"I was lucky enough to grow up during the golden age of Top 40 AM radio and enjoying the best DJs in the business. We all listened to Bill Randle, Carl Reese, Phil McLean, Johnny Holiday, and of course Alan Freed and Mad Daddy. We exhibited our 'smarts' by pretending to know which hits would be # 1, next week. What my friends didn't know was my inside track with DJ's like Alan Freed coming to my house to go over play lists with my dad Leo who, of course, told Alan what would be 'selling' the next week. Although a distant memory, I believe Rock 'n' Roll owes its existence to all these great jocks giving the music we loved a vehicle to expand, last, and become part of our entire generation. Radio today isn't a shadow of the media of the 50's and 60's when the personalities like Pete 'Mad Daddy' truly were bigger than life and made radio fun to listen to. Now, when I was certain I remembered that good old age, these pages thoughtfully written by Janice and Mike Olszewski do indeed inform me of how much I didn't know."- Stuart Mintz, son of Leo Mintz, who saw it all firsthand "Rick (Lux) would be upstairs in his bedroom at our house spinning his countless collection of early rock n roll records, reading Mad magazine, and listening to the Mad Daddy radio show fueling his fire for his love of rock n roll. I was his young toddler brother first witnessing all this and seeing for the first time who was to become the great rock n roll madman Lux Interior of the Cramps. It was a powerful sight that created my own fire for music. Lux would be the first in line to buy this book."- Michael Purkhiser, musician, writer and electronics designer "The story of Pete Myers and his on-air persona, the Mad Daddy, is finally set straight in Janice and Mike Olszewski's ultimate bio of this legendary Cleveland radio god. This long-anticipated tome is a bubbling brew of history and hysterics, filled with facts and foibles of the fast-talking disc jockey who unknowingly influenced generations of bop-infested no-counts, and reset the horizontal for all inspired radio to come. Essential reading and absolutely recommended!"- Miriam Linna, Cramps / Norton Records / Kicksville Radio "I've been to Alan Phreed's grave in Cleveland, and Mad Daddy left us long ago. This book lets their memory live on!"- Phlash Phelps, Sirius XM "Sixties Gold"
"I was lucky enough to grow up during the golden age of Top 40 AM radio and enjoying the best DJs in the business. We all listened to Bill Randle, Carl Reese, Phil McLean, Johnny Holiday, and of course Alan Freed and Mad Daddy. We exhibited our 'smarts' by pretending to know which hits would be # 1, next week. What my friends didn't know was my inside track with DJ's like Alan Freed coming to my house to go over play lists with my dad Leo who, of course, told Alan what would be 'selling' the next week. Although a distant memory, I believe Rock 'n' Roll owes its existence to all these great jocks giving the music we loved a vehicle to expand, last, and become part of our entire generation. Radio today isn't a shadow of the media of the 50's and 60's when the personalities like Pete 'Mad Daddy' truly were bigger than life and made radio fun to listen to. Now, when I was certain I remembered that good old age, these pages thoughtfully written by Janice and Mike Olszewski do indeed inform me of how much I didn't know."- Stuart Mintz, son of Leo Mintz, who saw it all firsthand "Rick (Lux) would be upstairs in his bedroom at our house spinning his countless collection of early rock n roll records, reading Mad magazine, and listening to the Mad Daddy radio show fueling his fire for his love of rock n roll. I was his young toddler brother first witnessing all this and seeing for the first time who was to become the great rock n roll madman Lux Interior of the Cramps. It was a powerful sight that created my own fire for music. Lux would be the first in line to buy this book."- Michael Purkhiser, musician, writer and electronics designer "The story of Pete Myers and his on-air persona, the Mad Daddy, is finally set straight in Janice and Mike Olszewski's ultimate bio of this legendary Cleveland radio god. This long-anticipated tome is a bubbling brew of history and hysterics, filled with facts and foibles of the fast-talking disc jockey who unknowingly influenced generations of bop-infested no-counts, and reset the horizontal for all inspired radio to come. Essential reading and absolutely recommended!"- Miriam Linna, Cramps / Norton Records / Kicksville Radio "I've been to Alan Phreed's grave in Cleveland, and Mad Daddy left us long ago. This book lets their memory live on!"- Phlash Phelps, Sirius XM "Sixties Gold"
"The Brown family, three brothers and a sister, applied themselves to the task of finding this unknown [starlet] through searching the Internet's genealogy sites, researched every repository they could, visited film museums, and contacted every expert they could find to restore this golden leaf in their family tree. Because of their commitment, there is now an extensive Regina Doyle filmography online and a family "backstory" that is no longer incomplete . . . . [S]hare how they discovered Regina, and the film Bashful Whirlwind (1925) . . . so we can all learn who Regina Doyle was."- Richard Adkins, President, Hollywood Heritage Museum; Director, 54th CineCon Classic Film Festival, Spielberg Theatre, Hollywood (Sept 2, 2018). Butterflies in the Rain: A Tale of Old Hollywood," has all the elements of a classic Hollywood story: youth, beauty, glamour and tragedy. Silent-film era Hollywood dramatically awakens as the setting of a story that is part Hollywood memoir and part family saga, as three grandsons embark on a twenty-year search for the life, art, and tragic end of a starlet who was killed at 24 returning from a Universal set. The story unfolds across a continent and an ocean, eight generations and four centuries. The world knows all about the stars of the silent-film era, the Pickfords and Fairbanks, Garbos and Chaplins; now there is a burgeoning interest to recover from the long night of cinematic oblivion, those starlets whose light was eclipsed by the glow of these stars or by Fate.
