BEGINNING OF PART TWO

A: You've related a bit about Mr. Meredith. Could you talk about the hiring of
'The Big Three' and tell us little about what they were like, please?
S: Okay, uh...

A: O'Brian owned part of the show, correct?

S: No. He didn't own anything.

A: Okay.

S: Not that I've ever known.

A: I thought that that was mentioned during a TV GUIDE interview, but perhaps
that wasn't correct.

S: Well. Not that I know. Okay? Neither Tony, not Hugh, nor Doug owned anything.

A: Understood. So how were they brought into the project?

S: We hired Hugh O'Brian, uh... for the pilot. I had known 'Huge' before... we
called him 'Huge', H-U-G-E...

A: (laughs) Was he looking to expand after WYATT EARP, perhaps?

S: Yeah. I knew him over at Ziv, when he was doing WYATT EARP over there when I
was a kid, working for a guy named Dave Unger.

A: ZIV Studios. Right.

=================

NOTE: Ziv Studios were located in West Hollywood. Purchased in 1954, Ziv was
formerly Hollywood's Eagle Lion studios which had been built on the old Grand
National Studios site. Ziv was also a TV Production and Syndication Company, and
was apparently the most prolific producer of TV programming for the first-run
syndication market during the 1950s. Ziv Television Programs occupies a unique
niche in the history of U.S. television. Bypassing the networks and major
national sponsors, Ziv rose to prominence by marketing its series to local and
regional sponsors, who placed them on local stations, generally in time slots
outside of prime time. Using this strategy, Ziv produced several popular and
long-lived series, including The Cisco Kid (1949-56), Highway Patrol (1955-59),
and Sea Hunt (1957-61). The 1956 and 1957 Seasons of 'The Adventures of
Superman' were also filmed at ZIV. There is more about Ziv at
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/Z/htmlZ/zivtelevisio/zivtelevisio.htm

================

S: Yup. Ziv Studios.

A: That goes way back.

S: Right. And we always liked 'Huge', and um... we thought it'd be different
casting, because he was ALWAYS a very smooth guy. But he had a rough edge.
Y'know? Even in WYATT EARP you could see that. He had a charm, and kind've a
DANGEROUS quality to him, and of course, he was kind of a romantic leading man.
And he was a tougher. What we were looking for was a 'tougher' Cary Grant.

A: Was anyone else ever considered for the role?

S: Uh... John Gavin.

===================

NOTE: Leonard Maltin writes the following about Gavin in his 'Movie
Encyclopedia': "He lost on-screen lover Janet Leigh to a madman's knife in
Psycho (1960), scarcely batting an eye upon hearing the news. And that was
probably his best screen performance! A stoic, handsome but colorless leading
man whose first film was Behind the High Wall (1956), Gavin served for a time as
president of the Screen Actors Guild, one of his more noteworthy Hollywood
roles. His first major lead, in the classic weepie Imitation of Life (1959), led
to his appearances in Psycho and Spartacus the following year. He also starred
in two failed TV series, "Destry" (1964) and "Convoy" (1965), before leaving
show business for politics; during the Reagan administration he served as the
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico." Gavin apparently returned to acting post-politics.
His last screen credit is from 1997. Here's his imdb listing:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001260/

===================

S: Remember him?

A: Yes. He was in PSYCHO, and ended up going into politics, didn't he?

S: Yes. But he was a wonderful actor in Universal pictures.

A: A very handsome gentleman; ended up being an ambassador, I believe.

S: He ended up being the United States Ambassador to Mexico.

====================

NOTE: Gavin's mother was of Mexican descent, and he grew up completely bilingual
in English and Spanish. See http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001260/bio for more
details

====================

A: Right. So Gavin was considered. Anyone else besides Gavin?

S: No, not really strongly. John Gavin was the most popular amongst us, but he
didn't have the same type of TVQ that Hugh O'Brian had.

