Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced that actor Al Pacino, rock band The Eagles, gospel and blues artist Mavis Staples, and singer-songwriter James Taylor will be honored for influencing American culture through the arts. A spokesperson for the center calls Pacino’s selection a long overdue tribute.

   The co-star of The Godfather trilogy, who is regarded as one of the great American actors, has been the benefactor of the obvious oversight. Many of his peers, who became leading men in 1970s Hollywood, have already received tributes, including Warren Beatty, Robert de Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson, and Robert Redford.  AL PACINO ->

   Born in East Harlem, and raised in the South Bronx, Pacino began to draw notice for his onstage work in the late 1960s, and he won his first Tony Award in 1970. With his daring choices and deep immersion into his roles, he was among the 1970s movie stars who redefined what a Hollywood leading man could look and sound like.

   He had just one major film role to his credit when writer-director Francis Ford Coppola cast him as Michael Corleone in The Godfather. He reprised the iconic role two years later in the groundbreaking sequel, The Godfather Part II, and Pacino received Oscar nominations for both performances.

   Al also starred in two other 1970s classics, Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon. He worked sparingly in the 1980s but had another string of memorable starring roles in the 1990s, including Scent of a Woman, for which he won his first Academy Award after seven previous nominations. Other screen credits include Scarface, Heat, Donnie Brasco, and The Insider. More recently, he’s done memorable work in television, playing real-life figures, Jack Kevorkian and Phil Spector.

   For The Eagles, the recognition will be bittersweet. The band was tapped for the honor last year, but postponed its appearance because of founding member Glenn Frey’s failing health. Frey died in January, about a month after last year’s gala.

   Mavis Staples got her start as part of a family gospel band, singing alongside her four siblings, with her father, Pops Staples, on guitar. Her dad was a friend of Martin Luther King Jr., and The Staple Singers’ popular hits became a soundtrack for the Civil Rights movement. She has also performed twice at the honors ceremony, paying tribute to Paul McCartney and Al Green.

   James Taylor has sold more than 100 million albums, won multiple Grammy Awards, and has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

   The honorees will be celebrated at a gala on December 4th, featuring performances and tributes from top entertainers. The show will broadcast on December 27th on CBS.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   One of Hollywood’s true survivors, Olivia de Havilland, celebrates her 100th birthday on Friday, July 1st, but it’s her many fans who will receive the gifts of her talents as an actress.          OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND –>

   Turner Classic Movies will screen all of de Havilland’s movies — 39 in all — Friday nights in July, including her eight pairings with Errol Flynn, and her Oscar-winning turns in To Each His Own and The Heiress. Also on tap will be three other Oscar-nominated performances: as Melanie Hamilton in Gone with the Wind; Hold Back the Dawn, for which she lost the Best Actress award to her sister, Joan Fontaine, for Suspicion; and The Snake Pit, in which she played a mental patient.

   After watching her motion pictures, curl up with de Havilland’s amusing 1962 memoir, Every Frenchman Has One, which Crown Archetype will re-issue on Tuesday, June 28th. De Havilland, who has lived in Paris since 1953, serves up a series of vignettes about adjusting to her life in the City of Lights, from shopping for clothes, to reading a thermometer (which was in degrees instead of celsius) to take her son’s temperature.

   Happy birthday, in advance, to the durable Olivia de Havilland.

Until next time>                               “never forget“

Manny P. here…

   The Beatles were a a Liverpool rock band on the cusp of stardom. The band’s ascent, and why the Beatles remain relevant today, will be documented in The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years. The project, directed by Ron Howard and produced by Imagine Entertainment, White Horse Pictures, and Apple Corps Ltd., will explore four years in the life of the band before it stopped touring in 1966. The documentary is set for a theatrical release on September 16th, followed a day later by an exclusive on-demand streaming deal through Hulu.

   The film’s promises insight into the Beatles’ early years, beginning with the period after they had returned from an extended stint in Hamburg, Germany. A relentless performing schedule transformed a ragtag bunch of teens into a well-honed rock ‘n’ roll machine. Upon returning, the band set up camp at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, and from there, they started touring all over the globe.

