Abby Singer is a darkly comic tale that chronicles the life of Curtis Clemins, who is torn between the love of his life and accomplishing his dream. Originally released in 2003, there was a different version released in 2006 and a limited DVD release in 2007.^[1] The film had some film festival screenings in 2003 and in 2006. The film also has several celebrity cameo appearances.

The film was named after the second-to-last shot of the day on a film, which is called an Abby Singer after Abner E. "Abby" Singer.

Plot[link]

This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (November 2009)

The film follows Curtis Clemins (Clint Palmer) and Kevin Prouse (Ryan Williams) as they have to deal with life's ups and downs.

Kevin Prouse walks across campus to teach his acting class. Curtis Clemins stares self loathingly at himself in the mirror. Maxine Helms (Robin Ballard) and her daughter drive to an audition. Curtis prays in church, and then goes to the casting office where he works. Kevin lectures his acting class on the importance of not giving up on your dreams. All the while, Mr. Mooker (Pat Donahue), tells his son to manage their construction site, so he can go to an audition. Curtis arrives at the audition; he brings in the first actor, who fails miserably. Maxine sends Curtis to get copies and on his way out, Curtis runs into Mr. Mooker telling him that there is no part for him to audition for. Mr. Mooker slips past Curtis with the excuse that he has to use the bathroom, then petitions Maxine for a part, Maxine agrees to let him audition.

Curtis gets copies at his old college campus, while there he takes a detour to the theater department and reminisces about his time there 10 years before. Curtis and Kevin were friends, but they have a falling out when Kevin decides to dump their friendship over a girl, Leanne. Kevin marries Leanne and gives up his dream of being an actor, instead decides to teach. Curtis asks Kevin if he is still dreaming, Kevin replies "every now and then when I fall asleep".

Curtis is accosted by a young female college student who overzealously petitions him for an audition. Curtis awkwardly escapes down a flight of stairs. During this time, Kevin visits his father (Jay O. Sanders), a ski lift attendant, in an attempt to gain some advice about his impending divorce from Leanne.

Mr. Mooker and his son Jake (Mark Wunder), discuss Mr. Mooker's dream of becoming an actor as they fish. Jake does not approve of his father's choice to neglect their business to chase an unattainable dream.

Curtis attacks a parking attendant, and is arrested. Curtis is forced to attend psychiatric sessions with state psychiatrist Dr. Phelps. Dr Phelps asks Curtis when the last time he felt happy. Curtis relates to Dr. Phelps (Scott Hanks) his experiences at the Sundance Film Festival with his ex-girl friend Mabline (Wendy Buss).

Curtis, Mabline and Maxine, attempt to fit in at the Festival, getting advice and petitioning Jodie Foster, Mark Borchardt, Mike Schank, and Roger Ebert, Curtis becomes jealous of Mabline as she flirts and dances with movie executives, higher up on the food chain than him. Curtis ties to retaliate by using his status as a casting director to find women to make her jealous only to realize that he is sexually powerless because of his religious convictions.

Curtis goes to Adam Carolla for advice, and Corolla tells him that maybe he should get a prostitute.

Curtis, Mabline and Maxine attend the Sundance Film Festival awards ceremony. John Waters announces to the audience that every one is at the festival for a reason. Curtis Maxine and Mabline, attempt to make connections with Stockard Channing, Robin Tunney, and Patricia Arquette.

Dr. Phelps continues his session with Curtis, who tells him about his break-up with Mabline at the Independent Spirit Awards. Curtis and Mabline fight backstage at the ceremonie, all the while, Jake Gyllenhaal reluctantly is pulled into the argument. Don Cheadle attempts to avoid the fray as well. Jill Hennessy tells Mabline to move on; Finally Brad Pitt tells Curtis that he is done.

Curtis tells Dr. Phelps that he feels better having shared his story and they agree to meet next week.

Kevin tries desperately to believe in his students. He scans the class looking for someone to inspire him.

Curtis hires a prostitute but, while having sex, has a nervous breakdown.

Kevin meets with Leanne at their former house, and signs divorce papers, ruining his hopes for a better future.

Curtis takes his last thousand dollars and buys a gun, telling the dealers he intends to kill himself as an artistic statement. While, Kevin returns to his empty house and starts to drink. Curtis wanders the streets of Salt Lake City, alone.

Curtis calls Kevin as his last act, saying goodbye. As Maxine holds callbacks for the audition, Mr. Mooker stands up to his son, Jake, and goes to the callback.

