Bill Cosby selects George Schlatter as producer

by Joyce Haber

other coup: George C. Scott

ida-cum-Nassau next month.

abroad). Director Richard Tomorrow Entertainment Patrick Lichfield sneaked Hotel. Bill Cosby has chosen a will star in his movie, (the first is director-scenarColla starts shooting in Florsay she's the reason Lord into our Beverly Wilshire. producer for the hour-long "Norman, Is That You?" by ist Robert Bolt's "Lady CarSpeaking of sexy Susan variety show he'll do for Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick. oline Lamb," now filming George, there are those who CBS this fall. And he As a play, it flopped on. couldn't have chosen better. Broadway but it's a current The man is George Schlatsmash in Paris, Rome and ter, who specializes in stars Berlin. It opens shortly in from way back-Dinah London, with Robert Morley Shore, Andy Williams, the directing. George starts late Judy Garland-and shooting the comedy, which more recently Rowan and concerns a provincial MidMartin (plus others) of western father who discovLaugh-In. ers his son is a homosexual, Cosby announced his re· in April. tirement from show busiMid-April will find Rowan ness last year. He told David and Martin motoring about Frost that he was giving up England with their wives. his NBC series (Cosby The couples will meet in played a high school basketParis and take a side-trip to ball coach) to become a Epernay to visit the birthteacher. Bill now lives in place of Dom Perignon and Massachusetts. His new Moet et Chandon. On May show will be done from Hol22, Dan and Dick will emcee lywood. Bill will commute a command performance for on weekends. Queen Elizabeth II, thence back to their old stomping grounds, Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas, before beginning the Laugh-in for fall.

"Mr. Cosby is an enormously talented and intelligent man," says producer Schlatter. "I've had a ball

with him. He's very, very funny. I feel from where I came to where I'm going is a giant step to Utopia."

From where I came" is Laugh-In, and Schlatter's much-publicized embroilment with Rowan and Martin. George and Ed Friendly just sold out their interest in the show, as Rowan and Martin demanded. I'm told that Schlatter and Friendly did very well indeed.

Schlatter has scored an-

Hollywood has a thing of late for love stories and for jewelry heists either separately or together. 'The next on the schedule is ""The Master" by Alan Trustman, who, gave us "Bullitt" Its stars are Donald Sutherland who everyone, mostly Jane Fonda, knows; and Susan George, who those who've seen "Straw Dogs" finds hard to forget. The movie will be the second for General Electric's new division,