Movie Premier: John Carter

Even though I’m not a football fan, one of my all-time favorite TV shows is Friday Night Lights, the much missed series about a high school football team in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas.  One of my favorite characters on the show was Tim Riggins, the hunky but brooding receiver, who matured considerably over the series’ far too short five seasons.

Most of the actors have moved on to other projects since the show ended its run last year.  But Taylor Kitsch, who played Riggins, has remained out of the limelight, appearing only briefly in the Wolverine origins movie three years ago.  That’s about to change, however, with the upcoming release of the blockbuster Battleship, later this year, and John Carter, Disney’s highly anticipated tent-pole movie in which Kitsch plays the title superhero.

Although John Carter doesn’t open till March, the premier was held earlier this week at the Regal Theater downtown.  Because it’s a Disney film, D23 members were invited to attend. Tickets were supposed to be available at 5PM, so Tim and I arrived at the theater at 4:30PM.  We planned to just checkout the scene before going to dinner, but two queues had already formed: one for tickets and one for the “bleachers,” from where we’d eventually watch the festivities.  We quickly got on the first line—so much for eating before the movie!  Everyone was chattering happily in anticipation.

It’s always fun to attend these things because you get to see movie stars in their natural element.  But the best part—for me, at least—is standing in line with kindred spirits.  Within moments we all knew each other’s backstory.  Turns out the guy standing next to me, who looked like he just walked over from a downtown law firm, was a rabid autograph hound.  Next to him were two ex-pats from Sacramento who were thrilled to be in the middle of a full-blown “L.A. experience.” 

Since we were among D23ers, I told everyone within earshot about our fabulous time at the Smoke Tree Ranch  and then, pointing to Geoffrey the D23 “Disney Geek,” who was standing nearby, I mentioned that he had been at the Ranch, too.

“Do you know Geoffrey the Disney Geek?” I asked Mr. Autograph.

“We’re all Disney geeks in this crowd,” he responded matter-of-factly.  “Except, of course, Geoffrey, who has his own video blog.”

With tickets in hand, we were then escorted over to the bleachers, setup on the street in front of the theater.  Well, actually, they weren’t bleachers at all, but rather a railing and two very long staggered platforms.  Fans were asked to stand either in front of or on the platforms in three long lines.  Our group of five scored the last front-row spots closest to the entrance.  Perfect timing!

The next two hours zipped by surprisingly fast.  The security guards allowed Tim to escape across the street for a quick bite, while I stayed (too excited to eat) and chatted with my new friends.  Although there was only one long red carpet, a velvet rope clearly separated the stars from everyone else attending the premier.  Non-celebrities walked on our side of the carpet; celebrities walked on the side closest to the photographers and media. 

The red carpet and velvet rope 

separating "us" from "them"

People on both sides of the red carpet started arriving at 6PM.  Most of the men wore suits, while the women—especially the non-celebrities—wore, for the most part, varying degrees of cocktail attire.  Even many D23 members—not necessarily known for being fashion-forward—dressed in spangles and black outfits.  I was very glad I had opted, at the last minute, not to wear my Friday Night Lights Dillon Panthers t-shirt.

A-listers and other celebrities finally started arriving by 6:30PM.  We saw Oscar-winner Helen Mirren, with what looked to be her two young grandchildren, and Emmy-winner Bryan Cranston, looking dapper in a suit and closely trimmed beard.  Anton Yelchin, Chekov in the Star Trek reboot movie, slipped by unnoticed on “our” side of the carpet.  Former sitcom star Dave Folley, who does a lot of voice work now for Disney, was there with his daughter and seemed thrilled to sign Mr. Autograph’s book. Frankie Muniz, of Malcom in the Middle fame, looks exactly the same except he now sports a 5 o’clock shadow, and Kevin McKidd is much more handsome in person than he is on TV.

Then suddenly we heard a burst of screaming from the far side of the bleachers.

“IT'S TAYLOR KITSCH!” the Sacramento guys, who by now knew all my secrets, yelled excitedly at me.  “And he’s on our side of the red carpet!”

Sure enough, poking my head over the railing I could see him shaking fans’ hands—and even kissing some women!—as he threw t-shirts into the bleachers.  He was wearing a dark suit and had short hair—not like Tim Riggins at all.  He was swarmed by the time he made it to our end of the bleachers.  One of the Sacramento guys yelled, “GIVE HER A T-SHIRT!  SHE'S A BIG FAN!!”  

Taylor Kitsch, a.k.a. John Carter

And that’s how I got my very own John Carter t-shirt, touched by the superhero himself! No time to say anything, though, because within minutes Kitsch’s “people” took him away to the other side of the red carpet, where he really did belong.