Curtis rides the L-train, out of town. Kevin boards the train, and confronts Curtis who runs. Curtis goes to the woods to kill himself. Kevin then appears at the last moment.

Production history[link]

Director Ryan Williams began the project in May 2001, as a series of test scenes shot in Provo, Utah. Williams had tapped a local acting class (The Actor's Gang) for his cast, and then he began the shooting along with working on several development issues with the story line with some of the actors. This would prove to be an ongoing issue for that the film for that it had no script.^[2]

In 2002 Williams, Clint Palmer and the movie's lead actors went to Sundance Film Festival to work on several scenes. While there they came up with the idea to pose as volunteers during the awards ceremony so that they could include several A-list cameos. They were able to get cameo segments from: Roger Ebert, Stockard Channing, Mike Schank, Lloyd Kaufman, Mark Borchardt Between May 2002 - December 2002: Abby Singer was still in the process of being produced. Palmer, Williams and Jonathan M Black were working aggressively on the production of the film. It was thought that they needed to move to California, which they did that December.

While in California Williams, Black, Palmer and Kamell Clauson were able to access the 2003 Golden Globes and to other various parties. It was at one of these parties where they meet the freelance writer, Tim Cooper, who was interested in "Operation Nighthawk", which took place in February 2003. The idea of Operation Nighthawk came when the filmmakers realized how they just could walk onto the Paramount lot with no problems. For the filmmakers, this became a great potential for marketing their film. After several months of reconnaissance, Black, Clauson, Williams and Palmer, along with writer Tim Cooper and a photographer, dropped off an Abby Singer press pack and a copy of the film trailer to all of the major studios and the executives of each studio.^[3]

Williams, Black, Palmer and Wendy Buss, were also able to be at the 2003 Independent Spirit Awards. Where they were able to have access to everything and everyone by using the same tactics has they had in the past, which was that they posed as volunteers. While there they filmed several more cameos. They successfully shot cameos with: Jill Hennessy, Jake Gyllenhaal, Don Cheadle and Brad Pitt.

Abby Singer made its film festival premier at the 2003 New Orleans Media Experience. The film won the two top awards: 'Best Independent Film' and 'Best Feature Film'. Still needing more marketing and public notice, Black and Clauson made their way to Salt Lake City, UT to organize another publicity stunt, 'Operation Altitude'. Operation Altitude was a publicity campaign at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Over 1,500 people viewed Abby Singer in the course of the festival, through private screenings. In addition, the group put together a fake Comedy Central crew to build hype for the film and to encourage more people to see it. A documentary entitled, The Misbehavers,^[4] directed by Bryan Young and Elias Pate, was filmed to cover the whole process.^[5][6]

From October 2004 to 2005, the filmmakers were able to hunt down and gain access to their unsigned cameos. The celebrity releases were finally signed. Also, during this time, the film underwent a major revision and got a new soundtrack.^[7] Between 2005 and 2006, Abby Singer again was submitted to and screened at several film festivals.^[8]

• Ain't Cool News: "Ezra reports that he was also inspired by the filmmakers' independent spirit and the film's "never give up" message. Pitt, Ebert and Gyllenhaal are reportedly major supporters of the film (Abby Singer) ...",^[9]

Cast[link]

• Clint Palmer as Curtis Clemins
• Ryan Williams as Kevin Prouse
• Wendy Buss as Mabeline
• Pat Donahue as Mr. Mooker
• Robin Ballard as Maxine Helms
• Mark Wunder as Jake Mooker
• Jay O. Sanders as Kevin's Father
• Scott Hanks as Dr. Phelps

Cameos

• Brad Pitt
• Jennifer Aniston
• Jill Hennessy
• Don Cheadle
• Jake Gyllenhaal
• Stockard Channing
• Patricia Arquette
• Robin Tunney
• Roger Ebert
• Adam Carolla
• Dave Attell
• Lloyd Kaufman
• Mike Schank
• Mark Borchardt
• Jodie Foster

Reception[link]

Abby Singer won the awards, Best Feature and Best Independent Film, at the 2003 New Orleans Media Experience.^[10] Then in 2005 the film won the Independent Spirit Award at the MassBay Film Festival.^[11] In 2006 Abby Singer won Best Feature Comedy at the Eureka Springs Digital Film Festival ^[12] and Most Creative Film at the Seattle True Independent Film Festival.^[13]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Abby Singer
• Abby Singer Official Website
• Abby Singer at the Internet Movie Database
• Abby Singer on Rotten Tomatoes
• Abby Singer on Allmovie
• Abby Singer on MSN movies

