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Business Wire
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
Legacy Meets Luxury: Quixote Revives Iconic Star Waggons Brand With New Cast Trailer Models
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Quixote, a leading provider of sound stages and production services for the entertainment industry, today announced it is reintroducing Star Waggons, the iconic brand known for providing luxury cast trailers to celebrities and production clients, with a fully remodeled trailer design. Revamped interiors feature a calming neutral palette, custom blonde millwork, and plush upholstery as well as a full-height refrigerator, electric fireplace, and light-adjustable makeup station. A refreshed exterior profile showcases smooth siding, an updated logo, and modernized graphics that retain the brand's signature stripes and retro-inspired typography. The new luxury cast trailers are all fully electric and solar-powered with access to Quixote's Sustainable Fleet Dashboard. This on-demand tool provides real-time remote monitoring, management, and data analytics giving transportation and sustainability teams essential tools and insights for eco-conscious operations and reporting. Additionally, they are among the first to include Quixote's new power sharing capability, which enables the connection of solar all-electric trailers to share power from unit to unit. The new Star Waggons are programmed to preferentially use solar power while maintaining the ability to draw power from generators if necessary. As the only product of its kind manufactured and maintained in Los Angeles by Local 399 teamsters employed by Quixote, Star Waggons are custom-built and expertly serviced to meet the discerning requirements of the entertainment industry's leading talent. 'Hollywood loves a comeback, and we are thrilled to bring a brand-new aesthetic and one-of-a-kind features to the latest models of the legendary and beloved Star Waggons cast trailers,' said Sean Griffin, Senior Vice President of Sales for Quixote and Sunset Studios. 'This marks a new chapter for Star Waggons, blending its iconic heritage with a modern approach that prioritizes sustainability, efficiency, and luxury for today's top talent.' Star Waggons was founded in 1977 by actor Lyle Waggoner ('The Carol Burnett Show,' 'Wonder Woman'), who saw the need for customized trailers to serve talent on-set and created the first custom talent trailers. The brand has grown and evolved over the years, eventually joining the Quixote fleet of production trailers, trucks, lighting & grip, and other equipment. Now Quixote is doubling down with a new Star Waggons design for its luxury cast trailers and refreshed logo that preserves beloved elements of the original branding with a modern twist. The first new Star Waggons single-cast trailer is currently available for booking and additional single, two-room, and three-room trailers will roll off the production line throughout the remainder of 2025. To learn more about the new and improved Star Waggons models and for information about rentals, please visit About Quixote Quixote is a leading provider of sound stages and production services for the entertainment industry. Quixote rents sound stages, production trailers, trucks, lighting & grip, and other equipment to support a wide range of productions including long-form television and feature film, as well as high-end photo shoots and commercials. Quixote operates in Los Angeles, New Mexico, Atlanta, and New York, while also servicing on-location productions across the U.S. As part of the Sunset Studios platform, Quixote offers unparalleled convenience, service, and quality to productions of any size. At Quixote, everyone on set is a VIP. For more information, please visit
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carol Burnett reveals special gift she received from Lucille Ball on day comedian died
It was a bittersweet birthday for Carol Burnett. The comedy icon has spoken about her special relationship with Lucille Ball – and the touching birthday gift she received from the late 'I Love Lucy' legend on the day of her death. Burnett, 92, discusses Ball's impact on her Hollywood career in the upcoming Shout TV! special 'The Carol Burnett Show: Mother of all Marathons,' which premieres May 10. 'The woman who influenced me probably the most was Lucille Ball,' the Golden Globe-winning actress says in a preview of the special obtained by People. 'She came to see me in 'Once Upon a Mattress,' which was my first Broadway break,' Burnett continues, 'and she was there the second night, and I was more nervous that she was in the audience than I was the night before, when all the critics were.' The pair hit it off after Ball gave Burnett some supportive advice backstage. 'We sat and we talked for about a half-hour and she was so supportive and she said, 'Kid…' – she called me kid, she was 22 years older than I was – and she said, 'Kid, whenever you need me, give me a call,' ' Burnett says in the clip. The 'Palm Royale' actress later called in that favor when she was offered 'The Carol Burnett Show' in 1967. 'Just a few short years later, I was lucky enough to be given a special if I could get a major guest star,' the Emmy winner explains. 'And I got up the nerve and called her, and she said, 'Hey kid, you're doing great. What's happening?' 'And I was so nervous and I kind of flustered,' Burnett continues, 'and she said, 'When do you need me?' 'She came on the show, and then later on, years later, I did her show after 'I Love Lucy,'' she adds, 'and she was a guest on my show when I got my variety show.' Their friendship continued until Ball's death at 77 on April 26, 1989, which was also Burnett's 56th birthday. Despite the 'Here's Lucy' icon's passing, her birthday gift to Burnett was still delivered. 'We were very close, and she always sent me flowers on my birthday,' Burnett says. 'So this one morning I got up, turned on the television set – it was my birthday – and she had died that morning, on my birthday. 'And that afternoon, I got the flowers that said, 'Happy birthday, kid.' ' Since 'The Carol Burnett Show' ended in 1978 after 11 seasons, Burnett has starred in 'Annie,' 'All My Children' and 'Better Call Saul.' However, after winning seven Emmys, six Golden Globes, a Grammy and a Kennedy Center Honor throughout her impressive career, Burnett has teased that her latest project, the Apple TV+ series 'Palm Royale,' will likely be her last. 'Probably,' she said when asked about retirement in October. 'Unless there's a cameo or something fun!'
