#Fact1Hub Braden, in the spring of 1982, was asked by the Lorimar art department supervisor Richard "Dick" Haman to prepare and to work with - in the best Hollywood tradition - a family-off-spring group of Lorimar Production executives' junior siblings who were placed in production show department positions for a "video-taped" Lorimar Productions-CBS TV network pilot. Lorimar was primarily a "film-union-production-unit." Dick Haman, department supervisor of the Lorimar Production's art department, hired Braden specifically - because of Braden's video-tape design background - to work on the Lorimar television network video-tape pilot "Cass Malloy - She's The Sheriff" - for CBS TV. Hub brought in art director and set decorator, as his collaborator, Mary Dodson, to help develop the project's scenic elements and set decorating; to deal with - in the best Hollywood tradition - the Lorimar producers' family of "kids" learning how to produce as the show-pilot's production team. The comedy pilot was primarily a Lorimar first adventure to test the "video tape" production arena outside of the Warner Brothers and MGM "film" lot environments, instead of utilizing the usual "filmed type" comedy television-film show program format; to train the Lorimar executive's fresh young - relatives, sons and daughters, entering the television-film producing and directing ranks. The pilot was rehearsed and "video-taped" at the Paramount Television KTLA facility in Hollywood, instead of being produced at the MGM Film studio union controlled Culver City lot, a Lorimar Production - film lot headquarters, avoiding union jurisdictional (off-sight) staff requirements in the producing and directing departments. Hub and Mary, although sharing a MGM/Lorimar Production's art department office, located above the MGM Commissary, had to meet the Lorimar family production team, off-lot-mid-day, at the Hollywood KTLA parking lot, working off the trunk decks of their automobile to show-and-tell, discuss set wall-paper, paint color sample-choices, set drafting plans, sketches and illustrations, cardboard 1/4 inch scale set models - for approvals by the "family's" first time director and first time producing team. In other words, Hub and Mary were the professionals collaborating, teaching the "Judy & Mickie" kids to put the spring pilot project into the works! The Braden-Dodson team designed the Sheriff Cass Malloy station-office set's floor plan specifically like a television day-time "soap" drama set. A left side corridor-hall way acted as a camera aisle allowing the TV color camera to video upstage angle (and reverse angle) shots deep within the main stage sheriff's bull-pen set's depth. The right stage of the Sheriff's pit-office provided another camera aisle for a fourth camera to video the shots of the main sheriff bull-pen's deep central set's entrance, office desks, booking desk-station counter and the up-stage jail cells. The first time inexperienced director did not know how to coordinate five video cameras and camera-operators. He set his video color cameras on a rail-road-path horizontal tracking aisle, rarely moving his camera team up into the deep set's camera aisles for reverse angle shots and scene coverage. The actors blocking and motivation was staged on the stage set's apron path area, on the same parallel camera track path, rarely allowing the actors to move upstage to perform within the set's central focus production stage area. The lady Sheriff Cass Malloy role was performed by comedian and newcomer Annie Potts. Upon completion of the pilot, the sets were struck and stored in the Hollywood KTLA scene dock. After several years, Lorimar art department supervisor Dick Haman retired from Lorimar Productions, replaced by art director Frank Grieco Jr. The CBS network decided to pick-up the forgotten "Cass Malloy - She's the Sheriff" pilot, recasting Priscila Burnes in the Annie Potts role. During early production of the renamed series "She's The Sheriff," Suzanne Somers was brought in to replace Priscila Burnes. Frank Grieco, after taking over Dick Haman's Lorimar Culver City studio's production art department supervisor position, initially cleaned out all of the Lorimar art department's (archive-storage) show drafting file drawers in the MGM art department. Dick Haman's office had been the original MGM art department office of Cedric Gibbons. Haman had saved all of his special pet projects' original show drafting's beneath his desk, on his desk's left side. Upon the transition of the art department supervisor position, Grieco Jr. ordered a dumpster where everything was cleared out of Haman's office and in the MGM art department file drawers. Hub Braden received an urgent telephone call from Grieco Jr. requesting the original drawings for the "Cass Malloy - She's The Sheriff" stage-set designs. Braden was on a distant location for a current assignment, instructing Grieco to look under Haman's desk for the original drafting and prints. After2Romain Johnston production designed the NBC 25th Anniversary of the World of Walt Disney as a NBC Special Event program (1978). Romain asked Hub Braden to assist him in the design of the television program. Production Designer Romain Johnston's illustrative scenic design talents was important for the television program's 25th Anniversary Disney Cartoon Style of scenic interpretation. The background scenic elements in each segment's presentation had a "Disney Look".A special feature of the program's format was to present illustrative segments of the Disney catalog of feature animated film tributes. One of the rare occasions that the Walt Disney Burbank Animation Studio Archive was opened, when original painted-illustration-background Matt paintings were allowed to be removed from the basement Disney studio vault. Art Director Hub Braden, working in association with the Production Designer Romain Johnston, selected seventy five (75) background Matt illustrations, transporting the valuable collection to the NBC TV Burbank Photography lab, where each illustration was photographed, included in the body of the 25th anniversary television show's anthology history, Braden, personally transporting the precious cargo of illustrations in his 1969 Mercury Cougar convertible, returned the entire collection to the Disney Studio Archive department manager. Their "deal" was that only Hub Braden was allowed to handle the archive material. The basement