11/25 DEE WALLACE

Originally from Kansas City, Kansas, Dee Wallace has worked as an author, teacher, dancer and actress in film, television and the stage for over 30 years. With over 100 credits to her name, Ms. Wallace is a true tour de force in this industry, working with countless directors, producers and some of Hollywood's biggest names including Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, Wes Craven, Joe Dante, Stephen King and Blake Edwards. Dee's career began in New York where she studied with famous acting teacher Uta Hagen before moving to Los Angeles where she continued to hone her craft with her mentor Charles Conrad.

Her many feature film credits include such classics as The Hills Have Eyes, The Howling, Cujo, Secret Admirer, The Frighteners, 10, and most notably her starring role in one of America's most celebrated films, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, directed by Academy Award winning director and film icon Steven Spielberg. She was recently featured in the exciting new remake of Rob Zombie's Halloween.

Her countless television credits only add more cache to an already illustrious acting career, with starring roles in over twenty Movies of the Week and four hit television series including her most recent portrayal as the passive aggressive matriarch in a very dysfunctional family on the 2006/7 ABC comedy "Sons and Daughters". Other most recent television credits include, "Grey's Anatomy," "Cold Case," "Without a Trace," "Ghost Whisperer," and a recurring role on "My Name is Earl."

As a much sought after celebrity and renowned actress, Dee has appeared on every major news and talk show and has been featured on E! True Hollywood Stories, Oprah and The O'Reilly Factor. Her speaking engagements include numerous national and international venues including the Love and Harmony Forum in Tokyo, Japan; the Dillion Lecture Series; Unity Temple; the Kansas Film Commission; Spiritworks; Energetic Healing seminars throughout England, and her own healing and teaching seminars throughout the United States. On a weekly basis, Dee conducts numerous private healing sessions at her office in Woodland Hills, California.

As an author, Dee has written a book devoted to the art of self-healing. She conducts monthly workshops to introduce people to the healing techniques outlined in her book, Conscious Creation.

In addition to her ongoing work with fellow actors as an acting teacher and mentor, Dee devotes all her extra time to her beautiful daughter Gabrielle.

fIND OUT ABOUT DEE'S NEW E-BOOKS AT: iamdeewallace.com !

11/18 CAROL BURNETT, HAWAII 5-0

CAROL BURNETT JOINS THE SHOW TO TALK ABOUT HER UPCOMING APPEARANCE ON HAWAII 5-0 THIS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014 ON CBS!

Carol Burnett started in show business as an occasional stage actress, sometimes nightclub singer, and more often a hatcheck girl. After a few years barely making ends meet, 22-year-old Burnett first appeared on television in 1955, playing the dummy's romantic interest in 13 episodes of The Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney Show, a kids' program that aired on Saturday mornings (Winchell was a ventriloquist, Mahoney was his dummy). At 23, she was cast as Buddy Hackett's girlfriend on Stanley, a NBC prime time sitcom set among workers at a hotel's newsstand, and written by Neil Simon and Woody Allen, among others. At 23½, she found herself unemployed when the program was cancelled, and for a time she worked as an usher at a Hollywood movie theater.

Burnett bounced back with a parody pop song, "I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles," confessing her love for the utterly unsexy, 68-year-old Secretary of State who is now best remembered as the namesake for Dulles Airport outside Washington DC. The song became a minor pop hit after Burnett sang it on Jack Paar's Tonight Show in 1957.

After that, she was a frequent panelist on the game show Pantomime Quiz. In 1959, she joined the ensemble cast of The Garry Moore Show, a popular comedy-variety hour, while concurrently starring on Broadway in the musical-comedy Once Upon a Mattress, based on the children's story The Princess and the Pea. In a memorable Twilight Zone, she played a klutzy but contented single woman offered a life of glamour by her guardian angel. She had a recurring role as a tough female Marine in Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., becoming good friends with its star Jim Nabors, who was later her traditional first guest every season on her variety show. Burnett appeared in several episodes of her friend Lucille Ball's The Lucy Show, and she was a regular on the mid-1960s variety show The Entertainers with Art Buchwald and Bob Newhart. After that show ended, Ball offered to produce a sitcom for her, but Burnett declined, fearing she might feel stifled playing the same character week after week.

