George Tyne

George Tyne was an actor and director whose career was stifled by the blacklist, but he returned to become a prolific director of comedy sitcoms. Tyne worked steadily as an actor (originally under the name "Buddy Yarus") in small roles, starting in 1943. One of his largest parts was in 1949, co-starring with John Wayne in the World War II film "The Sands of Iwo Jima." Tyne specialized in war films, but his acting career came to an abrupt halt in 1951 when he found his name on the Communist blacklist. With film roles unavailable, Tyne sustained himself in the theater world. Acting roles became available to him again starting in 1964, and although he continued to appear in minor parts into the 1980s, he switched his emphasis from acting to directing, beginning in 1967. Tyne concentrated almost exclusively on situation comedies, and he directed some of the most highly regarded sitcoms of the 1970s. His list of credits includes episodes of "The Odd Couple," "M*A*S*H," and "The Bob Newhart Show." Tyne died at the age of 91.