Sally Gordon-Mark
Research, Writing & Translation
Serving Professionals in Art, Music and Literature
Biography
Sally Gordon-Mark
Born in Manhattan, raised in a family of musicians, writers and artists, then nourished by rich professional experiences, I came to Europe in 1987 and now have dual nationality, French and American. Although I have embraced the European lifestyle, I am still a frank and optimistic Yankee with an ability to work hard and efficiently!
In the U.S., my career began in adolescence as a professional singer and dancer. When I was 17, I sang in the group, “The Murmaids,” and we each received a gold record, following the success of our major hit record, “Popsicles and Icicles.” For 20 years afterward, I was hired intermittently as a studio singer and also sang in bands.
After college, I studied Italian in Florence, Italy and then returned to earn my living as a studio singer and music teacher in Hollywood.
In 1976, I was hired by Warner Bros. Records in Burbank, California to assist Executive V.P. Stan Cornyn and Chairman of the Board Mo Ostin who assigned writing projects to me. In 1980, I created my own enterprise, “Studio Script Service,” and my principal client was Zoetrope Studios, where I worked directly with Director Francis Ford Coppola, typing and editing scripts.
These experiences led to my being hired by Lucasfilm Ltd. in Marin County, California. As “Coordinator of Special Events,” I was in charge of public relations and promotions, which involved the organization of appearances by costumed characters in the Star Wars films (Darth Vader, R2D2, C3PO, & the Ewoks). I was also responsible for proofreading and checking the quality of promotional material & packaging (texts, posters, graphics and video) created by licensees such as CBS Fox Video.
Reporting to Sid Ganis, Executive V.P. of Marketing, I was given a variety of writing assignments and, on a freelance basis, hired to adapt the screenplay of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” for the Grammy-winning LP, “Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Movie on Record,” the first of its kind realized without narration. Also, I wrote & sold to Lucasfilm four episodes for the television series, “The Droids.”
In 1987, I came to Paris to study A-level language & literature courses at the Sorbonne to perfect the French I learned in high school. Later I studied Italian at the Scuola Leonardo Da Vinci in Florence, Italy, completing the equivalent of a five-year program with honors. Settling in Paris in 1991, I studied the harpsichord & early music interpretation with concert artists Huguette Dreyfus, Jory Vinikour & Olivier Baumont for a period of six years.
Because of my strong interest in history and my desire to produce concerts & events based on the cultural life of Louis XIV & his court at Saint Germain-en-Laye near Paris, I created the non-profit production company, "Les Grands Baladins de St. Germain." I organized a series of Baroque music concerts, for which I did all the publicity & historical research.
My professional activities expanded to encompass research, translation & editing, and I have also written articles for publication. One of my projects was the research in France for the international bestseller, « Sleeping With The Enemy : Coco Chanel’s Secret War» by Hal W. Vaughan, for whom I discovered documents & photos that had never before been published. Currently I am researching & writing the biography of film producer Robert Watts at his request.
