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The Hit Wizard

[Blind Gossip] This director and producer is one of the most successful ever.

He was not only a wizard at creating hit after hit, he is universally regarded as one of the industry’s best-loved figures in TV and film.

That’s the public side.

Wizard was not exactly the nice, happy guy that he is portrayed to be.

The women he targeted were not just actresses, but below the line staff as well. To be more specific, if you were a young and pretty and a woman and you wanted to work on his projects, you might be called on to do special favors for him. Big favors. Huge favors. In private.

To protect the women involved, we’ll simply call them both Production Assistants.

PA1 knew that Wizard kept the same production team from project to project. She knew that if she succeeded on that first project, she would be consistently employed.

Wizard would tell her to come to his production office for a meeting. He would be there, alone. He would tell her to take her clothes off.

She was a confident girl, but she was young and scared to disobey him or she would lose her job.

She would have to flash him her breasts or pull down her pants because he wanted to see her ass. Sometimes he would make her do a str*p tease for him. Sometimes he told her to give him a lap dance.

PA1 endured the humiliation. Wizard continued to employ her on film after film.

Then there is PA2.

He sat her down after a few weeks on her first film and said, 

“I really want to help you advance, but if I’m going to do things for you, you have to do things for me.” Kind of vague, never explicit.

Where did he want her to do these “things”?

In addition to the house in [Los Angeles neighborhood] where he and his wife lived, he kept an apartment on [street]. The company paid the rent on that. It was supposedly for “meetings.”

PA2 had heard stories about what happened to girls who went to that apartment for “meetings.”

She made light of his requests and pretended that she didn’t know what he meant. She would just run away to the other side of the set and try to avoid being alone with him. She figured that as long as she stayed away from Wizard, she could do her job and do it well.

The cast and crew loved [PA2]. Very pretty girl. Young, nice, a hard worker. [The actor who starred in the film] specifically told her that he wanted her to work on the next film, too.

That never happened. PA2 was dismissed from the set before the end of production.

And, for his next film, Wizard made an offer to every one of the crew members with whom he had worked on the previous project. Except PA2.

So, when you hear all those loving tributes from people about how Wizard is the greatest guy and how everyone loved him, you should roll your eyes.

He may have been a Wizard at creating comedic hits, but not everyone was so happy spending their days – or nights – with him.

Similar: His House Secret

Wizard:

Clues:

[Optional] Your favorite movie of his?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. melrose71 says

    Garry Marshall. Wow, never heard this about him. Very disappointing. Clues all over the place ‘Wizard’, Happy Days, Big Huge favor for Pretty Woman. Apparently there was an ABC special on him several days ago.

  4. Suzy Kew says

    Wizard is Ron Howard
    Clues “ Wizard” from his film Willow and of course there’s tons of “ Happy Days” references here. He tries to give off a wholesome All- American image ,but after all of his viscous political rants, plus these horrible allegations, I’d say his true persona has been exposed Oh.. and let’s not forget ( although I’d really like to) the blind item from a few years ago regarding his sex dungeon . …Yech 🤮

  5. omgimbackagain says

    Please don’t be Mel Brooks. I will seriously not be able to handle it.

  7. omgimbackagain says

    It sounds like someone who’s no longer alive or at least permanently retired. Wizard must be a clue but I’m blanking.

  8. harperleigh says

    Garry Marshall
    Happy-Happy Days
    Day- Happy Days
    Run away -Runaway Bride
    Woman- Pretty Woman

  9. rosarybjork says

    Wizard: David Yates
    Clues: Universal, Wizard, bringing back people, Most of his staff worked on all the Harry Plopper films, He keeps defending Johnny Depp in the press.
    Fav movie: The half blood prince

  10. IconCU says

    Wizard: Garry Marshall

    Clues: Pretty Woman, Happy Days, big and huge (from Pretty Woman – “Big mistake. Big. Huge”

