johnny got his gun_variety 1978 re-release

1
V0[. l7E llo. 50 12 Poges Hollywood, Colilornio-9lXl2E, lYodnesdoy, tebruory II, IgIt ilewspopar $orord (tors P.0. lnlry 35 Cents CGTfrIITG UP FOR TIllE THIRD TIIfrE By iilIM HABWOOD In the gilded environs of Hollywood *- and Beverly Hills especially - it is always a chal- lenge to figrrre out who has any money" Every- body looks rieh. So that's no help. TVice now, for example, Elruce Carnpbell has looked extremely wealthy:and wound up work- irg aS.a houseboy. Now tiers corning arorind for a third time, looking good in a srnall but fashionable hsme in Benedict Canyon. Elut he's sold the house to raise money for &n- other try at reissuing his "Johnny Got [Iis Gun," the Dalton T?umbo film which received good reviews, many awards and little boxoffice in 1971. This is the second home Campbell has sold to raise money for "Johnny," which he calls a "two-house" picture. Son of the late George Campbell, one of MCA's earliest exex, who was with the com- pany nearly 40 years, Bruce made his first splash in San Francisco in 1963 with Inde- pendent Produetions Associates. Operating out of a swank office, he was all over town for a few months in various deals, including some involvement with Marlon Brando. But some- thing went wrong and Campbell hitchhiked to L.A. He found a job as a houseboy in a home recently occupied by Brando. Fortunately, Brando no longer lived there so Campbell's embarrassment wasn't as bad as it might have been. MCA gave him a job finally "with a sec- retary, a salary and nothing to do" but that didn't pan out so he went back to housekeeping while trying to sell an idea for a kid show. This brought him into contact with Roy Silver and Bill Cosby. In 1966, the trio formed Camp- beli-Silver-Cosby, which by 1969 was one of the hottest production-management shops in Bev- Hills, billing $10,000,000 a year. Its offices were a showplace, with antique furniture and other elegant appointments. C-S-C was even about to go public with a stoek sale, whieh rnight have rna.Ee Campbelt.rlah l fo'rever.,But tr0hbles. developed and ilS.C col" lapsed short of the stock issuance. "I was 10 m.inutes away from being a millionaire,'n Campbell reealls ruefully. '. , ,i Taking the "Johnny" property frsrn , the ruins, Campbell spent three years with T?urnbo raising the production money. But the film's heavy antiwar theme couldn't tap & wide market and failed to break even. Carnpbell was bankrupt for the pecon{ time. The judgp wanted to know how one m&fi:could get $?52,000 into the red. The better question was how he could get dovrn that far with a $40,- 000 bankruptcy previously. But Campbell keeps coming back, raising new money for various :proj€cts, including a nov,el plan to take the "Johnny Get Your Gun Ii:xperience" on the road in a truck. His idea is to hit college communities with a big promo- tion and a percentage deal with the exhibitor, combining the screening with a lecture twiee a night for $2 to $4. ' The truck, with its side painted with B,n €r. dorsement from Jimmy Carter, wiII be parked outside of the theatre with an exhibit of Tfumbo memorabilia. When prospective investors visit Campbell's home, they encounter an ineredible sight: Every inch is plastered with props, stills, posters, scripts and what-not related to his career. Hundreds of pholos and souveniers dangle from the ceiling by string. An old moose eostume lie$ casually in the corner. Campbell gives a three-hour sales pitch cor-n- plete with film, tape and slides. When the fate- ful moment arrives to sisl the checks, the moose gets up and walks out, commenting, "You've got to be kidding." But he isn't.

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Back again for the third time....

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Page 1: Johnny Got His Gun_Variety 1978 Re-release

V0[. l7E llo. 50 12 Poges Hollywood, Colilornio-9lXl2E, lYodnesdoy, tebruory II, IgIt ilewspopar $orord (tors P.0. lnlry 35 Cents

CGTfrIITG UP FOR TIllE THIRD TIIfrEBy iilIM HABWOOD

In the gilded environs of Hollywood *- andBeverly Hills especially - it is always a chal-lenge to figrrre out who has any money" Every-body looks rieh. So that's no help.

TVice now, for example, Elruce Carnpbell haslooked extremely wealthy:and wound up work-irg aS.a houseboy. Now tiers corning arorind fora third time, looking good in a srnall butfashionable hsme in Benedict Canyon.

Elut he's sold the house to raise money for &n-other try at reissuing his "Johnny Got [IisGun," the Dalton T?umbo film which receivedgood reviews, many awards and little boxofficein 1971.

This is the second home Campbell has sold toraise money for "Johnny," which he calls a"two-house" picture.

Son of the late George Campbell, one ofMCA's earliest exex, who was with the com-pany nearly 40 years, Bruce made his firstsplash in San Francisco in 1963 with Inde-pendent Produetions Associates. Operating outof a swank office, he was all over town for a fewmonths in various deals, including someinvolvement with Marlon Brando. But some-thing went wrong and Campbell hitchhiked toL.A.

He found a job as a houseboy in a homerecently occupied by Brando. Fortunately,Brando no longer lived there so Campbell'sembarrassment wasn't as bad as it might havebeen.

MCA gave him a job finally "with a sec-retary, a salary and nothing to do" but thatdidn't pan out so he went back to housekeepingwhile trying to sell an idea for a kid show.

This brought him into contact with Roy Silverand Bill Cosby. In 1966, the trio formed Camp-beli-Silver-Cosby, which by 1969 was one of thehottest production-management shops in Bev-Hills, billing $10,000,000 a year. Its offices werea showplace, with antique furniture and otherelegant appointments.

C-S-C was even about to go public with a stoeksale, whieh rnight have rna.Ee Campbelt.rlah l

fo'rever.,But tr0hbles. developed and ilS.C col"lapsed short of the stock issuance. "I was 10m.inutes away from being a millionaire,'nCampbell reealls ruefully. '. ,

,i

Taking the "Johnny" property frsrn , theruins, Campbell spent three years with T?urnboraising the production money. But the film'sheavy antiwar theme couldn't tap & widemarket and failed to break even.

Carnpbell was bankrupt for the pecon{ time.The judgp wanted to know how one m&fi:couldget $?52,000 into the red. The better questionwas how he could get dovrn that far with a $40,-000 bankruptcy previously.

But Campbell keeps coming back, raisingnew money for various :proj€cts, including anov,el plan to take the "Johnny Get Your GunIi:xperience" on the road in a truck. His idea isto hit college communities with a big promo-tion and a percentage deal with the exhibitor,combining the screening with a lecture twiee anight for $2 to $4. '

The truck, with its side painted with B,n €r.dorsement from Jimmy Carter, wiII be parkedoutside of the theatre with an exhibit of Tfumbomemorabilia.

When prospective investors visit Campbell'shome, they encounter an ineredible sight:Every inch is plastered with props, stills,posters, scripts and what-not related to hiscareer. Hundreds of pholos and souveniersdangle from the ceiling by string.

An old moose eostume lie$ casually in thecorner.

Campbell gives a three-hour sales pitch cor-n-plete with film, tape and slides. When the fate-ful moment arrives to sisl the checks, themoose gets up and walks out, commenting,"You've got to be kidding."

But he isn't.