On This Day In Comedy… In 1995 ‘Major Payne’ Was Released By Universal Pictures!
On this day in comedy on March 24, 1995, Major Payne was released by Universal Pictures
Written by and starring Damon Wayans, this satire of military films is a hilarious remake of an old 1955 Charlton Heston film, The Private War of Major Benson. Didn’t try to hide that fact either. Wayans’ character name is Major Benson Winifred Payne. Directed by Nick Castle, Major Payne co-stars Karyn Parson, Orlando Brown, Albert Hall, William Hickey, Michael Ironside and Steven Martini
In the film Wayans plays a veteran of the Marines who’s hit the glass ceiling. After a big deal drug mission, he is still passed up for Lt. Colonel, so he gets an honorable discharge and retires mentally from fighting anymore battles for the Corps. Once out he joins the cops. That lasts as long as it takes him to knock out a domestic violence suspect on his first call. Payne is put in jail. Fortunately, a friend bails him out and arranges for him to instruct youngsters at a military school; youngsters with disabilities, like deafness and heart conditions.
Payne’s new job is to train the cadets. He overzealously treats them like hardened grown men and soon gets the wrath of the cute lady school counselor. Payne doesn’t care – he wants his new recruits to win the Military Games that hasn’t been won by the school ever. They are always last. Well not again if Payne can help it. He tells his troops that he wants that trophy. So, they sneak over to the school that has it and tries to steal it, but Payne drops a dime on them and the cadets from the rival academy ambush his boys.
After their defeat Payne makes a deal. If his guys can win the trophy legit he will leave. They go all out in their training to accomplish that goal. It looks like they’re ready, but Payne gets called back into the service to go to Bosnia. Morale is down, but the boys compete anyway. Even though he’s gone anyway, they’re fired up to win just to win. However, Payne feels he let them down and returns just in time to route his squad on to victory and they . . . win. Throughout the experience Payne himself has gotten more sympathetic, but not totally. In the final scene when a new blind recruit mouths off Payne shaves him and his seeing-eye dog bald.
Major Payne got mixed reviews but was an audience pleaser coming in at #2 on its opening weekend and taking in a worldwide gross of $30.1 million.
On This Day In Comedy… In 1987 ‘Hollywood Shuffle’ Was Released!
On this day in comedy on March 20, 1987, Hollywood Shuffle was released by The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Produced, directed, and co-written by Robert Townsend, this film is a satirical attack on Hollywood’s systematic stereotyping of blacks in the media. Townsend financed the indie with his own credit cards and used the storyline of a struggling black actor interspersed with vignettes to illustrate his point. There’s scenes of slavery, popular films, movie reviewers and more as Townsend’s character’s imagination lets us in on his conflict in being an underused and often degraded minority in the world of entertainment.
Hollywood Shuffle is about Bobby Taylor (Townsend) having to decide to take a cooning part in a black gang film. His grandmother is against it. His mother supports him, but she is also against cooning. His co-workers and boss couldn’t care less if he coons or not. They don’t think he’ll ever make it as an actor anyway and he needs to keep his mind on his job at Winky Dinky Dog. They’re wrong. He gets the coveted role and finds out he can’t do it. It’s too much cooning. So, he takes his grandmother’s advice and gets a job working for the post office. He does a commercial for USPS.
This comedy classic was co-written by Keenan Ivory Wayans and co-produced by Dom Irrera, Hollywood Shuffle features Anne-Marie Johnson, John Witherspoon, Brad Sanders, Helen Martin, Eugene Robert Glazer and Paul Mooney.
The film was a critical and box office success. It won the 1987 Deauville Film Festival Grand Special Prize Critics Award and Coup de Coeur LTC Award for Robert Townsend and made $5,228,617 on a $100,000 budget.
On This Day In Comedy… In 1951 Comedic Actor And Dancer Fred “Rerun” Berry Was Born
On this day in comedy on March 19, 1951, Actor, Dancer, Fred Rerun Berry was born in St. Louis, MO
Berry was best known as ‘Rerun’ from the ABC sitcom, What’s Happening!! (1976-1979). He was a breakout character. With his red beret and suspenders, the Rerun was immediately identifiable and this notoriety made Berry a millionaire by the time he was 29 years old.
Fred Berry had cut his show business teeth as a break dancer with The Lockers from Los Angeles. The popular troupe appeared on Saturday Night Live, Soul Train and toured internationally. This appeal led to television. Berry’s chubbiness was perfect for his cuddly character, but once What’s Happening!! went off the air Berry found he had been typecast and that getting work would be difficult. So, he embraced his Rerun alter ego and appeared in commercials and made personal appearances as Rerun.
