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MOONSTRUCK!
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Confession: I have always loved Cher! What's not to love? And this movie is my 'tip of the hat' to Halloween! Furthermore, I've wanted to post this for "Friday Movie Suggestion Night" since the middle of last year!! It's about time, right? I have a question for all of you (and you know who you are--legions of movie lovers lurking out there). How many times have you layed down at night to sleep and recalled that scene where Nicholas Cage tells Cher that he's in love with her. She pauses and then slaps the hell out him and yells: "SNAP OUT OF IT!" I have laughed so hard at this one scene, it's worth renting the entire movie over it! Cher is so versatile. She can handle rock and roll, is a consummate actress, has the smarts---as Meryl Streep says--to actually "run a movie studio"--and can do Comedy and Drama with ANY actor. If you don't believe me, name one out loud. See? Not many actors can claim this. Cher can. Enough already! Here's the plot: _______ Loretta Castorini (Cher), a Brooklyn bookkeeper in her late 30s (whose husband died several years earlier in a bus accident) decides it's time to get married again. Along comes Johnny Cammareri (are these names killing you yet?). Loretta is convinced her first marriage was "a curse". Why? Because she and her husband had gotten married at City Hall! Don't get the connection? Don't worry, I don't either. But Loretta is determined "to do things right". She tells her Mom, Rose, that she's not really in love with Johnny. The advice from the Mother: "Good. When you love them, they drive you crazy, 'cause they know they can." Wasn't THAT helpful? Well, there's a reason for Rose having an attitude. She suspects that her husband, Cosmo, (THESE NAMES!) is cheating on her. Meanwhile, Loretta is convinced that marrying Johnny is the safe and sure thing to do - until she meets his estranged younger brother Ronny, who tends the ovens in a neighborhood bakery. Ronny is a contrast to Johnny. (Re-read that last line out loud if you need a laugh). Johnny is a 'Clark Kent' compared to Ronny--a moody 'James Dean' who is passionate. That's just enough details of this film to whet your appetite. So let's meet the cast! ___
___ Awards: The envelope, please! Winners of the Academy Award: Best Actress in a Leading Role:Cher; Best Actress in a Supporting Role:Olympia Dukakis; Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen:John Paul Shanley! And now the Nominations!: Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Vincent Gardenia; Best Director: Norman Jewison; Best Picture: Patrick J. Palmer and Norman Jewison!! _____ Hey! Can I pick em or can I pick em? _____ Grab some Hot Buttered Popcorn, light the fireplace, whip out your favorite drink and: ENJOY!
THE INTERVIEW: AVIATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CEO GLEN LANGDON! (PART 3 OF 3)
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MM: That's a little too much physical risk for me, Glen. Let me ask you "The 64 Million Dollar Question" if I may. The commercial aviation industry in the U.S. is an absolute financial mess. Who will survive and who will fail? We have so much over-capacity, at least four airlines (Delta, Comair, Northwest and Mesaba) are operating under Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. What are your predictions?
_____ Langdon: Let's focus for a moment on some of the economic effects of the events of 2001. Obviously there was a disastrous decline in traffic and in airline profitability. Among the very obvious effects were the bankruptcies of 2 of the 7 largest airlines in the U.S. - United Airlines and US Airways (US Airways emerged from Chapter 11 in September 2005, and United emerged in February 2006). Not so obvious was the diversion of 30% of the passenger traffic from the large network carriers to Low-Cost/Low Fare carriers like Southwest and Jet Blue and the profitability of these carriers under very difficult economic circumstances. The low cost business model has caught the attention of the hub & spoke carriers (the "Legacy Carriers" such as American, Continental, Delta, United and Northwest) as they scramble to reduce their operating costs to match their reduced revenue potential before they run out of cash. The struggle to reduce labor costs has been foremost on the minds of the large network carriers, in addition to efforts to reduce fleet size and simplify fleet types. United and U.S. Airways both achieved this from within Chapter 11, using the threat of Chapter 7 (shut down and liquidation) as a weapon. American and Continental have chosen, for the moment, to avoid Chapter 11. In the wake of 9/11 it was reasonable to expect that as the economy stabilized and as fears of terrorism receded, the demand for travel would rise and used aircraft prices would recover over 2 to 3 years. _____ MM: It went from bad to worse, didn't it Glen? _____ Langdon: It did! As a result of the continuing threat of terrorism, combined with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and the bankruptcies of major airlines--here in the United States and elsewhere including SAS (Scandinavian Air System), Hawaiian (emerged from Chapter 11 in 2005) Air Canada (emerged from Chapter 11) and Sabena (the Belgian airline was shockingly liquidated along with the equally legendary Swissair of Switzerland following years of bad management and a failed merger of Sabena and Swissair). The perception of "normal" airline traffic is also changing fundamentally in US-related markets. The business traveler has become tired of paying through the nose for an insufficiently differentiated product that can be purchased at substantially reduced costs by traveling on Low-Cost/ Low-Fare like Southwest, AirTran and JetBlue. So what if they have to change planes half way to the destination? The leisure traveler typically only wants low fares and some rational choice concerning travel dates and might conceivably consider riding a duck to his or her destination if the fare was low enough and some assurance of safety could be given! The press has been treated to daily announcements of labor's concessions to the reality of the bankruptcy process and the desperate need of the airlines to reduce labor costs. As a result of fleet rationalization by United Airlines and U.S. Airways alone, the availability of jet aircraft for sale or lease will probably notch up another 2% to 9% - to roughly 1,350 aircraft - which is where it was just prior to 9/11. The other large US legacy airlines including American, Delta, Northwest and Continental to a lesser degree... _____ MM: Yes, a well run company! (Continental). _____ Langdon: ....will probably be forced to restructure their operating costs and downsize their fleets in order to remain competitive with the reorganized, leaner, and smaller versions of United and US Airways (merged with America West as the 5th Largest carrier in the United States and is profitable). Between them, these four airlines currently operate 2,280 aircraft; they have 267 new aircraft on firm order with Boeing and Airbus; and they have 868 options to purchase additional aircraft. Conservatively, these airlines will probably have to retire 15% to 20% of their current fleets to stay in the game. Both business models are expected to survive. _____ MM: I hate to sound skeptical, Glen. But can't we right-size to three "Legacy Carriers" (that would fly international) ---whoever that will be---and three Low-Cost/Low-Fare domestic carriers? As I say to everyone on "THE INTERVIEW", the floor is yours. _____ Langdon: Sure. The continuing evolution of the Low Cost/Low-Fare Carrier model will keep the pressure on the network carriers to significantly reduce their costs and to differentiate their product to match the market demand. In the short term, the network carriers will focus on liquidity as the key to survival - in or outside of bankruptcy. The Low Cost/Low-Fare Carriers will focus on expansion at the expense of the network carriers. _____ MM: Glen, thank you for your time and your consideration. You may not be a celebrity in the creative or performing arts, but there really is an art to what you do and how you skillfully balance the emotional and financial needs of all of the many parties who become heavily involved when an airline dies and people's lives are changed by crisis. Thanks for coming by. _____ Langdon: My pleasure, Michael. I enjoyed our visit. _______________ Brief Note from Michael: Well, as I stated at the outset, this was an unusual subject, but Glen Langdon has one of the most thankless jobs that is really not all about crunching numbers and managing by Memos and computers. There is a real human equation to what he does. Picking up the pieces left over from the tragedy of an airline failure and attempting to return funds to the people who loaned it in good faith to these companies--many of them International institutions--- such as Eastern Airlines, Braniff and Pan Am requires a special seasoning of business acumen and an uncommon patience to work through the complexity of issues for years until settlements are reached. Glen has that special seasoning and I felt that this visit would provide a refreshing new direction for us. I hope you agreed! See you soon right here on "THE INTERVIEW"! _____ "Friday Movie Suggestion Night" resumes at 12:01 a.m. Thursday!
