Mosley interview (side two)
David Romas
This newsgroup message is a copy of "side two" of the transcript for the
audio program _CONVERSATION PIECE: In Touch With Roger E. Mosley_. ASCII
has messed with the layout of the original version. To get a hard copy
of the complete transcript (which includes photos and additional news
clippings) as well as a copy of the audio program itself, send one 60
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David Romas
Magnum Memorabilia
4417 Second Ave #110
Detroit, MI 48201 USA
Magnum Memorabilia is the nonprofit fan organization for Magnum, P.I.
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_CONVERSATION PIECE: In Touch With Roger E. Mosley_
Program Transcript of audio recording on the set of the play _Family
Love_ at Detroit's Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, 1 March,
1997. Participants:
Roger E. Mosley
David Romas
Joanne Miyamoto
Christopher Turner
* * * * * * * * * * SIDE TWO * * * * * * * * * *
[Fade in Magnum theme variation by Mike Post. Let play. Fade out.]
[Topic: Businesses in Hawaii]
ROMAS: While I was over there, I knew that I wasn't going to get a
chance to check out Reni's. But I had heard -- because it closed
some time ago, unfortunately.
MOSLEY: It closed two years ago.
ROMAS: I had heard, though, that . . . do you have a hair salon?
MOSLEY: I had one called "T. C.'s".
ROMAS: Okay. I had heard, you know, unsubstantiated reports that you
also had a hair salon over there. And that's not underway still?
MOSLEY: No. When I left, it's just kinda hard to conduct business from
this far, twenty-five hundred miles out. It's not worth . . .
everything was going fine, a couple of minor incidents happened and my
accountant told me I was really fortunate but it was time to pull
the plug if I wasn't going to be there and check everything. I would be
liable for anything that went wrong. And everything could go wrong in
a business unless you're there to monitor it.
ROMAS: Yeah. I understand that.
[Topic: Future Work Plans]
ROMAS: So what are your future work plans coming up? I understand that
this show is gonna be moving on to other venues after it leaves
Detroit. Are you gonna be with it through that progression?
MOSLEY: I have no idea. There are a bunch of irons in the fire. I've
got a couple projects I need to produce. One of them I'm going to
direct. I don't wanna go on record as saying it because it's a matter
of who comes up with the money first.
ROMAS: Things are up in the air.
MOSLEY: One project I'm going to produce. The other project I'm going to
produce and direct.
ROMAS: Are these film or are they stage?
MOSLEY: Film.
ROMAS: Okay. Great!
MOSLEY: And this was more or less a favor to a friend that got me
involved in this project. Since it was such a short period of time
and the money was decent I said "Okay, why not fly from L. A., fly
into the snow in Detroit?" So I did that. But I'm gonna have to get
back. I have so many faxes from my agent it's like every project in
the world has called for me to do. Eddie Murphy is going to do Dr.
Dolittle and wanted me to be the tiger in that. So we're discussing
that. And then there's another film with Patrick Swayze that we're
talking about now. So, you know, things are going. But I really want to
do these projects because I have some points in them.
[Studio V.O. insert]
ROMAS: And, of course, we know Roger would have some points to make in a
Magnum reunion movie. That is, if such a thing ever were to be made
. . .
[Topic: Magnum movie]
ROMAS: The rumors about . . . well, I think of them as rumors --
MOSLEY: They are. Until it actually happens it's a rumor.
ROMAS: Yeah. The stories surrounding the movie have sort of come and
gone several times over the years and it's always sort of suspect,
you know, whenever we hear it. Because the press picks it up and
lots of stories will crop up and then it disappears for, like, a
couple of years and, you know, surfaces again. It's a very exciting
prospect, though. I think it would be great if it was to come
together.
MOSLEY: I think something like a big fan push from all over the world --
I mean, I don't care if it's, maybe like, thirty or forty letters --
would have a big impact just about right now.
ROMAS: Really?
MOSLEY: Yeah, because the reason why it's been on and off is because . .