Typecasting wasn’t Berry’s only problem. He also fought drug addiction and alcoholism. So, when the show was revived as What’s Happening Now!! Berry was glad to return. That joy was short-lived. As with What’s Happening!! Berry didn’t feel he was getting paid what he deserved, since to him people watched the shows mainly to see him. So, in both cases he stalled in contract re-negotiations and he walked. In the latter case he walked after one season.
The remainder of Berry’s life was spent trying various ways to maintain his celebrity. He was a preacher at a Baptist church. He was a public speaker. He made appearances in low budget films and music videos. He even toured with the UniverSoul circus as Rerun. The man stayed active until he passed away on October 21, 2003 in Los Angeles, California while recovering from a stroke.
On This Day In Comedy… In 1927 Comedian And Actor Rudolph Frank Moore (AKA Dole Mite) Was Born
On This Day in comedy on March 17, 1927, Comedian, Recording Artist, Actor, Dancer, Musician, Filmmaker, Rudolph Frank Moore (aka Dole mite) was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas
Moore was known as the “Godfather of Rap” based on his numerous comedy albums featuring dirty rhymes and jokes. He went by the stage name of Dolemite, a character in his films who was part-pimp, part gangster.
Moore got his start as a preacher in Milwaukee. He expanded his flair for entertaining as a dancer / singer in nightclubs, known by the name of Prince DuMarr. His Army buddies changed that name to the Harlem Hillbilly when Moore shipped out to Germany as part of their entertainment troupe. He sang country songs with an R&B feel. He also got turned onto comedy. Once out of the Army he moved to Los Angeles, got back in nightclubs and got discovered. Dootsie Williams recorded Moore’s songs under 5 different labels from 1955-1962. In 1959 Moore recorded his first comedy album, Below the Belt, followed by The Beatnik Scene (1962) and A Comedian Is Born (1964). He was making a living, but not living it up.
Then came Dolemite. He’d heard stories about the character from a guy while Moore was working at a record store in 1970 and decided to become that character for his own persona. He recorded the comedic tales in natural settings; like his own home with friends over drinking and getting high as Moore told jokes, sang songs and did nasty rhymes. He was an instant hit.
Moore was one of the titans of “party records”; recordings labeled XXX by most of their distributors. Many of these albums were sold under the table at record stores and had to be given to the patron in a brown paper bag so the suggestive covers of naked women were obscured. In rapid succession Moore released Eat out More Often, This Pussy Belongs to Me and The Dirty Dozens.
It was through those recordings that he was able to finance his first film, Dolemite (1975). That low budget hit became known as one of the greatest Blaxploitation films of all time and spawned sequels: The Human Tornado, The Monkey Hustle, Petey Wheatstraw: The Devil’s Son-in-Law and The Return of Dolemite. Moore was ghettofabulous and traveled extensively as Dolemite as his stage act and his fans adored him. He could do no wrong with them. On the road his merchandise sales often tallied more than the fee he received to perform.
Moore remained active throughout his career. His popularity endured as rap artists; especially Snoop Dogg credit rap to Moore. It was his raw edged rhymes accompanied by music in the background that lent itself to his pioneer status. Even in his later years he was so revered rappers sought his collaboration on their tunes and he’s featured in many from Big Daddy Kane to 2 Live Crew.
Rudy Ray Moore was prolific. He released over 30 records, appeared in almost 20 films and lent his talent and expertise to other artists until he passed away on October 19, 2008 in Akron, Ohio from complications of diabetes.
On This Day In Comedy… In 1980 ‘Sanford’ Premiered On NBC!
On this day in comedy on March 15, 1980, ‘Sanford’ premiered on NBC
Redd Foxx left his hit NBC show, “Sanford & Son” in 1977 and went to ABC to do a variety show that only lasted 4 months. Since they were in the basement in network ratings, NBC jumped at the chance to get Foxx back in the role of Feed G. Sanford and so Sanford was born. It aired minus Demond Wilson (who refused to return) and lasted two shortened seasons. The show was a mid-season replacement in the 1979-80 season and the 1980-81 season.
The ill-fated incarnation centered round Fred and his new partner, Cal (Dennis Burkley), a Southern white guy with a big heart and gut who Lamont had worked with on the Alaska Pipeline and who he sent to stay with Fred. Aunt Esther and Rollo were still around, but that was the only magic left from the first time we met Fred Sanford.
The show was yanked and retooled, showing back up with Rollo and many of the other new characters. This retooled version was scrapped faster than some of the junk in Sanford’s yard. Sanford went off the air July 10, 1981.
On This Day In Comedy… In 1966 Comedic Actress Elise Neal Was Born!
