During a 1980 appearance on Circus of the Stars, The Waltons actor Mary McDonough traded her conservative 1930s-style dresses for a leotard as she performed an aerial act with Happy Days star Scott Baio. But the high-flying stunt wasn’t an entirely pleasant experience for McDonough, she revealed in her 2011 memoir.
Mary McDonough was excited to be on ‘Circus of the Stars’ Scott Baio of ‘Happy Days’ and Mary McDonough of ‘The Waltons’ on ‘Circus of the Stars’ | CBS via Getty Images
Circus of the Stars was a CBS variety show featuring celebrities performing circus acts. It debuted in 1977 and aired annually until 1994. McDonough – known for playing Erin Walton on The Waltons – was recruited to appear on the fifth edition of the show. She and Baio performed an aerial act called “Pirates in the Sky.”
For McDonough, who had a background in dance, the chance to do circus stunts on TV was a dream come true.
Mary McDonough was excited to be on ‘Circus of the Stars’ Scott Baio of ‘Happy Days’ and Mary McDonough of ‘The Waltons’ on ‘Circus of the Stars’ | CBS via Getty Images
Circus of the Stars was a CBS variety show featuring celebrities performing circus acts. It debuted in 1977 and aired annually until 1994. McDonough – known for playing Erin Walton on The Waltons – was recruited to appear on the fifth edition of the show. She and Baio performed an aerial act called “Pirates in the Sky.”
For McDonough, who had a background in dance, the chance to do circus stunts on TV was a dream come true.
- 1/29/2023
- by Megan Elliott
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
“I believe that a big reason why this ambitious idea of throwing a music festival in Harlem in which somewhere between 70,000 to 90,000 people every weekend would see performances was so that there was something joyous and hopeful for people at that point were kind of at the end of their rope,” Summer of Soul (Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson says about the importance the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival had to a Black America ravaged by violence and assassination.
“It was a healing moment, if you will,” Thompson added during the film’s panel at Deadline’s Contenders Film: The Nominees event. The Roots drummer, bestselling author, musicologist and now Oscar nominee made his feature directorial debut with the feature documentary.
Having premiered at the virtual Sundance Film Festival in 2021, Summer of Soul took home the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the documentary categories in Park City.
“It was a healing moment, if you will,” Thompson added during the film’s panel at Deadline’s Contenders Film: The Nominees event. The Roots drummer, bestselling author, musicologist and now Oscar nominee made his feature directorial debut with the feature documentary.
Having premiered at the virtual Sundance Film Festival in 2021, Summer of Soul took home the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the documentary categories in Park City.
- 3/5/2022
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
“Summer of Soul,” Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s acclaimed documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, has been acquired by the Disney-owned Searchlight Pictures in a deal that also will bring the film to Hulu.
The documentary, which won both the Grand Jury prize and Audience award at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, served as the directorial debut for Thompson, who has been the drummer of hip-hop band The Roots for over three decades. “Summer of Soul” will have a theatrical release, will stream in the United States on Hulu, and will stream internationally on Star and Star+. Premiere dates have not been announced.
“I’m so honored to be allowed to manifest my dreams after all this time,” Thompson said in a statement. “This is truly an honor. ‘Summer Of Soul’ is a passion project and to have it resonate with so many people on so many levels has been incredibly rewarding.
The documentary, which won both the Grand Jury prize and Audience award at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, served as the directorial debut for Thompson, who has been the drummer of hip-hop band The Roots for over three decades. “Summer of Soul” will have a theatrical release, will stream in the United States on Hulu, and will stream internationally on Star and Star+. Premiere dates have not been announced.
“I’m so honored to be allowed to manifest my dreams after all this time,” Thompson said in a statement. “This is truly an honor. ‘Summer Of Soul’ is a passion project and to have it resonate with so many people on so many levels has been incredibly rewarding.
- 2/5/2021
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
Two days after picking up Sundance’s Documentary Grand Jury Prize, Summer of Soul has been picked up by Searchlight and Hulu.
The acquisition of Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s directorial debut is for worldwide rights, parent company Disney says, in a deal put together by Disney General Entertainment’s Bipoc Creator initiative, led by Tara Duncan and brokered by Cinetic Media.
With appearances by Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, the Staples Sisters, Stevie Wonder, Glady Knight and the Pips, Max Roach, Abby Lincoln and many more, the music-themed documentary is set for a theatrical release as well as streaming on Hulu in America and internationally on Star and Star+.
A true time capsule of then and now, Summer of Soul is packed with newly unearthed footage of the nearly forgotten but star-studded Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969. In that vein,...
The acquisition of Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s directorial debut is for worldwide rights, parent company Disney says, in a deal put together by Disney General Entertainment’s Bipoc Creator initiative, led by Tara Duncan and brokered by Cinetic Media.
With appearances by Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, the Staples Sisters, Stevie Wonder, Glady Knight and the Pips, Max Roach, Abby Lincoln and many more, the music-themed documentary is set for a theatrical release as well as streaming on Hulu in America and internationally on Star and Star+.
A true time capsule of then and now, Summer of Soul is packed with newly unearthed footage of the nearly forgotten but star-studded Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969. In that vein,...
- 2/5/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
“Summer of Soul (…Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” has become Sundance’s next major acquisition title, selling to Searchlight Pictures and Hulu.
An individual with knowledge of the deal told TheWrap it’s the biggest documentary sale in history, although no specifics were given. Another individual close to the transaction pegged the sale at $15 million. Buzz has been building around the film since its premiere last Thursday, sparking a bidding war for the documentary from The Roots bandleader Questlove. It was also the winner of the Sundance Documentary Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award.
Searchlight Pictures and Disney General Entertainment’s Bipoc Creator initiative, led by Tara Duncan, acquired the worldwide rights to “Summer of Soul,” while Hulu will exclusively stream the doc domestically and Star and Star+ will stream it internationally.
“I’m so honored to be allowed to manifest my dreams after all this time,...
An individual with knowledge of the deal told TheWrap it’s the biggest documentary sale in history, although no specifics were given. Another individual close to the transaction pegged the sale at $15 million. Buzz has been building around the film since its premiere last Thursday, sparking a bidding war for the documentary from The Roots bandleader Questlove. It was also the winner of the Sundance Documentary Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award.
Searchlight Pictures and Disney General Entertainment’s Bipoc Creator initiative, led by Tara Duncan, acquired the worldwide rights to “Summer of Soul,” while Hulu will exclusively stream the doc domestically and Star and Star+ will stream it internationally.
“I’m so honored to be allowed to manifest my dreams after all this time,...
- 2/5/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Home video pioneer Ron Eisenberg, the founder and former president of Etd (East Texas Distributing), died at his Houston home on Oct. 31. He was 73. Ron was a "keep it simple" kind of executive. If it seemed like a good idea, it was probably worth trying. If it didn't work, he shut it down and moved on. One of Ron's best ideas led to the formation of the entire video rental business. Etd was servicing newsstands inside grocery stores in the late 1970s when he began testing the sale of $100 movies on videotape. He soon figured out that
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- 11/9/2014
- by Ted Sarandos
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ron Eisenberg, founder and former president of Etd (East Texas Distributing), died peacefully in his Houston home on Oct. 31. He was 73. A native of Illinois and graduate of Loyola University Law School, Eisenberg began his career in home entertainment in 1977 when he formed Etd as a distributor of magazines and books. During his nearly 30 years there, the company grew from 150 employees to more than 1,200 and would eventually control more than a third of the video rental business in the U.S., surpassing $1 billion in sales as a distributor for the major studios
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- 11/3/2014
- by Billboard Staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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