"The Brown family, three brothers and a sister, applied themselves to the task of finding this unknown [starlet] through searching the Internet's genealogy sites, researched every repository they could, visited film museums, and contacted every expert they could find to restore this golden leaf in their family tree. Because of their commitment, there is now an extensive Regina Doyle filmography online and a family "backstory" that is no longer incomplete . . . . [S]hare how they discovered Regina, and the film Bashful Whirlwind (1925) . . . so we can all learn who Regina Doyle was."- Richard Adkins, President, Hollywood Heritage Museum; Director, 54th CineCon Classic Film Festival, Spielberg Theatre, Hollywood (Sept 2, 2018). Butterflies in the Rain: A Tale of Old Hollywood," has all the elements of a classic Hollywood story: youth, beauty, glamour and tragedy. Silent-film era Hollywood dramatically awakens as the setting of a story that is part Hollywood memoir and part family saga, as three grandsons embark on a twenty-year search for the life, art, and tragic end of a starlet who was killed at 24 returning from a Universal set. The story unfolds across a continent and an ocean, eight generations and four centuries. The world knows all about the stars of the silent-film era, the Pickfords and Fairbanks, Garbos and Chaplins; now there is a burgeoning interest to recover from the long night of cinematic oblivion, those starlets whose light was eclipsed by the glow of these stars or by Fate.
Marie Wilson was one of the best of the "dumb blondes" of the 1930s and 1940s, but what most people don't know is that she was a highly intelligent woman who painstakingly created her persona in movies, on radio, and on television.This book includes a complete log of the classic American television series episodes in which she appeared, My Friend Irma (1952-1953).". . . an enjoyable read and something that would be welcomed by casual fans of Wilson, and those who are interested in a serious study of radio comedy and vaudeville since Wilson was a regular in Ken Murray's blackout." ¿-Radiogram
The past few years have seen the release of "Twilight Zone" scripts by principal writers Rod Serling, Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson, and Earl Hamner. With this publication, all but a few of the scripts from the original series will be in print. This distinguished pair of volumes also includes critical commentary and biographical information about the writers of these marvelous old tales. This volume contains: "The Incredible World of Horace Ford" by Reginald Rose "What's In the Box" by Martin M. Goldsmith "The Encounter" by Martin M. Goldsmith "Number 12 Looks Just Like You" by John Tomerlin "Dreamflight" by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson (unproduced) "Come Wander With Me" by Anthony Wilson
What does Producer: RICHARD GORDON mean to you?If you're a fan of classic horror films, you know he's the only living producer to have worked with the genre's most valuable players Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi--not to mention the Fiend Without a Face, the First Man into Space and other black-and-white beasties of the Fabulous Fifties.If you take your fright flicks on the ghastlier side, you remember his more gory goblins, from the Silicates on the Island of Terror to the mad slasher of the Tower of Evil, and the interstellar shocks delivered by Inseminoid.A master of both worlds, Richard Gordon has been a behind-the-scenes titan of terror for over a half-century, collaborating during his years of active production (1956-1981) with some of the field's most formidable names: Boris and Bela, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, Michael Gough, Terence Fisher and more.Go on a film-by-film excursion through his cinematic chamber of horrors in this definitive book-length interview....
