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Posted: |
May 20, 2019 - 11:15 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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GUS was a shaggy mule story about a professional football team, the California Atoms, who are in last place with no hope of moving up. But by switching the mule (“Gus”) from team mascot to team member, (He can kick 100 yard field goals!) they start winning, and move up in the standings. The competition, however, isn't so happy.
Gary Grimes, the earnest young star of 1970s films such as SUMMER OF ’42 (1971), concluded his brief feature career by starring as “Andy Petrovic,” Gus’ handler. Grimes shares most of his scenes with Ed Asner, who plays a team owner; Don Knotts, who plays a coach; and real-life former NFL player Dick Butkus, who plays Gus’ gridiron rival. Other pros appearing in GUS include Bob Crane, Harold Gould, and Dick Van Patten. “Happy Days” father Tom Bosley and slapstick favorite Tim Conway form a comic team as crooks hired to menace the mule.
Tim Conway in GUS
The film marked the final feature film performance of Bob Crane, who was murdered in 1978. Vincent McEveety directed the 1976 film, which had an unreleased score by Robert F. Brunner. GUS grossed $21.9 million at the box office.
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Posted: |
May 20, 2019 - 11:33 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Conway’s fourth film for Disney saw him co-starring with Dean Jones and working with Suzanne Pleshette in the 1976 comedy THE SHAGGY D.A. The film was a sequel to 1959’s THE SHAGGY DOG. Jones plays “Wilby Daniels,” the same character played by Fred MacMurray in the 1959 film. In this tale, when Daniels’ home is robbed twice in a single day, he decides to take the law into his own hands—by running to unseat the town’s incompetent District Attorney, “Honest” John Slade (Keenan Wynn). Tim Conway plays “Tim,” an ice cream vendor for the Dolly Dixon Company.
Pat McCormick and Tim Conway in THE SHAGGY D.A.
This was the final film of long-time Disney director Robert Stevenson. It also marked actress Jo Anne Worley’s feature film debut. Buddy Baker scored the film. Jones sang the title song, written by Shane Tatum and Richard McKinley.
Although reviews for THE SHAGGY D.A. were critical of its formulaic nature, they were generally positive. The 3 January 1977 Boxoffice predicted that it would be “one of the year’s biggest hits,” and the 10 December 1976 Daily Variety described the film as “all frothy fun, not to be taken seriously or analyzed.” Both reviews singled out impressionist George Kirby, who dubbed several dog voices in the styles of actors Mae West, Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson. The film’s box office performance proved the Boxoffice review to be correct, grossing $32 million.
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Posted: |
May 21, 2019 - 12:07 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Starting with the 1975–76 season, Tim Conway became a regular on “The Carol Burnett Show”, after having been a frequent guest for the show's first eight seasons. As a regular, Conway appeared on 66 episodes of the show between 1975 and 1978. Two of Conway's memorable characters on “The Carol Burnett Show” were:
The Oldest Man, whose shaggy white hair, slow speech, and shuffling gait ran counter to the much-needed energy levels of the various occupations in which he was usually found. His comic inability to get said jobs done — usually with slapstick results to himself and, with many an ad-lib — both frustrated and "broke up" his fellow sketch performers.
Mr. Tudball, a businessman whose intentions of running a "ship-shape" office were usually sunk by the bored indifference of his secretary, Mrs. Wiggins (Burnett). Although the character was widely thought to be Swedish, Conway used a Romanian accent learned from his mother. For example, his attempts to pronounce his secretary's name came out as "Mrs. Uh-whiggins". He also used this accent for other characters, such as an inept dentist.
Tim Conway, Carol Burnett, and Vicki Lawrence on “The Carol Burnett Show”
Conway could also get comedic results with no dialogue, such as in a sketch in which he played a tired businessman seeking restful sleep in his hotel — and pestered by a housefly, created only by a sound effect and Conway's gazing after it. After much struggle, he manages to get the fly out of the room through the window; after returning to bed, he hears a persistent knock on his door, gets up to answer it, and opens the door, letting the fly (who was doing the knocking) back in.
Another skit, also without a word from Conway, featured him playing Simba, a lion raised by humans then released to the wild (based on the lioness Elsa in the film BORN FREE). When Conway (as the lion) was told of his upcoming eviction from his comfortable home, his interminable process of packing to leave caused Burnett and Harvey Korman to break up.
Carol Burnett, Tim Conway and Harvey Korman
Carol Burnett explained that there were two tapings of the show. During the first taping, Tim Conway would follow the script. Because of his desire to improvise, Burnett gave him permission to do so during the second taping. It was then that Burnett said, "we had no idea what he was going to do," and the cast breaking up into fits of laughter, especially Harvey Korman, would occur.
