Tony Verna

Anthony F. Verna (November 26, 1933January 18, 2015) was a producer of television sports and entertainment blockbusters.

Biography

Verna was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He died in Palm Desert, California at the age of 81.

Broadcast hallmarks

Verna's broadcast hallmark was an ability to continually come up with advances in the use of cameras, program content and creative interplay. It was this skill that prompted him to use a trick left over from radio days in order to outwit the technology of the times and allow for a play on the field to be re-broadcast "instantly."

Verna's varied career includes creating, producing and directing Pope John Paul II's billion-viewer television special "A Prayer for World Peace" and the historic music spectacular "Live Aid." As President of Caesar's Palace Productions, Verna was involved in all their spectacular entertainment projects.

Notables who collaborated with Verna

Verna worked with and or and was friends with such notables as Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, Grace Kelly, Mother Teresa, Edward R. Murrow, Larry King, Rod Stewart, Burt Reynolds, Dizzy Dean, Milton Berle, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, Mick Jagger, Christopher Reeve, Tom Selleck, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Rocky Marciano, Kirk Douglas, Chevy Chase, Johnny Cash and John Denver.

Major television events

Tony Verna produced and/or directed the following major television events:

1955 – Major League Baseball Game of the Week with Dizzy Dean<br /> 1960 – Rome Olympics <br /> 1962 – Josip Broz Tito----ski jumping---Yugoslavia<br /> 1963 – (Dec-7) Invented the instant replay first used for the Army–Navy Game<br /> 1964 – Directed Kentucky Derby (first of 12)<br /> 1967 – Las Vegas – Liberace Special<br /> 1967 – Johnny Unitas – Instant Quarterback<br /> 1968 – Rocky Marciano, Jonathan Winters Jogging<br /> 1968 – Directed Super Bowl#2 (first of 5)<br /> 1968 – Harlem Globetrotters–Soupy Sales<br /> 1968 – Roy Rogers, Dale Evans Special<br /> 1969 – Rocky Marciano Tribute<br /> 1970 – Created The Battle of the NFL Cheerleaders CBS<br /> 1970 – Created Instant Quarterback-John Unitas<br /> 1970 – Produced and directed Pro Bowlers Tour<br /> 1972 – Directed Mike Douglas Show- Moscow<br /> 1974 – Directed Canadian Stanley Cup<br /> 1974 – Directed 12th Kentucky Derby<br /> 1974 – Directed bios Jesse Owen, Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio<br /> 1975 – Mexican soccer championships<br /> 1975 – Directed Le Mans Grand Prix, France <br /> 1976 – Hired by Saudi Arabia for Montreal Olympics <br /> 1977 – Created $50,000 Challenge Winner Take All – Telly Savalas <br /> 1978 – Soupy Sales – Harlem Globetrotters<br /> 1978 – London World Circus ---Karl Wallenda<br /> 1978 – Celebrity Daredevils, Christopher Reeve <br /> 1978 – Battle of the NFL Cheerleaders<br /> 1978 – NBC Rock n Roll Classic – Rod Stewart<br /> 1978 – Created Pete Rose Roast with Milton Berle--<br /> 1979 – Billiards Mosconi-Minnesota Fats-Omar Sharif <br /> 1979 – Peoples Choice Award--Tom Selleck -Hawaii <br /> 1979 – ESPN--30 interviews with Roy Firestone<br /> 1979 – Created Weekend Heroes – Las Vegas<br /> 1979 – Directed ABC primetime All American Woman <br /> 1979 – President of Caesars Palace Productions<br /> 1980 – Ronald Reagan Network Interview<br /> 1982 – Charlton Heston-Paul Newman Debate-ABC<br /> 1984 – ABC Summer Olympics <br /> 1985 – Live Aid <br /> 1985 – Christmas Special-Mother Teresa <br /> 1985 – Christmas Celebration-Johnny Cash<br /> 1986 – Sport-Aid <br /> 1986 – Prayer For World Peace, Pope John Paul II<br /> 1987 – Omni 14 Great Minds Predict the Future<br /> 1989 – Our Common Future Special—Global <br /> 1990 – Earth 90 – Japan – John Denver<br /> 1990 – White House – George H. W. Bush<br /> 1990 – Ted Turner Goodwill Games-Larry King<br /> 1991 – Earth Day- Japan- Ray Charles<br /> 1994 – Created Superstitions Around The World – London<br /> 1996 – 2006 Consultant—Vatican and World Broadcasters

Books

Tony Verna is the author of:<br /> 1970 – Playback<br /> 1987 – Live TV (commissioned by the DGA)<br /> 1993 – Global Television <br /> 2006 – Algebra 1 Murder II <br /> 2008 – Instant Replay: the Day That Changed Sports Forever

Patents

Verna held U.S. Patents on the following:

• 2006 – Instant Footballer
• 2008 – Talking Replays

References

External links