November - December, 2002 Our Own Studio Legend

by Tamara Tuell

Al was born in and moved out Day" to "The Show". In to West in 1940 when he was 1979 Al secured the CBS staff position of six years old. He grew up playing "kick the Construction Superintendent on the can" with a little girl who lived across the backlot. The departments he was street named Barbara. These grammar responsible for were the Mill, Paint Shop, school sweethearts have been happily Special Effects and Greens. He worked married now for 48 years. They have two with shows like "Phyllis", "", "WKRP sons, Larry and Steven, and three in Cincinnati" and "Hill Street Blues". grandchildren. Both Larry and Steven are In 1981 Al was promoted to Director in the business. Larry works on the lot at of Operations. Shortly thereafter is when Todd Radford as an L Systems Engineer yet another long and significant relationship and Steven is a Librarian at began for him with his assistant, Patsy Paramount. Titus. Patsy describes Al as "easygoing and Al’s marriage and career in the industry wonderful to work for". After 10 years of began in the same year, 1954. He took a working for him, she told him, "Whether job at 20th Century Fox as a laborer in you like it or not, I’ve adopted you and your Local 724. The first show he worked on whole family as part of my family!" was "The King and I". He then began an Al has made his career on this lot apprenticeship in the Paint Department at because he feels, "We have the best studio in Fox in 1956. His first location show was town because of the people we have working Al Ellena "State Fair" in Dallas, Texas starring Pat here. Ninety percent of our business is Boone. He worked as a painter for the next return business from producers who love Who knew we had a studio legend living 23 years. us." These are bold statements from amongst us here at CBS Studio Center? Al Al began working for CBS in 1962 at someone who has been around the block and Ellena, Director of Operations, just the old Charlie Chaplin Studio, which was back! celebrated his 40th year working for CBS. then called CBS La Brea, on a little show There’s one mystery Al still has not He started on this lot in 1963 working on called "The Perry Mason Show". He was solved in 40 years. When he started shows such as "", "Rawhide", "Big brought over to this lot in 1963 where he working here there were 18 sound stages. Valley", "My Three Sons", “Wild Wild West” has remained ever since. He’s worked on Since then 10 stages have been built, but and "Gilligan’s Island". everything from "Gunsmoke" to "Doris there are still only 18 sound stages!

Q U What is the longest running in E S history? T I O Answer on Page 4 N November - December, 2002

Production Schedule

That 70’s Show Carsey-Werner-Mandabach/FOX Carla’s Café ...... 5692 Grounded For Life Car Wash ...... 5042 Carsey-Werner-Mandabach/FOX

CBS Supply Station ...... 5001 on your 100th Episode! Passions Cellular Phone ...... 6221 NBC Studios/NBC

Client Services ...... 5458 Just Shoot Me Coffee Bar ...... 5979 Universal/NBC Computer Training/Rentals .6221 Half and Half Dry Cleaner ...... 5679 CBS Prods./UPN Emergency Line ...... 5555 Regular Joe Touchstone TV/ABC Hair Salon ...... 6157 Internet Access ...... 5218 Good Morning, Miami Warner Bros./NBC Joe’s Gym ...... 5458 Notary ...... 5837 Will & Grace NBC Studios/NBC Pager Rental ...... 6221 Yes, Dear Safety Hotline ...... 6078 20th Century Fox/CBS Shoe Repair ...... 5679 SERVICE AWARD Still Standing RECIPIENTS 20th Century Fox/CBS

Michael Klausman Malcolm in the Middle President, CBS Studio Center Regency Ent./FOX 30 Years Less Than Perfect Touchstone TV/ABC

Al Ellena According to Jim Director, Operations Touchstone TV/ABC 40 Years Bernie Mac Regency Ent./FOX

Cam Williams My Big Loud Greek Family Please do not set your Accounts Payable Brad Grey TV/CBS 10 Years New Year’s Rockin Eve 2003 Special CAR ALARMS Dick Clark Prods./ABC when parking on the lot!

They interfere with both on stage and location shooting.

Most cars can be locked manually without Seta Kasparian needing to set the alarm. 12/7 Studio City Holiday Open House Accounts Payable Manager and Parade-Ventura Blvd. For further information on the birth of your 12/11 CBS Christmas Potluck-Annex 1 granddaughter please contact the 12/12 Carsey-Werner Christmas Party- Aline Stage 19 Security Department x5085 12/14 Olive Crest ELFUN Christmas Born to Patrick and Michelle Party-Res. Street Abrahamian 12/25 CBS Newsletter Editor 10-19-02 —Tamara Tuell— November - December, 2002

