Comments on Advance Indiana™: Mel Simon Dead At 82

From ESPN: Simon's time as a Hollywood movie ...

2009-09-16T15:47:13.908-05:00

From ESPN:

Simon's time as a Hollywood movie producer was marred when his daughter, Deborah, was kidnapped in 1981 from outside her parents' Beverly Hills mansion. The 25-year-old escaped unharmed the next day and police arrested the gunman who apparently picked her at random and then demanded a $500,000 ransom.

He also was executive producer of "My Bodyguard," "When A Stranger Calls," and "The Stunt Man," as well as "Porky's" and its two sequels, "Porky's II: The Next Day" and "Porky's Revenge."

Simon said he was "absolutely flabbergasted" when "Porky's" -- with its scenes of teenage boys spying on girls in a locker room shower and visiting a brothel named Porky's -- became a big hit in 1982.

Melvin Simon Productions more frequently had flops, including "Zorro, The Gay Blade" with George Hamilton and Carol Burnett's "Chu Chu and The Philly Flash."

"I did about 25 movies and I got out of it, thank God -- it didn't cost me any money ultimately," Simon told The Indianapolis Star in 2002. "It was a good lesson, and I wouldn't do it again."

No, Downtown Indy, it is the same Mel Simon. He ma...

2009-09-16T15:39:40.130-05:00

No, Downtown Indy, it is the same Mel Simon. He made a lot of money off of the Porky's films.

Funny, they are reporting (via AP) that Mel was th...

2009-09-16T15:12:10.343-05:00

Funny, they are reporting (via AP) that Mel was the producer of Porky's (the movie).

I checked IMDB.COM and it seems clear from that that there is another Melvin Simon who works(ed) in Hollywood for many years, including as an exec with Columbia Pictures.

So I think not.

Bye bye Pacers!

2009-09-16T14:37:25.878-05:00

Bye bye Pacers!

That news throws a monkey wrench into the old CIB-...

2009-09-16T11:41:00.348-05:00

That news throws a monkey wrench into the old CIB-Pacers negotiations. Maybe the Pacers will be looking for a buyer soon enough, and in another market?