Monday at the Marmont

As you can see I made it back, despite all the stories about my favorite hotel (and possibly place) on earth being converted to a private club at the end of 2020. Chatting with a friend one night who was also “got” this place, he asked if it was still open. Huh...what a novel question. I decided to email them and next thing you know, I was on my way up to Sunset Boulevard for a mini Chateau vacation. This would be the fourth time staying in Room 34; no complaints about that, as it’s one of my favorites.



The view from my room:



Looks like Kurt and Goldie have been busy. I guess since they’re in the same household it’s ok to make movies.

Willis hadn’t been to the Chateau in two years...he was way overdue.



He does love sleeping there…but he missed the cashmere blankets that once graced the end of each bed. Probably one of the pandemic cutbacks.



Like many of the other areas of the hotel, the pool looked great albeit empty. Just the way I like it!





Willis obeyed the rules and marveled at the calm and beauty of the pool.



Fortunately the bolognese was still on the menu:



The chocolate mousse was a new one for me, and well worth the calories (I don’t want to know).



I can’t put it into words, but late nights/early mornings are my favorite time at the hotel when it is quiet and I can wander around by myself. There’s just something about these fabled walls that keep bringing me back.





The staff didn’t seem to have any new information about the potential conversion and whether it was going to happen or not, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed that Willis and I can return.



See more Chateau Marmont photos at my main website.

Fandana Friday!

I don’t do it often, but today I am doing a few promotional plugs. I only do these for people/companies I actually know and believe in, so you better believe I stand behind whatever I endorse on here. First up is this INCREDIBLE fandana from Shannon Laskey over at Going to Guides.



Her trio of guides to visiting the Disney theme parks are sprinkled with photos from yours truly.



I had the pleasure of meeting Shannon in person previously at the Chateau Marmont in a completely unplanned “the universe is making things happen” serendipity moment. I couldn’t have planned it any better! To say that I adore Shannon is putting it mildly.



Not only is she just about the nicest person I have ever met, she is creative as heck (in a good way, not a really bad craft store way) and an entrepreneur who completely “gets” the vintage vibe of Disneyland. Back to the fandana that she has released. Perfect for wearing in public and yes, I have done so and gotten RAVES from those who have seen it.




But Dave…where can I get my very own fandana? Stop whining and I’ll tell ya! On Shannon’s etsy site; here’s the direct link to the 64th Anniversary Fandana pack. And if you want some really unique (in a good way) holiday gifts/stocking stuffers, Shannon’s Etsy shop is the place to go.

One more worthy plug for today…

For those of you who are neon fanatics like me, I received a plea from Eric Lynxwiler (author, historian, tour guide supreme, and neon expert) to promote the fundraiser for the Museum of Neon Art (MONA) in Glendale.



Museums have been hit hard by COVID and most have been forced to close their doors to guests. MONA is now raising funds to build a “Sign Garden,” an iconic one-of-a-kind Los Angeles County landmark and outdoor exhibition space located in the former parking lot of the Museum. I love how creative people/organizations are finding ways to stay solvent and pivot in these turbulent times. Unlike a certain “museum” in Las Vegas that allows their vintage neon signs to rot and rarely restores them (while charging exorbitant fees for the public to see them), MONA actually sinks money into restoring and keeping these historical vintage gems available for people to marvel over, like this one from Grauman’s Chinese Theatre:



Want to help? Visit MONA’s gofundme page!

See more Daveland photos at my main website.

Disneyland Cast Members, 1982

When I clean around my scanner, sometimes I uncover treasures like this batch of previously unscanned/posted shots showing Disneyland cast members from 1982. The first three images show cast members from Space Mountain.



Note the Starcade sign on the right:



Moving over to the PeopleMover, this particular cast member rated TWO photos!





Looks like this cast member's badge fell off:



A closeup:



Could this guy’s hair be any more perfect?



Last one for today was a scan from a mystery black and white negative. I have no idea who these people are or where it was shot. It was just sitting next to my scanner. Anybody know?



See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland photos at my main website.

Welcome to Calico: The Finale!

I pretty much covered the entire area of Calico Ghost Town on my recent trip, but there are still a number of things that I’d love to explore deeper when/if I return. Thanks to the pandemic, many of the attractions were closed, so I had to be satisfied with a peak at the exterior. Here are the things I’d love to take a closer look at: The mine itself:



DEFINITELY take a ride on the Calico & Odessa Railroad:







The Bottle House:





The Restaurant (it had me at “Fried Chicken”):



Lane House and Museum:



The Saloon (this was shot through the door):



Any other suggestions from those more experienced Calico visitors? See more Calico Ghost Town photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Uncle Lady and Now and Forever

Charlotte Granville played the wealthy Mrs. Crane in Shirley’s 1934 Paramount film “Now and Forever.” Not your typical Temple vehicle, it has a number of unsavory characters. Mrs. Crane takes a fancy to Shirley (as most of the older crusty characters in Temple films do) and wants to buy her from her father (Gary Cooper), a lazy get-rich-quick schemer who has recently taken custody of his daughter to spite to his father-in-law. Ick. Unlike most of the codgers that Shirley charms, this one never thaws. I affectionately refer to this very brusque character as “Uncle Lady.” Granville portrays her as all-business.

I could find very little about the British actress. She began her film career in 1917 with “The Red Woman” and was best known for “Werewolf of London” (1935). She was married to Major Robert Follett Muter Foster Millington Synge, the uncle of John Millington Synge, the Irish playwright. The two had one child together and were eventually divorced. She died on July 8, 1942 in Los Angeles at the age of 82.



And that’s about it for Charlotte. In other “Now and Forever” news, Melissa (aka “The Colonel”) recently came across this photo showing a deleted scene. Most likely it’s shortly before the ending of the film, when Penny’s (Shirley) father (Cooper) and his wife Toni (Carole Lombard) drop Penny off at the train station, giving up custody of the little girl to Mrs. Crane. Double ick.



Although Lombard and Temple are both wearing coats that cover their outfits, the hat Shirley wears is the same one Cooper has jokingly placed on his head in the deleted scene still.





The tie and jacket on Cooper matches on both, too.



While we’re on the subject of jackets: the blog Collecting Classic Hollywood reveals a blazer that Cooper wore in the film. It came from the widow of someone who worked with Cooper for many years.





Made of a sturdy wool, it wasn’t a studio or costume-company created piece. It's a one-of-a-kind made for Cooper exclusively by his tailor, Basil Durant. Durant began his career as a dancer; he later ran a tailoring business called Basil Inc. in Manhattan. His clients also included General Motors executive Harley Earl, the designer of the Chevrolet Corvette. A publicity shot from the film showing Cooper in the blazer:



Back to “Uncle Lady.” These two shots from the end of the film say it all. There is no heartfelt emotion or any kind of sympathy shown for Penny’s parents as the old dowager takes the kid away from them to board the train to Lord-knows-where.



One wonders what her plans for the curly-haired tyke are.



I think a call to Child Protective Services would have been a good idea.

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.