Not Quite Ready for Prime Time Softball

by Dave Malkoff

“Will & Grace” recently finished its vs. “Greetings from Tucson” vs. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” season in the Prime Time Softball League Jason Ervin (Production Secretary/3rd Base) Chris Steimel (Production Assistant/Left with a 2-8 record. Our team simply lacked made a new mix tape to play when he leads the Field) found a pair of sunglasses under the the athletic talent needed to be successful. pre-game stretch. Tony Rodino (Driver/Short bench during the game. He tried to find the So, when I was approached by the editors of Stop) secretly switched that tape with the owner, but no one claimed them. After the this newsletter to write highlights of our soundtrack from “Annie”, knowing that Jason game, he asked the umpire what he should do feeble season, I was hard pressed to think of hates to hear kids sing. When Jason pressed with the glasses. The umpire said he really any. After some serious thinking, I managed play on his boom box and “Annie” started didn’t care. to compile the following. playing, we all laughed at him. vs. “24” vs. “Push Nevada” vs. “The Tonight Show” Shannon Dixon (Assistant Coordinator/ The second baseman from “Push Nevada” Sean Tuell (Best Boy Grip/Pitcher) brought Center Field) thought it would be funny if asked Daniella Quinones (Producers homemade brownies to the game. He had everyone wore breathe right nose strips Assistant/Catcher) for her phone number. been talking them up for weeks and they during the game. She started passing them Daniella told him she would give it to him if didn’t disappoint. Dennis Satterfield out until Larry Cogan (Accountant/Right he could guess in which month she was born. (Stand-in/First base) tried to eat three at one Field) told her that it was a stupid idea. He guessed wrong, but she gave him another time and ended up choking. From that Shannon got huffy and made the team vote chance. This went on eight more times until moment on, Dennis’s nickname was whether it was a good idea or a stupid idea. he finally guessed September. “Brownie”! By a 7-3 margin, the idea was voted stupid.

Medical News Something to Pout About by Dr. George Orloff

There are certain features, primarily within the lips. Collagen is by far the most is best accomplished when one is as fully facial, that change with age and are not easy common injectable material to make the lips informed as possible concerning all options to conceal. The lips are one such feature fuller, although results are temporary. available. A plastic surgeon, board certified that attracts a lot of attention. Our lips tend Surgical placement of soft Gore-Tex type by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, is to lose their fullness and soft texture as we implants within the lips are permanent, but an excellent source of information for age. include slight risks associated with placing a surgical or non-surgical lip enhancement. There is a broad array of methods to foreign material in the body. Using a return the lips to their youthful appearance, person’s fat injected into the lip can last George Orloff, M.D., F.A.C.S. collectively known as lip augmentation. longer. Chief of Plastic Surgery, Providence St. Joseph Medical Center Popular methods involve injections or Lip augmentation, as with any other (818) 848-0590 surgical placement of various materials surgical or non-surgical cosmetic procedure, www.drorloff.com 40 Years Ago Today... by Judi Miller

included! Also integral to the show was the close relationship between Marshal Dillon and Miss Kitty, which bordered on romantic Where Are They Now? but never quite took the leap. Gunsmoke started out as a half-hour (Marshal ) show that extended into a one-hour drama in Immediately following Gunsmoke, James its fifth season. The show was a hit early on Arness starred for three seasons in How The but began to struggle in the ratings as more West Was Won. His last television stint was and more westerns, such as and Big in the early eighties on a show called Big Jim Valley, were added to the television schedule. McLain. He is currently working on his By the late 60’s CBS was on the verge of autobiography. canceling the show. An outraged fan base Not only was Al Ellena beginning his however convinced the network to keep it on (Miss Kitty) extensive career at CBS Studio Center but the air. Gunsmoke was moved from Amanda’s career faded after Gunsmoke. the long running Western series Gunsmoke Saturday night to Monday night and the She made a guest appearance on The Love was filming on Stages 1 & 3, and in the series once again thrived. The show Boat and starred in the television movie Western Town backlot set (where Residential remained on the air for twenty years and a Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge in the late Street currently exists). total of 633 episodes were produced. The 1980’s. Amanda Blake died of throat cancer Gunsmoke began as a radio show in first eleven seasons were filmed in black and at the age of 60. 1952 starring as Marshal white, the last nine in color. The cast Matt Dillon. When it was brought to underwent many changes throughout the (Doc) television in 1955 the producer wanted to years but James Arness and Milburn Stone Milburn retired from show business after cast in the role of Marshal were staples for the full run. Amanda Blake Gunsmoke ended. He died of natural causes Dillon, but the busy movie was not in exited after season nineteen and Dennis in 1980. the position to make a commitment to series Weaver completed nine seasons. Gunsmoke television. The next choice was can currently be seen twice daily on the TV (Chester B. Goode) but the role ultimately went to James Arness, Land Network. Dennis Weaver’s career continued to thrive at the suggestion of John Wayne. The main following his run on Gunsmoke. He has cast of characters included Long Branch numerous film and television credits Saloon owner Miss Kitty Russell, played by including starring in the series McCloud Amanda Blake; the town "Doc", played by from 1970-1977. These days Dennis Milburn Stone; and Dennis Weaver spends most of his time trying to save our portrayed Deputy Chester B. Goode. environment through his Institute of The series was set in the late 1800’s in Ecolonomics, a company which combines Dodge City, Kansas, a.k.a. "The Gomorrah the goals of protecting the environment and of the West". The storylines focused on building a strong economy. He is also the Marshal Matt Dillon as he worked to author of the semi-biographical book titled maintain law and order in the small frontier All The World’s A Stage. town. A requisite amount of shootouts, cattle rustling and bank robberies was

A N S Gunsmoke W 1955-1975 E R