Dr. Rosanne Welch – Page 136 – On Screenwriting and Media with Dr. Rosanne Welch

More On The Monkees: Jimi Hendrix

The wonder of Los Angeles is that I’m always falling over Monkee memories or moments that I can tell others about. Today I was having a business lunch at the Beverly Garland Hotel (itself named for the actress who ran it for many years). And there on the wall were these art photos of The Monkees one-time opening act. 🙂

Buy Why The Monkees Matter: Teenagers, Television and American Pop Culture

A hit television show about a fictitious rock band, The Monkees (1966-1968) earned two Emmys–Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Directorial Acheivement in Comedy.

Capitalizing on the show’s success, the actual band formed by the actors, at their peak, sold more albums than The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined, and set the stage for other musical TV characters from The Partridge Family to Hannah Montana. In the late 1980s, the Monkees began a series of reunion tours that continued into their 50th anniversary.

This book tells the story of The Monkees and how the show changed television, introducing a new generation to the fourth-wall-breaking slapstick created by Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers.

Its creators contributed to the innovative film and television of 1970s with projects like Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Laugh-In and Welcome Back, Kotter. Immense profits from the show, its music and its merchandising funded the producers’ move into films such as Head, Easy Riderand Five Easy Pieces.

McFarland (Direct from Publisher) | Amazon | Kindle Edition | Nook Edition

Want to use “Why The Monkees Matter” in your classroom?

Order Examination Copies, Library and Campus Bookstore orders directly from McFarland

8 Assumptions That A Man Did The Work from The Sisterhood of Science Fiction – Dr. Rosanne Welch [Video] (31 seconds)

Watch this entire presentation

The Sisterhood of Science Fiction: A Walk Through Some Writers and Characters You (Should) Know And Love

This one allowed me to riff on some of my favorite female science fiction writers across time, whether they be novelists or television writers. It also opened up a good conversation on what art we support and include in our lives – and what that art says to us and about us. — Rosanne

Transcript:

So like side tangent story I remember reading that when Barbara Streisand was directing her first movie she asked Steven Spielberg a couple of questions and immediately what the Press reported was Spielberg Co-assists Streisand directing. Of all the dudes who direct Spielberg called up George Lucas and said, “I’m doing this Indiana Jones thing what do you think?” Nobody said George Lucas co-directs Indiana Jones right? No the boys can ask questions. The girls. No no, that means they need help right? So we have a lot of that sort of old-fashioned controversy which hangs around for a while.

* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!

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Quote from “America’s Forgotten Founding Father” by Dr. Rosanne Welch – 62 in a series – Back In Italy

Learn more about the American Revolution through the eyes of an important, Italian Immigrant, Filippo Mazzei. Read his story today!

“Filippo kept busy corresponding with friends back in America and learned many good things about their lives. Fearing Flippo might not return to the States Giannini wrote with an offer to buy Colle, but Filippo did not choose to sell. Elsewhere in the area, James Monroe wrote to say he had finally been convinced by Jefferson to settle in Albermarle. Monroe’s new plantation, Highland, was but a half day’s ride from Monticello and Colle. Filippo wrote back immediately, rejoicing over plans for long conversations over dinners in their waning years.”

From America’s Forgotten Founding Father — Get Your Copy Today!

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Want to use this book in your classroom? Contact the Mentoris Project!

Rosanne co-hosts Zilch Podcast #139 with Monkees 101 on the episode “The Spy Who Came in from the Cool”

I’m happy to note that another episode of Monkees 101 that I co-host with Dr. Sarah Clark is up on the Zilch: A Monkees Podcast site.

This time we discuss a supremely silly episode, iconic for making jokes about Davy’s height and his love of ‘red maracas’.

It guest stars some fun character actors of the era, including Arlene Martel, who is more famous in fan circles as T’Pring, Spock’s Vulcan bride in the episode, Star Trek: Amok Time, which she filmed the next year.

MONKEES 101 looks at the episode “The Spy Who Came in from the Cool” and the times around it, Micky and his band play a couple of tunes and a good time is had by all. Order the New Davy Jones cd from “7A”!

Listen to this episode

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Want to learn more about The Monkees? Buy Why The Monkees Matter: Teenagers, Television and American Pop Culture

A hit television show about a fictitious rock band, The Monkees (1966-1968) earned two Emmys–Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Directorial Acheivement in Comedy.

Capitalizing on the show’s success, the actual band formed by the actors, at their peak, sold more albums than The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined, and set the stage for other musical TV characters from The Partridge Family to Hannah Montana. In the late 1980s, the Monkees began a series of reunion tours that continued into their 50th anniversary.

This book tells the story of The Monkees and how the show changed television, introducing a new generation to the fourth-wall-breaking slapstick created by Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers.

Its creators contributed to the innovative film and television of 1970s with projects like Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Laugh-In and Welcome Back, Kotter. Immense profits from the show, its music and its merchandising funded the producers’ move into films such as Head, Easy Riderand Five Easy Pieces.

McFarland (Direct from Publisher) | Amazon | Kindle Edition | Nook Edition

Want to use “Why The Monkees Matter” in your classroom?

Order Examination Copies, Library and Campus Bookstore orders directly from McFarland

10 Shonda Rhimes & Tina Fey from “When Women Wrote Hollywood” with Dr. Rosanne Welch [Video] (44 seconds)

Part of the California State University, Fullerton Faculty Noon Time Talks at the Pollak Library.