Instead, Burnett and her husband, producer Joe Hamilton, crafted a variety hour around her talents.

The Carol Burnett Show premiered in 1967, ran for eleven years and won 22 Emmys. Recurring sketches included the tight-skirted secretary Mrs. Wiggins, the Southern-fried bitch Eunice of Mama's Family (later spun off to its own sitcom), and the bad actress star of the soap opera parody As the Stomach Turns. There were also spoofs of classic movies, most memorably Burnett as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind, wearing a dress made from the drapes -- complete with curtain rod (the dress was maniacally designed by Bob Mackie). For no particular reason, she would occasionally belt out a Tarzan yell, and at some point in every show Burnett would take questions from the audience, usually coming up with an answer that was either heartwarming or hilarious.

Burnett had perfect chemistry with her supporting cast, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner, and through the show's first seven seasons there were no cast changes. When Waggoner left he was replaced with Tim Conway for the eighth and subsequent seasons. The show was always funny but never mean or risqué, and in an era with only three channels, audiences of all ages tuned in to see what wacky skits Burnett would perform each week. On video, The Carol Burnett Show has been repackaged as Carol Burnett & Friends, and unlike some alleged comedy classics, no-one who rents the videos could possibly be disappointed.

She worked occasionally in feature films, including Noises Off with Michael Caine, Robert Altman's A Wedding, and The Four Seasons with Alan Alda. Her best TV films include the Vietnam survivors' drama Friendly Fire,Eunice (the pilot for Mama's Family), and three separate TV adaptations of her Broadway hit Once Upon a Mattress in 1964, 1972, and 2005.

In 1986 she starred in Fresno, a six-hour mini-series spoofing Dallas and Dynasty, with Burnett as Fresno's hard-drinking raisin matriarch Charlotte Kensington. With Charles Grodin, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, and Gregory Harrison, it was funny to the finish, but has never been released on video in America.

In 1990 she starred in Carol & Company with Jeremy Piven and Peter Krause, an anthology series with a half-hour comedy skit each week, but it was quickly cancelled. In 1991 she revived her Carol Burnett Show in name and format but with a new supporting cast. . Later in the 1990s, she played Helen Hunt's mother on Mad About You.

Her second husband, Joe Hamilton, had been a jazz musician, but after marrying Burnett he produced most of her starring projects. Their daughter, Carrie Hamilton became an actress, starring in the TV movie Hostage with Burnett and in touring productions of Rent, before dying of lung cancer in 2002. Another daughter, Erin Hamilton, has had several hits on the dance charts, including covers of "Dream Weaver" and Cheap Trick's "The Flame."

By virtually all accounts, the good-natured wise-cracking Burnett seen on her variety show was the real Carol Burnett. Her beloved grandmother, Mae Eudora Jones White, died in 1967 at the age of 82, but Burnett never stopped tugging her ear at the end of every episode. In the show's third season, Burnett received a résumé from a 10-year-old fan who wanted a career in comedy -- Jim Carrey, who received a long, personal letter of encouragement from Burnett. When she received her star on Hollywood Boulevard, Burnett had it placed in front of the theater where she had been an usher. And in 1989, when Burnett's friend Lucille Ball died suddenly on Burnett's birthday, Burnett received a bouquet from Ball several hours after hearing the sad news -- Ball had ordered the flowers in advance for Burnett's birthday.

Hamilton, her husband, wrote the theme song for The Carol Burnett Show, which she sang at the end of every episode. "I'm so glad we had this time together, just to have a laugh or sing a song, seems we just get started and before you know it, comes the time we have to say, 'So long.'" And then Burnett would wave and shout, "Good night, everybody."