vault storage of the material was an incredible experience for Braden. Not one of the illustrations was marked nor categorized in the stacks of files. Each illustration was either on the original card-board Matt illustration board, or on canvas, rolled in a brown paper wrapping. The selection process required two weeks of research allowing Braden to select specific historic background illustrations for inclusion in the program's historic format scenario.3One of the NBC 25th Anniversary of the World of Walt Disney production segments was a tribute to Walt Disney, which featured a duplication of Walt Disney's Burbank Studio office, based upon the studio's archive photographs. Art director Hub Braden sourced the Disney Property Department where all the original furniture from Walt Disney's studio office was stored, and incorporated in the property division's inventory. With the archive photographs, every stick of accurate furniture pieces was located, including the original desk top office accessories. The property department, adjacent the main loading door, displayed Walt Disney's private collection of fire-men helmets that Disney displayed in his private office. All of this material was used in dressing the television show's "Disney Office" stage setting. Upon completion of the television special, all of these office items were returned to the Disney Property Division's premises. About ten years afterwards, the Disney Studio decided to reduce the Property Department's inventory with a parking lot sale. Braden attended the preview of the property items placed in the parking lot only to discover the Walt Disney original office furniture, including his desk, his swivel arm chair, credenza, and all the office accessories were included in the sale. When Braden alerted the property manager about these items, the manager replied, "I was told to get rid of them!" This weekend sale removed all of Walt's original office furniture from the studio lot FOREVER! Some lucky individual has a couple of invaluable pieces - but does not know the value of items purchased at the sale.4Joining fellow NBC Burbank's "Tonight Show" production designer John Shrum for lunch, they always dined for lunch in the executive dining wing of the Burbank NBC Television Commissary. John Shrum had his specifically reserved table centered in the executive dining room, where his Tonight Show producer Fred De Cordova and Johnny Carson were seated at their adjacent table. John's favorite desert was a slice of lemon meringue pie. Upon delivery of his lemon meringue pie, John would test the whipped egg white meringue calculating how long the pie had been held in the kitchen. With a whack of his fork, he would snap his fork onto the meringue crown, testing the spring, or the thud of the fork's sound hitting the meringue topping! If the lemon pie didn't pass his "fresh test", the pie piece would be returned to the kitchen!.5When Hub Braden was scouring the Twentieth Century Fox Beverly Hills studio lot scene dock, he discovered the "Hello Dolly - Harmony Garden restaurant stage set's fabulous long bar" abandoned in the film studios' storage back-lot's scene-dock. The 30' long bar was scheduled for demolition. Braden negotiated with the scene dock to "save the production designer John De Cuir designed Hello Dolly Harmony Garden long bar" - offering the studio built bar prop to John Shrum and Milt Larsen for their "Variety Arts Theatre". Accepting the "gift" John scheduled NBC Transportation to pick up the film set bar units at the 20th Century Fox scene dock, delivering the units to the downtown Los Angeles theater. The "Hello Dolly Harmony Garden" bar was a major feature in the Variety Arts' upstairs top bar-lounge and restaurant, refinished and gilded in Gold Leaf!.6The "Playboy After Dark" television syndicated interview and variety show hosted by Hugh Hefner was video taped, the first year (1969-1970), in color at the CBS Television City studio facility located at Beverly Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, South-Westside Hollywood, in California. The production was moved to Hollywood's Paramount-KTLA Television studio facility for the second year of the syndicated series (1970-1971). The permanent stage set-up of the set at a KTLA film-stage eliminated the CBS' studio charge - to reset the stage set and lighting required for each weekly video-taped production on CBS' stage 34. The original television art director hired to design the television variety series set was Gene McAvoy. Hugh Hefner objected to Gene McAvoy's original concept television set design for Hefner's "Playboy" (club) penthouse interior. McAvoy was promptly fired, replaced with a motion picture film designer-art director - Richard Sylbert. Meeting with Hefner's Chicago Playboy Club International architectural/decorating design staff, Richard Sylbert proposed to the show's producers and Hugh Hefner the television interview and variety stage-set's concept should be a Chicago firehouse renovated into a Playboy Club Room atmosphere. The initial floor plan included the main room, dictating a staircase leading up to a firehouse balcony where a fire-man's drop pole was situated behind the television show's house Playboy band. The fireman's polished brass pole was for the show's party guests to use during the course of the production sessions, dancing, and flirting games. Two flanking rooms of the main fire-house room was a game room and a library room, where interviews could be conducted. Richard Sylbert, in the midst of a major movie assignment, couldn't be bothered with doing a lowly television show! Sylbert's concept presentation was a flashy painted gauche elevation sketch for the "Playboy After Dark" main set area. The producer Jerry McPhie asked Hub Braden to take over the Sylbert concept design sketch. Braden was employed to develop, design and provide construction scaled drawings for the show's production design; including construction supervision, studio-stage set-up and supervising the television series requirements. Sylbert, meeting with Braden at the Studio City - CBS Film Studio facility in North Hollywood, dumped his concept set-sketch, a couple of Architectural Digest magazine interior room photographs as design reference into Braden's hands, sending him off to Playboy heaven to design the production! The Chicago Playboy Club design staff had a permanent club-furniture contract with the