Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   Thanks to Gary Lycan of the Orange County Register for telling me about the 75th Anniversary celebration of Republic Pictures to be held this Saturday from 11a-5p at the CBS Studio Center at 4024 Radford Ave. in Studio City, CA. (its original site). This FREE day of fun is sponsored by The Cultural Affairs Committee of the Studio City Neighborhood Council and the Museum of the San Fernando Valley. Leonard Maltin will be the official emcee of some of the festivities.

   According to their website:

Festivities include screenings of Republic films, serials and trailers, live performances of swing and western music, entertainment by gun spinners, rope twirlers, trick horses, cowboy poets, and a diverse collection of memorabilia. In addition, a speakers forum with prominent industry experts and Republic celebrities will discuss a range of topics from creating sci-fi special effects to tales of working at Republic Pictures. A special Republic Pictures stamp cancellation ceremony of the U.S. Postal Service’s Cowboys of the Silver Screen postage stamps will take place and be available for purchase.

Republic Picture’s former stars Theodore Bikel, Adrian Booth, Michael Chapin, Ben Cooper, Robert Easton, Coleen Gray, Eilene Janssen, Anne Jeffreys, Dick Jones, Jane Kean, Joan Leslie, Marjorie Lord, Jimmy Lydon, Hugh O’Brian, Peggy Stewart, Jane Withers and others are slated to attend this very special event.

Founded in 1935 by Herbert J. Yates, Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities. Republic exploded into national prominence with its focus in westerns, movie serials and B-films emphasizing mystery and action, the staples of Saturday afternoon matinees. The studio launched the careers of John Wayne, Gene Autry, Rex Allen, Roy Rogers, and rocketed serials like The Adventures of Captain Marvel and Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe into the public imagination. Notable Republic Pictures include Under Western Stars (1938), Flying Tigers (1942), Macbeth (1948), Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), The Red Pony (1949), The Quiet Man (1952) and Johnny Guitar (1954).

   I plan on visiting this FREE event, soaking in Republic Pictures rich history. I’ll also have Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History to share with attendees. My paperback features some of the actors who worked their craft at Republic including Ward Bond and John Carradine. This should be a worthwhile experience.

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   I’m proud to announce the 39th copy of my book has been added to another library shelf. The city of Ontario is nestled in San Bernardino County, the largest county-by-area in the nation, and their public library has acquired Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History. This marks the 4th official county in Southern California to add my work (joining Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties).

   According to their website:

 <————- (photo of Ontario – circa 1880’s)

On the afternoon of Sunday, November 15, 1885 a handful of settlers gathered in the parlor of the Ontario Hotel to discuss their need for a library. This informal meeting has been regarded as the founding of Ontario City Library.

Established as a City department in 1891, the Ontario City Library’s Main and Colony High Branch contain over 257,000 books, 545 magazine subscriptions, 12 newspaper subscriptions, 6,900 videocassettes, 7,500 compact discs, 12,400 DVDs,  a partial government document depository, and 12 online resource subscriptions.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Hollywood Heritage Museum is the newest location to carry Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History. Next to the Hollywood Bowl, this prestigious place is easily the most proper of all locales in the area to display my work, since this landmark drips in cinematic history. (photo by Richard Rownak)

   According to their website:

The Hollywood Heritage Museum is housed in the beautifully restored Lasky-DeMille Barn (c. 1895). The Museum features archival photographs from the silent movie days of motion picture production, movie props, historic documents and other movie related memorabilia. Also featured are historic photos and postcards of the streets, buildings and residences of Hollywood during its heyday.

In 1913, aspiring movie director, Cecil B. DeMille, came to this rented horse barn, with his partners – Jesse Lasky and Sam Goldwyn – and made what turned out to be Hollywood’s first importan feature length film The Squaw Man. The success of this film set off a stampede of movie makers to Hollywood, forever changing a sleepy farm town into the movie capital of the world.

On December 27, 1956 the Lasky-DeMille Barn was designated California State Historic Landmark No. 554 representing the birth of the Hollywood motion picture industry. Since 1985, Hollywood Heritage Inc. has funded the preservation, restoration and maintenance of this early Hollywood treasure.

   Their website link is:

 http://www.hollywoodheritage.org/

   Whether you decide to buy my paperback or not…you really should visit the Hollywood Heritage Museum for a taste of early Hollywood and its vital history!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Organizers of The Latino Book & Family Festival will spend the next three weeks aggressively promoting this National event. One of the Festival coordinators, Reyna Grande, did a radio interview on Univision that will air on September 26th. Edward James Olmos will also be doing a commercial airing on Telemundo.

