[25] As a designer she has helped design different objects like snowboards[26] and technological clothing. Shiuebegan to drive, but then stopped the car toreprimand them for praying too loudly. Please ignore rumors and hoaxes. When Shiue arrived at his home, Stauffer and Beth were shackled and locked in a closet. Please help support our work by donating today and signing up for our newsletter. In December 2018, Marty Stouffer and Marty Stouffer Productions, Ltd. filed a lawsuit against National Geographic Partners, alleging that the company made copycats of his hit TV show with similar titles like America the Wild, Americas Wild Frontier, or Surviving Wild America. He went to Alaska to record footage with a Super 8 mm movie camera at the age of 19. Short Director 1972 The Predators 8.6 TV Movie Director 1976 Fantastic Follies 8.2 Director 1996 Great Escapes In some weeks, according to Nielsen ratings, it was viewed by more than 450 million viewers. Marty Stouffer's own career also evolved to encompass four distinct stages of film development - adventure, science, entertainment and environment. I thought, I have to get some reality into her. I sat her down in the chair and said, Listen, Beth, if God has given us this way of escape, we have to take it. (Courtesy of Beth Stauffer), The reality was, there was no place for me to understand what was really happening at the time of the abduction, she said. Which starred Home Improvements Jonathan Taylor Thomas in the role of a young Marty Stouffer. Marty Stouffer is the world's most recognizable and authoritative spokesperson for America's wildlife. But the shows [] More, You might remember her as Mindy in the off-beat yet endearing 70s and 80s sitcom Mork and Mindy. The series became an instant hit, and it was one of the most highly-rated regular series to air on the network. One of them, 6-year-old Jason Wilkman, walked near the trunk and had a close look at Stauffer and Beth. Marty ventured to Aspen, Colorado, with a friend, as the two had offered a construction gig there. In 1980, brothers Mark and Marty Stouffer created the half-hour documentary television series called Wild America, which explored North American wildlife. He enjoys skiing and riding deep into the Colorado wilderness on pack trips with his mules, "Dolly" and "Janey", on what he describes as "The Sacred Hunt"- a spiritual return to his roots as an ethical hunter. On a frosty morning in early February, I found myself on the way to his spacious house a short distance outside of Carbondale. One of these brothers Mark Stouffer, who would go on to help Marty with his future endeavors quite a bit. He immediately began planning his next big adventure. Born and raised in Aspen, CO to wildlife cinematographer Marty Stouffer, of PBS documentary show, 'Wild America' and wife Diane until moving to CA in 1999. Stouffer recounted an incident where he was driving the backhoe down Galena St. and popped a wheelie to entertain a group of hippies watching him. The couple has two children, a daughter, Hannah, and a son, Luke. Today, Marty lives in the high country outside Aspen, Colorado, with his wife, Diane, their children; 18 year old Hannah and 12 year old Luke, and the family's Springer Spaniel, "Shadow." As much as Stouffer and his wife loved Aspen, they eventually grew tired of the snow their house received and the constant shoveling. It grossed over $7.3 million at the box office. However, after returning to Arkansas and completing it, he found that there was little interest in all these lions and elephants. He continued, My lesson from that is people want to see America and American wildlife.. And Martys able to secure movie star Robert Redford as its narrator. He has two brothers, Mark and Marshall, and one sister, Mari. They also co-produced the 1979 TV movie documentaryThe Man Who Loved Bears, narrated by Will Geer and Henry Fonda. He was able to survive for weeks by killing and eating a Dall sheep ram. According to Stouffer, these were implemented after National Geographic backed out of a licensing deal with him. His unique approach takes the mystery out of wildlife but still preserves the magic. In the mid 1970's, with his brother Mark, he financed and co-produced the heart-warming Feature film, "The Man Who Loved Bears," narrated by Will Geer and the primetime NBC-TV Special "The Predators," narrated by Robert Redford. Finally, after numerous rejections of his various TV Series proposals by the major TV networks, the programming managers at PBS found his idea for a half-hour outdoor Series set in America too appealing - and too cost effective - to turn down. Hannah Stouffer (born 1981) is an American artist, illustrator and art director living and working in Los Angeles, California. This fast-paced comedy-adventure profiles Marty, Mark and Marshall Stouffer growing up wild and crazy in rural Arkansas and on the road filming. Regardless of the fame and awards showered on him over the years, Marty still exudes the un-jaded, boyish sense of wonder and enthusiasm for Nature that began as a child growing up in rural Arkansas. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'biographyhost_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_7',115,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-medrectangle-4-0'); In 1976, Marty also co-created the primetime NBC-TV Special,The Predators, with his brother Mark. Stouffer's special "The Predators" was narrated by Robert Redford and his special "The Man Who Loved Bears" was narrated by Will Geer and Henry Fonda. in English. During this journey, Marty used his old 8mm camera to try and film some professional-looking footage of what hes up to. A member of the Weasel family, the Fisher is a furry otter somewhere between the Mink and the Wolverine, but very energetic and playful. While his impressive library of wildlife film footage grew, his bank account did not. Marty Stouffer isnt heard from much anymore. Having starred in such television programs as VEGA$ and Spenser: For Hire. He was raised in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Also in 1996, Stouffer was accused of staging fights between predators and filming supposedly wild scenes in cages. Though Marty claims that National Geographic has ripped him and his works off in a much deeper way than this. If you try to escape, I will kill you, or he threatened mom, If you dont do what I want, Ill kill Beth, or tell me, If you try to escape, Ill kill your mother. The threat was there, but the reality is, killing us was not his end goal. Some, like Arne Sucksdorff, presented Nature as a thing of beauty to be appreciated like a work of art. In 1970, Stouffer graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in English. Stouffer's stories, incorporating dramatic "facts of life," and told simply in his home-spun style, won the hearts of a loyal audience. It seems that the entertainment world is content with the 120 episodes of Wild America that already exist. Three million feet of film and tens of thousands of photographs celebrating the beauty and drama of American wildlife are being readied for marketing. On August 25, 1979,Marty Stouffer married Diane Michelle Dale. While remaining a hunter at heart, he began capturing his quarry on film. Im an entrepreneur, a raconteur and probably, more than anything, Im a storyteller. It became one of PBSs most highly rated regular series. Evolving yet again, he worked on popular TV Specials with John Denver, Paul Newman and Robert Redford before settling into the "Wild America" niche and creating more than 120 exciting episodes of this popular continuing Series. God has been so good to us. Unlike any Wildlife Series to date, "Wild America" focuses on the sometimes shocking reality of life in the wild, including, Marty says jokingly, "sex and violence." Alyson Hannigan of "How I Met Your Mother," "American Pie" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fame stars as Mary Stauffer in the new Lifetime film about the 1980 abduction. When the folks back home actually paid money to see the unsophisticated movie he made about his trip, the young naturalist/filmmaker was amazed and pleased. But Marty yearned for adventure beyond the local woodlands. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'biographyhost_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_3',114,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-medrectangle-3-0'); At 18, Stouffer embarked on a solo trip to Alaska. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Another half-dozen one-hour Specials for the National Geographic Society were also produced during that same time period. The Feature was created with "Forrest Gump" producer, Steve Tisch, Jim Robinson of Morgan Creek and Warner Bros. The lives of Marty Stouffer and his brothers, Mark and Marshall, in their hometown of Fort Smith, Arkansas, were later adapted for the film Wild America in 1997. Orphaned birds and mammals were rescued, raised and released back into the countryside near their rural Fort Smith property. Sure, its dangerous. Alongside his brothers, Marty could found hunting and fishing from an early age. Marty Stouffer was born on September 5, 1948 and is 74 years old now. The films a dramatization of Marty and his brothers early experiences that led to Marty going on to create his hit PBS documentary series. We knew that, but we knew that He wouldnt desert us. Marty and other filmmakers traveled and gathered abundant footage of North American wildlife, which eventually became the foundation of his long-running television documentary seriesWild America. She then broke open the door while Shiue was away at work. I dont torture animals.. "Leona," the Owl, learned to fly in the Stouffer living room, "Foxy," the Fox, shared "Whisper" the Spaniel's food bowl and "Stanley," a baby Beaver, lived in the bathtub for months. In 1996, Outside reported that Wild America earned Marty an estimated $18 million during its run. Shiue, who owned a local electronics store, kept his dark secret from everyone. The series represented the culmination of all that Marty Stouffer had attempted to do with his documentary filmmaking up until that point. If he finds us escaping, hes going to kill us. ", Marty Stouffer with David Attenborough In March 2015, Stouffer attempted to finance a 4K resolution remastering of Wild America via a Kickstarter campaign. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. (Lifetime). Martin bought the family a Brownie box camera for still photographs and a Kodak 8mm movie camera which Marty and his brothers used to create "corny" (as Marty says) home movies about themselves, their adventures, and the animals around them. Marty claims that what hes focused on currently is trying to convert the many half-hour long episodes of Wild America into digital shorts that would be more suited for todays audiences. The film stars Scott Bairstow, Devon Sawa, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas. But good things can still happen after tragedy and [you] can still have a good life. Legal Statement. It came out just like it was greased it was a miracle. The outlet continued that eventually, Shiue relaxed his strict house rules. Today, Marty lives in the high country outside Aspen, Colorado, with his wife, Diane, their children; 18 year old Hannah and 12 year old Luke, and the family's Springer Spaniel, "Shadow." . (Lifetime), Then I did a nasty thing, perhaps in the eyes of an 8-year-old, continued Stauffer. "Wild America" was born. Mary and Beth Stauffer recall their horrific 1980 kidnapping, which has inspired the new Lifetime film, 'Abducted: The Mary Stauffer Story.'. Marty would eventually quit his gig with the safari company. (Lifetime), When he would take her out for the rape sessions, he never had me know about any of that, said Beth. I like sitting out on the porch, which has a magnificent view of Mt. It was one of PBS's most highly-rated regular Series, never leaving the Top Ten, and it remains the most broadcast Series which has ever aired on Public Television. Marty has claimed that American wildlife is what the television audience wanted to see. To report about any issues in our articles, please feel free toContact Us. Get the best viral stories straight into your inbox! But she ended up spilling the beans on one of the most embarrassing chapters of her life instead. Marty Stouffer isn't heard from much anymore. Im not a bad guy. After graduating from the University of Arkansas with a degree in English in June of 1970, Marty began producing his second film, this one for a safari company in Botswana, Africa. In 2015, Stouffer founded H+ Creative, a woman owned and operated boutique creative studio representing a tight-knit roster of top-tier, diverse international artists. An August snowstorm buried the remote Brooks Range, and shut Marty off from the outside world. Marty Stouffer Productions is based in Aspen and sued National Geographic in December 2018 on claims of trademark infringement, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices. The outlet revealed Shiue was also sentenced to 40 years for Wilkmans murder. Though the campaign wasnt successful. Facts Verse JUDITH KOHLER February 27, 1996. The lawsuit alleged National Geographic swiped Stouffer's ideas and stole his "Wild America" brand for their own video productions. Martin Luther Stouffer Jr., is the narrator and producer of the wildlife and nature documentary television program Wild America that originally aired on Public Broadcasting Service. By amazing comparison, Marty Stouffer's own career also evolved to encompass four distinct stages of film development - adventure, science, entertainment and environment. (Photo by Bruce Bisping/Star Tribune via Getty Images), Howie Lai plays Ming Sen Shiue on Lifetime's "Abducted: The Mary Stauffer Story.". In addition to filming, Marty explores for historical artifacts and, along with his children, has a collection of "small white rocks." On August 25, 1979, Marty Stouffer married Diane Michelle Dale. The Feature was created with "Forrest Gump" producer, Steve Tisch, Jim Robinson of Morgan Creek and Warner Bros. Today, Marty lives in the high country outside Aspen, Colorado, with his wife, Diane, their children; 18 year old Hannah and 12 year old Luke, and the family's Springer Spaniel, "Shadow." by When I walk down the street of one of them now, I see more friends than I would in Aspen., It takes community support to keep The Sopris Sun shining. Since production of Wild America ceased in the mid-1990s, Stouffer has kept busy with syndication deals (pretty much at any time, Wild America is running somewhere on one of the four major broadcast networks), managing his film archive (stored in a vault in his basement) and new projects. The company that Marty seems to have the biggest problem with is National Geographic. Whereas many previous wildlife documentarians focused on filming in exotic locales in other countries, Stouffer primarily filmed in American locations in order to raise awareness of the plight of these animals. 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