KOCH VISION AND THE Academy of Television Arts & Sciences FOUNDATION PROUDLY PRESENT THE HISTORIC DVD RELEASE
OF ONE OF TELEVISION’S “LOST” CLASSICS
BUDD SCHULBERG’S
WHAT MAKES SAMMY RUN?
Celebrating its 50th Anniversary This Year, the Restored and Re-mastered Drama Features Performances by Larry Blyden, John Forsythe, Barbara Rush and Dina Merrill
Exclusive DVD Extras Include Audio Commentary with Dina Merrill
and Barbara Rush as well as an On-Camera Interview with Budd Schulberg
Port Washington, NY (January 4, 2009) – Fifty years after its initial television broadcast on NBC’s “Sunday Showcase,” KOCH Vision and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation proudly present the historic DVD debut of Budd Schulberg’s scathing Hollywood drama WHAT MAKES SAMMY RUN? – directed by Academy Award®-winner Delbert Mann (Marty). This rags-to-riches story of a hustler navigating the “dog eat dog” world of 1930s Hollywood is the latest release under the The Archive of American Television Presents banner, a new partnership with the collaborative mission to present culturally and historically significant productions from the Golden Age of Television on DVD. Starring Tony award-winning actor Larry Blyden (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) as the infamous “Sammy Glick” and supplemented by newly-recorded audio commentary with co-stars Barbara Rush and Dina Merrill as well as an exclusive interview with author and screenwriter Budd Schulberg, WHAT MAKES SAMMY RUN? arrives in stores for the first time ever on February 10 for $24.98 SRP.
Based on the bestseller by author/screenwriter Budd Schulberg (On the Waterfront, The Harder They Fall), WHAT MAKES SAMMY RUN? was such a controversial novel that no Hollywood studio dared bring it to the screen. In 1959, NBC presented the definitive filmed adaptation in two one-hour parts on the anthology series “Sunday Showcase.” Audiences were enthralled with the amoral Sammy Glick and his meteoric rise from copy boy to the heights of the studio system. In Sammy’s world, “convictions are for sale” and through backstabbing and double-crossing, Sammy fights to become the industry’s top screenwriter… but not without consequences.
Long considered one of television's "lost" treasures, a complete 2-part master of
WHAT MAKES SAMMY RUN was only recently rediscovered in the archives of the Library of Congress. Now for the first time on DVD, you can enjoy this acclaimed production of Budd Schulberg’s seminal Hollywood novel – a story that is as hard-hitting, timely and insightful as when it first aired. In addition, the digitally-restored masterpiece also includes commentary from Barbara Rush and Dina Merrill, a bonus interview with Budd Schulberg, and a 16-page booklet with written contributions by the Archive of American Television and Jane Klain, Manager of Research Services at the Paley Center for Media.
About “The Archive of American Television Presents”
“The Archive of American Television Presents” is a partnership between KOCH Entertainment and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. The collaborative mission is to present culturally and historically significant productions from the Golden Age of Television on DVD, restored and re-mastered from the best-quality sources. The Television Academy Foundation and its Archive of American Television does not own or represent any of the programs being released under this partnership.
About the Archive of American Television
Since 1997, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation’s Archive of American Television has produced hundreds of videotaped oral history interviews with broadcasting’s greatest pioneers and legends in all professions. These full life-histories – spanning influences, career highlights, professional philosophy and current projects – are the stories behind what we see on the screen. These unique videos are made available worldwide so that today’s and future generations can understand how electronic media presents and reflects world-changing events, pop culture origins, technological innovations and artistic mastery. For more information about the collection, visit www.emmytvlegends.org
About KOCH Vision
KOCH Vision is the home video arm of leading music and video distributor KOCH Vision is the home video arm of leading music and video distributor KOCH Entertainment. A leading independent supplier of a broad range of product genres, KOCH Vision boasts a library of feature films, television series and mini-series, award-winning children’s programs, live music concerts and more. It is the home of such notable properties as Soundstage, McLeod’s Daughters, Wire in the Blood, Popular Mechanics for Kids, Faerie Tale Theatre, Life with Derek, Ballet Shoes starring Emma Watson and Nickelback Live at Sturgis. Visit KOCH Vision online at www.kochvision.com.
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