manufacturer Knoll International for furnishing all of their Playboy Club bar and restaurants in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, etc. Provided with the stage set's floor plan, the Playboy Club's interior design staff negotiated all the set's furniture selections - with Knoll International's contract show-room, located on Beverly Boulevard, in West Hollywood's upscale furniture designer gallery row (an interior decorator heaven). The Beverly Boulevard Knoll International furniture-display show room had plans to renovate and redesign their interior display furniture interior gallery. With the Chicago Playboy Club's contract as furniture supplier, the Knoll show-room was able to clear their show-room of samples, sending the furniture pieces to CBS's Television City, located down the street on Beverly Boulevard. On the initial set up of the television show's stage set, all the Knoll furniture selected by the Chicago design staff arrived and spotted in specific stage set areas. During the set-up and rehearsals, the producers clashed with Hefner's Chicago Playboy International club designer over choices of set furniture and wall decorations. The production designer Hub Braden acted as a referee between the producers, Hugh Hefner and his Playboy factions. Braden took over negotiations with the Knoll International furniture division manager representative. The main set fireplace seating area included a tuxedo arm sofa on the right side of the fireplace, opposite two chrome finished tan leather Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Chairs (valued at $5,000.00 each). Because the Knoll furniture showroom, with no floor nor warehouse stock, could not provide additional furniture, Braden had to design sofa-back iron framed tables (28" high-bench chrome tables) for the interview areas. The CBS Special Effects built bench-tables backing sofa area seating areas which allowed the Playboy Club party (extras) guests areas to group and lounge, sitting on the iron-chromed framed sofa-back bench tables. The two tan leather Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Chairs became the focus of a major battle of wits between the Chicago designer, Hefner and the producers. After the show had taped six episodes, Braden was instructed to return the two Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chairs to Knoll, replacing them with a new tuxedo armed sofa. Beca7The world of the Norman Lear's limited night-time television series "All That Glitters" was exactly like ours except that the women were the dominate gender. Women were the captains of industry and men were household workers, secretaries and waiters trying to attract attention with their sexuality. To add some additional twists to that twist there were characters into dominance/submission, a woman, the first transvestite or trans-gender role portrayed on television, who had been a man (played by Linda Gray) and, of course, women CEOs having affairs with their male secretaries. This was the TV series that Norman Lear had Herb Kenwith take over the directorial assignment after Norman Lear fired the first choice of his female producing team, the film director James Frawley. Jim Frawley's background was in feature film, where one camera films the action, resets for secondary shots, close ups, etc. During the first day stage blocking rehearsal, a four camera blocking plotting day, Frawley dismissed three camera men, announcing he would video tape the show with only one camera. Mid-day morning, Norman Lear was called to the KTTV studio-stage to observe. The lack of experience with the "Glitter's" team of lady producers created a multiple state of confusion. The producing team, unprepared for an unexperienced film director's state of confusion having to deal with blocking many actors in consecutive scene staging's, while blocking four television camera positions and shots. The television medium format for multiple camera shot positions, multiplied by the camera tape editing process, created a stage of mass pandemonium and tension. With Norman Lear on stage, the women producers blamed the production designer Hub Braden for his stage layout of the ten sets to justify Jim Frawley's failure to stage multiple cameras. To justify Frawley's dismissal of three camera men, his failure in dealing with multiple cameras, the producers frantically put the order out to "find Hub" so we can fire him! No one could find Braden because early in the day, Braden had been so exasperated with the inexperienced film director's handing of actors and technical crew, he had departed the stage mayhem, to supervise his free-lance design project being set up, to be taped at across town's NBC Burbank studio: the Hollywood based-columnist Rona Barrett's Academy Award interview special featuring Academy Award Nominee guests. The Ronna Barrett theatrical interview background stage set was designed to collapse on camera at the conclusion of the TV interview show. Braden's art director assistants at KTTV had been instructed to deal with any stage problems. Therefore, no one could find Braden to tell him the "Glitter's Producers" wanted to fire him. Around four-thirty, that afternoon, Lear fired Jim Frawley on stage in front of the entire crew of actors, producers and technicians, with everyone dismissed until the next day. Norman Lear immediately brought Herb Kenwith into the studio-facility to take over the show's directing reigns. Told by the producers that they were firing their production designer Hub Braden, Herb Kenwith replied "you can't fire him! He is the only one here that knows what he is doing! HE STAYS!" Braden, that night at seven p.m., returned to the KTTV stage to check out the day's progress; discovering an empty stage with Herb Kenwith standing in the middle of the stage, holding an open script book studying each stage set arrangement, analyzing scene blocking shots. Braden, ignorant of the day's sequence of mayhem, greeted Herb in amazement, blurting out "thank God you are here!" Herb filled Braden in with all the day's consequences, including how he, Herb, had saved Braden's job! The success of the series was primarily Herb Kenwith's sense of humor and tongue in cheek direction of the outlandish situation comedy scripts. Probably the first ever night time television comedy dealing with female sexual mores, twists, and compulsions. The Norman Lear project was short-lived, canceled