Back in March, word surfaced about a casting call for the latest film promising to turn Cleveland into Hollywood East, minus the fake boobs and superhero panhandlers. It’s called Retro: The Kat Jones Story, about a 1940s black burlesque star. Director Mark Gargiulo rolled in with boasts of a $40 million budget, courtesy of a U.K. company called Canal 4.
Auditions were held at Brothers Lounge on April 1, with shooting scheduled for June at an undisclosed West Side warehouse. But Scene movie editor Michael Gallucci, a noted authority on independent black burlesque films of the 1940s, said a month ago: “Details about the movie are kinda sketchy.”
“Bullshit” would be another word for it.
On April 14, Gargiulo e-mailed his production pals saying he was stuck in Columbus and could everyone kindly fork over 60 bucks each to get him through the weekend? After all, his wallet was short $40 million because the check wasn’t due till Monday. Adding to the heartbreak: His prepaid cell phone — a token of status among all the big directors — was out of minutes.
“That wasn’t the first red flag; that was the last red flag,” says one cast member, who asked not to be named. “I think I was so desperate to work, I wanted to believe him.” The actress says Gargiulo procured his talent at local parties and events. “He found vulnerable people.”
Another red flag: Though work had begun, nobody was getting paid. And Gargiulo’s own résumé sent up warning flares too: He claimed to be “the premier international fetish photographer” — a skill, incidentally, that Scorsese and Spielberg suck at — but no such evidence of his work can be found online.
He also boasted that Canal 4 made the 2004 horror-comedy classic Shaun of the Dead. Which it didn’t.
But better news would come when the expected check arrived on April 16. No wait, actually things got worse. “We have the last problem on Earth you or I needed to hear,” Gargiulo wrote to his cast and crew. Canal 4 had gone belly-up, and there would be no $40 mil. “I swear to Christ, I had no idea — I certainly would not have acted like such a pompous ass.”
Reached by e-mail, Gargiulo confirms the bankruptcy woes, but otherwise sounds confident that his black burlesque dreams will come true. “Several participants have become disgruntled,” he writes. “Many will stay the course.”
This article appears in Apr 18-24, 2012.
Cleveland’s Two Princes
By Stanley Workman, Ph.D
Every community has its’ princes. Those select few children, whose fathers are well-employed, or self-employed; and, in positions of power. Their sons are a treasure to the entire family; and by extension their culture.
And, there are those who skate by in life, so certain are they of this birthright.
This is a short mention, of two such boys [now, men in their 50’s] who have defined their community by their actions.
Chris Uram, and Marc Breed.
Two handsome and still-toned, men; who much like dealers in Las Vegas, have seen and done everything, in life.
Chris, a native Clevelander was a Baldwin-Wallace [the prestigious Catholic institution] Lit grad, a former long-time owner of The Rare and Used Bookstore on Euclid Avenue, and aide-de-camp to Isabella and David Chessler [local restaurant barons].
Marc, is a transplant, whose father owned Detroit Wine Company. A U of Illinois grad, in Fine Arts, and a fetish photographer & filmmaker.
Both of whom are pro marijuana legalization, are very rough with the women whom they have had relationships, and are of a ‘seen-only-by-themselves’, entitlement. They are also enforcers for their respective community gentrification efforts. Whilst, maintaining the necessary and rare, strategic friendships.
Most continue the legacy their parents laid-out before them. But, it is for the few who fall between the cracks, and who are defined by and on their own terms. Which ultimately, defines a time and place. They set the parameters, for a society. These, are ours.
Did CleOh just dodge a bullet?
Methinks so…
Uh, Stanley? You are full of shit.
I also knew Mark Gargiulo as Marc Breed. This isn’t his first scam. About 5 years ago, he sold me and my friends “fake” Ohio State/Michigan tickets before he disappeared!
There is a huge list of people who have the misfortune of being on Stanley Workman’s e-mail list. I happen to be one of them. Between the bogus information he sends and now, emails of a questionable and insane nature from for Mr. Marc…..WHATever…these emails have become more than annoying. It’s abusive, it’s harrassment and I want it to stop. If anyone has a valid contact number for Mr. Workman, please share.
Susanne, that is why it helps to have a few throw away e-mail addresses, one or ten for net activity and one that you keep for private and personal use.
Sorry to hear that you are being stalked by an apparent psycho/madman/goofball.