L.A. Confidential at the Los Angeles Theatre

It only took me about three months to finally get this post done, which is actually pretty good for me these days as I often feel like I’m at least a year behind. No kidding! As part of the LA Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats series, “L.A. Confidential” (1997) played on the big screen at the Los Angeles Theatre in downtown L.A.



From the L.A. Theatre website:

The Los Angeles Theatre was the last and most extravagant of the ornate movie palaces built on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles between 1911 and 1931. Designed by architect S. Charles Lee with a French Baroque-inspired décor, its majestic six-story main lobby and 2,200-seat auditorium of carved plaster ornamentation, mirrors, and cove-lit murals recall the glamorous days of 1930s Hollywood.



The terrazzo floor outside on the street displays a level of craftsmanship one does not typically see anymore:



The inside is jaw-dropping! Opulent and yes, a tad-bit gaudy, it still packs a wallop nearly one hundred years after it first opened for the premiere of Charlie Chaplin’s “City Lights” on January 30, 1931.
 


I am obsessed with the fountain area shown below. It took me quite some time to get a decent shot sans cellphone gawkers standing in my way. I don’t mind other people taking photos; just those taking numerous selfies, obliterating this beautiful area with their ego-driven faces snapping shot after shot after shot, hoping to get the perfect image for their social media, proving that they were here.



Before the film started, James Ellroy, author of the book L.A. Confidential, gave a reading from his new book, Red Sheet. Not a fan of LA, he said he only came to the city for three reasons: 1. Where he goes when he is getting a divorce 2. When he has to dry out 3. To make money. His reading of his latest novel was just as I would expect it to be from him: slightly anger, very vulgar, and somewhat hard to follow.



That killer smile of his as he signed my copy of Red Scare. I have been struggling to read through it, as his staccato/machine gun writing style takes a bit to get used to. L.A. Confidential was one of the few times where I would say I prefer the film to the novel. Ellroy has wonderful stories to tell; I’m just not a huge fann of his writing style.



Heading back to the theatre itself, I snapped (what else?!?) a light fixture or two:



The impressive stage curtain:



The detail on the ceiling. Wow. Just wow.



Ellroy spoke for a bit before the film started. He didn’t elaborate, but it was easy to read between the lines that other than the money he was paid for the film rights to his novel,  he was not a fan of the adaptation.



I was pretty excited to see it up on the big screen again, especially in this grand movie palace. The print was muddy and throughout there were focus issues. Despite that, the film was still impressive. Stellar cast, stellar set design, and killer dialogue.



See more Los Angeles Theatre photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Shirley the Tomboy

Shirley Temple was the most popular movie star of the 1930s, but that didn’t keep 20th Century-Fox mogul Darryl Zanuck from worrying about retaining those audiences. In order to appeal to little boys,  her innate tomboy characteristics were brought out in “Captain January” (1936). Set at a seaside lighthouse, Shirley gets to wear boyish naval attire through most of the movie, and is even taught how to properly spit!



In this still from a deleted scene, Shirley almost gets a tattoo from John Carradine. Spitting is fine, but no tattoos for Shirley!



The dance sequences focused on athletic and daring routines, including a memorable one staged on this spiral staircase. This closeup of Shirley and costar Guy Kibbee is also from a deleted scene:



Shirley later recalled the scene where she learned her multiplication tables while doing a tap dance routine down the lighthouse spiral staircase. From her autobiography Child Star:

Learning my solo tap dance descending a forty-five-foot-high spiral staircase in a lonely lighthouse taught me not only the routine, but also how to multiply. It was all tight steps, like a ballet, a devilishly complicated task. There were three things to do at once: the taps, move down the spiral staircase a step at a time, and synchronize multiplication tables with both taps and movements.

Shirley’s character was still a bit of a helpful Hannah, but thanks to pairing her with a thoroughly unlikeable counterpart, ably played by Jerry Tucker, the audience naturally roots for Shirley! In a deleted sequence, Shirley is shown below with Tucker, selling lobsters. The prissy little brat is obviously appalled!



In one of my favorite scenes, Tucker and Temple’s characters are tested together for their scholastic aptitude. You can see the tension building between the two before the test begins:



Motion Picture magazine reported professional jealousy on Shirley’s part:

Jerry Tucker, ten-year old ‘Captain January’ juvenile, had her attention for almost a day. That was because his line-remembering agility was a slight thorn in Shirley’s side. She learned her two pages of dialogue and leapt into it like a gazelle, not permitting Director David Butler to break it into smaller scenes and thus lessen the tax upon her memory. She’d show that Jerry Tucker (who had done his scene in only two takes) that women had good memories, too!



