Thursday, March 14, 2013

A couple of RARE Pilot pictures....



from Ron Murphy

THUNDERBEAN

MODERN ANIMATION vol. 1 is GREAT and GREAT quality too!  Tom Oreb, Jay Ward, UPA, etc.www.amazon.com/shops/thunderbean

RANKIN/BASS' THE NEW ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO

This was RANKIN/BASS' first TV series and their first ANIMAGIC production.  They were originally planning to do a series in 1959 with TRANS LUX of WILLY McBEAN & HIS MAGIC MACHINE in celluloid animation BUT ended up saving that for a 1965 feature film in ANIMAGIC.  Arthur always loved the WALT DISNEY film of PINOCCHIO

RANKIN/BASS' RETURN TO OZ

Pegi Loder and Larry D. Mann in the studio in 1963 recording their dialogue for RANKIN/BASS'  for RETURN TO OZ, which was RANKIN/BASS' first TV Special for NBC-TV and appeared on THE GENERAL ELECTRIC FANTASY HOUR in color!

It was one of the first OZ films to appear after the original MGM classic (which I don't think anyone could even come close to out-doing...so why do they try?)

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Monday, March 11, 2013




JOCKO

I stopped by NBC-TV today in Chicago to say hello to my pal Jock Hedblade (Producer of THE STEVE HARVEY SHOW) and he presented me with this wonderful, one-of-a-kind photograph that his father Jack took of BURL IVES (autographed too) at WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY in Macomb, IL :) Over the years Jocko has booked me on FOX MORNING NEWS, THE MANCOW SHOW, THE ROE CONN SHOW, etc.  A great friend!