Emmy-winning Seinfeld Director to Hold Book Signing at UA

hardly-cover-dodson-txtcrop TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Tom Cherones, Emmy Award-winning director of “Seinfeld” and “NewsRadio,” will hold a book signing for his first novel, “The Hardly Boys: The Mystery of the Golden Goblet” in the rotunda of Reese Phifer Hall on The University of Alabama campus, April 11 from 1-3 p.m.

During his time as a Hollywood director/producer, Cherones, a Tuscaloosa native, garnered such awards as an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a Peabody and a Director’s Guild of America Award; directed Mary Tyler Moore, Suzanne Pleshette and many other stars; and was involved with numerous TV shows, including “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “Caroline in the City” and “Welcome Back, Kotter.” Cherones retired from the Hollywood scene a few years ago.

Ellen Traylor, of Port Hole Publications, has high hopes for the book.

“Tom’s years as a comedy director serve him well in this spoof on the old Hardy Boys series,” she said. “His knack for story-telling and comic timing are evident in this fun read.”

Written with the baby boomer generation in mind, the book has been described as “a comeback for teens at heart.” The protagonists, Tom and Billy Hardly, are indeed “hardly boys.” After 50 years of suspended animation in a “cryogeriatrically” induced frozen sleep, their bodies are those of men in their 70s but their minds are those of 1950s teenagers.

Tom and Billy’s father, DeVern Hardly (now in his 90s), is still a top-notch private detective whose assistance is sought by various law enforcement agencies, including the FBI. The Hardly boys, along with their portly friend Whit Moore, are enlisted to help in the hunt for a priceless artifact, a golden goblet encrusted with “jewels of all sorts: diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds and the occasional garnet.”

During their quest they are challenged by many facets of contemporary life. In one hilarious episode after another, Whit and the Hardly boys must deal with with baffling technological gadgetry and a twilight zone of cultural incongruity.

“The Mystery of the Golden Goblet” is the first in a proposed series of Hardly Boys books. A Hollywood agent is working toward a movie version of the book and a possible TV series.

For more than a decade, Cherones has conducted a filmmaking class at The University of Alabama, sharing his experiences and knowledge with a new generation of artists and technicians. In 2003 he was inducted into the Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame.

Copies of “The Mystery of the Golden Goblet” will be available for purchase at the April 11 signing.