Sound recording on "Facing The Giants".
Sunday, Jun 29, 2008
With all the press and tributes on the death of George Carlin, the passing of a motion picture great almost was overlooked.
Cyd Charisse was one of Hollywood's classic film stars. Born in Amarillo, Texas, in 1921 as Tula Ellice Finklea, her breath taking beauty and extreme dancing skills guaranteed her a spot in the business. She would go on to star in blockbuster films including East Side, West Side, Brigadoon, and her most notable roll, that of the exotic dancer in Singin' In The Rain.
I had the extreme pleasure of working with Cyd about 20 years ago. She was in her middle 60s by then but she was still in fabulous shape. We were shooting a commercial for a product that supposedly helps seniors with joint pain and the buzz started early that Cyd would be on set soon. She was one of the first real celebrities I would work with and I was excited.
When we started blocking the scene, it became evident that I just was not going to be able to use the boom pole to get Cyd's lines as there were several other dancers in the shot and the camera had to be wide enough to see them all. So I informed the director I needed to wire Cyd with a wireless mic and she and I went to the restroom. Now many times, a seasoned actress will just whip up their blouse or dress right there for the mic to be put on. But I could tell Cyd was all class and suggested we go to the dressing room.
While there, I asked if she was still dancing. She said absolutely and that she had just finished up a long engagement on Broadway where she not only was dancing but "on toe". That impressed me greatly. But what also impressed me was the shape she was in as I put the waistband on her under her dress. Solid as a rock and no flab. I told her my two daughters were taking ballet and we talked about that for awhile. She was very gracious and interested, not like some celebs who won't say a word to you as if you don't exist.
I would occasionally have to adjust her hidden mic throughout the day and we would have conversation and some laughs. That day, I fell in love with Cyd Charisse all over again. She passed away June 17th at the age of 87 from complications following a heart attack.
* * * * *
A lot has been said this past week about the comic genius of George Carlin. He truly was that. His fun and increasingly biting humor helped change the comedy business in the 1960s and that affect is still seen today. His timing was perfect too. As the entertainment industry was exploding and evolving with The Beatles and the British Invasion, Carlin's hip wit and goofy personas fit right in with the new youth oriented media phenomena that was sweeping the world.
The first time I saw George was in 1965 on either The Mike Douglas show or the Merv Griffin show. Shortly after that, I saw him again on the Kraft Summer Music Hall. My favorite routines of those days included Wonderful WINO where he played a hip DJ, and then of course my fav of all time, Al Sleet, you're hippie dippy weather man.
George was wild from the start, and it only got wilder when he started partaking of controlled substances. He went from crazy to radical during this time and never came back. Suffering from some mental issues at times, and fighting substance abuse, George continued his swim upstream. I didn't agree with his crucible concerning the seven words, but I did understand his mentality. If you told George he couldn't do something, then he absolutely wanted to do it.
Frankly, I'm surprised George made it as far as he did. 71 today is the new 60, so I'm sorry that's as far as he did make it, but considering all that he survived, he could have gone the way of too many before him and burned out and died much earlier.
I was in New York City two months after 9-11, doing a documentary on support for the police and fire fighters in the aftermath of the terrorist attack, and we were staying in a small hotel on Broadway. The first night we got to the hotel, we had to walk from where the police dropped us off. We walked right in front of a theater next to the hotel and I saw a 40 foot production trailer with heavy cables running into a side door and stopped. This is the kind of trailer I've worked in doing live shows for over 20 years. So I wondered what was going on in the theater. I turned around and on the marquee it read, George Carlin In Concert. They were getting ready to tape one of Carlin's HBO specials and I would have given anything to go see it. Thankfully, much of his most brilliant moments have been saved for us to enjoy again and again.
Cyd Charisse was one of Hollywood's classic film stars. Born in Amarillo, Texas, in 1921 as Tula Ellice Finklea, her breath taking beauty and extreme dancing skills guaranteed her a spot in the business. She would go on to star in blockbuster films including East Side, West Side, Brigadoon, and her most notable roll, that of the exotic dancer in Singin' In The Rain.
I had the extreme pleasure of working with Cyd about 20 years ago. She was in her middle 60s by then but she was still in fabulous shape. We were shooting a commercial for a product that supposedly helps seniors with joint pain and the buzz started early that Cyd would be on set soon. She was one of the first real celebrities I would work with and I was excited.
