Universal turns 100 facts

Universal Pictures is celebrating its centennial all year long, but today is the actual official day: On April 30, 1912, Universal Film Manufacturing Company was incorporated in New York.
 Today, the studio sent out 100 facts about its history, here they are:

UNIVERSAL PICTURES 100 YEARS, 100 FUN FACTS

1. Universal Film Manufacturing Company was officially incorporated in New York on April 30, 1912. Company legend says Carl Laemmle was inspired to name his company Universal after seeing “Universal Pipe Fittings” written on a passing delivery wagon.

2. The only physical damage made during the filming of National Lampoon’s Animal House was when John Belushi made a hole in the wall with a guitar. The actual Sigma Nu fraternity house (which subbed for the fictitious Delta House) never repaired it, and instead framed the hole in honor of the film.

3. The working title for E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial was “A Boy’s Life.”

4. In the movie All Quiet on the Western Front, the Greek writing on the blackboard in the schoolroom is the beginning of Homer’s Odyssey: “Tell me, oh Muse, of that ingenious hero who traveled far and wide.”

5. In 1969, a then 22-year old Steven Spielberg was assigned to direct the Universal Television series pilot, Night Gallery. It’s safe to say things went pretty well for Steven after that.

6. The word “dude” in The Big Lebowski is used approximately 161 times in the movie: 160 times spoken and once in text (in the credits for “Gutterballs” the second dream sequence). The F-word or a variation of the F-word is used 292 times. The Dude says “man” 147 times in the movie—that’s nearly 1.5 times a minute.

7. The first feature filmed at Universal City was Damon and Pythias in 1914.

8. President Ronald Reagan starred in the 1951 Universal feature film, Bedtime for Bonzo.

9. Back to the Future’s DeLorean time machine is actually a licensed, registered vehicle in the state of California. While the vanity license plate used in the film says “OUTATIME,” the DeLorean’s actual license plate reads 3CZV657.

10. The film A Beautiful Mind was shot in sequence in order to help Russell Crowe better develop his character’s emotional and physical arc.

11. American Graffiti’s budget was exactly $777,777.77, and it was delivered on time – and on budget.

12. In the Alfred Hitchcock classic The Birds, Tippi Hedren was actually cut in the face by a bird during the shooting of one sequence.

13. Throughout his career, Rock Hudson appeared in 46 feature films with Universal including Pillow Talk, All That Heaven Allows and Magnificent Obsession. In 1953, he was elected Mayor of Universal City.

14. The infamous apple pie in the movie American Pie was purchased by the production from Costco.

15. In the movie The Breakfast Club, the students ate the following for lunch: Andrew: A bag of chips, chocolate cookies, three sandwiches, milk, a banana and an apple. Claire: Sushi. Allison: Sandwich with Pixie Stix and Captain Crunch cereal. Brian: Soup, sandwich with peanut butter and jam and apple juice. Bender: Nothing.

16. In Brokeback Mountain, the song Jack plays on his harmonica is “He Was a Friend of Mine,” the same song Willie Nelson sings during the closing credits.

17. The film Buck Privates took in $4 million at the U.S. Box Office (at a time when theater admission ranged between 10 and 25 cents).

18. A sneak preview of the film Buck Privates was held in late January 1941 for soldiers at Fort MacArthur, California.

19. The Munster’s House on Colonial Street was originally built for the 1946 production, So Goes My Love.

20. The title of the movie Do The Right Thing comes from a Malcolm X quote: “You’ve got to do the right thing.”

21. According to reports, during some of the Russian roulette scenes in the movie The Deer Hunter, a live round was put into the gun to heighten the actors’ tension per Robert De Niro’s suggestion. It was checked, however, to make sure the bullet was not in the chamber before the trigger was pulled.

22. In the first scene of the movie Double Indemnity, when Walter first kisses Phyllis, there is a wedding ring on Walter’s hand. Fred MacMurray was married and the ring was not noticed until post-production.

23. When Bela Lugosi, star of the monster classic, Dracula, died in 1956, he was buried wearing a black silk cape similar to the one he wore in the film.

24. At 29,500 sq. ft., Universal Studios’ Stage 12 is the 7th largest soundstage in the world. It was originally built for the 1929 musical Broadway.

25. Carl Laemmle Jr. offered James Whale a list of more than 30 film adaptations he could direct and out of them all, Whale picked Frankenstein. It was his transition from war movies to monster pics.

26. Today’s Universal City officially opened March 15, 1915. Nearly three years after Universal Film Manufacturing Company was created. The first mayor was Herbert Rawlinson.

27. Vans, the company behind the checkerboard shoes worn by Sean Penn (a.k.a. Jeff Spicoli) in the cult movie classic, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, became a national brand after the film’s release in 1982.

28. Actor Charlton Heston “parted” the Red Sea attraction on the Universal Studios Tour at the attraction’s grand opening in 1973.

29. Neither Michelle Rodriguez nor Jordana Brewster had drivers’ licenses or even learners’ permits before production of the film in Fast and the Furious.

30. Universal pioneered the Academy Award-winning Sensurround Sound System which made its first appearance in the 1974 movie, Earthquake. The Sensurround system caused low-frequency audio waves to be felt by the audience and created a visceral complement to the seismic tremors and destruction depicted on screen..

31. In the movie Field of Dreams, both Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are among the thousands of extras in the Fenway Park scene. Over a decade later, when Phil Alden Robinson worked with Affleck on the production of The Sum of All Fears, Affleck said, “Nice working with you again.”