  12. deliajones says

    Garry Marshall??!! He fits…

    Clues:
    “nice, happy guy” – Happy Days – also, linked blind is about Ron Howard (!!!)
    “Big favours. Huge.” – quote from Pretty Woman, which he directed
    “their days – or nights – with him” – last movies were “mother’s day” & “new year’s eve”

  15. VegetableLasagna says

    Wizard: Garry Marshall

    Clues: “Big. Huge”, “pretty and a woman” (Pretty Woman); “runaway” (Runaway Bride); “nice, happy guy” (Happy Days)

    [Optional] Your favorite movie of his? don’t care much for his movies, so I’ll go with Princess Diaries.

  16. itsjustanothergirl says

    I don’t want to say this, but Gary Marshall? The line staff clue makes me think of Laverne & Shirley, plus there’s a big tribute to him tonight.

  17. charlene2345 says

    I feel like this is Gary Marshall. He was called a “film and TV wizard.”

    There’s a tribute that is supposed to air about him, and the Blind implies refers to him in the past tense and he’s since he is no longer alive he’s my guess.

  18. Yitty Bossy says

    Dang, Gary Marshall is a genius, very sad to hear this. The Odd Couple is my favorite show of all time.
    Clues – Big, Happy….Days, etc.
    Can’t defend him, back in his day it was probably more the norm, but still not good if so…

  22. cristinastarb says

    Gary Marshall
    Pretty Woman – now thinking of that in a different light, tho 😟

  24. beachchick218 says

    Ron Howard.

    Man, is there not one decent person in that God-forsaken industry? What a disgusting lowlife.

    It must suck to be involved in that business and all the nasty and evil people you’re around.

  25. stickaforkinit says

    wild guess…Gary Marshall. seems like the hints are about Pretty Woman.

  28. MinnieMe says

    Garry Marshall
    “young and pretty and a woman”
    created comedic hits – lots of them
    ??

  33. badgerette85 says

    This breaks my heart based on the clue “”Happy Days”. Say it isn’t Garry Marshall

    Op-Pretty Woman.
    But loved Happy Days based in my hometown

  34. GeorgiaR says

    My first thought was Steven Spielberg, but the more I thought, I think it’s George Lucas.
    Clues: He has always be thought of as a really nice guy, and “universally regarded” might point to many of his films being made in conjunction with Universal Pictures. Also, the sentence about not everyone not so happy spending their days with him might be a reference to Happy Days and American Graffiti. So, I think it’s George Lucas. Yucko!

  35. Kellikopter says

    I genuinely have no clue, but could it be Chris Columbus? Literally the only thing I’m going on with my guess is the Wizard nickname. He directed the Harry Potter movies and a bunch of other hits, including The Goonies.

  36. wombat says

    Sounds like Joss Whedon. I was a big fan of his writing, his shows and his strong pro-women stance. Until it turned out he was a massive creep who used many of the young women he was involved with for his own self-gratification. But honestly, Hollywood just seems like such a cesspit of humiliation, degradation and abuse of power it is a shame that I could easily believe it was any of them 🙁

  37. Kellikopter says

    The related blind says he’s not the only family member in the business.

    So maybe Rob Reiner? He has a white beard and his dad was Carl Reiner.

    Gary Marshall is gonna be my second guess. His sister was Penny Marshall. But he died 4 years ago so idk about that.

  38. Let’s_be_nice says

    Wizard: Ron Howard
    Clues: happy days
    My favorite movie? Now I hate them all.

  41. European says

    Wizard: Garry Marshall

    Clues: Pretty and a woman = pretty woman
    run away to = runaway bride
    Happy spending their days = happy days

    [Optional] Your favorite movie of his?
    Pretty woman

  42. Suzy Kew says

    I’m looking at the clues…. Pretty Woman, Happy Days, comedic hits, loving tributes, and I’m thinking please please don’t let this be Garry Marshall

  43. kellyp says

    Gary Marshall. Favorite movie of his was Evil Roy Slade. Frankly I have always assumed everyone in the entertainment business is that sleazy at every level.

