Alan Brandt (1923-2002)
Alan Brandt, playwright, lyricist, actor, and publicist to the stars, died on Sept. 6. He was 78. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1923, Brandt was a lyricist for songs recorded by such singers as Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, Mel Torme, and Tony Bennett. In 2000 the licensing company Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) honored his lyrics for the hit standard song "That's All" as having been featured more than two million times on radio, television, and film. Brandt came to playwriting as a septuagenarian in an effort to find age-appropriate material for his use in classes at HB Studios in NYC, where he began a late-blooming acting career in his 60s. A member of Actors' Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild, Brandt appeared Off-Broadway in Ira Levin's Cantorial at the Lamb's Theater and works by Clifford Odets at the Jewish Repertory Theater. At the age of 75 Brandt completed his first play, 2? Jews. Do Gooder Productions produced the work Off-Broadway for almost 12 months. In the decades between writing lyrics and plays, Brandt was a dealer in tribal art. Before venturing into the world of art dealing, Brandt had his own public relations company in which he handled the careers of Harry Belafonte, Mike Wallace, and the television programs Howdy Doody and Captain Kangaroo. Do Gooder Productions has established the Alan Brandt Memorial Play Fund in Brandt's honor. The fund will promote the development and production of new plays by new playwrights for the professional stage and continue to promote further productions of 2? Jews. Donations to the fund may be remitted to Do Gooder Productions at 359 West 54th St., Ste. 4FS, New York, NY 10019.
AFTRA, SAG OK Digital
The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists appear to have settled a portion of their battle over digital-production jurisdiction. AFTRA has released a statement saying it has reached "a harmonious agreement" with SAG and 20th Century Fox over jurisdiction of Fox-produced pilots for television. The settlement is confidential, AFTRA saying only that the trio has decided to "divide the programs on a case-by-case basis."
According to Greg Hessinger, AFTRA's executive director, "Our goal was to avoid a lengthy conflict at this time on these specific shows, and we have achieved that goal amicably, under terms that will not be disclosed. AFTRA reserves its rights under respective collective bargaining agreements, and in no way, through this agreement, concedes its rights in general within the digital jurisdiction."
Hessinger added that the issue of what terms and conditions apply to programs covered by SAG is "of course between 20th Century Fox and the Guild." He added that of the 10 programs that have been in question, those pilots produced under the AFTRA network code, whether picked up, remain under AFTRA's jurisdiction, and performers on those shows will be covered under AFTRA terms and conditions.
SAG said only that the three parties had "reached an amicable, confidential agreement.... As previously noted, the board of the Screen Actors Guild has appointed a committee to meet with AFTRA to discuss all aspects of shared jurisdiction. It is expected that after AFTRA appoints its committee, the two committees will meet in the fall."
SAG and AFTRA last year completed a three-year pact on feature film and television production with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. But the two unions didn't include any specifics on jurisdiction over digital production. While film belongs to SAG and videotape to AFTRA, the growing area of digital production still lies in the desert of indecision, where both AFTRA and SAG are claiming rights to performers' residuals.
—Roger Armbrust (Back Stage)
Hahn Returns EIDC Money
Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn is the latest elected official to return a donation received from the Entertainment Industry Development Corp., which is at the center of an ongoing criminal probe by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. The anti-secession campaign organization L.A. United, headed by Hahn, said it has returned a $25,000 donation received from the quasi-public film-permit office. The money was returned last week. L.A. United campaign manager Kam Kuwata defended the decision. "From our point of view, there are far more important issues involved in this campaign, and we wanted to focus on those issues," he said. "As far as we know, it was appropriate to make those contributions."
—Peter Kiefer and Nicole Sperling (The Hollywood Reporter)
New SAG Board Elected
The Screen Actors Guild has elected 46 directors for its National Board from its Hollywood and New York divisions. The remaining 22 national board seats are elected from the regional branches, for which voting will be completed by Sept. 25. A total of 51,282 ballots were mailed to eligible voters in Hollywood on Aug. 26. By the return deadline, 11,521 ballots, 22.47 percent of the total, were returned.
The 11 members elected for three-year terms to the National Board of Directors from the Hollywood Division are: James Cromwell, Noah Wyle, Mike Farrell, Shelley Fabares, Richard Dreyfuss, Morgan Fairchild, Mariette Hartley, Jane Kaczmarek, William Schallert, Bruce Boxleitner, and Richard Crenna.
The 11 members elected for two-year terms to the National Board of Directors from the Hollywood Division are: Tom Bosley, Amy Aquino, Mitchell Ryan, Peter Onorati, Kevin Kilner, Esai Morales, Paul Petersen, Barbara Bosson, Valerie Harper, Frances Fisher, and Jack Coleman.
The nine members elected for one-year terms to the National Board of Directors from the Hollywood Division are: Marcia Strassman, Seymour Cassel, Diane Ladd, Vivicca A. Whitsett, Trista Delamere, Suzanne Cryer, Dana Daurey, Robert Duncan McNeill, Robert David Hall.
The 21 members elected as alternates to the National Board of Directors (a one-year term) from the Hollywood Division who will serve on the Hollywood Board are: Patrick Kerr, Keri Tombazian, William Daniels, Jerry Sroka, Chris M. Allport, Renee Taylor, Richard Herd, Sumi Haru, Michael Harrah, Michael Monks, Fred Savage, Alan Rosenberg, Dakin Matthews, Karen Austin, David Huddleston, DeWayne Williams , Bonnie Bartlett, Paul Napier, Rebeccah Bush, Julie Sanford, Yale Summers.
National Board Directors for elections completed in the regional branches include Steve Fried (Arizona), John Carter Brown and Eileen Parkinson (Chicago) Kathryn Christopher (Colorado), John S. Davies (Dallas), Diane Jones (Detroit), Jim Hutchinson (Hawaii), John Borrowman III (Houston), CeCe DuBois (Nashville), Art Lynch (Nevada), Roy Costley (New Mexico), Victor Morris (Portland-Board Alternate), Virginia Hawkins (San Diego) Dick Arnold (Seattle), Russ McGinn (Utah), and Jane Beard (Washington/Baltimore).
Off the Wire…
NATIONAL—The Screen Actors Guild Awards is inaugurating a new online submissions process, beginning with requests for consideration for the 9th Annual Awards. Submissions for the 2003 Actor nominations open on Sept. 23 and continue until 5 p.m. (PST), Nov. 22. Recipients of the 9th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be announced at ceremonies on Mar. 9, 2003, telecast from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center on Turner Network Television (TNT). Submissions can be accepted online at www.sagawards.org, or submission forms can be obtained by calling the SAG office at (323) 549-6707.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA—Harry Shearer & Friends will present An Evening of Serious Fun!, a benefit celebrating 10 years of the Virginia Avenue Project featuring performances by Kathy Bates, Amy Brenneman, Rico Colantoni, Tyne Daly, Greg Germann, LisaGay Hamilton, Mimi Kennedy, Kathy Kinney, Roma Maffia, John Ritter, and other guests, on Sept. 26 at the Olympic Collection in West Los Angeles. (310) 264-4224…
The Orange County Playwrights Alliance new-play development series will present Discoveries: Looking West on Sept. 28 at the Hunger Artists Theatre in Fullerton. (714) 962-7686 or visit www.ocpaplaywrights.org…
Talent manager and entertainment publicist Brad Lemack will hold a discussion and signing of his book The Business of Acting: Learn the Skills You Need To Build the Career You Want, on Oct. 1 at Bookstar in Studio City, (818) 505-9528, and on Oct. 8 at Borders Books & Music in Glendale, (818) 241-8099.
—Rosa Fernandez