32. In the coliseum scenes in Gladiator, only the bottom two decks are actually filled with people. The other thousands of spectators are computer-animated.

33. Carole Lombard in My Man Godfrey was the first actress at Universal to receive a nomination for “Best Actress” at the Academy Awards.

34. William Powell from the 1936 film, My Man Godfrey was the first actor at Universal to receive a nomination for “Best Actor” at the Academy Awards.

35. The Universal sound technician, Jack Foley, developed the method of creating and recording many of the natural, everyday sound effects in a film. Today this method is named after him.

36. Universal’s first talking picture was Melody of Love.

37. The Universal Amphitheatre opened in 1972 with a staged concert version of Jesus Christ Superstar. The film version was released in 1973.

38. The legendary thriller and suspense director Alfred Hitchcock did not win any Academy Awards while working with Universal.

39. Thomas Edison presented Universal Studios with a plaque dedicating its first electric studio on October 27, 1915.

40. In the infamous shower scene in Psycho, the sound of the knife-stabbing actress Janet Leigh was made by plunging a knife into a melon.

41. The film Traffic in Souls is considered Universal’s first full-length feature film.

42. The legendary studio head Irving Thalberg got his start in show business as Carl Laemmle’s personal secretary in 1917.

43. ET: The Extra Terrestrial is Universal Pictures’ all-time highest grossing film.

44. With the over-budget production of Show Boat, Carl Laemmle was forced to sell Universal Studios to his creditors in 1936.

45. In 1995, Waterworld generated worldwide attention for being the most expensive film made to date. Unable to live up to expectations at the box office, the film eventually turned a profit due to strong home video sales and inspired one of the most popular theme park attractions of all time.

46. About 25% of the film Jaws was shot from water level so audiences could better relate to treading water.

47. In the film The Invisible Man, the director dressed Claude Rains in black velvet and filmed him against a black velvet background to create the effect that he wasn’t there.

48. Some of the props used in the 2005 version of King Kong were original props from the 1933 version. These props came from Peter Jackson’s personal collection and include the Skull Island spears and brightly painted shield, and some of the drums from the sacrifice scene.

49. In Jurassic Park, a guitar string was used to make the water ripple on the dash of the Ford Explorer by attaching it to the underside of the dash beneath the glass.

50. Universal entered the 3-D market with the film, It Came from Outer Space (1953)

51. Universal won its first Best Picture Academy Award for All Quiet on the Western Front in 1930.

52. Steven Spielberg nicknamed the mechanical shark in the movie Jaws, “Bruce.”

53. In the film The Incredible Shrinking Man, when Louise is on the phone asking for the operator, the music playing on the radio is the theme song to Written on the Wind, which was made at Universal the year prior.

54. The script Charlton Heston holds in the film Earthquake as he’s running lines with Genevieve Bujold is actually the script for “Earthquake” and on the page of the scene being shot.

55. It took two-and-a-half hours a day to apply Lon Chaney’s makeup in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

56. Legendary Universal Chairman Lew R. Wasserman received an Academy Award in 1973 for his role as a humanitarian.

57. With the film Meet the Fockers, the MPAA would not allow use of the name ‘Focker’ unless the filmmakers could find an actual person with that last name.

58. The first American film to show a toilet flushing on screen was Psycho.

59. While Jurassic Park was in post-production, Steven Spielberg began working on Schindler’s List in Poland and worked via satellite, courtesy of technology provided by George Lucas.

60. In the film, Scarface, an M16 assault rifle with an M203 40mm grenade launcher attached to the barrel is Tony’s “little friend.”

61. The 1932 film Scarface was one of the first films to feature the Thompson submachine gun, known historically as the “tommy gun.”

62. In the film Pillow Talk, Tony Randall was supposed to fake a reaction to being decked in the face by one of the restaurant patrons. However, during filming, the actor overestimated and actually knocked out Randall. The shot was so well done— it was used in the film.

63. Alfred Hitchcock did not choose to conclude the film, The Birds, with the usual “THE END” title because he wanted to leave the audience with the feeling of unending terror and uncertainty.

64. Groucho Marx explained the title Duck Soup as follows: “Take two turkeys, one goose, four cabbages, but no duck, and mix them together. After one taste, you’ll duck soup the rest of your life.”

65. For Despicable Me, the film’s directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin provide most of the voices for Gru’s minions.

66. In The Nutty Professor starring Eddie Murphy, the family dinner scene was initially going to be cut out due to what was believed to be its lack of relevance.

67. When the Universal Studios Tour opened to the general public in 1964, the general admission price for one adult was $2.50.

68. The children who sang the song, “Every Sperm is Sacred” in the Monty Python film, The Meaning of Life, later said they had no idea what sperm was or what they were singing about.

69. In the film, My Little Chickadee, Cuthbert J. Twille (W.C. Fields) says to Flower Belle (Mae West), “Why don’t you come up and see me sometime?”—This is in reference to West’s famous line in the film She Done Him Wrong.

70. The following institutions have existed at one time on the Universal Studios lot—a school, zoo, and hospital.

71. The hair-washing scene in Out of Africa was shot very close to a live, territorial hippopotamus. Meryl Streep was extremely nervous during its filming.

72. The locusts in the 1999 film, The Mummy, were mostly computer-generated, however, some live grasshoppers were used. Hours before filming they were chilled in a refrigerator to make them more sluggish.

73. In Smokey and the Bandit, the Trans-Am featured in the bridge jump scene was fitted with a more powerful Chevrolet engine.

74. The average shot length in the film Vertigo is 6.7 seconds.

75. The permanent set in Stage 28 was created to be a replica of the landmark The Paris Opera House, for the classic film, The Phantom of the Opera.

