tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54667164193658442362024-03-13T03:11:51.167-07:00A View From the Cheap Seats...Stories from my 40 years in Hollywood...From Alice Cooper to Zsa Zsa Gabor!Rusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-47577400339868058142010-08-22T20:12:00.000-07:002010-08-22T20:12:42.941-07:00A True Hollywood Story...One of my fondest memories of my studio days in Hollywood were the monthly meetings of the Film Information Council.
It was a small informal group of marketing, publicity and promotion executives from the studios, production companies and agencies. This was an electic group of talented, opinionated and passionate men and women who loved working Rusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-20756734332664908142010-08-21T21:35:00.000-07:002010-08-22T18:18:29.989-07:00The Greatest Movie...... Titles of All Time
There are great movies...and then there are great movie titles.
I've been very fortunate in my career to have worked on some great movies like:Return of the Jedi, Dances with Wolves, and Rocky V,
But to tell you the truth, I had more fun when I was at New World Pictures, working with a fantastic team of people on some of these GREAT MOVIE TITLES...
How many of Rusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-86823910745600431812010-08-21T20:26:00.000-07:002010-08-21T20:26:53.464-07:00Viva Las VegasViva Las Vegas
The Las Vegas I knew in August 1977 was a far different place than it is today. The hotels were smaller, and although it was a ‘family’ town, it was most certainly a much different kind of family.
I was part of a production team to shoot a TV special called Viva Las Vegas for Spain and South America. Our ‘star’ was Donn Arden’s Hallelujah Hollywood spectacular at the Bally’s Rusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-76066240029410192232009-05-11T15:10:00.000-07:002009-05-11T17:26:18.667-07:00Travels with DomDom DeLuise was a halogen light in a 40 watt world. The first time I met him was backstage at The David Frost Show, and little did I know that a short 7 years later, I'd be standing next to him waiting to go on stage at Sahara's Lake Tahoe Resort watching as he walked on stage to open for Pat and Debby ("You Light Up My Life") Boone. But there is a lot more to the story. I worked with Howard Rusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-60217562571246344882009-04-22T12:46:00.000-07:002009-04-22T13:52:34.419-07:00A guy named BuddyMy father was in the fur business in NY, and he knew a guy named Buddy. He was always well dressed, but never seemed to work. My Dad would work all day marking fur pelts, going to auctions, working on deals. Buddy would just hang around.When I first went away to college he told me that Buddy wanted to give me a going away to college gift. He asked me what I wanted and I told him a typewriter Rusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-66191434608881258382009-03-10T10:01:00.000-07:002009-03-14T08:27:44.002-07:00Operator, This is Howard CosellHe was standing backstage and reading through his notes...quickly. He would glance at the page and turn it. He went through about 9 pages in less than a minute. And he remembered everything.That is the power of a photographic mind, which that day took the form of Howard Cosell. He was one of the most colorful, pompous, intelligent, and popular personalities in professional sports broadcasting Rusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-28860370832678225742009-03-06T10:15:00.000-08:002009-03-07T07:22:40.507-08:00Whatever Alice wants...Alice Cooper came to Las Vegas as the guest of Barron Hilton in 1977 because his manager loved Las Vegas and Alice loved playing golf .Each year, Mr. Hilton turned over the main ballroom of the Las Vegas Hilton, and hosted The Victor Awards Show where big Hollywood stars and professional athletes came together to raise money for The City of Hope.There is only one Alice Cooper. He is one of the Rusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-59596121204219541282009-03-03T16:49:00.000-08:002009-03-03T19:45:19.419-08:00My First Hollywood Home - 4616 Cahuenga I arrived in California on July 28, 1974 after a 4 day cross country drive and went directly to my first apartment at 4616 Cahuenga Boulevard in Toluca Lake.A mutual friend of Fabian who was living in LA had found the place for me before I left New York. When I pulled into the driveway, my apartment was ready and waiting. It was a typical 'California' complex, 24 apartments encircling a big poolRusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-79837372907145060812009-03-01T15:42:00.000-08:002009-03-18T13:54:26.742-07:00Rusty