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THE INTERVIEW: AVIATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CEO GLEN LANGDON! (PART 2 OF 3)
 ___ MM: Today, Glen I really want to get into the nitty-gritty of the personal side of your job. And I say this because yesterday, my intent was to briefly have you open our eyes to the business side of an industry we all read about in the newspapers and see on television. But the Eastern Airlines story was quite emotional with a very bitter and sometimes physically violent strike that was captured on CNN and other media outlets playing out before the country and the world. You came in very much "after the fact" and had your own assignment I know---to mop up--if you'll excuse my sounding rather crude here--a real mess. Give us some idea what the overall experience was like for you? _____ Langdon: Well, Michael the Eastern assignment was particularly challenging for me because the Eastern shutdown affected so many people, ranging from employees through customers to creditors and competitors, that it was impossible to perform the tasks at hand without bumping up against emotionally-charged issues which had to be handled with sensitivity. Former Eastern pilots would call to plead with me not to sell a particular aircraft, to which they had some sense of attachment, but to donate it to a museum or to an ex-employee group. _____ MM: Yeah, very much so. I can believe that because as Marty Shugrue told me over coffee years ago, "We weren't just talking about livelihoods. We were talking about people's lives!" Glen, give us a few "behind the scenes" experiences you encountered? _____ Langdon: Here are a few "behind the scenes" experiences: During the 1995-98 time frame, Venezuela was under strict currency restrictions which severely limited the abilities of its airlines ASERCA, AVENSA and SERVIVENSA to export capital in the form of rental payments owed to the ESLT (the Eastern Secured Liquidation Trust). The complicated political contacts and connections I had to make in order to actually collect the cash was challenging. I spent a lot of time in both Valencia with the management of ASERCA, and in Caracas with the management of AVENSA/SERVIVENSA and with various Venezuelan bureaucrats. With the management of both airlines, we negotiated repayment in full of the amounts owed. But...in the end, every payment had to be hand-collected. _____ MM: So, there you are in a foreign country and suddenly it begins to unravel like a Bruce Willis "Die Hard" movie as I understand it? _____ Langdon: In the former AVENSA/SERVIVENSA situation, which involved seven Douglas DC-9-31's, there were several moments which gave me some anxiety. One day, at the invitation of Henry Lord Boulton the Chairman and CEO of AVENSA, I flew to Caracas. The passengers at Caracas normally disembarked down truck-mounted air stairs onto the tarmac and then walked into the terminal building where they cleared customs and immigration and picked up their baggage. On this occasion, in a break with routine, I was met at the bottom of the air stairs by two large men in identical blue suits and sunglasses standing in front of a black limousine. _____ MM: A dress rehearsal for "Men In Black"! Only these guys were not in a good mood, right? _____ Langdon: It was something else. One asked for my passport and the other pushed me into the car. A third man, the driver, stomped on the accelerator the second the door was closed. We drove across the tarmac, through 2 security gates without slowing down and then we blew through downtown Caracas to AVENSA's headquarters. The meeting with Mr. Boulton was very pleasant and productive and 3 hours later I was back in the car headed to the airport. I was handed my passport and dropped at the regular check in area in front of the terminal. In the passport control line I became concerned as I realized there was no entry stamp in my passport. When I reached the glassed in cubicle and handed over my passport, the man inside the booth became very agitated and shouted to several armed security guards posted nearby who stepped around me in such a way as to prevent me from moving from the spot. There was considerable loud but muffled discussion in Spanish going on inside the booth between the man waving my passport around and three other passport control officers. With hand gestures only and without explanation, I was then escorted by a team of four armed security guards to a small second floor room with no windows and only a metal desk and a metal folding chair. They locked me in and left. _____ MM: About this time, I'd be thinking "They are going to execute me". _____ Langdon: Well, I'll tell you. An hour and a half later and with only seconds remaining until my scheduled return flight to Miami, the door was unlocked by a very pretty young woman in a business suit who handed me my passport as she explained in flawless, unaccented English that there had been a mix up which had now been cleared up and please follow her quickly as they were holding the outbound aircraft at the gate. Later, as I slumped in my seat looking out the window at the Caribbean far below, I speculated on that alternative scenario that you mentioned. _____ MM: Only in my case, Glen I would have required a change of underwear! _____ Langdon: (Mutual laughter) And then, in the ASERCA situation, which involved four DC-9-31's, there was another moment which caused serious anxiety. On my first trip to Caracas, I made arrangements to meet with the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) of the airline who, it was explained to me, would fly from Valencia to Caracas for the meeting the next day. Later that evening, I received a message that there had been a change of plan and a car would be sent for me to travel to Valencia instead. ___ MM: Aha! What was your thought at that point? ___
Langdon: No problem. The next morning, the driver from ASERCA picked me up at the hotel in a big black Mercedes at the appointed hour and off we drove. _____ MM: Always a black limousine. These guys must watch "The Godfather" trilogy as a hobby---nobody to play games with. I'm sorry, Glen. Go ahead. _____ Langdon: I attempted to make small talk with the driver and, given our inability to speak the other's language, we communicated fairly well. However, I became increasingly nervous because the driver never allowed the speedometer to drop below 120 miles per hour. I asked why he was driving so fast and was met with silence. The scenery was racing past the windows in a blur. I persisted and asked him to slow down. No answer. I asked again. This time the driver whipped out his cell phone and dialed one-handed as he sped down the road. ____ MM: Good God. _____ Langdon: After several minutes of rapid fire Spanish, the driver handed the cell phone to me - it was the Chief of Maintenance for the airline on the other end - and he explained in English that the stretch of highway that we were on was infamous in Venezuela for armed holdups complete with barricades and machine guns and the kidnapping for ransom of foreign businessmen. _____ MM: I'm almost afraid to ask you about SARO (a Mexican airline that collapsed with enraged employees that were not paid for months)? _____ Langdon: The SARO situation in Monterrey, Mexico was completely different from either of the Venezuelan situations. SARO had previously collapsed financially, all of the employees were laid off, and the two remaining ESLT-owned (ex-Eastern Airlines) DC-9-31 aircraft were parked. The Mexican DGAC (their Directorate General of Civil Aviation) was unhappy because the airline had made commitments to serve airports in Northern Mexico, which it did not keep. _____ MM: Harkens back to the old saying, 'This is no way to run an airline', right Glen? _____ Langdon: Well, the airline had left many unpaid obligations for airport gate rentals as well as for navigation and landing fees. The airport manager at Monterrey was being criticized for not being more alert to the financial troubles of SARO. As a result of this bickering, the Mexican DGAC was initially not cooperative about de-registering the aircraft from the Mexican register and/or permitting the aircraft to leave Mexico pending payment of the unpaid fees. _____ MM: Glen, excuse me for cutting back in. Just so my readers understand, the registration numbers you are talking about can be seen painted near the tail sections of U.S. airliners and usually begin with the letter "N". Correct? _____ Langdon: That's right. _____ MM: Please continue. _____ Langdon: I appealed to the US Embassy in Mexico City to intercede with the DGAC on behalf of the Eastern Secured Liquidation Trust to de-register and export the aircraft back to the US. Ultimately, this tactic was successful and the aircraft were de-registered and ready to be flown to Mojave, California. In the meantime, SARO's furloughed maintenance employees were very unhappy about not being paid. The members of the labor union had physically hijacked the technical records for the two aircraft, divided them up between various private homes of ex-employees in Monterrey, and were holding the records hostage until they were paid their back wages. ___ MM: What a headache! ___ Langdon: For several months, I attempted to negotiate the release of the technical records through members of the former management of SARO in return for a financial settlement of their claims. These discussions collapsed as management began to pursue its own financial settlement agenda and to become complicit in the ransoming of the records. At the request of the union, the airport manager had the aircraft towed away from the main terminal and parked in a field well away from paved surfaces and runways to prevent us from repossessing the aircraft. I hired 4 American Airlines pilots to fly to Monterrey for the purpose flying the two DC9-31 aircraft back to the US. _____ MM: Excuse me, Glen. Of course, I'm assuming you hired the American Airlines pilots because they used to operate the twin engine rear-mounted DC-9's until what? Twelve years ago? They were certified on that aircraft. _____ Langdon: Yes, they were. And they did fly the nines at one time. So, the pilots checked into motels surrounding the airport on the day before the planned flights. Flight plans were filed to fly from Monterrey, Mexico to San Antonio, TX at 10:00 PM the following evening. The next night our pilots boarded both aircraft, started the engines and taxied across the fields to the runways where they were prevented from taking off by several pickup trucks full of armed ex-employees and armed policemen. ___ MM: Armed militants and police together? ___ Langdon: That was the situation, yes! Mexican legal counsel was then authorized to circumvent the management group and to hold settlement meetings directly with the union members. The attorney made various payments and took possession of the technical records. However, the technical records were incomplete, thereby preventing maximum financial recovery from a sale. The aircraft were physically relocated back to the US.The aircraft were finally sold to another Mexican airline - AEROCALIFORNIA - with plans to operate from Baja, California to Monterrey, Los Angeles and various other cities and a willingness to deal with the demands of the militant ex-SARO employees. The technical records were finally reassembled and the aircraft re-deployed into revenue service. _____
(Glen concludes our visit tomorrow with a candid look at the future of the airline industry in the United States).
