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“The trail may be cold, but the stories are hot!”

By ivi blog Guest Contributor Dr. Rob Moore

Part 3 of a series of two 3 posts.
This is the last in a series of three articles (see numbers one and two) that speak of happenings at the Garden of Allah, a hotel situated on the then outskirts of Hollywood at the far end of Sunset Boulevard. The original Garden of Alla (without the ending “h,” was built in the 1920’s as  home to Alla Nazimova at the height of her silent film career.

After Nazimova’s career began to fade, she converted her home to a hotel by adding 25 bungalows on the property, and renovating the main house with a bar and restaurant, which, in turn, became a sort of social vortex for the film colony.

The Garden was residence to many of cinema’s most interesting personalities (acting, writing and producing) during the 1930s and 1940s, at times when  stars-to-be were just beginning their careers (Jackie Gleason, Errol Flynn) or when their  personal lives needed airing (Humphrey Bogart, Robert Benchley). The Garden was also a favorite for artists on sabbatical or retreat from the New York stage or for those simply trying their hand at “something”  Hollywood. For example, literary giants like Faulkner and Fitzgerald were to be found often at the restaurant or bar, the latter being the better bet.

Viewing the Garden of Allah as the historical stage it indeed was, in this piece, we are entertained by three random, true stories acted out by the glitterati, scenes that became part of the Garden of Allah’s rich legacy.

Scene one…

opens upon David Niven, Errol Flynn, and writer, Bill Lipscomb, lounging around the large Black Sea shaped swimming pool which serves as the central out-of-doors community gathering location at the Garden.

None of these gentlemen at this juncture in their careers earns the monthly $200-$400 needed to rent one of the Garden’s bungalows. Therefore, they are combining their resources, bunking together in one of the smaller units.

On this day, the total cash available to the three, reserved in preparation for the Garden bar’s Happy Hour, is seventeen dollars.  Other than that, the trio are reputedly without funds, better known in less refined circles as busted.

(Note: The Garden’s Happy Hour was actually several hours. The later patrons showed up, the more expensive drinks became. For example, at 4 o’clock PM, drinks cost 40 cents each. As of 5 PM, the prices were adjusted to 50 cents apiece. At 6 PM, 60 cents, and so on.  Therefore, Niven, Flynn and Lipscomb were feverishly watching their time pieces, all three desiring to enter the Garden bar no later than 4:01 PM. The current time on this day is 3:30 PM.)

There are many versions of what happened next. However, the favorite is the story as told by David Niven.

“Errol, Bill and I were sitting around the pool. The pool phone rang at 3:30.  It was Errol’s agent informing him he had been cast as lead in a film to be called Captain Blood. (As we will recall, Captain Blood was the film that launched Errol to stardom.)

After the conversation was completed, and Flynn told us the good news, we all congratulated Errol, and then continued absorbing the Southern California sun.

Ten minutes later, twenty minutes to Happy Hour, the phone rang again. This time it was Lipscomb’s agent, announcing that Bill had been selected to write the script for Clive of India, a major professional coup for Bill. Again, a round of congratulations.

As if on cue, at 3:55, just five minutes before we were going to head toward the Garden bar, the phone rang yet again.

This time, it was my agent.

I listened attentively, nodding and hmming into the mouthpiece.

When I placed the receiver back on its cradle, Errol and Bill could barely contain themselves, both shouting in unison, “Well, Well?”

I informed the two men that my agent had landed me a part in Barbary Coast for Goldwyn. In Barbary Coast, my principal duty was to allow myself to be thrown from a moving train.” Read the rest of this entry »

“The trail may be cold, but the stories are hot!”

By ivi blog Guest Contributor Dr. Rob Moore

Humphrey Bogart (Bogie), despite his rough looks (See photo), was able to command the admiration of a significant portion of both male and female motion picture going audiences during the period 1936 to 1956. (Bogart received the nickname Bogey from his great pal Spencer Tracy in 1930, albeit with the slightly different spelling. Bogart himself spelled it Bogie.)

1936 has been chosen as the beginning of Bogie’s “run” of popularity because it was in 1936 that the film, The Petrified Forest, was released. This film was Bogie’s big break. In it, Bogart played the rugged Duke Mantee opposite Leslie Howard and Bettie Davis.

Davis replaced Peggy Conklin who had starred on Broadway in the part of Gabrielle Maple in the play of the same name, and Edward G. Robinson was scheduled to replace Bogart for the movie. (Play ran January through June 1935 -197 performances at the Broadhurst Theater — see photos)

When Bogie wired Howard, who was in England, about the replacement, Howard immediately telegraphed Jack Warner and threatened him (something that only Jack’s wife, and certainly no star of a lesser light than Howard could have done at that time…or ever.) Jack, to his credit, backed down, and Bogie’s career as a major film star was launched.

So, what’s this about Bogie’s Lucky Number?

Arguably Bogie’s Lucky Number was 4.

Why four?

Read the rest of this entry »

“The trail may be cold, but the stories are hot!”

