The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: pentellit on April 13, 2009, 06:15:52 AM
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I have heard that mega-hit writer/director Nancy Meyers (Something's Gotta Give, Baby Boom, Father Of The Bride) got her start working at Goodson-Todman Productions back in the 70s. Does anyone know if its true and if so, what did she do at GT? Thanks!
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According to several internet sources, Nancy Meyers worked on Price for a couple of the very early years (1972-74) as a production assistant before she started to sell sitcom scripts. What her duties were exactly would be hard to say unless somebody was there and knew her. "Production Assistant" could cover any number of duties from the meaningful to the trivial (and usually the latter).
Still, I had never heard that about her before, thanks for bringing it up!
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It's possible her name appears on the credits of one or more of the shows in the DVD set, assuming they kept the 317s and the credits in. Perhaps someone who owns the DVD set could check for us?
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Nancy Meyers appears as a Production Assistant (as well as Pamela Parker) on episode #0573D, VTR 8/27/73.
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Six minutes -- what took you so long?
What about Roger? He goes back that far.
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Just watched that particular episode last night and remembered it had a full credit roll. And the disc was still in my DVD drive.
Anywho, Pamela Freeman, Heather Harwood, Roger Dobkowitz, Robert Lane, Karen Kelly, Barbara Hunter as "Program Staff". Super generic title, isn't it?
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Digging into the depths of the internet, apparently her role was to be Girl Friday for Jay Wolpert himself (http://\"http://www.storylink.com/article/171\"), and then once she became successful many years later, she's the one he credits for jumpstarting his own screenwriting career.
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[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'212998\' date=\'Apr 13 2009, 11:35 AM\']
Just watched that particular episode last night and remembered it had a full credit roll. And the disc was still in my DVD drive.
[/quote]
Oh, come now. You can admit you had it committed to memory as soon as it ran. :)
/Originally. In 1973.
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[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'213001\' date=\'Apr 13 2009, 09:42 AM\']
Digging into the depths of the internet, apparently her role was to be Girl Friday for Jay Wolpert himself (http://\"http://www.storylink.com/article/171\"), and then once she became successful many years later, she's the one he credits for jumpstarting his own screenwriting career.
[/quote]
Wow! You guys are great! Thanks for the info.
Turns out Nancy Meyers also used her former boss Jay Wolpert in her movie Father Of The Bride 2. Wolpert plays the doctor who informs Steve Martin and Diane Keaton's characters that they are pregnant!
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Nice digging with that Wolpert interview.
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[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'213023\' date=\'Apr 13 2009, 11:40 AM\']
Nice digging with that Wolpert interview.
[/quote]
In case you haven't seen this Jay interview from the WGA, here it is, with the WGA description. He speaks on the difference between writing for film and writing for gameshows.
Jay Wolpert, a screenwriter (Count of Monte Cristo, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl) and former game show producer (The Price is Right), describes how he creates tension in his action scripts and explains why writing game shows might be more difficult than writing screenplays.
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=jay+...4&ct=title# (http://\"http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=jay+wolpert&rls=com.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ADBS&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=3YjjSeOiO6igtgOwvpWyCQ&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title#\")
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Jay wasn't talking about writing game show material. Writing questions for game shows is exacting and tedious and generally must be done in great volume. He was talking about conceptualizing game show formats. The hardest part about the latter is not creating tension with sticks and carrots, it's coming up with a fresh idea which doesn't look like the umpeenth derivative of The $64,000 Question.
Jay deserves kudos for at least trying to break new ground with his game show formats, even if they haven't been as long-lived as Goodson's were.
If you've got a couple of hours to kill, highly recommended is Bob Stewart's oral history. Stewart created the format of The Price Is Right.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=TVLEGE...ery=bob+stewart (http://\"http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=TVLEGENDS&view=videos&query=bob+stewart\")
The order of the clips is jumbled on this page so you have to hunt to get the correct order.
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[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'213039\' date=\'Apr 13 2009, 01:57 PM\']
Jay wasn't talking about writing game show material. Writing questions for game shows is exacting and tedious and generally must be done in great volume. He was talking about conceptualizing game show formats. The hardest part about the latter is not creating tension with sticks and carrots, it's coming up with a fresh idea which doesn't look like the umpeenth derivative of The $64,000 Question...
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The question writing is a bitch. Jay Wolpert gave me my first opportunity for a job in game shows when he asked that I "audition" by writing 100 questions for his game "Faker's Fortune" that he feared would be unsustainable. He said if only 10% of what I wrote was usable, he'd give me a job on the spot.
Well, was I suprised. The specific format (involving a "fake out") for the tricky multiple choice questions was far harder than I realized as he reviewed, one-by-one, my 100 submissions with me. What a learning experience! And Jay was right - it was unsustainable, and I crawled back into the ranks of his family of run-through contestants.
Great guy, and BRILLIANT! If anything, his concepts were "too hip for the room". But he and Frank Wayne left a legacy with their innovations for "Price".