====================

NOTE: 'TVQ' is a reference to techniques used to measure the likeability and
popularity of (among other things) a particular television performer. From
Wikipedia: "The Q Score is a way to measure the familiarity and appeal of a
brand, company, celebrity, cartoon character or television show. The higher the
Q Score, the more well-known and well thought of the item or person being scored
is. The Q Score is primarily used by the marketing, advertising and public
relations industries. Sometimes the term Q score is used in popular discussions
of a person or product's overall fame, popularity, or likeability. Other popular
synonyms include Q rating, Q factor, or simply Q. The Q Score was developed in
1963 by Marketing Evaluations, Inc., a United States company based in Manhasset,
New York. To calculate someone or something's Q Score, Marketing Evaluations
surveys a panel of US consumer households about their awareness and opinion of
that person or thing. Two factors influence the Q Score: the number of people
who are aware of the product in question, and the number of people who claim
that product as one of their favorites.

====================

A: Understood. Was anyone else ever considered for the 'McClure' or 'Franciosa'
roles?

S: Well we'd just finished doing THE VIRGINIAN with Doug McClure...

A: Right.

S: And we did NAME OF THE GAME with Tony... and Tony was Best Man at two of my
weddings.

A: Was that before (SEARCH), during... or AFTER, I guess...

S: During and after.

A: Right.

S: And when we were doing NAME OF THE GAME, he was of course, our star...

A: Right.

S: And basically, we put (SEARCH) up like the same McCLOUD, COLUMBO concept for
the series. To have a star-a-week alternating.

A: So you were looking for three rotating leads. Was a FOURTH ever considered?

S: No.

A: Okay. Just three.

S: Just three.

A: Gotcha. Working with Franciosa, who you were obviously the closest to, it
seems...

S: I was the 'closest' to 'Huge', Doug AND Tony...

A: Oh, well! What was Franciosa like? Did he have a hard edge--like the one he
brought to his character?

S: Anthony Franciosa... happens to be the sweetest, most WONDERFUL man...

A: (chuckles)

S: ... I, I gotta tell'ya... um... They were ALL wonderful. Uh, Tony... One of
the times he was Best Man at one of my weddings... we were at the Bel Air
Hotel...

==================

NOTE: Citysearch says this about the Hotel Bel-Air: Hotel Bel-Air, at 701 Stone
Canyon Rd in Los Angeles "is perhaps L.A.'s preeminent luxury accommodation.
Hotel Bel-Air has been a haven for society dowagers and paparazzi-scorning
celebrities since opening in 1940. Oil baron and Bel-Air Estates founder
Alphonso E. Bell originally constructed the building for office space. Years
later, it was converted into this grand estate worthy of a multimillion-dollar
tycoon. Guests enter via a miniature bridge which crosses the hotel's signature
Swan Lake; cascading waterfalls and a crowning bell tower complete the idyllic
serenity. Inside, antique fixtures and French countryside furnishings will make
any plebeian feel like royalty. Sprawled over 11 lushly landscaped acres, the
hotel offers much-welcomed privacy." A link directly to the hotel can be found
at: http://www.hotelbelair.com/hotelbelair.html

I am guessing that actual Hotel Bel-Air's pool area was used as a key backdrop
for Doug McClure's first SEARCH episode, "Short Circuit", written by show
creator Leslie Stevens. More on that, below.

=====================

S: ... and he brought his son Christopher, and right before the wedding, one of
the swans at Swan Lake pecked Christopher right on the nose, and we had to stop
the wedding for awhile to get Christopher's nose fixed.

A: (laughs)

S: But, uh... Tony was a consummate professional. He was an absolute stickler...
if he respected you. Okay?

A: Right.

S: I know that (on) many of the shows that he did before, that he was considered
'trouble'...

A: He comes off as kind of a 'rascal' in interviews... yes. (chuckles)

S: Yes. (But) never ONCE with me! As long as he knew I was there...

A: Right...

S: ...WITH him, at 6am...

A: Right...

S: ... and (I) was looking to make sure that HIS performance was at its BEST...
that he LOOKED his best... and that he was being PRESENTED in his best light...
he would do ANYTHING for me.