On this day in comedy on March 14, 1966, comedic Actress, Elise Neal was born in Memphis, Tennessee
Neal had formal training as a ballet dancer, but an unrelated injury plunged her into musical theater, where she found success touring once she left college. Her ease of manner jettisoned her into commercials and a relocation to Los Angeles, California, where she got busy. Neal danced in music videos (Chubb Rock’s “Just the Two of Us”, Father MC’s “Lisa Baby”, Black Sheep’s “Strobelight Honey”, Dannii Minogue’s “This Is It”), worked on a soap opera ( Loving), primetime series (Hangin With Mr. Cooper, SeaQuest 2032), guest starred on sitcoms (Family Matters, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Living Single, The Steve Harvey Show, The Wayans Bros.) and appeared in films (Malcolm X, How to Be a Player, Money Talks, Rosewood).
The role that put Neal on the comedy radar was that of Yvonne Hughley, on the D L Hughley sitcom The Hughleys. This was a show that traveled; starting on ABC; where it did a two-season tenure, it was moved to UPN for its final two seasons. While playing straight lady to Hughley’s comic, Neal appeared in the motion pictures Scream 2, Restaurant, Mission to Mars, Brian’s Song and Paid in Full. She was also featured in Aretha Franklin’s “A Rose is Still a Rose” video.
Once The Hughleys ceased production, Elise Neal branched off into recording and producing. Her production company received a development deal with Mandalay Bay Entertainment to provide a variety of projects including fitness and lifestyle programming as well as musical content. Her soundtrack single, “I’m Down Baby” came from her 2007 film, 4 Life. Other films included K-Ville with Anthony Anderson, Ransom Games, Playas Ball, and Hustle & Flow. She did the sitcoms, Belle, The Soul Man, the Real Husbands of Hollywood and the reality show, Hollywood Divas on TV One.
Neal has been nominated for three NAACP Image Awards, a Screen Actor Guild Award, a Black Reel Award and she won as part of Best Cast for Hustle & Flow at the Young Hollywood Awards.
Donald Glover And FX Exit Marvel’s Animated ‘Deadpool’ Series
FX is exiting Marvel’s planned Deadpool animated TV series.
The cable network, as well as Donald Glover and Stephen Glover, will no longer be involved in the series. The Atlanta star and his brother were set to write, executive produce and serve as showrunners on what was described as an animated adult action-comedy series originally intended to launch this year on FXX that was to be based on the comic book giant’s Deadpool. It’s unclear if Marvel Television will shop the series elsewhere (or if it could wind up on Disney’s planned direct-to-consumer subscription service).
“Due to creative differences, FX, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover and Marvel Television have agreed to part ways on Marvel’s Deadpool animated series,” FX said Saturday in a statement. “FX will no longer be involved with the project. FX and Marvel have an ongoing relationship through our partnership on Legion, which will continue.”
Picked up straight to series in May with a 10-episode order, Marvel head of television Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory were attached to exec produce. Loeb and his executives are said to have been big fans of FXX’s Archer, and approached FX brass with the idea. FX then approached Glover, a significant talent with increasing geek cred. Following a complex negotiation, the series was set to hail from Marvel Television, FX Productions and ABC Studios’ cable arm, ABC Signature. A voice cast was never set for the project.
FX president John Landgraf told reporters in August that the Deadpool series would feature a “different tone and editorial voice” with the Glovers’ involvement. “We really wanted to make something that was distinctly different from the movie,” he said. Landgraf said the brothers and a writing staff were penning the series during their time in London while Donald Glover was shooting the Star Wars Lando Calrissian movie.
Deadpool is the second Marvel project to be picked up to series and see the network attached bail on the project. Freeform last year dropped its buzzy take on Marvel’s New Warriors, with a new home yet to be determined.
The Deadpool decision comes as Disney CEO Bob Iger has said that the company’s planned streaming service would feature a Marvel original series as well as the comic book giant’s slate of films, which have been pulled from Netflix.
Marvel still has an impressive roster of TV fare spread across multiple outlets on top of its suite of Netflix programming, which includes Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher and Daredevil. In addition to FX’s Legion, Marvel has Hulu’s Runaways, ABC’s Agents of SHIELD (and Inhumans, which is unlikely to earn a second season) and Fox’s The Gifted.
The news comes two months before 20th Century Fox and Marvel’s feature side will bow Deadpool 2.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Tiffany Haddish Set To Voice-Star In New Animated Film ‘Lego Movie 2’
Everything is awesome for Tiffany Haddish.
The actress is joining the voice cast of The Lego Movie 2 as a key new character.
Mike Mitchell is directing the movie, which sees original voice stars Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks returning as regular guy turned Master Builder Emmet Brickowoski and Wyldstyle, respectively. Will Arnett is returning to voice Batman, while Channing Tatum will return as Superman and Jonah Hill as Green Lantern.
Plot details are being kept in the box.
