'SAWDUST' 3D TV Pilot Casts Movie Icon Mamie Van Doren in a Leading Role

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sawdust Productions has signed cinema icon Mamie Van Doren to play a lead role in "SAWDUST", the first 3D television series to be shot in 3D and 2D. The pilot for the half-hour episodic drama, set within the world of a Depression-era, 1930s circus, is being funded through the crowd-sourcing platform Kickstarter.

Ms. Van Doren will play "Victoria," the glamorous but tough-minded owner of a 1930s Depression-era circus struggling to keep the show on the road.  This marks Mamie's first acting role since her cameo appearance in the 2002 Dewey Nicks film, "Slackers". She is best known for starring roles in a number of influential films from the 1950s and 60s including "High School Confidential," "Untamed Youth" and "Teacher's Pet," opposite Clarke Gable and Doris Day. As a singer, she recently appeared in a guest performance with Pink Martini at the Greek Theater.

"We're extremely fortunate to have our 'Victoria' being played by Mamie Van Doren," said "SAWDUST" Executive Producer Wayne Schoenfeld. "This will be exciting for Mamie's legion of fans around the world as well as an opportunity to expose her talent to new audiences."

"I couldn't be more thrilled to be participating in a cutting-edge project like 'SAWDUST,'" said Miss Van Doren.  "I always wanted to run away and join the circus and playing the role of 'Victoria' is my chance to do that.  It's the opportunity of a lifetime and I can't wait for audiences to experience this wonderful series in 3D."  Donors to the "SAWDUST" Kickstarter campaign will receive a personalized gift from Mamie Van Doren in addition to other premium items.

Co-Executive Producer Anthony Coogan, a 3D technology expert and son of legendary movie and TV star Jackie Coogan ("The Kid," with Charlie Chaplin, and Uncle Fester in "The Addams Family"), noted that his father co-starred with Ms. Van Doren in four movies. "This project links Hollywood's Golden Era with its bright future," said Coogan. "Mamie Van Doren in 3D is going to be a visual delight."

"SAWDUST" producers are currently casting for the series and will be making announcements regarding filled cast and crew positions in the coming weeks.

ABOUT MAMIE VAN DOREN

Mamie Van Doren's "bad girl," roles in the 50's and 60's signaled the advent of the sexual revolution. Equipped with a halo of platinum hair and a bullet bra, Mamie power-housed her way through more than 40 motion pictures, including the cult classics "Untamed Youth" (1957) (in which she was the first actress to sing rock and roll on screen), "High School Confidential!" (1958), "Guns, Girls and Gangsters" (1959) and "Sex Kittens Go To College" (1960). Her on-screen leading men included Clark Gable, Donald O'Conner, Mickey Rooney, Jeff Chandler, Jean Pierre Aumont, and Tony Curtis.

The only surviving member of the trio of Blonde Bombshells known in the 50s as "The Three M's" – Mamie, Monroe and Mansfield – Mamie Van Doren carved a special niche for herself in cinema history, one that was very different from her peers. Instead of Marilyn's vulnerability, or Jayne Mansfield's comedic caricature, Mamie's heroines were tough and streetwise, yet always with a heart of gold—a dynamic combination of Jean Harlow, Mae West and Lana Turner. Mamie has also appeared in films in Italy, Spain, Germany, and Argentina.

Photo by Alan Mercer: http://www.ereleases.com/pic/2012-Mamie-Van-Doren.jpg

ABOUT SAWDUST PRODUCTIONS

Sawdust Productions, based in Los Angeles, Calif., is a creative collaboration between New Democracy Productions and Stereomedia 3D HD Digital in the United States and P2P Productions in Canada. Principals include award-winning filmmaker and photographer Wayne Schoenfeld, Producer, photographer and creator of Icons and Iconoclasts, the widely heralded book that recreated a 1930s-era circus; Stereoscopic Director Anthony Coogan; and Nadia Duguay of EXEKO, an international non-profit organization and winner of the 2009 Medal of Peace.

Contact:

John Grimshaw, Producer
Sawdust Productions
[email protected]
Phone: 760-420-0151
Sawdust Website

Editors Note: Photos of Mamie Van Doren are available by request. To review "Sawdust" photographs and promotional video, please visit www.wayneschoenfeld.com.  

This press release was issued through eReleases® Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE Sawdust Productions