Below, June Lang is at right, playing the part of the pretty schoolteacher:



A detailed view of Tucker and Temple. Tucker was born Jerome Harold Schatz, and garnered his first taste of fame with the “Our Gang” comedies. His movie career ended in 1941, and he went on to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean War. Tucker followed his years of service with a successful career as an RCA electrical engineer, living on to the ripe old age of 91.



So as to continue the appeal for little girls, Shirley gets a cute little frock for her aptitude test, which was also sold as an outfit for the popular Ideal Toy Company Shirley Temple doll of the 1930s:



The movie also used the “Captain January” sets and costars Slim Summerville and Buddy Ebsen to promote the RCA Victor Magic Brain. Maybe this is what inspired Tucker’s later career?



From the publicity blurb on back:

Slim Summerville and Buddy Ebsen, featured players in 20th Century-Fox “Captain January” starring Shirley Temple, are seen discussing the qualities of the RCA Magic Brain Radio. Summerville and Ebsen are seafaring men in this great picture and they depend upon R.C.A. Victor Radio for their news and entertainment.

Magic Brain…sounds a bit like a pre-cursor to AI!



What a 1936 RCA Victor Magic Brain radio looks like, as seen in this photo from Facebook:



Here’s a view of what the Cunningham Radio Tubes, shown in the window, look like in color, from the Tube World Express website:



In other Shirley news, Shirley Temple expert supreme, Rita Dubas, has just released another thoroughly detailed video with EVERYTHING you could possibly want to know about the famous Shirley Temple soft drink, of which Shirley herself could not stand!



See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Dolly in San Diego and Hollywood

I normally don’t get too affected by celebrity deaths, but Dolly Parton was an exception. She was one of a kind who could have inspired the phrase about breaking the mold. She could sing, write, and act, and had a personality that EVERYONE adored. Somehow, she also managed to keep her private life private, holding rude interviewers at bay with a witty quip and a smile. Despite patterning her look after the town tramp, she gave off a warm approachable vibe that made people feel as if they had known her for years. Another rare quality was her ability to be positive. ALL THE TIME. Instead of complaining about politics or griping about people, she did what one should: be a good example, keep your mouth shut, and do what is humanly possible and let the rest go. Too often the armchair critics just sit back and bitch about the state of affairs without offering true help or solutions; not Dolly. She put her money where her mouth was and used it for good, creating libraries for kids, helping underprivileged neighborhoods, donating for medical research, and so many other worthwhile philanthropic efforts that have probably gone under the radar. When I was getting my haircut the other day, I was reminded that there was a Dolly Parton mural in Normal Heights, by Sharky and Hassler outside Avalon Tattoo. From the Earthly Excursions website:

Avalon Tattoo’s owner commissioned the mural because he viewed Dolly as the quintessential American success story. She was a performer who rose from poverty and humble beginnings, and remained incredibly generous, authentic, and relatable to ordinary people. He later added the eagle and stars himself as a personal tribute to her.



My first introduction to Dolly was in 1977 with her song, “Here You Come Again.” One of the rare Parton hits that she didn’t write herself, it still packed a wallop, as she conveyed the emotion of someone falling in love with the wrong kind of person but not being able to help herself. Who hasn’t gone through that?!? After that, “9 to 5” (1980) was her breakout first role in the movies, captivating audiences with her portrayal of the “dumb blonde” who was anything but dumb. Despite looking like the town tramp, Dolly was a smart businesswoman who was able to use street smarts to outwit the fools who couldn’t see beyond the stereotype.



I was fortunate enough to see Dolly perform in San Diego at Humphreys by the Bay, August 1, 2008. I was impressed that despite being tiny in height, she was still able to radiate her gigantic warm energy to the audience and make them feel like she was singing to each and every one of them.

On September 13, 2008, I was asked to be part of the Dollypop! exhibit at the World of Wonder storefront gallery on Hollywood Boulevard. I LOVED being part of these popup gallery exhibits, which typically consisted of an email, “Hey, we have an exhibit coming up about _____; want to be part of it?”



I created this 3' x 3' painting using images from the fantasty/revenge sequences of “9 to 5.” It hangs in my office to this day; entertaining serious offers if anyone is interested.



Me on the left, looking appropriately dorky at the exhibit with co-curator Steven Corfe (right) and my friend Gene (center):



Marc Malkin was the other curator:



Although Dolly didn’t attend, there was an impersonator, Lenora Claire (thanks for the memory jog, Major!):



The other painting I created for the exhibit was “Dolly of the Caribbean,” creating a mashup of two of my favorite things. 24" x 36", I think I still have this…but haven’t located it yet. If I still have it, I might retool it a bit before offering it for sale.



Dolly left many amazing projects behind to still be carried out. Most importantly, I hope her legacy of laughter, positivity, and ability to get good things done can continue to inspire others. It would be almost too easy to ask oneself, “What would Dolly do?”

See more Normal Heights/Adams Avenue photos at my main website.