Slight change a pace for this update. IPOE praises all exploitation in the entertainment world, not just those that appear on movie and television screens. . . In this update we hit the boards. In particular, off-Broadway theater, circa 1973. . .
Dick Wilmarth won the Iditarod, the Carribean Community and Common Market was inaugurated, and producer Robert Cornthwaite came up with an idea that he thought would set the Broadway world on fire.
Originally intended as a starring vehicle for funny man Jackie Mason, for a one man play called MASON ON MANSIONS, which would have had the comedian taking on the personas of famous American mansions.
JACKIE MASON:
William Randolph Hearst, a very rich man. . . started to construct me on his ranchland overlooking the village of San Simeon in 1919. He called the estate "La Cuesta Encantada" - Spanish for The Enchanted Hill. An Enchanted Hill for us Jews, would have a chopped liver road, lined by giant pickles, leading up to a free all u can eat delicatessen at the top.
In the midst of intense rehearsals, Mason was fired by producer Robert Cornthwaite over an argument about the proper place setting of a salad fork for a dinner party- it turned out that they were both wrong, but it was way too late to mend the fractured relationship, as nasty things had been said about wives, mothers and anal rape. So, MASON ON MANSIONS ended almost as soon as it started. Cornthwaite then tried to get the esteemed actor James Mason to take over, but he never could get through Mason's handlers. Cornthwaite knew that a new direction was needed. Being the savvy producer that he was, with dozens of other successful projects behind him, including the building of a Folly Gazebo at his New Rochelle home, Cornthwaite was undaunted. He soon found his savior as he was watching television one day, in the form of an eight-year-old boy, who through his cute television commercials, was fast becoming America's new darling. Sure, America has had a long line of darlings including Shirley Temple, Mickey Rooney and Fran Lebowitz to name a few, but Mason Reese, Cornthwaite felt, could surpass them all, leave them behind and make them eat his "darling dust." Cornthwaite also conceived of an entirely different one man play. A topic that he felt, would have a wider appeal to the general public than Mansions. Cornthwaite made some calls, and he was soon meeting with Reese's agent, Izzie "30%" Kogan. He explained the project: A one man show that would have Mason Reese starring as the infamous cult leader and mass murderer Charles Manson.
Izzy then presented the idea to Reese after his afternoon nap, and then after some contemplation over milk and homemade raison cookies, Reese accepted the role.
Reese was intrigued for the chance to play such a notorious person.
Izzy Kogan was charmed by the money that he saw coming his way. After five minutes of intense negotiating, terms were agreed upon. Cornthwaite gave Mason the revised playscript to read over and study.
The play would be presented in five acts, broken down thusly:
Act one: Manson's childhood
Act two: Manson early Jail years
Act three: A Family Affair (the creation of the family)
Act four: The Murders
Act five: The trial
This was a lot of lines to memorize for an eight-year-old child whose acting career thus far had been in one-minute tv spots, luckily many of the words in the playscript were repeated multiple times, so Reese was able to get the job done.
When all was said and done, Mason on Manson had a four month run at the Elgin Theater but went no further.
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