. there's been an effort to do it but depending upon where the
effort is being made dictates whether . . . at one point somebody said
"That'd be a good idea" and everybody went "Oh, okay." And, well,
then there may have been a time factor. Everybody said okay and then
somebody dragged their feet a little bit and said "Well, I'm going
off and doing this. I'm doing this movie. I'm doing this
production." Okay, we have to set it aside and try again. "When can we
get all four of you guys together again?"
ROMAS: Yeah.
MOSLEY: "Oh, maybe such and such a time."
ROMAS: All the press that I've seen over the years has indicated that
the cast is very interested in the idea. Tom Selleck has said some
things in recent years that . . . as I understand it, Universal still
essentially owns the rights to do some sort of following production like
a Magnum reunion movie or what have you. And he has indicated in
interviews in the last couple years that they're not, you know, that
they're kind of reluctant or that they're the ones who are dragging
their feet.
MOSLEY: Well, see, you have to remember that was true for a minute they
were and then . . .
ROMAS: He sorta blames the Matsushita ownership and problems with the
company --
MOSLEY: Not necessarily, not exactly, it wasn't totally that. He didn't
really blame anybody but--
[Studio V. O. insert]
ROMAS: Tom Selleck from two months before in a New York radio interview . . .
[insert clip from radio interview*** of Selleck blaming Universal for the
movie not getting made.]
* * * * * * * * * * * *
HOST #1: There are some rumblings that there might be a Magnum, P.I. reunion.
SELLECK: Well, there wouldn't be one as a TV movie. What was in the works
and then . . . see there's only one studio that can make it,
otherwise you would've seen it about two years ago because it's kind
of a "no brainer" to sell, but at Universal the ownership changed
hands. I'd like to do a big movie about that character. It'd absolutely
have a reunion aspect but it would kinda have to stand on its own.
HOST #1: Right.
SELLECK: I know Tom Clancy, my pal, . . . I went to him for advice on
where he thought a Navy SEAL'd be eight years later and he said,
"Shoot, I'd like to write it."
HOST #1: Really?
SELLECK: So we got a pretty good package.
HOST #2: You could do worse than Tom Clancy.
SELLECK: So, if you wanna write Universal, tell 'em to get off their . . .
whatever and get movin'.
HOST #3: Don't worry. Management'll change in like a week and a half anyhow.
SELLECK: Well, that's what keeps happening over there.
HOST #3: Yeah, don't worry about it.
SELLECK: You know, these guys . . . they don't wanna do anything because
it might cost them their job.
* * * * * * * * * *
MOSLEY: . . . he wanted to make sure that certain procedures were
followed to keep up the integrity and the quality and caliber of
the show if it made a transition from there to a film. So that
meant that certain things had to be taken under consideration: who
would write it and whatever. We didn't wanna be the Brady Bunch all
over again.
ROMAS: [Laughs]
MOSLEY: We were still here, unlike most shows that they did movies about
the cast was gone or too old to do the cast. I think we still have
enough . . . maybe you don't think so, looking through all this
makeup I've got on --
ROMAS: Oh, come on! You look great! [Laughs]
MIYAMOTO: [Laughs] You look great.
MOSLEY: We were all . . . we had that one quality that was missing from
alot of shows that we felt didn't make it because their cast was
gone. We felt that one of the main reasons that Star
Trek made it the first time was because Leonard Nimoy and William
Shatner and the rest of them were young enough to pull it off. And
we think that's the reason why this current Star Trek group, because
Lavar Burton and Patrick and all those guys are young, can pull it
off. Well, we still can give the illusion of being the Magnum people. So
there were certain things that he wanted, a certain caliber, and when
the initial effort was made, those things weren't addressed. So
they went back and said "Okay, let's address those issues." They
went back to address those issues and then they sold the company.
Seagram's bought it.
ROMAS: Yeah.
MOSLEY: And then when Seagram's bought it, then it was like starting all
over again from scratch because a new group of people came in and they
had other priorities. Obviously Magnum,
P.I. wasn't the most major, important thing that they had to deal
with. It was a billion dollar transfer. Uh, who was it with MCA?
Wasn't Sony involved with it?
ROMAS: I believe it was Matsushita . . .
MOSLEY: Yeah.