“OK.  We can leave now,” I announced as soon as he left.  But we stayed and soon were directed into the theater.

The Regal’s theater #1 is a huge venue used exclusively for special events, like movie premiers.  Everyone with a highly prized “laminate” (i.e., movie pass) dangling around his or her neck got to go into theater #1.  The rest of us, with our less important green wristbands, were directed toward the much smaller theater #5.  But at least Disney sprang for dinner. 

“Is that popcorn for us?” I yelled as we ran past the snack area, eying the bags neatly stacked on the counter.  The clerk waved us over.

We then headed to theater #5, where we had to surrender all cameras and cellphones.  In exchange, we were given cool John Carter 3-D glasses and an envelope containing an 8X11 movie poster.  Andrew Stanton, the film’s director, gave a short speech about how he’s wanted to make a movie about his hero John Carter ever since he was a kid.  And then—finally!—the film began.

I won’t ruin it by giving details here.  Suffice it to say, Taylor Kitsch is a better fictional football player than he is a gravity-defying superhero on Mars.  Still, the movie is entertaining and full of special effects.  We had lots of fun.

P.S.  To see D23's take on the premier, click here.

Modernism Week

Ship of the Desert

Back to Palm Springs again—this time for the start of Modernism Week, the annual celebration of everything “mid-century.”  Though we would love to stay the entire week, life and our pocketbooks prohibit it, so instead we always jam as much modernism as we can into a weekend. 

This year, our activities included a new Charles Phoenix retro slide show, “Pools, Patios, and BBQs,” nicely complementing the Palm Springs Art Museum’s fabulous exhibit “Backyard Oasis: the Swimming Pool in Southern California Photography, 1945-1982,” for which Charles also provided a curated collection of swimming pool slides.  The exhibit and Charles’s show are both highly recommended. 

Following the slide show, we toured the Davidson Residence, known affectionately as the “Ship of the Desert” because of its streamline moderne architectural style.  Built on a buff overlooking the valley in 1936, the house was one of the first Palm Springs homes to embrace modernism and was featured in both Arts + Architecture and Sunset magazines.  Today the house is owned by fashionista Trina Turk, whose mod style is definitely reflected in its furnishings.  The tour was a high point of the weekend.

Living room

Master bedroom

We next popped in to one of our favorite artists Shag’s gallery for a quick peak at his latest work.  Amazingly, I resisted all temptation to buy a print one of the pieces he created in 2005 in honor of Disneyland’s 50^th anniversary.

We also managed to take in two Oscar-nominated movies at the funky old Camelot theater: The Iron Lady, starring Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher, and My Week With Marilyn, about a young man’s brief relationship with Marilyn Monroe.  Thank goodness we’re not members of the Academy because I would have a hard time selecting a “best actress” performance this year.

Finally, there was the food.  Late lunch on Saturday was at LuLu, a hip new “California bistro” that occupies the former site of the kitschy old Copykatz female impersonators’ nightclub.  The food at LuLu is good, but the people-watching is even better, especially if you can snag a table along the sidewalk—prime Palm Springs real estate!  And, of course, no trip to the desert would be complete without a meal at Sherman’s deli, a Palm Springs staple since 1953. 

Outdoor dining at Sherman's

After wolfing down breakfast, we made a couple more gallery stops—and again resisted all temptation to buy!—before heading back to L.A.

Disney Hall

Disney Hall

After Dodger Stadium (below), we decided to eat downtown and so naturally gravitated to Lemonade, our new favorite cafe located outside the Museum of Contemporary Art.  Yummy buttermilk-battered fried chicken, sandwiches, salads, and fabulous cookies—made me forget all about the popcorn I was craving at the stadium just a few minutes before.

With time still left on our parking meter, we walked across the street to shoot some snaps of Disney Hall, Frank Gehry’s magnificently-designed concert venue. Jagged and covered in titanium, many called it an abomination when it first opened in 2003.  Yet today it remains a major part of downtown L.A.’s cultural landscape.  I love it.

From the ground, it looks like an elegant, but imposing pile of steel that fell from the sky.  The scale of the building is much more relatable at its top, however, where a garden of full-grown trees and California native plants help soften their surroundings—a quiet retreat from the rest of the city.  

So the next time you’re walking by Disney Hall, take a few minutes and climb that mysterious staircase just north of the Patina restaurant.  You’ll see downtown in a whole new light.