in 5.....Every Saturday morning, my father would drive me 10 miles to Freeport at 5am. That was the only way I could get to WGBB, where I was the Saturday morning news announcer.It was a pretty simple job and I loved it. First, I'd check the AP and UPI wire machines for national and regional news stories and the local weather. Then I'd check the morning edition of Newsday or the Long Island Press for Rusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-61924134396226183792009-02-26T10:58:00.000-08:002009-02-26T14:24:58.942-08:00A Body Slam for RobocopI have worked with a number of 'characters' in my career... Spiderman, Darth Vader, The Chipmunks...even PacMan.But putting together a national promotion for RoboCop was one of the more unique experiences in my life.In the late 80's and early 90's professional wrestling had become dominant in sports entertainment. Working with Jan Keane and her team at Orion Pictures, we created the ultimate Rusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-60774309442975694122009-02-26T09:36:00.000-08:002009-02-26T14:27:35.308-08:00The Rocky ScreeningI loved working in Television. It wasn't until 1976 that the thought of working in the movie business even crossed my mind.But it did one night at a special screening for a new movie called Rocky.Rogers and Cowan was the #1 PR firm in Hollywood and was led by the founders Henry Rogers and Warren Cowan. Henry brought clients like Ford to Hollywood, while Warren and his team represented every majorRusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-1381314604865643252009-02-11T14:27:00.000-08:002009-02-11T17:13:12.535-08:00Oh My Godzilla I never had more fun working on a movie that I did on Godzilla.For the most part, marketing movies is a long and hard process. It takes months…there are always problems…and you seldom get what you want. Godzilla was exactly the opposite. We secured the rights to the movie and got everyone (marketing, sales and production) in a room together and came up with a strategy. It was done in a matter ofRusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-34398912486145932032009-02-10T14:52:00.000-08:002009-02-10T16:19:28.442-08:00Dress BritishMy life as a personal manager started at company in Beverly Hills called D'Blity. D'Blity was an acronym for Dress British, Look Italian, Think Yiddish!A group of very talented comedians from Chicago's Second City had come out to LA to claim fame and fortune. I was working at Columbia Pictures TV for Ed Fishman and Randy Freer on an NBC game show called The Fun Factory. We hired them for the showRusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-83440539446142024512009-02-04T17:51:00.000-08:002009-02-04T18:40:40.603-08:00Bette Midler's First TV Appearance If you're lucky, there are a few times during a career in this business when you get to see a real star emerge for the first time. I've been lucky a couple of times.The first time for me was late March 1970.I saw and heard Bette Midler in the back of the Little Theatre with Budd Friedman, Karen Prettyman, Bob Carman audition for The David Frost Show.Her accompanist was a skinny kid named Barry Rusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-50647589494765794472009-01-30T10:38:00.000-08:002009-01-30T10:51:05.791-08:00The Oscars Part II became a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1987, and have enjoyed every minute of it. It’s a lifetime membership...as long as I keep paying my yearly dues.As a member of the Public Relation’s branch, I was nominated for membership by two existing members and then voted by the entire branch. My boss was one of the people who nominated me, and it didn’tRusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-50804727797101064742009-01-26T17:23:00.001-08:002009-01-26T18:08:23.219-08:00The Movie ToothfairyLarry Gelbart is one of the finest writers in the world; from Your Show of Shows, to MASH, Sly Fox, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Tootsie and so many more. For for a brief period of time in the late 70's, I had the privilege of working for him.It's also hard to write about a writer of Larry's stature without feeling absolutely unworthy. So, let me just tell you one of favorite Rusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-16624826388577809662009-01-23T16:47:00.000-08:002009-01-23T20:58:16.231-08:00Moms Mabley The first time I saw Moms Mabley I was 15 on a date. She was the opening act for The Temptations at Madison Square Garden.It was also in the middle of the famous 1968 New York City garbage strike. We were sitting on the top level at The Garden, and Moms walked on