"How do you know? I may love your saggy, you know, junk!" - Getting Ed Laid

Ed Asner & Me
 

You're a lucky person to call Ed Asner a friend.  In addition to being one our country's acting legends... he's that rare man of his word... a brilliant and total mensch.   I had the great good fortune to know and work with the amazing Ed Asner over the past twenty-some years.  He's the dream actor every writer wishes they could work with.   I've had that pleasure on tv and the stage - but this is our first time making a film together.  It's also my first time as a director and I can't think of better man to break my directorial cherry with than Ed.   "Getting Ed Laid" is a piece I originally wrote for Ed to perform in February of 2014 for Vicki Abelson's "Women Who Write" luncheon.    Asked to perform there, I volunteered to write a piece to which he said "So write me an F'ing scene."  And I did.  It's the story of Ed Randall, an 85 year old college professor who hires a hooker for a last hurrah, frantically waiting to get a call back from a cardiologist to okay his taking Viagra, when the quirky older hooker shows up and the comedy - to put off her advances -begins.   A look at life and what really counts and how two people can find one another in the most unexpected places. 
 

Jean Smart & Me
 

I first saw Jean Smart in the play "Mrs. California" here in L.A. and she knocked my socks off!   I then had the greater good fortune to work with her on Linda Bloodworth-Thomason's brilliant show "Designing Women."    As Charlene, she was the quintessential Southern gal - when in fact, she was the only one among the cast who wasn't from the south!  She hails from Seattle!   She continues to amaze with her roles on numerous tv shows & films, most notably the riveting first lady in "24," and murderous mom in "Fargo."    She and her talented actor husband, Richard Gilliland, are warm and gifted people and I'm excited to reunite on this project.   I called Jean who was on her way to shoot "Fargo" in Vancouver and excited at the prospect of working with Ed, graciously agreed to read "Getting Ed Laid."   After some insightful input from her (as a writer I always learn so much from great actors) I did another pass and made the film even better!  Jean read it and agreed - and came on board!   

Watch our Kickstarter video of Ed and Deborah!   

Here's the link:  http://kck.st/1CBI92d

Photo Gallery above includes production stills at the W Hotel in Hollywood and shots from our kickstarter video shoot.:  Crew from our Kickstarter video shoot.  Left to right: J.R. Hall (camera), Ed Asner, Curtis McElhinney (camera) , Deborah Pearl, Johanna Seigmann (awesome still photography) and Susan Ottalini of SMO310 Productions who shot and edited the video!  Also - Ed in the monitor with Carl Fredrickson from "Up" behind him!  How cool is that!   Shot of the entire crew - it takes a village!  And me directing Ed and Jean!

Our wonderful executive producer, Barbie Weisserman, brought on her PAPA WEEZE PRODUCTIONS and along with other executive producer, Michael Lehman Boddicker, we set off to do a great Kickstarter campaign.  Thanks to all, we raised the rest of the budget for the film.   

Check out our fun Kickstarter VIDEO with Ed and me - http://kck.st/1CBI92d 

Meet the TEAM of 182  DONORS  on our Kickstarter Donor Honor Roll who helped get Ed laid!!!  

TRUE LOVE:
Susan Ottalini  -  Annabel Jk  -  Patty Schneider    
David Rich   -   Robert Hotchkiss  -   Diane Lantz     
 

HOME RUN:
Jack Stiefel  -  Leonard Pihlak   -  Rhino Griffith
 

3RD BASE:
Tristan Luyks  -  Michael Z. Gordon  -  Leslie Jan Pearl   Dellamarie Parrilli  - Meghan Shrontz  -  Ginia Stiefel    Juliano Angeliano  -  Aris Kakkis & Alan Hearne -  Helen Pearl (aka Mom)  -  Janey Fire-Kalymnios  - 
Bill Pearl  -  Michael Pearl  -  Bob Pearl -  Lise Barrera     
 

2ND BASE:
Kate Nelson  -  Ed   -    Marcy Ford  
 

1ST BASE:
Dr.  Edward H. Phillips  -  Kathy Clyman  -   Pat McKenzie -   Sally Stevens   -   Richard M. Rothfuss  -  Ralph H. Hershberger           
 

