The Hot Hero Sandwich Project: Hot Hero Sandwich Project Archives: Group Photo

by G. Jack Urso

Hot Hero Sandwich cast, crew, and production staff, 1979.

When the Hot Hero Sandwich Project began, one of the first pictures series writer Sherry Coben sent me was the group photo (see Hot Hero Sandwich — A Second Serving! Part II: Production Notes and Broadcast History). The presence of rocker Rex Smith indicates is was taken during the filming of Episode10. The photographer was likely Al Levine, NBC Staff Photographer, who is seen in the finale of the Episode 11. The photo includes cast, production staff, Hot Hero Band members, stage crew, and writers. There are 63 people in the photo, but except for Bruce and Carole Hart, and about a half dozen others, most of the individuals in the photo were unknown. Working with former staff members of the show, most of the people in the photo have now been identified.

Al Levine, NBC Staff Photographer, screen shot from the finale of Hot Hero Sandwich, Episode 11.

As a historian, this unknown factor bothered me. My brief time in broadcasting as a technician when as a young man, as short as it was, gave me insight into the production process. What we see on air is the result of a collaborative process. Hot Hero Sandwich only had four weeks to produce all the studio segments for the eleven shows produced. Usually, about six production days might be devoted to an hour-long show. To fit so much work into such a short period of time is an effort requiring top professionals who were as experienced individually as they were working with each other. Indeed, many of the stage crew had before and after Hot Hero Sandwich worked together for NBC on various programs. Bruce and Carole Hart gathering everyone together for a group photo recognizes that effort. Here, we give names to the faces.

With the assistance of several Hot Hero Sandwich alumni, including audio engineer Joel Spector, production staffer Claudia Rocco, writer Marianne Meyer, and Hot Hero Band drummer Mike Ratti, we now know the names of 46 of the 63 people in the photo.

In researching the crew’s work before and after the Hot Hero Sandwich, I found that for some of them, their experience goes back to the early days of TV, such as Audio Engineer Scott Schactler, at number 19, who worked on The Steve Allen Plymouth Show in the late 1950s. Others, went on to prestigious careers of their own, such as Production Assistant Liz Plonka, at number 14, became a noted director of comedy programs such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and projects with Norm McDonald, David Spade, and Bill Nye, among many others.

Additionally, Graphic Artist David Kaestle, one of the influential early staffers for National Lampoon,turns up at number 28. Kaestle was hired as part of Pelligrini and Kaestle to design fonts, logos, and related design elements for show. According to conversations with Production Administrator Ken Aymong and Film Editor Patrick McMahon, Kaestle often stopped by to lend his personal touch to a last-minute need. At number 32 we have Set Designer Leo (Akira) Yoshimura, the long-time Production Designer for Saturday Night Live (Yoshimura designed the black and neon main stage set where the music performances took place).

Yet, there was a surprise in the photo that went unnoticed until Audio Engineer Joel Spector and Hot Hero Band Drummer Mike Ratti pointed it out to me. Joel Spector identified Hot Hero Music Director Felix Papplardi (Creem producer and bassist for Mountain), smiling and minus his trademark Fu Manchu mustache in the photo at number 12; additionally, as noted by Ratti, at number 15 is his wife Gail Collins. Pappalardi's and Collin's ill-fated relationship, which resulted in the former's death and the latter's imprisonment, is a tragic chapter in Rock history, and here they are in the Hot Hero Sandwich group photo. It is a remarkable find.

The original photo is included at the top of the article. A copy of the photo below with number boxes corresponds to the list below. You will notice several numbers (36, 39, and 45) are underlined. In a crowded area, this indicates that the individuals they are identifying are directly below the number box. Where available, links to the associated Internet Movie Database (IMDb) profile or to their associated interview with the Hot Hero Sandwich Project have been included.

If anyone knows the names of the remaining unidentified crew members, please reach out me via the Media Inquiries information (see link for more information).