stage to a thunderous cheer. Then she told this joke:"I have the solution for this damned garbage strike. I want all you brothers and Rusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-9029764505652348302009-01-21T18:17:00.000-08:002009-01-21T20:45:04.640-08:00Dinner at SpagoThis is a true story about a PR stunt for the movie Girls Just Want to Have Fun that seemed more like a fire drill than anything else.And I was driving the fire truck.New World Pictures was a ‘mini-major’ with very high visibility in the industry. A great team led by Harry Sloan (who is now running MGM), Larry Kuppin and Bob Rehme bought it from Roger Corman two years before. The studio was Rusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-34592749456564465982009-01-20T17:15:00.000-08:002009-01-21T20:46:47.283-08:00The Count is in Town.Unless you’ve spent way too much time watching Sesame Street, The Count can only be one person.Count Basie.He was in a class by himself, and I was fortunate enough to work with him twice in my career. The second time was for a benefit in Los Angeles a few months after our first daughter, Rachel was born. We were in a Lamaze class and our coach, Sandra Jaffe asked me to help put a benefit togetherRusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-39148781809953675232009-01-19T17:00:00.000-08:002009-01-20T16:17:13.075-08:00Gene Kelly Danced!All she said was "I want Gene Kelly to Dance".I had just booked Gene Kelly at two mall appearances, and that along was tough enough. Dance? I don't think so. Besides, dancing wasn't part of the deal.He had already approved the schedule and signed the contract. His first appearance would be at the newly opened Omni Center in Atlanta (now the CNN Center), and then by private jet for the opening of Rusty Citronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086667723127284609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-41596436782672930772009-01-16T12:23:00.001-08:002009-01-17T14:15:07.568-08:00Rusty Citron, Come on Down!There are a few people who really made an impact on my career. Johnny Olson was one, but not in the way you might think.Johnny Olson is best known as the 'voice' of The Price is Right. For years, millions of people heard him tell winners and losers to 'Come on Down'! I don't know who came up with the slogan, but he made it famous.This story starts on Lincoln's Birthday in 1967. I took the train Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-13004735447535088782009-01-15T13:27:00.000-08:002009-01-15T15:52:26.366-08:00Sardi'sI was 17 when I got a house account at Sardi's.Working next door to one of the most famous restaurants in the world certainly had its benefits. I was making $3.15 an hour. It was one the best jobs in my career. …and I have some great stories about that famous restaurant.Tony the DoormanTony was a big man... and the first person you would meet going in to Sardi's, and the last person when you leftUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-73312081653868693192009-01-14T09:00:00.000-08:002009-01-14T14:11:39.105-08:00The Fat Man's PrayerThe David Frost Show was very popular. We won the Emmy Award in 1970. Incredible artists, politicians and personalities from Andy Warhol, Spiro Agnew and Noel Coward to Tiny Tim and Howard Cosell appeared on the stage at The Little Theatre.And we used to get mountains of mail asking for autographs and photos along with the usual amount of hate mail or praise. Every once and a while there would beUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-26354520528226298392009-01-13T12:15:00.000-08:002009-01-13T15:56:36.913-08:00Sweet Baby JamesBeing a page for The David Frost Show was a pretty simple job. I only had three things to do; whatever I was told, seat the audience, and stand around and look busy. I did them all pretty well. But there were some days that were better than others.On this particular day, my assignment was to help ‘seat the audience’ and greet people and VIP guests in the box office lobby. Easy enough, right? WellUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466716419365844236.post-62346033084029659662009-01-12T10:38:00.000-08:002009-01-12T14:01:04.676-08:00Booking Steven Spielberg...Very few people outside the film industry knew who Steven Spielberg was in 1976. But everyone knew the film he directed, the blockbuster Jaws.I was standing near the entrance to the Universal Studios Tour waiting to meet him to film a Kidworld interview, when it occurred to me I had no idea what he looked like. I guess it was the panicked look in my eyes and the clipboard that gave me away. I Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0