   Over the four years represented in the film, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr revolutionized popular music. After their initial appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964, the band toured relentlessly. In those two-plus years, they performed 166 concerts in 90 cities around the world. For the project, producers scoured fan-made home-movies and photographs to augment the many hours of available interviews, performances, and behind-the-scenes footage. The production was completed with the combined cooperation of McCartney, Starr, and Beatles widows, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison.

   The film concludes with the band’s last official concert. Citing an inability to replicate in a concert setting its increasingly complicated music, The Beatles performed their last scheduled gig a little more than two years later at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park in August 1966.

  To paraphrase a classic tune by the Fab Four, director Ron Howard will allow The Beatles to profess their words of wisdom… let it be… let it be.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Michael J. La Rue announced plans to open a restaurant in the late Rue McClanahan’s honor later this year in New York City. The restaurant, fittingly called Rue La Rue Cafe, is scheduled to open early September in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Her longtime friend plans to decorate the restaurant with items he inherited after Rue’s death in 2010, including personal belongings and show-business memorabilia from The Golden Girls. The actress’ own piano will be used for live music.

   McClanahan’s son, Mark Bisch, is also on board with the project. Because of Bisch’s commitment, the Walt Disney Company, which owns the distribution rights to the hit show, will allow the restaurant to create and sell its own Golden Girls merchandise. Even though the eatery will focus on McClanahan, the other Girls will also get appropriate attention. Betty White is expected to attend the cafe’s ribbon cutting ceremony. Both actresses were close friends in real life.

   The news of the Golden Girls–themed restaurant comes during the same month as a Saved by the Bell–themed pop up diner opened in Chicago. That restaurant, originally slated to remain open until August 31st, recently announced it will extend its stay until the end of the year due to overwhelming demand.

   Currently, The Golden Girls remains syndicated in 50 countries around the world. The restaurant should become a tourist destination due to the show’s devoted fan base.

   I hope the cafe serves the famous cheese cake featured in many of the episodes for dessert.

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   A historic downtown Phoenix building known for appearing in the movie Psycho will become a cluster of condos. This week, the City Council approved the $2.3 million sale of the Barrister Building. Crescent Bay Development Services LLC plans to convert the six-story tower, which was once a hotel, into a complex of at least 88 condos. The developer also plans to incorporate restaurants and shops at the site. It’s often recognized for Alfred Hitchcock’s cameo in the opening scene of iconic suspense flick.

   Built in 1915, the property has been mostly vacant since 2010. However, the company plans to maintain the brick facade.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The bar where everybody knows your name is ready to go on tour. Cheers Live on Stage is a comedy based on some of the most memorable moments of the celebrated television show’s first season. It will feature retired Red Sox pitcher, and shameless lady’s man, Sam Malone, pretentious waitress Diane Chambers, rotund barfly Norm Peterson, idiotic mailman Cliff Clavin, and the rest of the first season cast when it debuts in September in Boston.

The show will have a cast of 14 actors — although no original cast members are involved — but to lend a little authenticity to a typical neighborhood bar, director Matt Lenz is planning what he says is an unusual casting call. Every night, he will bring about 10 pre-selected members of the audience to be on stage with the cast as bar patrons. They’ll be dressed in 1980s fashions and given directions, perhaps walking onstage to sit at a table, order a drink, then head upstairs to Melville’s, the restaurant above the bar. The stage set will appear almost identical to the television show, and producers plan to use the original theme music.

   Even though it’s based on the sitcom set in a Boston bar, loyal fans should see plenty of new material in the stage version, and may even get a chance to be a part of each performance. A national tour is also planned. Fans will get their fill of all of their favorite Cheers characters, but because the two-hour show is based solely on the first season, there will be no Woody, Frasier, or Rebecca.