New York Post
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Carol Burnett reveals special gift she received from Lucille Ball on day comedian died
It was a bittersweet birthday for Carol Burnett. The comedy icon has opened up about her special relationship with Lucille Ball – and the touching birthday gift she received from the late 'I Love Lucy' legend on the day of her death. Burnett, 92, discusses Ball's impact on her Hollywood career in the upcoming Shout TV! special 'The Carol Burnett Show: Mother of All Marathons,' which premieres May 10. Advertisement 'The woman who influenced me probably the most was Lucille Ball,' the Golden Globe-winning actress says in a preview of the special obtained by People. 6 Carol Burnett in Los Angeles on Sept. 15, 2024. WireImage 6 Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett on 'The Carol Burnett Show' in September 1967. Getty Images Advertisement 'She came to see me in 'Once Upon a Mattress,' which was my first Broadway break,' Burnett continued, 'and she was there the second night, and I was more nervous that she was in the audience than I was the night before, when all the critics were.' The pair hit it off after Ball gave Burnett some supportive advice backstage. 'We sat and we talked for about a half-hour and she was so supportive and she said, 'Kid…' – she called me kid, she was 22 years older than I was – and she said, 'Kid, whenever you need me, give me a call,'' Burnett remembered in the clip. 6 Carol Burnett, now 92, shortly before receiving her Life Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild in December 2015. Rich Fury/Invision/AP Advertisement The 'Palm Royale' actress later called in that favor when she was offered 'The Carol Burnett Show' in 1967. 'Just a few short years later, I was lucky enough to be given a special if I could get a major guest star,' the Emmy winner explained. 'And I got up the nerve and called her, and she said, 'Hey kid, you're doing great. What's happening?' 6 Lucille Ball in a scene from 'I Love Lucy' in May 1952. 'And I was so nervous and I kind of flustered,' Burnett continued, 'and she said, 'When do you need me?' Advertisement 'She came on the show, and then later on, years later, I did her show after 'I Love Lucy,' the comedian added, 'and she was a guest on my show when I got my variety show.' Their friendship continued until Ball's death at age 77 on April 26,1989, which was also Burnett's 56th birthday. Despite the 'Here's Lucy' icon's passing, her birthday gift to Burnett was still delivered. 6 Carol Burnett at 'The Carol Burnett 50th Anniversary Special' in Los Angeles on Oct. 4, 2017. Vince Flores/ 'We were very close, and she always sent me flowers on my birthday,' Burnett says. 'So this one morning I got up, turned on the television set – it was my birthday – and she had died that morning, on my birthday. 'And that afternoon, I got the flowers that said, 'Happy birthday, kid.'' Since 'The Carol Burnett Show' ended in 1978 after 11 seasons, Burnett has starred in 'Annie,' 'All My Children,' and 'Better Call Saul.' 6 Carol Burnett in June 2022. Getty Images for AFI Advertisement However, after winning seven Emmys, six Golden Globes, a Grammy and a Kennedy Center Honor throughout her impressive career, Burnett has teased that her latest project, the Apple TV+ series 'Palm Royale,' will likely be her last. 'Probably,' she said when asked about retirement back in October. 'Unless there's a cameo or something fun!'
