Melissa on the West Coast, Pt. 3

The two hour drive from Palm Springs to Hollywood would have been easy-breezy, except for the loss of the passenger side window. In a classic case of “Driving Miss Lazy,” Melissa sat in the backseat with Willis to avoid the constant blast of hot air from said missing window. We left mid-morning; I noticed as we got closer to our destination that the temperature outside was slowly rising. By the time we got Los Angeles, it was over 90 degrees. It was safe to say that although it wasn’t voiced, nobody in the car was in a happy place. However, the show must go on, so we continued with our list of film location visits, with the first one being the “Mildred Pierce” (1945) house in Glendale, which was first covered here. Snap snap and it was back in the car to visit Rizzo and Danny who were talking about “sloppy seconds” at Frenchie’s house from “Grease” (1978).



I don’t know about sloppy, but we were definitely hot and sweaty by this point.



And yet… we carried on. Next stop: Jane Hudson’s house from “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?”(1962):



While the exterior of the house was used for a number of scenes, the film crew also built a replica of it on the soundstage at Warner Brothers. Note in this publicity still you can see the door AND the interior of the set on the far right.



Temperatures continued to rise as patience plummeted, so I made an executive decision: time for lunch. Mauro Cafe at Fred Segal on Melrose Avenue was the perfect place to get cool in the shade, hydrate, and enjoy a delicious meal. This has to be one of my favorite spots in Hollywood; the staff is super friendly and the food is tasty.



The tart lemon slush is a favorite of mine.





My chicken parmesan sandwich hit the spot:



And yes, the carrot cake was every bit as decadent as it looked.



Once I dropped Melissa off at her hotel I headed toward the Chateau Marmont, where I finally felt like I could relax and breathe…until I realized I’d left my camera back at Mauro Cafe. Willis and I piled back in the car and quickly retrieved it. Yes, that caused a few moments of panic.



My room (39) was one I had never been in before and it was lovely.



Willis was happy to be at his home-away-from-home.



What a great view of the patio and Sunset Boulevard from my window:



Willis and I crashed and then went downstairs for a late dinner. There was a piano player! What a fantastic touch.



The roasted chicken, broccoli, and mashed potatoes were delish.



Yes, Willis had some of the chicken. How could you resist this face?!?



No, he didn’t get any of my Coconut Panna Cotta dessert.



We slept well that night. Almost too well; Willis was not happy when I tried to get him up for his morning walk.



I love strolling through the nearby West Hollywood neighborhoods, as there are so many cool historic homes and apartment buildings, like The Andalusia from 1926:





I want those garage doors!



The Mi Casa apartments on Havenhurst were used in the 1974 film “Chinatown.”



This is where Detective Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) snapped clandestine shots of Hollis Mulwray with a young woman he was supposedly having an affair with.



It’s a gated building, so I couldn’t get in to see the courtyard where the scene was filmed.



It’s the details that draw me in:



Afterwards,  it was time for my morning swim and for Willis to relax. Please, no pictures.



Next up: Sid Krofft at the Chateau!

See more photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Frank n' Shirley

I bought this photo awhile ago and was hoping to get more info on it before posting, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. What I do know: Frank DeVol is on the left, and Shirley is on the right, looking either frustrated or tired. Where they are and what they are doing is a complete mystery, as the two don’t seem to share any credits.

Frank DeVol was born in Moundsville, West Virginia, on September 20, 1911 and grew up in Canton, Ohio. His father had a pit orchestra at the local movie house. After high school, Frank attended Miami University (in Ohio) for six weeks. The parental units saw him as a lawyer; Frank saw himself as a musician. He was a member of the musicians’ union from the age of 14 and worked for his father in the theatre orchestra. His instruments were violin and saxophone at first (he and I have that in common!). After his brief college interlude, he joined Emerson Gill’s orchestra in Ohio and traveled the state. Later, he joined Horace Heidt’s band, also taking on the duty of doing their arrangements. In 1943, he settled in California and started his own band, appearing on KHJ radio and accompaniment to many radio shows.