   Erik Forrest Jackson, the writer who adapted the show for the theater, binge-watched all 22 episodes of the first season, and studied the original scripts before he started writing. The quality of the original is what  made a live reboot attractive to Randy Buck, the chief executive officer of Troika Entertainment, which is producing the show along with Stageworks Media. Troika traditionally brings Broadway musicals on the road, but barely hesitated when given the chance to get involved in the Cheers project.

   The television series ran for 11 seasons from 1982 until 1993, winning 28 Emmys and six Golden Globes, and is found on just about every list of the top small screen programs in history.

   Cheers to a potentially fruitful endeavor…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Actor William Shatner will appear at Boston Comic Con 2016 to mark the 50th anniversary of the hit television series Star Trek. The three-day convention is scheduled for August 12th – August 14th at the Seaport World Trade Center.           WILLIAM SHATNER  —>

    Shatner played Captain James T. Kirk on the iconic show. He will appear at the convention on August 12th, when Fenway Park will host a Star Trek 50th Anniversary Night. Shatner will throw out the first pitch before the Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks ballgame.  Shatner will also be available to meet with fans on August 13th.

   The convention will feature appearances by well-known comic artists and celebrity guests, a charity art auction, a film festival, a harbor cruise, and a costume contest.

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   On a tragically related note, Anton Yelchin, a rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new Star Trek films, was killed by his own automobile as it rolled down his driveway. The car pinned Yelchin against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence at his home in Los Angeles.

   The SUV that rolled down a driveway was being recalled because the gear shift has confused drivers, causing the vehicles to roll away unexpectedly. The 2015 model-year Grand Cherokee was part of a global recall of 1.1 million vehicles announced by Fiat Chrysler in April, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records show. The automaker sent recall notification letters to owners on May 16th, according to a memo to dealers, but it’s not known whether the actor received or saw his letter. The company was working on a fix and expected to have a final remedy in October or later, the letter said.

   Yelchin, an only child, was born in Russia. His parents were professional figure skaters who moved the family to the United States when he was a baby. He briefly flirted with skating lessons, too, before discovering that he wasn’t very skilled on the ice. He began acting as a child, taking small roles in independent films and television shows, such as ER, The Practice, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

   He drew on his Russian roots for his role as the heavily accented navigator in the sci fi franchise, his most high-profile to date. The freak accident tragically cuts short the promising career of an actor whom audiences were getting to know, and who had great artistic ambition. Star Trek Beyond, the third film in the rebooted series, comes out in July.      ANTON YELCHIN –>

   Anton Yelchin was only 27.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

    Beginning June 21st, I’ll begin a number of visits to branches of the County of Los Angeles Public Library to offer my unique take of portions of American History. My oral presentation includes a screening of my Forgotten Hollywood Documentary Trailer, and an opportunity for patrons to pick up autographed copies of my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series. Here’s this next week’s itinerary:

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CLIFTON M. BRAKENSIEK LIBRARY

9945 E. Flower St., Bellflower, CA

June 21st / Tuesday 6p – 7:30p

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HUNTINGTON PARK LIBRARY

6518 Miles Ave., Huntington Park, CA

June 25th / Saturday 10a – 12p

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   The highlight of my week will be my visit to the Chicano Resource Center in East Los Angeles. Here are the complete details:

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   If you live in Bellflower, Huntington Park, or East Los Angeles, or in Southern California neighboring communities, I urge to stop by.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The filibuster is a powerful parliamentary device in the United States Senate. Rules permit a senator, or series of senators, to speak for as long as he or she wishes and on any topic he or she chooses, unless three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn (usually 60 out of 100 senators) bring debate to a close by invoking cloture. Most defenders call the filibuster… The Soul of the Senate.

   On Wednesday, Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, with the aid of other colleagues, held the floor of the Senate for 14 hours and 50 minutes. Murphy was fighting for a vote on two measures related to the issue of gun control:

~ Make it illegal for people on the FBI’s various suspected terrorism watch lists and no-fly lists to buy guns

~ Expand universal background checks

   Murphy’s filibuster was motivated by the Orlando massacre over the weekend, and the Sandy Hook tragedy that took place in his home state in 2012. Due to his arduous effort, Senate Republicans agreed to put the bills to a vote on Monday.

