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IN MEMORIAM
It is with deep regret and sorrow that I have to
report the passing of Alex Sharp in Los Angeles
on Thursday, March 6, 2008. He had suffered
from heart and stroke-related ailments in recent months.

A veteran of the Korean War, Alex was an tremendous
athlete, a quality that served him well during his fifty
years in Hollywood. He was a founding and lifetime member
of the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures, but it
was his outstanding writing skills that endeared him most to
BONANZA and THE HIGH CHAPARRAL enthusiasts.
Alex authored some of the most beloved and fondly
remembered episodes, including "Hound Dog," "Old
Sheba" (directed by his long-time friend and golfing
buddy, John Florea), "The Hayburner" and "The Covey."

A man of limitless energy and enthusiasm, and one of the
all-time great raconteurs, Alex will be missed by his legion
of fans whom he regaled with his tales at BONANZA and
THE HIGH CHAPARRAL conventions.

Alex is survived by his devoted wife Keo. Memorial
details will be posted when available.

ANDY KLYDE, for Bonanza Ventures, Inc.
For further information: AJKLYDE@yahoo. com,
Or (718) 261-4128



The Antique Roadshow featured an appraisal of a collection of BONANZA photos recently. I'm sure Legacy readers would like to know all the details. Here's a link:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/200702A39.html

These photos have a rather distinctive history; taken by renowned NBC photographer Elmer Holloway (at least the individual portraits) in early 1961, they were available to subscribing members of the "Bonanza Booster Club," an NBC organization concocted to drum up interest in the series in the early days. When the ratings indicated that that was no longer necessary (by the end of the third season), the "club" disbanded. Individual photos I believe were sold for $.25, and the complete photo package cost $1.00 (!). "Boosters" received their group photo personalized by an anonymous NBC staffer (who worked with our beloved "Madam of the Ponderosa", Joan Sherman Markowitz, author of Booster Club newsletters using her "nom de plume," "Dan King, club president"). The guys signed a bunch of the group shots, and did indeed inscribe as well as autograph their portraits.

Wendy Dortort Czarnecki had her rare 5-photo set on display at her father's 90th Birthday Celebration at the University of Judaism in 2006. (But they weren't signed!)

 


Ladies and Gentlemen:

  BONANZA and THE HIGH CHAPARRAL on DVD
A Report by Andy Klyde
Lawyer for Bonanza Ventures, Inc. (BVI) and David Dortort


April 18, 2006
First, a little corporate history: in 1973, after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) barred television networks from participating in the syndication of their own shows, National Telefilm Associates (NTA) purchased the NBC library of television programs. In 1986, NTA changed its name to Republic Pictures Corporation (aka Republic Entertainment). (NTA had achieved such great success
with its purchase of Republic Studios' library of films that it later bought the Republic name and logo; that is why BONANZA and THE HIGH CHAPARRAL episodes have the Republic "eagle" tacked onto their end credits). Aaron Spelling's Spelling Entertainment Group (which included WorldVision Enterprises, spun off from ABC Films in 1971 to syndicate ABC-owned shows) later purchased Republic, and in 1999 Spelling/Republic merged with Viacom (created originally in 1971 to distribute CBS-owned shows; in 1984 Viacom merged with Paramount Communications, and in 2000 Viacom merged, ironically, with CBS). Now BONANZA and HC episodes have the Paramount "mountain" logo following the end credits. (Excised, sadly, from BONANZA prints is the "trickling coins" watercolor proclaiming an "NBC Television Network Production.")

At a recent meeting with executives from NBC Universal, I discussed the status of THE HIGH CHAPARRAL and BONANZA and the possibilities of their imminent release on DVD. With regard to HC, NBC has certain obligations it must meet vis à vie worldwide distribution of the series. At present, CBS Paramount International is responsible for distribution outside the U.S. The executives promised to report back to me after they determine what Paramount has done, distribution-wise, which will determine whether Paramount will continue to distribute the series (both in television syndication and on home video/DVD), whether NBC Universal will take over the series, or another entity chosen by Bonanza Ventures. As soon as the executives make their report, we will have a better idea of when the process of making HC available on DVD will begin. I emphasize it is a question of "when," not "if," episodes will appear on DVD.

Regarding BONANZA, it is also a question of "when" and a matter of communication and coordination between NBC Universal executives, executives at Paramount Home Entertainment, and CBS. Early in 2006 Viacom completed its split into separate CBS and Viacom companies, and as a result, oversight of the pre-1973 NBC library - which includes BONANZA - passed to CBS from Paramount. Paramount Home Entertainment is now just the home video distributor of the NBC library. CBS has expressed interest recently in releasing BONANZA on DVD in North America (with rights to distribution in other territories, like Germany, having been sub-licensed by Paramount to a European distribution company; BVI is a profit participant in this deal, but did not specifically authorize it).

It is my hope and wish to have maximum input into the selection of episodes for these DVD releases, as well as the content of "extras," which I feel must also be included in season sets.



 


Andrew J. Klyde
141-15  72nd  Avenue
Kew Gardens Hills
New York  11367 -2331  U.S.A.
Phone: (718) 261-4128; Fax: (718) 261-4408; email:  ajklyde@yahoo.com

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