In our latest installment of Hollywood Penn alumni you should know about, this fall season has been a busy one for Hollywood Quakers...

After the jump, check out:

• the animated episode a Penn alum wrote for a new children's cartoon
• a new big studio deal for one Penn alum
• Penn alumni with new TV shows and promising TV pilots
• a Penn alum development exec makes a big move
• a Penn alum writer's assistant gets promoted to staff writer!
• a Penn alum appears on a popular TV drama

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One of my favorite new shows this TV season is ABC's "Pan Am". The show does a great job romanticizing the 1960s while skillfully unfolding the backstories of the show's characters. (and yes ladies, now's the time to start thinking about a "sexy" Pan Am halloween costume)

When I was watching the 2nd episode this week, a Penn alum's name in the opening credits surprisingly caught my eye.  And she happens to have had a pretty big role in the show.

After the jump, find out who this Penn alum is, watch a clip of her in the show and find out what other big films and broadway shows you may have seen her in!

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We've got another Penn alum to add to my growing Penn alumni on commercials list.

After the jump check out Juan E. Alva's (W'92, ENG'92, Wharton Undergrad Dean's Advisory Board) appearance in a Porsche commercial and find out why he was selected.

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Over the past two years, I've introduced 3 exclusive DT Vlog series from Penn alumni including "An Actor's Path", "Starter Reality Star", and "Real Jobs are Not my Forte".

Today I'm introducing my first series from a talented and ambitious undergrad filmmaker who is certainly going places.

DT readers, meet sophomore Kelly Diamond (C'13), a Philly native who is currently the Creator, Executive Producer, and Head Writer for a new comedic sitcom about Penn students called "Classless".  She's already spent time in LA in some really great internships with professional screenwriters Mark Rizzo (C'92) and David Milch.  She was also an intern at The Writers Junction in Santa Monica.

"Kelly on Campus", Kelly's new DT series, will provide us with some fun "15 second clips" of events and experiences around Penn's campus.  Kelly will act as a campus liaison by keeping everyone updated on campus events, as well as introducing alums to current students who work in the entertainment industry.

After the jump, check out Kelly's first clip which is something decades of Penn folks have experienced that will bring you right back to your undergrad days!

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Much has happened since Penn alum entertainment journalist Emily Frances froze her eggs on national TV a few years ago.

Recently, Emily has decided to also put a freeze on entertainment, change careers and do what many Penn alumni do best: become an entrepreneur.

After the jump, learn about Emily's tasty new endeavor and her Superbowl themed commercial airing which just recently started airing!

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(Andrea is the blonde haired Swing Doll on the left)

When Andrea Davis (C'92) was an undergrad at Penn, she was Music Director of the Penny Loafers.  In continuing with her musical passion, over the past 10 years, she and her friends Robin and Christina have created a 1940s/1950s Andrew Sisters-esque harmonizing girl trio called the "The Swing Dolls" that tours the US.  (they were even featured on the "Gilmore Girls" a few years back!).

After the jump, listen to the Swing Dolls perform an exclusive holiday clip just for Penn alumni readers of DT!

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Some good Penn alumni Hollywood news in my roundup this week:

• Big Wig makes big job change
  
• Mogul announces new TV show
  
• Chairman debuts new channel
  
• TV and Film Producer with 2 new films in the work with big name attached
  
• Actress appears in Oscar nominated film and is now on Broadway
  
• Actress with new DVD out
  

Click here for the scoopage

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Per Cynthia’s Cynopsis, after 19 years with the Sundance Film Festival (he’s been the Director most recently), Geoffrey Gilmore (C'74, Penn in Pictures 2002 panelist) just changed jobs and joined New York-based Tribeca Enterprises as CCO where "he will lead the company's international content strategy, development efforts and brand expansion. Geoffrey will also be a part of Tribeca's Board of Directors."

More of my posts about Geoffrey here

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Rich Ross (C’83, Penn in Pictures 2003 panelist) announces a new Disney channel for boys.