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (February 2009)

Abner E. "Abby" Singer worked as a production manager and assistant director in film between the 1950s and the 1980s. His name has become famous in Hollywood as a phrase describing the second-to-last shot of the day as the "Abby Singer".^[1] According to Burt Bluestein of the Director's Guild of America, "It all began when Abby was a 1st AD and people on the crew would ask him how many shots were left to do before lunch. Abby would answer, 'We'll do this and one more.' At the end of the day, when they asked what was to be done before the wrap, Abby would say, 'This and one more, then we're out of here.'" ^[2] Abby Singer himself explains the reason behind calling out the second to last shot; "In television, we would make maybe five or six moves during the day — going from one set to another, or from one stage to another. Or we'd move from the back lot to a stage. I would say, 'Fellas, we'll do this [shot] and one more and then we're moving.' This would give the crew a chance to begin wrapping up their equipment or to call transportation for gurneys, so they'd be ready to get out quickly... I did it really to save time for the director. If we did it during the day, I could save 10 to 15 minutes each time we had to move. I could give the director another hour a day of shooting."^[3]

The actual last shot of the production day is referred to as a "martini," referring to the alcoholic beverage.

Selected filmography[link]

As assistant director[link]

• Death of a Salesman (1951) (Second AD)
• Income Tax Sappy (1954) (as Abner Singer)
• Shot in the Frontier (1954) (as Abner E. Singer)
• 7th Cavalry (1956) (as Abner E. Singer)
• The Guns of Fort Petticoat (1957) (as Abner E. Singer)

• M Squad (1957) TV Series (assistant director)
• Hellcats of the Navy (1957) (assistant director)
• The Guns of Fort Petticoat (1957) (assistant director)
• 7th Cavalry (1956) (assistant director)
• He Laughed Last (1956) (assistant director)
• Over-Exposed (1956) (assistant director)
• A Lawless Street (1955) [a.k.a. Marshal of Medicine Bend (USA)] (assistant director)
• Gypped in the Penthouse (1955) (assistant director)
• Cannibal Attack (1954) (assistant director)
• Shot in the Frontier (1954) (assistant director)
• Massacre Canyon (1954) (assistant director)
• Income Tax Sappy (1954) (assistant director)
• Death of a Salesman (1951) (second assistant director)

As production manager[link]

• Columbo: Sex and the Married Detective (1989) (TV) (unit production manager)
• Columbo: Murder, Smoke and Shadows (1989) (TV) (unit production manager)
• Columbo: Columbo Goes to the Guillotine (1989) (TV) (unit production manager)
• Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) (unit production manager)
• Remington Steele TV series
  • "Signed, Steeled & Delivered" TV Episode (executive in charge of production)
  • "Your Steele the One for Me" TV Episode (executive in charge of production)
  • "Sting of Steele" (1983) TV Episode (executive in charge of production)
  • "Steele's Gold" (1983) TV Episode (executive in charge of production)
  • "Vintage Steele" (1983) TV Episode (executive in charge of production)
  • "Steele in the News" (1983) TV Episode (executive in charge of production)
  • "Steele Among the Living" (1983) TV Episode (executive in charge of production)
• The Bob Newhart Show (production manager)
• WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982) (executive in charge of production)
• Hill Street Blues (1981–1987) (executive in charge of production)
• St. Elsewhere (1982–1988) (executive in charge of production)
• A Little Sex (1982) (production manager: Los Angeles)
• First, You Cry (1978) (TV) (supervising production manager)
• Something for Joey (1977) (TV) (production manager)
• "Rhoda" (1974) TV Series (unit production manager)
• Istanbul Express (1968) (TV) (unit manager)
• The Doris Day Show (1968) TV Series (production manager)
• The Meanest Men in the West (1967) (TV) (unit production manager)
• Out of Sight (1966) (unit production manager)
• Gunsmoke (1955) TV Series (production manager)

References[link]

External links[link]

Biography portal

• Abby Singer at the Internet Movie Database
• Abby Singer
• Abby Singer
• Abby Singer movie (Abby Singer the Movie, named after Singer)
• AbbySinger.net

Abbey Lincoln
Abbey Lincoln in concert, 1992
Background information
Birth name	Anna Marie Wooldridge
Born	(1930-08-06)August 6, 1930 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	August 14, 2010(2010-08-14) (aged 80) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, actress, civil rights activist
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1956–2007
Labels	Riverside, Verve

Anna Marie Wooldridge (August 6, 1930 – August 14, 2010),^[1] better known by her stage name Abbey Lincoln, was a jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress. Lincoln was unusual in that she wrote and performed her own compositions, expanding the expectations of jazz audiences.

