Longtime TV director and producer Stan Harris, who directed TV specials for Jack Benny, Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, David Bowie and John Wayne, among many others, died of natural causes Monday while surrounded by family in Toronto, his son Danny Harris tells Deadline. He was 92.
Harris’ prolific live music and comedy directing career began at the CBC in Toronto working with peers Norman Jewison, Arthur Hiller and Eric Till. Among the highlights of his career up north were jobs directing Canada’s Hit Parade and a Nat King Cole special, Wild Is Love.
In the early ’60s, he and his family moved to NY, where Harris began his DGA career on series such as The Bing Crosby Show, The Steve Lawrence Show and The Milton Berle Show and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
In late ’60s , Harris relocated to L.A. for a steady gig directing the massively popular Smothers Brothers show.
Harris’ prolific live music and comedy directing career began at the CBC in Toronto working with peers Norman Jewison, Arthur Hiller and Eric Till. Among the highlights of his career up north were jobs directing Canada’s Hit Parade and a Nat King Cole special, Wild Is Love.
In the early ’60s, he and his family moved to NY, where Harris began his DGA career on series such as The Bing Crosby Show, The Steve Lawrence Show and The Milton Berle Show and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
In late ’60s , Harris relocated to L.A. for a steady gig directing the massively popular Smothers Brothers show.
- 9/20/2023
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Eric Till's take on the 16th century's angriest monk is historically respectable – but suffers from rabid anti-Catholic bias
Director: Eric Till
Entertainment grade: D
History grade: B–
Martin Luther was a leading figure of the Protestant reformation in Europe in the early 16th century.
Religion
Martin Luther (Joseph Fiennes) is a monk, but not a happy one. He spills communion wine, hurls himself into the mud, and shouts things like "I wish there were no God!" His superior, Johann von Staupitz (Bruno Ganz), sends him to Rome to cheer him up. There, he finds stalls selling religious nick-nacks, priests canoodling with strumpets, and Pope Julius II blinging around town in shiny gold armour. All of this would doubtless cheer most people up – but not Luther. It makes him even grumpier. Julius II, known as the "Warrior Pope", did wear full armour (though gold armour is too soft for a battlefield,...
Director: Eric Till
Entertainment grade: D
History grade: B–
Martin Luther was a leading figure of the Protestant reformation in Europe in the early 16th century.
Religion
Martin Luther (Joseph Fiennes) is a monk, but not a happy one. He spills communion wine, hurls himself into the mud, and shouts things like "I wish there were no God!" His superior, Johann von Staupitz (Bruno Ganz), sends him to Rome to cheer him up. There, he finds stalls selling religious nick-nacks, priests canoodling with strumpets, and Pope Julius II blinging around town in shiny gold armour. All of this would doubtless cheer most people up – but not Luther. It makes him even grumpier. Julius II, known as the "Warrior Pope", did wear full armour (though gold armour is too soft for a battlefield,...
- 3/1/2012
- by Alex von Tunzelmann
- The Guardian - Film News
Throughout the month of December, TV Editor Kate Kulzick and Film Editor Ricky D will review classic Christmas adaptions, posting a total of 13 each, one a day, until the 25th of December.
The catch: They will swap roles as Rick will take on reviews of classic television Christmas specials and Kate will take on Christmas movies. Today is day 13.
A Muppet Family Christmas (1987) (TV)
Directed by Peter Harris and Eric Till
Writen by Jerry Juhl
What’s it about?
A Muppet Family Christmas first aired on ABC on December 16, 1987. In this warm Yuletide, one-hour Christmas special, Fozzie Bear surprises his mother Emily on Christmas Eve by bringing along the entire Muppet gang (including the cast of both Sesame Street and Fragle Rock), to celebrate the holidays. With a blizzard brewing outside, Fozzie’s childhood home becomes the backdrop for a medley of holiday tunes, as Doc and his dog Sprocket...
The catch: They will swap roles as Rick will take on reviews of classic television Christmas specials and Kate will take on Christmas movies. Today is day 13.
A Muppet Family Christmas (1987) (TV)
Directed by Peter Harris and Eric Till
Writen by Jerry Juhl
What’s it about?