  49. Pinkieswear says

    Gary Marshall? Rob Reiner?

    I’ve never heard anything like this about either of these men, but these two popped into my head when I started reading the blind.

  51. FancyPants says

    Gary Marshall much loved producer ABC special tonight.
    Happy Days = Days and nights

  54. calumsmom says

    Garry Marshall— ABC is celebrating him in a primetime special” The Happy Days of Garry Marshall” on May 12th. The other clue was “big favors. Huge favors”, similar to the famous line from Pretty Woman, which he directed. What a disgusting pos.

  56. PomegranatePam says

    Garry Marshall. This makes me sad, but good people are rarely attracted to Hollywood, let alone successful in it. Even celebrities who are incident-free– just think of everything they know and tolerate.

  59. boyjack4 says

    Garry Marshall
    Big
    ‘Pretty ‘woman
    Happy guy…happy days …use of Happy throughout

  60. hannahhkate says

    Ron Howard?

    Clues: he fits the bill and the line “happy spending their days” – his first big gig was Happy Days.

  62. thedancer says

    Gary Marshall.

    Clues: “Pretty and a woman” and “Big Favors. Huge favors” are references to Pretty Woman. “Happy Spending their Days” – Happy Days

  65. Shananigans says

    I really really don’t want it to be Garry Marshall but I think it is.
    I did his makeup once. He was very polite and super nice, but I just watched the tribute…

  66. aaamissp says

    Wizard: Garry Marshall
    Clues: ‘Happy Days’ “not exactly the nice, happy guy…” “not everyone was so happy spending their days…”
    ‘Pretty Woman’ “ if you were young and pretty and a woman…” / “Very pretty girl.” /“Big favors. Huge favors.” – Big. Huge is a quote from Pretty Woman.
    ‘Runaway Bride’ “She would just run away.”

    Known to repeatedly employ same cast and crew. Famous for both TV and film (usually comedy). I’m sad and disappointed to hear this. But unfortunately not surprised…

  69. tinker belle says

    Garry Marshall
    Clues: happy ‘Happy Days, pretty ‘Pretty Woman’, wizard ‘Hocus Pocus’.

  70. Youhoo says

    Director: Garry Marshall
    Favorite Movie: Pretty Woman
    Clues:
    Big. Huge. – Pretty Woman
    Happy – Happy Days
    Everyone loved him – Josie Loves Chachi
    Wizard – Hocus Pocus

  72. BadHobby says

    Garry Marshall
    Clues: happy days, happy guy…”Big, Huge” from Pretty Woman

  74. karenbrady says

    Garry Marshall. Some tribute to him is coming up. I was looking forward to it but now I won’t watch. Gross.

  75. eddieslady84 says

    I’m thinking ‘Wizard’ is a clue so just going to take a random guess and say maybe Frank Oz?

  76. kilgoretrout says

    Garry Marshall, just going off the clues that refer to Pretty Woman and Happy Days.

  78. bluthbananas says

    Garry Marshall?

    Clues: “Big favors. Huge favors.” – line from Pretty Woman, “big mistake, huge, ” and he created Happy Days

  80. ncd112 says

    Al burton exec produced ‘charles in charge’ who’s theme song has the hint “our days and our nights” in it. He just died and had a lot of hit shows so there will likely be lots of happy comments. No idea on the PAs but likely one of the young co stars was not invited back.

  84. PinkFlamingo says

    This is Ron Howard. He portrayed two iconic and beloved TV characters: Opie Taylor on “The Andy Griffith Show” and Richie Cunningham on “Happy Days”. How disappointing.

  85. omgimbackagain says

    I forgot about GM, because I was so upset lol. My love for Mel Brooks can continue.

  87. letinstar says

    Ugh…Garry Marshall? Ron Howard?

    This makes me very sad. I just watched that GM special the other day.