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Show Stars' Lives Carefree in Arizona By DICK KLEINER CAREFREE, Ariz. -('It's like doing NEA) summer stock." says Hope Lange. "It's like being part of a family," says Marty Brill. "It's 'he c.ily way I'll work," says Dick Van Dyke. What it is is The Dick Van Dyke Show, the CBS situation comedy which shoots here, out in the middle of the Arizona desert. Carefree, in case you've never heard of it, is outside Scottsdale which is outside Phoenix. 9 . ill 'k: r r-...- 'r Dick lives in Cave Creek, which is outside Carefree. If he was any further out, he'd be off the edge entirely. They shoot at something called the Southwestern Studio, which is a modern complex of studio and administration building set out in East Nowhere, amid ' the saguaro cacti and heaps of boulders that break up the monotony of the desert. And Since there are no other movie companies or actors within hundreds of miles, the company is thrown together for everything. They are their only friends, their drinking companions, their gossipers, their colleagues. But the very remoteness makes this a peculiarly quaint operation. Where else but Carefree could George Dutro, Hope's hairdresser, ride to work every morning on his Arabian horse a canter. Where else could Frank Adamo, Dick's have an secretary-standiantique store which is only opened on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the shooting season. The company's schedule isn't easy, but not too hard, either. They rehearse Mondays and Tuesdays. On Wednesday the camera crew flies in from Hollywood and they block the show. They le n, rarvi I 1 vg I'L V i There's no traffic, no smog, no big city problems. They have to watch out for rattlesnakes and dust storms and flash iioods the usual desert dangers but otherwise life here is comfortable. TV " . n. linn i And they're gone by the time summer rolls around, with its days. Through most of the time they shoot the weather is beautiful warm days, cool nights, magnificently clear air. a fj It's all very relaxed around the set. Dick says that perhaps there isn't as much discipline as there should be everybody talks at once, tossing in suggestions new lines and new gags for but he prefers it that way. Bernie Orenstein and Saul Turteltaub, the producers and head writers, are as relaxed as the others. They make changes as they go along and every night the office staff mimeographs a fresh copy of '.he script. DESERT ISOLATION makes members of The Dick Van Dyke Show cast just one big family. Happy with taping the CBS situation comedy in Carefree, Ariz., are (top, left to right) Nancy Dussault, Marty Brill and Fannie Flagg and (bottom, left to right) Dick Van Dyke, Hope Lange and Angela Powell. put the finishing touches to each episode Thursday and then shoot Thursday night, with an audience. It's crowded and tickets are tough to get. Apparently, everybody in Cave Creek, Scottsdale and Carefree, Phoenix wants to see the show done. The little theater where they shoot is packed to the rafters. On Friday mornings they have a first reading of the next week's script. They have Friday afternoon and the weekend free. Every five weeks they take a week off. Last season, which was the first for the show, the cast 1 I 1 j generally lit out every weekend. Hope Lange would come home to Los Angeles. Marty Brill and Nancy Dussult would head for New York. Fannie Flagg explored. Only Dick stayed in Arizona. But this year they've changed their pattern. Mostly they stick around. Fannie has bought a condominium nearby. Hope rented a big house. Marty and Nancy took apartments. While only Fannie has gone native the others now say they like it here. Last year, they didn't. And there's lots to like. It's a casual, relaxed way of life. It's the desert way of and it seems shooting TV to be working. Decentralization has come to television. 'TRAVELS' FILMING HOLLYWOOD (UP I) -- ' py GLENN FORD stars as a tough sheriff in "Cade's County," broadcast each Sunday at 7:30 p.m. on Channel 5. Osmond Cartoon MGM's "Travels With My Set Aunt" went before the cameras The six singing Osmond on location in Spain with Award winner widely seen on video Brothers, Academy Maggie Smith with Aiec variety shows for several McCowen and Lou Gossett. years, have inspired a new Utah County has seven radio stations, Including three with FM and stereo transmitting. They are: KOVO, 960 kilocycles AM KFMC, 96.1 megahertz FM and stereo; KEYY, 1450 kilocycles AM; fKIXX, 1400 kilocycles AM; KONI, 1480 kilocycles AM; 106.3 KONI-F- megahertz FM and stereo; KBYU, "88.9 megahertz FM and stereo. 1 02 Variety Shows On Horizon for Fall Producer-directo- r Greg Garrw has contracted for 10 animated series called "The shows for the 1972-- 7 variety Osmonds" that ABC will air on some for networks season, Saturday mornings beginning Li some to be syndicated. Hi the fall. The story line involves "The half-ho- u Golddiggers" them in a world tour. renewec" has been which series, and a new series starrin Griffin Signs Leslie comedian Jonathan Winters ar r '" that Productions Griffin has signed would be Merv singer Leslie Uggams to star in a potential summer replacement series and a batch of specials to be placed in syndication in the fall. son for syndication. Network-wis- f NBC has ordered 28 new Dea . Martin hours and seven hour long variety shows as Martin' replacement this summer. AB( show has ordered 15 half-hostarring British comedian Mar ty Feldman. it of "Bluebeard" in the movie of the same name is Raquel Welch, a nun in the film, made in Budapest, Hungary. "Bluebeard" is Richard Burton. - A VICTIM THE HERALD, Provo, Utah Monday, May 15, 1972 IM Jlj "BLUEBEARD" Richard Burton is decked out for the film of the same name, filming in Budapest, Hungary. |