2022: The Year in Review

As things opened up a bit more this year, I dipped my toe into the waters and ventured out of my cocoon. My first trip for 2022 was to Palm Springs, which is not all that far distance-wise, but sure makes for a nice getaway. I stayed at my usual haunt, the Movie Colony Hotel. Outdoor swimming in early February? Count me in.



I finally found a Valentine (besides Willis, of course).



After a ten year absence (at least according to my photo library), I was able to see the Forever Marilyn statue again:



I also discovered a hidden Lloyd Wright architectural gem:



My February PS trip also yielded my top blog post for the year, which featured the Plaza Theatre:



In March, I found myself at Huntington Beach for a very windy photo shoot:





The after-shoot meal was chicken and waffles at Mama’s Comfort Food & Cocktails.



In April, I was back in Hollywood for the annual Shirley Palooza, with detours to the Academy Museum to see the Ruby Slippers:



My first trip to Shirley Temple’s childhood home in Brentwood, thanks to Melissa (aka The Colonel):





Don’t worry about Willis; he was along for the adventure, too, lounging at the Chateau Marmont pool;



Another year, another birthday, this time at one of my favorite San Diego restaurants, Madison.



June found me back in Palm Springs, checking another one off my bucket list: the Korakia Pensione hotel:



This year also marked the return of the monthly Creative Mornings breakfast meeting in Downtown San Diego:



Typically on the last Friday of the month, they provide a great opportunity for networking, coffee, donuts, and fantabulous speakers:



An’s Dry Cleaning became a new favorite haunt this year; not for dry cleaning, but for ice cream.



Every (almost) Wednesday night, I ran with the Milestone Running Club. A great way to rid myself of that hump day stress and get snacks like oranges or watermelon afterwards.



In August, I hid in the bushes to capture a surprise engagement shoot in Coronado.



Did she say “yes”? What do you think?





Another Chateau visit in August, this time to celebrate my friend Will’s birthday. Naturally, Willis joined in the festivities.



I also had the pleasure of doing two photo shoots with actor Guillermo Diaz this year. First at the Chateau in September:



…and in Venice Beach in December:



My whirlwind November NYC trip to see a Broadway play and catch up with friends was well-documented here:



…as was Mom’s 90th birthday celebration in Philly:



Willis and I reunited at the Chateau. Nothing like Chateau Marmont bacon to get him to forgive me for leaving town.



It’s fantastic to be able to stay here and be treated like family by the best staff ever,



The holiday season was kicked off with a concert by the Doo Wop Project:



The year ended with a bang as Willis got to meet the legendary Sid Krofft. Stay tuned for that story and more!



I hope your 2022 was a positively memorable one was well!

See more of my photography at my main website.

Not So Welcome at The Academy

Part of Melissa’s (aka The Colonel) visit to LA included a trip to the recently opened Academy Museum in Los Angeles on Wilshire Boulevard, housed in what was originally the May Company building. Melissa channels Judy Garland back in the day as she walked in front of the (former) department store:



The addition to the historic building has the boring but currently trendy industrial chic look:



The inside of the building is just as cold and off-putting, which really makes the life-sized Uncle Oscar statue stand out like a sore thumb. I’m waiting for the day when somebody gets offended by the sculpt and it has to change.



The first order of business was to get to the Shirley Temple Education Studio, which just so happened to be closed.



In case you’re wondering what $5 million dollars from Shirley’s family purchased, here’s an inside peek:



The Museum has a treasure trove of some of Shirley’s most iconic costumes, the desk used in her Fox Studio Bungalow, and memorabilia related to her close friendship/working relationship with dancer/choreographer Bill Robinson. And therein lies the real reason why Shirley is kept on the down-low. Because Robinson portrayed a servant to a plantation family in two of Shirley’s movies (both set in the Civil War), inside sources have revealed that the Museum is afraid of backlash if they put too much of Shirley’s history on display. More on that in another post. Moving on to the other main reason for the visit: the Ruby Slippers.



These are the Ruby Slippers that belonged to Kent Warner, the man who discovered all of the pairs created for “The Wizard of Oz” when MGM was selling off its historic props and costumes in their 1970 auction. Warner picked the best pair to keep for himself. From the display text:

This pair is believed to be the one seen in all close-up shots, as when Dorothy clicks her heels together three times and says, “There’s no place like home.”



You can see #7 Judy Garland handwritten inside the shoe:



They are just incredible to see in person.



[W]hite silk pumps from the Innes Shoe Company of Pasadena and Hollywood were dyed red by the MGM costume department, covered in silk georgette, and hand-embellished with approximately 2,300 sequins each. A red leather bow covered in red rhinestones, bugle beads, and costume jewels was then affixed to each slipper. MGM seamstress Aurora Dueñas was on hand throughout filming to restore loose beads and sequins.



In the detailed shot, it would appear that rather than leather the beads for the bow were affixed to a cloth backing, as you can see the pattern of the fabric below the crystals and bugle beads.









Melissa captured me attempting to shoot the famed slippers without catching the reflection of the glass display. Not an easy task.



The Cowardly Lion’s mane was also on display:



…and the Wicked Witch of the West’s hat. Extra lights were necessary to make Margaret Hamilton’s Witch’s costume register on Technicolor film. Adrian also designed this costume, made of black wool surrounded by a flowing silk scarf:



Here is the concept art by William Tuttle for the Wicked Witch, based on Jack Dawn’s makeup design:



…and the Tin Man. For this one, Dawn and Tuttle stayed faithful to the original book illustrations by W.W. Denslow.



One of the pinafores worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy, designed by Adrian, with a non-original blouse:



This is labeled as the sepia pinafore worn by Garland’s stand-in, Bobbie Koshay, paired with a blouse worn by Garland in unused footage directed by Richard Thorpe:



I recall the first time I saw a Judy Garland Dorothy costume was on the Freedom Train which toured the country in 1975-1976, with a cargo of precious treasures that spanned 200 years. Based on the Freedom Train website, I would have seen the dress somewhere between September 12-15, 1976. I remember my disappointment when it turned out to be a dress not used in the footage from the final film, but rather from the scenes under the direction of Richard Thorpe who was quickly fired. Here’s a shot of the Freedom Train dress from when it was sold by Heritage Auctions in 2013:



Back to the Academy. An early wardrobe test for “Oz,” with Garland wearing a blond wig and an unused version of the pinafore/blouse:



This oil can, used by the Tin Man, was presented to Jack Haley at the completion of filming:



Jack Martin Smith’s concept art for the Emerald City, as envisioned by art director Cedric Gibbons:



A life mask of actress Grace Kelly:



Oscars on display:



This one is a wow; the original backdrop painting of Mount Rushmore for the Alfred Hitchcock film “North by Northwest.” Even though it has been trimmed down over the years, the size (approximately two stories high) is still impressive.



Melissa had arranged for a special Oscars Experience program that requires an additional charge; it was not working when we showed up at our designated time so she was refunded. Below is the restaurant/cafe inside the museum:



Overall, I would say this museum is a huge disappointment. So much space, so little to see. Because of the treatment of Shirley Temple’s legacy, I will not be in a hurry to return.

See more Academy Museum photos at my main website.