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David Dortort
DavidDortortPic
David Dortort was the creator and executive producer of "Bonanza"
Biographical information
Full Name: David Dortort
Birthname David Katz
Occupation: Screenwriter / Director
Years active: 1957-2001, his death
Gender: Male
Race/Ethnicity: American/Caucasian
Born: (1916-10-23)October 23, 1916
Birthplace: New York City, NY, U.S.
Died: September 5, 2010(2010-09-05) (aged 93)
Place of Death: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Personal
Family/Relatives: Wendy D. Czarnecki
Fred Dortort
Spouse(s): Rose Seldin (married 1940–2007, her death); 2 children
Profile
Series: Bonanza (TV series)
Role/Involvement with series: Executive Producer / Series Creator
No. of episodes/
or appearances:
431 episodes, in Seasons 1-14
Character played/Appeared as: None / N/A

David Dortort (born David Katz on October 23, 1916 - died September 5, 2010) was the creator and executive producer of the NBC-TV series Bonanza.

Biography[]

Born in New York City. David was a Hollywood producer and writer, widely known for his role as producer in two NBC television series Bonanza (1959–1967) and The High Chaparral (1967–1971). Dortort's focus shifted in the late 1960s to the newer series, leaving the production of Bonanza largely to his associates during its last five and a half years (1967–1973).

Personal life[]

Dortort was married for 67 years to Rose Dortort (née Seldin), who died September 30, 2007, at age 92. They had two children, Wendy Czarnecki and Fred Dortort.

Death[]

Dortort died in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles, California, on September 5, 2010, a month and a half before his 94th birthday. He had a history of heart problems.

Selected Bonanza Episodes[]

Year Episode Credited as
Director Producer Writer Actor Role
1959 101: A Rose for Lotta Yes
1959 102: The Sun Mountain Herd Yes
1959 109: Mr. Henry Comstock Yes
1960 121: The Spanish Grant Yes
1961 234: Sam Hill Yes
1962 329: Inger, My Love Yes

External links[]

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