Abner (Abby) Singer worked in feature and television production for over 50 years. In 1945, on being discharged from the Navy he moved into show business, working as secretary to legendary production head Jack Fier at Columbia Studios. He then became a second assistant director for Columbia Pictures Productions in 1949, moving up to first assistant director in 1952. While at Columbia, he worked on wide range of features such as The Palomino; Death of a Salesman; The Wild One; Cannibal Attack; Hellcats of the Navy; and many more. At Columbia he also worked on television series like The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin; Playhouse 90, and The Three Stooges.
In the late 1950's, Abby moved to Revue Studios where he worked on General Electric Theater, Tales of Wells Fargo, and Laramie, then he moved to Universal to work on popular series such as Wagon Train; Gunsmoke, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. As a Production Manager, he worked on The Doris Day Show and movies for television like Something For Joey and First, You Cry. During this period he also worked on features including Out of Sight; Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, and Family Plan. A long career at MTM Enterprises followed as an Executive in Charge of Production on shows like Lou Grant; Remington Steele; Hill Street Blues; and St. Elsewhere. Abby also worked as a UPM on long-running shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show. In the 1990s, he joined the faculty at the American Film Institute.
Abby Singer was a member of the Guild for over 60 years, joining the Screen Directors Guild in 1949, which merged with the Radio and Television Directors Guild in 1960 to form today’s Directors Guild of America. He served three terms on the National Board and was a member of the Western AD/UPM Council for more than three decades. He also served on the Negotiations Committee and was on the Board of Trustees for the Directors Guild Foundation for almost two decades and the DGA-Producer Pension and Health Plans since 1980.
In 1985, the DGA presented Singer with the Frank Capra Achievement Award, which honors Assistant Directors and Unit Production Managers in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the Guild. In 2004, he received the Certificate of Service from the Western AD/UPM Council.
Singer passed away in March 2014.