after twelve weeks; a five night television comedy series, telecast on Los Angeles' local syndicated Channel 13 network with terribly dismal ratings.8In 1983, Glen A. Larson's production unit moved from Universal MCA Studios to 20th Century Fox, a television development deal between Larson and 20th Century Fox Television. Harker Wade, Glen Larson's Universal MCA Studios production manager, joined Glen Larson's Fox producing unit. Harker Wade was made producer supervising Glen Larson's Fox productions. Harker, in turn, hired Chuck Arrigo, who had been Universal Studio's Effects shop supervisor coordinator, as his construction coordinator. Hub Braden, the production designer on Glenn Larson-Harker Wade NBC-TV/Universal MCA "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" (1979-1981) series, was also hired to join the Glen Larson team. The CBS-Fox TV fantasy-science fiction "Manimal" pilot was the first Fox Television project Glen Larson created, writing and producing. Preliminary conceptual meetings, for principle hero Prof. Jonathan Chase's "Manimal" set, between producer-creator Glen Larson and Hub Braden, the production designer, developed plans and models for a two story NYC Brownstone interior, with the NYC Brownstone set's first floor reception entrance foyer-library level featuring an elevator shaft, descending into a stage-pit, where the basement garage and animal cage enclosures would be presumably located. The elevator would ascend to the second floor level, where living quarters were situated. The elevator unit was planned to continue into the third floor to imply additional quarters. 20th Century Fox Television executives balked at the two level $250,000.00, new set, cost estimate to build such a lavish principle pilot set. Instead, an existing feature living room set, which had remained standing on a Fox lot sound stage, was proposed for the principle foundation for the main set. Braden re-figured the Fox's sound stage standing set, a Connecticut living room set. Incorporating Glen Larson's script-plot elements, Braden added to the standing set with alterations and configurations. The existing living room set-plan's foot-print was expanded with a library-office, dining room, kitchen, bedroom and master bath suite. Included was a spoof on a Roman-Greek bath play room, inspired as a circular wing with antique leaded stained glass window panel walls, a contract rental with a Pasadena architectural antique dealer. A raised stepped two foot high marble dais, featuring an eight foot diameter, four foot deep spa-hot tub. At the conclusion of the pilot, Braden and Chuck Arrigo added up the Prof. Jonathan Chase (pilot) set cost charges; Glen Larson, forced by Fox into using an existing standing Fox film set instead of building the two story proposal set, got his revenge; the final cost of the "Manimal" Jonathan Chase principal set totaled $450,000.00. In addition, an adjacent stage had the Brownstone basement lab enclosures where the black panther, birds, and other animals were caged ($125,000.00). Another Fox stage was used for swing sets required by the series developing scenarios. The exterior Brownstone was a facade on what remained of the "Hello Dolly" New York studio street. The exterior's ground floor level, of the studio's Brownstone, had an electric garage panel door installed beside the exterior Brownstone's staircase leading to the building's double door entrance ($75,000.00). Establishing shots of Johnathan Chase, driving his Rolls Royce convertible exiting and entering his Brownstone, were filmed on the "Hello Dolly" studio street for each show. Usually, when Jonathan Chase was required to transform into the black panther, the cat's scenes had to be staged at night on a location exterior. Set dressing had to provide crates, which the construction crew had built, placed for the animal wrangler to rehearse the black panther's choreographed movement. During the day, the wrangler would rehearse the cat, with the filming always occurring at night.9In the fifth, 5,19-February 3,"Hollywood Palace" 1968 season, Connie Stevens appeared as a guest. Following the end of the fifth HP season,Vanoff produced an NBC-TV music-variety special featuring Connie Stevens, with Marc Breaux as the Director. The TV Special featured the stars of the 'filmed' Paramount Pictures-NBC "Bonanza" TV series, "The Cartwright Family" - Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker and Pernell Roberts. This adventurous Hollywood parody marked the first time a multiple electronic-color camera video-tape production was staged and video taped on the Paramount Studios' film lot facility. Utilizing an independent remote IATSE video tape multiple electronic camera crew, a van equipped with video master tape recording equipment, the television special taped staged production numbers on the main-lot Paramount Pictures studio facility. Marc Breaux and Dee Dee Wood, with production designer Hub Braden, selected areas of the studio's facilities where the production numbers would be staged: the famous Bonanza Western Street, the studio's DeMille Gate, exterior stages and stage doors, the studio's employee time card station, including interiors video-taped on the "Bonanza" Paramount stage-sets. The Paramount grip crew assembled, on the early-morning stage tape-day, an office set on the "Bonanza" stage, assembled from existing stock scenery from the Paramount studios' scene dock. The set painted, dressed with drapery and furniture, lighting, completed within three hours prior to the "first shot" set-up. This was the first time a video tape crew worked on any Paramount Pictures film lot stage! Gulf Western, the land lord, had allowed the studio property to become shabby and derelict. Prior to commencing taping of the special, Braden had the studio paint and construction shops repair, restore, and repaint designated production areas on the studio lot. Upon completion of the Paramount Pictures stage work, a dance production number was video taped at a stage on the Samuel Goldwyn Studio lot, located on Santa Monica Boulevard. Paramount Pictures studio facilities construction, paint, drapery and property divisions provided crews for the Goldwyn Studio scenic elements. The Goldwyn Stage production dance-number featured Connie Stevens, as a Mae West parody, with twenty four tuxedo clad male dancers performing upon a silver leaf finished grand stair case, backed with