tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post5865050323891599066..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Friday QuestionsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36263431019782019162019-05-22T18:18:35.686-07:002019-05-22T18:18:35.686-07:00Hi Ken
I have been reading back through old post ...Hi Ken<br /><br />I have been reading back through old post as I am still fairly new to the blog.<br /><br />Something that comes up from time to time. "Scoring". Eg You have said Lilith was meant to be a small guest role, but you lucked out. "She scored really well" and you made her a regular<br /><br />Who is doing the scoring? Is it a questionaire the studio audience get? Or ring around poll?<br /><br />Assuming it is the former, what sort of questions are in it and there must be other people doing it too (execs?), or is it literally the actors potential regular gig hanging on the mood of whoever happens to be in the audience on the filming day of that one off guest appearance?Chrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-72319592005652003782019-05-22T12:03:09.277-07:002019-05-22T12:03:09.277-07:00A question about writing credits and pay. I know ...A question about writing credits and pay. I know that when the credits read "Levine & Isaacs" (with an ampersand) that means you two split the money. But if it's "Levine & Isaacs and Smith" (A-N-D) that means you two as a team wrote some and Smith wrote some. Do you then split the money three ways? Do they pay more? Does the team get its full union scale AND Smith get the same? I.E. does it cost the company twice as much for that script? <br /><br />-KevinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54886177220048440662019-05-20T16:57:29.247-07:002019-05-20T16:57:29.247-07:00I have a question about Wings. After Season 2, was...I have a question about Wings. After Season 2, was it decided to take the show in a different direction? It’s not so much about continuity, but it seems that characters’ backgrounds completely changed: Lloyd is married with kids. Roy is a widower. Helen’s sister is married with kids. Different theme song. Why such a shift? Jen from Jerseynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-85419437749503092872019-05-20T09:10:54.626-07:002019-05-20T09:10:54.626-07:00You said, "When we went out to the ranch to f...You said, "When we went out to the ranch to film the exteriors we would get one day per episode," which prompted a question....<br /><br />Intellectually, I knew that <i>M*A*S*H</i> wasn't filmed entirely on the ranch, even though it often felt like the entire show was filmed on location. So I'm curious. Obviously, the mess tent and the Swamp scenes were filmed on the ranch, because you could clearly see the rest of the compound from those two locations. Were any other "interior" sets on the ranch, or were the rest -- CO's office, clerk's office, pre-op, post-op, OR, tent interiors that weren't the Swamp, kitchen, etc. -- all interiors?<br />Keith R.A. DeCandidohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02888632340947887676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-57421601160464014842019-05-18T03:34:42.687-07:002019-05-18T03:34:42.687-07:00I was all happy for a minute because I thought Cry...I was all happy for a minute because I thought Crystal Bernard's song "Don't Touch Me There" was gonna be a cover of one of my favorite songs from The Tubes!<br /><br />It... is not. Very much not.<br /><br /><br /><br />Cheers, thanks a lot,<br /><br />StormStormnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-49697894003438530062019-05-18T01:27:51.080-07:002019-05-18T01:27:51.080-07:00Hector Arce, GROUCHO Perigee 1979 Pg. 222:
"...Hector Arce, GROUCHO Perigee 1979 Pg. 222:<br /><br />"No matter what face-saving statements were made to the contrary, the Marx Brothers were generally conceded to be through in films... DUCK SOUP was a failure, the verdict of future students of film notwithstanding, and the new officers at Paramount weren't beating on the brothers' door with new offers." <br /><br />Arce worked with Groucho in his latter years.<br /><br />Stephen Kanfer, GROUCHO Knopf 2000, Pg. 183<br /><br />"For Paramount, as for all studios, public opinion was the final arbiter, and it was negative. DUCK SOUP's fast start gave way to indifference and downright hostility; it had, in Variety's term, 'no legs." The manager of a Nebraska movie house filed a devastating report; "Evan a small toe knows when there is a flop. This was sure it." <br /><br />Pg, 193, regarding the stage shows:<br /><br />"A lot was riding on this film; if it failed it would surely be the Marxes' last."<br /><br />Tends to suggest they were considered finished at the time of DUCK SOUP, and the films that followed A NIGHT AT THE OPERA were a result of OPERA rebooting their careers. <br /><br />In fact, the link in the comment above that's supposed to refute that analysis only says that Paramount used the weak returns on DUCK SOUP as an excuse not to renew their contract. Guess it looks like a better argument if you don't check it. <br /><br />And yes, they tested scenes from other movies in theaters after the initial run with OPERA... because after OPERA the brothers decided that improved their performances. My brief comment simply stated the reason for the original mini-tour, which Thalberg suggested after Groucho said he felt that THE COCONUTS and ANIMAL CRACKERS were successful at the box office because the brothers had played the shows on Broadway before the films were made.