MUSEUM OF BROADCASTING'S 7TH ANNUAL TELEVISION FESTIVAL IN LOS ANGELES, THE: DANNY THOMAS AND SHELDON LEONARD: THE CAHUENGA STUDIOS LEGACY {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Museum of Television & Radio's 7th Annual Television Festival in Los Angeles. (The Museum was known at that time as The Museum of Broadcasting.) Presented with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the festival celebrates the excellence and diversity of American television and is dedicated to television's creative community. This seminar honors Danny Thomas, Sheldon Leonard, and the legacy of Cahuenga Studios, at which many classic television programs were filmed. Museum president Robert M. Batscha introduces the panelists: Danny Arnold, producer, "Bewitched," and writer, "The Caddy"; Jerry Belson, writer, "The Odd Couple" and "I Spy"; Ted Bessell, actor, "That Girl," and director, "The Tracey Ullman Show"; James Brooks, producer, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Taxi," and "The Andy Griffith Show"; Robert Culp, actor and writer, "I Spy"; Bill Dana, actor, "The Steve Allen Show" and "The Bill Dana Show"; Sam Denoff, writer, "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; Jack Ellison, producer and writer, "The Danny Thomas Show" and "The Facts of Life"; Andy Griffith, actor, "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Matlock"; Susan Harris, creator and executive producer, "Benson" and "The Golden Girls"; Ronald Jacobs, executive in charge of production, "The Danny Thomas Show," "That Girl," and "I Spy"; Don Knotts, actor, "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Three's Company"; Marjorie Lord, actress, "Make Room for Daddy"; Rose Marie, actress, "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; Garry Marshall, creator, producer, and director, "Happy Days," "Laverne and Shirley," and "The Odd Couple"; Carl Reiner, writer and performer, "Your Show of Shows" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; John Rich, director, "Bonanza" and "Gunsmoke"; Lee Rich, executive producer, "Dallas"; Aaron Ruben, producer, "The Andy Griffith Show"; Jay Sandrich, director, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Cosby Show"; Mel Shavelson, creator, "Make Room for Daddy" and "Welcome to It"; Bob Sweeney, director, "Dynasty" and "Simon & Simon"; Marlo Thomas, actress, "That Girl"; Tony Thomas, producer, "Soap"; Mark Tinker, director, "Hill Street Blues" and "St. Elsewhere"; Saul Turteltaub, executive producer, "Kate & Allie"; Dick Van Dyke, actor, "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; Paul Junger Witt, executive producer, "The Golden Girls"; and, finally, executive producers Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard.
After Thomas and Leonard say a few words about their careers, Batscha introduces the footage that will be screened. It includes excerpts from episodes of "Make Room For Daddy," "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Dick Van Dyke Show," and "I Spy," followed by a series of clips from the openings of different Cahuenga programs.
After the screening, Marshall explains that he has to leave early to go the opening of his new film, "Pretty Woman." He tells an anecdote about the poor performance of his series "Hey Landlord" -- but adds that it helped spawn the hit program "Happy Days." After Marshall leaves, Batscha opens the seminar to questions from the audience. In the discussion that follows, the following topics are discussed, among others: the television ratings system; the rebirth of "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; the origins of "I Spy"; the residuals for "Make Room for Daddy"; the employment of blacklisted writers by Thomas and Leonard; the aging process as Thomas experiences it; the production of "That Girl"; the talent of Thomas's children; Leonard's practice of turning writers into producers; production costs in the past; characters on "The Andy Griffith Show" and that program's development over the years; Rose Marie's first contact with "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; Turteltaub's work as a writer; Arnold's recollections of his work on "That Girl"; and the television contributions of the late Desi Arnaz.
(This tape does not include the screening of excerpts from "Make Room For Daddy," "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Dick Van Dyke Show," and "I Spy." Episodes of each of these programs are available in the Museum's collection and may be viewed separately.)
Details
- NETWORK: Paley
- DATE: November 30, 1999 7:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:51:34
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 116395
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Robert M. Batscha … Host
- Danny Arnold … Guest
- Jerry Belson … Guest
- Ted Bessell … Guest
- James L. Brooks … Guest
- Robert Culp … Guest
- Bill Dana … Guest
- Sam Denoff … Guest
- Jack Ellison … Guest
- Andy Griffith … Guest
- Susan Harris … Guest
- Ronald Jacobs … Guest
- Don Knotts … Guest
- Sheldon Leonard … Guest
- Marjorie Lord … Guest
- Rose Marie … Guest
- Garry Marshall … Guest
- Carl Reiner … Guest
- John Rich … Guest
- Lee Rich … Guest
- Aaron Ruben … Guest
- Jay Sandrich … Guest
- Mel Shavelson … Guest
- Bob Sweeney … Guest
- Danny Thomas … Guest
- Marlo Thomas … Guest
- Tony Thomas … Guest
- Mark Tinker … Guest
- Saul Turteltaub … Guest
- Dick Van Dyke … Guest
- Paul Junger Witt … Guest
- Desi Arnaz