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ruth Buzzi dead at 88: 70s comedienne was best known for TV's Laugh-In with Goldie Hawn
Seventies comedienne Ruth Buzzi has died at the age of 88. She passed away on Monday at her home in Texas while under hospice, it was reported on her official Facebook page. The star was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2012 and was disabled from a stroke in 2022. The comedienne was best known for starring in the NBC variety sketch comedy show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In which aired from 1968 to 1973. The show won her a Golden Globe Award and received five Emmy nominations. Her costar was Goldie Hawn. Ruth also appeared on several popular TV shows such as Days of Our Lives, The Carol Burnett Show, Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Berenstain Bears, The Pink Panther and 1976's Freaky Friday. Her last acting credit was a starring role in the 2021 movie One Month Out. Ruth's close friends were a who's who of the 1970s: Lucille Ball, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Marlo Thomas and Johnny Carson. Buzzi was born in Rhode Island and raised in Stonington, Connecticut. Her first job was with singer Rudy Vallee in a live musical and comedy act when she was only 19-years-old and still a student. She moved to New York City after graduation from college then worked alongside Barbra Streisand, Joan Rivers, Dom DeLuise, Bernadette Peters, and Carol Burnett. Ruth also appeared in numerous television commercials. Her first big TV role was on The Garry Moore Show in 1964 with Dom DeLuise. The star then appeared on The Entertainers (1964–65). In 1966–67, she appeared in Sweet Charity with Bob Fosse's wife Gwen Verdon in the original cast. Next came The Steve Allen Comedy Hour, a variety series starring Steve Allen. And then she landed a part on her biggest show: Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In where she played Flicker Farkle; Busy-Buzzi; Doris Swizzler; and one of the Burbank Airlines Stewardesses. She could also be seen on That Girl as Marlo Thomas' friend Margie Peterson. Buzzi also guest-starred as Chloe, the wife of phone company worker Henry Beesmeyer (Marvin Kaplan) on Alice in 1981. She was also a guest star on Down to Earth in 1985. Dean Martin's producer Greg Garrison hired her for his comedy specials starring Dom DeLuise. And she popped up on Donny & Marie, The Flip Wilson Show, The Dean Martin Music and Comedy Hour, the Dean Martin Roasts, The Carol Burnett Show, Tony Orlando and Dawn, The Monkees, Emergency!, and variety series hosted by Leslie Uggams and by Glen Campbell. She also appeared occasionally on game shows and was a celebrity judge on The Gong Show. And she was on Lucille Ball's last comedy Life with Lucy as Mrs. Wilcox in the episode Lucy Makes a Hit. She appeared eight times on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. And Ruth showed up on Sesame Street in 1993 as shopkeeper, Ruthie. Later, she was seen on Saved by the Bell, The Muppet Show, Passions and Come on Over. She had featured roles in more than 20 films, including Chu Chu and the Philly Flash, Freaky Friday, The North Avenue Irregulars, The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again, The Villain, The Being, Surf II, and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. Buzzi lived with her husband, actor Kent Perkins, on a 600-acre cattle and horse ranch near Stephenville, Texas. The TV veteran was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2012. In July 2022, it was reported that Buzzi had suffered a series of strokes. Buzzi died at her home in her sleep in hospice care in Stephenville, Texas on May 1, 2025 from complications of Alzheimer's disease, at the age of 88.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
On social media, everything from Lady Gaga to knee-high Converse sneakers is a ‘recession indicator'
If you believe social media, signs of an impending recession are everywhere. Lady Gaga back on the charts? That's a recession indicator. Coupons and canned good displays at grocery stores? Definitely recession indicators. And the return of knee-high Converse sneakers? Possibly the most obvious recession indicator of them all. Any societal shift that either evokes the Great Recession or signifies an effort to save or make extra money is a potential recession indicator — according to the internet anyway. We aren't actually in a recession, at least not yet. But that distinction isn't really the point. These tongue-in-cheek observations suggest that the vibes are off. And faced with a worsening economy, a trade war and rising recession odds, social media users can't help but send memes into the void while laughing nervously. Underneath these jokes is a very real anxiety. And that anxiety tells us a lot — both about how we depend on humor and where the economy could actually go. A recession would wreak havoc on the economy, causing potential mass layoffs as businesses cut back and a decline in the stock market. Between 2007 and 2011, more than half of American families lost at least a quarter of their wealth due to the Great Recession. Today, amid an erratic trade war, consumer confidence is at its lowest since May 2020. None of that is funny. But the internet can't help it — the memes are ubiquitous. Facing one of the worst financial crises in almost two decades, all anyone on social media can seemingly do is laugh. This isn't the first time jokes have materialized online in the wake of a serious news event. Last year, memes about the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson flooded social timelines, as users aired their gripes about health insurance ('Thoughts and prayers are out of network,' went one popular quip). More recently, in the midst of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, immigrants have joked on TikTok about self-deporting. In the midst of upheaval, suddenly everyone's a comedian. Phrases like 'all you can do is laugh' or 'laughter is the best medicine' underscore our longstanding tendencies to turn to laughter when faced with dire situations, said Dustin Kidd, professor of sociology at Temple University. 