Watch this entire presentation

Transcript:

…and we recognize Shonda Rhimes. We can’t not recognize Shonda Rhimes. She owns television thank to this show getting her started but, of course, Scandal, How To Get Way With Murder, all of these things have made Shonda Rhimes Shondaland, She’s got her whole production company as her “land” and the way she runs things. We recognize her? (Audience: Tina Fey) Tina Fey. Exactly. We sometimes forget she’s a writer. There’s a reason that this show existed. 30 Rock is basically a fictionalized version of working on Saturday Night Live. For which she got several Emmys and then, of course, she did Mean Girls, the movie and the Broadway show which was nominated for several Tonys last year or 2 years ago. So, you know, Tina’s doing pretty well.

Dr. Rosanne Welch discusses the women in her new book “When Women Wrote Hollywood” which covers female screenwriters from the Silents through the early 1940s when women wrote over 50% of films and Frances Marion was the highest paid screenwriter (male or female) and the first to win 2 Oscars. Yet, she fails to appear in film history books, which continue to regurgitate the myth that male directors did it all – even though it’s been proven that the only profitable movies Cecil B. de Mille ever directed were all written by Jeannie Macpherson film ever won for Best Picture was written by Robert E. Sherwood (who people have heard of, mostly due to his connection to Dorothy Parker) and Joan Harrison.

Buy a signed copy of when Women Wrote Hollywood

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* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

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Help! I’m being held hostage by Harpo Marx!

†

I took his autobiography off my bookshelf the other night for a little time-filling reading before bed and I can’t put it down (even though I’ve already read it a few times).

It’s one of the best memoirs of people I’ll never get to meet (from Alexander Woollcott to Dorothy Parker to Ruth Gordon) and places I’ll never be (New York 1920) that I’ve ever read.

It’s one of my 3 favorite performer memoirs – with Moss Hart’s “Act One” and Anita Loos’ “A Girl Like I“.

Such fun, fun summer reading!

††

* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

Save The Date! — Write Like a Mother: A Conversation on TV Writing and Motherhood, Friday, August 9, 2019 at 7:30 PM

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Write Like a Mother: A Conversation on TV Writing and Motherhood

When: Friday, August 9, 2019 at 7:30 PM – 9 PM
Where: Writers Guild Foundation, 7000 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, California 90048
Tickets $25/$20 at wgfoundation.org

Write Like a Mother: A Conversation on TV Writing and Motherhood

We are teaming up once again with Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting for a mother of a panel.

On this special evening, we gather a panel of TV writers and producers for a discussion about their experiences writing and developing nuanced portrayals of motherhood while also balancing duties as working moms themselves.

Panelists

Julia Brownell – This Is Us, About a Boy, Parenthood
Jamie Denbo – American Princess, Ronna & Beverly
Valentina Garza – Jane the Virgin, Bordertown, The Simpsons
Stay tuned for more panelist announcements!

Moderated by Dr. Rosanne Welch

Learn more about the Stephens College Master of Fine Arts in TV and Screenwriting

Quotes from When Women Wrote Hollywood – 34 in a series – Bess Meredyth and The Academy

Do you know about these women screenwriters? Many don’t. Learn more about them today!

Get “When Women Wrote Hollywood” Today!

Bess Meredyth continued to cultivate an enormously successful screenwriting career. Meredyth was one of the thirty-six artists—including fellow screenwriter Jeanie Macpherson—who founded the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1928 (Sturtevant). Her name can be found in more than a dozen Academy bulletins as a member of the Awards of Merit committee, which was one of the first committees established.

You’d Better Learn to Hold Your Liquor: Bess Meredyth and A Career in Early Hollywood
by Sydney Haven

Buy a signed copy of when Women Write Hollywood or Buy the Book on Amazon

†

Paperback Edition | Kindle Edition | Google Play Edition

* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

07 More On Frankenstein from The Sisterhood of Science Fiction – Dr. Rosanne Welch [Video] (1 minute 16 seconds)

Watch this entire presentation

The Sisterhood of Science Fiction: A Walk Through Some Writers and Characters You (Should) Know And Love

Transcript:

It then became such a huge hit that was kind of like “Oh” and then she’s rich so it’s not gonna hurt her day her reputation too much. Then she was kind of like “You know I want some credit for that. Everyone’s talking about this really wonderful book. I should let people know I did it. So the next version that came out in 1823 they put her name on it and of course from then on we’ve done that. Of course, just like with all things women achieve, I hate to tell you this but there’s always the discussion of “really did she write that I did Percy Shelley do most of the work and he drew his girlfriend’s name on it just as a present to her” and that’s been debated for years how much of it did he actually write. Luckily, in the British Library, they have her original papers. They have her original handwriting and his copy editing. So the different handwriting and you can see that in the next version which of those notes he took she took and which of those notes she ignored cuz honey it’s my book, not yours, right? So we have proof that is largely by and large hers. In any book that’s written, a writer sends it out to many friends, takes many notes, makes changes as they choose. We just always like to pick on when the girls make changes it must be something that the boys contributed much to, right? So I think that’s fascinating.

* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!

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Quote from “America’s Forgotten Founding Father” by Dr. Rosanne Welch – 61 in a series – General Thaddeus Kosciuszko

Learn more about the American Revolution through the eyes of an important, Italian Immigrant, Filippo Mazzei. Read his story today!

“In Pisa Filippo entertained several Polish visitors as they came through, including General Thaddeus Kosciuszko, who was not only a hero in the recent events in Poland, but of the American Revolution as well. The two had met over dinner at Monticello in 1776, when Kosciuszko had come to offer his military talents to the revolutionaries, read the Declaration of Independence and desired to meet and congratulate the man who had written it.”

From America’s Forgotten Founding Father — Get Your Copy Today!

Order an signed copy of America’s Forgotten Founding Father

Print Edition | Kindle Edition | Apple iBooks Edition | Nook Edition

Want to use this book in your classroom? Contact the Mentoris Project!