Tony Piazza's Blog, page 15

A Writer’s Journey: From Stargazer to Chronicler and Back . By Tony Piazza

A Writer’s Journey: From Stargazer to Chronicler and Back.   By Tony Piazza   The San Francisco bay area has played host to a number of motion picture and television production companies over the years. Why? A cinematographer once told me that San Francisco with its numerous hills and magnificent views of the bay made [...]

Another “Streets of San Francisco” Memory

Another “STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO” MEMORY by Tony Piazza       RAY BRADBURY is a master at creating a nostalgic scene in one’s mind, like a fall setting, or an Indian summer. Perhaps I don’t quite have that gift, but it is what comes to mind when I remember back to that summer of 1975. [...]

Karl Malden’s & Michael Douglas’s Birthday Wishes! By Tony Piazza

Karl Malden’s & Michael Douglas’s Birthday Wishes!  By Tony Piazza   Imagine searching through your parent’s memorabilia and coming across a birthday card to your dad from work. It is signed by all his co-workers with well wishes for his special day.  Now imagine that this job was with a television production…and those co-workers were celebrities and crew [...]

Touched by a Star by Tony Piazza

Touched by a Star by Tony Piazza   Most thirteen-year-olds see their heroes only on the movie screen or in books. I was fortunate to meet my hero in person. I’m talking about the legendary actor Steve McQueen, and I met him in 1968 during the filming of Bullitt,. the film that defined the Movie [...]

My Conversations with Stuntmen by Tony Piazza

My Conversations with Stuntmen by Tony Piazza Stunt from “Streets” episode “Dead Air”.  I’m the passenger in that car! I had mentioned elsewhere that one of the greatest advantages about being a member of a film crew is getting to know and visit with co-workers who range from major actors to lesser known grips. And [...]

My Neighbor, Jane Russell by Tony Piazza

MY NEIGHBOR, JANE RUSSELL by Tony Piazza When I was growing up I heard a number of stories about JANE RUSSELL. I would see her with BOB HOPE and BING CROSBY on Christmas Shows, or in films, but little did I know that many years later I would be living in the same neighborhood, just [...]

Karl Malden: The Hazards of Being in the Spotlight by Tony Piazza

Karl Malden: The Hazards of Being in the Spotlight   by Tony Piazza Did you know that KARL MALDEN actually got death threats because of that American Express commercial he did years ago? Some disgruntle user of American Express sent the company letters with inflammatory language and quite blatantly announced that they would like to [...]

ROCK HUDSON, A Quiet Man by Tony Piazza

ROCK HUDSON, A Quiet Man by Tony Piazza I met ROCK HUDSON one sunny summer day in downtown San Francisco. He was there filming his television series McMillan and Wife (1971-1977) with Susan Saint James. The show was a crime drama in the tradition of the “The Thin Man” series of the 1930s and 40s. [...]

Witnessing an Incident Involving Darren McGavin by Tony Piazza

WITNESSING AN INCIDENT INVOLVING DARREN MCGAVIN by Tony Piazza   DARREN McGAVIN. Veteran of television shows dating back to 1949. He appeared in programs such as; “Alfred Hitchcock presents”, “Mike Hammer”, “Riverboat”, “Rawhide”, “Route 66″, “Mission Impossible”, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and “Mannix.” His most notable roles were as Karl Kolchak in the television show [...]

The Thrill of Meeting Ann Margret by Tony Piazza

The Thrill of Meeting Ann Margret by Tony Piazza    This blog takes me back a few years- quite a few actually- to 1964-65. I was just a kid-attending grammar school, doing homework, playing ball with the neighborhood kids, and watching cartoons. That same year, a young star was starting to make a name for herself- even [...]