Abby Singer

Abner E. "Abby" Singer worked as a production manager and assistant director in film between the 1950s and the 1980s. According to legend he is notorious for misleading his crew into thinking that the second-to-last shot of the day was actually the last shot. For this reason, the second-to-last shot of the day on a film set is now called an "Abby Singer."

Another version of the story, however, is that as a production manager when Abby Singer came down to set it meant the crew was allowed to complete the shot they were doing and then do only one more. The AD myth is more popular, but the production manager version is the story told by people who actually worked with Abby Singer himself.

Abner E. Singer is currently a faculty member and mentor at the AFI Conservatory.

Abby now has a restaurant named after him in Shreveport, Louisiana called Abby Singer's Bistro- an upscale, New York-style eatery located on the top floor of the Robinson Film Center.

elected filmography

As assistant director

* "Death of a Salesman" (1951) (Second AD)
* "Income Tax Sappy" (1954) (as Abner Singer)
* "Shot in the Frontier" (1954) (as Abner E. Singer)
* "7th Cavalry" (1956) (as Abner E. Singer)
* "The Guns of Fort Petticoat" (1957) (as Abner E. Singer)

*"M Squad" (1957) TV Series (assistant director) (as Abner E. Singer)
*Hellcats of the Navy (1957) (assistant director)
*The Guns of Fort Petticoat (1957) (assistant director) (as Abner E. Singer)
*7th Cavalry (1956) (assistant director) (as Abner E. Singer)
*He Laughed Last (1956) (assistant director) (as Abner E. Singer)
*Over-Exposed (1956) (assistant director) (as Abner E. Singer)
*A Lawless Street (1955) (assistant director) (as Abner E. Singer) ... aka Marshal of Medicine Bend (USA)
*Gypped in the Penthouse (1955) (assistant director) (as Abner E. Singer)
*Cannibal Attack (1954) (assistant director) (as Abner Singer)
*Shot in the Frontier (1954) (assistant director) (as Abner E. Singer)
*Massacre Canyon (1954) (assistant director) (as Abner Singer)
*Income Tax Sappy (1954) (assistant director) (as Abner Singer)
*Death of a Salesman (1951) (second assistant director)

As production manager

* "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" (1974)

*Columbo: Sex and the Married Detective (1989) (TV) (unit production manager)
*Columbo: Murder, Smoke and Shadows (1989) (TV) (unit production manager)
*Columbo: Columbo Goes to the Guillotine (1989) (TV) (unit production manager)
*"Remington Steele" (executive in charge of production) (episode "Signed, Steeled & Delivered") (episode "Your Steele the One for Me")
**Sting of Steele (1983) TV Episode (executive in charge of production)
**Steele's Gold (1983) TV Episode (executive in charge of production)
**Vintage Steele (1983) TV Episode (executive in charge of production)
**Steele in the News (1983) TV Episode (executive in charge of production)
**Steele Among the Living (1983) TV Episode (executive in charge of production)
*WKRP in Cincinnati (1978-1982) (executive in charge of production)

(11 more)

*A Little Sex (1982) (production manager: Los Angeles)

*First, You Cry (1978) (TV) (supervising production manager)
*Something for Joey (1977) (TV) (production manager)
*"Rhoda" (1974) TV Series (unit production manager)
*Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) (unit production manager)

*Istanbul Express (1968) (TV) (unit manager)
*"The Doris Day Show" (1968) TV Series (production manager)
*The Meanest Men in the West (1967) (TV) (unit production manager)
*Out of Sight (1966) (unit production manager)

*"Gunsmoke" (1955) TV Series (production manager) ... aka Gun Law (UK) ... aka Marshal Dillon (USA: rerun title)

In television

Singer also worked as production manager on "Something for Joey" (1974), "Columbo: Columbo Goes to the Guillotine" and "Columbo: Murder, Smoke and Shadows" (both 1989). He also worked as production manager on the TV western "Gunsmoke".

External links

* [http://www.hollywood.com/celebs/detail/id/1533504 Abby Singer]
*imdb name|id=0801879
* [http://www.dga.org/news/v26_6/feat_abbysinger.php3 Abby Singer]
* [http://www.abbysingermovie.com Abby Singer] Abby Singer the Movie. Named after Abby Singer
* [http://www.abbysinger.net Abby Singer]

Pictures