|
10 May 06 - 09:29 AM (#1737117) Subject: BS: Films in your town (Froggy Doo) From: Alice Any movies being filmed in your home town? Montana has had many movies filmed here, but recently the lower costs in Canada made the film industry go north of the border. Recently, a movie based on a true story of an early tv children's show in Montana, has been planned for filming either in Montana or some other location. Montana fought hard to be chosen, and the news came out today. I wonder how the folksinger on the show will be portrayed? The show was Froggy Doo (Foggy Dew inspired?) and the background story is this: ----- www.bozemanchronicle.com A movie about the real-life puppet-napping of children's TV star Froggy Doo will be shot in Gallatin and Park counties this summer, the film's producers confirmed Tuesday. "A Plumm Summer" will be a family film about two young brothers on the hunt for Froggy Doo, a puppet that was stolen from the Billings studio where the children's series, "The Happy Herb and Froggy Doo Show," was filmed in the 1960s and 1970s. The producers wanted to film in Montana, but said last week they were being lobbied by South Carolina to film there. They ultimately decided to shoot in the Big Sky state, despite the added cost, for several reasons, including the community support in Bozeman for the project, director Caroline Zelder said Tuesday. "Somehow we will figure out a way to make the dollars work," she said. The decision to film in Montana made Herb McAllister of Kalispell, a.k.a. "Happy Herb," even happier. He told the filmmakers he wanted to see the story of Froggy Doo filmed in the state where it happened. "I'm excited, no kidding," he said. "I'm really tickled that they're going to do this." "Happy Herb's Show" first premiered in on KFBB-TV in Great Falls in 1955, where McAllister worked as an art director. McAllister designed and built Froggy Doo himself, and the puppet proved so popular with children that the show was renamed to include the character in its title. McAllister was hired by KULR-TV in Billings in 1963 and moved his show there. It featured Happy Herb performing magic tricks, a folk singer, a "Fairy Godmouse" and, of course, Froggy Doo, who played a magic piano. (An earlier story erroneously reported that the show was in Louisiana, based on information from a Web site the film's producers have since confirmed is not affiliated with their company.) A few years after the move to the Billings, burglars broke into the studio and stole electronic equipment and Froggy Doo. They later sent a ransom note to the station demanding $150 for the return of the puppet, and as a result the Federal Bureau of Investigation took up the case. "I had to carve a new (Froggy Doo)," McAllister recalled. Froggy Doo's body was found hanging on a fence post two days after he was stolen. His head remained missing for a month until two children saw it lying in the backseat of a car and told their parents. Two people were arrested, although McAllister can't remember who they were or what became of them. He retired from TV in 1977 to take up painting. "I loved it, I really did," he said of the show. "It was just a beautiful time on TV." "A Plumm Summer" is inspired by the frog-napping, but the story of the two brothers is a fictionalized account. The movie has a $3.5 million budget, is independently financed and the film company, Fairplay Pictures of Beverly Hills, plans to hire locals to fill out most of the crew. The producers met with Gov. Brian Schweitzer last week to talk about their plans to film in Montana. The governor Tuesday cited last year's passage of the "Big Sky on the Big Screen Act" -- a tax-incentive package for companies that film in Montana -- as one of the reasons "A Plumm Summer" will be filmed in the area. Zelder cited the governor's office and the Montana Film Office as two of the reasons she and the producers chose Montana. She also pointed to the area's stunning scenery and the fact that many people who work in the industry live in the Bozeman and Livingston areas. Filming is scheduled to begin on July 10. The filmmakers are still scouting for locations in and around Bozeman and Livingston to shoot the movie. |
|
10 May 06 - 09:50 AM (#1737126) Subject: RE: BS: Films in your town (Froggy Doo) From: The Fooles Troupe A frog played the part of a magic piano? What a wonderful disguise! :-) |
|
10 May 06 - 10:08 AM (#1737143) Subject: RE: BS: Films in your town (Froggy Doo) From: frogprince I sure hope they charged those sunuvaguns with first degree murder!! |
|
10 May 06 - 11:41 AM (#1737244) Subject: RE: BS: Films in your town (Froggy Doo) From: Paul Burke A few years ago they filmed some episodes of a hopeless soap opera in our village. They were truly welcome as rectitis, arrogant, presumptive, self absorbed. They also managed to wreck the scheme to set up a community shop, by offering the owner several times the rent we could afford, and allowing him to sell it with the added tag of "Peak Practice Filmed Here". There's no shop in the village now. |
|
10 May 06 - 02:05 PM (#1737343) Subject: RE: BS: Films in your town (Froggy Doo) From: GUEST,starfish How about the new Dr. Who series, does that count as a film? I now I'm not the only Cardiff resident playing "spot the location" |
|
10 May 06 - 02:27 PM (#1737356) Subject: RE: BS: Films in your town (Froggy Doo) From: gnomad Since about 2000: Posession, Shackleton, Heartbeat just up the road (and sometimes in town), bits of Harry Potter also just up the road, episodes of Where the Heart Is, and Dalziel&Pascoe. All this plus each year 3 folk festivals, 1 World Music Festival, and twice-yearly invasion by Goths. Oh and various foody programmes turn up from time to time. Whitby is a lovely place, aren't we lucky? |
|
10 May 06 - 02:39 PM (#1737359) Subject: RE: BS: Films in your town (Froggy Doo) From: TheBigPinkLad Quite a few filmed here in Victoria, BC. Many more in other parts of the Province. Made in Victoria |
|
10 May 06 - 07:32 PM (#1737561) Subject: RE: BS: Films in your town (Froggy Doo) From: CarolC Screen Gems film and television studio is located in my town, so yes... quite a few films and television shows have been and are filmed here. My son is scheduled to work as an extra on an independent film being made here called, The Beautiful Ordinary. It'll be his first time working as an extra, but his gig is more as someone who works beind the camera than in front of it, do he's mostly doing it to meet people and make contacts. Interestinly, it was our real estate agent who told us about using extra work to get involved in the industry. We're finding that in a film town, almost everyone has some kind of connection to the industry. And most of the young women around here look like they're just waiting to get "discovered". LOL We took a tour of the studio a few weeks ago. It was pretty interesting. |
|
10 May 06 - 08:46 PM (#1737618) Subject: RE: BS: Films in your town (Froggy Doo) From: The Fooles Troupe Mission Improbable, er sorry, was filmed in parts of Brisbane - it's strange to suddenly realise you really _know_ the location, and think - where (and how!) the hell did they put a camera THERE! Some years ago, there was a 'classic' Hollywood action film made using 'big name' locations. Had us Aussies in stitches - you don't jump in an open sports car, drive over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, then end up 10 mins later at that bloody big rock in the heart of the continent... not to mention 'convenient' placing of other locations at opposite ends of the continent side by side! :-) |
|
11 May 06 - 10:21 AM (#1737996) Subject: RE: BS: Films in your town (Froggy Doo) From: GUEST,Mrr Yes, they are currently filming the sequel to Bruce Almighty here. |
|
11 May 06 - 10:48 AM (#1738012) Subject: RE: BS: Films in your town (Froggy Doo) From: Wesley S I don't live in Dallas - thank goodness - but nearby. It sounds like they WON'T be filming the "Dallas" movie here. It's supposed to star John Travolta as JR Ewing along with Jennifer Lopez. |