THE INTERVIEW: AVIATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CEO GLEN LANGDON! (PART 1 OF 3)
 Mohave Airport, California____________ What follows is one of the most unique Guests to be featured here on "THE INTERVIEW" and as I went to sleep last night, I kept thinking about how I would make this introduction. While I have requests out to Hollywood Actors and Musicians from the world of Rock and Country alike, GLEN LANGDON would be the first person to tell you that he was quite surprised, if not amused that I not only located him, but that I found him to be an interesting subject for "THE INTERVIEW". _____ Originally, I contacted Glen in back in the Winter of 2002 when I was still broadcasting on CBS Radio in the Southwest. The November 2006 issue of AIRWAYS MAGAZINE (that I shamelessly promoted here on my Blogsite) contains my article, "The Estate of Eastern Airlines". As I shared with you last December, when my article on Rock Legend Rick Nelson's tragic aircraft fire and subsequent emergency landing appeared in AIRWAYS, the majority of my work at the magazine involves many hours of research, note taking, fact-checking and eventually of course, the write-up itself. It is a labor of love. ___
In the case of the Eastern Airlines story there were two components. FIRST, the history of events that led Frank Lorenzo to dismantle one-third of Eastern Airlines, one of the four original American "trunk carriers" (founded in 1928) during the most visible and widely felt labor battle in U.S. history. SECONDLY: I created what we journalists refer to as a "sidebar" interview with Glen Langdon. As you can only imagine, after four years and literally hundreds of "updates", my Editor-In-Chief John Wegg had the thankless task of receiving my "edited" copy: 5,000 words in length! His task was formidable--to say the least! There was simply no way to include Glen's interview about a curious entity the public hardly knew about called the ESLT (the Eastern Secured Liquidation Trust). _____ This story was really quite dramatic! A nationwide sympathy strike by Railroad workers who sided with Eastern employees would have virtually ground all United States commerce to a halt. President Bush Sr. had an Emergency Order drafted to stop a potential nationwide work stoppage. And the reason for this was that Washington officials viewed this as a vicious war between Frank Lorenzo's Texas Air Corporation (now renamed Continental Airlines Holdings) and organized labor at Eastern that required more mediation. Lorenzo, who purchased Eastern in 1986 was as intransigent as the IAM (the mechanics union at Eastern). Even nemesis Carl Icahn called Frank and union representative Charles Bryan "two scorpions in a bottle". Lorenzo resigned in disgrace from Texas Air in 1991, after he was ruled "incompetent to reorganize Eastern's estate" by presiding bankruptcy Judge Burton Lifland. Meanwhile over at Continental Airlines, Gordon Bethune was eventually recruited after two previous short-term CEO's were unable to save Continental (at that time in its second bankruptcy). Today Continental is considered the finest among the U.S. "Legacy Carriers". Bethune, a fascinating man himself, became the last pre 9/11 CEO to retire two years ago after saving the carrier by rallying the teamwork of its employees (chronicled in his book "From Worst to First"). _____ Eastern Airlines was a familiar fixture to Americans in virtually every East Coast city and town, the Caribbean, Mexico, Latin America (from routes purchased in 1981 from bankrupt Braniff International) and briefly a route that was operated from Miami to London with DC-10's acquired from Alitalia. _____ When Eastern was forced to suspend all operation on December 18, 1991 the services of Langdon Aviation Asset Management in San Francisco, California was engaged as the “Individual Trustee” to monetize and manage certain assets of Eastern’s secured bondholders. Considered insolvent with $1.2 billion in debt when it ceased operations, under the late Marty Shugrue's leadership Eastern's estate had raised and paid out a total of $3.6 billion to 26,000 former Eastern employees, 70,000 ticket holders, vendors and other creditors including secured creditors who were eventually paid in full. To this day, Shugrue's stewardship is widely hailed in business schools as a textbook example of reorganizing what became the most complicated bankruptcy case American business history. Flash Forward to the Winter season of 2002. _____ My first telephone contact with Glen Langdon was short. A true "gentleman of the old school", Glen was almost incredulous that apart from some humorous stories of pilots he came into contact with, he just didn't see himself as interview material! But the more we communicated, I uncovered a story that was hardly a dry piece of business one would expect to read in TIME or NEWSWEEK magazines. Glen revealed a dangerous story that could have been turned into a script for a Bruce Willis "Die Hard" movie sequel! What follows is an unusual and I hope--an interesting chat with a man in a position that hardly ever attracts the public's attention. Until now. Glen's assignment as "Individual Trustee" was separate from John Sicilian, whom Marty Shugrue had hired from the Washington, D.C.-based firm of Verner Lipfert as Eastern's Chief Legal Officer in 1990. With the estate reorganized in 1995, Shugrue left his 5-year post to rekindle his long-held dream of restarting Pan American World Airways (1996-1998). In 1996, Trustee John Sicilian was succeeded by Ron Bevans who completed the sale of Eastern's name and logo--the "last pieces of the puzzle" this past July. As far as seeing a new Eastern? Bevans told me it was a done deal. "Yes, it's definitely going to happen. Unless you have the kind of capital JetBlue (New York City) had to get started, I think it makes more sense to find an airline---not over a certain size---currently operating and work out a transaction to re-brand it, and come up with a better business plan to get it flying in a new direction". And now "THE INTERVIEW". _____
MM: Glen, my Bloggers are familiar with the concept of a Trustee who is appointed to airline companies operating under Chapter 11, such as Eastern and of late Hawaiian Airlines. What was your role as the “Individual Trustee” in the Eastern Secured Liquidating Trust?
