Little Miss Sunshine in CA, Pt. 3

Part 3 begins at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles for the main event: The LA Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats showing of James Dean’s “Rebel Without A Cause” (1955). I hadn’t been inside the Orpheum since 2008, and it still looked pretty grand.



To say “they don’t make ’em like they used to” in this case would be a gross understatement. A little bit of history from the Orpheum’s website:

Since its February 15, 1926 opening, the Orpheum has played host to some of the most venerable names in show business – from burlesque queen Sally Rand, a young Judy Garland (as Francis Gumm) and comedian Jack Benny, to jazz greats like Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. The 1960s brought a completely new dimension to the theater – “rock and roll” – with performers such as Little Richard, Aretha Franklin and Little Stevie Wonder.



Imagine this craftsmanship produced for something that will barely be noticed in a darkened theater:





Edward Torres played the organ before the movie began, which definitely added to the experience of a very special evening.



Out in the lobby were Sarah Lann, director of education for the LA Conservancy, Natasha Gregson Wagner, actress and daughter of Natalie Wood, and Christy, aka Little Miss Sunshine, also the President of the James Dean Museum in Fairmount, IN which is the only official Dean museum sanctioned by Dean’s family:



A quick selfie before the film began with Christy and Natasha, who couldn’t have been any sweeter:



Time to turn the lights down!



Before the showing of “Rebel,” film critic Leonard Maltin interviewed (sort of) Natasha.



Leonard did most of the talking, which was unfortunate. Once he let Natasha speak, we got to hear how meaningful this role was and the respect Natalie had for Dean’s talent. They had worked together before in the “I’m a Fool” November 14, 1954 episode of General Electric Theater, which was introduced by Ronald Reagan. 



And then the remaining house lights dimmed and the movie began! While it was amazing to see Sal Mineo, James Dean, and Natalie Wood up on the big screen in a classic movie palace like the Orpheum, it was a bit disappointing that it was a digital projection and the quality of the projection was not all that great. While many details were revealed at that large size, the print seemed a bit muddy and fuzzy, especially considering what the current Blu ray version looks like.



A little Vogue-ing in the theater lobby before we exited:



Outside the theater we all waited for our rides home. Christy is surrounded by Daniella, photographer Taylor Galloway, and Kate Croley:



After a late night chat by the Chateau pool…



Christy and I returned to 67 to order room service, since the dining room was closed for an event held by luxury menswear brand Ermenegildo Zegna.



The big reveal: we each got a sinfully delicious Nutty Chewy Sticky Gooey dessert:


 
…and another round of Garden Gimlets.



What had tasted so delicious and refreshing that afternoon sitting by the pool tasted more like fermented lawn clippings at midnight.



We left them out on the porch until the next morning when the clippings appeared to have congealed.



I got up early to do my laps; as I crossed through the gate to the pool, this cute little tableau was setup outside the bungalows, as part of the Zegna event:



There was also a temporary edicola (newsstand in Italian) by the pool, guarded by two stoic young men who looked like they’d just stepped off the runway:



The edicola was stocked with limited-edition copies of Zegna’s print publication, Top magazine.



Inside the hotel, this was the first time I got to see the new Chateau Marmont photo history wall on the first floor (which features a number of images from my collection!).



It’s pretty amazing to see all of the famous artists and celebrities that have stayed here over the years. A true testament to this Hollywood architectural legend.





This is one of my favorite images, featuring many of the hotel’s employees (some still there, some not):



Before breakfast, a quick selfie from the seventh floor:



My good friend Jorge from San Diego happened to be in LA at the same time, so he joined us for breakfast:



The pancakes were just as delicious and fluffy as I remembered:



Even without its usual pepper crust, the Chateau bacon is second to none:



Jorge joined us on the ride back to San Diego, where we made a detour to the Mission at San Juan Capistrano.



Stay tuned for Part 4!

See more Los Angeles Orpheum Theatre photos at my main website.

Mineo Monday

Actor Sal Mineo is typically remembered for his role of Plato, the young boy seeking a father-figure who latches onto James Dean’s character in “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955).



Along with Natalie Wood’s character, the three form a somewhat dysfunctional family, with Mineo and Wood competing for the affections of Dean. They bond one night at an abandoned mansion, as they secretly hope to all find what they have been missing throughout their already troubled lives.



Sharp-eyed viewers will recognize the mansion as the same one that Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) lived at in “Sunset Boulevard” (1950) with her ex, Max (Erich von Stroheim). The Getty mansion has long since been dozed.



