Dwight Hemion, accepting an Emmy.
Dwight Hemion (1926-2008) was a television director, working mostly on variety shows, who holds the all-time one-person record for most Emmy Award nominations, with 47, and winning 18 times. Hemion directed the television specials Julie on Sesame Street (1973), Herb Alpert and the TJB (1974), and From the Heart... The First International Very Special Arts Festival (1989). All of these specials he produced with his creative partner Gary Smith, and were partially scripted by Marty Farrell. He also served as primary director of The Earth Day Special in 1990 (excluding, among other sequences, Kermit's segment, which was directed by Jim Henson).
Hemion directed and produced many specials, with some of his early experience coming from The Tonight Show (1954-1956). He was known for his minimal use of editing and effects. Hemion and Gary Smith formed the company Smith-Hemion Productions, and he worked with writer Marty Farrell in some capacity on 24 other specials, including four 1970s Burt Bacharach specials, the 33rd Primetime Emmy Awards, and Gene Kelly's 1978 special Cinderella at the Palace (with Merv Griffin, Don Knotts, Frank Sinatra, and Andy Williams).
He directed award-winning specials for Julie Andrews, Jack Benny, Goldie Hawn, Linda Lavin, Shirley MacLaine, Bette Midler, Richard Rodgers, Frank Sinatra, and The Statue of Liberty. He was also behind the infamous Star Wars special The Star Wars Holiday Special.
External links[]
- Dwight Hemion on FilmReference.com
- "Dwight Hemion, 81; TV director won 18 Emmys", Los Angeles Times
- "Dwight Hemion, 81; Producer Of Glamorous TV Specials", The Washington Post