James Dean: 94th Birthday Tribute

Today would have been the 94th birthday of 1950’s icon, actor James Dean. Still relevant, still studied, and still written about. At the age of nine, Dean’s mother died and his father decided to let him be raised back on the family farm in Fairmount, Indiana, shown below:



Fairmount is an interesting little community, seemingly untouched by the passage of time. This video does a great job of capturing the town (and Dean) through interviews with the locals who still memorialize the actor.



The town has two museums that are Dean-centric; there’s the James Dean Gallery, run by David Loehr:



A picture of Loehr that I shot back in 1995 at a Rockabilly show in nearby Marion, Indiana. He is surrounded by Christy (whose father went to school with Dean) and fan Diane.



The other museum WAS the Fairmount Historical Museum, which was once located in this historic home:



It has since moved closer to downtown in a brand-spanking new building and been rechristened as the James Dean Museum. What’s the difference between the two? If you want to see vintage souvenirs and get to know Dean from a fan perspective, the Gallery is the place for you. If you want to see Dean’s personal effects and have a better understanding of him as an actor and a human, the Museum is the far better choice.

In downtown, there is a little park with a bronze bust of Dean, sculpted by the late Kenneth Kendall.



It is a copy of the same bust Kendall sculpted that is at the Griffith Observatory in Hollywood.



I met Stephen Payne (at right) when he first came to the U.S. and journeyed to Fairmount; you’ll get to hear his story in the video. On the left is Luke Williams, an Australian who traveled to Fairmount as well, seeking to find out more about Dean.



More than just a “rebel,” James Dean was a gifted human being who tragically died too young before getting to explore his many talents. We are fortunate to have the celluloid reminders that will forever enshrined his youth.

See more James Dean and Fairmount photos at my main website.

Monday at the Observatory

When Melissa (aka “The Colonel”) came west, she wanted to visit the Observatory at Griffith Park. We were short on time the day that we picked to go there, so I had to be a master at efficiency. This is known as “chop, chop!” However, the first order of business was breakfast at the Chateau Marmont. Bacon was back on the menu, and this was a cause to celebrate! SJR (on the right) enjoyed her first piece this trip.



Even before opening, the parking lot at Griffith fills up fast, which means you have to find the nearest available spot on the long windy road up to the Observatory. The walk up the hill was good cardio! The shot above is a beautiful view of the city. Below is me trying not to look winded.



First order of business was to visit the James Dean sculpture by the late Kenneth Kendall, an artist who was commissioned by the actor shortly before his death.



No dear readers, that’s not Natalie Wood from “Rebel” on the left; that’s the Colonel, ready for her photo shoot at the location(s) where that movie was filmed.



Normally, I would have said, “Hey Colonel, get the hell out of my photo!” But the COVID screening fence already ruined the shot anyway. Yes, even to walk around on the grounds you had to show proof that you’d been vaccinated or had a negative test. Fresh air can be dangerous, folks!



Finally made it to the Observatory, that supreme example of architecture that opened back in 1935.



The inside is no less impressive. If it weren’t for the crowds of people, the murals, flooring, and other details would have you believe you had walked into a time warp. The rotunda ceiling:





Mesmerizing. I could stare at this pendulum all day long. Well…maybe not that long, but you get the idea.







Indoors, Melissa enjoyed her Emma Stone moment.





And then it was back to “Rebel Without a Cause.”





Although I had to run back to the car to make it to our next destination (read about it tomorrow!), there’s always time to get what I perceived to be a unique shot – the Astronomers Monument with the Hollywood Sign in the background.



Next time I need/want to spend more time there!

See more Griffith Observatory photos at my main website.

Vampira and the Pink Teacup

Recently, I finished a book on Maila Nurmi, best known as Vampira, the ghoulish hostess who introduced less-than-stellar horror movies to late-night TV audiences from 1954-1955 on LA’s KABC-TV. Written by her niece, Sandra Niemi, Glamour Ghoul: The Passions and Pain of the Real Vampira, Maila Nurmi, was an intriguing book that I could not put down. One portion that will resonate with many of my readers was Maila’s attendance at Disneyland on Opening Day, July 17, 1955:

That spring, Disneyland’s ubiquitous grand opening posters had wallpapered all of Southern California, advertising for a July 17th opening. The excitement was electrifying. An invitation-only dedication ceremony was scheduled the day before opening day. Before she was fired [from her gig as hostess of “The Vampira Show”], Maila was given two tickets to the once-in-a-lifetime celebration, one of which she gave to Jack [Simmons].