When we started blocking the scene, it became evident that I just was not going to be able to use the boom pole to get Cyd's lines as there were several other dancers in the shot and the camera had to be wide enough to see them all. So I informed the director I needed to wire Cyd with a wireless mic and she and I went to the restroom. Now many times, a seasoned actress will just whip up their blouse or dress right there for the mic to be put on. But I could tell Cyd was all class and suggested we go to the dressing room.
While there, I asked if she was still dancing. She said absolutely and that she had just finished up a long engagement on Broadway where she not only was dancing but "on toe". That impressed me greatly. But what also impressed me was the shape she was in as I put the waistband on her under her dress. Solid as a rock and no flab. I told her my two daughters were taking ballet and we talked about that for awhile. She was very gracious and interested, not like some celebs who won't say a word to you as if you don't exist.
I would occasionally have to adjust her hidden mic throughout the day and we would have conversation and some laughs. That day, I fell in love with Cyd Charisse all over again. She passed away June 17th at the age of 87 from complications following a heart attack.
* * * * *
A lot has been said this past week about the comic genius of George Carlin. He truly was that. His fun and increasingly biting humor helped change the comedy business in the 1960s and that affect is still seen today. His timing was perfect too. As the entertainment industry was exploding and evolving with The Beatles and the British Invasion, Carlin's hip wit and goofy personas fit right in with the new youth oriented media phenomena that was sweeping the world.
The first time I saw George was in 1965 on either The Mike Douglas show or the Merv Griffin show. Shortly after that, I saw him again on the Kraft Summer Music Hall. My favorite routines of those days included Wonderful WINO where he played a hip DJ, and then of course my fav of all time, Al Sleet, you're hippie dippy weather man.
George was wild from the start, and it only got wilder when he started partaking of controlled substances. He went from crazy to radical during this time and never came back. Suffering from some mental issues at times, and fighting substance abuse, George continued his swim upstream. I didn't agree with his crucible concerning the seven words, but I did understand his mentality. If you told George he couldn't do something, then he absolutely wanted to do it.
Frankly, I'm surprised George made it as far as he did. 71 today is the new 60, so I'm sorry that's as far as he did make it, but considering all that he survived, he could have gone the way of too many before him and burned out and died much earlier.
I was in New York City two months after 9-11, doing a documentary on support for the police and fire fighters in the aftermath of the terrorist attack, and we were staying in a small hotel on Broadway. The first night we got to the hotel, we had to walk from where the police dropped us off. We walked right in front of a theater next to the hotel and I saw a 40 foot production trailer with heavy cables running into a side door and stopped. This is the kind of trailer I've worked in doing live shows for over 20 years. So I wondered what was going on in the theater. I turned around and on the marquee it read, George Carlin In Concert. They were getting ready to tape one of Carlin's HBO specials and I would have given anything to go see it. Thankfully, much of his most brilliant moments have been saved for us to enjoy again and again.
Sunday, Jun 1, 2008
Well, I've retired from five more guides, after doing as much as I could from the information available to me. So there was no use in keeping them. Maybe someone else will come along and have them on DVD, or have other information they can fill in the blanks with.
Those show guides were:
Don't Call Me Charlie
Starring Arte Johnson (seen below in Laugh In) as a veterinarian who gets drafted and then assigned to a base in Paris. Lasted one season 1962-1963.
* * * * *
A Touch Of Grace
Shirley Booth's swan song after Hazel. Lot's of critical raves, no ratings. Part of a season in 1973.
* * * * *
A Man Called Sloane
After The Wild Wild West, Robert Conrad had a spotty career with a few tv movies and appearances. He just couldn't get into major motion pictures. In 1979, he tried the secret agent role again, only in modern times as a freelance James Bond of sorts. It only lasted a season.
* * * * *
Caribe
About ten years before Miami Vice, a black and white police partnership was fighting crime in Miami and the Caribbean. Featuring Carl Franklin and Stacy Keach, it was too soon for television, and lasted one season. A decade later, Crockett and Tubbs tore up tv and changed things forever!
* * * * *
Griff
Lorne Greene stars as Griff, a chiseled old ex-police Captain, who retires and sets up his own private investigation agency. This was Greene's series that directly followed Bonanza. Co-starred Ben Murphy. It lasted 13 episodes.
* * * * *
Anyone hear of or see any of these shows? Yeah, me either.
And now I see that at Level 51, I've broken something. I knew I'd get the blame for something else!