In the history of popular television, there are not many shows that have addressed the issues of adolescence, family values, diversity, prejudice, and physical and mental disabilities so directly and fully as Life Goes On.The unique flavor of this daring series (which debuted on ABC in 1989, and which has recently been released on DVD) went straight to the heart of the American-viewing public. Now, the creation, development, and ever-increasing popularity of this this ground-breaking and heartwarming small screen classic is explored in LIFE STORY - THE BOOK OF LIFE GOES ON: TV'S FIRST AND BEST FAMILY SHOW OF CHALLENGE, written by best-selling author Herbie J Pilato (Bewitched Forever, The Kung Fu Book of Caine).Inside the pages of LIFE STORY, the reader will find revealing commentary from Pilato's exclusive interviews with cast members such as the Golden-Globe-nominated Chris Burke (who played Corky Thacher, the high-school teen with Down syndrome, which Burke has in real life), the Emmy-winning Chad Lowe (who portrayed the AIDS-stricken Jesse McKenna), and the Family-Television-Award winning Kellie Martin (who was Becca Thacher, sister to Corky and loyal young love to Jesse, and who is now the star of the Hallmark Channel new hit series, Mystery Woman). Also interviewed for LIFE STORY, were pristine behind-the-scenes team players including director/producer Michael Nankin and creator/executive producer Michael Braverman (the latter of whom has penned the book's foreword).Life Goes On continues to inspire viewers, and reaches beyond the realm of average entertainment with superior production values and credible, yet compelling, universal stories, each delivered with a sincere dedication in presenting good television. LIFE STORY - THE BOOK OF LIFE GOES ON: TV'S FIRST AND BEST FAMILY SHOW OF CHALLENGE captures that same spirit and transfers it into literary form.
Step right up to this eye-opening account of how circuses are scouted, produced, directed and ballyhooed - and forever reinventing themselves. Covering them all, from the Kings of the sawdust rings to the bottom feeder big tops, the author's unflinching candor and rich historical grasp may change forever how you view and experience the great spangled parade!"Step right up for a visit to the American Circus! There could be no finer guide than David Lewis Hammarstrom ... His passion for sawdust and spangles bubbles from every line but - a rarity among circus writers - he's as quick to point out the rubbish and rip-offs as the wonderful" -- THE STAGE, London "Fascinating! ... Something we need in these changing times more than anything else." -- PLANET CIRCUS, Germany "Bold and ambitious ... Timely and provocative! ... It is difficult to disagree with most of his views." -- CIRCUS REPORT, USA"Once in the audience, how can viewers evaluate what they see? ... A concise guide ... Hammarstrom's memories are vivid, and his enthusiasm is infectious" -- CHOICE "I eagerly read this book - as a circus arts performer and instructor I found it entertaining, and as an academic educator I found it very useful ... strikes a fun balance between history and gossip, critical guide and personal insights into the diversity that is the world of the modern circus show." -- ELSIE SMITH ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, NEW ENGLAND CENTER FOR CIRCUS ARTS"A thought-provoking book... how circus, particularly American circus, has changed and developed over the past 50 to 60 years, this book is packed with information and opinion." -- KING POLE, UK"Penetrating ... Informative ... Takes us out of our comfort zones." - THE WHITE TOPS"Roll up, while you still can, to the greatest show on earth! 'fresh, alive, magical and compelling.' Along with the author of this fine volume, I urge you to buy tickets for the world of sawdust and spangles before it's too late and circuses go the way of steam trains." -- THE DAILY MAIL, London"Pay Attention! ... A good show!... This engaging study functions as a sort of everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-the-circus-business-today-but-were-too-mildly-nostalgic- to-ask." -- SPECTACLE, USA
Ah, yes! It is almost here! The story of everyone's favorite mustache, Jerry Colonna, coming from the bulging eyes of his son, Bob. Teeming with personal, unpublished photos from this wacky author's private collection, this book will keep you up all night! And then some! But that's a good thing. Foreword by Star Wars composer, John Williams!
Cultural Historian Anthony Slide, who has been described by the Los Angeles Times as a one-man publishing phenomenon, strikes again with a book guaranteed to contain something OFFENSIVE for everyone.Chapters on subjects as varied as CAMP, FASCISM in Hollywood, Hedda Hopper and the PORKY'S movies. The latest topical jokes on Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt and the Challenger disaster.Subjects such as ALCOHOL, DRUG and SPOUSAL ABUSE, COMMUNISM, ETHNICITY, GAYS and LESBIANS and RELIGION. Commentary on leading figures of the era, including Father Coughlin, Kinky Friedman, Tom Lehrer and John Wayne. They are all here in this QUIRKY, OUTRAGEOUS, informative, and above all, ENTERTAINING overview of POLITICAL INCORRECTNESS and BAD TASTE in 20th century popular entertainment, including film, theatre, music, radio, television and vaudeville.