Looking north toward Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

and Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels

City Hall

Dodger Stadium

Although Tim and I no longer follow Dodgers baseball, we did adore the team when we were kids and continue to love the stadium as an L.A. icon.  Through Tim’s radio contacts, we’ve been lucky enough to visit parts of Dodger Stadium that others rarely see—like the press area and luxury boxes. But we had never been on an official tour—that is, until today.

Dirt-filled field

The tour, arranged by the “History of Los Angeles” meetup group, started at the top of the stadium and winded its way inside and down. The grass was covered by dirt for a motocross event happening next week (gag!), so we didn’t get to see the Dodgers’ usually immaculately manicured field.  Still, we did get to tour the exclusive Dugout Club restaurant, the Dodgers dugout (very nice) and bullpen (not so nice) and saw lots of terrific photos and historic artifacts (e.g., 1981 and 1988 World Series trophies, old uniforms, etc.).

If you live in Los Angeles and are interested in local history, I highly recommend joining L.A. History meetup.  Friendly folks and more fun events ahead.

Tim in the Vin Scully press box

Coaching from the dugout

Player to be named later

Bullpen phones

Other side of bullpen—totally unglamorous!

Smoke Tree Ranch

Smoke Tree Ranch brand

Have I mentioned lately how much I love being a member of D23, Disney’s official fan club?  Over the past three years, Tim and I have participated in many Disney screenings, conventions and tours courtesy of D23.  They’ve all been fun and special, but nothing could have prepared us for this most recent Disney adventure.

In November, D23 announced a members-only opportunity to spend three days and two nights at the Smoke Tree Ranch, an exclusive resort/residential area in Palm Springs, where Walt and Lillian Disney once lived.  Now I’m not as fascinated by Walt’s biography as other fans are; still, the thought of experiencing a part of Southern California history that remains fairly steeped in the mid-20th-century image of the old West was very appealing.  So we made our reservations as soon as possible.

Quite frankly, we didn’t know what to expect when we arrived in Palm Springs on Monday.  We knew we’d be staying in one of the Ranch cottages and eating three meals with D23ers.  We also knew that we’d get a chance to see where Walt and Lillian lived and learn how to lawn bowl, just like Walt did in the 1950s. But the rest was purposely left a mystery—the better to pleasantly surprise us!

Our cottage

When we checked in, we were handed a map to the compound, an itinerary, keys to our cottage, and a video on the history of the Ranch.  Cocktails were being served in two hours (5:30PM), so we watched the video in our new temporary home.  We learned that Smoke Tree Ranch started as a getaway for Angelenos in the mid-1930s and eventually became a “colony” as people began building homes on the property.  Today residents live on 400 acres of prime (gated) desert land, while the guest ranch covers approximately 20 acres.  Our cottage was next to and across the road from Smoke Tree residents’ homes.  The focal point of all communal activity was the Ranch House, which also included a nearby swimming pool, three-hole practice golf course, bowling green, fitness center, tennis courts, and Walt Disney Hall, built by Walt so he could screen movies at the Ranch.

We moseyed over to the Ranch House a little after 5:30PM.  The living room was already jammed.  Before we could even enter, we had to sign waivers giving permission to film us.  I entered the living room, while Tim made his way to the open bar.

Within seconds, a familiar face came over to greet me.

“Hello, I’m Jeffrey,” a friendly young man said and shook my hand.

“I know you!” I said, immediately recognizing the Disney Geek, who has his own video blog on the D23 website.  “How wonderful to meet you!”

We chatted about the Ranch and then after a few minutes, an older gentleman came over and introduced himself: Bob Gurr, Imagineer and master-mind behind such iconic Disneyland rides as Autopia, the Matterhorn and the Monorail.  He’s also a Disney “Legend,” the highest honor given by the company.  Bob quickly became one of our favorite people.

As soon as Tim returned, we found seats in the crowded living room and cheered as various Disney dignitaries were introduced: Oscar-winning composer (and Legend) Richard Sherman who, along with his brother Robert, wrote many of the most famous and beloved Disney songs; Tony Anselmo, the voice of Donald Duck for the past 25 years (and another Legend); Bill Farmer, the voice of Goofy since 1987 (and yet another Legend); Pete Renoudet, the voice of Henry, the emcee of Disneyland’s long-gone Bear Country Jamboree; Bill Rogers, the current voice of Disneyland (“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls . . .”); Bret Iwan, the current voice of Mickey Mouse; and Dave Smith, Disney Legend and recently retired company archivist.  We heard later that out of 40 people attending the three-day event, only 24 were D23 members and their guests.  Therefore, the ratio of fans to Disney dignitaries/D23 staff was almost 1:1.  We had no idea we'd be surrounded by so much Disney history and celebrity.