cascading silver satin drapery panels. Three months after the special aired, Vanoff received a $16,000.00 "restoration charge" from Gulf Western for the video taping on their film studio property. Vanoff had Braden return to the Paramount studio lot to survey; reporting back to him "what restoration" could have included, since the show had "cleaned up" the derelict studio! All of the studio's repainted DeMille Gate, stage exteriors, stage-doors, railings, the studio's time card shack, the famous back lot "Bonanza" Western back-lot street facades and porches - Gulf Western had the Paramount paint shop, directed and instructed, to completely age, with dirty glazing paints, every inch the "TV-special" had cleaned-up, restoring the studio's derelict peeling paint appearance for any prospective studio real estate transaction. Vanoff refused paying for the Gulf Western studio restoration charge!.10Joining the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1989, Braden's sponsors were Gene Allen, Robert Boyle and Harold Michelson.11During the second Hollywood Palace (1965) season, Henry Bollinger came to Hub with a problem he was having with the Los Angeles Times advertising department. Representing the Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams "Ernie Kovacs Show", ABC TV was scheduled for a retrospective tribute television special. The LA Times TV Guide magazine was to feature the ABC special on their front cover. Dissatisfied with the LA Times TV Guide cover illustration, Henry asked Braden to design a 60's pop art style colorful psychedelic cover for the "Kovacs ABC Special." Braden created a collage with Ernie Kovacs' head chomping on his cigar, placed upon the body of a yellow and black stripped "bumble bee," hovering over a field of vivid psychedelic neon painted daisy flowers. Printing and duplicating the psychedelic neon color palette was no problem. This LA Times supplemental TV Guide section was the first and only time the LA Times ever used a graphic illustration for their magazine's cover.12Braden's art direction abilities, recognized by Glen A. Larson (creator-writer and producer) and Harker Wade (UPM) on the 1979 NBC-Universal "Buck Rogers in the Twenty-fifth Century" series, brought Hub with producer Glen Larson's 1983 move to 20th Century Fox; continuing to develop pilot-to-series TV product. The usual film-studio union weekly pay rate was the contract negotiated rate, plus a (normal) $150 above scale bonus, justified as a mileage/personal car allowance. Occasionally, some studio production designers increased their weekly pay scale (fee) by tacking on an additional "box rental". A term - which construction coordinators and prop master's had created, in order to increase their weekly salary; an additional bonus fee (rate) calculated as included items, as a prop master's personal tool rental, property, acquired, allowing a film production company to use. Set Designers, similarly, used the 'box rental' (drafting equipment, tools, computer/drafting applications included) for an over-scale rate bonus, in addition to their usual guaranteed eight hour plus two overtime hours, and/or twelve, daily hour rate. Film production designers/art directors, (a flat, no overtime, 5 day contract pay scale) could only count on the $150 'car-mileage' allowance added to the standard weekly (5 day) pay scale. The Universal Art Department art director pay scale was forced into granting the $150 bonus in the normal 'deal memo' contract with individual art directors, because of the bonus deal (standard) offered by independent film-TV production companies' pay deal memo contracts. This 'bonus' became standard in all producer-production deal memos. When Braden was working on the Fox/Larson's 1984 FOX-CBS TV ill fated film 'Jon-Erik Hexum' series "Cover UP", Producer Stephen Cragg, who had worked with Hub on the 1982 CBS-MGM music-horse opera TV series "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", asked Braden to take over his current TV 'bike-stunt' NBC-UNI "Street Hawk" series. The "Hawk's" art department team was failing to coordinate the second unit stunt location filming with the first unit film production team. Braden, currently on Larson's "Cover UP", advised Cragg that he would not, nor could jump ship, unless a money deal was offered and negotiated with Universal Television's Art Department Bill DeCinces and Ray Brandt, which he could present to "Cover Up" series UPM Phil Cook and Harker Wade, justifying his job move. Stephen Cragg and Braden agreed upon a $300 over scale salary. Phil Cook discussed the increased money offer with Harker, advising Harker "we better match the price to keep HUB". Stephen Cragg returned to Hub, advising a call to UNI's Ray Brandt confirming the 'deal'. The conversation with Ray Brandt was a farce, with Ray offering 'scale plus $150 car use as the deal! Returning to Stephen Cragg discussing the Ray Brandt negotiations enraged Cragg. A day later, Ray Brandt called Hub with the agreed '$300 deal price' per Stephen Cragg. During these exchanges, Harker Wade called the UPM on the NBC-UNI production "Air Wolf" learning that the show was not firing their art department. At Fox, Phil Cook asked Hub, "has Harker Wade made you an offer to remain on our show?" In his reply, "no, nor has Harker even asked me to stay?" Phil answered, "Harker thinks you are bluffing for a raise! Harker called UNI and said "Air Wolf" isn't changing art department art directors." Braden's response was "Harker called the wrong show!" Replacing Braden with Bob Kenoshita on "Cover UP", about four weeks afterwards, Braden learned that an FBI team marched onto the show's Fox stage at 6:00 a.m., arresting Bob, handcuffing him, escorting him off the studio's property! Bob had been using his artistic talents duplicating $20 and $100 dollar bills, found out by the US Internal Revenue Service! After the FBI made their raid, in shock on stage, Harker remarked to Phil Cook, "we made a mistake!".13Upon the premiere of the ABC 1964 variety Saturday Night "Hollywood Palace" weekly show, Hub Braden received a credit on the crawl as "Assistant Art Director". Rita Scott, an associate producer, established a "first" for any network credit given to an 'assistant art director'. After two years sharing the single frame crew member credit, Rita Scott changed Braden's credit to a single credit frame card position. Networks only allowed a specific number of names (for single frame crew credit listing) with art director assistant credit usually denied. Braden's single frame credit listing was unprecedented, with Rita Scott establishing a credit category on a network end credit crew list.14Jay Krause frequently was assigned Braden as his assistant art director on NBC projects. Besides Jay Krause's NBC Studio production design duties, Jay, a free-lance architectural (exterior and interior) consultant designer, had been hired by Robert (Bob) Howard Cobb (?