   In fact, a press conference is scheduled this Thursday at 11a at Pan American Bank in LA with Olmos and elected officials. I have additionally been invited to discuss my involvement with The Latino Book & Family Festival.

   The publicity team is working on getting LA County Supervisor Gloria Molina to do a PSA on behalf of the Festival. Mayor Antonio Villarigosa has also been contacted about conducting a press conference to promote this wonderful event.

   I’m proud Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History is part of this noteworthy Festival weekend designed to promote significant books written by important Latino authors from across the country.

   This is my personal invitation to invite Southern California readers of my blog to this fine weekend event on October 9th and 10th.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

 Manny P. here…

    I’m delighted to claim another major award for Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History. Premier Book Awards provides national recognition for published works to independent  publishers. Their website has just announced recent winners from the 2010 stable of eligible books.  My paperback was honored with a 2nd Place Award in the Non-Fiction / History category. My 3rd nationwide award is particularly appreciated since it honors successful non-traditional published works in the literary business.

   According to their website:

Congratulations to the Winners of the 2010 Premier Books Awards!

A warm thank you is due to all the authors and publishers who submitted entries into the Premier Book Awards. As we had suspected, there were many well-written, well-designed books in both the fiction and non-fiction categories. Obviously there are many talented authors being published by independent publishers and small presses. Because of the quality of the entries it was extremely difficult for the judges to make their final selections.

The primary goal of Premier Book Awards is to recognize authors and publishers for superior achievements in their chosen genre. The secondary goal is to assure readers that a book chosen to receive a Premier Book Award is truly of outstanding merit and well worth adding to their libraries. We believe we have achieved both goals.

Each entry submitted was read and evaluated by at least two judges. The final choices in each genre were extremely difficult. As with any contest, there can only be a limited number of winners. Unfortunately we were not able to give an award to some very worthwhile books. Whether or not an individual book was eventually judged a winner, each author can be justifiably proud of accomplishing the goal of seeing his or her creation in print.

The awards for the 2010 Premier Book Award winners have all been mailed. We highly recommend that you check out the titles on the list and read the books chosen for an award. They are all a wonderful reading experience.

   http://www.premierbookawards.com/2010%20Winners.htm

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   San Diego is the newest city to rally around Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History. You can now find my paperback at the Upstart Crow Bookstore and Coffeehouse, located at 835-C West Harbor Drive in Seaport Village.

   According to their website:

Our name is a reference to William Shakespeare. It is said that the Bard’s contemporaries were jealous of his great success and popularity. Robert Greene (1560-1592), a minor playwright, was one such individual. In the pamphlet, Groatsworth of Wit, Greene slanders Shakespeare by calling him an Upstart Crow. This creative moniker has been around ever since. While Greene’s work has largely been forgotten, the legacy of his Upstart Crow has inspired countless generations.

   My paperback has found an appropriate home at a location with a witty name and an eclectic historical legacy. Here is a link to their website:

http://web.me.com/upstartcrow1/Upstart_Crow/Welcome.html

Until next time>                               “never forget“

Manny P. here…

   Belva is a Seattle resident who has developed a blog-site designed to promote events, artists and BOOKS!! Belva’s List is a modern aggressive strategic site reaching folks to provide focused information to Seattle…and beyond!

   The best news: the site is free to use. The only requirement is you promote the blog on your own website.  SO VOILA!!

   I’ve provided a direct link to the page called Belva’s Book Nook. According to the webpage:

Reading is still one of the best ways to savor a trip to another dimension of your choosing. The writers featured on Belva’s Book Nook brings you the opportunity to enjoy the efforts of known and not so well known authors. No matter your age or interests; whether it be, mystery, history, science fiction, romance or poetry to name just a few genre – you just might find your next favorite book or author on our site.

When you find a book that looks interesting, or one you might like, CLICK ON IT, and you will be transported to the website where you can find out more…or better yet, buy it.

Be sure to check back often, as we plan to add new authors and their books.

… a lot more.

http://www.belvaslist.com/book-nook.html?layout=default&start=20

   I urge you to visit this interesting website and blog.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Thanks to David Tucker of North Dakota who offered my 5th consecutive Five-Star Review on Amazon.

      He writes:                                        

Awesome Book

I read Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History, and loved every page. Where was this book when I was in Film History class in college? Stories and anecdotes throughout on famous character actors, tied together with bits and pieces of U.S. History. This book is a necessary piece of any look at the valued history behind many of the movies we all love. I find myself constantly reading and re-reading various chapters throughout.

