatre	Writer	5 episodes
1953	Racket Squad	Writer	1 Episode
1954	Climax!	Writer	1 Episode
1954-55	Public Defender	Writer	3 episodes
	Waterfront	Writer	8 episodes
1955	TV Reader's Digest	Writer	1 Episode
	The 20th Century Fox Hour	Writer	1 Episode
1956	Screen Directors Playhouse	Writer	1 Episode
	Lassie	Writer	1 Episode
1956-57	Studio 57	Writer	2 episodes
1957	Panic!	Writer	1 Episode
1957-59	The Restless Gun	Writer, producer	77 episodes
1959-73	Bonanza	Writer, Creator, Producer, Executive Producer	Multiple Episodes
1967-71	The High Chaparral	Writer, Creator, Producer, Executive Producer	Multiple Episodes
1974	The Cowboys	Producer
1979-80	The Chisholms	Writer, Creator, Executive Producer	14 episodes
2001-02	Ponderosa	Producer

References

1. Weber, Bruce (September 9, 2010). "David Dortort, 'Bonanza' Creator, Dies at 93". New York Times. p. A28. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
2. Woo, Elaine (September 8, 2010). "David Dortort dies at 93; created and produced TV western 'Bonanza'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
3. "Dan Blocker - IMDb". IMDb. n.p. n.d. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
4. Weber, Bruce (March 16, 2009). "Alan W. Livingston, Talent Spotter Who Signed Beatles, Dies at 91". New York Times. p. A25.
5. King, Susan (September 19, 2009). "Autry National Center salutes 'Bonanza' Sunday". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
6. Arenson, Karen W. (October 3, 2001). "BULLETIN BOARD; City College Alumni Group Will Bestow Honors". New York Times. p. A19. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
7. Dortort, David (1947). Burial of the Fruit. New York: Crown Publishers. LCCN 47000360.
8. Dortort, David (1949). The Post of Honor. New York: Whittlesey House. LCCN 49007923.

External links

• David Dortort at IMDb
• David Dortort at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television