Production A Nero Wolfe Mystery

1 production

1.1 conception , development
1.2 writing

1.2.1 adapting stories
1.2.2 relationship literary source


1.3 production design
1.4 cinematography
1.5 costume design
1.6 title design
1.7 music
1.8 cancellation

production

a nero wolfe mystery production of a&e television networks , jaffe/braunstein films, ltd., in association pearson television international. series shot in toronto, select manhattan exteriors filmed series premiere, doorbell rang, , seen in subsequent episodes including prisoner s base.

conception , development

independent producer michael jaffe s efforts secure rights nero wolfe stories date earliest days in business. in mid-1970s established friendship stout estate , working father, henry jaffe, successful attorney turned producer, when nero wolfe rights came on market. warner bros. wanted adapt zeck trilogy feature film , approached henry jaffe, traveled new york negotiate agent rex stout s estate lost out paramount television.

got opportunity, said michael jaffe. had chased rights numerous times. 1 of reasons never tried make series didn t believe network ever let make right way. a&e came along, , allen sabinson. ve known him years , years. swore d let me make right way.

the source material 2 seasons of nero wolfe written between 1939 (over dead body) , 1966 (death of doxy), stories written in 1950s. jaffe said chose stick era adaptations because thought there style people identify , play off. ultimately, important thing audience remain removed show 3 or 4 decades. can t paramount did , update , make language modern. whole thing doesn t make sense, because tonal idiom doesn t play in modern world. have separate it; have create proscenium arch; have create poetic distance—otherwise there s no art in it.

when series announced in june 2000, variety reported a&e had been licensed own nero wolfe in u.s. , canada undisclosed fee. jaffe/braunstein films, retained ownership of series in rest of world, licensed distribution outside u.s. pearson international television (now fremantlemedia, ltd.). producer michael jaffe told variety nero wolfe episodes cost $1 million each; sources said full production cost covered a&e s , pearson s licensing fees.

writing
adapting stories

screenwriting assignment unlike other writing partner, william rabkin, , had ever been involved with, wrote screenwriter lee goldberg, adapted 4 stout stories series. because nero wolfe, starring maury chaykin wolfe , timothy hutton archie, unlike other series on television. was, far know, first tv series without single original script — each , every episode based on rex stout novel, novella, or short story. … mandate executive producers michael jaffe , timothy hutton (who directed episodes) books, if meant violating of hard-and-fast rules of screenwriting.

the filmmakers have remained scrupulously faithful original stories possible, point of retaining different time settings — season s episodes have jumped 1940s 1960s , without care. ... stunner find them translated television.

s amazing how many writers got wrong, said head writer sharon elizabeth doyle. mean writers, too. either or don t. s important have relationships right, , tone of relationships right, s language , not story. characters in these books aren t modern human beings. have believe in characters , respect formality of way characterized.

consulting producer nero wolfe mystery, doyle show s full-time writer — overseeing work of freelance screenwriters , writing 11 of teleplays herself. devoted of attention dialogue: stout writes sounds when out loud, stuff makes laugh out loud , fall on floor in books doesn t work of time when transpose directly actors mouths. end moving words — tenderly , respectfully — retaining of language possible. feel great belief in rex stout. see script process writing second draft.

relationship literary source

in preface second edition of book @ wolfe s door: nero wolfe novels of rex stout, j. kenneth van dover assessed fidelity of nero wolfe mystery literary source:

a quarter century after death, nero wolfe books remain in print … and, result of popular a&e television series premiered in 2000, continuing presence seems assured. ... success of series significant because scripts remained remarkably faithful novels. programs set in period, , of dialogue lifted directly novel. effective novelistic dialogue not effective screen dialogue, raymond chandler discovered when worked on script 1944 film of james m. cain s double indemnity. a&e series able adopt verbatim both sharp exchanges between wolfe , archie, , archie s narration in voiceover. credit goes skills of repertory actors played roles, , maury chaykin , timothy hutton; stout supplied language , characters speak it. , stout created in words real pleasures of novels: voices , ideas, rooms , routines. producer michael jaffe realized this, , great care recreated pleasures on film.

nero wolfe should pleasing has @ least casting scripts, wrote author , cultural critic terry teachout in national review:

timothy hutton plays archie goodwin, , can t see how better job. not catch archie s snap-brim thirties tone sharp-eared precision, bears uncanny physical resemblance dapper detective-narrator ve been envisioning these years. no sooner did hutton make first entrance in golden spiders melded archie of mind s eye. can no longer read stout novel without seeing him, or hearing voice.