A Muppet Family Christmas first aired on ABC on December 16, 1987. In this warm Yuletide, one-hour Christmas special, Fozzie Bear surprises his mother Emily on Christmas Eve by bringing along the entire Muppet gang (including the cast of both Sesame Street and Fragle Rock), to celebrate the holidays. With a blizzard brewing outside, Fozzie’s childhood home becomes the backdrop for a medley of holiday tunes, as Doc and his dog Sprocket...
- 12/16/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Amazon's Gold Box Deal of the Day today is Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Collection [1], on sale for only $44.99. The 20-disc box set normally retails for $100. Act now as the price is only good until the end of the day. You can find a listing of the included special features after the jump. Special Features - Over 8 hours of Fraggle fun! - Behind the Rock - The Inner Gorg – An Interview with the Performers inside the Costumes - Designing the Puppets – An Interview with the Puppet Makers - Silly Creatures Speak - Directing the Fraggles – An Interview with Eric Till and George Bloomfield - Sounds of Fraggle Rock - Let the Music Play – An Interview with Phil Balsam and Dennis Lee - Dance Your Cares Away – The Evolution of the Theme Song - A Fraggle Celebration - You Cannot Leave the Magic – Excerpts from the Last Day of Shooting...
- 11/30/2011
- by Peter Sciretta
- Slash Film
Best known for his now viral performance as Hitler in the brilliant Oliver Hirschbiegel film, Downfall, actor Bruno Ganz is finally about to get his day in the spotlight, thanks to the European Film Academy.
According to Anne Thompson, the actor, and star of the wonderful Wim Wenders film, Wings Of Desire, will be given a special award at the European Film Awards, when they take place on December 4.
Personally, this has been a long time coming, and something that is more than deserved. Continuing to work today in films like The Reader, the actor has a marvelous filmography, particularly the Criterion staple Wings, a powerful and visually striking film, that features a performance from Ganz that is so haunting, that it is easily one of the best that I’ve ever seen. If you haven’t given the film a chance, Wings Of Desire is an absolute must own,...
According to Anne Thompson, the actor, and star of the wonderful Wim Wenders film, Wings Of Desire, will be given a special award at the European Film Awards, when they take place on December 4.
Personally, this has been a long time coming, and something that is more than deserved. Continuing to work today in films like The Reader, the actor has a marvelous filmography, particularly the Criterion staple Wings, a powerful and visually striking film, that features a performance from Ganz that is so haunting, that it is easily one of the best that I’ve ever seen. If you haven’t given the film a chance, Wings Of Desire is an absolute must own,...
- 9/19/2010
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Fraggle Rock is beloved by many, and come November 3rd, fans of all ages will be able to enjoy the final episodes of this ground breaking Jim Henson series on DVD. For $29.98 Srp, all 24 final season episodes can be yours to watch over and over again in the comforts of your own home.
This set also contains the series' touching final episode, as well as a whole host of brand new special features created just for this final edition of the series' run. There are new interviews with the actors inside the costumes, an interview with the puppet makers, an interview with the directors of the show, a look at the music, and excerpts from the wrap party.
Special Features:
- Interview with the Performers inside the Costumes
- Interview with the puppet makers
- Interview with directors Eric Till and George Bloomfield
- The music of Fraggle Rock
-...
This set also contains the series' touching final episode, as well as a whole host of brand new special features created just for this final edition of the series' run. There are new interviews with the actors inside the costumes, an interview with the puppet makers, an interview with the directors of the show, a look at the music, and excerpts from the wrap party.
Special Features:
- Interview with the Performers inside the Costumes
- Interview with the puppet makers
- Interview with directors Eric Till and George Bloomfield
- The music of Fraggle Rock
-...
- 8/12/2009
- MovieWeb
Ustinov to get film prize
COLOGNE -- British actor-writer-director Peter Ustinov will be awarded the Bavarian Film Prize for his life's work, German pubcaster Bayerische Rundfunk reported Wednesday. The award, presented by the German state of Bavaria, is one of the country's top film honors. Last year's prize went to director Roman Polanski. Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Ustinov is still a top draw in Germany, where he regularly appears in commercials and talk shows as well as German films and television series. Ustinov is currently on screen in Luther, Eric Till's German-financed biopic of Martin Luther. The 82-year-old actor also appears alongside Sinead Cusack and Geraldine Chaplin in the miniseries Winter Solstice, which airs Christmas Day on Germany's ZDF. Ustinov will receive the award at a Jan. 16 ceremony in Munich.
