Hollywood Studio Magazine (August 1972)

SOUNDTRACK MUSIC GETS TV’S BIGGEST SINGLE MUSIC CONTRACT Robert Kendall’s HOLLYWOOD Contributions from our readers about timely events or Information for this column should be sent to Robert Kendall, “Hollywood Now, ” P.O. Box M, Sherman Oaks, California 91413. (Deadline Ist of month for preceding issue.) At Friday and Saturday midnight shows at the EGYPTIAN THEATER, film clips from John Barrymore’s greatest movies were shown, and on stage the son of the great star appeared in person. John Barrymore, Jr. then introduced film star Florence Marly who in turn sang for the nostalgia audience. *** The first annual WESTERN FILM FESTIVAL will be held August 3, 4, and 5. It is open to all film collectors and nostalgia enthusiasts . . . AND at the Sheraton-Universal (Los Angeles). *** ACTION AT UNIVERSAL! It never ends. Not only does Universal TV boast the largest number of series on any one lot, but they’re coming up with the Hitchcock hit of the decade in “Frenzy” where the old master of suspense turns-on and the audiences are turning-out. The Sheraton-Universal on the hill above the studio is bustling with activity, while the studio tours attract world-wide interest, and now Jesus Christ, Superstar is playing in the Amphitheater, while the movie version is being prepared for studio filming. *** WAYNE MARTIN produced a five-hour documentary which aired on KPFK-Radio as a tribute to the late-great Judy Garland. Drawing from his vast collection of tapes, and recordings in his “Garlandia” collection, Martin also told personal anecdotes of his phone conversations with Judy . . . and their many visits. *** FRANK MOSHIER had a sellout on his “Films of Alice Faye” book, and has gone into a second printing. *** TWO FILM PRODUCTIONS which promise to thrill new movie audiences are re-makes, “Lost Horizon” and “Great Waltz.” While “The Godfather” is doing fabulous business, it is trailing along because “Gone With Continued on Page 36 f Soundtrack Music, a Los Angeles-based music service, has been signed by Hanna-Barbera Productions, Hollywood, to what is believed to be the largest single production contract for television film music. The pact involves approximately 140 half hours of original music for the 1972-73 network season. The assignment includes scoring for seven series, eight features for television (some to be later edited for theatrical release), and a number of specials. Hoyt Curtin, President of Soundtrack Music, has been associated with Hanna-Barbera on other projects during the past few years and at one point during the past television season his Company was responsible for the music on a total of 28 separate half hours of programming on the networks and in syndication. The majority of these programs are in the animated field. Curtin said, “We’re delighted with the prospect and challenge of having to score for the great variety of films that will be included in the Hanna-Barbera assignment. It’s very gratifying to both myself and our writers that Hanna-Barbera has given us such a vote of confidence. “We will be providing original music for each of the three networks. For NBC, we’ll be scoring “Sealab 2020,” and “Roman Holidays.” For CBS, it’ll be “The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan,” and “The Flintstones Comedy Hour.” This, by the way, is an all new Flintstones series. Also for CBS, there’s “Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space” and “Scooby Doo Mystery Hour.” All of these shows are new though some familiär Hanna-Barbera characters will be used. “For ABC,” Curtin continued, “we’ll score seven one-hour movies for “Saturday Superstar Movie.” We’re working right now on one of the first films, “Oliver and the Artful Dodger” based on OLIVER TWIST. In addition to this series, there’s ABC’s “After School Specials,” which are designed to complement grade school classwork and activities dealing with literature, history, current events, the arts, Science, and physical fitness. For this series, we’re doing “The Last of the Curlews,” a beautifül script dealing with ecology and the plight of the vanishing curlew bird. “And finally there’s “Wait Until Your Father Gets Home,” a series for the first-run syndication market. This show got its start as a segment of ABC’s network series, “Love: American Style.” These shows are nearly all animated, an area that’s quite familiär to Curtin whose musical association with animated characters goes back to “Mr. Magoo” and “Huckleberry Hound.” Curtin feels “there’s a special challenge in using music and musical effects to give life and ‘animation’ to those drawn characters that cavort across the screen at 24 still frames a second.” With this assignment it looks as if he and Soundtrack Music will find out jut how big the challenge can be. *** 22