Hooray For Hollywood!

I took this photo after hiking up behind the Hollywood sign: that’s Lake Hollywood to the right and all of Hollywood stretched out below…why am I sharing this photo? Because it’s what I’m reading!

Meet Hollywood’s “Leading Lady!”

Sherry Lansing was one of Hollywood’s most powerful Executives, and a trailblazer in many ways…she decided to tell some of the wild behind-the-scenes stories from her career, and it’s what I am reading this month!

The Hollywood Reporter’s Stephen Galloway wrote “Leading Lady”, his biography of Lansing…and THR printed an excerpt to promote the release and it’s a doozy!

This excerpt talks about her run-in with Mike Myers during the planned filming of “Wayne’s World 2.”

When Lansing was in charge of Paramount Studios, Mike Myers was ready to begin filming the sequel to his massive comedy hit “Wayne’s World” – but there was a BIG problem:

“The then-Paramount chairman made an unfortunate discovery weeks before shooting was due to commence: Myers had heavily based the sequel on the 1949 British comedy ‘Passport to Pimlico’ — only nobody had bought the underlying rights.”

“Mike had always wanted to do Passport to Pimlico as the basis of Wayne’s World,” said SNL creator Lorne Michaels, who produced the comedy. “So he went and wrote it. I think he believed the studio understood that, and I think he even believed they had bought the rights to the other movie so that he was free to use it. 

Furious, Lansing summoned Myers to her office and told him exactly that — in much different (and harsher) words. Remembers one participant in the Myers-Lansing meeting: “She said, ‘How dare you? How dare you put us in this position?’ She turned to Mike and said, ‘We’ll sue you. We’ll take your f—ing house. You won’t even own a f—ing home.’”

The story continues:

“The verbal scathing went on, with Lansing adding a special twist, as then-production chief John Goldwyn recalled: “She made up this fabulous story about all of the lawyers sitting with [Paramount Communications executive] Stanley Jaffe. She said, ‘As I’m sitting here with you, there’s a team figuring out how they can take every single thing away from you.’”

Myers believed it, and was so shaken that he curled up in a fetal position on Lansing’s couch.

Said Lansing: “If I were you, Mike, I’d go to Lorne’s office right now and stay there until you come up with a new script. We’ll slide food under the door.”

I’ve worked in entertainment my entire career, and have spent time with Tom Cruise and so many other stars, and it’s a unique world to be sure…Sherry Lansing showed that intelligence, creativity and an “iron will” is the recipe for success…a terrific book indeed!

In that anecdote I shared, it mentioned that “Saturday Night Live” Producer Lorne Michaels was involved int he “Wayne’s World 2” fiasco…which leads me to share another terrific book I just finished:

This brand new biography is a massive hit and for good reason: it’s the story of the person who created “Saturday Night Live”, a groundbreaking TV show that just celebrated its 50th anniversary! That’s me hanging out at the 30 Rock building where the show is made!

As the book promotion notes:

“He’s a tastemaker, a mogul, a withholding father figure, a genius spotter of talent, a shrewd businessman, a name-dropper, a raconteur, the inspiration for Dr. Evil, the winner of more than a hundred Emmys—and, essentially, a mystery.”

“Doctor Evil” was a hilarious character from the “Austin Powers” comedy series – that Mike Myers created!

Here is Lorne in 1975 when “SNL” premiered:

This insightful biography peels back the layers of this Producer’s life and career…as noted int he press release:

“Generations of writers and performers have spent their lives trying to figure him out, by turns demonizing and lionizing him. He’s “Obi-Wan Kenobi” (Tracy Morgan), the “great and powerful Oz” (Kate McKinnon), “some kind of very distant, strange comedy god” (Bob Odenkirk)

The original cast included John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner and Chevy Case, which Bill Murray joining the second season.

The book is filled with stories of that tumultuous time – candid and riveting.

Author Susan Morrison was given complete and total access to Lorne and cast members past and present – she did hundreds of interviews—with Michaels, his friends, and SNL’s iconic stars and writers, from Will Ferrell to Tina Fey to John Mulaney to Chris Rock to Dan Aykroyd – what the publisher said is true:

“Lorne is a deeply reported, wildly entertaining account of a man singularly obsessed with the show that would define his life and have a profound impact on American culture.”

If you have an interest in entertainment, this is the book for you!

Staying on the subject of entertainment, I came across Actress Fiona Lewis when I watched the classic 70’s Vincent Price film “Dr. Phibes Rises Again!”

Curious about her, I did a little research, and guess what? She’s written a fantastic autobiography! Lewis shares her wildly entertaining film career, all the way to the south of France, where she bought a house and wrote a fascinating memoir called “Mistakes Were Made (Some In French)”…

Lewis was one of England’s hottest Model / Actresses during London’s “swinging” Sixties social scene – and at one time shared a flat in a ‘squalid’ part of Belgravia (“back when Belgravia had squalid parts”) with fellow party girl, actress Jacqueline Bisset.

She recounts all of her fascinating adventure in her memoir “Mistakes Were Made (Some In French)”, published in 2017 – it’s a funny, fascinating and extremely candid look at her life – from her life in London and Paris in the 1960s, Los Angeles in the 1970s, and lots of stories about life in the Hollywood “fast lane.”

I recommend this to everyone – an empowered story of a woman who not only navigated the world of entertainment, but then completely renovated an abandoned French Chateau, equally as entertaining!

See more of the book here!

My blogging friend Joanne Tracey shared a link for everyone to share what they are reading this month – so I shared mine and you can share yours, or just see some great books that others are sharing! Just click here!

https://fresh.inlinkz.com/party/75fcfeb3a7af4388883a8fc4d8d62299

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Thanks so much for reading!

Categories: Art, Books / Media, Comedy Movies, Film Fight Club, Great Films, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Memoirs, Movies, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities, TV Show

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