___ Langdon: The role of a Bankruptcy Court-appointed Trustee at an airline operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection (such as Marty Shugrue) is typically that of an informed but disinterested third party charged with responsibility to mediate between the various constituencies of creditors, management, and other stakeholders to develop a plan of reorganization for the airline which will permit it to exit bankruptcy with a credible prospect of survival. The judge in a bankruptcy case has the sole authority to appoint a Trustee to this kind of role and the Trustee is answerable only to the Court. _____ MM: Okay, but help us understand how your role was different from Marty, John and later Ron? _____ Langdon: By contrast, the type of Trustee role that I fulfilled at Eastern and at Kitty Hawk ( a cargo carrier that survived Chapter 11 last year) has roots established well before the event of airline bankruptcy concurrent with the placement of large issues of secured public debt in the form of secured bonds. _____ MM: Now what are these bonds all about? _____ Langdon: Most large airlines operating in the U.S. today, raise hundreds of million of dollars in public debt markets by issuing publicly traded bonds secured by first priority security interests in aircraft operating within their fleets. Usually about 50% of an airline's fleet is owned by the airline itself and in most cases is security to publicly traded debt - the other 50% is typically leased from third-party operating lessors. _____ MM: Clearly, we're talking about billions of dollars for commercial aircraft. How are these bonds repaid? _____ Langdon: Well, repayment of the bonds and the holding of the aircraft collateral is usually handled through a business trust structure under the supervision of an Indenture Trustee. The Indenture Trustee performs various administrative tasks associated with receiving payments from the debtor airline, allocating a portion of each payment received to each bond unit, distributing the payments to the bondholders, maintaining records of bondholders, maintaining and filing security interests, etc. _____ MM: That's interesting and very meticulous. You know, I've seen tourists pull their cars over to the side of the road to try and photograph hundreds of parked commercial jets at Mohave Airport in California. And you know as well as I do that it's sort of an eerie sight to see jets in the liveries of popular airlines that they fly regularly with the engines plugged, the windows and doors covered with a preservative to air seal the planes from deteriorating in the dry desert. And it's a silent site that reminds many of the movie, "The Day the Earth Stood Still". Glen, some of my readers might wonder why so many jets are parked in storage like this? _____ Langdon: When an airline files for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11, the airline must determine if it has excess aircraft capacity. They have 60 days to either abandon certain aircraft which it owns or reject certain leased aircraft. Abandoned aircraft which are security to publicly owned bonds we just mentioned become the property of the Indenture Trustee. Rejected leased aircraft are returned to the various lessor/owners. _____ MM: Right. So, the Chapter 11 filing really buys the airline some time to shed debt and that includes airliners they no longer need and need to dump to save money? _____ Langdon: Exactly. In most cases, an Indenture Trustee is not equipped with the expertise to secure and manage the abandoned aircraft by selling or leasing the collateral aircraft to recover the maximum value for the secured bond holders. That's where I come in. I usually work with the Indenture Trustee as an advisor providing industry expertise during the early bankruptcy period. After the airline has made its determination to abandon or reject certain of its aircraft, the creditors usually want a well-defined plan under which the collateral aircraft, and any other claims against the bankruptcy estate, are monetized within a reasonable period of time. And, while title to the aircraft may remain with the Indenture Trustee (provided that the Indenture Trustee is a US person as defined by the FAA), a second Trustee is then appointed to monetize the assets of the Trust. That is what happened in the context of the Eastern estate. The Eastern Secured Liquidating Trust was created; title to aircraft and various other claims was contributed to the ESLT; Wilmington Trust was appointed as Corporate Trustee to hold title and to receive and disburse cash; I was appointed as Individual Trustee to manage and monetize aircraft, spare engines, and claims against Eastern Airlines, the original Pan Am, Midway, and Braniff Airways. _____ MM: Alright. I'm with you. On February 6, 1995 you were retained to sell and lease aircraft engines, spare parts, equipment and machinery held by the Corporate Trustee. I've written marketing plans when I was in broadcast management. (Laughing) But I'm sure your job was a lot different in writing a marketing plan for selling off equipment that once belonged to an operating airline. How did you go about this? _____ Langdon: I relied on over 25 years of experience in the aviation industry and specifically on the most recent 8 years which I spent at Concord Asset Management (a unit of HSBC Holdings) developing a portfolio of 154 commercial aircraft worth $1.8 billion that I leased to 36 airlines in 22 countries. HSBC wanted to exit its' aviation portfolio in 1993 in the wake of the Persian Gulf War, when the market was at the bottom. _____ MM: I remember that. What a horrible time in the economy. Saddam Hussein had invaded Kuwait and the Persian Gulf War just decimated the finances of the airline industry. _____ Langdon: That's true. And I was retained to manage the selling of the aircraft in the Concord/HSBC portfolio which I had built and so I had hands-on experience in monetizing aircraft assets under difficult economic circumstances. There are clear differences between what can be achieved under "normal" conditions where there is a reasonable balance of supply and demand in a stable market environment versus "abnormal" conditions which may have a limited marketing time period. Plus, there's the perception of the seller being under duress to sell which reduces the bargaining leverage of the seller and gives the buyer an advantage. I understood these issues. _____ (Tomorrow Glen talks about the personal side of his job and kidnapping!)
IN MEMORIAM: CHRISTOPHER GLENN, CBS NEWS
 Christopher Glenn, CBS Radio______________________ Special Message from Michael Manning (Written Wednesday Morning): This morning I sat in a restaurant coffee shop not far from my hotel and as I often do, I had three different newspapers on my breakfast table. I was following stories of interest to me: former Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay's posthumous verdict, along with CEO Jeffrey Skilling's sentencing set for Monday, the divorces of two fine singers I enjoy: Sara Evans and Whitney Houston and CNBC's "Inside American Airlines: a week in the life" (to be broadcast tonight). Ironically, just last week I was asked by a local colleague of mine in Cincinnati broadcasting to opine about whom I considered the "Best" in both television and radio news. And while I left News Radio for good in 2004 after 16 years to pursue new horizons, this question was a first for me. My answer was instantaneous. "Christopher Glenn of CBS News New York was always the leader and always will be". ___ I'm very sad to report that Christopher Glenn died Tuesday (yesterday) of liver cancer at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut. He was 68. Chris died just three weeks before he was to have been inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago. He will be inducted November 4th. ___
For those of you who live outside the United States age 30-40+, many of us here in the U.S. remember watching the Emmy-Award winning children's program, "In the News" and "World News Roundup". "In the News" debuted in September 1971 and ran for 5,000 episodes over 13 seasons. The 2-1/2-minute feature on one topic was broadcast every half-hour during Saturday children's programming on CBS. Perhaps it was my long stint as a general assignment reporter and news anchor with CBS News Media in the Southwest and Mid-West that led me to write this BLOG about a fellow brother and colleague in the industry. For this broadcaster, Christopher will always be the ultimate professional who has no equal. Chris also worked on "30 Minutes," a weekly TV news magazine series patterned on "60 Minutes" and aimed at children that ran from 1978 to 1982. ___
Born March 23, 1938, in New York City, Joseph Christopher Glenn received his bachelor's degree in English at the University of Colorado. He worked for Armed Forces Broadcasting while serving in the Army in 1960. That same year he married Dianne West, who survives him, along with their two daughters, Rebecca and Lindsay, and a sister. After various radio jobs in New York, Connecticut and Washington, D.C., he joined CBS as a radio producer in 1971. In 1984, he returned to the airwaves and worked as a national reporter. Glenn said earlier this year that one of the most memorable stories he covered was the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986. "I had to get back on the air real fast to describe that, and had a very difficult time," he told CBSNews.com in February. "It was a very, very emotional moment…. It was tough to keep it under control while I was doing that broadcast." I felt it would be nice to share with you three memorials from people who actually knew and worked with Christopher Glenn. ___ CBS News Correspondent Steve Kathan: The first time I saw Christopher Glenn, I was in my pajamas. Lying on the floor of the family living room, chomping on cereal, watching "In the News." The last time I saw him, I was shaking his hand and wishing him a happy retirement. A lot happened in between. "In the News" was one of the most interesting things on television, back then. It probably whetted my appetite for news, storytelling and broadcasting more than anything else. Chris's way of telling things was simple, but with plenty of impact. It was a style that served him well in delivering the news to grown-ups, too. The fact that I got to work with him here at CBS News was icing on the cake. Chris was a huge force in the newsroom. As an editor, I found him to be demanding, inquisitive and fair. As a reporter, I found going live on his "World News Roundup" an incredible thrill----every time. His voice had unique power, and he could convey emotion with a just brief hesitation or a slight change in pitch. And it never sounded phony. A lot of people say Chris was one of the last of dying breed of journalists. He didn't think so. At his office retirement party, he spoke about how the current crop at CBS News and elsewhere, still adhere to the high standards of newsgathering and presentation. I'm lucky enough to anchor the World News Roundup every so often now. Every time I do, I think of Chris. Now that he's gone, I feel a more pressing need to try to carry on his legacy. ___ Paul Farry, Producer, CBS World News Roundup:
I'm one of the tens of millions of American 30- and 40-somethings whose first memories of news and currents events are of Christopher Glenn. His Saturday morning "In the News" segments made Watergate, the Mideast oil crisis and the economy understandable. Kids more interested in the antics of Bugs Bunny, Batman or Mr. Magoo learned a few things about the world around them as a result. I happen to have been one of those who actually thought those little news reports were better than the cartoons they followed. From a very early age, Christopher Glenn taught me about so much. So it was such a thrill to come to work for CBS News in 1988 and actually work with the man behind the voice with which I had grown up. I didn't realize at the time how much I would continue to learn from Chris over the years. He taught me how to be a better writer, a better journalist. During the four years before he retired this past February, I worked closely with Chris every day, producing the "CBS World News Roundup," which he anchored. I would be amazed at his way with words. He'd constantly come up with clever ways to explain a story to make even the most complex topics relatable and understandable. I recall Charles Osgood saying upon Chris's retirement in February that in his broadcasts for children, Chris knew the best way to tell a story was to make it as clear, simple and straightforward as possible. As Charles pointed out, that's the best way to give the news, not just to kids, but to adults too. Of course, it wasn't just his writing. Chris had THE VOICE. It was instantly recognizable. His crisp, clear delivery made so many broadcasters envious. If only I could sound half as good. Chris was a first-rate broadcaster and teacher. Somewhere along the line, he also became a close and trusted friend. He will be greatly missed by so many. But so many of us are much richer for having known him and listened to him for so long. ___ Katie Couric, Anchor of the CBS Evening News: When I first moved to New York, I toiled as a writer in CBS News Radio. In those days, the place was a forest of redwoods, with towering giants like Douglas Edwards, Reid Collins, Charles Osgood, and Christopher Glenn. A short time ago, we got word that one of those giants has fallen. Christopher Glenn passed away at the too-young age of 68. One of my earliest memories of news is the voice of Christopher Glenn, summarizing the week's events on the Saturday morning TV show In the News. He was the voice of space launches, and hourly news reports, and The World Tonight and The World News Roundup. He had a voice that mingled cognac and cigarette smoke -- he was an inveterate, ceaseless smoker -- and both Chris and that famous voice seemed ageless. More than that voice, he had a gift for words, and a way of weaving a story that made it real and immediate. He ventured into television a few times, but he always returned to radio. It was where he belonged, in the "theater of the mind." I was there when Douglas Edwards retired, and passed the baton to Chris Glenn, who took over The World Tonight from him in the late '80s. And I was there earlier this year when Chris himself retired. You had the sense then that an era was ending. It was. And it has. So many of the redwoods are gone. ___ Michael: With your kind permission all, I'd like to change what I had originally scheduled for "Friday Movie Suggestion Night" and feature the film "Broadcast News" in Memory of Christopher Glenn. Speaking for myself, my thoughts and prayers are with Chris, his family and friends during this very sad and difficult time. He will be sorely missed. ___  ___
THE INTERVIEW: MAGICIAN GLENN BISHOP! (PART 3 OF 3)
MM: Well put! Your late Father is a "Legend". Many children of "Legends" such as yourself, tell me that this presents an enormous challenge in carving out an individual identity. How have you accomplished this? ___
GB: My Dad left some very big foot prints. My Mom was--and is---a hard "old school" business show person in her own right. She was a professional dancer and a professional night club singer. My Mom was the one that was my teacher of show business do's and don'ts. And when it comes to show business my family took it very seriously and did not pull any punches if they did not like something and were asked an opinion. They would tell you the truth. Some in magic have told me that my dad was better and what I do doesn't come close to what he did and what he could do, as an entertainer. ___ MM: Isn't that a bit harsh, if not abusive for someone to say? ___
GB: Well, perhaps. But then there are some that say I turned out just like my Dad. About 8 years ago I asked my Mom if I was a good as my Father and she said I was better. Because my show and ability was just as entertaining and as she put it. She said I was a better business man than my Dad was. Let me tell you...That was quite a moment! ___
MM: What a wonderful moment!
___
GB: Oh yeah, it was. I have also had magicians and other hard old school show people like Jack Pyle, Jim Ryan, Jay Marshall, Ben Tallman, Stan Kramien, Marshall Brodien, Roy Brown, Bev Bergeron, Frank Everheart, Don Alan, Terry Vecky - magicians and show business people that have said some very nice things about my magic and my ability to entertain an audience. Bev Bergeron was Rebo the Magic Clown on Mark Wilson's Magical land Of Alakazam on CBS. Marshall Brodien and Roy Brown were Wizo the Magic Clown and Cookie the Clown for the WGN Bozo TV Show. Don Alan was the star of the ABC Don Alan's Magic Ranch. ___ MM: Hmmm? You know something? I recognize a few of those names. Don't ask me why. But Jay Marshall, Jack Pyle and of course Mark Wilson are familiar. ___
GB: You bet! These people were hard "old school" show people and when they would stop and take time with me it was quite an honor. And not one of them pulled any punches when it came to telling me what they thought of my magic and my ability to entertain an audience. So when they said something positive about my work in front of my dad, I knew that I must be doing something right! ___ MM: Very inspiring, Glenn! I've asked this question once to our mutual friend Andy Martello (previously interviewed here) and I wanted to ask you as well. How do you strike a balance between being in such a demanding career and having a stable homelife? What a balancing act! No pun intended either!! ___
GB: (laughing) None taken! Well it is hard to do because show business often has long lay off times and it is often a life of feast or famine. So at the busy times when there is work you have odd hours and sometimes 14 to 20 hour days. I have driven five hours to a location to do a one hour hypnosis show. Five hours there and five hours home is ten hours driving time in a car to do a one hour show. Things like that. Then there are times when you have no shows and you have to pound the pavement to get more work. And because you have no shows and with a family, often you don't have the budget to really go after it the way you want to. How my wife and I handle it? Who knows? I guess God looks after fools and drunks. And since I do not drink that often I must fit into the fool category. ___
MM: Ha! I'm laughing because Andy Martello expressed similar gratitude and amazement at his own wife's ability to understand the overall nature of the business. Remarkable ladies! Well, the floor is yours, Glenn. What would you like to share as we close our visit? ___
GB: Orson Wells once said if he were to do it all over again he would want to spend less time chasing money to fund the projects. He said something like he wasted so much of his life chasing the money to fund his movies and not enough time doing the projects. He said 80% chasing money and 20% making movies was no way to spend a life. I wish that I could make enough money so I would not have to worry about my income and worry if I have enough to pay the bills. Because when that day finally arrives I can do more shows to help people. My goal is to be able to do more benefits and use my magic and my stage show and any name value (If I have any name value that is) that I have to do more shows to help others in need. Right now my life is about my family responsibilities. At this time my Family and my kids needs come first! ___
As I close this interview I would like to say thank you to Michael Manning for letting me talk this way. I think Michael Manning is tops and his ideas for TV programming are great and there is a real need for more good guys like Michael Manning in this cold dark show business world. _____ That means a great deal, Glenn. Thank you. _____
I would also like to thank Andy Martello for being such a great friend and a great guy in getting Michael Manning and I together through his fun and cool blog Andy Land. As I have said before Andy Martello is one of the best acts trouping today. The world would be a better place if it had more people like Andy who's humor and fun and talent I admire greatly. I don't know what others say what making it in show business really is but I have to be realistic about that. To me the secret of making it in show business is to KEEP making it in show business. My thoughts drift now to the Frank Sinatra song "My Way". "Regrets? I've had a few. But then again too few to mention". When the end comes I may not have lived my life "My Way" but as with all the show business people I have been lucky to meet in my life time - I may not be a success and I may not get rich - but in the end my life will be a great story. And in show business you're never finished and never washed up as long as you have a great story and someone or an audience to tell it to! Or as the magician in me might say - never washed up as long as you have your magic act and a new audience to perform magic and illusions for. And my kids continue to give the gift of magic as our small magical family circle continues to the next generation! Thank you! _____ CLOSING NOTE FROM MICHAEL: _____ Well, my friends there you have it. GLENN BISHOP! I'm heartened by this great guy. He's the "Real Deal" in a world that often discourages us by being cold, apathetic and unapologetic without manners. I am certain each of you, like myself, have faced this unpleasantness wherever you live and work and play. Thank God Glenn Bishop is clearly not part of this negativity; he is a "beacon of light". Andy Martello is quite the joker about mentioning him here so often. But Andy was gracious enough to send me an e-mail the other night where he mentioned that Glenn Bishop is sincerely "missed" in the Chicago market! Remember, that this is the market where Comics and Actors like David Schwimmer (from "FRIENDS" fame) have left Hollywood after a television series has completed its run and they hunger to go back to work in "The Windy City". In a market as brutally competitive as Chicago, Glenn is obviously highly respected. Glenn reminds me of Orson Welles' acceptance speech to the AFI (see my September 15th Blog) where he stated: "There are a few of us left in this conglomerated world of ours who still trudge stubbornly along the lonely, rocky road and this is, in fact, our contrariety. We don't move nearly as fast as our cousins on the freeway. We don't even get as much accomplished, just as the family-sized farm can't possibly raise as many crops or get as much profit as the agricultural factory of today. What we do come up with has no special right to call itself better. It's just different. No, if there's any excuse for us at all, it's that we're simply following the old American tradition of the maverick. And we are a vanishing breed. Glenn Bishop and Andy Martello are both "Mavericks"! If you want to read a truly different and refreshingly optimistic Blogsite for a change of pace, I'd recommend that you stop by and say hello to Glenn Bishop. He is awesome! And that goes without saying that if you learn of a "Live" performance of Glenn Bishop on tour, do NOT miss him! I am very proud that Glenn accepted my invitation to be my Guest. My Thanks to Glenn Bishop and to all of you who loyally come here for "THE INTERVIEW". Goodnight! And see you here soon!!