                                             SENATOR CHRIS MURPHY

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   Since 1900, 14 filibusters have been initiated in the U.S. Senate that have lasted at least 8 hours over a variety of issues, including civil rights, health care, tax cuts, and an increase in our national debt. However, the most famous filibuster may have been the one Jefferson Smith initiated in 1939. He’s the fictional character portrayed by James Stewart in the Frank Capra classic, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

                      CLAUDE RAINS                  JAMES STEWART

   In the film, a junior senator (not unlike Senator Murphy) fights for a national boys camp at fictional Willet Creek, instead of a dam-building graft scheme included in an appropriations bill. The filibuster postpones the appropriations bill. The senator talks non-stop for about 24 hours, reaffirming the American ideals of freedom, and disclosing true motives of the dam scheme.

   Oscar-voters were shocked when Stewart (or Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind) were denied a Best Actor statuette, with the award going to Robert Donat for Goodbye Mr. Chips. One can speculate that Stewart received an apology Academy Award the following year for his performance in The Philadelphia Story (denying the Oscar to a more-deserving Henry Fonda for his role in The Grapes of Wrath).

   No matter the political party, America loves the filibuster.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women. U.N. Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who announced the appointment, called her a longstanding supporter of women’s and girls’ rights.

   She said Hathaway will put the spotlight on women’s work at home caring for their families as a key barrier to equality. Hathaway will be making the case that parental leave for mothers and fathers, and childcare services, are important ways for employers to demonstrate that:

They understand the value of their staff — both male and female.

   The 33-year-old actress previously served as an advocate for the Nike Foundation, which supports programs to empower adolescent girls in the developing world, and traveled to Kenya and Ethiopia to raise awareness on child marriage. In 2013, she narrated the CNN documentary, Girl Rising, which focused on the power of female education.

<——– Anne Hathaway won a 2013 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Les Miserables. She stated:  

I am honored and inspired by this opportunity to aid in advancing gender equality. 

   Congratulations to the talented star.

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   Walt Disney Company’s new $5.5 billion Shanghai Theme Park officially opened as its sixth resort, the first in mainland China. The park’s opening follows a decade of negotiations, five years of construction, and weeks of having over one million visitors trying out its rides, shops, restaurants, and its two hotels. The 963-acre facility is 57%-owned by the government-backed Shanghai Shendi Group. Letters of congratulations were read from the Chinese and American presidents, Xi Jinping and Barack Obama.

   Analysts expect Shanghai Disneyland to become the world’s most-visited theme park, annually attracting 50 million guests. Plus, it’s designed to appeal to Chinese visitors. Highlights include Garden of the Twelve Friends, and characters like Remy from Ratatouille, Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, and animals of the Chinese Zodiac. At the entrance, instead of Main Street USA, it’s Mickey Avenue.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Riviera Hotel and Casino — the Las Vegas Strip’s first high-rise that was as famous for its mobster ties as its Hollywood personification of Sin City’s mob past — officially exited the scene with a cinematic implosion, complete with fireworks. It closed in May, 2015 after 60 years on the northern end of The Strip. A plan to expand its Las Vegas Convention Center is in the works on the site.

   Three of the most famous movies ever filmed in Las Vegas used The Riviera as a backdrop, including the Rat Pack’s original Ocean’s 11, the James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever, and Casino, the 1995 movie based on real-life Vegas mobsters Frank Rosenthal and Anthony Spilotro during their 1970s heyday. More recently, it was featured in The Hangover in 2009. The Riviera also pioneered the business model that helped Vegas turn into an entertainment capital. The casino’s first headliner was Liberace. Dean Martin was a part-owner for a short time as part of his exclusive residency.

