Bruce Bilson

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American film and television director (1928–2026)

title: "Bruce Bilson" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1928-births", "2026-deaths", "american-television-directors", "television-producers-from-new-york-city", "american-male-television-writers", "american-television-writers", "jewish-american-screenwriters", "film-directors-from-new-york-city", "screenwriters-from-new-york-(state)", "ucla-school-of-theater,-film-and-television-alumni", "21st-century-american-jews", "american-ashkenazi-jews"] description: "American film and television director (1928–2026)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Bilson" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American film and television director (1928–2026) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

FieldValue
imageBruce Bilson.jpg
nameBruce Bilson
birth_date
birth_placeNew York City, U.S.
death_date
death_placeLos Angeles, California, U.S.
alma_materUCLA
occupationDirector, producer, screenwriter
yearsactive1955–2006
spouse{{Plainlist
* {{MarriageMona Weichman
children2, including Danny Bilson
relativesRachel Bilson (granddaughter)
::

| image = Bruce Bilson.jpg|| | name = Bruce Bilson | birthname = | birth_date = | birth_place = New York City, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | alma_mater = UCLA | occupation = Director, producer, screenwriter | yearsactive = 1955–2006 | spouse = {{Plainlist|

| children = 2, including Danny Bilson | relatives = Rachel Bilson (granddaughter)

Bruce Bilson (May 19, 1928 – January 16, 2026) was an American film and television director. He is most notable for his work as a regular director on the spy spoof Get Smart. He won the 1967–1968 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for the third season Get Smart episode "Maxwell Smart, Private Eye".

Early life and career

Bilson was born in Brooklyn on May 19, 1928, to Jewish parents. His mother, Hattie Bilson (née Dratwa; 1907–2004), was an American screenwriter, and his father, George Bilson (1902–1981), was a British producer/writer/director of Ashkenazi Jewish descent who was born in Leeds, England. Bruce Bilson Biography, filmreference.com; accessed May 23, 2017. His brother, Malcolm is a fortepianist and professor of piano at Cornell University.

He graduated from UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television in 1950.

Personal life and death

Bilson married Mona Weichman on August 31, 1955; they divorced in 1976. They had two children, Danny Bilson (born 1956), a film and video game writer/producer and father of actress Rachel Bilson, and Julie Ahlberg, a film producer.

In 1981, he married Renne Jarrett.

Bilson died at his home in Los Angeles, California on January 16, 2026, at the age of 97.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

References

  1. (2017-08-11). "DONOR HONOR ROLL 2017".
  2. Leszczak, Bob. (2014-08-23). "The Odd Couple on Stage and Screen: A History with Cast and Crew Profiles and an Episode Guide". McFarland.
  3. "Julie Ahlberg".
  4. "Bruce Bilson, Emmy-Winning Director on ‘Get Smart’ and ‘The Odd Couple,’ Dies at 97".
  5. (3 February 2016). "Two Chairs No Waiting 363: Neal Brower Interviews Bruce Bilson 2011 (Part 4)". imayberry.com.

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1928-births2026-deathsamerican-television-directorstelevision-producers-from-new-york-cityamerican-male-television-writersamerican-television-writersjewish-american-screenwritersfilm-directors-from-new-york-cityscreenwriters-from-new-york-(state)ucla-school-of-theater,-film-and-television-alumni21st-century-american-jewsamerican-ashkenazi-jews