#### _____ Special Message from Michael: Due to the untimely death of CBS TV & Radio News Anchor Christopher Glenn yesterday, the posting of "Friday Movie Suggestion Night" at 12:01 AM Thursday will feature a film in memory of Christopher. Christopher Glenn was my role model in broadcasting for 16 years.
____________
THE INTERVIEW: MAGICIAN GLENN BISHOP! (PART 2 OF 3)
GB: Magic makes it’s big money when it is used with advertising. There are magicians that perform at trade shows. Magic is used to get attention to a trade show booth. Magic on television is used to get attention for commercial advertisements. Like any other kind of TV show. It is the advertising dollars that drive the show, entertainment business. That is, if you can call it the entertainment business today. ___
MM: I'm with you on this. Totally. Believe me! It's certainly easy to understand what led you to the business. But I'm curious. What is it that keeps you in the business, Glenn?
___ GB: What keeps me in the business is that I love what I do and the fact I can do what I love as a way to earn an income. Plus it helps people in a way. People need to be entertained. We live in a high stress, high energy, rush, rush world. Magicians and entertainers do provide a public service when they do a good show. They give people a break and a moment of wonder, laughter and fun - to me that is giving the gift of magic. And in a way it is sort of a public service. ___ MM: Yeah, and a lot of those "Public Service" dollars have been dumped in favor of a total "bottom-line" approach, which is quite a shame in broadcasting. Can you tell us about your recent efforts to get a "Pilot" placed on television? ___ GB: Well your partly to blame because in talking with you and through out e-mails I have just taken my old TV stuff out of Moth balls and off the shelf and started to contact some people in TV here in St. Louis and do the research to try to get something magical and positive on the air again. ___
MM: Hoo-hah! I inspired that? ___ GB: Yes! ___
MM: I love it when others identify a reedeeming quality I possess, particularly for some of my uninformed in-laws. But please...continue!
___ GB: Sure! Back quite a few years ago I did a cable TV series called “The Magical World of Glenn Bishop" for Channel 6 community network in Elk Grove Village IL. I had our friend Andy Martello on the show two or three times. And a lot of my Chicago magician friends. You inspired me to take these old ideas out of the Moth Balls and start to research ideas to get something going. I would love to produce another show like that only with a big budget and have Andy Martello on the show --- that would be very cool as Andy is one of the best entertainers out there trouping a show today! ___
MM: Absolutely. I am an Andy Martello Fan.
___
GB: And so am I...But also it would benefit the station to have a show that would be positive that the whole family could watch at the same time. The family audience programming is what is missing today in today’s television networks.
___ MM: Yeah, it's very thin, Glenn. You make a good point. Assuming some young guy or girl is reading this interview who has been dreaming about following your path in show business as a Magician, what would you like to say to them? ___
GB: Stay in school. Study and with luck - you won’t turn out like me! ___ MM: Oh, come on now. You've had a great career so far! ___
GB: I have. But if they are serious about being a magician my best advice is not to follow another person’s path. Make their own path. There is an old saying, people that follow the crowd get no further than the crowd. People that follow their own path most often have the better stories and the rewards can often be greater. Learn magic and the secrets and technique, but also learn other important things. Learn business and how to make a business plan. Learn computers, and learn about people and how to build positive relationships that can help THEM and YOU at the same time. Be "A Class Act" because people with class will want to work with a class act and the class people can and will help to open many doors in and out of show business. ___ MM: And I consider you one of those Class Acts, Glenn. We touched on this a bit earlier. But what would you specifically like to see changed in the business and on television? ___
GB: I would like to see the business people of television take into consideration the viewer. Today it seems that television doesn’t care about it’s viewing audience. In my opinion there is too much "Shock TV". To many hard images, too many hard edged stories both news and fiction on TV today. What I would like to see changed would be to balance the negative hard-edged shock television with some positive programming. Perhaps some TV producer could make a breakthrough with some shows that have a positive effect on the viewing audience. ___
[PART 3: OUR FINAL DAY WITH GLENN BISHOP CONCLUDES TOMOROW!]
THE INTERVIEW: MAGICIAN GLENN BISHOP! (PART 1 OF 3)
 Glenn Bishop in performance on the stage of the "Not For Kids Only" show at "A Taste of Chicago". Glenn is performing an opening trick called "The Hydrostatic Glass".
 Glenn's Mother and Father
_____ I first discovered Glenn Bishop some months ago when Comedian Extraordinaire Andy Martello was my Guest here on "THE INTERVIEW". Glenn noticed Andy's appearance and quickly mentioned that Andy was a "Class Act" and one of the finest professionals he had ever had the pleasure of working with. This was no "mutual admiration club". Each of these men have paid their dues in a business that is as brutal as it is unforgiving and competitive. I sincerely appreciate it anytime anyone honors me by leaving a comment on my Blog. Many people overlook this as a "given". I don't. And even in my "Part-Time" status (begun here on September 15th), I still make it a point to answer each and every blogger who has commented and follow it up with a personal visit to their site. Out of this habit of mine, I wound up visiting Glenn and noticed something that bothered me (and I don't believe I'm embarrassing Glenn when I say this). I noticed many of his Blogs were nicely written and very interesting...a departure from the norm. But in the Comments section I saw too many "0's". What was happening was obvious. With hundreds of thousands of new Bloggers on the scene every day worldwide, we are seeing single and double-digit Comments. Before my own Blog was built, I am told by Denny Shane that it was not uncommon to have 130 visitors posting! That was a mind-blower to me. "THE INTERVIEW" is but one feature of my Website: www.michaelmanning.tv and I enjoy it because of my love of people! Here was a guy who was overlooked and so I began Blogging with Glenn. We had a meeting of the minds on my work as a broadcast journalist and just how difficult it is to pitch a show when Agents or Entertainment Attorneys are seemingly nowhere to be found. I'm reminded of an interview with Penelope Cruz. She told her story of telephoning the William Morris Agency in Los Angeles. She was seeking representation. They hung up the telephone on her! This is what the world has become, unfortunately. So into this world comes Magician Glenn Bishop--a respite from dark images of war, violence, hatred, and the abusive people we're all fed up with! On that note here is our visit. I hope you'll enjoy it! __________
MM: First off Glenn, I consider your Blogsite to be a "gem" that is unfortunately undiscovered (UNTIL NOW!). Perhaps this interview will lead other Bloggers to "discover" a cool new site to explore with a fresh topics on life and living. What is "Bish the Magish" all about? Describe what you do for those who might be introduced to you for the very first time here?
GB: Thanks Michael, let me start off by saying it is an honor to be interviewed by you and it is an honor to call you my friend. True friendships are rare in show business today. It is sad that a lot of show business is too much business and too much cut throat in many of the show business practices of today's show business.
___
MM: Thanks, Glenn. LIkewise! ___
GB: I will try to keep the answer down to about a million words. For those of you that never met me or my Dad we are a lot like the old time showmen. It is often said that when old time show people talk - Why answer in just 5 words when 15 or 20 words will do? Showmen have a way of saying things larger than life. It is one of the tricks of the trade that is used in advertising and promotion today. Glenn Bishop has many sides and interests. First of all I am a magician and many people in show business say that I am a lot like my Dad. I take that as the highest complement because to me my dad was tops. And the best in the business as an entertainer. The thing I like about magic is that I love entertaining people with magic. I like the reaction when they say "Wow!" or that "Ohhhh!" of the surprise and the magic effect that they experienced when they see me perform a magic trick. ___
MM: The reward, the payoff. Fulfillment, yes? ___
GB: That is why I do it! Because I like the reaction of the trick that the audience gets. This is also true when doing a stage show or a comedy hypnosis show. The feeling and energy that you get when the audience is loving the show. They like the show and me and I know when I am up on that stage that they like me and are into it. That is what I like about magic, stage hypnotism and show business. But on the other hand as much as I LOVE performing I do not like the business side of show business. Because it is work and I am competing not just with other acts but often all of show business. And most of the time I do not have the budget to get the job done in the right way.