11/11 JAMES DARREN

JAMES DARREN – ACTOR, DIRECTOR AND SINGER

James Darren has enjoyed a successful, multi-faceted career, spanning six decades of motion picture, television, recording and live concert performances. With a notable career in films (“Gidget,” “The Guns of Navarone”) as well as television (“The Time Tunnel,” “T.J. Hooker,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), Darren has re-emerged on the recording scene with his latest CD, Because of You (Concord Records), an impressive collection of standards and big band swing. The album, a follow-up to his acclaimed 1999 release, This One’s From the Heart (Concord Records), reaffirms Darren’s incomparable talents as a singer.

Born in South Philly as James Ercolani, a second-generation American of Italian descent, Darren cites his beloved grandmother as the greatest guiding light of his life and his career. By the age of 14, Darren knew he wanted a show business career, and he embarked on the road to stardom by singing in nightclubs in Philadelphia and South Jersey. By age 18, he was in New York, studying acting for several years with the legendary drama teacher Stella Adler.It was a chance introduction to Hollywood movie producer Joyce Selznick (niece of the legendary David O. Selznick) that led to Darren’s seven-year contract with Columbia Pictures and his first big break: starring as the college student-surfer Moondoggie opposite Sandra Dee in the 1959 classic comedy hit, “Gidget.” Two sequels would follow, and Darren was soon on Hollywood’s short list of most sought-after young dramatic actors. He would make 20 films in all, including “The Guns of Navarone,” “The Lively Set,” “The Gene Krupa Story,” “The Brothers Rico,” “Gunman’s Walk,” “Let No Man Write My Epitaph,” and “Diamond Head.”

Darren’s singing career encompasses an impressive roster of musical credits including 14 albums and five Top 10 singles, including the 1961 Grammy- nominated “Goodbye Cruel World,” which held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks. Throughout the early 60s, his recording career continued to skyrocket with subsequent Top 10 hits including “Her Royal Majesty,” “Conscience,” and “All.” In 1976, he landed still another hit with “You Take My Heart Away” from the Oscar-winning film “Rocky.”

Darren would also make his mark on the small screen, starring in several hit television series, including “The Time Tunnel,” “T.J. Hooker,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “Melrose Place.” In 1987, the versatile entertainer began another phase of his career, this time as a highly in-demand director for television whose credits include several “movies of the week,” and more than 50 television shows ranging from “Melrose Place” and “Beverly Hills 90210” to “Hunter” and “Walker, Texas Ranger.”

But it is James Darren’s love of music that finds him back in the spotlight. In 1999, he returned to the recording industry in a big way, releasing This One’s From the Heart, a collection of some of the greatest classics ever penned, including “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Come Fly With Me,” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” which re-introduced the world to Darren’s lush vocals.

In his recordings, his concert appearances in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, as well as his concerts with world-renowned symphonies across the U.S., including the San Diego Symphony, the Dallas Symphony and the Iowa Symphony, the media has also taken notice of James Darren the singer. The San Diego Union-Tribune called him a “compendium of coolness, a wizard of with-it-ness.” The Chicago Sun-Times said “Darren is as smooth as silk.”

Actor, director, recording artist – James Darren has made an indelible mark in the entertainment industry. And as the song says, the best is yet to come.


UPCOMING EVENTS:

Catalina Jazz Club
Thursday, November 13, 2014
6725 West SUNSET Blvd.,
HOLLYWOOD, CA. 90028 Tel. (323) 466-2210

Creation Entertainment's Official STAR TREK Convention
Friday, Saturday & Sunday, December 12-14, 2014
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
HYATT REGENCY SAN FRANCISCO
1333 Bayshore Highway
Burlingame, CA 94010

WWW.JAMESDARREN.COM

11/04 DAWN WELLS, GILLIGAN'S ISLAND

In connection with the 50th anniversary of the unexpected hit series "Gilligan's Island," Dawn (who portrayed the lovable farm girl next door, Mary Ann Sommers), has released "A Guide To Life: What Would Mary Ann Do?" through Taylor Trade Publishing and Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

Book Tour Schedule: New York, Denver, Chicago, Reno, Palm Springs, as well as dates in Las Vegas (TBA) and appearances at Vromans (Dec 9th), The Santa Monica Library (Nov 22nd) as well as the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Authors program (Dec 6th) in Los Angeles and more..