A prime example of his ability to make his co-stars laugh uncontrollably involved Lyle Waggoner as a captured American airman, with Conway as a stereotypical blond-haired Gestapo agent charged with his interrogation. Stating that "the Fuhrer" had taken particular interest, Conway produces a small Hitler hand puppet. Conway suggests to the puppet that singing might relax Waggoner's character to the point he is willing to talk. In a long, drawn-out fashion, the Hitler puppet (Conway providing a falsetto voice, with German accent) sings "I've Been Working on the Railroad", and with each passing verse, Waggoner loses more of his composure, finally laughing hysterically when puppet-Hitler screeches, "FEE-FI-Fiddely-I-O!".
Lucille Ball, Tim Conway and Carol Burnett
A well-known outtake from “The Carol Burnett Show” is from the recurring "The Family" sketch, with Conway (as Mickey Hart) telling a mostly ad-libbed story about a circus elephant. As the story continues, the other cast members become increasingly unable to stay in character, leading up to Vicki Lawrence (in-character as Mama) finally asking, "You sure that little asshole's through?", resulting in all the cast members, including Conway, finally breaking up in gales of laughter.
While filming a sketch taking place on a submarine, Tim Conway gets pinned under the periscope and his face registers pain. He wasn't acting. The day before, he had had a vasectomy, and the periscope actually hit him in the groin during the taping. (Conway had six children before he had the procedure.)
Conway's work on the show earned him four Emmy Awards — one for writing (1973) and three for performance (1978, 1977, and 1973, before he became a regular). Conway also won a Golden Globe Award as “Best Supporting Actor – Television” in 1976.
Tim Conway, Carol Burnett, and Vicki Lawrence
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Posted: |
May 21, 2019 - 5:24 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Atlanta entrepreneur Lloyd N. Adams, Jr., formed the International Motion Picture Show Company with the idea of filming five movies, beginning with THE BILLION DOLLAR HOBO. Tim Conway flew to Atlanta for the company's formation after originally being approached by corporate officer and producer Lang Elliott in a restaurant.
Principal photography began mid-Jun 1977 in Los Angeles. Conway later told the 29 October 1977 Los Angeles Times that THE BILLION DOLLAR HOBO "was shot around Los Angeles--just like one of those old 10-day westerns. We used real gas stations. When we needed a shot with a train in the background, we just set ourselves up by the tracks and waited for the train to pass."
Stuart McGowan directed the film, which had an unreleased score by Michael Leonard. After premiering in Greensboro, NC, on 20 Jan 1978, the film opened in selected markets a week later, on 27 January 1978. The film grossed $9.8 million.
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In the comedy THEY WENT THAT-A-WAY & THAT-A-WAY, a small-town deputy (Tim Conway) is ordered by the governor to go undercover, posing as a criminal, in a maximum security prison. Shortly after his mission begins, the governor dies, leaving him and his partner (Chuck McCann) stranded in jail.
Atlanta-based TIPS, The International Picture Show Company, opened a west coast regional distribution office in Los Angeles in March 1978 to distribute TIPS productions to the thirteen Western states. THEY WENT THAT-A-WAY & THAT-A-WAY was the second TIPS production (after THE BILLION DOLLAR HOBO).
Tim Conway (with Dub Taylor) recreates his “Dentist” sketch from “The Carol Burnett Show” in THEY WENT THAT-A-WAY & THAT-A-WAY
Edward Montagne, who directed Tim Conway on McHALE’S NAVY, was said to have been hired as director on the film for a period of three weeks at a salary of $20 thousand. Montagne was apparently replaced by Stuart E. McGowan, and subsequently filed an arbitration action against That Way Productions and received a $25 thousand award on the basis that the minimum DGA fee for a feature film was $45 thousand. Unable to collect the award from the production company, the DGA sought to collect from the distributor TIPS, which in turn prompted TIPS to take legal action. The outcome of this suit has not been determined, but both men received directing credit on the film.
Michael Leonard provided the film’s unreleased score. The 1978 film received little play and grossed only $2.2 million.
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Posted: |
May 23, 2019 - 9:15 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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In August 1978, it was announced that the Atlanta, GA-based TriStar Pictures was making THE PRIZE FIGHTER, with comedians Tim Conway and Don Knotts set to star, based on a story by Conway. TriStar was a new company at the time started by Lang Elliott who had previously worked as an associate producer at Columbia Pictures, Universal Studios and Walt Disney Pictures. Elliott had also been involved with International Picture Show, Co., a distribution company which he helped co-found and where he was a vice president. Joining Elliott at TriStar were producers Eric Weston and Wanda Dell who had worked with Conway on two other films. However, Weston is not credited on the film.