Foreword - Jim HarmonVic and Sade (The Stembottom Situation) - William F. NolanRadio Detectives - Jim Harmon Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Duplicate Daughter The Avenger and the Maker of WerewolvesBaby Snooks (Out with Mommy) - Ben OhmartThe Whistler (For I Walk by Night) - Mel GildenJimmie Allen (In World War II) - Jon D. Swartz, Ph.D.House of Mystery (The Ghastly Dream) - Tony AlbarellaRichard Diamond (Fall from Grace) - Joe CromartyMy Friend Irma (Jane's Side) - Barbara GratzColumbia Workshop (A Drink for the Damned) - Martin Grams, Jr.Bobby Benson and His B Bar B Riders (The Adventure of the Lady Prospector) - Jack FrenchRed Ryder (Little Beaver's Schooling) - Frank BreseeThe Man Called X (Crisis in Cairo) - Charles A. BeckettNightbeat (A Dancer, a Soldier, a Villain) - Bryan PowellThe Jack Benny Program (The Fred Allen Murder Case) - Laura WagnerLum and Abner (Murder in Pine Ridge) - Donnie PitchfordHarold Lloyd Comedy Theatre (Maltese Omelet) - Michael KurlandHermit's Cave (Last of the Legares) - T. Wayne ClayA Witch's Tale (The Peltonville Horror) - Richard A. LupoffLights Out (Later Than You Think) - Christopher ConlonThe Great Gildersleeve (Saturday Morning Paper) - Justin FelixBiographical Notes
Michael A. Hoey is the son of British actor Dennis Hoey, best remembered for his portrayal of Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard in the Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone.A combination memoir and history of the film business covering the decades from the 40's through the present. Here is an examination of classic Hollywood and such iconic studio bosses as Jack L. Warner, Darryl Zanuck and Walt Disney, plus memorable actors and directors, including John Ford, Fred Zinneman, George Cukor and Elvis Presley, Charlton Heston, Basil Rathbone, Angela Landsbury and Jane Wyman. Filled with the personal recollections of someone who lived it, it is also the story of a father and son, their careers and their turbulent relationship. Interwoven into these stories are numerous historical episodes about Hollywood, Broadway and Television."It's a look at Hollywood from the inside ... a fascinating glimpse at some of the industry's heavy hitters, as told by someone who was there in the trenches -- right from boyhood!"- Tom Weaver
Samuel Bronston produced some of the greatest and most remembered epic films of the sixties. El Cid, King of Kings, Fall of the Roman Empire, John Paul Jones, and Circus World. With a literal 'cast of thousands', and the biggest and most historically accurate sets ever built, the films have become legendary. The Magnificent Showman tells the stories behind the making of these memorable films, and explores the ambitious and quixotic man who brought them into being.This is the story of the film making empire Bronston created in Spain, hiring reknowned Directors like Nicholas Ray and Anthony Mann, and attracting first rate talent like Charlton Heston, Christopher Plummer, Stephen Boyd, Ava Gardner, Sophia Loren, James Mason, Alec Guinness, Rita Hayworth, David Niven, John Wayne and others. In many way, the drama off screen was as exciting as the action in front of the cameras. This book highlights the behind the scenes drama and conflict as Bronston struggled to bring these great stories to the big screen, and documents the extravagance that led to tremendous success, and then colossal failure as the Bronston empire collapsed in a series of legal battles and bankruptcies.Creating an amazing 6 major films in 6 years, Samuel Bronston left a legacy of artistic quality and innovation that are fondly remembered to this day. Films will never again be made in the way Bronston made them. Then, and now, Samuel Bronston remains The Magnificent Showman.
Serafim Karalexis produced, co-produced & distributed 35 feature films, and worked with Martin Scorsese on The Last Temptation of Christ and brought Billy Joel to the Soviet Union for concerts in Leningrad and Moscow as an HBO Special. He also co-produced Anna Pavlova, the story of the legendary ballerina Anna Pavlova, featuring the Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet Companies, which was distributed by Paramount Pictures. As a partner in UIP, in Boston, he distributed the Swedish film I Am Curious (Yellow), which he defended up to the U.S. Supreme Court with Alan Dershowitz as his attorney. Serafim co-produced The Punk Rock Movie, featuring The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Billy Idol and others. He was also a pioneer in the martial arts craze of the 1970 and 80s by distributing the 2nd Martial Arts film in the U.S., Duel of the Iron Fist, plus the production of The Black Dragon, The Death of Bruce Lee, The Real Bruce Lee and The Eagle's Shadow, Jackie Chan's first film in the United States, plus many others.