- 12/11/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Luther
Opened
Sept. 26
Martin Luther (1483-1546) is clearly one of the central figures of the Middle Ages. The man launched the Protestant movement, founded a church, helped standardize the German language, revolutionized ecclesiastical music with his congregational hymns and gave German nationalists their chief political issue for 100 years. No two-hour movie is going to do justice to such a life. Nevertheless, "Luther" gamely tries to cram in everything.
Produced with major funding from Thrivent, a Lutheran organization, and carrying more than a whiff of missionary zeal, "Luther" will appeal mostly to history buffs and those interested in questions of religion. Shot on 100 locations in three countries and outfitted with impressive props, costumes, art direction and medieval streets, "Luther" makes up for what it lacks in vigorous storytelling with such production values.
Veteran TV director Eric Till hands the task of embodying the religious reformer to Joseph Fiennes. While Fiennes seems to age nary a day over the course of Luther's long career -- other than changes to his hair style -- he does give a sense of the intellectual firebrand who led one of history's major revolts. His Luther is always in earnest, gaining increasing confidence in his own infallibility even as he questions the pope's. Certainly, he gets all the good lines, turning him into the kind of hero one usually finds in books written for young adults.
The movie's first scene recounts the legend of the young Luther vowing to become a monk when struck by a bolt of lightning. By the very next scene, he has accomplished this task, despite his father's opposition. Almost immediately, he is torturing himself with guilt over sins both real and imagined. He desperately longs for a merciful God, who will forgive rather than cruelly punish. His mentor, Johann von Staupitz (Bruno Ganz), swiftly packs him off first to Rome -- which is a moral cesspool -- then to the University of Wittenberg. Achieving a doctorate in theology in no time, Dr. Luther is soon performing stand-up comedy routines, poking fun at the nonsensical nature of "indulgences" and holy relics for an appreciative audience of fellow theologians.
Indulgences -- the practice of greedy churchmencq to confer the forgiveness of sin in exchange for hard cash -- is what causes Luther's break with the Roman Catholic Church.cq It is here that writers Camille Thomasson and Bart Gavigan do a fine job at sketching the political and social situation in the German states, which leads to the Reformation. But in the movie's extreme haste, things of huge importance get glossed over.
Luther's translation of the New Testament from a Greek text into German appears to take place in a fortnight rather than over years. The importance not only of this but a later German translation of the Old Testament into a rich vocabulary equal to Shakespeare's is never felt in the movie. So too Luther's marriage to an ex-nun (Claire Cox) is tacked onto the movie's final section without any appreciation for the profound impact this had on German culture and the Protestant world.
The actors do a decent job of bringing these historical figures to life. Among the well-known name actors, Peter Ustinov is his old scenery-chewing self as Luther's protector and prince, Friedrich, but nonetheless fun to watch. Alfred Molina doesn't get nearly as many opportunities, but he too is a hammy delight as an indulgence-peddling monk.
Tech credits are first-rate.
LUTHER
RS Entertainment
NFP teleart
Credits:
Director: Eric Till
Screenwriters: Camille Thomasson, Bart Gavigan
Producers: Brigitte Rochow, Christian Stehr, Alexander Thies
Executive producers: Dennis Clauss, Kurt Rittig, Gabriela Pfandner, J. Daniel Nichols
Director of photography: Robert Fraisse
Production designer: Rolf Zehetbauer
Music: Richard Harvey
Costume designer: Ulla Gothe
Editor: Clive Barrett
Cast:
Martin Luther: Joseph Fiennes
Prince Friedrich: Peter Ustinov
Johann Tetzel: Alfred Molina
Girolamo Aleandro: Jonathan Firth
Katharina von Bora: Claire Cox
Johann von Staupitz: Bruno Ganz
Pope Leo XII: Uwe Ochsenknecht
Cardinal Cajetan: Mathieu Carriere
Ulrick: Marco Hofschneider
Charles V: Torben Liebrecht
Running time -- 122 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Sept. 26
Martin Luther (1483-1546) is clearly one of the central figures of the Middle Ages. The man launched the Protestant movement, founded a church, helped standardize the German language, revolutionized ecclesiastical music with his congregational hymns and gave German nationalists their chief political issue for 100 years. No two-hour movie is going to do justice to such a life. Nevertheless, "Luther" gamely tries to cram in everything.
