| Casting Call Founder |
| Written by Rosana Marsili | ||
| Thursday, 05 October 1995 08:05 | ||
 Aspiring young actor, Mel Pogue, beginning his journey in show biz. “He was looking for a way to truly serve the acting community,” said Marshall Ferguson, talent consultant. “He really wanted to help and inspire the people who came to him.” But for two months, the once busy office would remain mysteriously silent. Mel Pogue, a man who made his living keeping the present and future stars of Hollywood in the limelight, ironically, passed away unnoticed in his Burbank home on October 6, 1994. He was 67 years old. Pogue established Casting Call in 1976, partly due to his own desire to be a Hollywood star, according to former Casting Call feature writer and present day television producer. Larry Leverette. “Part of Mel’s inspiration was keeping himself in the limelight… He had a lot of ham in him.” Having performed in over sixty plays with the Ben Bard Players, Pogue also aspired to be a film and television actor. His credits included feature roles in, “A Star is Born,” and “Ma and Pa Kettle,” among others. A talent with the guitar, Pogue also owned and operated Mel Pogue Studios, where he gave guitar and vocal instruction to the likes of Larry Stosch (F Troop) and Louisa Moritz (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest). “He had a lot of students and he was dedicated to his teaching.” said Leverette. Originally from Wilmington, California, Pogue was a veteran of the Navy, serving in San Diego and the U.S. Naval Military Government in Guam. He never married nor had children. Having survived his mother, Pogue’s body went unclaimed at the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office for two months. “He wasn’t forgotten,” said James Mares, Pogue’s friend of twenty years, “it’s just that legally, none of his friends could claim his body.” After several attempts by the Public Administrator’s Office to locate the next of kin, Pogue was eventually laid to rest at the Riverside National Cemetery by the Veteran’s Administration. According to friends and Casting Call clients, Pogue was a painfully shy man who never disclosed information about his personal life. “Mel kept to himself,” said acquaintance and Casting Call advertise, Ivan Markota, of the Van Mar Academy, “I don’t think he let anyone get too close. He’d be in his office every day though, good ol’ Mel. He was a great guy, but I don’t think anyone really knew him.” But they certainly knew of him in the hundreds of issue before Pogue’s death. Casting Call featured Hollywood’s up and coming talent, from George Peppard and Catherine Ross, to Pat Rooney, Marsha Mason and Frank Sinatra. Even some of today’s hottest properties once graced the cover of Casting Call as Hollywood’s newest discoveries, including Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Whoopi Goldberg, Meryl Streep and Sylvester Stallone, to name a few. Agents, public relations professionals, and even the actors they represented, corresponded with Pogue, seeking a mention or potentially a feature on Casting Call’s cover. Pogue’s magazine was simple, never flashy, but it carried weight in its distribution, promising exposure on newsstands all over Hollywood, including some studio lots. “He was gutsy enough to put out a magazine that, to the eye, was pretty bad, but he had a lot of people behind him,” said Leverette.  Pogue and Spelling enjoying a photo opportunity together. “Mel really depended on Jean, she was a strong part of the magazine,” added Ferguson. Manning dedicated nearly 16 years to Casting Call until she was eventually stricken with blindness, and then cancer, which led to her death in 1992. Shortly after, with his hearing failing, Pogue’s once stocky frame began to look frail as he continued to lose weight while battling heart disease. According to Ferguson, Pogue never spoke about his illness. He preferred to focus on Casting Call and his readers. “There’s an old saying, if you’re true to the game, the game will be truthful to you, and he was truthful to the game,” said Ferguson, “Mel had a following that could depend on him to get real ads and real casting notices in his paper,” Ferguson added that Pogue made it a point to verify the legitimacy of all casting notices posted in Casting Call, which contributed to the magazine’s staying power. “Mel gave more than the other trades in town did because he gave from the heart,” said Ferguson. And he gave until that day he died. Pogue spent his last morning making sure the latest edition of Casting Call was on the street. Ed Avila, current Casting Call Publisher and talent manager, vows to carry on Pogue’s devotion to the aspiring actor. Avila understands the need for positive, supportive, and truthful information in the acting community, especially for the aspiring talent with little or no experience. “I owned a talent management company for years,” said Avila, “It’s amazing how many people try to get into this business with little or no knowledge of how the industry works. Information is what Casting Call is all about, and part of succeeding in entertainment is knowing the rules of the game and who the key players are.” With a cleaner look and fresh staff of writers, Avila has taken Casting Call to a new level. “…but Mel laid the foundation to make this magazine work, and one thing that won’t change is the dedication to the readers. I think Mel would be very proud to know that Casting Call lives on. As he always said, it’s ‘Where Show Business Begins. . . ’ “ Mel Pogue, Remembered
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| Last Updated on Monday, 08 February 2010 02:03 |
