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Monthly Archives: June 2012

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p. williams:anthony quinn 1957

PAUL R. WILLIAMS

June 26, 2012 by Vickie Lester

Previously we talked about the Architect to the Stars, Mr. Paul Revere Williams, and recently I came across a photo of another Los Angeles landmark under construction: the Theme Building at LAX.  So, let’s start with a portrait of the architect, President of the Municipal Art Commission of Los Angeles with Anthony Quinn to refresh our memories. Between them is Vincent van Gogh’s painting, “L’Arlesienne” (Woman of Arles). The painting was part of the Van Gogh exhibit at the Municipal […]

Categories: Architecture, Art, Books, Culture, Design, Entertainment, History, Uncategorized, Writing • Tags: A. Quincy Jones, Anthony Quinn, Architect to the Stars, Barnsdall Park, Frank Lloyd Wright, Hollyhock House, L'Arlesienne (Woman of Arles), LAX, Palm Springs Tennis Club, Paul R. Williams, Theme Building, Vincent van Gogh

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Screen Shot 2012-06-05 at 12.54.00 PM

DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY: OR MY FAVORITE HOLLYWOOD DINNER PARTY

June 23, 2012 by Vickie Lester

A few years ago I was summoned to the home of a prominent film director for dinner. The house was lovely, a large scale estate probably dating back to the silent era. It appeared as if the director had just moved in, judging by the lack of furniture. We dined at a card table on pasta topped with jarred sauce (Prego, I think) but the company was delightful and we had been promised a screening… And besides, our host seemed […]

Categories: Architecture, Books, Choreography, Culture, Design, Entertainment, History, Movies, Uncategorized, Writing • Tags: 1934, celebrities, chaperone, Cinematographer Charles Lang, DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY, dinner, director, estate, Evelyn Venable, Frederic March, Guy Standing, Hollywood, Movie stars, screening

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Busby Berkeley

A PRETTY GIRL IS LIKE A MELODY

June 21, 2012 by Vickie Lester

Do you think the attitude reflected toward women in Busby Berkeley’s films might have had something to do with the fact he was married six times? I’m just asking…

Categories: Choreography, Culture, Design, Entertainment, History, Movies, Uncategorized, Writing • Tags: Busby Berkeley, choreographer, extravagant, FASHIONS OF 1934, film history, Hollywood, movie director, movies, objectify, women

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1940 the westerner

WHOA, NELLY!

June 18, 2012 by Vickie Lester

From 1925 to 1928 William Wyler cranked out twenty-nine westerns – most of them were two reelers (24 minutes) in the Universal Mustang series. In later years he had this to say: “I made over forty Westerns. I used to lie awake nights trying to think up new ways of getting on and off a horse.”

Categories: Choreography, Culture, Design, Entertainment, History, Movies, Uncategorized • Tags: 1940, beloved, devoted, film legend, Gary Cooper, good father, long career, multi-faceted, THE WESTERNER, William Wyler

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kubrick 1964

DR. STRANGELOVE

June 16, 2012 by Vickie Lester

Scheduled for release by Columbia Pictures in early fall, Dr. Strangelove is being shot in England, it was explained, to accommodate Peter Sellers, who was unable to leave the country for domestic reasons. In addition to the President, the protean Sellers also plays the title role of a German scientist, a Texas pilot of an H-bomber headed inexorably for Russia, and an R.A.F. exchange officer. What roles are left are handled by Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn, Peter Bull, James Earl […]

Categories: Culture, Design, Entertainment, History, Movies, Uncategorized, Writing • Tags: 1964, Artic, change, classic, Coca-Cola, director, DR. STRANGELOVE, England, Keenan Wynn, movie, movie history, Movie stars, movies, New York Times, on location, operator, payphone, Peter Sellers, shooting, Stanley Kubrick, tea break

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Kubrick

YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE DANCING

June 15, 2012 by Vickie Lester

First up, check out a topical documentary on the state of the art – digital vs. film. Keanu Reeves produced this absolutely fascinating exploration into a very hot topic. Good on you, Neo! I believe distribution was picked up by Tribeca back in February: SIDE BY SIDE http://sidebysidethemovie.com/ Now, from new school to old school… I’m thinking of the zero-g sequence in – 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY – in which the flight attendant walks up the wall… Was Stanley Kubrick […]

Categories: Architecture, Choreography, Culture, Design, Entertainment, History, Movies, Uncategorized, Writing • Tags: Cedric Gibbons, digital, director, documentary, film, Hollywood, Jack Martin Smith, Keanu Reeves, Movie stars, movies, set design, SIDE BY SIDE, special effects, Stanley Donen, Stanley Kubrick, steel barrel

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A. Mame

AUNTIE MAME

June 13, 2012 by Vickie Lester

Trend setting: Delicious design:

Categories: Architecture, Books, Culture, Design, Entertainment, History, Movies, Uncategorized • Tags: 1958, Academy Award, Art Director, AUNTIE MAME, Costume Designer, design, Hollywood, influence, Jonathan Adler, Malcolm C. Bert, movies, Orry-Kelly, set design

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1947

YOU WALKED OUT OF A DREAM

June 11, 2012 by Vickie Lester

I’ll just tell you what I know. And, my darling chickadees – it’s all hearsay as the divine Ms. Monroe had already departed the Hollywood scene well before I was born. Below is a photograph of Marilyn in a movie titled, “The Dangerous Years” in 1947. Here is a picture from “Don’t Bother Knocking”, 1952. What happened in the interim? According to a physician who had access to the medical notes of Michael Gurdin, M.D. and John Pangman, M.D., Ms. […]

Categories: Books, Culture, Design, Entertainment, History, Movies, Uncategorized, Writing • Tags: 1947, 1950, 1952 DON'T BOTHER KNOCKING, celebrity, chin, Marilyn Monroe, Movie stars, movies, nose, plastic surgery, THE DANGEROUS YEARS

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Fassbender Prometheus

BIRDS IN THEIR LITTLE NESTS AGREE…

June 9, 2012 by Vickie Lester

Ruffled feathers at the London premiere of PROMETHEUS? A little bird told me so – but I’m not at liberty to disclose. You decide via accounts direct from the screenwriters’ mouths… TIME talked to Damon Lindelof about rethinking Prometheus’ alien appeal, working with director Ridley Scott, and the fine art of allowing moviegoers to connect the dots – via http://boxmag.wordpress.com/: TIME: I’m trying to put myself in your shoes. This has to be incredibly stressful, to step into a franchise […]

Categories: Culture, Design, Entertainment, History, Movies, News, Uncategorized, Writing • Tags: 20th Century Fox, ALIEN, cowbell, credit, development hell, franchise, Hollywood, movies, non-disclosure, prequel, pressure, PROMETHEUS, Ridley Scott, screenwriter, tent pole

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THE RAT PACK

June 8, 2012 by Vickie Lester

Well, kittens — the man keeps taking down these clips as fast as I put them up. Keep your fingers crossed…

Categories: Culture, Entertainment, History, Movies, Uncategorized • Tags: 1965, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Carson, Live at the Copa, movies, Rat Pack, Sammy Davis Jr., television, Vegas

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