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Melvin Simon Productions
Melvin Simon Productions was a short-lived film production company of the 1970s and 1980s. It was founded by real estate magnate Melvin Simon. History Simon got into filmmaking in 1976 when he was having a social game of golf with producer Harry Saltzman who needed money for a film he wanted to make called ''The Micronauts''. Simon loaned him the rest of the money; the film was not made, but Saltzman repaid the loan by selling his house and Simon decided to get into filmmaking. Simon totally financed '' The Chicken Chronicles'' which was distributed by AVCO Embassy and gave an early lead role to Steve Guttenberg. The company's first major motion picture was ''Somebody Killed Her Husband'', Farrah Fawcett Majors' first film since leaving ''Charlie's Angels'', which he funded in mid 1977. The budget was $5 million. Albert S. Ruddy secured finance for the $4.5 million ''Matilda'' from Simon and a British company, the Film Finance Group; Ruddy was to make two more movies for this p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melvin Simon
Melvin Simon (October 21, 1926 – September 16, 2009) September 18, 2009 was an American businessman and film producer, who co-founded the largest shopping mall company in the United States, the , with his younger brother, Herb Simon. The pair jointly purchased the in 1983. Early life and education Simon was born to a Jewish family in |
Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor whose career spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s (Kansas Raiders, 1950) and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 films, in roles covering a wide range of genres. In his later years, Curtis made numerous television appearances. He achieved his first major recognition as a dramatic actor in ''Sweet Smell of Success'' (1957) with co-star Burt Lancaster. The following year he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for ''The Defiant Ones'' (1958) alongside Sidney Poitier (who was also nominated in the same category). This was followed by the comedies ''Some Like It Hot'' and ''Operation Petticoat'' in 1959. In 1960, Curtis played a supporting role in the epic historical drama ''Spartacus''. His stardom and film career declined considerably after 1960. His most significant dramatic part came in 1968 when he starred in the true-life drama ''The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Runner Stumbles
''The Runner Stumbles'' is a 1979 American drama film directed and produced by Stanley Kramer, based on the Broadway play by Milan Stitt. The film was the last of Kramer's long and distinguished career. It stars Dick Van Dyke, Kathleen Quinlan, Maureen Stapleton, Tammy Grimes, Beau Bridges, and Ray Bolger. Plot The film is set in 1911 at a Roman Catholic parish in the rural town of Isadore, Michigan. Sister Rita (Quinlan), a young nun, arrives at the parish to help run the church school. When the parish's two elderly nuns contract tuberculosis, Sister Rita is forced to move into the rectory that is home to Father Rivard (Van Dyke), the parish priest. The close proximity between the two begins to set off gossip and suspicions, to the point that a monsignor from the diocese (Bolger) comes to give Father Rivard a talking-to. The gossip turns out to be correct, as the priest and the nun confess their love for each other. However, their declaration of emotion leads to tragedy. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States. The publication has won more than 40 Pulitzer Prizes. It is owned by Patrick Soon-Shiong and published by the Times Mirror Company. The newspaper’s coverage emphasizes California and especially Southern California stories. In the 19th century, the paper developed a reputation for civic boosterism and opposition to labor unions, the latter of which led to the bombing of its headquarters in 1910. The paper's profile grew substantially in the 1960s under publisher Otis Chandler, who adopted a more national focus. In recent decades the paper's readership has declined, and it has been beset by a series of ownership changes, staff reductions, and other controversies. In January 2018, the paper's staff voted to unionize ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
When A Stranger Calls (1979 Film)
''When a Stranger Calls'' is a 1979 American psychological horror film written and directed by Fred Walton and co-written by Steve Feke. It stars Carol Kane, Colleen Dewhurst, Tony Beckley and Charles Durning. The film derives its story from the classic folk legend of " the babysitter and the man upstairs". The film has developed a large cult following over time because of the first 20 minutes, now consistently regarded as one of the scariest openings in film history. The first 12 minutes of Wes Craven's '' Scream'' (1996) is an homage to the opening of ''When a Stranger Calls''. The film was released in the United States on September 28, 1979, by Columbia Pictures. It was commercially successful, grossing $20 million at the box office. It received a mixed critical reception, with many praising the opening scene and performances, but criticism for its writing and lack of scares. It was followed by the 1993 made-for-cable sequel '' When a Stranger Calls Back'' and a remake in 2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? (film)
''When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?'' is a 1979 American drama film written by Mark Medoff and adapted from his play of the same name. It was directed by Milton Katselas. Plot Teddy, a troubled Vietnam veteran, has his car break down near a Texas roadside diner. He goes inside and subjects the diners to physical and mental torture. Cast * Marjoe Gortner as Teddy * Hal Linden as Richard * Lee Grant as Clarisse * Peter Firth as Red * Candy Clark as Cheryl * Pat Hingle as Striker * Stephanie Faracy as Angel * Bill McKinney as Tommy Clark * Audra Lindley as Ceil Ryder * Riley Hill as Junior Ferguson * Ron Soble as Sheriff Garcia * Robert Easton as Customs Man * Barry Cahill as Customs Doctor * Mark Medoff as Faith Healer * Alberto Piña as Mexican Father * Anne Ramsey Angelina Anne Ramsey-Mobley (March 27, 1929 – August 11, 1988) was an American actress. She is best known for her film roles as Mama Fratelli in ''The Goonies'' (1985) and as Mrs. Lift in '' Throw Momma from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andy Sidaris