Serafim Karalexis produced, co-produced & distributed 35 feature films, and worked with Martin Scorsese on The Last Temptation of Christ and brought Billy Joel to the Soviet Union for concerts in Leningrad and Moscow as an HBO Special. He also co-produced Anna Pavlova, the story of the legendary ballerina Anna Pavlova, featuring the Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet Companies, which was distributed by Paramount Pictures. As a partner in UIP, in Boston, he distributed the Swedish film I Am Curious (Yellow), which he defended up to the U.S. Supreme Court with Alan Dershowitz as his attorney. Serafim co-produced The Punk Rock Movie, featuring The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Billy Idol and others. He was also a pioneer in the martial arts craze of the 1970 and 80s by distributing the 2nd Martial Arts film in the U.S., Duel of the Iron Fist, plus the production of The Black Dragon, The Death of Bruce Lee, The Real Bruce Lee and The Eagle's Shadow, Jackie Chan's first film in the United States, plus many others.
The Bela Lugosi screenplay that wasn't filmed.
In 1991, Peggy Adler, author of Trilogy: Three True Stories of Scoundrels and Schemers, was retained by self-proclaimed CIA agent, arms dealer and money launderer, Richard Brenneke, to co-author his autobiography. She soon discovered evidence in his files contradicting claims regarding his presence at October Surprise conspiracy meetings and went on to out Brenneke as a con artist in a February 1992 article in the Village Voice. Adler then researched a series of additional articles for the "Voice", which went on to prove that the so-called "October Surprise" was a hoax. In mid-1992, upon learning that the United States House of Representatives had created a Task Force to Investigate Certain Allegations Concerning the Holding of American Hostages by Iran in 1980, which would be investigating whether or not there actually had been an "October Surprise", she turned over to them the seventy cartons of documents she'd hauled east from Brenneke's home in Portland, Oregon, in order to write his memoirs. Subsequently, she worked as a consultant to the Task Force and assisted in drafting and editing the Brenneke section of their final report. Chapter one of this book recounts the Brenneke story, from 1973 forward, including her own odyssey with this scoundrel. Chapter two reveals how Oliver North and Richard Secord's Iran-Contra pal, Albert Hakim, was well aware that it was possible to get money out of a Swiss bank account without ever being a signatory - for he'd facilitated just that, years before. And Chapter three traces Roger Ailes relationship to the Willie Horton commercial that helped sink George Dukakis' hope for the presidency. Additionally, the book is laden with all the necessary documentation to back up what Adler has written.
IT WAS A DIFFERENT TIME... I was seven when I sat enthralled in a dark theatre watching The Land That Time Forgot. Three years later I was on a car roof watching a double bill of The People That Time Forgot and At the Earth's Core, in our town's last drive-in. I watched Motel Hell in that same drive-in three years later and it kept me awake for weeks after. These were just some of the films of legendary director KEVIN CONNOR and there would be more.His work was the great stuff of late summer night HBO. Explore how these classics were made from Connor's own accounts and thrill to a time in filmmaking when things were fun, films were fun and we had a good time with dinosaurs, beautiful primitive women and fantastical creatures. An era that time forgot... B Harrison Smith is the filmmaker known for The Fields, Camp Dread, Death House, The Special and Where the Scary Things Are. He is the author of The Making of Leprechaun, Making the Last Dinosaur and the personal history of horror with This Time It's Personal.
IT WAS A DIFFERENT TIME... I was seven when I sat enthralled in a dark theatre watching The Land That Time Forgot. Three years later I was on a car roof watching a double bill of The People That Time Forgot and At the Earth's Core, in our town's last drive-in. I watched Motel Hell in that same drive-in three years later and it kept me awake for weeks after. These were just some of the films of legendary director KEVIN CONNOR and there would be more.His work was the great stuff of late summer night HBO. Explore how these classics were made from Connor's own accounts and thrill to a time in filmmaking when things were fun, films were fun and we had a good time with dinosaurs, beautiful primitive women and fantastical creatures. An era that time forgot... B Harrison Smith is the filmmaker known for The Fields, Camp Dread, Death House, The Special and Where the Scary Things Are. He is the author of The Making of Leprechaun, Making the Last Dinosaur and the personal history of horror with This Time It's Personal.