THE PRIZE FIGHTER was the fourth pairing of Conway and Knotts. The comic duo had previously done three successful comedies for Walt Disney: THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG (1975), GUS (1976), and THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG RIDES AGAIN (1979).
The $2 million movie began shooting in Georgia in January 1979. Filming continued in Georgia through March, and the mansion in Atlanta being used for much of the filming was an exact replica of Florence, Italy’s famous Medici Palace.
Conway stated that he wrote the screenplay for THE PRIZE FIGHTER in three days. Conway also noted that many of the comic scenes were improvised on set. In the film, a mobster (Robin Clarke) tricks an ex-boxer (Conway) and his manager (Knotts) to take part in a series of fixed fights as part of a scheme to get his hands on an old boxing gym. Michael Preece directed the film, which had an unreleased score by Peter Matz.
Don Knotts and Tim Conway in THE PRIZE FIGHTER
By September 1979, the film had completed post production, and New World Pictures had acquired the film’s domestic distribution rights. A nationwide release was planned for 16 November 1979, just before the Thanksgiving holiday. However, the nationwide release plan was canceled. Instead it was announced that the film would open between Thanksgiving and Christmas in seven mid-sized cities.
The distribution plan changed yet again, as the film opened on 234 screens in southern U.S. states and Texas, earning $822,000 its opening weekend. The film earned $1,088,000 in its opening weekend in central IL; New Orleans, Dallas, Atlanta, and Charlotte, NC. New World was pleased with the film’s success, attributing it in part to the fact that Walt Disney, known for having family-friendly releases, did not have a movie scheduled for release during the 1979 Christmas season. The film continued to exceed box-office expectations, averaging $5,500 to $7,000 per screen in mid-western theaters during the week following Christmas, a period in which theaters there were typically making approximately $4,000 per screen. By the end of its run, the film had grossed $7.9 million.
The success of the film was likely enhanced by the publicity it generated. The film’s national publicist, C. W. Henderson, received a top public relations industry award for placing over 150 newspaper and magazine articles about a single scene the film. The stories were about the filming of a segment of the movie that depicts a world championship boxing match.
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Posted: |
May 23, 2019 - 9:17 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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THE PRIVATE EYES marked Don Knotts’s and Tim Conway’s second film for Tri-Star, following the success of 1979’s, THE PRIZE FIGHTER. Just as it did for the earlier film, New World Pictures also acquired domestic distribution rights for THE PRIVATE EYES.
A publicity release claimed that writers Tim Conway and John Myhers wrote the screenplay in three days and completed principal photography within two months. Principal photography began late May 1980 in Asheville, NC. The film was budgeted at $3 million and primarily filmed at the Biltmore House and Gardens in Asheville, NC, an estate built by the Vanderbilt family in the late 1890s. The filmmakers had to insure the house for $400 million.
The secret passages featured in the film actually exist in the Biltmore mansion. The only portion of the passage that was constructed was a rotating wall, and the owner of the house liked it so much that he decided to keep it.
During the production of the film, an employee for the manor went to show Tim Conway a priceless rare book and realized it was missing. The investigation into the theft initially focused on Conway, but soon turned to security guard Robert Livingston Matters, who in January of 1981 was tried and pleaded guilty to stealing 60 rare books from the 25,000 volume library.
Lang Elliott produced and directed the film. Peter Matz had been the musical director on “The Carol Burnett Show” and agreed to compose the score for this film (and the earlier THE PRIZE FIGHTER) as a favor to Tim Conway.
Don Knotts, Tim Conway, and Trisha Noble in THE PRIVATE EYES
Variety reported that New World hoped to repeat the box office success of THE PRIZE FIGHTER, “which earned ninety percent of its revenues in fifty percent of the country.” New World planned a similar release pattern for THE PRIVATE EYES, opening the film in rural markets in November 1980, widening through the south and Midwest regions during the holiday season, and moving into major markets in late winter and spring of 1981. According to Variety, 550 prints were available for the regional releases, and those same prints would be used in a “second wave” of releases on 19 December 1980.
The film grossed $393,000 during its first week of release in 74 theaters, and grossed $3.3 million in its second week in 625 theaters. By the end of January 1981, THE PRIVATE EYES had already grossed more than $15 million dollars, making it the highest grossing film in New World’s history to date. The film’s final tally was $18 million, which holds the record as New World's most successful film at the box office under Roger Corman's tenure.
