- Born
- Height5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
- Ed Shifres is an actor, producer, and set decorator known for The Pharaoh Project (2001), Portrait of a Suspect (2000), and A Murder of Crows (2013).
Ed Shifres was born on July 07, 1956 in Boston, Massachusetts. After being raised in the Bostonian suburb of Mattapan, he graduated from Randolph High School in Randolph Massachusetts in 1974. Ed appeared in his first film as a teenage detective in the student film Mission:Psychosearch (1974) directed by Bill Hanney, and filmed at Randolph High School. After serving in the U.S. Air Force in 1976, Ed began work as a Motion Picture Inspector for the same company he rented films from as Vice-President of the Motion Picture Club at Randolph High School. After a job transfer in 1980 to Hollywood California, Ed was promoted to Associate Production Manager, and continued his repairing, editing and censoring film for Swank Motion Pictures. In 1983, Ed received his Associate of Arts degrees in Telecommunications and Liberal Arts from Columbia College Hollywood, Hollywood. In 1985, Ed became Director of Film and Video Operations for twelve years with Larry "Bozo The Clown" Harmon Pictures Corporation at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood and later had an office on Hollywood Boulevard. In 1986, Ed worked as a News Monitor, reporting stories for sales staff, at Video Monitoring Services of America (VMS). In 1989, Ed served as a Contributing Correspondent and Writer-Researcher for Lisfan Magazine (the Lost in Space (1965) TV series fan magazine) and he arranged numerous published interviews with actors, writers, producers, directors, and composers from that series. Several of Ed's articles also appear in Lisfan issues. Ed authored The Lost In Space Guest Star Biographies booklet (1991, Lisfan Press). He also wrote an ongoing column for The Astral Traveler fanzine in the United Kingdom, and Lost In Space Australia, as Ed's column became evergreen with popularity. In 1993, Ed became a Research Consultant and wrote The Three Stooges Supporting Players Mini-Biographical Profiles, a regular biography column for the quarterly published Three Stooges Journal. Ed became the only person to have ever written and publish the biographies of all the supporting actors who worked in the classic Three Stooges comedy film shorts (1934-1959). In 1996, after several years of extensive research, Ed wrote and published a book about one of the most egregious instances of plagiarism in the history of American entertainment. The quote was by Roderick Thorp - Author of Die Hard (1988). The book was Space Family Robinson: The True Story (1996, Windsor House) first published as a captivating article for Lisfan magazine (which led to a TV interview on Around The Mind Bend (TV - Sept. 1990). The book was first released as a Special Limited Edition hardcover full-length book. In 1996, one of the principal players in the book, acclaimed director-screenwriter-producer, Ib Melchior, was interviewed by KNBC-TV news anchor and journalist Jess Marlow. They discussed Ed's book on KNBC-TV's News Conference. The book's success spawned the trade paper version re-titled Lost in Space: The True Story (1998, Windsor House). The booked sparked extreme controversy within the fan organization, and at 20th Century Fox, as it was prudently released at the same time as the release of the 1998 theatrical motion picture, Lost in Space (1998) (New Line Cinema). The foreword to the book was written by Ib Melchior. In addition to the aforementioned writings, Ed has had several letters of varied subjects published in newspapers and magazines.
Among several memorable experiences was Legendary science fiction collector and writer Forrest J. Ackerman asking for Ed's autograph and a copy of Ed's book which became part of Ackerman's extensive famed collection; a personal invitation to the home of noted Director/Writer Charles Bennett for an exclusive interview. Bennett was Alfred Hitchcock's first and favorite film director; and spending a weekend at 1996's Starcon science fiction convention in Pasadena, CA, with the lead actors Paul Mantee and Victor Lundin from the 1964 classic science fiction film Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964). Contrary to sensible presumption, Ed's most fervent love is not writing, but, rather, acting. He has had theatrical, commercial, cold reading, stage and voice over training. In 1980-81 Ed performed on stage in college and small theatre productions playing Johnny in A Hatful of Rain; as Jimmy Doyle in New York, New York; as Felix Unger in The Odd Couple; as Abraham Lincoln in The Revision (a parody on The Gettysburg Address); and as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire. Ed played a street vendor in the student film Celluloid Heroes (1982) directed by Les Siegel. In 1983 and 1984, Ed toured with the Hollywood Comedy troupe Forsaking Art (aka Bogus). He appeared on stage at Hollywood notable locales such as The Comedy Store and The Laugh Factory, and was lead