A: You had his best interests in mind, and he respected that.

S: Yeah. And you know what? ALL those guys (presumably referring to O'Brian,
McClure and Franciosa)... MY responsibility was making sure they LOOKED their
best and DID their best. And THEIR responsibility was making sure they LOOKED
their best and DID their best... because THAT'S THEIR CAREER.

A: Right.

S: Y'know, filmmakers... See, I used to be an actor in FRONT of the screen... So
when I did the same thing, I didn't have somebody like ME there to help me.

A: It was all up to you.

S: ... All up to me. And when I got divorced three times... I gotta tell'ya
something... it was TOUGH goin', so I stared making movies... and television.

A: (Television) couldn't have been much EASIER! That's hard work, too!

S: Right! (laughs) The kids... Cheryl Stoppelmoor...

=====================

NOTE: Cheryl Jean Stoppelmoor was the birth name of actress Cheryl Ladd, who
played Probe Control technician "Miss Love."

======================

A: Cheryl Stoppelmoor. Cheryl Ladd. Right.

S: Stoppelmoor. Right. She turned into Cheryl Ladd when she married a friend of
mine--David Ladd. A. Martinez... Ginny Golden... Byron Chung... They were all
wonderful kids, and wonderful people.

A: And they WERE all 'kids' at the time, WEREN'T they?

S: Right.

A: I spoke with Ginny Golden a couple of years ago. She's very sweet.

S: She's the most WONDERFUL girl! She went to India, and became a... I think
she's a Suvi (sp?) Priestess, or whatever she is now. But she's a WONDERFUL
girl! Uh... Elke (Sommer, who played "Heideline 'Uli' Ullman" in the PROBE
pilot)... Angel (Tompkins, who played 'Gloria Harding' in the PROBE pilot and
SEARCH series)... I mean you COULDN'T have asked to be put in a (better)
situation. We even started Jaclyn Smith's career!

A: Right! She was in the pilot as an airline stewardess!

S: Right! Her first words were, "Would you like WHITE wine, or RED?"

A: (laughs) You have an excellent memory! (pauses) A bit of trivia I'd like to
discuss with you... Burgess Meredith's character is referred to in the show and
in the paperback novelizations as 'V.C.R. Cameron.' Now, we have scans of the
show's actual prop I.D. badges, and it lists (Cameron's) first name as 'John',
and his job 'Position' as 'V.C.R.', which apparently refers to his job title.
Can you recall what 'V.C.R.' stood for?

S: Uh... (pauses)... three letters.

A: Correct.

S: That's it.

A: (laughs loudly) So you're saying it's a little enigmatic, them?

S: You know what?

A: What?

S: ... It sounded mysterious...

A: Yes?

S: ... official...

A: Yes?

S: ... and highly secret.

A: Okay! So it's kind of like the 'B.E.' in P.R.O.B.E.... It's just kind of
'dangled' there.

S: It's kind of 'dangled' there.

A: Enticingly.

S: That's right.

A: All right. Very good.

S: It keeps the audience... wondering.

A: Understood.

S: And unless you can keep your audience... intrigued... and (let them) have
their own questions... they shouldn't lose interest, and, uh... we hopefully
haven't done that.

A: Well that 'shouldn't lose interest' is the reason why I'm talking to you,
today. (laughs) And I represent a lot of 'interested' people, believe me!

S: Okay!

A: McClure did seven SEARCH episodes, compared to O'Brian's and Franciosa's
eight (episodes). Was there another McClure episode planned, or was that simply,
"you filled your (episode) order and somebody had to lose out?"

S: Somebody had to lose out.

A: Understood.

S: Of the episodes... Doug's were the weakest.

A: Hmmmm.

S: Because he didn't have a romantic interest like Angel Tompkins... he was
young and wild and... crazy. He was like our 'Kookie.'

