Mastergate (play)
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Mastergate (play)
''Mastergate'' is a play by Larry Gelbart, which he describes as "A Play On Words". The title refers to a fictional political scandal enacted on "Master Pictures Studios", a fictional movie company that is actually a cover for arms trading. The title of the play also references other real-life political scandals, such as Watergate and others subsequently given the suffix -gate. Plot summary The play is set in the Sherman Adams Room at the John Mitchell Building in Washington, D.C. The "Select Joint Congressional Committee Investigating Alleged Covert Arms Assistance to Alleged Other Americas" investigates the CIA's attempt to divert arms to Central American guerrillas through a motion picture company's high-budget action film, entitled "Tet." (a reference to the Tet Offensive) ''Mastergate'' is a satire on congressional investigative committee hearings that took place during the McCarthy Era, on the Watergate investigation, and on the Iran-Contra affair. In his opening address, ...
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Larry Gelbart
Larry Simon Gelbart (February 25, 1928 – September 11, 2009) was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter, director and author, most famous as a creator and producer of the television series '' M*A*S*H'', and as co-writer of the Broadway musicals '' A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' and '' City of Angels''. Biography Early life Gelbart was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Jewish immigrants Harry Gelbart, "a barber since his half of a childhood in Latvia," and Frieda Sturner, from what is now Dąbrowa Górnicza (Poland), who migrated to the United States. Larry Gelbart had a sister, Marcia Gelbart Walkenstein. His family later moved to Los Angeles and he attended Fairfax High School. Drafted into the U.S. Army near the end of World War II, Gelbart worked for the Armed Forces Radio Service in Los Angeles. Attaining the rank of sergeant, Gelbart was honorably discharged after serving 1 year and 11 days. Those last 11 days prevented Gelbart from bein ...
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Frank Rich
Frank Hart Rich Jr. (born June 2, 1949) is an American essayist and liberal op-ed columnist, who held various positions within ''The New York Times'' from 1980 to 2011. He has also produced television series and documentaries for HBO. Rich is currently writer-at-large for '' New York'' magazine, where he writes essays on politics and culture and engages in regular dialogues on news of the week for the "Daily Intelligencer". He served as executive producer of the long-running HBO comedy series '' Veep'', having joined the show at its outset in 2011, and of the HBO drama series '' Succession''. Early life and education Born on June 2, 1949, Rich grew up in Washington, D.C. His mother, Helene Fisher (née Aaronson), a schoolteacher and artist, was from a Russian Jewish family that originally settled in Brooklyn, New York City, but moved to Washington, D.C., following the stock market crash of 1929. His father, Frank Hart Rich, a businessman, was from a German Jewish family lo ...
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Bruno Kirby
Bruno Kirby (born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu Jr.; April 28, 1949 – August 14, 2006) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles in '' City Slickers'', '' When Harry Met Sally...'', '' Good Morning, Vietnam'', ''The Godfather Part II'', '' The Freshman'', ''Sleepers'' and '' Donnie Brasco''. He voiced Reginald Stout in '' Stuart Little''. Early life Kirby was born in New York City on April 28, 1949. His father was actor Bruce Kirby (born Bruno Giovanni Quidaciolu). Kirby attended Power Memorial Academy. Career Kirby was a character actor whose career spanned 35 years. In 1971, he made his screen debut in the drama '' The Young Graduates'', although it was his role three years later as the young Peter Clemenza in the epic crime film ''The Godfather Part II'' that raised his profile in Hollywood. In the summer of 1972, in one of his early television appearances, Kirby portrayed Anthony Girelli, the son of Richard Castellano's character Joe Girelli, in '' The Su ...
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Henry Jones (actor)
Henry Burk Jones (August 1, 1912 – May 17, 1999) was an American actor of stage, film, and television. Early years Jones was born in New Jersey, and was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Helen (née Burk) and John Francis Xavier Jones. He was the grandson of Pennsylvania Representative Henry Burk, a German immigrant. Jones attended the Jesuit Saint Joseph's Preparatory School. Career Early in his career, he performed with the Hedgerow Theatre near Philadelphia. His first Broadway appearance was in Maurice Evans's 1938 ''Hamlet''. During World War II, he served in the Army and was cast in Irving Berlin's ''This is the Army''. Jones is remembered for his role as handyman Leroy Jessup in the movie '' The Bad Seed'' (1956), a role he originated on Broadway. Other theater credits included '' My Sister Eileen'', '' The Time of Your Life'', '' They Knew What They Wanted'', '' The Solid Gold Cadillac'', and '' Sunrise at Campobello'', for which he won the T ...
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David Ogden Stiers
David Allen Ogden Stiers ( ; October 31, 1942 – March 3, 2018) was an American actor and conductor. He appeared in numerous productions on Broadway, and originated the role of Feldman in '' The Magic Show'', in 1974. In 1977, Stiers was cast as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, MD, on the television series ''M*A*S*H'', a role he portrayed until the series' conclusion in 1983, and which earned him two Emmy Award nominations. He appeared prominently in the 1980s in the role of District Attorney Michael Reston in several '' Perry Mason'' television films, and voiced a number of Disney characters, including Cogsworth in 1991's ''Beauty and the Beast'', Governor Ratcliffe and Wiggins in 1995's ''Pocahontas'', and Dr. Jumba Jookiba in the ''Lilo & Stitch'' franchise. He also voiced Kamaji in the English-language version of ''Spirited Away'' (2001). He appeared in television again on the supernatural drama series '' The Dead Zone'' as Reverend Gene Purdy, a role he portrayed f ...