Randy
tvrandywest.com
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Watch any episode of Double Dare and ask yourself if housewives (the composition of the audience in 1976) would be able to play along with that kind of material.
I think they'd rather guess the prices of refrigerators.
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[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'212995\' date=\'Apr 13 2009, 11:46 AM\']What about Roger? He goes back that far.[/quote]
I'm pretty certain Roger's name was in the credits from the beginning.
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[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' post=\'213058\' date=\'Apr 13 2009, 05:09 PM\']
[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'212995\' date=\'Apr 13 2009, 11:46 AM\']What about Roger? He goes back that far.[/quote]
I'm pretty certain Roger's name was in the credits from the beginning.
[/quote]
In the credits or not, Roger was there during the preproduction days before the show's debut.
Randy
tvrandywest.com
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[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' post=\'213111\' date=\'Apr 14 2009, 11:57 AM\']
In the credits or not, Roger was there during the preproduction days before the show's debut.
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IIRC, isn't his thesis what helped him get the position?
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[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'213112\' date=\'Apr 14 2009, 10:58 AM\']
IIRC, isn't his thesis what helped him get the position?
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Believe so---here's his story (http://\"http://dobkowitz.com/Thesis/index.html\") [and you can even download the thing if you want!].
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I eventually was appointed producer of the Price Is Right in 1987.
I wonder about that date. ISTR he replaced Barbara Hunter when she took a job in CBS daytime. I remember pitching shows to her as early as 1985.
He still had that '59 Bug in 1980.
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I want to say Roger was made a producer sometime in 1984. It was certainly before 1987.
Funny to see him literally give himself less credit than he deserves.
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1984 sounds right. Steve, have you ever met Roger or know him very well?
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[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'213158\' date=\'Apr 14 2009, 09:44 PM\']1984 sounds right. Steve, have you ever met Roger or know him very well?[/quote]
I wish.
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JAY WOLPERT
[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'213039\' date=\'Apr 13 2009, 01:57 PM\']Great guy, and BRILLIANT! Randytvrandywest.com[/quote]
Since this thread moved into talking about Jay Wolpert, I thought that if you haven't seen this 2007 interview with Holly Hallstrom on the subject of Jay Wolpert, you might enjoy it.
"Oh Jay, amazing Jay. What a great time that was. Jay was, no Jay is, so fun loving, and so off-the-charts brilliant. What a mind. But so easily bored. So at rehearsals he used to lean back in his chair at the production desk, (demonstrates) feet up, hands clasped behind his head and yell “Okay kiddies, I’m bored. Entertain me.” And we would scramble to come up with some crazy gag, uhmmm, bit, to make Jay laugh, or at least get a smile and nod (imitates Wolpert pushing his glasses).
I remember my best gag I did was The Dreaded Camping Trailer Slayer. I got a roll of red stage tape and me and Jimmy Smith, an absolute sweetheart stage manager, tore it into little pieces and made drops of blood all behind Door2 in front of the camping trailer door, and taped a big gory red slash across my throat. When Johnny O announced “A new camping trailer!” and Door2 opened, there I was laying inside the trailer on my back with my head hanging out the trailer door, bright red tape blood dripping from my mouth and slashed throat, clearly dead. Another tragic victim of (quotes) "The Dreaded Camping Trailer Slayer"!
I actually got applause from Jay for that one!
Another time Jimmy (Smith) found some old junk station wagon from over on Sanford and Son I think, and he set it up in Door2 and when the doors opened he and Janice were sitting in the front seat pretending to be making out like 1950s teenagers! Johnny was like “It’s a new…uh, old, uh, what the heck is that?”! Johnny loved our fun at rehearsals, and also every showcase he was ever in. He was a doll, a delight. A pure pleasure to work with. Everybody loved Johnny.
Another time Breslow pushed into a trip card which instead of being a photo of a beach in Hawaii it read “Marc, your Clenet is on fire in the parking lot”. (She laughs)
Those were such good times. Definitely the best times.
You know the phrase “salad days”? Y’know a time of enthusiasm, idealism, innocence. Well on Price our salad days were definitely the Jay Days. It was a great time. It was the best. The most fun, with wrap-nite jump in your cars at 10:30 and go out for deli ‘til 2 in the morning, and especially the Our Gang type “Hey let’s get some costumes and put on a show!“ esprit de corps. I look back now and I am so glad that even at that young age I realized what a special time and place we were in. And Jay made it that way. And Barbara. It was so special, it was magical. It was the best time on Price, the Jay Days."
Holly Hallstrom
Los Angeles 2007
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Where is this interview that you're citing?
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I've only met Jay once and talked to him a couple of times on the phone, but Barbara was instrumental in getting me into G-T and she has always been unswervingly supportive both during and after my time there, when I used to bring her game show ideas at CBS. It would be nice to talk to/see her again and thank her for that.
If it hadn't been for Barbara I might have wound up working for Jay on Whew!