-1970) to refurbish the Hollywood, 'Vine' Brown Derby Restaurant in 1959. Jay's sense of humor, often chuckled over the main entrance elegant, vertical 42" long, brass door handle pulls he had used on the Brown Derby's main front entrance-double doors - casket bracket handle bars! Jay had never told Bob Cobb his front doors were casket lift bars. (Jay Krause redesigned the interior Huntington Hartford Theatre, the lobby, the proscenium left and right portal cartouche. The Huntington Harford Theatre was located directly across Vine Street from the Brown Derby Restaurant). Receiving a telephone request from Bob Cobb for a summer project in late May, 1962, Jay sent Hub over to the Vine Brown Derby to do the job Bob Cobb wanted! The Spanish Mission style Hollywood Vine Brown Derby, built and opened Valentine's day in 1929, the second Brown Derby in the chain expanding the original Wilshire Brown Derby shaped café, was built by Bob Curry, Herbert Somborn, former husband of Gloria Swanson, and Wilson Mizner, a well known writer, on Vine Street property owned by Cecil B. DeMille. The original cash to fund came from Jack Warner, a silent partner. The "Brown Derby" name originated from a Malverne, New York based restaurant of the same name which had been a popular hang out for vaudevillians in the 1920's. The original derby shaped small café was close to Hollywood hot spots such as the Cocoanut Grove at the Wilshire Boulevard Ambassador Hotel, which during the 1930's was at the boundary edge of Los Angeles City. Bicycling to Westwood was considered going from city to country picnic territory. The original Derby became successful enough to warrant building a second restaurant in Hollywood. The right side of the Vine Brown Derby building was a Porte-Cochere, the 1929 restaurant's automobile entrance for valet service, for arriving guests to alight or depart. The barrel arch tunnel had become used (during the late 1940-1960's) as a passage entrance from the rear parking lot to the street, and access to the building's 'Derby's Record Room bar and lounge' side entry. Adjacent the carriage porch was the former burlesque queen's "The Undie World of Lili St. Cyr", a fine lingerie boutique similar to 'Frederick's of Hollywood'. Bob Curry had decided to turn the arched tunnel into a small outdoor bistro-luncheon dining patio. This addition would help boost business for his next door neighbor Lili St. Cyr's fancy lingerie shop. Every morning, Bob Cobb would carry a tray with a coffee carafe and sweet rolls for Lili St. Cyr (1918-1999). Cobb instructed Hub to go over to Paramount Studios, that Hal Pereira (1905-1983), Paramount Film Studio Art Department Supervisor, was expected to provide studio set property department dressing (furniture, lamp post fixtures, silk flowers and green plants) for the Derby's summer patio feature. After selecting the set dressing items, meeting with Hal Pereira , Hub was given the $15,000 rental charge Cobb would be expected to pay for the four month rental. Bob Cobb blew his 'Derby' literally! "this is IT! MY last time I will pick up Hal Pereira's bar and lunch tab expenses!" Bob Cobb pulled his own tables and chairs from his restaurant's inventory. Braden purchased French posters. With the assistance of Hub's scenic artist mentor Dave Thorne, they attached the posters to the barrel ceiling, using rubber cement as glue. Instead of using wall paper glue, the rubber cement would provide a solution for the poster's easy removal. Unexpectedly, the overnight damp humidity caused the rubber cement to disengage from the wall's rough plaster finish. Every morning, for four months, Hub visited the Derby's tunnel, with a long handled brush broom, rubbing the posters back onto the rough textured tunnel barrel arch. Until Bob Cobb closed his summer folly. The Porte-Cochere lattice gated front and rear entrance barrier remained until the restaurant burned down in 1987.15Edwin Lester's Los Angeles (& San Francisco) Civic Light Opera produced the Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson musical revival "Knickerbocker Holiday", starring Burt Lancaster, opening in June, 1971, at the Dorthy Chandler Pavillion at the Music Center. The cast included David Holiday, Anita Gillette, and Jack Collins, directed by Albert Marre. Sean Kenny was to design the scenery. Sean Kenny conflicted with his set concept with both Albert Marre and Edwin Lester resulting in his being fired. Howard Bay was flown in from New York for meetings with Marre and Edwin Lester. Phil Raiguel, the scenic supervisor of the Light Opera Scenic Shop, enlisted Hub to meet with Howard Bay and the shop's construction department. On a Saturday morning meeting at Hub's NBC Burbank office, discussions encompassed the production's scenic solution. Howard Bay returned to New York, Braden drew all the plans and detailed elevations, providing color scenic elevations, models, designing the entire production from the meeting's notes. Following through with the construction and stage set ups until opening night. Braden was uncredited for his contribution to the production.16California College of Arts and Crafts (in Oakland-Berkeley) was the Braden Twins first professional art school scholarship experience, attending the art school during their high school summer breaks. Upon graduating from the Vallejo Senior High School and Vallejo Junior College Bachelor of Arts program, their art department program instructors Lulu Braghetta and Dorthy Herger advised the boys to pursue a fine and advertising art career. The twins enrolled at the California College of Arts and Crafts. After their first year in the art program, their design instructors, Ralph Seigal and Ernst Sterne, advised that they should transfer to the Chicago Art Institute Goodman Theatre program with their artistic attributes more suited to a theater, television and film career. Ralph Seigal met with the Chicago Art