Peace,
sd
Those show guides were:
Don't Call Me Charlie
Starring Arte Johnson (seen below in Laugh In) as a veterinarian who gets drafted and then assigned to a base in Paris. Lasted one season 1962-1963.
* * * * *
A Touch Of Grace
Shirley Booth's swan song after Hazel. Lot's of critical raves, no ratings. Part of a season in 1973.
* * * * *
A Man Called Sloane
After The Wild Wild West, Robert Conrad had a spotty career with a few tv movies and appearances. He just couldn't get into major motion pictures. In 1979, he tried the secret agent role again, only in modern times as a freelance James Bond of sorts. It only lasted a season.
* * * * *
Caribe
About ten years before Miami Vice, a black and white police partnership was fighting crime in Miami and the Caribbean. Featuring Carl Franklin and Stacy Keach, it was too soon for television, and lasted one season. A decade later, Crockett and Tubbs tore up tv and changed things forever!
* * * * *
Griff
Lorne Greene stars as Griff, a chiseled old ex-police Captain, who retires and sets up his own private investigation agency. This was Greene's series that directly followed Bonanza. Co-starred Ben Murphy. It lasted 13 episodes.
* * * * *
Anyone hear of or see any of these shows? Yeah, me either.
And now I see that at Level 51, I've broken something. I knew I'd get the blame for something else!
Peace,
sd
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Well, by now the word has spread about the pending purchase of Cnet and all of it's pieces to the Central Bureau of Stupidity (aka CBS). I don't have much to say about this in that Cnet didn't seem to care much about Tv.com and MovieTome. I like the staff that I have met and they are just people like us, but the company just kind of tolerated us, or so it seemed.
Now, the worst network of the big four is throwing a reported 1.8 billion (can this possibly be correct?) at Cnet and if they are smart, they'll take it. But these boneheads are the ones who give the ax to the intelligent shows and keep the junk! So unless they sell us off, I don't anticipate things getting better around here. They may, you never know, but as just about everyone in the only three good Star Wars films said, "I have a bad feeling about this".
Hope everyone is well. It's BEACH TIME!
Now, the worst network of the big four is throwing a reported 1.8 billion (can this possibly be correct?) at Cnet and if they are smart, they'll take it. But these boneheads are the ones who give the ax to the intelligent shows and keep the junk! So unless they sell us off, I don't anticipate things getting better around here. They may, you never know, but as just about everyone in the only three good Star Wars films said, "I have a bad feeling about this".
Hope everyone is well. It's BEACH TIME!
Recent Entries
My Recent Reviews
sounddude has written 30 reviews.
I had the pleasure to work with Suzanne Somers today and I have to say that she is all that other folks in my business (film and television production) have told me.
Suzanne was extremely friendly with everyone, no star attitude at...
[+] Read Full Review
Suzanne was extremely friendly with everyone, no star attitude at...
[+] Read Full Review
Posted mar 28, 2007 9:43 am pt
This is just a fun sci-fi film with a feel good ending and it doesn't matter if the cheese factor is high, or the acting is stiff, or the screen play is hokey or any other reason that critics against the film may spout.
Old plot:...
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[+] Read Full Review
Posted mar 10, 2007 4:45 am pt
Making Waves is an independent film, made on a very small budget, which uses a familiar plot of family discord to showcase one of the most popular spectator sports in the rest of the world, not including the United States: Personal Water Craft...
[+] Read Full Review
[+] Read Full Review
Posted mar 10, 2007 4:34 am pt
Well right of the bat I guess I should fess up and reveal that I worked on this Imax film, The Magic Of Flight. I was one of the sound mixers on the movie and did much of the sound recording especially the interviews and behind the scenes sound...
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[+] Read Full Review
Posted mar 10, 2007 4:23 am pt
Wow! Put together a dynamite cast, about the country's most celebrated law enforcement agency, through in a plot to kill the President of the United States with the killer a mole in the Secret Service, add to that beautiful cinematography, a...
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[+] Read Full Review
Posted feb 26, 2007 5:48 am pt
My Ratings
| 1. | Hancock |
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| 2. | Firecracker |
|
| 3. | Gladiator |
|
| 4. | Blow Out |
|
| 5. | The Sentinel |
|
| 6. | Safe House |
|
| 7. | October Sky |
|
| 8. | Let It Be |
|
| 9. | A Hard Day's Night |
|
| 10. | Desperado |
|
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