singer in a music video called Isabelle is a Woman, which Ed directed. In 1998, Ed appeared as a regular {background} actor in ABC-TV's critically acclaimed series Sports Night (1998) - and is memorable amongst fans as the videotape stuntman in the episode, Mary Pat Shelby. The stunt man scene with only Ed & Award-Winning Actress Felicity Huffman also aired on the ABC-TV promo spots for the series. In 1998, Ed became a member of SAG (The Screen Actors Guild). Ed served as a Nominating Committee Member of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards in 2008. Ed's principal acting roles include co-starring as the lead scientist in The Pharaoh Project (2001) opposite Hong Kong Box Office Star, Conan Lee; as the memorable Syrian Interrogator in the multi-award-winning Portrait of a Suspect (2000), Recipient of Time Warner Media Arts Award 2000 for Programming Excellence. Received Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from U.S. Congressman Steven T. Kuyendall in Recognition of Outstanding and Invaluable Service. Received Certificate of Recognition from the California State Assembly in Honor of Exemplary Service and Dedication to Creating Outstanding Programming. Received Honorable Mention Certificate from the Hometown USA National Video Festival; as the pleasantly psychotic hit-man, Le Chifre, in A Murder of Crows (2013); as the Los Angeles News Anchor in the 2003 Riverrun International Film Festival Best Screenplay Award-winning Superguy: Behind the Cape (2000); as well as smaller appearances (one-on-one handshaking scene with Ray Liotta in HBO's The Rat Pack (1998), and as a security guard gassed by Adam West in the episode Out of Thin Air in the Roger Corman TV series Black Scorpion (2001) on Showtime. Ed also appeared on CBS-TV's Chicago Hope (1994) (as a paramedic), ABC's The Practice (1997) (as a juror), NBC's Just Shoot Me! (1997) (as a photographer), as an insurance salesman in a televised commercial for S.O.S Insurance by Media One Communications, as a model in a 1998 MTV Awards commercial with Samuel L. Jackson, and in many background roles in about twenty TV shows & films.
Ed also had lead roles in a few projects that never aired: As Tony Guido in The Swinging Door (1999) as Officer Quatan Vlandar in Police Soldiers (1999)- in which he trained as a police officer at a pseudo-police academy, in the TV pilots "Chance of a Lifetime" (2001) as Gordon Johnson, in "Target"(2002) as Lawrence Granville, and as Fattsulo - a mob killer in The Poet, produced only as a trailer.
On August 02, 2001, Ed spoke at the podium at the Hollywood-Roosevelt Hotel, during the celebration ceremonies following the unveiling of the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star for the actor Guy Williams star of the TV series Zorro (1957), and Lost in Space (1965). Ed was a signer on the Committee that earned Guy's Walk of Fame Star at 7080 Hollywood Blvd, ironically where Ed had an office. In June 2004, Ed was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors in the Corporate Level position of 'Secretary' with the film production company ArtisTech Pictures, Inc. Ed held the position from 2004-2008.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
- Ed Shifres' book "Space Family Robinson: The True Story" precipitated the arrangement for writer/director Ib Melchior to be given screen credit in the Lost in Space (1998) movie produced by Prelude Pictures and distributed by New Line Cinema, and Melchior worked as special adviser to Mark W. Koch in the film because Melchior was the creator of the original "Space Family Robinson" (1960) - a screenplay, which became the Irwin Allen Lost in Space (1965) TV series. Melchior was never credited for the creation, until the details were exposed in Ed Shifres's "Space Family Robinson: The True Story" (Windsor House - 1996) and re-published as "Lost in Space: The True Story" (Windsor House - 1998). The book was extremely controversial and earned Melchior a monetary settlement and recognition as the creator of what became Lost in Space (1965). The book was very controversial and critically acclaimed with excellent reviews from Hollywood notable writers. To satisfy Melchior, Prelude Pictures hired him as a consultant on their feature film adaptation. Melchior's contract also guaranteed him 2% of the producer's gross receipts, a provision that was later the subject of a suit between Melchior and Mark W.Koch of Prelude Pictures. Although an Appellate Court ruled partly in Melchior's favor, on November 17, 2004 [ironically the exact month/day of the Second Revised shooting Final Irwin Allen pilot script in 1964], the Supreme Court of California denied a petition by Melchior to further review the case.
- Shifres was praised (via a published letter) by film critic Leonard Maltin for Shifres' ongoing biography column in The Three Stooges Journal (Issue 71, Fall 1994).
- Shifres was praised by Screenwriter-Producer Aaron Sorkin for his role as the Videotape Stuntman in the episode Mary Pat Shelby on the Sports Night (1998) TV series (ABC-TV 1998).