76. When you hear the sound of the crowd cheering, “Spartacus! Spartacus!” in the movie Spartacus, it was actually a pre-taped recording from a 1959 football game at Michigan State University’s Spartan Stadium.

77. In Sullivan’s Travels, director Preston Sturges can be seen in the background on the set of ‘The Girls’ period movie.

78. The cake in the movie Sixteen Candles is made of cardboard.

79. The final speech by Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird was done in one take.

80. The diner in the movie The Sting is the same diner interior used in Back to the Future.

81. In 1928, famous cartoon character, Mickey Mouse, debuted at a Universal-owned theater.

82. Elizabeth Taylor made her feature film debut in Universal’s 1942 film, There’s One Born Every Minute.

83. Yes, at some point, some Universal executive, or team of executives, thought 1986’s Howard the Duck was a good idea.

84. The dog chase scene at the beginning of the film Beethoven was filmed on the Universal backlot.

85. The title of the film Streets of Fire starring Michael Paré and Diane Lane, was drawn from a Bruce Springsteen song, from his album Darkness on the Edge of Town. The song, unfortunately, does not appear in the film.

86. Robert Redford’s character in The Sting is named after blues legend John Lee Hooker. The character’s name is Johnny Hooker.

87. 1920’s Shipwrecked Among Cannibals was the first film to gross $1,000,000 for Universal.

88. Prominent Universal Director Edward Laemmle was the nephew of Universal Founder Carl Laemmle. He directed over 60 films (including shorts) for Universal.

89. In The 40-Year-Old Virgin, the films that are watched by the “employees” in the Smar-Tech store are all produced by Universal.

90. The Blues Brothers “Bluesmobile” is a 1974 Dodge Monaco.

91. Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein is only the second time Bela Lugosi would play “Dracula” in a feature film. (He played other vampires in the interim, but not Dracula.)

92. In 1973’s High Plains Drifter starring Clint Eastwood, one of the headstones in the graveyard bears the name Sergio Leone as a tribute.

93. On Golden Pond was Henry Fonda’s final film, and the only one he starred in with his daughter Jane.

94. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is the third major motion picture produced by Universal from a book written by Theodore Geisel a.k.a. Dr. Seuss.

95. In 1992’s Scent of Woman, Al Pacino repeatedly shouts “Hoo-ah.” “Hoo-ah” comes from the military acronym “HUA” which stands for “Heard, Understood, Acknowledged.”

96. The car wash in Car Wash was named The Dee Luxe Car Wash.

97. 1971’s Play Misty for Me was set in Carmel, CA, where Clint Eastwood later lived and became mayor in 1986.

98. “The Bride” in “The Bride of Frankenstein” is the only one of Universal Studios’ Classic Monsters to have never killed anyone.

99. Throughout its hundred year legacy, Universal brought to audiences the first films of talents such as John Ford, Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, Norman Jewison, Ben Stiller, Robert Zemeckis, John Hughes, Amy Heckerling, Spike Jonze, Zack Snyder and Judd Apatow.

100. More than 100 million people from around the world have taken the Universal Studios “studio tour.” While the tour officially began in 1964, Universal has been welcoming the public to our studio since 1915 and the silent era.

Comedy to the 2nd

Where are all the original comedy film ideas?

Funny movies become classics but why must they become sequels?
Movie sequels make money at the box office based on the name but they do not usually fare well with reviewers.

Despite the history, this year, movie moguls have signed on to make many sequels of everyone's favorite films.

Jim Carrey ~ doing 'Dumb & Dumber 2', Will Ferrell doing 'Anchorman 2', Chris Rock is in Madagascar 3, a film's whose sequel did do well is going for a third and many more 'classics' are being made-over.  The number 2 is attached to at least 6 titles being made or set to release this year.

While the star names attached to the recognizable titles attract attention and all might break the mold and be hysterically funny films, why all the sequels this year? There are many funny comedy film scripts; there are many funny comedians and writers. Is Hollywood just playing it safe?

The studio who took a chance on Steve Harvey's 'Think Like a Man' book and turned it into a movie is smiling! The film may have broke a record by being #1 at the Box Office for weeks in a row. While this may start a trend in the Urban comedy market, of interest is the interest in comedian's books. Turning best selling books into box office success is old news, but Harvey's success may spark a new trend for the comedy market, Hollywood buying funny comedian's books and turning them into funny films.

Let's go Hollywood, let go of the past and get with some originals....

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Comedy Award Winners

 ROB RIGGLE was the host of last nights live taping of Comedy Central Comedy Awards - to air on Comedy Central on May 6. 

Comedy stars came dressed and ready to laugh. 

Notably missing was Stephen Colbert. Note - Jon Stewart took home the Award again and nobody's talking about Colbert's contract which is due up this year, hmmmm.

Chris Rock got laughs as a presenter as he commented on the lack of Black Winners.

Don Rickles showed off why he is King of the Insults during his long, funny speech for his Lifetime Achievement - beginning with “I wanna go home….”

Robin Williams called himself “one of the luckiest motherf—s in the business as he accepted his Stand-Up Icon Award.

Here are the Winners:

Comedy Screenplay: Bridesmaids
Comedy, Film: Bridesmaids
Comedy Actress, Film: Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)

Comedy Directing, Film: Paul Feig (Bridesmaids)

Comedy Series: Parks and Recreation 

Comedy Actress, TV: Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)

Comedy Actor, TV: Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
Comedy Writing, TV: 30 Rock

Late Night Comedy Series: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 

Comedy Directing, TV: Louie 

Sketch/Alternative Comedy Series: Louie 

Comedy Special Of The Year, Louis CK:

Stand-Up Tour: Louie CK 

Club Comic: Hannibal Buress 

Animated Comedy Series: sounded like, Archer. 