Based on Shirley’s appearance in the photo, I am guessing it was taken during the time of her television show, “Shirley Temple’s Storybook” (1958). Perhaps they were in a recording studio together and just happened to cross paths.

At that time, DeVol had credits as Musical Director for “The Betty White Show” (2 episodes, 1958) and “The George Gobel Show” (4 episodes, 1958-1959). DeVol also broke into the movies and composed the score for 50 films. In addition, he composed the music for a number of television shows, such as “Family Affair” (1966), “My Three Sons” (1960), and most notably “The Brady Bunch” (1969). Yes. He wrote the theme song. Now try to get that one out of your head.



He also wrote the songs for the Bette Davis/Joan Crawford camp classic, “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" These two songs will linger in your brain, too.





As an actor, DeVol had small parts in “The Parent Trap” (1961, as Mr. Eaglewood) and various TV sitcoms such as “Get Smart,” “That Girl,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” “My Favorite Martian,” and “Petticoat Junction.”

You can thank me later for the music playing in your brain the rest of the day.

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Charlotte in Color!

Following the success of “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?,” Joan Crawford and Bette Davis were to be reteamed in another campy horror film, “Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte.” This time, the two screen legends would be switching role types: Joan would play the evil backstabbing Miram and Bette the sympathetic heroine, Charlotte. Well, as much of a sympathetic heroine as Bette could play at this point in her career. As she did in “Baby Jane,” Bette went over the top in her performance, layering on the hysterics. Unfortunately, Crawford was replaced by Olivia DeHavilland, so we never got to see how the dynamic duo would have fared when the tables were turned. “Charlotte” was filmed in black and white, just like its predecessor. These two rare color shots of Bette Davis were taken on set of the film in June 1964.

Released in December 1964, the film garnered seven Oscar nominations but didn’t win in any of those categories. Would Joan have been nominated? That would surely have made her feud with Davis far worse! Here’s a previously posted shot of Joan with costar Joseph Cotten and director and producer Robert Aldrich during the time she was involved in the production:

See more vintage Movie and TV photos at my main website.

Joan Beats Bette

On November 6, 1950, Bette Davis finally joined the ranks of her colleagues by placing her hands in a wet cement block in the forecourt of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. From the vintage November 8, 1950 publicity blurb:

Bette Davis, who already holds two Academy Awards, gets a new kind of recognition as her foot print is immortalized in the cemented forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Lending a hand are Marine sergeants Jack Spencer (left) and Bert Nave.

I found a shot of the block itself on the Movies of Course blog:

This vintage Hollywood News Reel shows footage from the “All About Eve” premiere as well as Bette returning the next day (at 1:33) for the cement block ceremony:

Down the street at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, they dimmed all the letters on their neon sign so that it read “Eve” for the premiere. Here’s my contemporary re-creation:

What I want to know is why it took 21 years for Bette to join screen-rival Joan Crawford at Grauman’s?

See more Grauman’s Chinese Theatre photos at my main website.

Oscar Night, 1951

March 29, 1951: in this rare image, George Sanders is seen walking down Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Pantages Theatre with current wife, Zsa Zsa Gabor (1949-1954), holding his best supporting Oscar.

Sanders' win came for his performance as the acid-tongued critic, Addison DeWitte in "All About Eve." Here he is with costars Anne Baxter, Bette Davis, and Marilyn Monroe.



From youtube comes this color clip of Sanders winning his Oscar:



Interesting casting notes: Gabor very much wanted the role of Phoebe (Eve's obsessed and sneaky young fan at the end of the film), but instead was considered for the role that went to Monroe, Miss Caswell. Obviously, she didn't get either.