Andrew W. Sidaris (February 20, 1931 – March 7, 2007) was an American television and film director, film producer, screenwriter, and actor. Early life Sidaris was born in Chicago, Illinois, to first-generation Greek immigrants. He grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, graduated from C.E. Byrd High School, and attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. His family was active in city sports circles. His brother Chris W. Sidaris (1927–2000), was the former director of the Shreveport Parks and Recreation Department. Career Sidaris was best known for his ''Bullets, Bombs, and Babes'' or ''Bullets, Bombs, and Boobs'' (BBB for short) series of B-movies produced between 1985 and 1998. These films featured a rotating "stock company" of actors mostly made up of '' Playboy'' Playmates and '' Penthouse'' Pets, such as Julie Strain, Dona Speir, Hope Marie Carlton, Cynthia Brimhall, Roberta Vasquez, Julie K. Smith, Shae Marks, and Wendy Hamilton. Several of his fil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seven (1979 Film)
''Seven'' is a 1979 American action film directed by Andy Sidaris and starring William Smith as Drew Sevano, a freelance agent hired by the government to eliminate a cartel of seven mobsters attempting to take over Hawaii. To help him accomplish this, Drew recruits a team of seven individual operatives with their own special talents. Cast * William Smith as Drew *Barbara Leigh as Alexa *Guich Koock as The Cowboy *Christipher Joy as T. K. *Art Metrano as Kinsella * Ed Parker as Himself *Richard LePore as The Professor * Reggie Nalder as The Hermit * Seth Sakai as Keoki McDowell *Kwan Hi Lim as Mr. Chen * Tino Tuiolosega as Mr. Lee * Lenny Montana as The Kahuna * Martin Kove as Skip *Susan Kiger as Jennie *Peter Knecht as Kimo Maderos *Terry Kiser as Senator * Nicholas Georgiade as Niko * Tadashi Yamashita as Swordsman * Andy Sidaris as White Hat Man Production ''Seven'' was filmed at Oahu and Kauai in Hawaii. Robert Baird, who is credited along with William Driskill as screenwri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
People (magazine)
''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People'' had the largest audience of any American magazine, but it fell to second place in 2018 after its readership significantly declined to 35.9 million. ''People'' had $997 million in advertising revenue in 2011, the highest advertising revenue of any American magazine. In 2006, it had a circulation of 3.75 million and revenue expected to top $1.5 billion. It was named "Magazine of the Year" by '' Advertising Age'' in October 2005, for excellence in editorial, circulation, and advertising.Martha Nelson Named Editor, The People Group , a January 20 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Love At First Bite
''Love at First Bite'' is a 1979 American comedy horror film directed by Stan Dragoti and written by Robert Kaufman, using characters originally created by Bram Stoker. It stars George Hamilton, Susan Saint James, Richard Benjamin, and Arte Johnson. Against a chorus of howling wolves, the first line of the film is: “Children of the Night, shut up!” When the Communist regime ejects the Count from his ancestral home, he and Renfield go in search of the current incarnation of Dracula's true love, a fashion model living in New York City. Comedy ensues when the incurably romantic Count finds it difficult to adjust to life in the Big Apple in the late 1970s, but true love triumphs in the end. The original music score was composed by Charles Bernstein. The film's tagline is: "Your favorite pain in the neck is about to bite your funny bone!" An earlier version of the script by director Richard Rush was titled ''Dracula Sucks Again''. Plot The infamous vampire Count Dracul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matilda (1978 Film)
''Matilda'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by Daniel Mann and starring Elliott Gould, Robert Mitchum and Lionel Stander. The screenplay by Timothy Galfas is based on the eponymous 1970 novel by Paul Gallico. Plot A small-time talent agent discovers an amazing boxing kangaroo and figures to use him as his stepping-stone into the big time by having him compete with a human pugilist. Cast *Elliott Gould - Bernie Bonnelli *Clive Revill - Billy Baker *Harry Guardino - Uncle Nono *Roy Clark - Wild Bill Wildman *Karen Carlson - Kathleen Smith *Art Metrano - Gordon Baum *Lionel Stander - Pinky Schwab *Roberta Collins - Tanya Six *Larry Pennell - Lee Dockerty * Gary Morgan - Matilda *Robert Mitchum - Duke Parkhurst *Lenny Montana - Hood #1 * Frank Avianca - Hood #2 *Joe De Fish - Hood #3 * Pat Henry - Hood #4 Production The film was budgeted at $5.2 million. Producer Al Ruddy explained that "we debated over using both a real kangaroo and an actor in costume and opted for the la ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dominique (1978 Film)
''Dominique'' (also known as ''Dominique Is Dead'') is a 1979 British horror film starring Cliff Robertson and directed by Michael Anderson. The film is based on the 1948 short story "What Beckoning Ghost" by Harold Lawlor, which had previously been adapted for American television as the first episode of the second season of ''Thriller'', airing September 18, 1961. Plot David Ballard, a struggling businessman in desperate need of money, devises a plan to use psychological manipulation to drive his rich wife, Dominique, to suicide so he can inherit her fortune. His plan seemingly works when Dominique's body is found hanging in her greenhouse, but David soon finds himself being haunted by what he believes is Dominque's vengeful ghost. His sanity gradually crumbles as he finds himself unable to rid himself of his wife's spirit, until he finally falls to his death while trying to escape from her. In a twist ending, the "ghost" turns out to be his half-sister, Ann; with the help of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
