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Posted: |
Aug 15, 2017 - 5:57 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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In 1968, husband-and-wife writing team Reneé Taylor and Joseph Bologna wrote the Broadway hit comedy LOVERS AND OTHER STRANGERS. Taylor starred in that play, which the team then adapted for the screen in 1970. Cy Howard directed the film, which was produced by David Susskind. Unhappy with the changes made by the filmmakers, however, Taylor and Bologna left the project. When the screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award, the couple shared credit with their replacement, David Z. Goodman. Fred Karlin's score was released on an ABC Records LP, but has never been reissued on CD.
Taylor and Bologna then co-wrote the semi-autobiographical screenplay for MADE FOR EACH OTHER, and after receiving encouragement from their friend, writer-director Elaine May, determined to play the lead roles themselves.
Several studios expressed interest in the script but did not want to cast Taylor and Bologna. Waiting for a studio to accept them as the stars had the secondary effect of raising the price of the script. Ultimately, in 1971, Wylde Films, a Twentieth Century-Fox subsidiary that had previously produced television commercials, agreed to bankroll the film, its first production. Elaine May was originally set to direct the film, but had to leave due to prior commitments. Her replacement, Robert Bean, had previously directed Taylor in “2,” a short film written by Taylor and Bologna, which played several theatrical engagements in 1967.
The studio insisted on screen tests of Taylor and Bologna before casting them. Bologna, who earlier had directed short films and acted on stage, made his feature film debut in MADE FOR EACH OTHER. The couple had acted together before only once, when Bologna joined the stage cast of “Lovers and Other Strangers” three weeks before the end of its Broadway run. The film was shot on a budget of $865,000 on location throughout New York City, with interiors shot at the F&B/Ceco Studios in Manhattan.
When the film opened on 15 December 1971, reviews were generally laudatory, with Taylor singled out for praise. The Newsweek review stated that “she gives the sort of performance for which Oscars are handed out.” Pauline Kael called the film “the most satisfying comedy of the year.” MADE FOR EACH OTHER was listed on the 1971 Ten Best lists of New York magazine and The Washington Post. Taylor asserted in a 1985 Los Angeles Daily News article that Woody Allen named the film as his favorite. She stated, “When he did ANNIE HALL, he told us, ‘This is my MADE FOR EACH OTHER.’”
The film's score, by Trade Martin, was released on a Buddah Records LP, but it has never been reissued on CD.
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Posted: |
Aug 15, 2017 - 11:41 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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In MIXED COMPANY, Joseph Bologna portrays a racially prejudiced basketball coach who is persuaded by his wife (Barbara Harris) to adopt three (more!) kids of mixed ethnic backgrounds.
Writer-producer-director Melville Shavelson stated that the film’s budget was $1 million because United Artists felt it was not appropriate to hire a cast of celebrities and instead wanted the script to be the “star.” Additionally, UA stipulated that it did not want to cast older actors who were unknown to young audiences and preferred to use up-and-coming talent with whom kids could identify. In the deal with UA, Shavelson agreed to defer half of his salary as a completion bond, which insured that he finished the film within the stipulated time frame and budget.
The film was shot in Phoenix, AZ and San Diego, CA. Shavelson used Phoenix television stations, radio shows, and newspaper advertisements to recruit two thousand locals to sit in the audience of a staged Phoenix Suns basketball game at the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, which was planned to be filmed over seven days. Fred Karlin's score for the 1974 family comedy-drama has not had a release.
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Posted: |
Aug 16, 2017 - 12:00 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Gene Wilder wrote, directed, and starred in the 1984 comedy THE WOMAN IN RED. Wilder plays “Theodore Pierce,” who while on his way to work one day spots “Charlotte” (Kelly Le Brock) - an incredibly beautiful Woman in Red. He really wants to meet her - but what would his wife (Judith Ivey) say? Through a mix-up, Teddy ends up making a date with the office wallflower “Ms. Milner” (Gilda Radner). Joseph Bologna, Charles Grodin and Michael Huddleston play Teddy's friends. The story was a take on the 1976 French sex comedy Un éléphant ça trompe énormément (aka Pardon mon affaire).
John Morris scored the film, but the most important part of the film’s music was the songs by Stevie Wonder, which featured performances by Dionne Warwick. But it was Wonder who sang the memorable tune "I Just Called to Say I Love You,” which won the Academy Award for Best Song. Motown Records released the film’s soundtrack, which had only Wonder’s songs and none of Morris’ background score.
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Posted: |
Aug 16, 2017 - 12:22 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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In the horror comedy TRANSYLVANIA 6-5000, tabloid reporters "Jack Harrison" (Jeff Goldblum) and "Gil Turner" (Ed Begley, Jr.) are sent to Transylvania with two choices: find the Frankenstein monster or find new jobs. There, they encounter a nymphomaniac vampiress (Geena Davis) and a semi-mad doctor (Joseph Bologna), as well as assorted mummies, werewolves, and more Transylvanian oddballs.
Rudy DeLuca directed this 1985 farce. Lee Holdridge's score was released on a Varese Sarabande LP and re-issued on a BSX CD in 2009.
The cast of TRANSYLVANIA 6-5000: l. to r., Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, Ed Begley, Jr., John Byner, Carol Kane, Joseph Bologna
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Bob - a couple of notes on your great filmography. FSM released David Shire's Big Bus soundtrack. And for those who don't know the backstory on My Favorite Year, it might be worth adding that Swann is based on Errol Flynn. (I know we're all film geeks here, but just in case.)
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