   Thank you for the kind words about my paperback. I’m thrilled my work is once again considered essential. I hope folks are encouraged to purchase my paperback on Amazon.

 Until next time>                               “never forget“

Manny P. here…

   One of most familiar cinema faces of the 1950’s has died. Actually, Kevin McCarthy (right) had memorable parts for fifty years in film and television. For his role in Death of a Salesman in 1951, he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. In 1956, McCarthy starred in the science fiction classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers; and appeared in A-List movies including The Misfits and The Best Man.

   On television, McCarthy starred in The Twilight Zone in one of the best episodes during the first year of its memorable run entitled Long Live Walter Jameson. He also co-starred in the episodic Twilight Zone: The Movie in 1983.

   The actor was honored at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival in October of 2009. McCarthy died of natural causes on Saturday at age ninety-six .

   He continues to be an absolute personal favorite of mine in anything celluloid.

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   I’d like to welcome an additional public library, located in Cook County, Illinois, to the fold. The Northbrook Public Library just got Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History.  This location is known as A jewel of a library by local residents.

   Northbrook is a village where many coming-of-age movies have been produced including Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Risky Business, Weird Science, and Oscar winning Ordinary People. Jim McMahon, former NFL quarterback of The Chicago Bears is from this area.

   38 copies of my work now reside in libraries around the nation.

Until next time>                              “never forget“

Manny P. here…

   Upon reflection, I’m proud of the path Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History has taken in the year since it was first published. With 1120 books bought Internationally; and a blog that has chronicled its journey; and the promise of a second printing, and a follow-up paperback; I’m excited for the upcoming year.

   Thanks to all who decided to purchase my book. I hope you have enjoyed its contents and subject matter. Looking back, I won two National awards; I got my work added in libraries throughout the US; and I met some rather interesting folks including the grandson of one my subjects (Richard Carradine), and the brother of a former President (Ed Nixon). Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History exceeded my expectations for success.

   My realistic goal is to visit MOOSEHEART – outside of Chicago –  in 2011 to provide them with a donation of $2500. This sum is my heartfelt contribution to the education for children in need.

   My next paperback will include well-researched stories about the lives of such great actors as Frank Morgan, Lon Chaney Jr., Peter Lorre, Alan Hale Sr., Sydney Greenstreet, Cesar Romero, among others, and their part in our collective American History.

   Of course, you can still find Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History on Amazon, at selected Southern California Borders and Barnes & Noble bookshops, the Hollywood Mega chain of stores, Chevalier’s, William’s Book Store, and the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills. The saga continues…

Until next time>                                “never forget“

Manny P. here…

   My publicist Barbara Kindness has confirmed a book signing at the Edmonds Bookshop which will occur in conjunction with the 2010  Edmonds International Film Festival. It’s the first opportunity to meet local folks.

                                   According to http://www.edmondsbookshop.com/:

   Located in the heart of downtown Edmonds, Washington, we are full of books you really want to read! A great selection of books for people with all different interests, including the latest in fiction, mystery, biography, and general nonfiction. We also have a great selection of kids’ books from picture books to young adult and everything in between.

   This Bookshop event is scheduled for Saturday, October 23rd from 10:30a – 11:30a. Their site’s Event’s Page is already promoting my appearance:

                               http://www.edmondsbookshop.com/events.htm

   I’m looking forward to making new friends in Edmonds!

Until next time>                               “never forget“

Manny P. here…

   CINECON 46 is fast approaching. The Film Festival is in Hollywood over the Labor Day weekend. One of the highlights to this fine event will be the rare screening of a “lost” Charlie Chaplin silent picture. It’s called A Thief Catcher, and it debuted in 1914.

   Of course, I’ll be there on Friday, September 3rd on the 3rd floor of the Rennaissance Hotel (on the corner of Highland Ave. and Hollywood Blvd.) between 11:30a – 2:00p signing copies of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History.

   Here is a link for more info about their Memorabilia Show and the Film Book Fair:

http://www.cinecon.org/cinecon_memorabilia.html

   According to the Cinecon site:

A Thief Catcher (Keystone, 1914), featuring a previously unknown performance by silent comedy star Charlie Chaplin, will have its West Coast re-premiere during the 46th annual Cinecon Classic Film Festival at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood California over Labor Day Weekend, September 2-6, 2010

 Chaplin is officially credited with appearing in thirty-five films during his year at Keystone in 1914, but he claimed in various interviews that he had also played bit roles as a cop and a barber while at the studio–but he did not name the films, and although there has been some speculation about the possibility of additional Chaplin-Keystone appearances, none has turned up until now.