Because all of the slides from this batch were unlabeled, I am not sure if this shot of Esther Williams (with daughter Susan and husband Ben Gage) is also from Oscar night, but they are definitely dolled up for something special. The lady on the left looks something like silent screen legend Mary Pickford, which is actually why I purchased this slide.



See more vintage Hollywood Move & TV star photos on my main website.

Shirley, Lucy, and Judy Light Up!

Smoking has become a major health issue, often pitting the smokers vs. the non-smokers in violent public confrontations. Back in the day, smoking was a fairly regular pastime, but in the movies, rarely did you see the stars smoke unless they were male, a villain, or a woman of "loose virtue."

You might see a star smoking in the Hollywood Rags, especially if the paparazzi caught them out on the town. This 1953 photo shows a virginal looking Shirley Temple out with husband Charles Black at the Stork Club in New York City. Below, Rock Hudson has one hanging out of his mouth while he negotiates a bottle of suntanning oil in this 1955 Palm Springs image:



James Dean was a bad boy; if you weren't sure about it, the cigarettes he constantly smoked should have been a big tip off.



Even if you didn't see the stars smoking in the movies or on TV, a decorative ashtray was practically a staple in every interior set, including this one from "I Love Lucy".



Occasionally, a cigarette could be used for comic effect:



A cigarette was also a great prop to show that the character was deep in thought or stressed out, like James Mason in "A Star Is Born," when he wakes up in the middle of the night remembering the singer he'd met earlier in the night (played by Judy Garland).



In this 1967 photo of Judy at the Ambassador Hotel in Chicago, Judy isn't seen smoking, but the ashtray is front and center.



Can you imagine the amount of nicotine hanging in the air at this 1962 "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" rehearsal?



When you see smoking in a vintage movie classic, does it affect your enjoyment of it?

See more classic movie star photos on my Movie and TV photo web page.

Joan Gets Hushed

Most classic movie buffs are aware of the movie "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" and the legendary feud that existed between its two stars, Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. A lesser known fact is that the two actresses were scheduled to do a follow-up gothic horror movie, "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte."

Although "Baby Jane" went relatively smoothly, the tensions that simmered during that shoot finally erupted once rehearsals and filming started on "Charlotte."

On the last day of location shooting in Louisiana, the cast and crew packed up and left town without alerting Joan, who'd finished her scenes and fallen asleep in her trailer while waiting to see if she was needed for additional shots. Needless to say, Joan was pissed off and attempted to quit the picture, but discovered she was legally bound to continue. Claiming illness, Joan checked into Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, and temporarily had production halted on the picture.

On July 20, Joan returned to work. Here's a publicity shot and accompanying blurb that went out two days later:



Joan Crawford in her first scene 7/22 before the camera since her illness which held up production of "Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte" at 20th Century-Fox Studios is shown doing scene with co-star Joseph Cotton as producer-director Robert Aldrich watches in background next to camera.

Director Aldrich felt that Joan was faking, and after many back and forth discussions between insurance companies, studio execs, and Joan herself, it was decided to replace her. Vivien Leigh was one of the choices; her hilarious response to the request was this: “No, thank you. I can just about stand looking at Joan Crawford's face at six o'clock in the morning, but not Bette Davis.”

A month later, it was announced that Olivia DeHavilland would replace Joan.

In later years, costar Joseph Cotten stood up for Crawford, stating that Davis’ treatment of Joan was not very professional at all. Although the picture did great box office, it is definitely not as memorable as “Baby Jane.” It would have been interesting seeing Joan have the upper-hand over Bette in this picture. It might have caused Bette to tone down her over-the-top performance which detracts from the movie. In the detailed view below, note Aldrich prominently holding a bottle of Coke for the cameras. Surely he was aware of Joan’s relationship with Pepsi; this brazen move shows that he was extremely unaware or that he wanted her to leave the production to pacify Bette. 



Sharp-eyed viewers can see Crawford's face is still visible in the finished movie during a few long-shots that survived from her work in Louisiana.

See more classic movie photos on my Classic Movie web page.