A director for more than fifty years, Auerbach began his career as a member of the Radio and Television Directors Guild, which merged with the Screen Directors Guild in 1960 to form today's DGA. Starting in radio in the 1940s, Auerbach became a stage manager for shows such as Stud’s Place and Fran & Ollie, before becoming a director on Mr. Wizard in the earliest days of live television.
In 1951 Auerbach was hired to be the first director of the daytime serial Love of Life, beginning a longtime association directing in the genre. Once Love of Life ended its run in 1980, Auerbach went on to direct several New York-based serials such as One Life to Live, As the World Turns, Another World and All My Children, retiring in the late 1990s. For his directorial efforts, Auerbach was nominated for nine Daytime Emmys, winning in 1984 for an episode of One Life to Live.
Larry Auerbach was a Guild member for more than sixty-five years, originally joining the forerunner to the Radio and Television Directors Guild, the Radio Directors Guild, in 1948, which merged with the Screen Directors Guild in 1960 to form today’s Directors Guild of America. Auerbach served on the DGA National Board for more than 20 years in various capacities, including as National Vice President from 1987-1989, and he was a member of the Eastern Directors Council from 1980-1998, when he then continued to serve in an ex-officio capacity until 2014. He served on numerous committees, including the Building Committee to renovate the Guild’s New York office, and numerous Negotiations Committees. He was also a trustee of both the Directors Guild Foundation and the DGA-Producer Pension and Health Plan, serving three times as chairman.
In 1991, the Guild presented Auerbach with the Robert B. Aldrich Award for extraordinary service to the Guild and its membership. In 2004, the DGA honored Auerbach with one of its highest accolades, Honorary Life Member, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Guild and the profession of directing.
Auerbach passed away in December 2014.