still, archie have wandered out of number of screwball comedies; nero wolfe far more complicated proposition. ... maury chaykin has doubtless immersed himself in wolfe novels, brings interpretation of part both detailed knowledge of stout wrote , unexpectedly personal touch of insight. plays wolfe fearful genius, aesthete turned hermit has withdrawn world (and opposite sex) in order shield himself — against what? stout never answers question, giving chaykin plenty of room maneuver, uses enviable skill.

production of nero wolfe mystery coincided rex stout s becoming top-selling author 30 years after death. bookfinder.com, web-search service reports most-sought out-of-print titles, reported in march 2003 top 4 most-wanted mysteries nero wolfe novels: there s (1940), rubber band (1936), red box (1937) , league of frightened men (1935). red box most-searched mystery title in august 2003, , novel remained number 2 on list in 2004. in 2006, many women (1947) fifth on bookfinder.com s list of most-sought out-of-print thrillers, whodunits, classics , modern mystery titles. in 2007, black mountain in number 5 position.

most of nero wolfe stories adapted nero wolfe mystery became available through bantam s rex stout library, series of paperbacks featured new introductions , memorabilia. bantam volumes, prisoner s base, emblazoned words, seen on tv. audio partners publishing corporation promoted bestselling line of rex stout audiobooks, unabridged on cd , audiocassette, seen on a&e tv.

production design

they have wonderful set in toronto, wonderful library (for wolfe). gosh, s good. last year, spent late evening reading valuable edition of koran.

on eve of premiere of nero wolfe, hollywood reporter credited incredible attention detail paid production designer lindsey hermer-bell , set decorator odetta stoddard, not re-create world stout described impart overall feeling of stylishness , taste.

before building sets hermer-bell read of rex stout s nero wolfe stories , companion volumes william s. baring-gould , ken darby, , created complete floor plan match detailed descriptions of brownstone found in nero wolfe corpus.

there people know books, , know these specifics, , if screw up, know, upset … per written , hermer-bell said.

when a&e cancelled nero wolfe in 2002, executive producer michael jaffe estimated value of sets @ $800,000.

cinematography

derek rogers director of photography first season of nero wolfe mystery. john berrie director of photography second season, shot in high-definition video.

jaffe/braunstein 1 of first experiment hd television, reported industry publication hidef magazine:

their landmark series 100 centre street ... 1 of first hour dramas use hdcam capture medium. ... jaffe/braunstein producing a&e series nero wolfe timothy hutton in 35mm film. after success hd, michael [jaffe] decided d try on single camera hour drama. @ first hutton little nervous it, after jaffe brought experienced dp john berrie program, hutton convinced. entire second season shot in hd …

costume design

a nero wolfe mystery features costume design christopher hargadon. many costumes found @ vintage shops or in hargadon s personal collection; clothes taken apart , reconstructed new fabrics capture color required. wolfe, hargadon said, tried find fabrics thick, sort of enhance size more, things structured hold big shape. hargadon estimated , team created @ least 1,000 costumes each season.

title design

illustrator aurore giscard d estaing designed title sequences unique each episode. main title series illustration of queensboro bridge.

music

michael small wrote series theme — boss boogie , first heard in titles doorbell rang — , composed original music heard in nero wolfe. music producer richard martinez scoring editor michael small s compositions. kevin banks music editor , handled production music. martinez , banks nominated golden reel award (best sound editing in television long form — music) second-season premiere, death of doxy .

cancellation

when a&e announced cancellation of nero wolfe in august 2002, network took unusual step of posting important message on website: @ a&e remain extremely proud of nero wolfe. high quality, beautifully produced , entertaining show, unlike else on television landscape. although performed moderately amongst tough competition 2 seasons, did not enough able go on making it, given current television climate.

the new york times recalled television climate, , a&e s response it, in june 2004:

two years ago nick davatzes, president , chief executive of a&e television networks, called executives retreat, wallow in mud, described exercise. wallowing emerged overhaul in management , outlook, including conclusion reality television not ignored if network wanted younger viewers.

know a&e s decision not continue didn t have ratings; highest-rated series, timothy hutton told columnist marilyn beck in november 2002. beck reported hutton happy make 1 or 2 nero wolfe tv movies year.

maury chaykin reflected on cancellation of nero wolfe in 2008 interview. m bit jaded , cynical shows succeed on television. worked on fantastic show once called nero wolfe, @ time a&e transforming premier intellectual cable network in america 1 airs dog bounty hunter on repeat, never promoted , went off air.

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