   The Riviera’s implosion will mark the latest kiss goodbye to what’s left among the relics to Vegas’ mobster past. When the hotel opened in 1955, organized crime outfits from across the country had already sunk their teeth into the casinos in a takeover that had started the decade before. Gambling profits were skimmed to send back home to pay for their illegal enterprises involving illegal betting, drugs, prostitution, murders, and racketeering.

   The mobsters were known to have controlled the money-counting at the most famous casinos in their day, including The Desert Inn, The Dunes, The Sands, and The Stardust — all of which have already disappeared from The Strip. Only The Tropicana and The Flamingo casinos are still in business. The Flamingo (originally built by Bugsy Siegel) has been completely remodeled at its original location, but The Tropicana still has pieces of its original building, making it the last true mob structure on The Strip. The casinos were cleaned up in the 1970s and 1980s, courtesy of state and federal crackdowns on organized crime.

   The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, also known as the Mob Museum in Las Vegas will house remnants of The Riviera for posterity sake.

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   Ann Morgan Guilbert was a film and television actress, best known for her recurring roles in The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Nanny. She also guest starred on My Three Sons, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Adam-12, The Andy Griffith Show, I Dream of Jeannie, Room 222, Dragnet, The Partridge Family, Love American Style, Maude, Barney Miller, Cheers, Murder She Wrote, Newhart, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Picket Fences, Blossom, Seinfeld, and Modern Family. In cinema, Ann appeared in Two For the Seesaw, A Guide For the Married Man, Viva Max, and Grumpier Old Men.

   She began her career in a Los Angeles musical variety cabaret act, which toured throughout California. In 1959, The Billy Barnes Revue opened in New York as an off-Broadway production, and then moved to Broadway. Guilbert had extensive theater credits, including in productions of To Kill a Mockingbird, The Matchmaker, Arsenic and Old Lace, and Harvey.

   Ann Morgan Guilbert (right) was 87.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Helms Bakery will reopen under the direction of award-winning pastry Chef Sherry Yard. Currently under construction, the revitalized Helms Bakery will feature a multi-space layout including a full-service restaurant for breakfast and lunch, a dedicated bakery with counter for prepared foods, as well as, retail specialty products.

   From its inception, the bakery was a pristine showplace and a model for mass production. Bakers baked on a large scale, creating breads, cakes, pies, wedding cakes, doughnuts, cookies, and even cream puffs — over 150 items in all. For all of its organized chaos, not a crumb was ever out of place. Tour groups were invited to watch as ingredients were poured, mixed and kneaded by the ton. By 1965, the bakery consumed 780 train carloads of white and wheat flour on an annual basis. Over two million eggs were used in a single month, and at holiday time, enormous quantities of fruit and nuts went into the batter. All this, of course, required 1,798 miles of wrapping paper.

   First opening its doors in 1931, family-owned and operated Helms Bakery supplied local residents with its fresh-baked bread delivered daily at your door for over four decades. The Helms trucks, nicknamed coaches, became a ready fixture along Los Angeles streets. And, the Helms Bakery building remains a cherished local landmark, recognized for its architectural significance.

   As much a promoter as a businessman, Paul Helms quickly thrust his local bakery onto the world stage. Helms bread soon became the choice of athletes and astronauts, presidents, kings, and Rose Parade queens, chalking up honors that defined an era. Beginning with its designation as Official Bread of the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the meteoric rise all but ended with the historic Apollo landing in 1969. At the 1934 California State Fair, it won the first gold medal for bread. Through the years its floats collected ribbons in the Tournament of Roses Parade.

   In the early days of broadcast and again ahead of its time, Helms was on the air as sponsor of a hugely popular radio and television cooking show featuring Helms baked goods. Jane Sterling, the host of the Tricks and Treats show, appeared as Helms home economist Coris Guy, the Martha Stewart of her day. Just months before the bakery closed, Helms Bakery  supplied Apollo 11 with its life sustaining bread, thus becoming the first bread on the moon.

   And soon, you can once again enjoy the goodies provided by Helms Bakery. A preview of the sweet menu is available from our vintage Helms coach outside on Thursdays from 1p – 5p; and Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 12p – 4p.