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MM: Frustration. ___
GB: Exactly, Michael. I find the business side that I must do to entertain the audience often at time very frustrating. So to get to the part I LOVE doing and that is entertaining an audience I go through the frustrations of getting to that audience by putting up with, and trying to do the business within the budget and time I have to get the job done. Besides magic, I also have a family and I have the best wife in the world that puts up with the grind of shows and the odd hours I have to deal with. Plus I have three kids and I am a very active Father and take a very strong view of being a Dad and being there for my kids as much as possible.
___
MM: From our recent telephone conversation, and through e-mailing with you, I must say. I really don't know of another Blogger with such strong ties to show business. Can you tell us a bit about growing up in the business with your Mother and Father?
___ GB: Well, it was strange and different than the way other kids grew up because my Dad and Mom were on TV a lot while I was growing up. I wasn't born when my Dad did the "Toast of the Town" for Ed Sullivan. The show was later called "The Ed Sullivan Show!"
___ MM: My God! We learned about that show in High School Media Class! What time frame are we talking about here? ___ GB: I was born in 1956 just four days before my Dads "Billy Bounce and WITI" TV Show (The show ran at 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and featured cartoons on film, including "Little LuLu", George Pal's "Puppetoons", and "Noveltoons", all in color). WITI-TV ran the show from May 21, through December 24, 1956 when it was cancelled. That was five days before Christmas and my Mom worked very hard to get back into shape to do the act again. You have to remember this was live TV and when it ended, it ended. ___
MM: How unfortunate. That's a sore point with me about the biz. ___ GB: Yeah, and for good reason. I remember we talked about our collective experiences. I can imagine my Dad telling my Mom this news and working very hard to book a magic act in the worst month to book a magic act. Because the next month was January. ___ MM: And your Dad was later on The Mike Douglas Show, wasn't he? ___ GB: Yes! Years later I did watch my Dad on the Mike Douglas Show several times. In fact every time my Dad and Mom performed on the "The Mike Douglas Show" because it was an afternoon show, we told our grade school principal and they had an assembly and most of the school watched it with us. My family was the talk of the school in those days. And my Dad and Mom also did the Bozo TV Show for WGN many times. I think it was twice a year every year for almost the run of the show. The show lasted about 50 years and my Dad was mentioned with a lot of the other acts on the 50 year anniversary show. So in short, growing up in our house was exciting. There was always that energy of the time before the show. The importance of "getting there to be ready to do the act at the agreed upon time".___ MM: Those are deep roots, Glenn! ___
GB: What was strange in my kid years was the fact that my Dad took steps to get talked about in the newspapers and to book television shows. And growing up around all that was a very different experience than the way most other kids grew up.
__ MM: Yeah, I'm getting that. Quite interesting! And your Dad handled his own marketing and promotion. That's incredible. You're still a young guy, but what's interesting to me is your perspective on the work ethic and standards of professionalism. And I suppose that my readers would enjoy hearing your perpective about what aspects have changed in show business from your Dad's day to the present?
___ GB: The show and the fact that people will be entertained by a Magic Show has changed. People will always be entertained by a good magician. That has not changed at all. What has changed is the way that big business will buy magic and entertainment. In my Dads day there were more entertainment venues to do a magic show like Vaudeville and night clubs that had floor shows. Back then there were night clubs and supper clubs where a man and a woman would go out for an evenings entertainment. The man would put on a tux and the woman would dress in a gown or a cocktail dress. They would go to a night club or a supper club and dine on prime rib and see a floor show. Now almost all of those venues are gone. Today, the night clubs are a lot like in the movie "Studio 54". Loud music, young people drinking and dancing and other things and it is a totally different kind of a world. I have done a lot of close-up magic in many loud dark dance bars and night clubs when I was in Chicago and in other places in the U.S.A.. It is not easy and hardly show business the way my Dad was booked back in his day. ___ MM: No, it doesn't sound like it. What a different world! ___
[PART 2 OF 3 CONTINUES TOMORROW!]
OUR GUEST NEXT MONDAY!
Glenn Bishop Guests Next Monday!
_____ Join me at 12:01 A.M. next Monday October 16th for another installment of "THE INTERVIEW". My Guest will be Magician and fellow Blogger Glenn Bishop. This extraordinary entertainer's Mother and Father raised Glenn in show business. They were featured on early Television's "Toast of the Town", "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Mike Douglas Show". Glenn's refreshing visit will give you hope that there are still kind, ethical people left in a seemingly alienated world that is detached from anything meaningful on or off television and radio. Stop by and be inspired!
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT!
_______________ This movie epitomizes the term Tour de Force. I never tire of seeing it on reruns late at night. In 1967, this was a groundbreaking movie that directly addressed the ugliness of prejudice in America. And it was Bold (with a Capital "B"). Here's the plot: A wealthy man planning on building a factory in Sparta, Mississippi is savagely murdered. The Police Chief Bill Gillespie (probably the greatest role of the late Rod Steiger's career) is pressured to find his killer quickly. Philadelphia native Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) who is merely passing through town is picked up at the train station with a substantial amount of money found in his wallet. Gillespie jumps to the conclusion he has his killer (because Tibbs is African-American) but is painfully embarrassed when he learns that Tibbs is actually a highly respected Philadelphia homicide detective who had been visiting his mother! Ha! After this racist treatment, a disgusted Tibbs wants nothing more than to leave this racist hell hole as quickly as possible. But fate deals a cool hand when the victim's widow (Lee Grant) recognizes the detective's expertise and threatens to stop construction on the much-needed factory unless he leads the investigation. Gillespie then talks Tibbs' captain into lending his services. The "dramatic tension" between these two characters is palpable, to say the least! What is absolutely amazing about this movie for me is how the character of Gillespie begins to gradually transform from a gum-chewing racist to that of a human being with a conscience. The two men ever so gradually come to respect each other as they are forced to work together and solve the crime. If you hang tight with this movie, I promise you will be rewarded with a masterpiece! _______________ In the Heat of the Night is based on the John Ball novel published in 1965. In 2002, the United States Library of Congress deemed this film "culturally significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry! The quote, "They call me Mister Tibbs!," was listed as #16 on the American Film Institute's "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes". The movie would later become the basis of a television series entitled In the Heat of the Night, starring Carroll O'Connor, Howard Rollins, Hugh O'Connor (sadly all three are deceased) Alan Autry (now Mayor of Fresno, California who reviewed and "loved" my Cable Television series concept-for-pilot: "When Dreams Come True"!), David Hart, and the beautiful Anne-Marie Johnson. It's worth noting that Carroll O'Connor said that the role of Police Chief Bill Gillespie and the television series was the "best role of my life and the series made me prouder than anything I have ever accomplished". Part of the movie was filmed in Sparta, Illinois where many of the film's landmarks can still be seen. This was also one of the first U.S. films where a black person slapped a white person on screen. Watch Rod Steiger's reaction in this scene! I'm telling you, this is what real acting truly is! The ending...well, you'll have to watch and see how things end up. Let's have a look at the cast! _______________ The Cast: Sidney Poitier : Detective Virgil Tibbs; Rod Steiger : Police Chief Bill Gillespie; Warren Oates : Officer Sam Wood; Lee Grant : Mrs. Leslie Colbert; Larry Gates : Eric Endicott; James Patterson : Purdy; William Schallert : Mayor Webb Schubert; Beah Richards : Mama Caleba (aka Mrs. Bellamy); Peter Whitney : Officer George Courtney; Kermit Murdock : H.E. Henderson (banker); Larry D. Mann : Watkins; Quentin Dean : Delores Purdy; Anthony James : Ralph Henshaw. This is one hell of a great movie and here are the awards to prove it. _______________ Awards: Academy Award for Best Picture; Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama; New York Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Picture; Academy Award for Best Actor - Rod Steiger; Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama - Rod Steiger; Academy Award for Film Editing - Hal Ashby; Academy Award for Sound - Samuel Goldwyn Studios; Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay - Stirling Silliphant; Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Stirling Silliphant; BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor - Rod Steiger; BAFTA UN Award - Norman Jewison; Edgar Award - Best Motion Picture Screenplay - Stirling Silliphant; (Ball's book also received an Edgar, for Best First Novel). _____________ ENJOY THE MOVIE!