More of my posts about Rich here

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Mark Cronin (ENG ’86) picks Ricki Lake as headmistress of the next installment of “Charm School 3”.

Mark's beginnings in showbiz

More posts about Mark's abundance of reality shows here!

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Mike Karz (C’89, W'89) will produce the film Valentine’s Day: “a love story which revolves around five relationships in Los Angeles, all of which are put through the paces over the course of one Valentine's Day.

Mike will also be producing the romantic comedy “Five Killers” starring Katherine Heigl. Per Screamingdemon, “Story kicks off when a woman meets the man of her dreams while on vacation. Married bliss is turned upside down when they discover that their neighbors may be assassins hired to kill them.”

Past posts about Mike's film projects here

More of my Penn "Film Producer" posts here

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Kate Jennings Grant (C’92, Counterparts) plays Diane Sawyer in the Oscar Nominated film Frost/Nixon.









She is also now starring as Sarah Brown in the Guys and Dolls revival on Broadway with Lauren Graham.

Look for more about Kate on DT in the near future!

More of my Penn alumni actor posts here

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Liz Banks' (C’96) W is now out on DVD

More of my scintillating Liz posts here

More of my Penn alumni actor posts here

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Past Hollywood Bits and Pieces posts here

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Last week, I posted video of TV writer (and Penn in Pictures') host Lew Schneider (C'83), "ER" Medical consultant, Zach Lutsky (C'97), and "Brothers and Sisters" TV Writer Sherri Cooper Landsman (C'94) talking about their beginnings in Hollywood.

Today, I continue my Penn in Pictures series with great video of Jason Resnick (C'94), Senior Vice President and General Manager of Worldwide Acquisitions for the Universal Pictures Group.

In this position, Resnick oversees motion picture acquisitions to support Universal's global distribution network, which encompasses Universal Pictures, Focus Features and Rogue Pictures. Upcoming releases include Drag Me to Hell, a new horror film from director Sam Raimi and This Side of the Truth, the directorial debut of acclaimed British comedy star Ricky Gervais. Resnick also oversees Universal's local language productions in Latin America and Asia. Recent films include Jose Padilha's Brazilian hit, Elite Squad, and Korean director Park Chan-wook's latest work, Thirst.

In the videos below, Jason talks about:

• What he did at Penn as an English major
• The not-so-encouraging advice he received from Penn’s Career Planning
• His moves from Penn to Paris and then to NY where he began working at Miramax
• His move to LA where he first worked for a manager/producer
• What he has done in “acquisitions” over the past 10 years within Universal and what he’s doing there now as Senior Vice President of Acquisitions, including the types of independent international films he’s purchasing

A special thanks to editor David Chalfin (C'96), a fantastic editor living in Los Angeles who recorded and edited all the Penn in Pictures videos. Check out his reel here!  

CATCH UP: 
"Brothers and Sisters" TV writer Sherri Cooper Landsman (C'94) 
"ER" Medical consultant Zach Lutsky (C'97)  
VIDEO: TV Writer Lew Schneider (C'83)  
How DT can help you with your Entertainment Career in 8 Easy Steps  
Other Penn writers here

Get email updates for upcoming Penn in Pictures posts!

Check out photos from past Penn in Pictures events!

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Last month Penn's Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to the stars Dr. Lisa (Benke) Cassileth (C'92, M'97) was talking boob jobs with Rachel Ray.

Last night she spoke to Entertainment Tonight about some of the best non-invasive treatments to help people look better. Her segment, in which she commented on celebrities getting ready for the Cannes Film Festival, featured the use of Sclerotherapy: an immediate, quick and painless way to eliminate "spider veins."

Perhaps our DT Correspondent Felisha Liu (W'09) should report on this when she's in Cannes? ...Or maybe not.

Dr. Lisa is currently filming a new episode of DR. 90210 today and tomorrow (she's already appeared on DR. 90210 twice!).

More Penn Doctors on TV

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Mask and Wig performs in the buff at Spring Fling 2007

Back in the Fall of 1992 Norm Golightly (C'94) wrote Mask and Wig's "Nude Bit" for our fall show. The following spring (1993) the guys decided to perform it for Fling and it has been a Fling favorite for (come this Fling weekend) the past 15 years!