ROMAS: . . . one of Sony's big competitors.
MOSLEY: Yeah. So there was a whole lot of "i's" dotted and "t's" being
crossed.
ROMAS: Yeah.
MOSLEY: Now they're going "Hmm, now what can we do again? Oh, yeah.
What was that? Yeah, what did they think about that?" That's why I
say right about now if they started getting some inquiries they'd say
"Oh, some people -- they really do exist."
ROMAS: Yeah.
[Time check.]
MOSLEY: What time you got?
TURNER: I have seven twenty-seven.
MOSLEY: Okay, we've got about three more minutes.
ROMAS: Okay.
[Studio V.O. insert]
ROMAS: We were running out of time. Roger's next performance, the one
Joanne and I were staying to see in fact, was to begin in little more
than a half hour and he was going to need some time to get into
costume and gather himself. But time remained yet for one more
important item of business. When Joanne and I arrived at the theatre and
met Chris Turner I had mentioned that, among my gear, I had a camera
. . .
[Cut to photo session.]
MOSLEY: Oh, he's got the ring and everything!
ROMAS: Yeah.
MIYAMOTO: He has everything.
TURNER: [Shooting pictures. Laughs.]
MIYAMOTO: He has every outfit that was ever worn by anyone.
TURNER: I'm gonna take a couple. [Continues to shoot pictures.]
ROMAS: Okay, that'd be great!
ALL: [Sounds of people moving and changing seats.]
TURNER: All right guys . . . I'm gonna take one more.
ROMAS: Okay. This is great!
MOSLEY: I got one problem: they're gonna say, "Boy he aged since the show"!
ALL: [Laughter.]
ROMAS: I'll tell them it's all makeup.
TURNER: Good deal.
[Studio V.O. insert]
ROMAS: The so-called makeup clearly was superficial. Roger E. Mosley
seems to be in terrific shape, both in body and in spirit. We
parted company with a new level of acquaintance, a relationship that
undoubtedly will continue to benefit Magnum Memorabilia from that
evening on.
[Cue Magnum theme variation from "Resolutions" for a few bars. Lower and
allow to run under V.O.]
For the next couple of hours, Joanne and I were delighted with
Roger's, and the rest of the cast's, performance of Family Love, a
rousing gospel musical drama with an uplifting central message of
familial strength.
I have several families from which I draw strength and love and
members of each of them contributed to the success of this interview
and recording. I must thank, first and foremost: Roger E. Mosley,
Christopher D. Turner, and Robert L. Douglas for their time and
hospitality. For information and equipment I thank Gwen Gordon, Cliff
Russell, Adwoa Muwzea and Dr. Jackie Byars of the Wayne State
University Department of Communication and its Radio-TV-Film
division. For general logistics and questions I thank Joanne
Miyamoto and Jim Brand.
This program was created and produced by David Romas at Magnum
Memorabilia and at the audio engineering facilities in the
Radio-TV-Film division of Wayne State University. Tapes and
transcripts are available. Contact Magnum Memorabilia at
4417 Second Ave #110
Detroit, MI 48201 USA
By phone, dial 313-831-3646
Our email address is fro...@cms.cc.wayne.edu
Or visit us on the world-wide web at
fsinfo.cs.uni-sb.de/~jwagner/magnum/magmem
[Raise music from "Resolutions" and play out to end. Cue Stevie Wonder's
"Conversation Peace"* and allow to play.]
[Studio V.O. insert]
ROMAS: This production, CONVERSATION PIECE: In Touch With Roger E.
Mosley, is copyright 1997 by David Romas.
[Run "Conversation Peace" through to program's end.]
Program transcribed by David Romas.
* The song "Conversation Peace" is c.1995 by Stevland Morris Music
(Stevie Wonder).
** The Conan O'Brien segments are c.1995 (11/17/95) by Late Night with
Conan O'Brien.
*** The Selleck interview segment is c.1997 (1/16/97) by WPLJ Radio, New York.
All other music is c.1981 and 1988 by Mike Post.
All audio clips from Magnum, P.I. episodes are the property of Universal
Television.
Lauren Koons
lkj