Film collector Paul Gierucki found a 16mm film print in a trunk at a Taylor, Michigan, antique store last year. “I could tell it was a Keystone comedy, so I haggled and got it for $100,” says Gierucki, but he didn’t get around to looking at the print for several months. When he did put it on a projector this past March, he was astonished when Chaplin appeared as a cop about six minutes into the film for an extended two-minute cameo. “My heart stopped,” Gierucki recalls. “I recognized him immediately.”

Starring Keystone’s famed comic villains Ford Sterling and Mack Swain, with support from Edgar Kennedy, A Thief Catcher was in production between January 5-26, 1914, soon after Chaplin arrived at the Keystone studio, and it represents the second or third screen role for the soon-to-be world famous comedy star.

A Thief Catcher is one of nearly forty rare and unusual films to be screened during the five-day Cinecon film festival, and will be shown on Saturday afternoon during a themed film preservation segment of the program.

   CINECON 46 is sponsored in part by:    

Until next time>                              “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   I just received my fourth 5-Star Review on AMAZON. It comes from Southern California radio personality Lisa Osborne. She is a veteran newscaster in Los Angeles, and nationally syndicated broadcast personality. Her reports can be heard on KFWB 980 AM.

She writes:

Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History is a beautifully crafted book, filled with photos and stories of Hollywood’s Golden Age. You will be enchanted with the stories Pacheco shares as he takes you on a tour of forgotten Hollywood. Very nicely done, this is a perfect gift for the Hollywood fan in your life. In fact, I know that Hollywood buffs love this book, because a radio colleague borrowed my copy after seeing it on my desk, and I haven’t seen it since! 🙂

   Because of her journalistic background, I know Lisa Osborne takes pride in delivering this unsolicited review. Thank you for the endorsement! It’s heartfelt and cherished…

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   On a personal note, I would like to wish my folks a happy 54th Anniversary! I love you mom and pop…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Even though the publication date of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History was September 8th, 2009… I actually received advanced copies on August 24th. I sold the first book to my friend Peter Parker later that day.

   One year later, I’ve just sold my 1,103rd paperback!  The Hollywood Mega chain of stores purchased almost 20 copies to put me over this magic number. Overall, the retail company has bought about 100 books in the last four months directly from me. The chain includes The Hollywoodland Experience, Souvenirs of Hollywood, and Hollywood Souvenirs, eachalong Hollywood Blvd. Tourists have flocked to the area and gobbled up the book (to my absolute delight).

  Year TWO begins in the life of my work. I can hardly wait to see what new adventures are in store for me!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Los Angeles Public Library system has made its statement by supporting my book Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History. In addition to buying three copies for their Central Branch (one as a prestigious Reference copy), six other branches have also added my paperback to their shelves (including two Regional Branches).

Here are the other locations where you can now find my work:

Goldwyn Hollywood (Regional Branch) – 1623 N. Ivar Ave.

Will & Ariel Durant Library – 7140 W. Sunset Blvd.

Pico Union Library – 1030 S. Alvarado St.

Playa Vista Library – 6400 Playa Vista Dr.

Jefferson Library – 2211 W. Jefferson Blvd.

San Pedro (Regional Branch) – 931 S. Gaffey St.

   This officially ups the national library total to 37. California leads the way with 18 copies.

   I’d like to remind my readers that the L.A. City Council and Mayor have used your public library branches as the victim of the city’s financial woes. Proposed closures of branches, Monday city-wide closure of all branches, and slashing of employee pay will not solve the debt the city faces. And the elimination of education obtained through our L.A. Public Library is far more costly in terms of moral obligation. It’s time for the community to stand up and say: “Enough is enough.“

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

My latest monthly statement has confirmed Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History has now sold over a 1000 units. In fact, I’m knocking on the door to 1100 paperbacks owned nationally (and beyond).

   COSTCO is my latest benefactor when it sent me revenue from my April appearances. The chain’s two stores in Hollywood and Burbank offically ran me over the millennium mark.

   And the best news of all:  The confirmed sales figures have all been reported in just under a year. SIMPLY AMAZING!  The momentum should spill into my Fall campaign. I’ll definitely keep you posted on the continued good news…

Until next time>                               “never forget”