Nowadays I'm not so sure a person would want to work there, even with Barker gone.
You're going to fit in just fine here, pentellit.
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[quote name=\'pentellit\' post=\'213483\' date=\'Apr 19 2009, 12:02 AM\']
JAY WOLPERT
[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'213039\' date=\'Apr 13 2009, 01:57 PM\']Great guy, and BRILLIANT! Randytvrandywest.com[/quote]
Since this thread moved into talking about Jay Wolpert, I thought that if you haven't seen this 2007 interview with Holly Hallstrom on the subject of Jay Wolpert, you might enjoy it.
"Oh Jay, amazing Jay. What a great time that was. Jay was, no Jay is, so fun loving, and so off-the-charts brilliant. What a mind. But so easily bored. So at rehearsals he used to lean back in his chair at the production desk, (demonstrates) feet up, hands clasped behind his head and yell “Okay kiddies, I’m bored. Entertain me.” And we would scramble to come up with some crazy gag, uhmmm, bit, to make Jay laugh, or at least get a smile and nod (imitates Wolpert pushing his glasses)."
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That was an interesting interview with Holly. I have to second your opinion on Jay Wolpert - even though his shows from his own company weren't long running - "Whew", "Rodeo Drive", "Blackout", "Hit Man" - they were all very well thought out and very clever shows and that all comes from the man at the top. But there was a certain swagger that his version of "Price" had that sort of went away when Barbara and Phil took over as producers. I seem to remember there were a lot of pirate references back then, lots of swashbuckling showcases and dressing up the models as pirates for the "Pirates and their Treasure" showcases. You think Jay was already dreaming up Jack Sparrow back then?
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[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'213498\' date=\'Apr 19 2009, 07:41 AM\']
I seem to remember there were a lot of pirate references back then, lots of swashbuckling showcases and dressing up the models as pirates for the "Pirates and their Treasure" showcases. You think Jay was already dreaming up Jack Sparrow back then?
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He once had (and probably still does) a license plate on his car which read -- in Bumper Stumpers spelling --
Swashbuckler (SWSHBKLR ??)
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If I remember the story correctly he used to come to the office dressed in pirate regalia pretending to be Erroll Flynn.
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[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' post=\'213485\' date=\'Apr 18 2009, 09:16 PM\']
Where is this interview that you're citing?
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I second that. I'd enjoy reading / viewing that interview. I first met Holly at Mark Goodson's final birthday party at AFI, but never got the chance to exchange for than a few words with her.
Randy
tvrandywest.com
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final birthday party
That phrase creeps me out.
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Hi, the interview with Holly about The Jay Days is from a series of interviews author Chris Mann has done for his upcoming book on The Price Is Right.
I thought Chris had published this particular interview about Jay Wolpert before, but he said that he hadn’t but that I was welcome to share it.
So there it is, first time ever in “print”. Right here on the Game Show Forum! Glad you liked it.
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Exactly how did you come by this interview if neither Chris nor Jay has published it yet?
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[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' post=\'213770\' date=\'Apr 22 2009, 07:26 PM\']
Exactly how did you come by this interview if neither Chris nor Jay has published it yet?
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From Chris.
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[quote name=\'pentellit\' post=\'213771\' date=\'Apr 22 2009, 10:36 PM\'][quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' post=\'213770\' date=\'Apr 22 2009, 07:26 PM\']Exactly how did you come by this interview if neither Chris nor Jay has published it yet?[/quote]From Chris.[/quote]
So it's an unpublished interview from an unpublished book, and yet he was willing to give you a copy of it.
How did that work?
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[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' post=\'213772\' date=\'Apr 22 2009, 07:41 PM\']
[quote name=\'pentellit\' post=\'213771\' date=\'Apr 22 2009, 10:36 PM\'][quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' post=\'213770\' date=\'Apr 22 2009, 07:26 PM\']Exactly how did you come by this interview if neither Chris nor Jay has published it yet?[/quote]From Chris.[/quote]
So it's an unpublished interview from an unpublished book, and yet he was willing to give you a copy of it.
How did that work?
[/quote]
I have known Chris for years and I happened to have set up that particular interview for him. He was kind enough to email me a transcript afterward.
To answer your question "How did that work?" it worked very well Mr. Gavazzi, I think people enjoyed it. Thank you for asking.
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[quote name=\'pentellit\' post=\'213773\' date=\'Apr 22 2009, 10:53 PM\']
I have known Chris for years and I happened to have set up that particular interview for him. He was kind enough to email me a transcript afterward.
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Do you happen to know when this book is scheduled to be released?
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Hi cmjb13, I called Chris and asked him how the book on Price was coming and he said “Great! I found all the words in the dictionary and now I just have to put them together.”
He said that with all the people freshly off the show there are now more interviews to do, to edit and facts to check.
So I straight up asked him “So Chris, when's the book going to be finished?” He said “Did my editor call and tell you to ask me that?”
That's the best answer I could get.