Schlatter was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and raised in Webster Groves, Missouri, a Saint Louis inner-ring suburb. Born the son of a violinist mother and a salesman father. As a teenager, Schlatter sang for two seasons with the Saint Louis Municipal Opera, where his mother also performed.
He attended Pepperdine University in Los Angeles, California.
He was a Hollywood agent in the band and act department of Master of Computer Applications Records. After several years, he left to become general manager at the Sunset Strip nightclub Ciro"son The comedy team of Dan Rowan and Dick Martin performed there.
In the early 1960s, following a short stint in Las Vegas, he started producing variety series and specials for television
Between 1964 and 1970, he oversaw the annual telecast of the Grammy Awards. In 1968, he formed George Schlatter Productions, noted for Rowan and Martin"s Laugh In on National Broadcasting Company. In the 1970s and 1980s, Schlatter produced and/or directed several television series, while continuing to produce variety specials.
In 1987, he started "The American Comedy Awards", which has become an annual event. Schlatter also produced a few feature films, and owns The Editing Company, which for many years was one of Hollywood"s busiest state-of-the-art post production facilities.
Between 1968 and 1996, Schlatter was nominated for 15 Emmy Awards, winning twice for Rowan & Martin"s Laugh-In as Outstanding Musical or Variety Program (1968) and for Sammy Davis, Junior. 60th Anniversary Celebration as Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special (1990). He was also nominated for a Writers Guild of America award in 1997. Foreign his work on television, Schlatter has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7030 Hollywood Boulevard