Best Viral Original: Songify This, "Winning- A Song By Charlie Sheen" 

Tune in to  Comedy Central on May 6 to see the ceremony.

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Comic Bible Fans

'King' on TV Land

TV Land is giving one of the original "Kings of Comedy" his own sitcom! Laugh-out-loud comedians Cedric "The Entertainer" and Niecy Nash star in the network's newest original series, "The Soul Man" (formerly known as "Have Faith")

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Yes to Yahoo! Comedy

Yahoo! recently launched a variety of original comedy Web shows, which are collaborative efforts between Yahoo! and top-tier production partners. The comedy channel on Yahoo! Screen was officially launched with the live broadcast of "CrazyStupidPolitics: Bill Maher Live From Silicon Valley," the first free online standup comedy broadcast.  With more than one billion streams of original comedy programming to date, Yahoo! is already the top online destination for comedy.

The Yahoo! Comedy Channel also features licensed content from top comedy content creators.  The new shows include "First Dates With Toby Harris," featuring Seth Morris (Funny or Die); "Sketchy" (Electus/ Principato-Young Entertainment), and "7 Minutes in Heaven" with "Saturday Night Live" writer Mike O’Brien (Broadway Video). The slate of comedy shows also includes the ever-popular Yahoo! Studios original show, "Odd News," Yahoo! News’s weekly wrap-up of the strangest stories from around the globe, hosted by comedian Greg Proops. All the new comedy shows are on Yahoo! Screen, Yahoo!’s online video destination.
Yahoo! will soon debut more comedy shows, including "Hackerazzi" (David Morgasen) and "Burning Love" (Paramount Pictures/Red Hour), which features an impressive lineup of celebrity talent and spoofs popular reality TV dating shows.
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Johnny Carson American Master

 American Masters Johnny Carson: King of Late Night premieres nationally Monday, May 14 at 9 pm (ET/PT) on PBS (check local listings).


This year is the 50th anniversary of Johnny Carson taking over The Tonight Show from Jack Paar and the 20th anniversary of Carson's retirement.In this new documentary, two-time Emmy-winning filmmaker Peter Jones explores the TV giant's life and career via unprecedented access to Carson's personal and professional archives, including all existing episodes of The Tonight Show (1962-1992) and 45 original interviews with family, colleagues, and performers who appeared, began or were influenced by The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: David Letterman, Jay Leno, Ellen DeGeneres, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Jerry Seinfeld, Joan Rivers, David Steinberg, Angie Dickinson, Dick Cavett, Doc Severinsen, Drew Carey, and many others. Kevin Spacey narrates.

American Masters: Johnny Carson: King of Late Night will stream at http://pbs.org/americanmasters after the premiere and be available on Blu-ray and DVD on July 7, 2012 through PBS Distribution.

Look for an interview with Director Peter Jones in the upcoming issue of The Comic Bible Magazine
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"Ted" @CinemaCon

Universal Studios showed a preview of their upcoming gems at CinemaCon including

Seth MacFarlane(Family Guy) very R-rated comedy, TED (7/13) about a boy and a talking stuffed teddy bear who sticks with him as a foul-mouthed teddy, even as he becomes  a grown man in the form of Mark Wahlberg. Deadline reports "it got the biggest laughs of the day by far and pushes the language to the limit. Fogelson said it was maybe the funniest script he had ever read and also noted in all his time at Universal he had never seen Meyer laugh so hard at anything. But as he brought MacFarlane out with co-star Mila Kunis he said he had “never been more proud or nervous” and then asked Seth: “Coming from network TV , were you just inspired to make this so you could say as many ‘f--ks’ as you want?”  MacFarlane did say that despite the colorful language at its heart the movie has a sweet backbone. When Fogelson asked him if he would like to do anything in front of the audience, MacFarlane, who is also the title character in the film, said “you mean like take my dick out?”  This product presentation definitely was the most free wheeling of the entire week, but I guess they feel what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."
#comedynews
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Comedy at CinemaCon

The actor at least had some material for the Monday night occasion as he paraded through the audience of theater owners in costume and character as an authoritarian leader of a fictitious middle eastern country to promote his upcoming film The Dictator – before a late night surprise screening elsewhere. “I thought I was going to be the only dictator here tonight,” he said. “Imagine my surprise when I found out Jeffrey Katzenberg would be here.” He added that he was “pleased to be here to address Cinnabon” claiming to have stared in movies such as When Harry Kidnapped Sally, The 14 Year Old Virgin, and The Planet Of The Rapes. “I hope you show my film on all of your screens…Trust me, there are bigger bombs than John Carter.” Staying with the riff he urged Disney to “just shoot the executive” responsible for the film. “Wait a minute, you did” — an obvious reference to the company’s decision last week to fire studio chief Rich Ross. He told the industry audience that his “film will be released on May 16. As for your families, we’ll see.”

The shtick was part of Paramount and DreamWorks Animation’s effort to impress the exhibition community with the potential audience appeal of their 2012 slates. Jon Chu, the director of G.I. Joe: Retaliation called the film’s star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson “franchise Viagra. He brings everyone’s game up.” The actor, who was presented an award as the CinemaCon Action Star of the Decade, predicted that the film would be “a massive hit.”