<br /><br />I think this is the last time I'm going to try to annotate a blog comment I spent two minutes writing. <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br />E. Yarbernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-35947419140269963342019-05-17T23:56:55.171-07:002019-05-17T23:56:55.171-07:00Thanks for answering my question, Ken, and for pro...Thanks for answering my question, Ken, and for providing the correct story.<br /><br />The first two Marx Brothers films, The Cocoanuts and Animal Creackers, were film versions of their stage shows. After the next three for Paramount, which didn't attract as much box office (though of course now considered classics), they hooked up with Irving Thalberg at MGM, who suggested they do the stage shows to get the timing down for their next films in front of a live audience, much like they had for the first two films. <br /><br />I don't believe Monty Python did this at all. They filmed their shows for the BBC and then did live versions as stage shows just because there was money to be made and they liked performing live. Breadbakernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-21819182132588566932019-05-17T21:43:23.318-07:002019-05-17T21:43:23.318-07:00After A Night at The Opera, the Marx Bros perfor...After A Night at The Opera, the Marx Bros performed/tested scenes on stage for <br />A Day at the Races; Room Service; Go West, and A Night in Casablanca <br />See:<br />https://marxbrothers.net/stage-chronology-part-4-1923-1945/<br /><br />They were NOT considered finished after Duck Soup<br />See:<br /><br />https://books.google.com/books?id=SPIYBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA62&dq=duck+soup+gross+profit&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjzk-3TmqTiAhUFM6wKHVG3Bz8Q6AEIODAD#v=onepage&q=%20soup%20gross&f=falseAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-16764517290562784552019-05-17T18:25:39.676-07:002019-05-17T18:25:39.676-07:00Speaking of the scene in "Friends, Romans, Ac...Speaking of the scene in "Friends, Romans, Accountants" where Norm is hoisted up, is it me or does he clearly say "What the f@#k?"John Hnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-20357237071850953052019-05-17T17:27:54.983-07:002019-05-17T17:27:54.983-07:00I have lived to a ripe old age, and "this&quo...I have lived to a ripe old age, and "this" is probably my favourite pronoun.therealshellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598639173652882797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86944391626508767312019-05-17T13:00:16.910-07:002019-05-17T13:00:16.910-07:00Ken, what are your thoughts on this?
https://dead...Ken, what are your thoughts on this?<br /><br />https://deadline.com/2019/05/more-stars-live-all-in-the-family-the-jeffersons-norman-lear-jimmy-kimmel-1202611443/Hambonenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-746577782216574302019-05-17T12:52:32.586-07:002019-05-17T12:52:32.586-07:00Thanks for answering my question! In all honesty, ...Thanks for answering my question! In all honesty, I was expecting you to say yes. Ms. Bernard certainly did a fine job miming her cello playing.Marcusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-3160883690904349782019-05-17T12:21:52.929-07:002019-05-17T12:21:52.929-07:00The SAG rules used to be that extras only got paid...The SAG rules used to be that extras only got paid for dialog if they were specifically asked to say something and they sign a contract. If an extra volunteers a line they don't get paid. They also don't get paid if the vocals are part of a crowd scene. e.g. shouting at a protest, cheering at a sporting event or in the case of "Cheers" the whole bar singing. Although, the rules may have changed since then. <br />M.B.Mike Bloodworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04755626259169126800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90679349698672872122019-05-17T12:15:22.225-07:002019-05-17T12:15:22.225-07:00MAJOR crush on Crystal Bernard.MAJOR crush on Crystal Bernard.VincentSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-1307312108304117882019-05-17T11:35:23.960-07:002019-05-17T11:35:23.960-07:00Lots of questions about producer credits. Pick on...Lots of questions about producer credits. Pick one or two, or just use this to generally explain what those credits mean. There are Executive Producers and Producers. Does either one rate higher than the other in the producer pecking order? How much involvement in a movie does a person need in order to get a Producer credit? How varied are producer duties? Pretty common to see an actor get a producer credit. Do they actually produce anything, or is that a condition of an actor making a movie? Or maybe just to gain some favor with a star and maybe get them involved in some project down the line?Patrick Wahlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15408356855300575520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-70498834631293038812019-05-17T11:20:47.213-07:002019-05-17T11:20:47.213-07:00Hi Ken,
A Friday question.