COPING A FEEL:
Thor Freudenthal  -  Neil Koenigsberg -  Betty A Petitt   Carol J Doehring  -  Al & Paula Schlesinger  -
Charlene Timms  -  Jane Schorr   -   Steve Fox  - Steven Carr Reuben  -  Rob Nagle  - Karen Southworth Kim Ledoux  -  Andrea Robinson   -  Elya Baskin   -  Jon Charles   -  Craig Pettigrew  - Robert B. Palmer     
Helen Samett    - Dave Radlauer   -  Lorna Lembeck Barbara Pearl   -  Gail Resnik  -  greymont - 
Mark Arthur Miller   - David Gale   -  Kip J Bilderback   Ralph Kahn   -   Theresa Welty   -  Roy Sexton    
Mark Islam   -  Anne Lauren   -  Rosemary Butler - Deborah & Jeff Chertow - Lorri Newman -  Perry Botkin   -  Bradley Rotholz - David Pearl  -  Morton Baron -  Constance McCord   -   Phil McKenzie
 

HOLDING HANDS:
Stephen Rosenthal - Fern Barishman - Joan Silverblatt  Elyse Komer  -  Keith Szarabajka   -   John Ferraro       Phil Proctor   -  Hal Ackerman    -  Robert Burgos         Shawn Gaillard   -  Paul Cassidy  -   Mindy Barry          
Avi Levy  -  Hillary Rollins   -   Dr. Donald Koggan -  Cathryn Michon  W. Bruce Cameron - Bill Fors     
Marion Klein  -  Abby Hellwarth   -  Asaad Kelada   -  Kellie Rohling  -  Therese Barron  -  Severin Browne     
Margaret O’Rourke  -  Bob Klein   -  Ellen Curtis    -  Larry Salvato  -  Manette Rosen    -  Jon Joyce   -  Jonathan Cole  -   David Langer   -  Dan Frischman   -  Robert Devereaux -   Roger Perry   -  Steve Goodman  Nancy Cooper  -  Donna Salem   -   Tom Baum  - Tony Pasqualini  -  Jane Bolduc   -   Ruth Mcdonough    Stephen Dierkes   -  Elliot Spoon   -  Debra Henri     Allee Willis   -  Mimi Kmet    
 

MAKING EYES:
Sonja Marquis  -  Eliana Gilad   -   Ilene Braverman    
Hurricane Jones  -  Daniel Mercovich  -  Patricia Gaul  Art  -  Stu Berg   -  Robert Clements  - Dominic Perrino -  Marc Pariser  -  Michael A Lang  -  Linda Lapetino  - Matt Kramer  -   Laura Owens  -  Franny McCartney   
 

A FLIRT:
Gail Cohen    -   Karen Tobin    -    Andrew Rosenthal   David Goldsmith   -   Mitch Levine   -   Lorin Howard    Betsy Hammer - Maureen Mansfield -  Dave Field - Kareem Ferguson - Anna Nicholas   - Adrienne Albert   Spencer Amann  -   Elin Hampton  -   Joemy Wilson  Alfred Johnson -  Leslie Anne Kogan  - Jim Wilson   
Audrey Amann  -   Preston Neal Jones  - Barth Benedict   -  James Morrison -  Courtney Flavin - Coreen Steinbach - MariAnne Jayme    
 

A WINK:
Paula Moldovan  -  Barbara Tarbuck - Scottie Haskell - Betty Iseri  - Laura Bremer   -  Mary-Lyn Chambers     Lauri Reimer  -  Mitzi Schwarz   -   Edward Auslender   Helen Duffy  -  Barbara Diaute Towle - Trevor Veitch   Deena  Brandes  - Susan Marya Baronoff  - Ray Xifo - Kathleen Coyne - Ellen Cooper -  Lia Sargent
 

  
THANKS TO EACH OF YOU FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE!!!   

And to all of our production and post production crew who have made this a labor of love!