Katzenberg presented extended clips from The Guardians and Madagascar 3 and brought Chris Rock on to talk up the sequel. Although Madagascar will be be up against “Spider-man, Batman and all this other crap,”  he says, “I believe the biggest movie of the summer will be Madagascar 3″ which he says reminded him of Pixar’s Toy Story 3. “It can’t get no better.”  But after Rock was through, Katzenberg — one of Hollywood’s most passionate evangelists for 3D — got a bigger laugh by asking the audience: “Have I ever mentioned to you guys how much I like 3D?”

Comedy Awards Line-Up...

“THE COMEDY AWARDS” ANNOUNCES TALENT AND PRESENTERS
FOR “THE COMEDY AWARDS” 2012 CEREMONY

LINE-UP INCLUDES CHRIS ROCK, WILL ARNETT, TRACY MORGAN, MAYA RUDOLPH,
ADAM SCOTT, JON STEWART, HANNIBAL BURESS, TY BURRELL, LOUIS C.K, CHEVY CHASE, PAUL FEIG, TINA FEY, MELISSA MCCARTHY, WENDI MCLENDON-COVEY, ANNIE MUMOLO, AMBER NASH, JIM O’HEIR, CHRIS PARNELL, AMY POEHLER, MAYA RUDOLPH, THE GREGORY BROTHERS AND KRISTEN WIIG

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Andy Richter Returns As “The Comedy Awards” Announcer
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The Roots Will Be “The Comedy Awards” House Band
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Robin Williams To Receive The “Stand-Up Icon” Award
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Don Rickles To Receive The “Johnny Carson Award For Comedic Excellence” Presented By Jon Stewart
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Television Event Honoring The Best In Comedy Tapes At New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom
On Saturday, April 28 And Premieres On COMEDY CENTRAL On Sunday, May 6
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 “The Comedy Awards,” the annual event dedicated to honoring and celebrating the world of comedy, today announced talent scheduled to attend the April 28 ceremony, including the first announced presenters of the 2012 “Comedy Awards” which include Chris Rock, Will Arnett, Tracy Morgan, Maya Rudolph, Adam Scott and the previously announced Jon Stewart, who will present Don Rickles with the “Johnny Carson Award For Comedic Excellence.”
Joining Rickles on comedy’s biggest night will be Robin Williams, who will receive the “Stand-Up Icon” award will be some of the biggest names in the genre including Hannibal Buress, Ty Burrell, Louis C.K, Chevy Chase, Paul Feig, Tina Fey, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Annie Mumolo, Amber Nash, Jim O’Heir, Chris Parnell, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, The Gregory Brothers, Aisha Tyler and Kristen Wiig.  Additional names will be released later this week.

Comedy Call for Entries

ALL OVER:

Get your entries into 

Laugh Track Comedy Festival www.laughtrackcomedyfest.com

Black Comedy Competition

Iowa Comedy Festival - C4 contest running all over USA www.iowacomedyfest.com

World Series of Comedy 

GET YOUR FUNNY FILMS INTO

CoFilmic Funny Film Festival

Denver's Laugh Track Comedy Festival

GET YOUR SCRIPTS INTO

Scriptapalooza

New York Television Festival

LOOK FOR

The Ladies of Laughter event announcement

Comic Bible Comedy News Updates

Hot Comedy News ....

USA News:

SAG-AFTRA will hold its first board meeting as a single entity May 19-20 in Los Angeles. No agenda has been set. It will be the first official function for the board since SAG and AFTRA voted to merge the two unions March 30. On Monday, the union announced that former SAG National Executive Director David White will be the group’s sole NED and former AFTRA NED Kim Roberts Hedgpeth was stepping down April 30. #entertainmentnews

Steve Harvey's Book turned Movie tops Box Office Charts.

Catch Raymond the Amish Comic in an episode of new TV series, Amish: Out of Order, which premieres this Tuesday, April 17th at 10pm on the National Geographic Channel.

President Barack Obama will make his first appearance on NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, April 24

Former Daily Show correspondent Rob Riggle is set to host this year’s ESPYS, broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre CA on July 11.

George Lopez will host TAKE ME OUT, the provocative and unpredictable new dating series premiering Thursday, June 7 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

“Roastmaster General” Jeffrey Ross is back on COMEDY CENTRAL with a new original series, “The Burn,” premiering Tuesday, August 14 at 10:30 pm ET/PT, following an all-new Comedy Central Roast. Joined by a panel of fellow comics, Ross will skewer the week’s hot topics in-studio, and head into the field to take aim at public figures and current events in hilarious segments.

Teller, the silent half of the magic and comedy duo Penn & Teller, has sued a Dutch entertainer for threatening to sell the secret behind Teller's signature, copyrighted illusion known as "Shadows." - Reuters

495 Productions & Doron Ofir Casting the starmaking team behind “Nashville Star” & “Jersey Shore” are looking for Mothers who are managing their child all the way to stardom. Applicants are encouraged to apply at www.momagerscasting.com

C-O-N-S-C-I-O-U-S! THE NATIONAL WAKE -UP TOUR-KICKING OFF ITS INTERNATIONAL TOUR AT THE BERKELEY BLACK REPERTORY GROUP with Dick Gregory and Paul Mooney Thursday, May 31 at 11:00pm at Berkeley Black Repertory Group Theater

Jason Alexander to be presented the The Julie Harris Award
for Lifetime Achievement http://www.actorsfund.org/performances-and-events/tonyparty2012

MARC MARON TO RELEASE WTF BOX SET ON ASPECIALTHING RECORDS
INCLUDES OVER 100 HOURS OF INTERVIEWS + VIDEO OF WTF LIVE
ON SALE APRIL 24, PRE-SALE STARTS TUESDAY APRIL 17

Edi Patterson - a member of The Groundlings Theater has landed the last lead in Rebel Wilson’s CBS comedy pilot, Supper Fun Light.