"Kenneth Landau was an artist of considerable talent during the late Golden Age and Silver Age of Comics. His work particularly graced the pages of ACG's horror and mystery comics... although my favorite was his rendition of Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub in the mid-1950s. If only more artists had followed his lead in signing their work, expressing their pride in their contributions to what was one of the liveliest forms of popular culture!"Roy Thomas, editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics (1972-1974) and writer of The Avengers, The X-Men, Fantastic Four, Dr. Strange, et al. "In 1960, at age 8, I was nearly traumatized by Kenneth Landau's bizarre "Interplanetary Episode", in which a pathetic village idiot is so cruelly abused by the locals that the appearance of the hideous aliens midway through is actually a relief, they being "essentially kind" and noble. The story was originally published in a censored version in 1955, then inexplicably reprinted in its original, ghastly glory in 1960, during the sanitized "Comics Code" era. Landau's unsettling artwork, in the grand tradition of Daumier and Ensor, captures his withered, sardonic, decaying characters and their world so effectively that this story still gnaws away at me today, with its bleak, disturbing... but fascinating power."Larry Rapchak, composer, conductor, speaker "For many years I was under the impression that the ACG comicbook artist Ken Landau was actually the renowned actor/artist Martin Landau who was using a pen name in order to hide his true identity until one day a fellow comicbook historian asked Martin Landau that very question. Although Martin did assist daily strip artists early on in his career, he was not the Ken Landau that we mistook him for nor was he related to that artist. That led me to embark on a quest of locating the real Ken Landau which I was able to accomplish back in 2012. Our very first chat revealed that he was unaware anyone was even looking for him let alone having any admirers of his work. It was one of the highlights of my comicbook researching career to relay to him the fact that he had many many fans. I don't think Ken ever accepted that fact as he never thought of his own work as anything exceptional even though I did try to correct that opinion. I believe this book that his daughter Maranee has written will finally give fans some insight into Ken Landau the artist, the animator and father. It's a must have for any golden age comicbook horror & sci-fi art fan of which Ken Landau excelled in! He was even able to make the most mundane romance comicbook look interesting with his natural ability at drawing the woman form. Although this book has taken many years of pain staking research, I believe it has been worth the wait. I just wish Ken was here to meet his fans and see what a wonderful job his daughter has done with honoring his memory."Shaun Clancy
"Kenneth Landau was an artist of considerable talent during the late Golden Age and Silver Age of Comics. His work particularly graced the pages of ACG's horror and mystery comics... although my favorite was his rendition of Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub in the mid-1950s. If only more artists had followed his lead in signing their work, expressing their pride in their contributions to what was one of the liveliest forms of popular culture!"Roy Thomas, editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics (1972-1974) and writer of The Avengers, The X-Men, Fantastic Four, Dr. Strange, et al. "In 1960, at age 8, I was nearly traumatized by Kenneth Landau's bizarre "Interplanetary Episode", in which a pathetic village idiot is so cruelly abused by the locals that the appearance of the hideous aliens midway through is actually a relief, they being "essentially kind" and noble. The story was originally published in a censored version in 1955, then inexplicably reprinted in its original, ghastly glory in 1960, during the sanitized "Comics Code" era. Landau's unsettling artwork, in the grand tradition of Daumier and Ensor, captures his withered, sardonic, decaying characters and their world so effectively that this story still gnaws away at me today, with its bleak, disturbing... but fascinating power."Larry Rapchak, composer, conductor, speaker "For many years I was under the impression that the ACG comicbook artist Ken Landau was actually the renowned actor/artist Martin Landau who was using a pen name in order to hide his true identity until one day a fellow comicbook historian asked Martin Landau that very question. Although Martin did assist daily strip artists early on in his career, he was not the Ken Landau that we mistook him for nor was he related to that artist. That led me to embark on a quest of locating the real Ken Landau which I was able to accomplish back in 2012. Our very first chat revealed that he was unaware anyone was even looking for him let alone having any admirers of his work. It was one of the highlights of my comicbook researching career to relay to him the fact that he had many many fans. I don't think Ken ever accepted that fact as he never thought of his own work as anything exceptional even though I did try to correct that opinion. I believe this book that his daughter Maranee has written will finally give fans some insight into Ken Landau the artist, the animator and father. It's a must have for any golden age comicbook horror & sci-fi art fan of which Ken Landau excelled in! He was even able to make the most mundane romance comicbook look interesting with his natural ability at drawing the woman form. Although this book has taken many years of pain staking research, I believe it has been worth the wait. I just wish Ken was here to meet his fans and see what a wonderful job his daughter has done with honoring his memory."Shaun Clancy
