Dwight Hemion
Dwight Arlington Hemion Jr. (March 14, 1926 – January 28, 2008) was an American television director known mainly for music-themed television programs of the 1960s and 1970s. He held the record for the most Emmy nominations (47), and won 18 times, putting him at the top of his profession throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and well into the 1980s.
Dwight Hemion
- Name
- Dwight Hemion
- Birth Name
- Dwight Arlington Hemion Jr.
- Born
- 14 March 1926
- Birthplace
- New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
- Died
- 28 January 2008
- Place of death
- Rectortown, Virginia, U.S.
- Occupation
- Television director
- Nationality
- United States
- Known for
- Smith–Hemion Productions
- Honours
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series · Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series
- Languages
- English
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Documentary evidence
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wikidata · Q5318178 · wikipedia · Dwight Hemion
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Institutions cited
Bibliothèque nationale de France
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Biography
Biography
He also won the Directors Guild of America's top TV award five times, six Ace awards and a Peabody award.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Dwight Hemion • Birth Name — Dwight Arlington Hemion Jr. • Born — 14 March 1926 • Birthplace — New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. • Died — 28 January 2008 • Place of death — Rectortown, Virginia, U.S. • Occupation — Television director • Children — 2
Documentary record
Dwight Hemion (14 March 1926 – 28 January 2008) is documented in the authority records of the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Dwight Hemion was born on 14 March 1926. Dwight Hemion died on 28 January 2008.
Career
Career
Hemion began working in live television in New York City in the 1950s, particularly for the original Tonight Show starring Steve Allen. In the 1960s, Hemion began concentrating on musical-variety shows, working with producer Gary Smith on a popular series of Kraft Music Hall specials for NBC-TV. Smith-Hemion Productions arguably defined the fast-paced look and glamorous style of the American comedy-variety genre, and influenced scores of later generations working in television. Hemion had a knack for balancing both visual and musical elements that made him a master of directing concert performance specials. He worked with such major stars as Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Barbra Streisand, Sammy Davis Jr., Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, Shirley MacLaine, Julie Andrews, Elvis Presley, Burt Bacharach, The Muppets, and Luciano Pavarotti. He also won Emmys for directing the Kennedy Center Honors in 1989 and 1990.
Productions
Productions
Among the most memorable specials that Hemion produced and directed were: My Name Is Barbra (1965), Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music (1965), Peter Pan (a 1976 version with a new score, not to be confused with the musical starring Mary Martin), Baryshnikov on Broadway (1980), and Barbra Streisand: The Concert (1994). Along with producing partner Gary Smith, Hemion later branched out into producing large conventions, including the nomination conventions for the Democratic Party as well as the inaugural ceremonies for Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. He is also credited as an executive producer for The Star Wars Holiday Special along with Smith.
Death
Death
Hemion died of kidney failure in Rectortown, Virginia, at the age of 81.
Places
Named by the record
Places
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United States.
Birth place
Rectortown.
Death place
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Dwight Hemion, revision 1349798416 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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References
Citations
References
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Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 September 2026.
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