COMEDY CENTRAL LAUNCHES “‘THE DAILY SHOW’ HEADLINES” APP
NOW AVAILABLE AS A FREE DOWNLOAD FOR IOS ON ITUNES AND ANDROID ON GOOGLE PLAY

7th Annual Long Island Comedy Festival submission deadline is April 30th! http://www.licomedy.com/sub.htm

10th Annual TV Awards gala was live and will air April 29th. Celebrity icons from television, film and music joined TV Land and host Kelly Ripa for an Unforgettable evening at the “TV Land Awards” 10th Anniversary celebration, which returned to New York for the second year in a row! The gala event, which premieres on TV Land on Sunday, April 29 at 9pm ET/PT, honored Aretha Franklin (Music Icon A...ward) and the casts of “Laverne & Shirley” (Fan Favorite Award), “One Day At A Time” (Innovator Award), “In Living Color” (Groundbreaking Award), “Murphy Brown” (Impact Award) and “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” (Pop Culture Award).
Memorable moments in this night of top-notch entertainment included a hilarious opening sketch (with 13 costume changes!) by second-time host Kelly Ripa, who started the show coming down from the ceiling dressed as Catwoman. “Murphy Brown” co-star Faith Ford danced like her alter ego on the show, Corky, while Jim Carrey gave a heartfelt speech when accepting the Groundbreaking Award with his fellow cast members of “In Living Color.”

The world premiere of Bill Plympton short “The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger” in Stereosopic 3D will take place Thursday, April 26, as part of the BE FILM Underground Film Festival, at the Disney Screening Room, 500 Park Ave & 59th St., Showtime: 7 pm. For more information, tickets or passes, check the schedule here:
http://www.befilm.net/schedule.html

JIM GAFFIGAN'S "MR. UNIVERSE" FOR DOWNLOAD - $1 FROM EVERY SALE TO BENEFIT THE BOB WOODRUFF FOUNDATION-http://www.jimgaffigan.com/

There was a MAJOR ERROR in the latest issue. Please note that Gabrielle Birchak IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH Comic Bible Magazine nor is she accredited media. She does not create videos for COMIC BIBLE. If you are contacted by Gabrielle Birchak and misled to believe she is a CB media source, please notify Comic Bible immediately. Thank you.

UK News:Channel 4 to develop new comedy /reality series
AND
Jo Brand to host a comedy panel show about classic comedy.

 

 

 

The Week's CA Comedy News

in CA:

This weekend April 21-22  in CA help set a World Record- drop off donations to Goodwill or Universal Studios 

The LA Times Book Festival @ USC is April 21 & 22nd

the THE LOS ANGELES COMEDY FESTIVAL! began April 20 and runs through April 26

The Females in Comedy Convention is April 26 - 29 at J. Spot Comedy Club.

The LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival begins April 26.

 

Casting "Momagers"

DORON OFIR CASTING BEGINS THE SEARCH FOR “MOMAGERS” - MOTHERS WHO TALENT MANAGE THEIR OWN TEENS & YOUNG ADULTS

 495 Productions & Doron Ofir Casting the starmaking team behind “Nashville Star” & “Jersey Shore” are looking for Mothers who are managing their child all the way to stardom.

Motherhood may be your life, but managing has become your career. Like Tina Knowles (Beyonce’), Pattie Mallette (Justin Beiber) and Gretchen Sheckler (Ryan Sheckler) before you, you've been blessed with the most talented kid in the world. Music, sports, dancing or acting…from your child's first steps and first words, you recognized their star potential; and who better to lead them down the path to stardom than their own mother? You know them better than anyone and no one will ever be more committed to their success than you.

From dance classes to theater camp, auditions to call backs, you've been there every step of the way supporting your child's destiny. Whether you're already a working talent manager who discovered a “spark” in your own child or the ultimate "Momager" who’s figuring it out as she goes along…Doron Ofir Casting, the star making casting company behind, "Nashville Star", and "Jersey Shore" wants to shine the spotlight on the women behind the world's next big stars.

“Whether your child is a diva, a prodigy, a comedic genius, a future mogul, a thespian, or a triple threat, this brand new documentary series will get to know the true stories behind the future faces of entertainment, and the entrepreneurial Moms who will do whatever it takes to earn Top Billing for their kids.” - Doron Ofir, Executive Casting Director

Is your child on the cusp of greatness; the next Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez or Daniel Radcliffe? Are you putting your life on hold to get theirs on track? Are you juggling other clients while trying to keep your kid a priority?

If you are a mother of a burgeoning star between the ages of 16-25 who manages every detail of their budding career, we are looking for you!

Applicants are encouraged to apply at www.momagerscasting.com

TV Land Awards Fun

10th Annual TV Awards gala was live and will air April 29th.  Celebrity icons from television, film and music joined TV Land and host Kelly Ripa for an Unforgettable evening at the “TV Land Awards” 10th Anniversary celebration, which returned to New York for the second year in a row! The gala event, which premieres on TV Land on Sunday, April 29 at 9pm ET/PT, honored Aretha Franklin (Music Icon Award) and the casts of “Laverne & Shirley” (Fan Favorite Award), “One Day At A Time” (Innovator Award), “In Living Color” (Groundbreaking Award), “Murphy Brown” (Impact Award) and “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” (Pop Culture Award).
Memorable moments in this night of top-notch entertainment included a hilarious opening sketch (with 13 costume changes!) by second-time host Kelly Ripa, who started the show coming down from the ceiling dressed as Catwoman. “Murphy Brown” co-star Faith Ford danced like her alter ego on the show, Corky, while Jim Carrey gave a heartfelt speech when accepting the Groundbreaking Award with his fellow cast members of “In Living Color.”

