| The resulting movie managed to get a big thumbs
down from most people, which to be fair to all concerned, it probably
deserved. However, it did actually hit at least some of its goals
and made money for someone.
Released by MGM/UA Home Video in the UK on March
6th 1990, it did actually reach a peak of number 11 in
the UK rental video charts. (if anyone has any information on
it being released anywhere else then please let me know)
I spoke to MGM/UA at the time and they said that for a title such
as this, i.e. one with no stars or saleable names either in front
of, or behind, the camera then they would expect to ship about
2-3,000 units in the UK. Even the casting coup of dragging Eartha
Kitt onboard for two days wasn't considered enough to
guarantee us a sale - but then in all the tv and press she did
at the time she never mentioned it once.
'Living Doll' actually managed to ship 7,300 units
and I believe there are a couple of people, apart from myself,
who have actually seen it more than once.
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So, was it all a great
success, a stepping stone for numerous successful Hollywood careers?
Peter Litton runs/ran
a production company in London and has directed a couple
of movies including 'To Die For'.
George Dugdale
is currently... somewhere... doing... something. At the
time of the movie, he was married to Caroline Munro at
the time... dunno whether he still is.
Mark Ezra has actually directed a movie...
along with having written some. Not sure what it was called...
you could always check him out on the internet movie database
if you're really interested.
Mark Jax had a
supporting role in the LWT tv series 'The Two of Us' and
is still acting... he had a part recently in a mini-series
with my old mate from college Ian Burfield.
Kevan Van Thompson
(Line Producer) has since moved to the Czech Republic
where he lives with his wife and kids and occasionally
comes back to the UK to do a bit of filming. We did work
together on a project a few years back - but probably
the less said about that the better.
Katie Orgill did
appear topless in several editions of the UK tabloid "The
Sun" and even did a very nice spread for "Penthouse"
magazine. I've also seen her on the covers of various
crossword and puzzle books, airport goodies and also found
her in the back of certain male-oriented magazines as
the girl to be caught by using a variety of 'can't fail'
sexual attraction techniques. I believe she's happily
married and been out of the film game for some time.
The biggest change in circumstances I guess must be Dick
Randall himself. Unfortunately for the film industry
as a whole, Dick passed away back in 1996. I didn't find
out until a couple of years later when I started trying
to track down "Living Doll" for possible acquisition
as a DVD title (is that an idea which appeals to anyone?).
There's been no resolution to negotiations and I'm still
working on it. Now I know that most of Dick's library of
movies can be described as 'cheesy' even on a good day,
but he was a colorful character who will always have a place
in my heart as the first person with the faith to put someone's
money behind a project of mine. If there were a few (any?)
more people around like him then the movie business would
be a much happier place to work in.
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