3220 Helms Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90034

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here… 

   Andrew Lloyd Webber (right) cheered on his kid rock band at this year’s Tony Awards. He then donated some money to encourage musical kids. The legendary composer, whose School of Rock competed for the top musical prize on Sunday, announced that he is funding $1.3 million to buy musical theater equipment for American public schools, and to help subsidize study.

   The stage version of School of Rock stays close to the plot of the Jack Black-2003 film, in which a wannabe rocker enlists his fifth-graders to form a rock group and conquer the Battle of the Bands. Lloyd Webber wanted a scheduled Tony Awards performance to motivate others.

   The three-year grant operated by The American Theatre Wing will include the purchase of instruments and equipment for school theater programs, after-school training, funding summer study, and college scholarships. The grant is an extension of a program Lloyd Webber has implemented in Britain, introducing violins in schools before pupils go on to make their own music choices.

   It’s great to see support for The Humanities.

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   Janet Waldo was a consummate voiceover star, best known for her playing Judy Jetson. She lent her voice to The Lux Radio Theatre, The Dinah Shore Program, The Great Gildersleeve, My Favorite Husband, The Eddie Bracken Show, and Meet Corliss Archer. She had small roles in cinema, appearing in The Way of All Flesh, Waterloo Bridge, The Farmer’s Daughter, and Fantastic Planet, among others. On television, she guest-starred in I Love Lucy, The Phil Silvers Show, Get Smart, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Andy Griffith Show, The F.B.I., Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, Petticoat Junction, and Julia.

   Her career was special in animation, with steady parts in The Jetsons, The Flinstones, Johnny Quest, Josie and the Pussycats, The Magilla Gorilla Show, Peter Potamus, The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, and The Fantastic Four.

   The durable Janet Waldo was 96.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here… 

   Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her official 90th birthday with a three-day series of festivities. The Queen’s birthday has been a three-month affair starting with her real birthday in April. The monarch’s birthday is traditionally celebrated in June when London’s weather can be more favorable.

   The traditional Trooping the Color parade was held on Saturday, the Queen’s official birthday. The queen, wearing a lime green outfit visible from the far points of the crowded Mall, traveled by horse-drawn carriage, waving to the throng. Prince Charles, heir to the throne, and his son Prince William rode down the Mall on horseback, along with Princess Anne, the queen’s daughter, a skilled equestrian. The event drew throngs of Brits and visitors to Buckingham Palace for a balcony appearance by the senior royals. On Sunday, The Mall in front of the palace hosted lunch for hundreds of charity workers and members of the Royal family. The palace has invited roughly 10,000 people who work at charities supported by the queen to the open air festivities.

   Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip attended a service of thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, what was Philip’s 95th birthday. Rod Stewart was also knighted in the queen’s annual Birthday Honors List, which also included recognition for Downton Abbey co-star Penelope Wilton. She was made a Dame, the female equivalent of a Knight. Another recipient, 99-year-old torch singer <– Vera Lynn, who raised British spirits during World War II with songs, including The White Cliffs of Dover and We’ll Meet Again. She was made a Companion of Honor, an award limited to 65 people of distinction.

   Street parties were additionally held in towns and cities all over Great Britain, and in related Commonwealth countries.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

NEW FORGOTTEN HOLLYWOOD SHOW ON THERAPYCABLE

   FORGOTTEN HOLLYWOOD – Episode #12 on THERAPYCABLE features guest Stan Freese. Our recent visitor is, of all things, a tuba soloist, and was the Talent Casting and Booking Director with Disney Entertainment. Stan served in many roles throughout his Disney career, including the Director of Bands at both Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort. He’s performed at the White House, the Kremlin, and along the Great Wall of China. He’s appeared on the Lawrence Welk Show and Hee Haw. Recently retired from Disney, Freese also overcame personal demons for a life well lived. STAN FREESE /MICKEY MOUSE ->

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  For 45 years, Stan has been a principal mentor for hundreds of Disney Entertainment Division staff members who are responsible for the music and show development for Disney Theme Parks around the world. Stan most recent assignment was to find talent, develop musical ensembles, and oversee the multitude of live musical performances at Disney California Adventure, Disneyland, and Downtown Disney.