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Posted: |
May 26, 2019 - 3:32 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Tim Conway went after television stardom again, playing the title character of "Ace Crawford, Private Eye". In addition to Tim Conway, the cast of this sitcom included Joe Regalbuto as "Toomey," a CPA and Crawford's assistant (he always saw Crawford as a hero, and thought that his bumbling was simply some kind of cunning strategy), and Billy Barty as "Inch," owner and bartender of The Shanty, a wharfside bar where Crawford hangs out.
CBS gave the show a try-out in the spring of 1983 as a replacement for the cancelled adventure series "Bring 'Em Back Alive." NBC ruled the time-slot at 8 PM Tuesdays with its #10-rated "The A-Team". And ABC had the comedy audience wrapped up with its #28 "Happy Days". After five episodes of "Ace Crawford," CBS had had enough, and went with re-runs of "Bring 'Em Back Alive" though the summer of 1983.
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Posted: |
May 26, 2019 - 3:51 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Burt Reynolds starred in the sequel to his popular car chase film, THE CANNONBALL RUN. CANNONBALL RUN II was yet another cross-country road race comedy. Also returning from the original film were Dom DeLuise (his fifth film with Reynolds), Dean Martin, Jamie Farr, and Sammy Davis, Jr. Tim Conway and Don Knotts, who didn't appear in the original 1981 film, had small parts as "CHP Officers #1 and #2" in the sequel. Also new to the sequel was Frank Sinatra, who received second billing (after Burt Reynolds) in the closing credits, even though he only had a small cameo role, and appeared only in two sequences.
Variety originally announced that Hugh Wilson would direct the sequel. Filmmaker Hal Needham was reportedly unable to agree upon salary with producers Golden Harvest and distributor Warner Bros. However, Needham ultimately co-wrote the screenplay and directed the film. It would be Needham's sixth and last film as a director with Burt Reynolds.
Don Knotts and Tim Conway with Bobby Berosini's Orangutan in CANNONBALL RUN II
A soundtrack LP was released by Victor in Japan, but it is not known if it included any of Steve Dorff's score. The 1984 release garnered poor reviews. LA Weekly stated that star Burt Reynolds and Needham had created a “whole new category of filmmaking: noodle-brained gas guzzlers stalled on the far side of drivel.” CANNONBALL RUN II grossed $28 million domestically, far below the original's $57 million U.S. take. It would be Burt Reynolds' final "car chase" movie.
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Posted: |
May 27, 2019 - 10:58 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Mr. DiMucci, what about:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tim_Conway_Show_(1980_TV_series)
Good catch. To quote from the Wikipedia article:
"The Tim Conway Show closely followed the format of The Carol Burnett Show – a small group of regulars performing comedy sketches, interspersed with musical numbers, and supplemented by occasional guest stars."
The show "premiered in a one-hour format on March 22, 1980, but ratings were disappointing, and it left the air after the broadcast of May 17, 1980. Regulars Eric Boardman and Jack Riley left the show. When it returned on September 20, 1980, it had been reduced to 30 minutes in length. Ratings remained low, and in early 1981 Bert Berdis and Dick Orkin were dropped from the cast and Harvey Korman, with whom Conway had enjoyed an excellent comedic chemistry during sketches together on The Carol Burnett Show, joined the program as a regular. Korman's arrival, however, did not save The Tim Conway Show, which soon was cancelled. Its last new episode aired on March 7, 1981."
"The Tim Conway Show appeared on CBS throughout its run. During its initial March–May 1980 run as a one-hour program, it aired at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday. When it returned in its new 30-minute format in September 1980, it aired at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, moving to 8:30 p.m. Saturday in November 1980, where it remained until the end of its run in March 1981. In June 1981, CBS began broadcasting reruns of 30-minute episodes at 8:30 p.m. on Monday; these continued until August 31, 1981, when the show left the air for good."
The spring 1980, one-hour edition of the show was done in by "CHiPs" on NBC (the #18-ranked show for the year). The fall 1980, 30-minute edition of the show faced NBC's "Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters" variety show.
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Posted: |
Jun 2, 2019 - 12:47 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Tim Conway reunited with his partner from “The Carol Burnett Show,” Harvey Korman, for the 1986 comedy THE LONGSHOT. In May 1985, the company Longshot Productions was formed, with Tim Conway and Lang Elliott as principals. Tim Conway wrote the first draft of the screen story in ten hours on July 4, 1984, when he realized he had no other plans for the holiday.
