And the 2011 Selznick Award Goes To ...

Last Thursday evening, About Town accompanied the Fort Lee Film Commission as they presented the 2011 Selznick Award to perennial funny man, and everyone’s favorite childhood entertainer, Chuck McCann at the Bergen Performing Arts Center (Bergen PAC) in Englewood. 

The Selznick Award recognizes the television and film careers of people whose work exemplifies the spirit of Fort Lee studio owner Lewis J. Selznick.

Chuck McCann, best known by the late Boomers and burgeoning Gen-X-ers of the 1960s as the host of the popular Chuck McCann Show, graced the black-and-white New York area airwaves for the better part of the decade. 

From his Laurel and Hardy hand puppets to his skit that spoofed the popular comic strip detective Dick Tracy, McCann’s humor influenced a generation of kids.  

Capitalizing on his appeal to children, McCann’s voice has been used in almost 1,000 animations and commercials, including “Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.” 

In the 1970s, when Saturday mornings were ruled supreme by Sid and Marty Krofft, McCann starred with Bob Denver (yes, Gilligan) in Far Out Space Nuts. You’ll remember that Far Out Space Nuts followed The Shazam/Isis Hour and was the lead-in to The Ghost Busters, Valley of the Dinosaurs, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids and CBS Children’s Film Festival where, in those pre-video/cable days, many of us were introduced to Shirley Temple.  

McCann also had a strong serious side as seen in his roles in the 1968 film The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, and The Projectionist, which was filmed almost entirely in New York City in 1969.  

In The Projectionist--recently preserved by The Museum of Modern Art’s Film and Video Department--McCann portrays a lonely movie theater projectionist who imagines himself as a superhero, and the film features the acting debut of Rodney Dangerfield as a theater owner.  

On the night of the Award presentation, Chuck McCann was headlining with Tim Conway at the Bergen PAC. Anyone who’s a fan of The Carol Burnett Show (and who isn’t?) would have thoroughly enjoyed Conway performing some of his most memorable skits with McCann doing a superb job of playing the straight-man role of the late, great Harvey Korman. 

After the performance we were escorted upstairs where Tom Meyers, executive director of the Fort Lee Film Commission, presented McCann with the 2011 Selznick Award.  

“I’m honored to be the recipient of such a prestigious award and recognized for my work in television and film,” McCann said.  

Meyers also presented McCann with a candid black-and-white photo picturing him in costume on the set of The Chuck McCann Show in the 1960s. Having never seen this photo before, McCann told Meyers that he was thrilled to add it to his archives.

After the presentation of the Selznick Award, Patch had the opportunity to talk to Tim Conway, who was both gracious and personable.  

When told that we could only stay up to watch The Carol Burnett Show years ago if we took a bath first, Conway didn't miss a beat.

"You could’ve taken a bath during tonight’s performance," he said. "I don’t see why a few hundred strangers would prevent you from doing that. In fact, it might have increased ticket sales."