But I digress…

While the censors of the 1950s would not allow any hint of Mineo’s character being gay, the actor’s performance made it very clear. In real life, Sal Mineo, he was quoted as saying, “I got a girl in every port — and a couple of guys in every port, too.” His life was tragically cut short in 1976 at the age of 37 during what was most likely a botched robbery. When it comes to celebrity deaths, no site is better than Scott Michael’s. During my last visit to Hollywood, I decided it was time to visit the spot where the murder took place. I texted Michael’s to narrow down the actual spot at Mineo’s West Hollywood apartment complex (known as the Hollyview Manor at the time) and within seconds, I received the photo below.



That’s a true friend. Below is how it looked the day I visited.



Michael’s pointed out to me that the odd sloping concrete shown in my photo:



…matches the one from the crime scene photo shot the night Mineo was murdered in the back alley of the complex:



This shot of a policeman looking for evidence was shot in the front of the building:



How the complex looks today:



Edited from Scott’s site:

Sal was renting an apartment in West Hollywood, at 8569 Holloway. Marvin Mitchelson, the famous lawyer, owned the building. On Thursday, February 12, 1976 at about 11:30 p.m., Sal returned home from the Westwood playhouse, where he was rehearsing the play, “P.S. Your Cat is Dead.” He parked his blue Chevelle in the garage, and just as he exited the garage a man with a knife confronted him. Mitchelson’s mom and neighbor Raymond Evans heard Mineo scream, “Help! Help! Oh my God!” Evans rushed to the scene and found Sal lying in a pool of blood trailing 10 feet to the sewers. Evans saw that Sal was losing color in his face and tried giving him mouth to mouth. The Sheriff arrived and found Sal in the fetal position. They turned him on his back, cut open his jacket and shirt to attempt resuscitation, but the stab wound was fatal. After 5 or 6 minutes of gasping, Sal was dead at 37. He was stabbed in the heart.…The case was still unsolved for a year and a half, until a Michigan prison inmate Lionel Ray Williams did a bit of bragging to fellow prisoners that he had killed the star. They pimped on him, and in 1979 Williams was convicted. He is serving 51 years to life. All for a random, botched robbery. Now he’s out – released after serving about 25 years.



A shot of Williams:



While searching on the web for more info about Mineo’s murder, I discovered a documentary film had been made that professes William’s innocence, saying that his incarceration was based on racial motivations rather than the truth. Documentary filmmaker Letitia McIntosh interviewed Williams himself, who claims he didn’t know Mineo and that it had to be somebody else. What McIntosh leaves out is that Williams confessed to numerous people (including a girlfriend and wife) to killing someone famous that night. If you can stand the staccato prose of James Ellroy, you can read his compelling account here.

What do I think? I wasn’t there. Not my circus. I just take photographs.

See more photos at my main website.

Melissa on the West Coast: The Finale!

It’s the semi-grand finale of Melissa’s annual west coast excursion! This Sunday morning at the Chateau was like most; morning laps followed by breakfast. At this point in the trip, Willis was showing his lack of enthusiasm about waiting for me to finish my swim.



This is what it takes to restore that enthusiasm: Chateau Marmont peppered bacon!



He smells it! And yes, he received a few tasty morsels.



It was a pretty relaxing day for me; a few naps, some photography…





When Melissa was done with her event in Ventura, it was time for a few more film location visits, starting with Circus Liquors in North Hollywood. Remember when Cher (Alicia Silverstone) gets mugged in “Clueless” (1995)?



Melissa’s outfit may not have been an Alaïa (“An a-what-a?!?”), but it was close enough!



Unlike my first visit there, the neon was working this time!



Recognize this fountain?



Yes, this is the fountain where Cher has her grand epiphany: “I love Josh!”



Melissa’s epiphany was that it was late at night and time to go to bed. Known as the Electric Fountain, this Beverly Hills water feature was designed by architect Ralph Carlin Flewelling in 1931 in partnership with sculptor Robert Merrell Gage, who created the center granite sculpture of a Tongva/Gabrieleno tribe member kneeling in prayer. The bas relief images below the sculpture are also by Gage, showing scenes of the area’s early development. The fountain was a gift to Beverly Hills from silent screen star Harold Lloyd’s mother, Sarah.



You can also see this fountain in the “Our Lips Are Sealed” music video by the Go-Gos’s:



Our last film location for this trip is from “Rebel Without A Cause” (1955).



The same alley were Natalie Wood and James Dean left their homes on the way to school.



In 1997, I saw a portion of the original fence when it was at the James Dean Gallery in Fairmount, Indiana:



A closeup of the display photos, showing where it was “liberated from”:



Back in San Diego, we finished the trip off with a tasty dinner at the Hob Nob Hill restaurant, which is a Daveland staple.



Melissa loved the remodel, which includes a large mural from “The Wizard of Oz”:



As Melissa jets back to the East Coast, Willis waits patiently for his next adventure!



See more photos at my main website.