Author: Vickie Lester

Susannah Corwin is a screenwriter and novelist (under the pen name of “Vickie Lester”). She started her career as a production assistant after studying Film at an east coast university. Her first duties behind the scenes in Hollywood included locating actors who had wandered away from set for romantic assignations. One particularly memorable roundup involved chivying said actors back into the makeup trailer where she picked up a sponge to help reapply their fake tans as they were required onset faster than all hands could paint them. Susannah Corwin’s screenplays have been optioned by David Matalon, Alan Blomquist, A. Kitman Ho, and Kevin Spacey. Her first novel, “It’s In His Kiss”, a modern Hollywood Noir, was published May 2014. She writes the blog “Beguiling Hollywood” (vickielester.com) peeking into the glittering past of Tinseltown with the witty eye of an educated observer. Susannah is now writing her second novel, “You Don’t Own Me” about a Hollywood babysitter who rises to studio boss.

September 9, 2012 /

Okay, this is my excuse for cracking out of the mold tonight. I’ve spent my life around people who either made movies or built things and the underlying structure of this 1924 house is so methodical and beautiful and process intensive I had to share. Oh, and by the way…

September 8, 2012 /

The Beatles landing at LAX – they played the Hollywood Bowl in August of 1964 and 1965: . August 24, 1964 — the day after the Hollywood Bowl — at a Bel-Air rental:

September 8, 2012 /

The year before The Beatles first came to town. Night at the Hollywood Bowl.

September 7, 2012 /

1960, when everybody read the paper, but none so suave as Cary Grant:

September 6, 2012 /

Rosiland Wyman says she was born a Democrat, she was the youngest person ever elected to the city council and she has served as a delegate in every convention since 1952. Go Roz! Here she is in 1960 displaying her wardrobe for the convention – the year Kennedy was elected.

September 6, 2012 /

Shirley Temple and Eddie Cantor cut President Roosevelt’s birthday cake: The President’s motorcade through downtown Los Angeles: The President addresses Los Angeles:

September 5, 2012 /

Ext. Romanoff’s: Int. Romanoff’s: The Zanuck’s celebrate Susan”s graduation from the Marlborough School with a dance at Romanoff’s. From left to right, Darryl, Susan, and Virginia Zanuck:

September 5, 2012 /

Today is Darryl F. Zanuck’s birthday:

September 4, 2012 /

Simply beautiful… .