Musician[link]

Lincoln was one of many singers influenced by Billie Holiday. She often visited the Blue Note jazz club in New York City.^[2] Her debut album, Abbey Lincoln’s Affair – A Story of a Girl in Love, was followed by a series of albums for Riverside Records. In 1960 she sang on Max Roach's landmark civil rights-themed recording, We Insist! – Freedom Now Suite.^[3] Lincoln’s lyrics were often connected to the civil rights movement in America.

During the 1980s, Lincoln’s creative output was lesser and she released only a few albums during that decade. During the 1990s and until her death, however, she fulfilled a 10-album contract with Verve Records. These albums are highly regarded and represent a crowning achievement in Lincoln’s career. Devil’s Got Your Tongue (1992) featured Rodney Kendrick, Grady Tate, J. J. Johnson, Stanley Turrentine, Babatunde Olatunji and The Staple Singers, among others.

In 2003, Lincoln received a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Award.^[4][5]

Actress[link]

With Ivan Dixon, she co-starred in Nothing But a Man, an independent film written and directed by Michael Roemer. In 1968 she also co-starred with Sidney Poitier and Beau Bridges in For Love of Ivy,^[6] and received a 1969 Golden Globe nomination for her appearance in the film.

Lincoln also appeared in 1956 in The Girl Can’t Help It, for which she wore a dress which had been worn by Marilyn Monroe in Gentleman Prefer Blondes, and interpreted the theme song, working with Benny Carter.^[6]

In the 1990 Spike Lee movie Mo’ Better Blues, she played young Bleek Gilliams’ mother.^[7]

Personal life[link]

Lincoln was married to drummer Max Roach from 1962 to 1970. Roach’s daughter from a previous marriage, Maxine, has appeared on several of Lincoln’s albums. She was mentioned in Maya Angelou's autobiography The Heart of a Woman as a close friend.

Lincoln died on August 14, 2010 in Manhattan at the age of 80. Her death was announced by her brother, David Wooldridge, who told the New York Times that Lincoln had died in her Manhattan nursing home after suffering deteriorating health for years following open heart surgery in 2007. No cause of death was officially given. She was cremated and her ashes were scattered.^[8]

Discography[link]

• 1956: Abbey Lincoln’s Affair – A Story of a Girl in Love (Liberty Records) with Benny Carter Orchestra, Marty Paich Orchestra, Jack Montrose
• 1957: That’s Him (Riverside Records) with Paul Chambers, Max Roach, Wynton Kelly, Sonny Rollins, Kenny Dorham
• 1958: It’s Magic (Riverside Records) with Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson, Sahib Shihab
• 1959: Abbey Is Blue (Riverside Records) with Kenny Dorham, Wynton Kelly, Les Spann, Sam Jones, Philly Joe Jones
• 1960: We Insist! – Freedom Now with Max Roach
• 1961: Straight Ahead (Candid Records) with Coleman Hawkins, Eric Dolphy, Booker Little, Mal Waldron, Max Roach^[9]
• 1973: People in Me (Polygram) with Kunimitsu Inaba, James Mtume, Al Foster, Hiromasa Suzuki, Dave Liebman
• 1980: Golden Lady (a.k.a. Painted Lady; Inner City Records/Marge Records) with Archie Shepp
• 1983: Talking to the Sun (Enja Records)
• 1987: Abbey Sings Billie, Vol. 1 & 2 (Enja Records) with Harold Vick (tenor), James Widman (piano), Tarik Shah (bass), Mark Johnson (drums).
• 1990: The World Is Falling Down (Verve Records)
• 1991: You Gotta Pay the Band (Verve Records) with Stan Getz, Hank Jones, Charlie Haden, Mark Johnson, Maxine Roach
• 1992: Devil’s Got Your Tongue (Verve Records)
• 1992: When There is Love (Verve Records) with Hank Jones
• 1993: The Music is the Magic (Recorded live at Sweet Basil Jazz Club, New York City; ITM Records) with Rodney Kendrick, Michael Bowie, Yoron Israel
• 1994: A Turtle’s Dream (Verve Records) with Roy Hargrove, Kenny Barron, Pat Metheny
• 1996: Who Used to Dance (Verve Records) with Graham Haynes, Steve Coleman, Oliver Lake
• 1998: Wholly Earth (Verve Records) with Nicholas Payton, Bobby Hutcherson
• 2000: Over the Years (Verve Records)
• 2003: It’s Me (Verve Records)
• 2007: Abbey Sings Abbey (Verve Records)

