Hollywood Studio Magazine (November 1967)

STUDIO TALK by John Ringo Graham NERVES OF STEEL — Nurse Mary Pope helps Don Knotts maintain his composure as he takes time between scenes for his newest movie, "The Shakiest Cun In The West," to give blood for the re¬ cent blood drive held at Universal Studios, where slightly less than 300 pints were collected. Watching are Marines Mike and Jim Akana, and Jim Harris of the Universal personnel department. Actor-restaurateur Arthur Wong, owner of the Far East Terrace, has been set for a fea¬ tured role in "The Put-on," David Connors production toplining James MacArthur, Mel¬ ody Patterson and Lori Martin. * * * Wedding Bells! Carloyn Eberhardy and Joe Behar, last Oct. 7. Bridegroom is direc¬ tor of NBC daytime shows, "Let's Make a Deal" and "Days of Our Lives." Bride is non-pro. * * * The 1967 Santa Claus Lane Parade down Hollywood Blvd. on Nov. 22 will be telecast live by KTTV for the 12th consecutive year. Bill Welsh, sports and special events direc¬ tor for the station, will narrate. Video-tape repeat of the pageant will run Thanksgiving Day. * * * Julian Goodman, president of National Broadcasting Co., will be principal speaker at the 24th annual Achievement Day din¬ ner of William Jewell College, Liberty, Mo., on Nov. 9. * * * CBS president Frank Stanton has an¬ nounced three high-level appointments: Merle S. Jones, as CBS v-p, general execu¬ tive; Robert D. Wood, president, CBS TV stations division; and Frank J. Shakespeare Jr., president, CBS TV services division. Lou Lichtenfield has been appointed v-p in charge, and will headquarter at Univer¬ sal, where he will have access to the indus¬ try's largest and most modern production facilities. One of the largest and best-attended culminations of shooting parties in studio history was hosted by Fred Astaire on com¬ pletion of "Finian's Rainbow" at Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. Over four-hundred guests, including members of the cast and crew and their spouses, attended the picture wind¬ up bash, catered by Chasen's, served by three bars and entertained by an orchestra. * * * Frank Gertz, NBC-TV's manager, business affairs, West Coast, has announced three promotions from within his Burbank offices. Peter N. Nichol, who has been serving as an administrator in the department, becomes manager, operating budgets, West Coast. Assuming Nichol's previous position, admin¬ istrator, operating budgets, West Coast, is James D. Walsh, formerly a budget analyst. Also promoted from within the department is Elton L. MacPherson, named administrator, program talent payments. West Coast. * * * A new production company. Universal Commercial and Industrial Films, has been formed as a division of MCA Inc. to produce television commercials and industrial films, it was announced by Albert A. Dorskind, MCA v-p and treasurer. Studio Magazine CONTRIBUTORS: JACK FOLEY FRANK TAYLOR BOOTS LE BARON JOHN RINGO GRAHAM MABEL DECINCES! BILL ERWIN AL RACKIN MARJORIE SELLS CHUCK GRIZZLE Hanna-Barbera Productions will donate a collection of original art work from among its early productions to the Cinematheque Canadienne, a film museum and archive in¬ stitution for animation, according to William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. * * * Steve Goodman, who has been at Warner Bros.-Seven Arts as a story analyst, has been assigned to the post of assistant to Curtis Kenyon, story editor for the studio in Burbank. * * * Vic Mizzy has been set to compose original musical scores for two Universal comedies, "Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady?" starring Phyllis Diller, Bob Den¬ ver and Joe Flynn; and "The Shakiest Gun in the West," starring Don Knotts and Barbara Rhoades. "Saleslady" was produced by Si Rose and directed by Don Weis, with Ed¬ ward J. Montagne as executive producer. "Shakiest Gun" was produced by Montagne and directed by Alan Rafkin. * * * Jack Regas has been named by produc¬ ers Alan Handley and Bob Wynn as the choreographer of NBC-TV's Danny Thomas Hour special titled "The Royal Follies of 1933," starring Shirley Jones. Program, which tapes in Burbank in early November, will air Dec. 11. * * * Heading Los Angeles County's 1967 Christ¬ mas Seal campaign as honorary chairman will be Bob Crane, star of CBS-TV's "Ho¬ gan's Heroes," according to Arthur W. Weiss, president of the Tuberculosis and Health Assn, of L.A. County. KFI disc jockey Chuck Cecil has been named regional chairman in the West San Fernando Valley. * * * Alex Segal, award-winning director re¬ cently signed to a long-term contract by Uni¬ versal, will direct "Coogan's Bluff," starring Clint Eastwood in his first major American studio motion picture. Jennings Lang, vice- president, Universal City Studios, made the announcement. * * * The industrial film division of Hanna-Bar¬ bera Productions has been retained for the second time in six months by the American Heart Assn, to produce a fully animated film for general distribution. Titled "More Than Ever Before," the 14-minute film fea¬ tures Yogi Bear, Hanna-Barbera's cartoon star. * * * Jerome (Jerry) Farrell and his wife Caro¬ lyn are parents of a boy, whom they've named Jan Mitchell, Oct. 2 in Kaiser Hospi¬ tal in Panorama City. Arrival weight was 51/2 pounds. Father is NBC associate director; mother is nonpro. * * * Don Costa has been signed to compose the original musical score for Universal's "Madi- gan," New York detective drama starring Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda and Inger Stevens and directed by Don Siegel for pro¬ ducer Frank P. Rosenberg. * * * Earl Bellamy set for Audition Board of Film Industry Workshop for December by Tony Miller.