Institute's program scholarship division, arranging and qualifying each for scholarships for two years. Upon completion of their Bachelor of Fine Art Degree, their further Masters degree program plan was Yale University. Their decision, instead, was to gain work experience in the theatrical field prior to continuing their academic training. As twins they were always going on the same job interviews. Upon graduation from the Chicago Art Institute Goodman Theatre. Hubert headed West, John headed East. Interviewing at West Coast film studio art departments. Braden, upon arriving in Los Angeles was hired as a junior scenic artist at the Burbank NBC TV Production Studios, joining the Scenic and Title Artist ITSE #816. Called into the draft, Braden served in the United States Army, Headquarters Company, Personnel Management Team, Fort Ord, California for two years. Returning to Los Angeles to interview in the entertainment studios, Hub was advised that he required an architectural background for film jobs. Undergraduate study continued in the architectural study program at the University of Southern California, at the University of California Los Angeles, and at the Chouinard Art Institute. Film courses at the Chouinard Art Institute introduced Hub to Harold Michelson's film set-projection illustration, Jack Senter's film set and model making scenic design, Mentor Huebner's life illustration fine drawing, Tad Hayworth's set concept and script creative continuity sketching, and Cover Art and Book Illustration. With the television and film industry's job decline in production, because of the "runaway film exodus" to England and Italy, Braden continued employment at the NBC Burbank television studio's scenic department. The Scenic Artist IATSE #816 sent Hub on film assignments: Warner Brothers (Scenic), Mirsch Brothers Samuel Goldwyn (Scenic), MGM Culver City (Scenic), Los Angeles Civic Light Opera (Scenic), San Diego Light Opera (Scenic). Braden eventually gained employment as an Assistant Art Director-set decorator with Burbank NBC's Art Department assisting Art Directors John Shrum, Spencer Davies, Jay Krause, Robert Kelley, Rouben Ter Arutunian, and Jim Trittipo.17The taped television pilot "Baby, I'm Back", produced and directed by Lila Garrett, was taped in April-May 1977 at the KTLA TV Sunset Blvd. Hollywood studio facility, with the sets designed by Ken Johnson. CBS picked up the series option in late June, 1977, with the series relocated to CBS-Studio Center, utilizing three TV camera format, a support video trailer control center located behind the CBS Studio Center audience stage. Ken Johnson did not get along with Lila Garrett refusing to art direct the series. S. Bryan Hickox, UPM, had worked with Hub Braden, knowing his reputation for dealing with both difficult shows and producers, asked Braden to take over the series project. Major modifications to the sets required revisions to the main sets floor plan in order to view interiors of the background bedroom sets, expanding the kitchen, adding living room wall heights to accommodate the shots of the children standing on foreground sofa, chairs, ottomans, etc. The out-of-stock set wallpaper used in the pilot was out of circulation stock, requiring set-wall treatments replaced, through out. Bruce Kay, the set decorator, replaced all the pilot's furniture because the art department team had not placed "hold tags" on any of the pilot's set dressing. After the series premiered in September, 1977, CBS New York Program Executives lauded the "look" of the scenery because the scenery and video show's screen appearance did not look like a typical "Norman Lear CBS situation comedy show". Lila Garrett was a hands-on producer insisting upon approving everything. Braden and Kay were required to show wall paper, fabric, and paint samples every week. Lila, after the fourth show, demanded that she select the wallpaper for Demond Wilson's apartment swing set. The following week, when shown the wallpaper sample books, Lila waved off the samples, saying to Braden, "You pick the wallpaper, I learned my lesson." Lila Garrett, a strong willed producer, was very talented and creative in her production meetings, rehearsals, directing each cast member, steering some strong performances from the comedy scripted in each show. Damon Wilson shut the show down for two weeks over a casting disagreement. The series repeated during the 1978 summer schedule with improved rating results. CBS New York did not wish to deal with star Damon Wilson's demands and temper tantrums. Although the production personnel had agreed with availability for the second 1978-1979 season, CBS axed the series in August 1978!.18Production manager Al Krause joined the series "Murder, She Wrote". After several weeks into production working with the production designer Hub Braden, Al Krause remarked "Hub is the best kept secret in Hollywood! He is the only designer I've ever worked with who can think on his feet during a scout, and come up with solutions and answers!".19Arriving in Hollywood from the Chicago Art Insitute, the film and television industry was in stagnant production with no designer jobs available. Braden secured employment at NBC Burbank in the scenic artist paint shop division. When TV production slowed for the summer hiatus, Braden received employment with Phil Raiguel's, The Los Angeles Civic Light Opera Scenic Shop. One of his usual assignments was assisting Wally Reid. Phil Raiguel would send the duo downtown to "touch up" the touring musicals prior to their opening night. The new English import "Oliver" had arrived, set up on stage, and was being rehearsed during the day prior to a preview performance that Tuesday night. The scenery had been built and painted in London, matching the original London production. Edwin Lester hated the stage set paint job! Phil Raiguel told Wally Reid, "do what ever Edwin wants" .... And Wally and Hub were sent downtown. The solution was to glaze over the multiple green, yellow, red, orange, blue, purple vertical graining painted patterns which covered every inch of the scenery. The original set's paint principal was the Fresnel's lighting gel would change the sets color to any hue. The cast were informed the scenic artists would be painting while they rehearsed. Wally and Hub were told, "stay out of the cast's way!" Observing the cast during initial rehearsal, they were able to coordinate their stage