Barbara Roisman Cooper's fifth book looks at a group of distinguished artists and creators behind the scenes of theatre and film productions. Great Britons of Stage and Screen: Volume III, Behind the Scenes features a dozen interviews with the most honored filmmakers and theatrical professionals of the past 75 years. All of these interviews were personally conducted by Roisman Cooper in Los Angeles, London, and New York over a period of five years. Great Britons of Stage and Screen, Volume III, examines the artistic processes of these stage and screen professionals, many whom have received Oscars, BAFTAs, Oliviers, and Tonys. In the interviews, they reveal what they do and how they do it. Among the interviewee subjects are: Production Designer Sir Ken Adam (seven James Bond films; Dr. Strangelove...; and Barry Lyndon); the doyenne of script supervisors, Angela Allen (fourteen films with John Huston, including The African Queen; and The Third Man); Julie Harris (Oscar for Darling and both films with The Beatles, Help! and A Hard Day's Night). Among others who shared their stories are: Choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne, Playwright Sir Ronald Harwood, Editor Anne V. Coates, and Composer Rachel Portman, the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Music Score.Readers who are interested in what goes on behind the scenes will find this book an outstanding introduction to how these artists create great films and theatrical experiences. This is the third of four books in Roisman Cooper's Great Britons series featuring in-person interviews with film and stage professionals. [Part II: Behind the Scenes will be published by BearManor in summer 2024.]
Let's Pretend actually went under a different title and slight variations of formats before settling down to the now-familiar children's program heard today through surviving recordings. On October 27, 1928, a Saturday morning children's program offering whimsical tales of fantasy and fairy tales premiered under the title of Aunt Jymmie and Her Tots in Tottyville. Very little is known about this program except for the format. The hostess of the series (Aunt Jymmie) would introduce each week's drama to the juvenile audience, which would be enacted by a cast of young children known as "the tots." The young "tots" would then travel to Tottyville, a make-believe world of king and queens, princesses, witches and magic spells. This series lasted for eighteen broadcasts from October 27, 1928 to February 23, 1929, originating from the WABC studio in New York City, the flagship station for CBS.Aunt Jymmie was replaced by a second children's radio program known as The Children's Club Hour with Howard Merrill. Merrill functioned as both the host and the scriptwriter. Later, during the 1940s, Merrill would write scripts for The Gay Nineties Revue, Secret Missions, and detective series such as Sherlock Holmes, Leonidas Witherall and the Abbott Mysteries. Just as the title suggests, The Children's Club Hour also featured fairy tales enacted by juvenile cast members, but why the word "hour"; is in the program's title is not all too clear - the program was only on the air for a thirty-minute time slot.After seventeen broadcasts of The Children's Club Hour, the time slot was handed over to Estelle Levy and Patricia Ryan who created a third Saturday morning children's program, this one titled The Adventures of Helen and Mary. Third time was the charm. The Adventures of Helen and Mary has been documented in encyclopedias such as John Dunning's On the Air as the forerunner of Let's Pretend, and this statement is correct but it should be known that Aunt Jymmie and the Children's Club Hour programs were not previous incarnations of Let's Pretend. The producers, directors, cast and staff of those two previous were totally different programs. The only similarity was the fact that they both offered renditions of fairy tales for young radio listeners.The Children's Club Hour began on March 2, 1929. The exact date of the final broadcast of The Children's Club Hour is June 22, 1929. The first broadcast of The Adventures of Helen and Mary was June 29, 1929. The Adventures of Helen and Mary was very successful and was heard for a total of 229 broadcasts.Interesting trivia: For a very brief time during December 1930 and January 1931, the name of the program changed from The Adventures of Helen and Mary to Land O' Make Believe. There is no evidence explaining why the program changed its title for the few brief weeks and back again and it's not clear how many broadcasts went by the name Land O' Make Believe. After 229 broadcasts, Nila Mack, who by then was heavily involved with the program, took over the reins and changed the title from The Adventures of Helen and Mary to Let's Pretend. (Anyone slightly confused can recall the example of how Counterspy and David Harding, Counterspy are the same program, it's just that the title changed over the years.)"The best book about radio I've read since Mary Jane Higby's Tune in Tomorrow. You have made the whole golden age of radio come alive."- Ron Lackmann, author
Here it is! The "meets" volume! Ever wondered what might happen ifThe Whistler meets Mysterious TravelerSherlock Holmes meets RafflesJohnny Dollar goes into Duffy's TavernJack Benny meets Richard DiamondCaptain Midnight meets Sky KingGunsmoke meets Have Gun Will TravelThe Bickersons meet Fibber McGee & MollyMary Noble meets Lum & AbnerJust Plain Bill visits the Halls of IvyThe Great Gildersleeve meets Honest HaroldVic & Sade meet Aunt Fanny from Breakfast ClubThe Sea Hound meets Scarlet Queen?Discover the answers to these and more in the third volume of the popular series of NEW adventures of old-time radio fiction.Praise for Volume 1:"A terrific bunch of writers, all with the ability to make these shows sound as fresh as they were in their heyday."Laura Wagner, Classic Images"The enthusiasm of the writers and their respect for the period is infectious."Jon L. Breen, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
Finally - the definitive biography of The Bickersons! Lavishly illustrated, with a foreword by Blanche herself, Frances Langford, this book unearths material never before published:A complete history of the programBiographies of the castScripts from Star Time, Old Gold & radio commercialsA history of John, Blanche, Nature Boy & those grasping relativesThe infamous Honeymooners/Jackie Gleason court caseUnused materialAnd much more!
