Abner E. "Abby" Singer (December 8, 1917 – March 13, 2014) was an American production manager and assistant director in film between the 1950s and the 1980s. His name has become famous in Hollywood as a phrase describing the second-to-last shot of the day as the "Abby Singer".According to Burt Bluestein of the Directors Guild of America, "It all began when Abby was a 1st AD and people on the crew would ask him how many shots were left to do before lunch. Abby would answer, 'We'll do this and one more.' At the end of the day, when they asked what was to be done before the wrap, Abby would say, 'This and one more, then we're out of here.'" Abby Singer himself explains the reason behind calling out the second to last shot; "In television, we would make maybe five or six moves during the day — going from one set to another, or from one stage to another. Or we'd move from the back lot to a stage. I would say, 'Fellas, we'll do this [shot] and one more and then we're moving.' This would give the crew a chance to begin wrapping up their equipment or to call transportation for gurneys, so they'd be ready to get out quickly... I did it really to save time for the director. If we did it during the day, I could save 10 to 15 minutes each time we had to move. I could give the director another hour a day of shooting."The actual last shot of the production day is referred to as a "martini," referring to the alcoholic beverage.Abby Singer died of cancer on March 13, 2014 in California at the age of 96.
Production Manager, Miscellaneous Crew, Assistant Director
Star Sign
Sagittarius
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Fact
1
Worked as a production manager and assistant director in film between the 1950s and the 1980s. His name has become famous in Hollywood as a phrase describing the second-to-last shot of the day ("the Abby Singer"). The last shot of the day is known as the "Martini". Mr. Singer got the reputation for calling the "Martini" shot and after that shot was completed he would state they had one more shot to do. Eventually the second to the last shot was referred to as the "Abby Singer".
Production Manager
Title
Year
Status
Character
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Tammy and the Millionaire
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unit production manager
Out of Sight
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unit production manager
Family Plan
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unit production manager
Major Dad
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TV Series unit production manager - 6 episodes
Uncle Buck
1990
TV Series unit production manager - 1 episode
Columbo
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St. Elsewhere
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Hill Street Blues
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Remington Steele
1982-1983
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Newhart
1982-1983
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In Defense of Kids
1983
TV Movie executive in charge of production
Lou Grant
TV Series executive in charge of production - 44 episodes, 1980 - 1982 production executive - 2 episodes, 1979
WKRP in Cincinnati
TV Series executive in charge of production - 2 episodes, 1982 production executive - 2 episodes, 1980
A Little Sex
1982
production manager: Los Angeles
The White Shadow
TV Series supervising production manager - 11 episodes, 1978 - 1979 executive in charge of production - 4 episodes, 1980 - 1981 production executive - 2 episodes, 1980
Thornwell
1981
TV Movie production executive: MTM Enterprises
First, You Cry
1978
TV Movie supervising production manager
The Meanest Men in the West
1978
TV Movie unit production manager
The Bob Newhart Show
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Nowhere to Run
1978
TV Movie production manager
Rhoda
TV Series unit production manager - 49 episodes, 1974 - 1976 production manager - 13 episodes, 1978
Something for Joey
1977
TV Movie production manager
The Tony Randall Show
1976-1977
TV Series production manager - 3 episodes
Mary Tyler Moore
TV Series unit production manager - 27 episodes, 1974 - 1975 production manager - 21 episodes, 1975 - 1976
Phyllis
TV Series production manager - 18 episodes, 1975 - 1976 unit production manager - 1 episode, 1975
Mary's Incredible Dream
1976
TV Movie unit production manager
Three for the Road
1975
TV Series unit production manager - 1 episode
Gunsmoke
1974
TV Series production manager - 10 episodes
Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers
1974
TV Series unit production manager - 1 episode
Barney Miller
1974
TV Series unit manager - 1 episode
Young Love
1974
TV Movie production manager
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
1974
unit production manager
The Doris Day Show
1968-1973
TV Series production manager - 98 episodes
The Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff Special
1971
TV Special production manager
The Tim Conway Show
1970
TV Series production manager - 2 episodes
Istanbul Express
1968
TV Movie unit manager
It Takes a Thief
1968
TV Series unit manager - 17 episodes
The Counterfeit Killer
1968
unit production manager
Shadow Over Elveron
1968
TV Movie unit manager
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Crisis Center
1997
TV Series production consultant - 1 episode
Diagnosis Murder
1996-1997
TV Series production consultant - 18 episodes
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
1996-1997
TV Series production consultant - 10 episodes
Tattinger's
1988-1989
TV Series production consultant - 8 episodes
Newhart
1983-1985
TV Series production consultant - 50 episodes
Remington Steele
1983-1985
TV Series production consultant - 50 episodes
Hill Street Blues
TV Series production consultant - 32 episodes, 1983 - 1985 executive in charge of production - 8 episodes, 1982 production executive - 1 episode, 1981