Below is a shot of Maila (out of costume) with Simmons standing on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Crescent Heights, outside their favorite coffee shop haunt, Googies:



Jack arrived at Malia’s door for the Disneyland event with a jaw swollen up like a blowfish. He had a toothache. Maila, who’d waited too long to be denied this occasion, insisted she had a surefire fix. She brought out a glass of whiskey and told Jack to take a sip and hold it against the offending tooth, then spit it out. Before leaving for the amusement park, she used an empty perfume bottle as a flask, in case Jack needed more painkillers. The day was a scorcher. Upon arrival at Disneyland, Maila and Jack joined the crowd to wade through the gates. Then they were herded to Main Street for the dedication, to endure a stream of speeches by local dignitaries. The crowd assembled in front of the podium. The heat was inescapable and the men on the dais stripped off their suit jackets before launching into their speeches.

 

The hot sun began to melt the new asphalt, and Maila’s high heels stuck to the sticky morass. Jack, suffering greatly both from the heat and his toothache, sipped from his homemade flask. Just as the ceremony began, Jack passed out. The crowd parted and two men carried him off on a stretcher. He woke up on a cot in the infirmary with Maila in a chair beside him. Reeking of alcohol, an attendant determined Jack was drunk, and both he and Maila were unceremoniously escorted out of the park.

I find it fascinating to think that somewhere in the crowd below, Maila Nurmi watched the festivities of Opening Day. Somebody, please find me a photo of her! Of course, she was not quite as recognizable outside of her TV show costume.



That’s not the end of the Disneyland story for Maila, though. She returned with actor Lewis Arquette, father to David, Richmond, Alexis, Patricia, and Rosanna Arquette. Apparently Maila was…

hell-bent on riding the teacup ride at Disneyland. And not just any teacup but the pink one, which was featured in all of the ads around town. And so Maila and Michael drove to the new Disneyland park in his convertible. Upon arrival, Maila made a beeline for the teacup ride, only to be met by bitter disappointment. No pink teacups. And so, she declared, to all within earshot, that Disney’s promotional posters were fraudulent. After her loud protestations culminated in the offer of a free ride, Maila accepted a spin in another cup, albeit an inferior white one with only a pink rim.

The December 1955 photo below would seem to back up the story, as it appears that there is a white cup with red designs, but not a pink one.



While the story might make one think that Maila was a pill, the truth of it was that she was a very kind nurturing soul who found herself constantly taken advantage of throughout her life. After getting pawed over and discarded by agents, photographers, and producers when she arrived in Hollywood, it is no wonder that such a sensitive artistic soul would be outraged that Disneyland did not feature what they advertised!

I had the pleasure of meeting her in person twice, during the annual heavenly birthday celebration for James Dean held at artist/sculptor Kenneth Kendall’s Hollywood home. From February 1997:



and again in 2003, seated next to actor Dennis Christopher.



I wish I had known more of her story when I met her, as she was a truly fascinating person that I would love to have talked with more. There will be future posts here about her, as Maila’s life touched upon many topics that I am obsessed with!



See more Disneyland Mad Tea Party photos at my main website.

Matt Marr at Griffith Observatory

When you last saw him, Dancer and Actor Matt Marr was at the Chateau Marmont's Bungalow 2 filling in as James Dean. Today's post shows him at Griffith Observatory, another Hollywood location used in the movie "Rebel Without a Cause." What do you do when you arrive there on a Monday only to find out it's closed? You shoot photos around its amazing exterior.



Matt won third place in the fourth and final season of So You Think You Can Dance Canada.



More recently, he told me that he had the honor of dancing to "Singing in the Rain" at the service for Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher.



Here he is posing next to the bust of James Dean, sculpted by the late Kenneth Kendall:



And leaning against the Astronomers Monument at the entrance to the Observatory:



The Astronomers Monument and Sundial (that's what's on top of the monument!) was completed in 1934. The design was by local artist Archibald Garner and was part of the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP).



More Griffith Observatory photos at my main website.

Back to the Hollywood Sign

This was my third collaboration with Vince Ramos, who wanted to get some shots of his new shades near the Hollywood sign. We began our semi-early morning near the James Dean statue by the late artist Kenneth Kendall.



Just in case we couldn't get close to the sign, I took my "insurance" shot of Vince from semi-far away.



With a 600mm lens, everything looks close.



And then after a bit of a journey, we made it. Backpacks and all.



It was a lot easier back in 2004.



Our next destination was Bronson Cave, where the Batmobile from the 1966 TV series roared out every Wednesday and Thursday night. Along the way we discovered the Giving Tree, which was one of those unexpected treasures along the way.



This park map was zero help. The water fountain a little further down...that was LOTS of help!



Finally made it.



Inside the cave. Unfortunately, neither Batman or Robin were here at the time.



Last one is a composite shot I got of Vince nearby.



More Hollywood photos at my main website.