December 20, 2014
Los Angeles – Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay made the following statement upon learning of the passing of Larry Auerbach:
"Larry emerged as a vigorous presence right after the merger that created the modern DGA, diving headlong into a long career of service to the Guild and his fellow members. Larry worked tirelessly, out of love for his Guild and his profession, to ensure better working conditions and stronger protection of creative rights for Guild members, and he was instrumental in raising the profile of daytime serial directors, the genre to which he dedicated his career. Under his watch as National Vice President and a member of the Eastern Directors Council, Larry helped organize the renovation of the New York headquarters, and he played a major role in ensuring greater health and fiscal security for Guild members through the DGA-Producer Pension and Health Plans. He was a dynamo – a strong and powerful voice for our members for decades – and we will miss him greatly.”
DGA Service and Awards
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 since 1980, where he continued to serve in an ex-officio capacity for the remainder of his life. He also served on numerous committees, including the Building Committee to renovate the Guild’s New York office, and the 1987, 1999 and 2002 Negotiations Committees. He was a longtime trustee of the Directors Guild Foundation and a trustee of the DGA-Producer Pension and Health Plan from 1981 – 2014, where he served three terms as chairman (1988, 1990, and 2000).
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.
Click here for a full bio
and taped Visual History of Larry Auerbach's career.