BEAR MANOR MEDIA is proud to presentTHE NOVELIZERS by David Spencer ...which examines a rich literary category in a manner not merely for fans of media tie-in writing, but for new explorers, seasoned professionals...and even open-minded cynics. Advance praise from New York Times and internationally bestselling authors Lee Goldberg, Alan Dean Foster, Steven Savile and James Reasoner has already hailed it as "definitive"..."a milestone"..."an eye-opener"..."a genuine treasure"-plus "well-written, packed with information, and above all entertaining." Intertwined with its comprehensive history, reaching back to the silent movie era, THE NOVELIZERS is also a deep dive into the craft of adaptive and borrowed-universe storytelling.Aspiring and veteran writers seeking new insight will find it no less revelatory than the aficionado peering behind the curtain of the creative process. As you drink in the history and the craft, you'll also meet the people for whom the book is named-many of them profiled here for the first time anywhere-and fall in love with them, via in-depth interviews and evocative, close-up portraits. In the tradition of classic insider works about popular culture-such as William Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade, Craig Zadan's Sondheim & Co., and Marc Scott Zicree's The Twilight Zone Companion-David Spencer's THE NOVELIZERS resonates beyond its subject matter. It's not only the history of a genre...it's a full-blooded and deeply human chronicle of merging media in modern society. Of which tie-in writing has ever-increasingly become an inevitable, inextricable component.
This is the second collection of scripts of the hugely popular Bickersons, a radio/TV series starring Don Ameche and Frances Langford. Includes never-before-published versions of their classic routines, plus original radio commercials, both radio pilots, Christmas episode for the unaired animation show, and more!About the AuthorPhilip Rapp began writing for Eddie Cantor's radio show in the early 1930s, then moved to help create Baby Snooks for Fanny Brice. Aside from his immortal Bickersons creation, Rapp wrote hit films for Danny Kaye (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Inspector General), produced the TV series Topper, and wrote and directed the last Marx Brothers TV pilot - among many other accolades.
In 1938, Penny Singleton achieved worldwide fame for her movie portrayal of Blondie, the beloved comic-strip character created by Chic Young. Penny Singleton: A Biography traces the life and times of the gifted entertainer who brought Blondie to cinematic life. Born Dorothy McNulty in 1908, she worked for years in vaudeville, eventually progressing to Broadway for such musical extravaganzas as The Great Temptations, Good News, and Follow Thru. Hollywood beckoned, and the sprightly newcomer was soon before the cameras alongside William Powell, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, and other iconic stars of the 1930s. But it was the role of Blondie, in 28 popular movies and a concurrent radio adaptation, that endeared the actress to audiences. In 1952, with her film and radio commitments completed, Penny launched a highly successful nightclub act. She later ventured into regional theatre and then television, providing the voice of Jane Jetson in the futuristic animated series The Jetsons. Beneath the laughter and applause, however, was a woman determined to make use of her most fervent desire - to improve working conditions for her fellow variety performers. In 1958, Penny made headlines as the first female president of an AFL-CIO union. Thus began a 20-year journey that would be marked by legal challenges, financial setbacks, and even anonymous death threats. Drawing upon archival materials, and exclusive interviews with family members, close friends, former costars, and the actress herself, Steve Randisi presents a revealing portrait of a trailblazing show-business personality.
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