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1-11 of 11
- Harriet C. Leider was born on 5 October 1944. She was an actress, known for Torch Song Trilogy (1988), Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Dream Lover (1993). She was married to Jenny Wrenn. She died on 12 February 2004 in Oakland, California, USA.
- Martin Jurow was born on 14 December 1911 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was a producer, known for Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), The Pink Panther (1963) and Terms of Endearment (1983). He was married to Erin Jo Jurow. He died on 12 February 2004 in Dallas, Texas, USA.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Lex Monson was born on 11 March 1926 in Grindstone, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for Malcolm X (1992), The Preacher's Wife (1996) and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (2003). He died on 12 February 2004.- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
Martin Booth was born on 7 September 1944 in Lancashire, England, UK. He was a writer, known for The American (2010), Up Yer News (1990) and The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow (1988). He was married to Helen Barber. He died on 12 February 2004 in Stoodleigh, Devon, England, UK.- Larry Guardino was born on 1 August 1929 in Staten Island, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for A Bronx Tale (1993), The Rose (1979) and Life Study (1973). He was married to Marie Guardino. He died on 12 February 2004 in Staten Island, New York, USA.
- Producer
- Director
If one subscribes to the notion that "Duck and Cover" is the "Citizen Kane" of cold war civil defense films, then its director, Anthony Rizzo, is, by extension, the Orson Welles of the genre. Of course, while Welles's achievements in film are well known, his counterpart's career is decidedly more obscure. This mini-biography then is but a small step forward in recognizing Mr. Rizzo's remarkable contribution to cold war popular culture.
This recognition is long overdue because Rizzo's masterpiece is one of the most famous short subject films ever produced. Moreover, the phrase "Duck and Cover" has entered the national lexicon as shorthand for referencing the panicky days of the 1950's and early 1960's. Indeed, numerous documentaries, news specials and motion pictures have used clips from "Duck and Cover" to evoke this paranoid era. After 9/11 the film's famous title was redeployed by an army of none-too-clever media headline writers to describe a new age of fear.
So just who was the auteur behind "Duck and Cover"?
Anthony Rizzo and his family came to America from Italy through Ellis Island early in the last century. The family settled in Chicago where young Tony dreamed of becoming an opera singer. In the 1940's world events intervened and the desire for the opera stage was forgotten. Upon his return from World War II, where he served as a radio operator, Rizzo studied at Northwestern University and the Chicago Conservancy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Rizzo got his first media industry job at the ABC television affiliate in Chicago where he produced and directed variety, quiz, sports, adventure and children's programming.
In 1951 the now seasoned producer-director moved to New York City where he joined Archer Productions, Inc., a powerhouse production house that held commercial TV accounts with such companies as Chevrolet, Proctor & Gamble, and the American Tobacco Company. At about the same time Rizzo started with Archer, the company had won a bid to produce several civil defense films for the U.S. Government. In addition to directing "Duck and Cover," Rizzo directed the short "Our Cities Must Fight" (1951). This second film advised the viewer about the importance of not evacuating their city in the event of an atom bombing. The rationale was that it was more important for the citizenry to stay and fight the invading "enemy" and help put out fires. The movie, arguably more ridiculous than "Duck," never achieved the same camp classic status. The third civil defense film that Archer was contracted to produce was never made.
After leaving Archer, Rizzo entered the world of New York advertising where he continued to write, produce and direct commercial fare. Among the prestigious agencies Rizzo worked for are Ogilvy, Benson & Mather, the Blow Company and Ketchum, MacCleod & Grove. In addition to his advertising work Rizzo performed in regional theater under the stage name "Tony Rainer."
In the early 1970s Rizzo switched careers and worked in real estate for many years until his retirement.
Anthony Rizzo passed away in 2004 at the age of 85 in Los Angeles. He is survived by two children, two grandchildren and the amazing cultural legacy that is "Duck and Cover."
