Ted Corday

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Theodore "Ted" Corday (May 8, 1908 — July 23, 1966) was a producer, director, and creator (or co-creator) of many American serials.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Corday graduated from the University of Alberta and studied law before moving to the United States in 1934. He worked in Broadway for many years before producing dramas for radio, such as Tortilla Flat, Tobacco Road, Gangbusters, and Counterspy. He then moved to television in the 1950s, producing The Guiding Light for a time as well as directing As the World Turns, from its 1956 premiere until 1965.

Corday was later lured to NBC to create three soap operas for them. The first two, Paradise Bay and Morning Star, failed, but his serial, Days of our Lives, was a hit and is still produced today, after over 40 years on television. He co-created the series with Irna Phillips and Allan Chase.

Before Corday could pen many stories for the serial, he was diagnosed with cancer, and was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. After many months in the hospital, he died on July 23, 1966 at the age of 58. His widow, Betty Corday, would produce Days of our Lives until her own death in 1987.