Wig Staying On?

@KristenWiig, 38, would not confirm media reports that she would be moving on from Saturday Night Live  when her contract ends later this year after seven years on the popular late-night program as a comic actress and sketch writer.

"I will say that when I do leave it's not because I'm sick of it and not because I see something better or anything like that. It's just that it's time. When I do leave, it will be the hardest thing ... But you have to leave the things you love,"

King of Late Night Back...

American Masters Johnny Carson: King of Late Night premiering nationally Monday, May 14 at 9 pm (ET/PT) on PBS (check local listings). This year is the 50th anniversary of Johnny Carson taking over The Tonight Show from Jack Paar and the 20th anniversary of Carson's retirement.   

In this new documentary, two-time Emmy-winning filmmaker Peter Jones explores the life and career of the biggest star TV has ever produced. American Masters received unprecedented access to Carson's personal and professional archives

Lotsa Comedy Fests

CA:
-LA Comedy FEstival begins April 26
- Females in Comedy Convention at the JSpot the entire weekend of April 26 - great seminars and networking. see www.femalesincomedyconvention.com for schedule.
- There are some funny authors scheduled to be at the LA Book Festival beginning April 22.

CO: - Laugh Track Comedy Festival & Film Festivus now taking Comedy & Film submissions www.laughtrackcomedyfest.com
NY: - Ladies of Laughter is getting set to make a big announcement regarding the return of the popular contest in May.
OR: Bridgetown Comedy Festival April 12-15
TX: Moontower Comedy & Oddity Festival begins April 25th-28th, 2012. Austin, Texas

USA - C4 Comedy Competition has its IL contest rounds coming up. Finalists win cash & prizes and go to the Iowa Comedy Festival.
- World Series of Comedy is Underway
- Scriptapalooza

UK
Best sketch & Best Comedy short films are showcased at Cofilmic. Submit now. http://www.cofilmic.co.uk

FOR MORE READ THE COMIC BIBLE MAGAZINE www.thecomicbible.com

Find Fame Now

FIND FAME NOW = This one of a kind "patented" website allows models, musicians and actors to send their favorite photo, song or audition video to the "top" entertainment professionals of their choice, such as, Personal Managers, Record Companies, Modeling Agencies, Producers, TV Shows, Movie Studios, Directors and Celebrities. First the aspiring performer chooses and attaches their best material, then using the websites incredible database with over 4,000 contacts, they select the agents or agencies who they want it sent to, and within minutes - FindFameNOW sends it out!

FindFameNOW is not a talent agency, booking agency, modeling agency or anything of the sort. They are strictly a submission company that specializes in sending up-and-coming performers material to the professionals they have selected. The artists contact info is always submitted, so when a company expresses interest in the artist, they will be contacted directly - giving them the unique opportunity to have control of their own career!
There are no membership fees and no contracts to sign. Simply attach material, select the agents/agencies where you want it sent to and let FindFameNOW do its work. Quick, simple and worth every penny!!


www.FindFameNOW.com    

Get on FOX- NYTVF

Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) and the NYTVF  announced the fifth annual FOX-NYTVF Comedy Script Contest. The contest once again invites aspiring television writers to enter their scripts for original half-hour comedy TV pilots for the opportunity to win $25,000 and a development deal with FOX. Scripts must present an original idea for a potential half-hour comedy series. The opening date for script submissions is Monday, April 16, 2012, and the winner will be announced at the 8th Annual New York Television Festival, being held October 22-27, 2012, in lower Manhattan.

“Five years ago FOX took a chance on the NYTVF when they partnered with us to offer a guaranteed deal to a talented writer in our community,” said NYTVF Founder Terence Gray. “The network’s support and continued commitment have fundamentally changed the way in which we work with the industry and paved the way for artists to access opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach. We are thrilled and honored to continue this partnership with FOX and look forward to the creative response from our community.”

“Comedy is so vibrant and exciting right now, and our annual collaboration with the NYTVF to discover, cultivate and support new comedy writers is as important as ever,” said Suzanna Makkos and Marcus Wiley, Senior Vice Presidents and co-heads of Comedy Development for Fox Broadcasting Company. “We are so grateful to the NYTVF and the artists who have participated in the contest for the last five years. It's incredibly gratifying to help break down traditional barriers so that original voices can be heard.”

The script contest is open to U.S. residents age 18 and over who do not have any contractual commitments preventing them from entering into an exclusive development deal with FOX. Scripts not currently under development at a network, studio or major production company and meeting all other criteria in the Official Rules located at http://nytvf.com/2012_fox_rules.html are eligible for the competition. Scripts must be between 25 and 35 pages in length in a proper screenwriting format to be eligible.

Writers can enter by submitting a copy of their script online to the New York Television Festival. Scripts must be saved in a PDF file format and uploaded to the official contest Web site located at http://nytvf.com/2012_fox_contest.html. The NYTVF will begin accepting uploaded scripts at 12:00 PM ET on April 16, 2012. The deadline for submissions is 12:00 PM ET on April 30, 2012, or when 1,500 submissions are received, whichever comes first.