moves. After the cast departed for their break prior to their first audience performance, the two scenic artists continued. The production set had no stage nor house curtain, a bare exposed turntable stage set with an exposed lighting grid above the flies. The audience arrived. The duo continued painting. The orchestra began the overture, the cast moved onstage, performing. End of act one, during intermission, the repainting-glazing continued. Act two continued. At the end of show, along with the cast, Wally and Braden took curtain call bows, along with the cast! Afterwards, the two continued painting through the night and into the next day morning. They finished that following day, returning to the scenic shop after one p.m.! Phil Raiguel greeted them with their "Oliver theatre review!" The theatre musical reviewer had made a special note of the director's brilliant addition of the "London painters" adding and providing wonderful atmosphere to the cast on stage.20As an Assistant Art Director on the ABC Network "Hollywood Palace" television variety series, Hub was invited to join The Society of Motion Picture and Television Art Directors Guild membership. The Guild (IATSE #876) had added television to their jurisdiction in 1959. Hub was offered a position with NBC Burbank, Art Directing and to design the new Gloria Monte day time (soap) drama "Bright Promise" starring Dana Andrews. Fellow television designers elected Braden to the #876 Board of Directors for television representation. Hub began his Board Membership at the same time Gene Allen was appointed to his position as the Union's Chief Director. After continuous board representation, Braden was appointed the Treasurer position serving for ten years. Hub Braden served continuously attending all scheduled meetings for twenty five years. Although requested to return to the Board of Directors, Braden felt that he had served his term representing the Television membership. Hub Braden belongs to the following unions, as well: Scenic Artists #816 (now part of the Art Directors Guild IATSE #800), Set Decorators Local IATSE #44, and the New York Scenic Artists and Designers - #829. Hub also maintains his membership in The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and with the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.21Disneyland's Entertainment Division Bob Jani employed Hub Braden to design projects for the Disneyland Tomorrowland Live Stage productions. In 1969, Disneylands Tomorrowland Live Stage Show presented performers, after dark, entertaining, similar to a vaudeville schedule, for the park attendee's audience. This production's presentation was used to keep the Park's guests inside the grounds as a free show. The 1969 summer presented four cycles of shows with new acts presented in three week cycles, encouraging return park attendance. The turn around shows required new sets. The Osmond Brothers made their first Southern California appearance during the first cycle of the show's presentations.22Robert "Bob" Routhieaux was Braden's driver, when Hub took over the Production Designer (full time) position on the CBS TV "Murder, She Wrote" series in August, 1988. Routhieaux, a member of the company's transportation team, remained Hub's driver until the show was canceled in the late Spring of 1996. Bob retired from his studio affiliation at the same time the show was canceled. Routhieaux had a varied driving background, being Alfred Hitchcock's personal driver. Bob told that "Hitch" rarely spoke while sitting in the front passenger seat as he drove. Instead of giving driving directions, Hitchcock would point with his arm swinging, either to the right or to the left.23Rouben Ter-Arutunian was Production Designing the Tony Richardson film "The Loved One" in Los Angeles. While filming, Rouben was designing sets for George Balanchine's new ballet "The Nutcracker", for New York City Ballet's Christmas season. Rouben hired Hub Braden for assistance in drawing plans & elevations based upon the constructed model they had built. Ter-Arutunian always constructed the 1/2" scale stage set model first, with construction drawings completed afterwards. Rouben having used Hub's identical twin brother as an assistant in New York, brought John from New York to assist in the large scale design project. Finishing the model and construction drawings, John returned to New York to supervise the set's scenic construction and painting in the Pete Feller Shop.24John Braden is Hub's identical twin brother who lives in New York City. John is a stage, television and film Production Designer, Art Director, Scenic Designer, and Costume Designer (NY City Ballet). He also is a (fine art) portrait, landscape painter and illustrator, exhibited at the Art Student League, where he participates instructing and supervising student artists. He was the last staff Scenic Designer and artist, with the longest employment record (42 yrs) with the New York ABC-TV Network Division Scenic Services.25Robert (Bob) Currier, owner and producer of the Kenneybunkport Playhouse, in Kennybunkport, Maine, hired the Braden Twins for his 1957 summer stock season of plays and musicals. Alternating duties during the summer season, the twins, Hub and John, performed as scenic designer, decorating the sets; functioning as carpenters, scenic artists, technical director, lighting designer; managing behind the scenes, which included teaching and supervising twelve young apprentices; supervising and managing the theater's box office; janitorial services for the theatre public areas, including repairs.26Identical twin brother, John Braden, shares Art Director film credit on "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery". On staff as Art Director-Scenic Designer with the ABC-TV News division, John took vacation time to help his brother with the two hour MOW since Hub was overlapping two film assignments. Edgar Sherack and Delbert Mann enjoyed the twins' sense of humor. A double bonus since they had the two, one in Hawaii to prep the golf course, the other half at Paramount studios to prep stage sets.27Instructor for UCLA Extension Program's Film and Television Theatre Arts Program. The class was initiated at Gene Allen's request to expand instruction courses for Production Design in the television and film program. Titled "Production Design in the Entertainment Industry". The class was popular for five years ending in 2004.