WEST SIDE STORY!
_____ Still riveting after all these many years! Tonight we bring you WEST SIDE STORY. Since many of us were not born when this movie was made, allow me to fill you in briefly about the epitome of the word "Classic". That is what this movie really is! The scene: New York City of the late 1950's. The tale is a virtual updating of "Romeo and Juliet". Only instead of two feuding families, we have brawling street gangs: the Anglo "Jets", led by Riff (Russ Tamblyn), and the Puerto Rican "Sharks", led by Bernardo (George Chakiris). At a dance, Tony (Richard Beymer), former leader of the Jets and Riff's best friend, and Maria (Natalie Wood), Bernardo's little sister, see each other across the room and it's love at first sight. If I had to pick 10 women on screen that I've fallen for completely, the late and achingly beautiful Natalie Wood is certainly on that list. Tony and Maria meet secretly and their love grows deeper. However, the gangs are plotting one last rumble, a fight that will finally end the battle for control of the streets. This is a relevant story that rings true about violence in today's society and how it destroys the lives of people around them. This is a young, talented cast, a gorgeous score and dance sequences that need to be seen to believed. In fact, my Production Manager in Clasical Radio and I used to say so often that if the late composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein had done nothing further with his career than score West Side Story, he would still be considered a "Legend". West Side Story is a must-see! ______ I realize that many of you reside in New York City. So I thought you might find the filming locations interesting: 8th Street, Manhattan, New York City; 10th Street, Manhattan, New York City; The Samuel Goldwyn/Warner Hollywood Studios, 1041 North Formosa Avenue, Hollywood, California, USA. Oh, here's some Cool Trivia! Natalie Wood's singing was dubbed by Marni Nixon. Even though dubbing Natalie Wood was Marni Nixon's chief assignment, Nixon also did one number for actress Rita Moreno, which required a relatively high vocal register. Having dubbed Wood as well as Moreno, Nixon felt she deserved a cut of the movie-album royalties. Neither the movie nor the record producers would bow to her demands. Leonard Bernstein broke the stalemate by volunteering a percentage of his income, a gesture of loyalty-royalty since Nixon had been a performer-colleague of his at New York Philharmonic concerts. He ceded one quarter of one per cent of his royalties to her (a generous amount). Very cool. Richard Beymer's singing voice was dubbed by Jimmy Bryant. _____
Okay, the opening dance sequences were shot on the Upper West Side of Manhattan where Lincoln Center stands today. This area was condemned and the buildings were in the process of being demolished to make way for Lincoln Center. The demolition of these buildings was delayed so that the filming of these sequences could be completed. The script was originally intended to be a Catholic boy falling in love with a Jewish girl. The working title was "East Side Story". After a boom of Puerto Rican immigration to New York in the late 1940s and 1950s, the story was changed. Director Robert Wise hired New York gang members to control crowds on location, and fought to shoot on location in New York City (maybe Cincinnati's own West Side should hire these same gangs to stop the murderous rampage in that city)! _____
Other cool stuff: Can you believe that film rights to the play were bought for $375,000? But hey! That was in 1961 dollars. Still, imagine! If you're into set-building: The interior sets were built six feet off the ground to allow for low-angle shooting with large 70 mm cameras. If you are into wardrobe: The boys' jeans were dyed, re-dyed and "distressed," using special elastic thread to allow for the severity of the choreography. Robert Wise's original choice to play Tony was Elvis Presley (how funny!). Audrey Hepburn was offered the role of Maria, but she turned it down, because she was pregnant with Sean H. Ferrer at the time. And finally, Choreographer Jerome Robbin's propensity for filming and re-filming scenes as he strove for perfection led to the movie going over budget and behind schedule. Robbins was fired by Mirisch Pictures, the production company, when the shooting was about 60% finished, and director Robert Wise completed the filming alone (the original arrangement had been for Robbins to direct all of the song and dance sequences and Wise to direct everything else). _____ ______
ENJOY!
EXTRA, EXTRA: READ ALL ABOUT IT!
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To quote Paul Newman's line to Charlotte Rampling in my favorite movie, "The Verdict": "I had a good day today". Two of my articles, "The Estate of Eastern Airlines" and "USA 3000 Coach Flyer" (see magazine cover above) were released nationwide this morning in bookstores across America. Next Tuesday, we will be distributed in the U.K. and Worldwide! The Eastern article is very important to me, because it is an homage of sorts to my friend and mentor, the late Martin R. Shugrue, Jr. or "Marty", as he preferred to be called. Marty served as Trustee for the estate of Eastern Airlines and appeared himself in a series of very bold high impact/high visibility television ads in 1990. I have yet to see a television ad campaign that equals the excitement of those ads, produced by Ogilvy & Mather. David Letterman got such a thrill from watching these commercials that in October 1990, he included Marty in his famous "TOP 10" feature called "Why You Should Fly Eastern Airlines"! Marty, who had a terrific sense of humor and could always laugh at himself (a requirement of all my friends) told me that he considered showing a videotape of that segment to Eastern's Creditor's Committee before deciding otherwise. "You never know how those guys will respond to humor", he said and we enjoyed quite a belly laugh! Ah, good memories! Included in the article is the aircraft livery design I created and submitted to Marty in 1994 for what was to have been the "New" Eastern. I am very proud--- to say the least---that my Editor-In-Chief Extraordinaire, John Wegg, included the commentary that Marty had my mechanical propped up against the side of his desk for several months as he struggled valiantly to raise capital for the new company. It never came to pass. But Marty was amazing. When his role changed from an Operating Trustee to a Liquidating Trustee, he petitioned the Court to make employee claims a "Priority" along with enhancing the medical trust of retirees. As my own Mother stated: "He really had a heart, ya know it?" True! He was a genuine "people person", a bridge builder who could bring adversaries together in peace, a man who had an extraordinary propensity for fixing problems. He was simply, "The Best" and he is missed! I Honor this Great man and in the days ahead, I will announce new additions to my PHOTO GALLERY Section. Among them, will be the last photo taken in Miami at Pan Am Headquarters with Marty and me.
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When Marty (whose 1994 INTERVIEW with me was included on this Blogsite--see Archives) brought back a resuscitated Pan Am, it was an Excellent airline in every sense of the word! And the "Class" was evident from full meals, to garnering awards for the cabin service and even the tasteful uniforms of the Flight Attendants. The merger with Carnival Airlines simply came at the wrong time in the economy for Pan Am and in 1998 the carrier ceased operations. But I was lucky to fly the airline from New York to Miami and it was absolutely amazing to see what flying used to be. Marty's style was all over that carrier. It was an absolute Joy! Even today, I hear about how Pan Am II is genuinely missed! But what an achievement that was, against the odds. Courage, Class and Caring! Inspired? You better believe it! _____ HAVE A GOOD EVENING, ALL! _____ OH, JUST A SUBTLE REMINDER: ..."FRIDAY MOVIE SUGGESTION NIGHT" GETS POSTED AT 12:01 A.M. THURSDAY! MY "NEWS" AND "COMING SOON" SECTIONS WILL CONTINUE TO BE UPDATED REGULARLY. ______
I WANT TO EXPRESS MY HEARTFELT THANKS TO EACH OF YOU WHO CONTINUE TO VISIT HERE FOR YOUR CONTINUING FRIENDSHIP AND LOYALTY DURING MY RELOCATION. I WILL BE HERE ON A PART-TIME BASIS. AND WHILE IT MAY TAKE ME A LITTLE LONGER, I WILL GET BACK TO EACH OF YOUR COMMENTS. ALSO, PLEASE KNOW THAT I APPRECIATE YOUR E-MAILS MORE THAN YOU REALIZE! I HAVE FIELDED 107 AS OF THIS AFTERNOON, SINCE I ANNOUNCED MY PART-TIME SCHEDULE HERE. AGAIN, THANK YOU!
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