Produced with major funding from Thrivent, a Lutheran organization, and carrying more than a whiff of missionary zeal, "Luther" will appeal mostly to history buffs and those interested in questions of religion. Shot on 100 locations in three countries and outfitted with impressive props, costumes, art direction and medieval streets, "Luther" makes up for what it lacks in vigorous storytelling with such production values.
Veteran TV director Eric Till hands the task of embodying the religious reformer to Joseph Fiennes. While Fiennes seems to age nary a day over the course of Luther's long career -- other than changes to his hair style -- he does give a sense of the intellectual firebrand who led one of history's major revolts. His Luther is always in earnest, gaining increasing confidence in his own infallibility even as he questions the pope's. Certainly, he gets all the good lines, turning him into the kind of hero one usually finds in books written for young adults.
The movie's first scene recounts the legend of the young Luther vowing to become a monk when struck by a bolt of lightning. By the very next scene, he has accomplished this task, despite his father's opposition. Almost immediately, he is torturing himself with guilt over sins both real and imagined. He desperately longs for a merciful God, who will forgive rather than cruelly punish. His mentor, Johann von Staupitz (Bruno Ganz), swiftly packs him off first to Rome -- which is a moral cesspool -- then to the University of Wittenberg. Achieving a doctorate in theology in no time, Dr. Luther is soon performing stand-up comedy routines, poking fun at the nonsensical nature of "indulgences" and holy relics for an appreciative audience of fellow theologians.
Indulgences -- the practice of greedy churchmencq to confer the forgiveness of sin in exchange for hard cash -- is what causes Luther's break with the Roman Catholic Church.cq It is here that writers Camille Thomasson and Bart Gavigan do a fine job at sketching the political and social situation in the German states, which leads to the Reformation. But in the movie's extreme haste, things of huge importance get glossed over.
Luther's translation of the New Testament from a Greek text into German appears to take place in a fortnight rather than over years. The importance not only of this but a later German translation of the Old Testament into a rich vocabulary equal to Shakespeare's is never felt in the movie. So too Luther's marriage to an ex-nun (Claire Cox) is tacked onto the movie's final section without any appreciation for the profound impact this had on German culture and the Protestant world.
The actors do a decent job of bringing these historical figures to life. Among the well-known name actors, Peter Ustinov is his old scenery-chewing self as Luther's protector and prince, Friedrich, but nonetheless fun to watch. Alfred Molina doesn't get nearly as many opportunities, but he too is a hammy delight as an indulgence-peddling monk.
Tech credits are first-rate.
LUTHER
RS Entertainment
NFP teleart
Credits:
Director: Eric Till
Screenwriters: Camille Thomasson, Bart Gavigan
Producers: Brigitte Rochow, Christian Stehr, Alexander Thies
Executive producers: Dennis Clauss, Kurt Rittig, Gabriela Pfandner, J. Daniel Nichols
Director of photography: Robert Fraisse
Production designer: Rolf Zehetbauer
Music: Richard Harvey
Costume designer: Ulla Gothe
Editor: Clive Barrett
Cast:
Martin Luther: Joseph Fiennes
Prince Friedrich: Peter Ustinov
Johann Tetzel: Alfred Molina
Girolamo Aleandro: Jonathan Firth
Katharina von Bora: Claire Cox
Johann von Staupitz: Bruno Ganz
Pope Leo XII: Uwe Ochsenknecht
Cardinal Cajetan: Mathieu Carriere
Ulrick: Marco Hofschneider
Charles V: Torben Liebrecht
Running time -- 122 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 10/6/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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