Topic: Fred De Cordova

Frederick "Fred" Timmins de Cordova (October 27, 1910 - September 15, 2001) was an American motion picture and television director and producer. He is best known for his work on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

De Cordova was born in New York City, New York, the son of Margaret (née Timmins) and George de Cordova, who worked in the theatre business. In his 1988 autobiography, de Cordova described his parents as con artists who, during his early years, lived well and skipped town without paying. He received an undergraduate degree in liberal arts in 1931 from Northwestern University.

His first theater credit was as a performer in "Elmer the Great" (1928). After his graduation from Harvard Law School in 1933, he gained employment in the Shubert Theater organization and directed stage shows for the next ten years. He was variously a performer, stage manager, stage director, and finally dialogue director, the last in "Ziegfeld Follies of 1943".