================

NOTE: When he mentions 'Kookie', Strong is making a comparison between Doug
McClure's 'C.R. Grover' SEARCH character and a similar one in the TV series 77
SUNSET STRIP where actor Edd Byrnes played a character called "Gerald "Kookie"
Kookson III" from 1958 until 1963. 'Kookie' was the youngest cast member in a
show about Private Eye firm, and he very successfully appealed to a more
youthful audience who watched the show.

================

A: Well... he certainly had a likable quality, and perhaps that made up for what
you called the 'weaker' episodes. In fact, my personal favorite episode has
always been 'Short Circuit'. As a kid, it appealed to me because it dealt with
an element that was a bit more 'fantastic'--the Mega-Trans Package.

S: That's right. I directed all of Doug's ADR... (and I) changed his performance
in that episode.

===============

NOTE: ADR stands for Automated (or Automatic) Dialog Replacement. Dialog that
cannot be salvaged from production tracks (meaning audio that has not been
recorded clearly; for instance--an airplane flying overhead during a scene where
two actors are speaking to one another) must be rerecorded in a process called
looping, or ADR. Looping originally involved recording an actor who spoke lines
in sync to "loops" of the image which were played over and over along with
matching lengths of recording tape. ADR, though faster, is still painstaking
work. An actor watches the image repeatedly while listening to the original
production track on headphones as a guide. The actor then reperforms each line
to match the wording and lip movements. Actors vary in their ability to achieve
sync and to recapture the emotional tone of their performance. Some prefer it.
Marion Brando, for instance, liked to loop because he didn't like to freeze a
performance until he knew its final context.

See: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/4394/sync.htm for more details.

Clearly put, Strong was stating that he 'shaped and modified' McClure's
performance during the ADR session for the 'Short Circuit' episode.

===============

S: ... made it better. I directed the Second Unit for it... put all the action
'beats' in it... believe me, it was... (pauses)... (McClure's) episodes weren't,
I shouldn't say 'weaker', but weren't as well received, ratings-wise.

A: That's another question I had. Which actor from the 'rotating three' scored
higher? Was it O'Brian, then Franciosa, then McClure?

S: O'Brian's and Tony's used to score highest.

A: McClure's didn't score as high. Interesting. Well, Jeff Corey (who
guest-starred in 'Short Circuit') was fun, and Gary Collins...

S: Remember that upside-down shot going into the building right before the car
chase?

=======================

NOTE: Strong is referring to a relatively quick, but creative shot of actor Jeff
Corey during the final scenes of 'Short Circuit'. Leading up to that shot, Corey
is seen walking towards a structure--doubling as the World Securities
building--in order to plant the Mega-Trans Package in the tunnels underneath.
Then we see a shot of Grover's Corvette traveling towards the building in
pursuit of Corey. CUT to a shot of Corey, whose image is upside-down--reflected
in a pool of water, dotted with Lilly-Pads. When the camera tilts up, Corey's
image is upright (since it's now an actual shot of Corey, and no longer a
reflection) as he approaches a set of brick steps, presumably on the World
Securities complex, in order to gain access to an above-ground service hatch,
which leads below.

======================

A: I do.

S: That was walking along by a pool. And I shot in the pool--his reflection--it
looked like he was upside down, and I panned up to him walking away, and then
Doug had the car chase...

A: Correct. Very inventive! And you mentioned 'Swan Lake' earlier, too. You
chose to involve that in 'Short Circuit' directly. The Bel-Air Hotel?

=======================

NOTE: I was guessing--and Strong didn't correct me in my assumption--that the
fictional 'Belmont Inn in Salisbury Hills' referred to in 'Short Circuit', is in
fact a fictional name for the real-life 'Hotel Bel-Air' location where they may
have filmed the hotel sequences. The fictional 'Belmont' location, as well as
the real Hotel Bel-Air were BOTH known for their 'real, live swans' swimming in
the garden. Images of the real Hotel Bel-Air 'Swan Lake' garden as well as the
pool can both be seen here: http://www.elegantsmallhotel.com/hotels/esh48.html

========================

S: Yep.

A: Cool.

END OF PART TWO


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