A screening committee of NYTVF officials will narrow the pool of entrants down to 25 finalists. These finalists will be presented to FOX development executives. One winner will be selected by FOX, and he/she will receive $25,000 and a development deal with the network. Additionally, FOX may elect to enter into development agreements with the remaining finalists. All 25 finalists will be invited to the 2012 New York Television Festival as Official Artists where those not subject to a FOX development agreement will have the exclusive opportunity to participate in NYTVF Connect, the Festival’s comprehensive industry track serving artists and top-tier entertainment executives, with multiple opportunities to pitch, network and collaborate.

In addition to the FOX Comedy Script Contest, in 2012 the NYTVF previously announced development partnerships with IFC, MTV, Syfy and VH1 inside the annual Independent Pilot Competition, as well as with BIO Channel, Hasbro Studios, Logo, SevenOne International, Sundance Channel, and the U.K.’s Channel 4 as NYTVF Pitch Partners. A&E is returning for the second annual A&E Unscripted Development Pipeline, while Comedy Central offered a guaranteed deal through the Comedy Central Short Pilot Competition. Finally, NYTVF London, the organization’s first international event, was hosted last November in partnership with BBC America, BAFTA and PACT. During the event, Fox Television Studios (in conjunction with Apostle) and Warner Bros. International Television Production, announced the first-ever NYTVF development opportunities exclusively for U.K. Producers.

Wayans, MacFarlane and more

Keenen Ivory Wayans, Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans – come together to share stories about their funniest sketches on “In Living Color” during FOX’s 25TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL, airing Sunday, April 22 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). 

The special will also feature Seth MacFarlane from FAMILY GUY, THE CLEVELAND SHOW and AMERICAN DAD

!st Females in Comedy Convention announces schedule

The First EVER Females in Comedy Convention Makes History!

Showcases, Seminars, Workshops, Panel Discussion, Nightly Showcase & Luncheon coming to LA!

     The Females in Comedy Association (FICA) and Miss Rich Entertainment are proud to be sponsoring the FIRST  Ever “Females in Comedy Convention” (FICC) set to take place in Los Angeles, CA April 26^th- 29^th, 2012.   All the seminars will be held at The J. Spot Comedy Club-LA.

    Female celebs participating in the convention include Sheryl Underwood from “The Talk”; Kym Whitley-comedienne and star of “We Bought A Zoo” and “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”; Thea Vidale-stand-up comedienne and actress from sitcom “Thea” and Rodney Dangerfield’s HBO show “Opening Night At Rodney’s Place”; Luenell from the movie “Boratz” and the Katt Williams Tour; and more.

     Female Comediennes will participate from all over the U.S. and Canada.  Several hundred participants are expected for this four day convention, of workshops/seminars, Meet & Greet Party, Panel Discussion Tea, and more.

     Some of the industries’ top Comedy Professionals will be teaching the seminars/workshops and the nightly showcases will be held at LA’s hottest comedy clubs. Workshops and seminars will be held at The J. Spot Comedy Club- 5581 W. Manchester- Los Angeles, CA   90045     Showcase locations info coming soon!

    There has never been a convention of this magnitude for females in comedy... it’s a “History-Making” event!  The Convention will conclude Sun. April 29^th with a special “Females in Comedy” luncheon.

     For female comediennes who would like to participate in the first ever “Females in Comedy Convention” please go online at www.femalesincomedyconvention.com to register.

     Hope Flood (CEO & host of this event) is one of the fastest rising female comediennes in the comedy circuit today with thought-provoking political and spiritual commentary keeps audiences on edge of their seats thirsting for MORE!  Being in the comedy biz for over 20 years Hope has produced weekly showcases that launched careers for many successful comedians including Jamie Foxx and Chris Tucker.   She’s appeared on “Russell Simmon’s-HBO All-Star Def Comedy Jam,” ten seasons of “BET’S Comic View,” and later chosen as one of BET’S 39 favorite comics.  On-the-air or on stage- Hope brings style, class and talent.  And Hope Flood’s dream the entire time was to put this convention together for females in comedy!

     A portion of the proceeds from the fundraising events will benefit “A Nickel of Hope Inc,” featuring Hope’s Girlz Club motto: “How can a child take us into the future with hope?” in partnership with City Lites, an organization promoting good health and fitness with emphasis on the physically challenged to prevent obesity and diabetes.  City Lites is a 501C (3) non-profit organizations.  All donations are tax deductible.

     Workshops and Seminars include: Greg Dean (known as “The Dean of Comedy Technique”) has a workshop on “Joke Writing and Performance Techniques”-sharing his confident, successful comedic skills; Amy Ashton- “PERfect PITCH Seminar-How to pitch your idea or TV Show and get it on the air”- Amy has two TV shows she wrote, created and executive produced that aired on E! Documentary  ”Under The Knife” and Comedy Game Show “Fake or Real,” third show she created for Style, “Anything But Plastic.”; Stacey McClain- “Determining Your Comedy GPS”; Shang Forbes-“PR/Marketing Yourself 101”; Buddy Lewis- “Improv Class”; T. Faye Griffin- “Beyond the Mic: Discovering New Markets for Your Writing; Julie Edwards-Beauty-“The 7 Sec Advantage”; Ms. Laura Hayes- “Who’s Got Next”- a mystery workshop you won’t want to miss; and Ceo & Host of the Convention- Hope Flood’s workshop- “The Biz of Show” including how to negotiate your pay for gigs, turning YOU into a biz and other aspects of the comedy.

     If you are a female stand-up comedienne-please don’t miss the FIRST EVER, “Females in Comedy Convention” coming to LA April 26^th-29^th!