Havasu Goes Gollywood

LAKE HAVASU CITY - Townsfolk have gone ga-ga over Hollywood, what with no less than three commercial film pro-* jects shooting on location here in recent weeks. It's enough to keep even the most jaded among us waxing enthusiastic and ardent fans in Golly-wood heaven.

The projects have given residents a glimpse of LA's creative geniuses - singer-musician Jeff DuFine, comic Mark Blankfield of ABC's Fridays,

Rock Video, TV Movie be Filmed in Lake Havasu

LAKE HAVASU CITY - London Bridge and Lake Havasu will serve as a backdrop to several filmmaking projects either currently in production or scheduled, to get underway in the next several months.

Retail Vision, a Connecticut based production company, completed on-location shooting at the London. Bridge last week for a generic television commercial set for

national syndication, 'according to Chamber of Commerce spokesman Barbara Super-Watkins,

The :30 and :60 edited spots will be marketed by Retail Vision to high fashion and jewelry merchandisers.

Oui Oui Productions will also shoot a music video, starring rock singer-musician Jeff DuFine, for MTV on location May 10- 12 in the English Village-London Bridge area, said Super-Watkins.
Leading cast members will include Dennis Burkley, noted for his co-starring role in ABC's "Sanford & Son". The hefty, bearded Burkley is currently featured as the silent guardian biker in the film, "Mask", starring Cher.

Also featured are Mark Blankenfield, the mad pharmacist from ABC's "Fridays", and Swedish actress Katja Bjorlin.

The video will be directed by "Fridays" director, Thomas Kramer; cinematography by Ken Barrows; and edited by Bill Mashover, an Academy Award nominee for "Romancing the Stone", starring Michael Douglas.

The music video will feature the city's historic span as the centerpiece of the world's largest game of "London Bridge", according to its producers.

Since the production calls for a huge cast, the company has put out a call for nearly 50 residents to serve as extras, and is looking for 20 men and women 40 years of age or older, 20 people under 40, and at least seven children from 7-11 years old. Anyone interested should immediately contact Barbara Super-Watkins at the Chamber of Commerce, 8554115.

She said she was grateful to the, city's hospitality industry in assisting with arrangements for room and. board for cast and crews. Harrah Corp. Unlimited and Bill Kucich, general manager of the English Village,' has also cooperated with accommodations and in making, necessary arrangements for location shooting in the village area, Super-Watkins added.

actor Dennis Burkley of Mask fame, and "hunk David Hasselhoff of NBC's Knight Rider (See related story below).

Each of the three projects - a syndicated TV spot, a fantasy-filled music video, and a made-for-TV movie - have -capitalized on the legendary London Bridge and its sun,drenched desert backdrop.

DuFine's Oui-Oui Productions- recently wrapped up location shooting with a huge cast of local extras for what he envisions will be two somewhat bizarre, but no less fanciful and entertaining, music videos slated for release in four to six weeks.,
DuFine, himself, stars in the video and penned the original .score, which includes the songs "Don't Stop" and "London Bridgey", which is loosely based on the children's game.

Leading cast members included Dennis Burkley, who most recently appeared with Cher as the silent guardian biker in the critically-acclaimed film Mask, which debuted last week in Lake Havasu City. He is also known for his co-starring role as Fred Sanford's partner in ABC's San rd & Son. Ifo

Also featured were Mark Blankfield, the mad pharmacist from Fridays, and Swedish-born actress Katja Bjorlin. -

The filmed videos, now in postproduction at Hollywood-Burbank Studios, were directed by Fridays and Not Necessarily the News writerdirector Tom Kramer, filmed by Ken 'Barrows (who was cinematographer for videos with the likes of Madonna, Chicago and Supertramp), and are being edited by Bill Mashover, Academy Award nominee for Romancing the Stone.