- The foreword to Shifres' book was written by Ib Melchior. The back cover attained excellent review blurbs from notables such as Curt Siodmak - Author of Donovan's Brain (1953) and Creator of The Wolf Man (1941), as well as Die Hard (1988) Author Roderick Thorp.
- JFK Assassination Information Center - Associate Member as of 1991. Ed personally knew Eva Grant (Jack Ruby's sister) and Ed had a one-time business transaction with Earl Ruby (Jack Ruby's brother).Jack Rubywas the man who killed Lee Harvey Oswald (the man who allegedly assassinated JFK).
- Original ideas are the sole possessions of the author who devises them. Ib Melchior's original Space Family Robinson, in my opinion, has been blatantly used in Irwin Allen's Lost in Space television opera, shamelessly, even using some of Ib Melchior's wordings. I, too, have frequently been the victim of the "great idea robbery", thefts that demonstrate the mental poverty of the unauthorized "adapter." The author's original ideas are his private property. Space Family Robinson and its clone, Irwin Allen's Lost in Space, are an unabashed example of this unlawful act of literary embezzlement. - Quote is by Curt Siodmak - Author of Donovan's Brain, Creator of The Wolfman.
- Edward Shifres's book is a painstakingly documented examination of one of the most egregious instances of plagiarism in the history of American entertainment. Line by line, plot point by plot point, Mr. Shifres demonstrates that the television program, Lost in Space, was really Space Family Robinson, created by Ib Melchior, and that Irwin Allen, who grabbed the credit and millions of dollars, was just another Hollywood hustler who knew how to make the system work for him. This is a true crime story in which the bad guy got away with it - until now. - Quote is by Roderick Thorp - Author of Die Hard. [Back cover of book].
- Despite the imperfections of human nature, we are at heart proponents of truth and fairness. Survival of the human species relies on some standard of fair play that serves as a criterion for uplifting human beings beyond a "survival of the fittest" mentality. Therefore, most of us cringe in our souls when confronted with evidence of blatant injustice.
It has been said that the truth if often stranger than fiction. The book, Space Family Robinson: The True Story, lends credence to this old adage. Author Ed Shifres chronicles the 30 year odyssey of Hollywood controversy and the multi-million dollar injustice that transpired regarding the creation and production of the famed TV series, Lost in Space. The focus of Shifres work is not riveted on Hollywood glitz, glamor, and glory, but rather delves into the murky depths of Tinseltown's inner workings in an attempt to divine the truth concerning a hidden event that left victims in its wake.
As you journey along with Shifres, you will travel a contorted path shrouded in the shadowy mists of half-truths, untruths, deception, and intrigue. Fortunately, through the author's efforts, which are solidly grounded in a wealth of substantial evidence, the twisted path leads to a luster of truth and the reader is able to discover the authentic origins to the TV series, Lost in Space. Along the way, you will be introduced the individual who conceived the original concept and developed the first treatment for this acclaimed production, a man who was subsequently denied both credit and monetary compensation for his endeavors.
Space Family Robinson: The True Story divulges particulars that will enchant readers and prove to be especially spell-binding for Lost in Space Fans. For any reader who has even a passing interest in the entertainment industry, Shifres provides an insider's view that is both informative and engaging.
As a reader, you will:- Learn the inside details involving the history of an American cult classic before you see the upcoming blockbuster movie, Lost in Space: The Movie.
- Delight in photographs, conceptual illustrations, and an extensive appendix with original, never-before-published documentation, including the original screenplay of Space Family Robinson.
- Discover never-before-publicized material regarding the original Lost in Space pilot and the early scripts.
- Meet the versatile and true creator of the original Space Family Robinson on your adventure through the pages of this book, when you visit the biographical halls of Ib Melchior.
- From exclusive interviews with talented and highly respected actors, writers, producers, and directors, to an extensive collection of original documents retrieved from dusty attics, musty basements, and polished law offices; from the world of literary classics to the domain of comic books; from events that transpired 30 years ago to present day circumstances, the book Space Family Robinson:The True Story delves into the compelling true story of creative opportunity denied, earned recognition unrealized, and finally, the uncanny twist that allows for justice and fair play to prevail. - Write-up is the inside dust cover of Space Family Robinson: The True Story
- Lost in Space: The True Story is a fascinating, unprecedented look into a case exposing the inner machinations of the Hollywood hierarchy, documented and corroborated as no other such case has ever been. The book is a must for every Lost in Space fan, every science fiction fan, in fact everyone interested in movies and what goes on behind the scenes. Ed Shifres' book is an exciting, jaw-dropping read. - Quote is by JAA Bien (The Bee) Los Angeles - The Largest Danish-American Newspaper in America. [Back cover of book].
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