STAN FREESE

   To watch and enjoy this marvelous interview on THERAPYCABLE, click or (cut-and-paste) to view my latest program:

http://therapycable.com/culture-videos/the-sound-of-disney.html

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here… 

   Entering the Santa Monica History Museum for Shirley Temple: Santa Monica’s Biggest Little Star, visitors are greeted by a gift shop laden with lollipops, animal crackers, and the optimism of a simpler time. People with only a cursory knowledge of Temple’s work will appreciate artifacts — dresses, shoes, black-and-white images — from her time as the #1 box office star, from 1935 to 1938. But, for her more seasoned fans, there’s an abundance of insight into Temple’s life and career beyond the age of 12.

   The museum celebrates Shirley Temple’s (right) time as a child star, it also provides a view of her as a more complete individual — tap-dancing moppet, mother, television series creator, businesswoman, and politician. Temple was born in Santa Monica, so it’s fitting that she be memorialized in a museum that seeks to preserve the city’s history.

   The museum previously hosted a Temple exhibit in 2015 that focused only on the actress’ early career. Temple’s mother, Gertrude, preserved all of her daughter’s belongings from a young age, which Temple continued to do as an adult, resulting in an extraordinary collection of items, 120 of which are on display here.

   Curator Sara Crown explains that though the museum was offered several hundred items from collectors and Temple’s family, it pared down with a desire to focus on items Temple had actually owned. The only exception is a case of Temple-inspired merchandise, including dolls created in her likeness. Temple was one of the first child stars to have lucrative merchandising — Temple and her family were innovative in their control of licensing her name.

   Temple’s birth certificate and receipt for doctor’s charges represent the most direct surviving connection between the actress and Santa Monica. For fans of Temple’s films, it’s fascinating to see the intricacies of some of her most famous costumes up close, from lambswool-lined wooden shoes from Heidi, to the polka dot dress that she wore in her breakout performance in Stand Up and Cheer! The exhibit also includes more personal tangible items, which give a beautiful glimpse of Temple beyond her juvenile persona, including an antique carousel horse Temple restored herself, and the stunning ivory-satin wedding gown from her first marriage to John Agar in 1945. There is also a glimpse into lesser-known aspects of her career, including her films as a teenager, and her 1958 return to entertainment with the television series Shirley Temple’s Storybook.

   Temple was at the peak of her fame during some of the worst years of the Great Depression, leading President Roosevelt to praise her for her unique ability to lift the spirits of Americans. The exhibit showcases a collection of photos and letters from Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, thanking Temple following her visit to the White House. It reflects her unique role as a national symbol of hope and optimism during one of the nation’s darkest times.

   Temple also broke racial barriers, as the first to be part of an onscreen interracial performance opposite Bill Bojangles Robinson in The Little Colonel and several subsequent films. A pink dress from that film highlights the groundbreaking moment.

   From a young age, Temple used her image and fame to promote important causes, taking an active role in War Bond drives and visiting soldiers as a teenager during World War II. Even after retiring from acting at 22, Temple actively participated in charity work and civic engagement, ultimately devoting the last four decades of her life to public service. The exhibit highlights this aspect of her career, including materials from her unsuccessful 1967 run for Congress, and photographs and clippings from her years as a representative to the UN General Assembly and her service as the United States Ambassador to both Ghana and Czechoslovakia.

   She also brought attention to issues closer to home following her diagnosis with breast cancer in 1972. At the time, this was a private battle for public figures; Temple was one of the first to publicly discuss her experiences fighting the disease, and promote open conversation around women’s health issues. The exhibit features the 1973 issue of Lady’s Journal that includes the honest, pioneering interview.

   The Santa Monica History Museum is at 1350 7th St. in Santa Monica; and runs through July 1st.

Until next time>                               “never forget”