In the film, four misbegotten small-time horse track habitués, “Dooley” (Conway), “Lou” (Korman), “Elton” (Jack Weston), and “Stump” (Ted Wass), receive a tip on a horse named French Majesty from a trainer named “Santiago” (Jorge Cervera)—on the condition that they each put up $1,000 for Santiago to lay down his own bet on the horse. The four partners borrow money from gangsters to make their bets, but the "sure thing" is anything but.
Jack Weston, Harvey Korman, Ted Wass, and Tim Conway in THE LONGSHOT
Mike Nichols was originally offered the film to direct, but he was otherwise committed to directing HEARTBURN, and instead agreed to serve as executive producer. As a result, the film was made more viable to potential lenders, and the film was financed on a loan for under $10 million. Harvey Korman, who had worked with Nichols in theatrical stage productions thirty years earlier, was credited with getting Nichols involved in the project. Nichols flew to Los Angeles from New York, rehearsed the actors, and made script suggestions. The character of "Nicki Dixon" (played by Stella Stevens) was also added by Nichols.
Paul Bartel directed the film. Orion Pictures acquired the film on a negative pickup deal and funded all release print and ad costs, which they were entitled to recoup before sharing revenue with the producers. The film has an unreleased score by Charles Fox.
Principal photography began 10 June 1985. Although racing scenes were intended to be shot at Santa Anita race track, the filmmakers were denied access. An appeal to producer Howard W. Koch, who served on the board of directors at Inglewood, CA's Hollywood Park race track, led him to arrange for the filmmakers to shoot at that facility provided that the name of the property not be used in the film. Only the interior of Dooley's house was built on a studio set. The remainder of the film was shot at various Southern California locations.
Tim Conway began a twelve-city promotional tour on 4 January 1986. The film opened 17 January 1986 on a regional basis with 116 prints in circulation, and with a second regional wave commencing 24 January 1986. However, THE LONGSHOT was a bomb at the box office, grossing only $200,000.
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Tim Conway had a supporting role as a “Mayoral Candidate” in the “Rip Van Winkle” episode of Shelly Duvall’s Showtime Network series “Faerie Tale Theatre”. Harry Dean Stanton starred as the title character in this 1987 show.
Francis Ford Coppola directed the film, which was the last of the series to be produced (although not the last aired). Carmine Coppola provided the unreleased score.
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In 1987, Tim Conway created the character of “Dorf”, a diminutive Swede who, in a series of made-for-video films, gave instructions on how to excel in various sports. The first and best-known of these films, all written by Conway, was “Dorf On Golf”.
In this entry, Dorf is assisted by a dim-bulb caddy named “Leonard” (Vincent Schiavelli) as well as female bombshell “Boom Boom” (Michele Smith). Dorf constantly rags on Leonard’s intelligence after things go awry (“I'll tell you what, why don't you run over there and get yourself a tuna fish sandwich? I hear thata fish isa real good for de brain.” And "Leonard, why don't you consider getting to bed a little early tonight? You wouldn't want to miss a visit from the IQ fairy.").
Dorf appeared in these follow-up videos:
Dorf and the First Games of Mount Olympus (1988)
Dorf's Golf Bible (1988)
Dorf Goes Auto Racing (1990)
Dorf Goes Fishing (1993)
Dorf on the Diamond (1996)
Dorf da Bingo King (2001)
After a 10-year hiatus, a new set of videos appeared in 2011:
Dorf and the Trial (2011)
Dorf and the Tee Time (2011)
Dorf and the New Toga (2011)
Dorf and the Confession (2011)
Dorf and the Angry Fan (2011)
And Tim Conway’s final film appearances came in two Dorf videos written by Pasquale Murena:
Dorf's Christmas Specials (2015)
Chip and Bernie Save Christmas with Dorf (2016)
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In 1998’s AIR BUD: GOLDEN RECEIVER, there is no continuous thread to follow but rather a juggling of doggy football action, a story line about young teenager “Josh” (Kevin Zegers) trying to cope with his single mom's new boyfriend, and a genial slapstick subplot involving a couple of Russian animal abductors who have their eye on “Buddy” the dog (played by six dogs: Rush, Zach, Chase, Chance, Joey and Eagle).
Although the football games seem to occur on the middle-school level, it's somehow a big enough deal to have a pair of field announcers drolly played by Tim Conway and Dick Martin.
Tim Conway and Dick Martin in AIR BUD: GOLDEN RECEIVER
For this 1998 sequel, Richard Martin takes over the directing chores from Charles Martin Smith, who helmed the original AIR BUD (1997), in which the dog played basketball. Brahm Wenger provided the unreleased score. The film grossed $10 million, down from the original’s $23 million. The film was Tim Conway's final feature film appearance.
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