Transcontinental International Pictures made their name and fame releasing exploitation films, but they also dabbled with family fare. Two of these movies were picked up in a distribution deal with the Denver based company Buck Fizz.
Most people thought that Buck Fizz was named after the cocktail, sans the " 's ", and they were correct. The president of the company, Randall Bradford, was a practicing alcoholic, who dedicated a lot of time and effort into training. Bradford was an old drinking buddy of TIP's Clark Kincaid. They had lifted, toasted, broken and had used as weapons, many a glass of spirits over the years.
Kincaid felt that expanding TIP's catalogue with family films would garner playdates in theaters that their typical offerings would never play, in addition to the television air dates.
TIP's first kiddie film release was 1975's THE SURVIVAL FAMILY.
PLOT: Circa, 1870's. When their train derails during an avalanche, there are only four survivors, a farmer, a schoolteacher and two children. . . all strangers, have to band and bond together, to brave the elements and make it to safety.
The film has an odd postscript, as all four leads became fast friends during their time on the set. They would remain in contact and in 1982 they joined forces to hijack a Brinks truck.
Randall Bradford hired an old pro to direct both films. Bob "Robert" Anderson had directed over two hundred television westerns and war and police shows, including FLATFOOT (1967-1969) and TALES FROM FORT HOLMAN (1961-1965).
Up next, was LADDIE'S WILDERNESS ADVENTURE (1977), the riveting story of a brave and resourceful collie, lost in the wilderness, trying to find his way home to the loving family that he was separated from.
As soon as the film was announced in Box Office Magazine, MGM, the home company of the Lassie film series, slapped an injunction on TIP, and the release was stopped. As fate would have it, Clark Kincaid was a drinking buddy of MGM's head lawyer. He was able to convince the lawyer, and in turn, the MGM brass, that the name Laddie was as far away from Lassie as Esso was as far away from Exxon.
Grover the dog was found amongst a litter of puppies in a Garden Grove pet store by the famous talent scout, Angela Jones, who also discovered, Bennie the chimp, Marco the orangutan and Robbie Rist, amongst many others. In his early years he appeared in many television commercials and print adds. He went to an open casting call for Laddie and everyone in the room knew that Grover would make the perfect Laddie.
LADDIE'S WILDERNESS ADVENTURE turned out to be TIP's biggest hit. Grover was thrust onto the rocket ride of stardom. He appeared on all the nationwide talk shows of the day and became a nightly fixture at the Playboy mansion, partying till the dawn with the playmates and celebrities and occasionally fetching Hugh Hefner's pipe.
TIP and Buck Fizz rushed a sequel into production Too quickly, as it turned out that LADDIE, THE HOBO AND THE BLIND GIRL (1978) was a shell of the original film. Produced with twice the budget, but with half the heart and fun. The sequel still made a strong profit, which lead to TIP and Buck Fizz to discuss more family friendly productions, but nothing made it past the spitballing stage.
Grover's final film, RUFF-RUFF, THE DOG WHO DESTROYED TOLEDO (1979), was hailed by many critics as a motion picture.
This film also has an odd postscript as Grover had hit hard times after his movie career. He moved back East and had numerous run ins with animal control and eventually the FBI.
No comments:
Post a Comment