By ivi blog Guest Contributor Dr. Rob Moore

Of all the stars of the silver screen, a score or so have been acclaimed by the public and critics alike as representative of the ideal American male, the masculine archetype.

Names so labeled include performers such as  Rudolph Valentino,  John Wayne, Errol Flynn, Robert Taylor, and Cary Grant. More recently, cases are made for Clint Eastwood, Bruce Willis (called by some “the last real man in Hollywood”), John Travolta and Vin Diesel.

However, in the end, there is but one personality who, during his lifetime, was billed as the King of Hollywood (a moniker he despised). That personality was Clark Gable.

Public domain image from the film trailer for It Happened One Night, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

During the “studio era,” fortunes were spent advancing the careers of a limited number of screen stars. The concentration of wealth spent on supporting the image of  this small cadre of individuals may never be equaled. Independent film companies, and the diversification of studio investment today make it unlikely that we will ever again see one individual cornering the market in a particular film genre.

The Gable on-screen persona was at once rough yet capable of the gentle; outrageous yet possessor of great sensitivity; rude yet often demonstrably refined; sober in times of danger yet playful, even childlike at others; world-wise yet surprisingly innocent; perpetrator of high violence yet marvelously understated. This was Gable, the King.

The qualities that make up the Gable legend still hover over Hollywood, reinforced by the occasional signed restaurant photograph, film cameo, and, of course, the  Lombard/Gable Forest Lawn mausoleum.

But, who was Clark Gable? What were his values? Who was he as an individual? Where did he come from?

To begin, William Clark Gable, born in 1901, came from hard working stock. His father, William H. Gable, labored in the oil fields as a driller. Gable lost his mother, the former Adeline Hershelman, a devout Catholic, when he was ten months old. Before her death, Adeline had Gable baptized a Roman Catholic. Read the rest of this entry »

The Wired review of Spinal Tap Unwigged and Unplugged makes me really desirous of seeing the show.

Does the switch to lighter arrangements take the punch out of Spinal Tap’s hilariously gross lyrics? On the contrary: It highlights McKean, Guest and Shearer’s clever writing. When sung with a country twang and a snappy tempo, the lyrics of “Sex Farm” —

Scratching in your hen house
Sniffing at your feedbag
Slipping out your back door
Leaving my spray

— sound even dirtier.

Unforch, I just missed the Seattle show on April 20th, but perhaps there’s still time for you? Here’s the schedule.

Video Nuze sez (I just had to spell “says” that way, since the source has imaginative spelling of its own!) that 2009 prediction #5 is that Microsoft will acquire Netflix sometime next year.

They admit it’s bold, but here’s the core rationale:

Microsoft has significant financial resources, but it lacks the ability to be a credible competitor in the broadband-to-the-TV race. Together, I believe they could turn Netflix into the single-most potent broadband competitor to today’s multichannel video providers. My bet is that in ‘09 the two companies will come to the same conclusion.

It sounds plausible, but I have concerns. Netflix is an amazing 11 years old, and yet it’s still unarguably cool. On February 25, 2007, Netflix announced the billionth DVD delivery.

It’s in search of a next-gen model, and has made significant progress including existing offerings:

Netflix has a “Watch Instantly” feature available to all eligible subscribers. The feature enables subscribers, at no additional cost, to stream near-DVD quality movies and recorded television shows instantly, depending on the subscriber’s internet connectivity. Initially, the feature offered subscribers one hour of media for approximately every dollar they spent on their subscription. (A $16.99 plan, for example, entitled the subscriber to 17 hours of streaming media.) In January 2008, however, Netflix lifted this restriction. Virtually all subscribers now are entitled to unlimited hours of streaming media at no additional cost. Only subscribers with a plan of $4.99/one DVD per month aren’t provided unlimited access to the streaming service. (They are allowed two hours). The new terms of the service are a response to the introduction of Apple’s new video rental services.

Currently t[Netflix's] Watch Instantly service features more than 12,000 movies and recorded television shows available. Major studios including NBC Universal, Sony Pictures, MGM, 20th Century Fox, CBS/Paramount, ABC-Disney, Warner Brothers, Lions Gate EntertainmentNew Line Cinema are all distributing films and television shows via the service. On October 1st, 2008, Netflix announced a partnership with Starz Entertainment to bring 2,500+ new movies and television shows to Watch Instantly in what is being called Starz Play.

These advances show promise but not splashy domination.

Is Microsoft the right match to bring the future to Netflix?

You tell me. Living in the Seattle area and having work experience with Microsoft, I’m tempted to say no.

I’m tempted to think Microsoft is truly an enterprise-only entity that has yet to find a way to understand and serve the consumer. How can it when all its dollars come from Business Decision Makers rather than consumers?

Microsoft makes no sales directly to users. Doesn’t that say it all about a possible Netflix-Microsoft deal?

Argue! Prove me wrong! I want Netflix to have all the best money and minds behind it as it goes forward. And I know firsthand that people at Microsoft are very smart. But Netflix — the beloved red envelope coming soone r than you hope into your mailbox — is like a relative I believe in and want to help connect to the right people.