Dan Lin is producing along with Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who directed The Lego Movie, the 2014 hit that earned $469.1 million worldwide and helped launch a franchise for Warner Bros. Roy Lee is also producing.
Ryan Halprin and Will Allegra are co-producing. Allison Abbate and Chris Leahy are overseeing for Warners’ Warner Animation Group arm.
The Lego Movie 2 is set for Feb. 8, 2019.
Haddish has been on quite a roll since her breakout in the surprise hit Girls Trip. She will next be seen opposite Tracy Morgan on TBS’ The Last O.G., which premieres April 3, and opposite Kevin Hart in Universal Pictures’ Night School, which opens Sept. 28. She will host the upcoming MTV Movie & TV Awards, and she inked a first-look deal with HBO earlier this year, which followed on the heels of her book The Last Black Unicorn making it on the New York Times best-seller list in December.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Bill Bellamy Set To Host Final Installment Of Shaquille O’Neal’s Comedy Franchise ‘SHAQUILLE O’NEAL PRESENTS: ALL STAR COMEDY JAM: I’M STILL LAUGHING
Comedian and actor Bill Bellamy (Any Given Sunday, How to Be A Player) takes center stage to host the eighth and final installment of Shaquille O’Neal’s comedy franchise, SHAQUILLE O’NEAL PRESENTS: ALL STAR COMEDY JAM: I’M STILL LAUGHING, premiering on SHOWTIME on Friday, March 23 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on-air, on demand and over the internet. Filmed at The Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, the new special features comedy veteran and fan-favorite Bruce Bruce (Think Like A Man, The Wash, Idlewild) teaming up with Huggy Lowdown (Tom Joyner Morning Show), Aida Rodriguez (Last Comic Standing, The Comedian) and Brian “Da Wildcat” Smith (2015 Winner of The Nationwide Shaq All Star Comedy Competition) for a hilarious line-up in a high-energy night of comedy.
SHAQUILLE O’NEAL PRESENTS: ALL STAR COMEDY JAM: I’M STILL LAUGHING is directed by Leslie Small and executive produced by Shaquille O’Neal and Jeffrey Clanagan along with producer Valerie Benning Thompson.
Spike Lee to Launch His First Online Filmmaking Class!
Spike Lee will share his insights and experience from three decades of making movies, for just $90.
The filmmaker, one of the leading voices of modern black cinema, will offer his first online class in partnership with MasterClass. Lee’s class is slated to launch in the summer of 2018 on the platform, which hosts more than two dozen other celebrity-led tutorials.
Lee has been teaching filmmaking — in conventional settings — for nearly 30 years. Currently, Spike Lee is artistic director and professor in New York University’s Graduate Film Program (from which he received an MFA in film production). He first joined the NYU faculty in 1993, after teaching a course on filmmaking at Harvard in 1991.
“There are no absolute truths in filmmaking and no one way to be a filmmaker,” Lee said in a statement. “I’ve learned in 30 years things that I can give back. I’m teaching this MasterClass because very few people get to sit in my classes at NYU, so this is an opportunity for me to share what I’ve learned with as many students as possible, no matter where they are in their film career.”
Lee has written, directed, produced, and acted in films ranging from major studio pictures to micro-budget indie films. His movies have had a lasting cultural impact, starting in 1983 with his graduate thesis film “Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads.”
Lee’s acclaimed films include “Do The Right Thing,” “4 Little Girls,” “When The Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts,” and “Malcolm X.” Other critical and commercial successes have included “Inside Man,” “25th Hour,” “The Original Kings of Comedy,” “Bamboozled,” and “Summer of Sam.” More recently, he helmed the Netflix revival of “She’s Gotta Have It,” which debuted last fall as a series. Lee heads production company 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks and ad agency Spike DDB (in partnership with DDB Worldwide).
In the online class, Lee will analyze his work both on the page and on the screen, covering the technicalities of writing stories, working with actors, camera angles, financing, and choosing music. He will address the hurdles facing first-time filmmakers, and shares his own experience overcoming obstacles in the film industry. Lee also will discuss how he has tried to affect culture with his movies, and he urges students to be conscious of the relationship between their work and the world.
Pre-registration for Lee’s online class is currently open at the MasterClass website (at masterclass.com/sl). Enrollment for the class is $90 for lifetime access; customers also can pay $180 per year for unlimited access to all existing and upcoming classes.
MasterClass, founded in 2015, also hosts tutorials from Werner Herzog (filmmaking), Hans Zimmer (film scoring), Steve Martin (comedy), Aaron Sorkin (screenwriting), and Shonda Rhimes (writing for television). Upcoming classes are scheduled from Martin Scorsese (filmmaking), Ron Howard (directing), Helen Mirren (acting), Samuel L. Jackson (acting), and Judd Apatow (comedy).