Wells, who was a former Miss Nevada, auditioned for the role of Mary Ann Summers opposite such noted competition as Raquel Welch, Patricia Ann Priest and the actress, Nancy McCarthy, who shot the pilot episode under the character name of "Bunny." The role of Mary Ann became a simple farm-girl from Winfield, Kansas and spawned one of the most popular questions of all time "Ginger or Mary Ann?"

Dawn writes about the meaning of the Mary Ann character and observes the cultural shifts that have occurred since she was on the island.  From the get-go, the Mary Ann character was different. She wasn't a Hollywood creation. She was molded by Dawn, from Dawn.  The Character that was originally listed as "And the rest" on the credits became the fan favorite, garnering more fan mail that even the title character.  With over 150,000 fans on her FaceBook page and fan clubs across the U.S., her following has remained faithful.

Dawn says that Mary Ann fits today just as she fit two generations ago, because she is timeless. In a world where the industry and society has been celebrating their "Bad girls," Mary Ann continues to be, for many, the breathe of fresh air as the “Good Girl.” Pop culture is too powerful and too pervasive to be controlled by parents, siblings or colleagues. It can be confused with reality. This leaves young people in a vulnerable position - they have to make decisions that are normally beyond their maturity. Dawn discusses decisions we make in life and even goes straight to the BIG DECISION and delivers her concept of the meaning of sex.  In a world of participation trophies, easy praise, and entitlement attitudes, how do you define achievement? Dawn describes it as a journey of failure and learning and tenacity that requires a constant personal re-examination of what success really means.

A song highlighting Dawn's famous role was performed by a group, named "The Southern Gentlemen," for the TV icon entitled "There will always be a place in my heart for Mary Ann". Miss Wells remarked "I embraced the publics love or Mary Ann years ago.  In fact, she seems to have grown more popular every year."  Why? she explains "I think there are fewer Mary Ann's today than there used to be.  There are many Gingers, both on TV and in real life, but far fewer Mary Ann's ... and I think the public remembers her fondly and misses her terribly."

When asked about the most memorable Mary Ann moment, she responded, "There are too many. However, recently I was brought in to surprise Sandra Bullock with a coconut creme pie as celebrity interviewer, Gino Salomone, was speaking to her about the film "Gravity. We had great fun. I am such a fan!"  The video has been released and can be seen at here!

Since the show ended on September 4, 1967, Wells has continued to work on both screen and stage.  She published Mary Ann's Gilligan's Island Cookbook with co-writers Ken Beck & Jim Clark, which included a foreword by castaway cast mate Bob Denver, and even starred as Lovey Howell in Gilligan's Island: The Musical, a musical stage adaptation of the TV show.  Wells most recently starred along with fan favorites such as Rip Taylor, Lee Merriwether, Bruce Vilanch and others in "Silent, But Deadly" and the stage production of "Lion In Winter" as Queen Eleanor.

Dawn has just completed three stage productions in 2013 including "Love Letters," "Steel Magnolias" and off Broadway in "Love, Loss & What I Wore."  She is currently working on the idea of a new reality show "Hunter History" as well as a new book entitled "A Guide To Life: Why We Love Mary" to be released this year (Sept).

RECIPE OF THE WEEK:

BEEF TENDERLOINS CON BALSAMICO

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions (thinly sliced)
4 (8 ounce) beef tenderloins
1 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat a skillet with 2 tbls extra virgin olive oil over medium heat and add the onions, cook until the onions are golden and caramelized for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the pan is getting dry add some water and set aside.

In another skillet on high heat add the remaining olive oil and place the beef in the oil when hot. Sear both sides for about 30 seconds, turning once. Add the balsamic vinegar to the beef and deglaze the pan. Cook until balsamic is reduced to a syrupy consistency.

Plate the beef tenderloins with the caramelized onions on top. Drizzle the beef with balsamic reduction.

Serve hot!!