One of the most infamous behind-the-scenes moments in television history occurred during the production of All in the Family’s second season. According to creator Norman Lear’s 2014 memoir, Even This I Get to Experience, Carroll O’Connor, the actor who brought Archie Bunker to life, almost walked away from the show over a single script: “The Elevator Story.”
The episode, which eventually aired as the fourteenth episode in 1972, placed Archie on a crowded elevator with a variety of passengers: a working-class Latin couple, with the wife heavily pregnant, a sophisticated Black man, and an emotionally fragile woman. Chaos ensues when the elevator gets stuck, causing the pregnant woman to go into labor.
O’Connor was appalled from the moment he read the script. He called it impossible, absurd, and unplayable, saying, “A baby born on the floor of a godd**n elevator! What’s that all about?” He even demanded an emergency meeting with CBS executives, bringing his attorney along. O’Connor declared the script “repulsive” and initially refused to participate.
The standoff escalated to the point where O’Connor began to cry, overwhelmed by frustration and disbelief. CBS formally warned that the show would be canceled if he refused. After tense negotiations between his legal team and the network, the episode moved forward, and O’Connor eventually performed the scene.
The result was legendary. As the couple gives birth in the elevator, Archie’s expressions mirror the chaos, then soften in awe at the baby’s first cry. O’Connor’s performance captured a mix of wonder, humanity, and vulnerability, turning what was almost a career crisis into one of the most memorable moments in television history.