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Ed Begley Jr
Edward James Begley Jr. (born September 16, 1949) is an American actor and environmental activist. He has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He played Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the television series ''St. Elsewhere'' (1982–1988). The role earned him six consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award nomination. He also co-hosted, along with wife Rachelle Carson, the green living reality show titled '' Living with Ed'' (2007–2010), and recurred as Dr. Grant Linkletter in ''Young Sheldon'' (2019–2024). Equally prolific in cinema, Begley's film appearances include '' Blue Collar'' (1978), ''An Officer and a Gentleman'' (1982), '' This Is Spinal Tap'' (1984), '' Transylvania 6-5000'' (1985), '' The Accidental Tourist'' (1988), '' Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills'' (1989), '' She-Devil'' (1989), '' Batman Forever'' (1995), and '' Pineapple Express'' (2008). He is a recurring cast member in the mocku ...
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Richard Kiley
Richard Paul Kiley (March 31, 1922 – March 5, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor and singer. He is best-known for his distinguished theatrical career in which he twice won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Kiley originated the role of Don Quixote in the original 1965 production of the Broadway musical ''Man of La Mancha'' and was the first to sing and record " The Impossible Dream", the hit song from the show. In the 1953 hit musical '' Kismet'', he played the Caliph in the original Broadway cast and, as such, was one of the quartet who sang " And This Is My Beloved". Additionally, he won four Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards during his 5 decade career and his "sonorous baritone" was also featured in the narration of a number of documentaries and other films. At the time of his death, Kiley was described as "one of theater's most distinguished and versatile actors" and as "an indispensable actor, the kind of performer who could be called ...
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Buck Henry
Buck Henry (born Henry Zuckerman; December 9, 1930 – January 8, 2020) was an American actor, screenwriter, and director. Henry's contributions to film included his work as a co-writer for Mike Nichols's ''The Graduate'' (1967) for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He appeared in acting roles in Nichols's ''Catch-22 (film), Catch-22'' (1970) - also co-written with Nichols - Herbert Ross's ''The Owl and the Pussycat (film), The Owl and the Pussycat'' (1970), and Peter Bogdanovich's ''What's Up, Doc? (1972 film), What's Up, Doc?'' (1972). In 1978, he co-directed ''Heaven Can Wait (1978 film), Heaven Can Wait'' (1978) with Warren Beatty, receiving a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director. He later appeared in Albert Brooks's ''Defending Your Life'' (1991), and the Robert Altman films ''The Player (1992 film), The Player'' (1992) and ''Short Cuts'' (1993). His long career began on television with work on shows with Steve ...
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Marcia Strassman
Marcia Ann Strassman (April 28, 1948 – October 24, 2014) was an American actress and singer. She had roles on the TV programs ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' and ''M*A*S*H'', as well as in the film ''Honey, I Shrunk the Kids''. Life and career Strassman succeeded Liza Minnelli in the role of Ethel Hofflinger in the Off-Broadway musical '' Best Foot Forward''. In 1967, she became a recording artist for Uni Records. Her debut single, "The Flower Children", was a top-40 hit in many West Coast U.S. markets, hitting #4 in San Diego and #2 in San Francisco; the track also hit #3 in Vancouver, British Columbia (both at CKLG 730 AM and CFUN 1410 AM in July 1967). However, the single failed to break out nationally in either country; the record stalled at #105 in the United States, and just sneaked into RPM's Top 100 for Canada, peaking at #95. The song also reached #95 on ''Cashbox'' Top 100 Singles chart Her follow-up release, "The Groovy World of Jack and Jill", charted in Denver, ...
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Tim Reid
Timothy Lee Reid Sr. (born December 19, 1944) is an American actor, comedian and film director best known for his roles in prime time American television programs, such as Venus Flytrap on ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–82), Marcel "Downtown" Brown on ''Simon & Simon'' (1983–87), Ray Campbell on '' Sister, Sister'' (1994–99) and William Barnett on ''That '70s Show'' (2004–06). Reid also starred in a CBS series, '' Frank's Place'', as a professor who inherits a Louisiana restaurant. Reid is the founder and president of Legacy Media Institute, a non-profit organization "dedicated to bringing together leading professionals in the film and television industry, outstanding actors, and young men and women who wish to pursue a career in the entertainment media". Early years Reid was born in Norfolk, Virginia, and raised in the Crestwood area of Chesapeake, formerly Norfolk County, Virginia. He is the son of William Lee and Augustine (née Wilkins) Reid. He had experienced s ...
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Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown Atlanta, Midtown business district of Atlanta, Georgia. The channel's programming consists mainly of Golden age (metaphor), classic theatrically released feature films from the Turner Entertainment, Turner Entertainment Co. film library – which comprises films from Warner Bros. (covering films released before 1950), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (covering films released before May 1986), and the North American distribution rights to films from RKO Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures. However, Turner Classic Movies also licenses films from other studios and occasionally shows more recent films. Unlike its sister networks TBS (American TV channel), TBS, TNT (American TV network), TNT, and TruTV, TCM does not carry any sports cove ...
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David Jablin
David Jablin is a producer and director of film and television comedies. In 1981 he created and produced the comedy anthology series '' Likely Stories'' for HBO/Cinemax Cinemax is an American pay television network owned by Home Box Office, Inc., a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched on August 1, 1980, as a "maxi-pay" service to complement the offerings of its sister premium network, HBO (Home Box .... Jablin produced and directed the film '' The Don's Analyst'', and directed, produced and executive-produced other National Lampoon films. References External linksDavid Jablin's official website* American television producers Living people Writers Guild of America Award winners Year of birth missing (living people) {{US-tv-producer-stub ...
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