What do you think the...Hi Ken,<br /><br />A Friday question.<br /><br />What do you think the odds are that there'll be another writer's strike in the next year or two?<br /><br />ThanksDavidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-91838296608742915422019-05-17T11:00:44.746-07:002019-05-17T11:00:44.746-07:00Crystal's biggest solo hit was called "Do...Crystal's biggest solo hit was called "Don't Touch Me There", which reached 25 on the AC chart in 1999. He biggest C&W song was "Have We Forgotten What Love Is", which reached 56 in 1996. Either of these would have been more impressive if they came pre-Wings.ScarletNumbernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-92206269703556152692019-05-17T10:10:27.776-07:002019-05-17T10:10:27.776-07:00The MGM Marx Brothers stage shows were never inten...The MGM Marx Brothers stage shows were never intended to become a regular substitute for test screenings. The reason for them was that the team was considered finished in the business after DUCK SOUP, and had to prove to their new studio (and themselves) that they still had the ability to connect with an audience. It was an extraordinary step to take, but they had everything riding on A NIGHT AT THE OPERA and couldn't afford to take any chances. E. Yarbernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-59441579727395173202019-05-17T09:46:50.529-07:002019-05-17T09:46:50.529-07:00Speaking of the helicopter on M*A*S*H... The ones ...Speaking of the helicopter on M*A*S*H... The ones that land in the opening look more like the model Chuck and PT had in the classic TV show Whirlybirds. Was that the actual type of chopper they used in Korea? Or was that the helicopter you could get. <br />In Vietnam they had totally different models as seen in Apocalypse Now.blinkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04284135060900752329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-24703981411904217612019-05-17T08:53:34.268-07:002019-05-17T08:53:34.268-07:00I've read that Lucile Ball also took her "...I've read that Lucile Ball also took her "I Love Lucy"concept live before theater audiences in S F to test it and prove to CBS that it would fly and get CBS to put on the schedule.Ron Rettignoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-12015559373056264252019-05-17T08:27:10.160-07:002019-05-17T08:27:10.160-07:00Thanks for putting my question up, Ken.Thanks for putting my question up, Ken.Vincent Saianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-5884200243187377572019-05-17T07:51:10.613-07:002019-05-17T07:51:10.613-07:00On the other hand, Johnny Galecki really does play...On the other hand, Johnny Galecki really does play the cello on <i>The Big Bang Theory</i>.Curt Alliaumehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05875046706746482871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-10605413924256678642019-05-17T07:29:10.853-07:002019-05-17T07:29:10.853-07:00And here I always thought it was because accountan...And here I always thought it was because accountants were such introverts none of them would sing.Dana Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01350344882342624735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69692880178427248262019-05-17T06:17:48.460-07:002019-05-17T06:17:48.460-07:00It also could have been a hilarious ending if inst...It also could have been a hilarious ending if instead of waking up the stairs, Norm tried to sneak back in to retrieve his toga--of course, drawing the attention of the entire bar.<br /><br />[Bar patrons]: NORM!<br /><br />[Diane, quizzically, looking directly at his ding-dong]: Norman?<br /><br />Nah, he probably wouldn't have gone for it.<br /><br /><br /><br />Frank Beansnoreply@blogger.com