References[link]

External links[link]

Biography portal

• Abbey Lincoln at the Internet Movie Database
• Bio at Verve Records
• Abbey Lincoln Discography at www.JazzDiscography.com
• Abbey Lincoln at NPR Music
• Abbey Lincoln Tribute and image.
• "Remembering Jazz Singer and Activist Abbey Lincoln" at NPR Music: Music News

Jeffrey Frederick Gold (born Jeffrey Frederick Thompson, March 13, 1968 in Rock Island, Illinois) is an American filmmaker, film producer, playwright, and film composer educated as a physicist and mathematician at the United States Naval Academy, the University of Utah, and the University of Cambridge, England.^[1]

Science[link]

Jeffrey Gold attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland (class of '91). He left before the end of his first year (less than one hundred days from the "Plebes no more" ceremony at Herndon Monument) and transferred to the University of Utah where he completed his Bachelor's degree in pre-professional physics with a minor in mathematics. While an undergraduate, Jeffrey Gold published eight papers in mathematics and physics and worked as an undergraduate research assistant in thermoacoustics, magnetoencephalography, thin film sputtering and metal evaporation, and photoluminescence, and worked with mathematician Don H. Tucker on the problem of the Twin primes in Number Theory.^[2]

Before graduating from the University of Utah, he attended a beginning film making class which he described as "the beginning of the end for physics". He attended Fitzwilliam College of Cambridge University^[3] in Cambridgeshire, England, having been accepted into the MPhil Programme in Microelectronics and Semiconductor Physics at the Microelectronics Research Centre at the Cavendish Laboratory.

While at Cambridge, Gold became a lifetime member of the Cambridge Film and Television Society (CFTV) and a member of the Cambridge Gliding Club, and produced the documentary Children of the Wind.

Films and film scores[link]

Jeffrey Gold was an associate producer of the awards-winning independent feature film Abby Singer (named for Abby Singer) for which he also composed the film score and co-wrote the main theme, When You're a Millionaire, with singer/songwriter Paul Luscher. The film score for Abby Singer won the Jury Choice Gold Medal for Excellence at the 2004 Park City Film Music Festival^[1] and was a semi-finalist in the 2004 Moondance International Film Festival filmscoring competition.^{[citation needed]}

Gold's scores appear in many independent films and documentaries, including Twilight (Physics In The Twilight), Isles In The Midst Of The Great Green Sea, Monk, Children of the Wind, Reach, Edge Running, The Racketeers and in the PBS documentary Promontory (Promontory, Utah), which was produced for KUED by Ken Verdoia.^[1]

Gold's "Elegy: Adagio For Strings" was featured in the book MP3: Music on the Internet by Rod Underhill and Nat Gertler, part of The Complete Idiot's Guide to... series (ISBN 0-7897-2036-1). Gold won the 2006 Best of State Award for Best Original Composition for his film score work. In 2006, Gold contributed music to the short documentary Eritrea: Living in a Border War.

Gold's film works have premiered at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) centres in London and Cardiff, on television and radio, and at regional film festivals in the United States. He was an executive producer of the 2003 independent feature film Summer Solstice, based on Gold's story "Atlantic Summer."

Plays[link]

Jeffrey Gold has written several plays, including Horst and Graben in the Context of the Unfinished Man (ISBN 1-60003-029-7), Horst and Graben at the Chateau Godot, Fitch Todd, which won the Moondance Seahorse Award^[4] after being selected as a finalist in the 2005 Moondance Film Festival's stage-play competition in Boulder, Colorado, Dedekind, Execution at Paradais Island, Percolation Theory, and Displacement: A Fish in Water Story.

Gold is a member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild of America.

Early life[link]

Before age two, Jeffrey Gold moved with his family to Germany (Heidelberg, Horrenberg, Oftersheim, and Sandhausen) where they lived until Gold was eleven years old. The family later lived in Las Cruces, New Mexico; in Bangor, Maine where Gold was a classmate of Naomi King, daughter of writer Stephen King; in Hawaii (Honolulu, Waikiki, Hawaii Kai and Oahu); and in Salt Lake City, Utah.

References[link]

External links[link]

• JeffreyGold.com
• Jeffrey Gold at the Internet Movie Database