So, the next time you see or hear a tortured variation on the phrase "Duck and Cover" (e.g. "duct and cover") remember Anthony Rizzo was the man behind the camera on the original. Spread the word!- Music Department
- Editor
Kenny Johnson began his film career as an apprentice/assistant picture editor on "Gunsmoke" and also "Have Gun Will Travel" back in the late 50s. He became reclassified as a "music editor" on that series, and at the age of 20 received what is believed to be the first film credit given as music editor. He later went on to work for many years with Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard, teaming with composer Earle Hagen on such shows as "The Andy Griffith Show", "Make Room for Daddy", "The Dick Van Dyke Show", "Mayberry RFD", and "Gomer Pyle, USMC". He assisted Hagen on the composition of one of the most complete texts ever composed for film music entitled, "Scoring For Films" by Earle Hagen. Known for its famous "three equals two" (3 feet of film equaling 2 seconds)theory, it was used largely as a primary text at the University of Southern California for many years, and even up until and after the transition to digital sound came about. Until his retirement in the late 1990s, Ken worked with many composers, including Hugo Friedhofer, Billy May, Quincy Jones, Bill Conti, Harold Wheeler, Craig Safan, Mark Snow, Pino Donaggio, Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, Lalo Schifrin, Elmer Bernstein, Bob Summers, John Cameron, Pete Carpenter, Nelson Riddle, Shorty Rogers, Lee Holdridge, James Newton Howard, John Beal and Patrick Williams.
Kenny loved to teach and had an acerbic wit, cornering the market on sarcastic one-liners and often bringing light to some otherwise droll circumstances. Known by long-time friend and music supervisor Don Perry as "The Hollywood Grump", he was an absolute hoot to be around and an invaluable source of strength, inspiration and humor in crunch-time. He loved and revered all of the composers he had the opportunity to work with, and was loved by many of his pupils and co-workers. His long-held credo that it was, "..much easier to ask a stupid question than to make a stupid mistake, and in that regard there are no stupid questions..", was indelibly printed on the foreheads of many of them. He was both responsible for and influential in the many and varied careers of both composer and editor alike. Kenny's favorite film of all time was the revered "Harold and Maude"; the toughest composer to work with, and so the most rewarding was Earle Hagen. Favorite film editors, aside from himself, were the late, greats Bud S. Isaacs and 'Gene Fowler, Jr.' . His favorite composers to work with were the great Nelson Riddle, the multi-faceted and talented Bob Summers, and his long-time friend and comrade, Brit composer extraordinaire, Lord John Cameron himself.
After finally retiring in 1998, he and wife of nearly 50 years, Anne moved to Escondido, where he took up golf for the first time and became quite good. After 50 years he actually quit smoking, but shortly thereafter became ill with cancer. He nearly beat it, but then finally left this earth on February 12th of 2004. He is survived by wife Anne Frances of Escondido, California; sons Michael, a computer engineer of Chatsworth, California, and Daniel J. Johnson, music editor and post production manager of Burbank, California, and daughter-in-law Jane Marie, RN of Providence St. Joseph's Medical Center in Burbank, California.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Dusan Trninic was born on 17 July 1928 in Bosanska Dubica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia. He was an actor, known for Zamislite... (1967), Lovac protiv topa (1986) and Pozoriste u 6 i 5 (1963). He died on 12 February 2004 in Belgrade, Serbia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.- Production Manager
- Producer
Gavrilo Azinovic was born on 13 June 1938 in Leskovac, Serbia, Yugoslavia. Gavrilo was a production manager and producer, known for Doktorka na selu (1983), Moment (1978) and Miss (1986). Gavrilo died on 12 February 2004 in Belgrade, Serbia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.- Jane Swofford was born on 5 March 1922. She was an actress, known for Last Resort (1994). She died on 12 February 2004 in Bellflower, California, USA.
- Ray Wild was born on 3 April 1935 in New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for Capone's Lost Treasure (1994). He died on 12 February 2004 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.