'The more serious things get, the more we rely on humor as a way to cope with them,' Kidd said. Thanks to television, humor has become a key ritual in how we cope with circumstances, he said. Sketch comedy shows like the 'The Carol Burnett Show' and 'Saturday Night Live' gave comedy a national audience, with the latter specifically poking fun at politicians and political ramifications to this day. Similarly, the sitcom 'Maude,' which ran for six seasons in the 1970s, gave Americans a way to think through difficult feminist questions, Kidd said, most controversially depicting the titular Maude deciding to have an abortion two months before the Roe v. Wade decision. 'TV and other forms of popular culture, including social media, are often misperceived as escapism,' Kidd said. 'On the contrary, when we are confronted with tough issues, jokes and entertainment are useful ways to tease out and answer the hard questions.' But many still feel powerless against economic woes, Kidd said, which is why they may turn to humor rather than a more active, problem-solving solution. You might be concerned about sudden drains in your 401(k) — like Kidd said he is — and recognize that potential tariffs may be part of the problem. But can you actually stop the tariffs? Probably not, Kidd said. 'I have written all of my representatives about how my retirement savings are being impacted. But apart from sending those emails, I feel like I'm stuck,' he said. 'I don't know how to fix this thing that's hurting my life so much. So then I end up turning to jokes.' People want levity in this moment, Kidd explained. These collective recession indicator jokes provide that, at least for the 30 seconds it takes to watch a TikTok. Humor also abounded in the midst of the Great Recession, but the jokes took on different shapes. 'The Daily Show' host Jon Stewart famously debated CNBC's Jim Cramer — a peak example of satire and humor crashing with real financial commentating. Elsewhere on late night, Jay Leno of 'The Tonight Show' made more than 850 jokes in eight months about the meltdown in his monologues, according to an Associated Press report. ('So bad that on 'Sesame Street,' they won't even talk about the letters A, I or G anymore,' went one line.) Primetime sitcoms also incorporated the collapse into their shows — in one episode of 'The Office,' airing in October 2007, Michael Scott tries to declare bankruptcy by literally walking into the office and shouting, 'I declare bankruptcy!' What's new now is the current social media landscape, which has essentially mass marketed these jokes and made them accessible to everyone, all the time. By simply being online, you are likely engaging in these jokes whether you want to or not. You see them on TikTok, you might send one to a friend, and later you might even reference it in a real conversation. And so the cycle turns — rather than grappling with the hard questions of living, it all becomes a meme. In the case of the economy, it could turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy, Kidd said. When people joke about feeling negatively about the economy, it could cause others to feel the same way. That would mean more people pulling back from the market — inching us ever closer to an economic slump. This pulling back is illustrated by other, non-joke economic indicators too. The men's underwear index, coined by economist Alan Greenspan, posits that men will hold back on buying underwear when they think the economy will go down and buy it again as the economy stabilizes — metrics that proved to be true back in 2007 to 2009. 'Memes are just testing out ideas mostly,' said Kyla Scanlon, author of 'In This Economy? How Money and Markets Really Work.' It's like sending a smoke signal, she explained. They ask, 'Hello? Is everyone else okay?' The echo-ing 'no' comes as a relief — they're not alone in their stress, or their preparatory instincts. Onlookers have noted for years that the lines between sincerity and irony are blurring. In today's social media-obsessed world, the meme-ification machine works around the clock. As worries mount — AI making jobs obsolete, the continuing climate crisis, inability to own a home, etc. — it all becomes too much to bear. And when people have given up, Scanlon said, everything becomes a joke. 'I think a lot of people are like, 'Nothing matters anymore,'' she said. 'And it's just sad.' Some are taking a more serious approach to the possibility of recession. Millennials who lived through the 2008 crash have begun giving younger people advice both online and in real life. Others are posting videos about how to recession-proof your life, from starting a garden to cheap meal ideas — all in varying degrees of jest. Not everyone has given up, then, but the ubiquity of these indicator memes underscore how hard it is to not give in, at least a little, to a feeling of catastrophe. Jokes, at least temporarily, are our national reprieve.
