David L. Wolper is arguably the most successful independent documentary producer to have ever worked in television. Through a career span of nearly 50 years, this prolific filmmaker has left his imprint with documentary specials, documentary series, dramatic mini­ series, movies made for theatrical release, movies made for television, television sitcoms. entertainment specials, and entertainment special events.

     Wolper began his career in the late 1940s by selling B movies, English-dubbed Soviet cartoons, and film serials, including Superman, to television stations. Interested in producing television documentaries, in 1958 he established Wolper Productions. Working with exclusive Russian space program footage and NASA cinematography of U.S. missile launches. within two years his first film. The Race for Space, was completed and had attracted a sponsor. Wolper offered the film to all three networks, but an unofficial rule of the time dictated that only news programs and documentaries produced by network personnel were allowed on the air. Not to be discouraged, the young producer fell back on his sales experience and syndicated the film to 104 local stations across the United States-the overwhelming majority of these stations network affiliates willing to preempt other programming for the Wolper show. For the first time in television history, a nonnetwork documentary special achieved near-national audience coverage. Having been released to theaters prior to television. The Race for Space also received an Academy Award nomination in the Best Documentary category-another first for a television film.

Wolper's  notoriety  helped  to  launch  a significant number  of  documentary  projects  that  found  their way to network time slots. Utilizing a basic compilation technique, these early films consisted of editing photo stills and film clips to narration and music, with occasional recreations of footage, minimal editorial viewpoint, and high-information, high-entertainment value. Increasingly successful, within four years of establishing Wolper Productions. Wolper's method would place him on a level with NBC and CBS as one of the three largest producers of television documentaries and documentary specials.

A major turning point in Wolper's career occurred in 1960 when he bought the rights to Theodore H. White's book The Making of the President. Aired on ABC, Wolper's potentially controversial film presented an incisive look at the American political process, won four Emmy Awards including 1963 Program of the Year, and guaranteed Wolper's celebrity.

In 1964 Wolper sold his documentary production unit to Metromedia but stayed on as the company's chief of operations. With this media giant's backing. Wolper's projects grew in scope and substance. He became a regular supplier of documentary programs to all three commercial networks creating such memorable series as The March of Time, in association with Time. Inc., and a series of nature specials in collaboration with the National Geographic Society. For the latter, he introduced American audiences to French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. This in turn led to the first-ever documentary spin-off, The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.

Breaking  away  from  Metromedia  in  1967,  Wolper continued his documentary work but  also  tried  his hand at theatrical release motion pictures. He created a number of  unexceptional  films including The Bridge at  Remagen (1968), If  It's Tuesday, This Must be Belgium (1969), and Willy Wonka  and  the Chocolate  Factory  (1971). In fiction television, he found more success with regularly scheduled television series that included Get Christie Love! ( 1974-75) featuring the first black policewoman character in television history, Chico and the Man (1974-78), and Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-79).

     Perhaps Wolper's most significant accomplishment was his developmental work with the television nonfiction drama miniseries. In the mid-1970s, after bypass heart surgery and sale of his company to Warner Brothers, he helped to invent the docudrama genre with his award-winning production of Alex Haley's acclaimed family saga, Roots. Reconstructing history in an unprecedented 12-hour film, the series was broadcast in one- and two-hour segments over an eight-day period in January 1977. Contrary to initial concerns over the high-risk nature of the venture, the series brought ABC a 44.9 rating and 66 percent share of audience to set viewership records that place it among the most-watched programs in the history of television.

     In 1984 Wolper stepped out of his usual role as film producer to orchestrate the opening and closing ceremonies for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The first ever to be staged by a private group, the ceremonies received a 55 percent share of audience, outranking all other Olympic coverage. For his efforts, Wolper was rewarded with a special Emmy and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscar ceremony in 1985. The following year he was recruited to produce the Liberty Weekend 100th anniversary celebration for the Statue of Liberty. The four-day event was viewed by 1.5 billion people worldwide.

     In 1999 Wolper's Celebrate the Century, a ten-hour CNN documentary on the defining moments of the 20th century, was broadcast in May and June. In the same year, his Great People of the 20th Century aired on the Discovery cable network. As reported in the November 13, 2000, issue of Broadcasting & Cable, Wolper is excited about the opportunities offered by cable. "It's been tough for independent documentary filmmakers," he said. "Here comes cable; and the whole world opens. I am jealous; I wish I was starting now."

     As a producer, filmmaker, entrepreneur, historian, and visionary, David Wolper's career has been one of taking risks and continually breaking new ground. Most important, through his more than 600 films, his innovative and creative spirit has educated and entertained millions.