Mark McClafferty

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Mark McClafferty is an American film and television producer and writer.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Mark McClafferty was born in Wilmington, Delaware. He attended the Alexis I. Du Pont School in Greenville, Delaware and then the University of Delaware where he was elected as its Student Government President in 1970. It was at the University that Mark became a speaker for student rights and an advocate against the war in Vietnam. His reputation caught the attention of the Ad Hoc Committee of Members of the House of Representatives for the Policy in South East Asia who asked him to present his views before Congress on the Viet Nam War.[1]

After graduating from the University, Mark was hired by Gary Hart to work for Senator George McGovern early in the 1972 primary campaign. McClafferty continued working for McGovern, traveling to many of the primary states during his successful drive to gain the Democratic Presidential nomination in Miami that year. At the convention, Mark was approached by future Senator Joseph R. Biden to return to Delaware and assist him in his first Senate Campaign as Campaign director.

[edit] Film and Television Career

In 1973, Mark traveled West to soon join the ABC network, first as manager and then as Director of Program Research. In three years, Mark moved into his first creative job in the motion picture and television industry at Paramount Pictures, working as Director of Creative Affairs for Miller/Milkus/Boyett Productions.[2] During his work at Paramount, Mark developed new programs and supervised ongoing hit shows such as Happy Days, Mork and Mindy, Laverne and Shirley, Angie and Bosom Buddies, Tom Hanks first venture in Hollywood.[3]

Moving back to ABC as a program executive, Mark was promoted to Director of Dramatic Programming for the network. Mark and his staff were responsible for supervising such shows as: Hart to Hart, Dynasty, Fantasy Island, Hotel, Hardcastle & McCormick and Greatest American Hero. It was during this period, that Mark met producer Glen A. Larson and joined him at Twentieth Century Fox as the company’s Executive Vice President and Producer.[4] The company had five TV’s programs on the air, including The Fall Guy, Cover Up, and Magnum P.I. and Trauma Center.[5]

Mark was then recruited by Eddie Murphy to return to Paramount Pictures to join Eddie Murphy Television Productions as its President.[6] He served in this position for seven years. Under his direction the company sold eight network shows,[7] including CBS’s The Royal Family, starring Redd Foxx and Della Reese, which Mark Executive Produced and wrote for;[8] What’s Alan Watching, which the television critics picked as the best Comedy Special of 1991.[9] Mark also produced the Best of Eddie Murphy Saturday Night Live Video[5] and the movie, The Kid Who Loved Christmas which starred Cicely Tyson, Charlie Murphy, Vanessa L. Williams, Ray Parker Jr., Ester Rolle and Sammy Davis Jr. in his last movie.[10] [11]

In 1996, Mark and his partner, Pamela Edwards, formed Spellbound Pictures Ltd., USA LLC and completed a $60,000,000.00, 12 picture deal with Ellipse/Canal “+, the French Entertainment giant to supply the United Artist Theatre Circuit with a steady flow of family friendly films.[12] Mark was named Chairman of the consortium. It was under this deal that Spellbound completed The Climb, which was released February 26, 1999.[5]

The Climb won eight major film festival awards including Giffoni, Berlin (UNICEF AWARD), Houston and Montreal.[5] The Climb has run on HBO, SHOWTIME, ENCORE and STARZ.[13][14]

In 2001, Mark co-founded On The Mark Entertainment, Inc., with Pamela Edwards McClafferty. Through Thicker Than Thieves, Inc. he was also executive producer/producer of Katt Williams Live.[5]

Mark is a member of Who's Who In America.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hearings before an Ad Hoc Committee of Members of the House of Representatives Ninety-First Congress Second Session. May 21 and 22, 1970, Page 121 of the Congressional Record, Paul Findley, Illinois, Chairman
  2. ^ Miller-Milkis-Boyett Productions/McClafferty Announcement, Page 1. Daily Variety, Oct. 1, 1979
  3. ^ "McClafferty Heads Par's Murphy TV Arm," Page 1, 17. Daily Variety, Nov. 5, 1987
  4. ^ "McClafferty Heads Par's Murphy TV Arm," Page 1, 17. Daily Variety, Nov. 5, 1987
  5. ^ a b c d e Mark McClafferty. IMDB.com. Retrieved on 14 April, 2007.
  6. ^ Los Angeles Times, Jul. 24, 1989
  7. ^ ”Clippers”. Daily Variety, Jun. 5, 1991
  8. ^ Beller, Miles. ”Royal Family”. The Hollywood Reporter, Apr. 8, 1992
  9. ^ ”What’s Alan Watching”. USA Today, Jul. 24, 1989
  10. ^ Hack, Richard: “The Kid Who Loved Christmas,” Page 12. The Hollywood Reporter, Dec. 11, 1989
  11. ^ Hiltbrand, David: “The Kid Who Loved Christmas”, Page 13. People Magazine, Dec. 1989
  12. ^ Busch, Anita M. and Paul Smith: “UATC Gets Spellbound”, Page 5. Daily Variety, Jan 18. 1996
  13. ^ ”The Climb”. Variety, Jun. 28 1999
  14. ^ McDaniel, Mike: “Unlikely Friendship Gives ‘Climb’ A Lift”, Life&Entertainment-Sec. D. Houston Chronicle, Apr. 16, 1999

[edit] External links