The fun of the bit is that each class has creative freedom to update the bit's "dick" jokes and (barely) cover themselves in a more creative way than the year before.

As you'll see in the 1993 photo below, Dan Bisbee (C'94) (left) and Norm Golightly (C'94) (right) are all about Christmas Trees and Guitars.


Click here to check out some of my newly posted 1993 fling photos including more scantily clad photos of Todd Lieberman (C'95), Norm Golightly (C'94), Dan Bisbee (C'94) and Christian Fletcher (C'93)

Some wild 2007 Fling videos (including some Mask and Wig performances)!

Check back soon for this weekend's 2008 Fling photos! Have a fun, safe Fling everyone!

More of my "Now and Then Thursday" posts here

More "Penn in the Buff" here!

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From Scott Shrake's (GSAS'96) Huffington Post blog, to Rachel Goldberg's (C'96) National Protrusion site, it seems like our alumni have much to say about today's political climate.



And now it's time to add another humorous political site from our alumni to the mix: Al Bingham's (C'92, Mask and Wig, Philomathean Socitey, Friars) The Purple Crayon.



Per Al, this site is all about "political humor that makes no distinction between Red State or Blue. The pen may be mightier than the sword but The Purple Crayon is more colorful."



Some highlights of his site include:

• Passing the Clintons' tests


• NYTimes Launches Missile: Navy Vet McCain Takes Out Satellite Lobbyist


• Purr-fect Storm: Socks the Cat Joins Growing List of Superdelegates to Endorse Obama

Apparently other media sources are reading Al's blog. Per Al,

"I think the NYTimes is worth reading, especially the Caucus Blog. Also firstread.msnbc.com. Assuming you're interested in politics, of course. If you're not really interested in politics then you should check out The Huffington Post's humor site 236.com (most of the news, some of the time) ... especially on the days when they're cross-posting libelous material from The Purple Crayon - my political humor blog - albingham.typepad.com. Apparently folks from Politico.com, CNN, MSNBC and a bunch of people in the House and Senate read The Purple Crayon from time to time... which is an indication of how low the media and politicians have sunk in the Stewart-Colbertian sense."

Check out Al's site here



Find out more about what led Al to start blogging and to which alumni he gives thanks and credits!



Got a site you want to promote? Submit it here!



My previous Website Wednesday posts



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TiVo Alert!

Dr. Lisa (Benke) Cassileth (C'92, M'97) will be appearing on tomorrow's (Thursday, 3/6) episode of the RACHEL RAY show. She will be chatting with Rachel about breast augmentation. Check your local listings for time and station!

Click here for a video of Dr. Cassileth consulting with a patient about using Botox and Juvederm

Last summer, Dr. Cassileth hosted a great Los Angeles Penn event in the courtyard of her Beverly Hills offices. Click here for the video from the event!

Check out other Penn Doctors in the media

Submitting a story to Dueling Tampons: What you need to know...

See which Penn undergrads and alumni are registered on DuelingTampons.com

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Add yourself to our facebook, friendster and/or myspace profiles!

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(Andrea Davis pictured in far right)

If you're in Los Angeles this Wednesday night, come out and celebrate the Fourth of July with The Swing Dolls, co-starring Andrea Lee Davis (C'92, Penny Loafers).

From getting their start originally for an audition on the new Gong Show to appearing on the Gilmore Girls, the group specialize in the close harmonies of 1940s and ’50’s girl trios like the Andrews Sisters and the McGuire Sisters.

Click here to check out this great demo reel video.

The group performs this Wednesday night in a free concert in the park:

What: Don Sweeney's SRO Big Band featuring The Swing Dolls plus FIREWORKS!
When: 6pm, Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Where: Warner Center Park, Topanga Cyn Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA (101
freeway, Exit Topanga Cyn Blvd NORTH)

Click here to check out an article about the group in the Gazette

Click here for the Swing Doll's website

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