Rod Amateau

Who was Rod Amateau?

Rodney "Rod" Amateau was an American screenwriter, film and television director.

Among programs that he directed were NBC's The Dennis Day Show, CBS's sitcoms The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, starring Dwayne Hickman, Mister Ed, The Bob Cummings Show, starring Robert Cummings, and The New Phil Silvers Show, an unsuccessful attempt by comedian Phil Silvers to return to a regular series.

He was producer of TV shows such as My Mother the Car and Supertrain, and wrote the story for the 1988 film Sunset. Amateau also directed a few episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard, and appeared in a handful of episodes as an actor as well.

He infamously directed, produced, and co-wrote the critically panned 1987 film The Garbage Pail Kids Movie.

From 1945 to 1949, he was married to actress Coleen Gray, who sued him for child support in 1955.