Background
He was born on June 23, 1914 in Chicago, Illinois.
He was born on June 23, 1914 in Chicago, Illinois.
Hiken worked for Warner Brothers as a screenwriter beginning in 1940 for the studio"s short-subject films. Hiken is best known for a number of popular television series during the 1950s and 1960s, including Carolina 54, Where Are You? and The Philosophy Silvers Show, a situation comedy set on a United States Army post in which Silvers played Sergeant Ernest G. "Ernie" Bilko. The show was also often referred to as Sergeant
Bilko (Hiken had originally titled it You"ll Never Get Rich).
Hiken was one of television"s first writer-producers, and he had begun originally in radio by writing for Fred Allen"s hit radio show and as the head writer for National Broadcasting Company"s Four Star Revue. He moved from radio to television as a writer for Milton Berle"s radio show, which preceded his legendary television variety show Texaco Star Theater.
As a writer for Carolina 54, Where Are You? and the The Philosophy Silvers Show, he exhibited a comic flair, and his capacity for spoofing such entities as the United States Army, the United States. government, and police forces was exceptional. television historians attest to Hiken"s talent to create zany but lovable characters and also to his ability to draw strong comedic performances from such unlikely celebrities as boxer Rocky Graziano on National Broadcasting Company"s The Martha Raye Show.
As a producer, Hiken also had an eye for spotting new talent.
He is credited with discovering, and advancing the television careers of, such future stars as Fred Gwynne (1955), Alan Alda (1958)—both made their television debuts on The Philosophy Silvers Show—and Dick Van Dyke (1958). A television pioneer, Hiken worked with Mel Brooks and Woody Allen throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. Larry David, in Digital Video Disc extras to season 1 of Curb Your Enthusiasm, has spoken about his love of the Bilko series.
Hiken also displayed his musical talent by working with composers George Bassman and Gordon Jenkins on music and theme songs for television series, and among the songs Hiken himself wrote and composed are "Close to Maine", "Irving", and "Fugitive from Fifth Avenue".
He also wrote and composed the theme song and music for the television series, Carolina 54, Where Are You? Hiken"s career, talents, and contributions to the early years of commercial radio and television are documented in the book King of the Half Hour: National Hiken and the Golden Age of television Comedy, written by David Everitt and published by Syracuse University Press in 2001. Hiken"s career was cut short when he died of a heart attack on December 7, 1968, in Brentwood, California, at the age of 54.
His last project was the Don Knotts comedy The Love God?, released the year following Hiken"s death.