Pete, Bill F., Tony, Bill R., and Bret

We then all headed for the dining room.  Tim and I were joined for dinner by Jeffrey, Bret Iwan, their friend Justin, and two women named Debbie, who ended up being quite the lively companions.  Salad and dessert were “self-serve” at a sumptuous buffet at the front of the room.  The main course, however, was served individually in the kitchen by the chef.  This particular tradition had started during WWII, when most of the wait-staff were off to war, and has remained part of the Ranch's casual dining culture ever since.  There was a bounty of cakes, cookies and fruit for dessert, but we had to return to the kitchen for ice cream, scooped out of containers stored in an ice cream freezer.  Delicious and fun!

After dinner, we went back into the living room, where a large piano had been set-up.  Some of the fans no doubt knew what was coming next, but Tim and I were completely surprised when it was announced that not only were we going to be part of a special Smoke Tree Ranch episode of D23's video blog  "Armchair Archivists,” but Richard Sherman was about to be interviewed and perform!  Richard reminisced about Walt Disney and invited us to join him on some of his songs.  How often do you get to sing along with the composer of “A Spoonful of Sugar” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”?  Hel-lo! Can we say "absolutely once-in-a-lifetime experience"?  

“I already got my money’s worth!” I whispered to Tim as we walked back to our cottage.

The next morning we caravanned to Indian Canyon for an old-fashioned breakfast cookout, just like the Smoke Tree residents did 50 years ago.  The view of Palm Springs from the canyon was spectacular and the food perfect.  We ate family-style with Disneyland publicist and author Tim O’Day, who assured us the new Cars Land attraction at Disney’s California Adventure would be open by the end of June.  Hooray!

Looking down on Palm Springs

Breakfast is served!

Eating family-style

After breakfast, we all met back at the Ranch House for a tour of Walt's former homes.  He sold his first home in 1954 to help finance Disneyland, but as soon as the park started making money, he built a second house only a few tracts away.  His wife Lillian lived at the Ranch after Walt died, but eventually sold the house in 1970.  

The Disneys' first home

House #2

At 2PM several people gathered at the bowling green for lessons on how to lawn bowl.  I am a much better cheerleader than I am a player of any sport, so I just watched from the sidelines.  Tim teamed up with Jeffrey, retired archivist Dave Smith, and the current Disney archivist Becky Cline.  Luckily for everyone, no scores were kept!

Tim lawn bowling with Dave, Jeffrey and Becky

Our final dinner together was an outdoor barbecue, followed by a hilarious magic show by Dana Daniels of Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Review.  I warned Tim he might be picked-on if he sat close to the stage and, sure enough, he became the butt of many of Dana’s jokes.  By the end of the evening, though, Tim was everyone’s hero.  As we were leaving the hall, Bill Rogers, the voice of Disneyland, stopped us and talked with Tim at length about radio.

The night ended around a campfire, where Dana and Pete Renoudet told stories about working for Disney.  We did some western dancing (Tim was again a hit!) and sang some cowboy songs.  Then someone spontaneously launched into the Mickey Mouse Club anthem, “M-I-C (See ya real soon!) K-E-Y (Why? Because we love you!) M-O-U-S-E!” followed by Roy Rogers' “Happy Trails.”  And with that, we bid everyone a tearful adieu.  OK, so I was the only one crying; but after spending such an amazing time together, I could barely stand the idea of never seeing these folks again.  What a magical two days it had been.

The view across the street from our cottage

A smoke tree

P.S.  Disney has now posted a recap of our "round-up" on its D23 website, including a video of much of what we all experienced.  That's me grabbing a taste of bacon on the breakfast line and you can see us in the middle of the audience watching Dana Daniels.  Makes me want to return to the Ranch!

Museum Sunday

One of my absolute favorite L.A. places to visit when I was a kid was the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park.  In those days, every fourth-grader in public school took a field trip to the museum to see the dinosaur bones, followed on the same day by a visit to the La Brea Tarpits, where many an ancient animal lost their lives.

With the state’s budget the way it is, I highly doubt kids get to take field trips to the museum or tarpits any longer.  Nevertheless, the county recently renovated the entire Natural History Museum, including three new rooms dedicated to prehistoric animals.  In a definite mood for more exhibits (see yesterday’s post about the Huntington Library below), we finally made our way over to Exposition Park to spend Sunday afternoon in the fabulous new Dinosaur Hall.  To say that this is every six-year-old’s idea of heaven would be a huge understatement!  Here’s just a taste of some of the amazing fossils on display:

P.S.  While we were out-and-about, we also stopped by the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) to see two more Pacific Standard Time exhibits: “Kenneth Anger: Icons” and “Naked Hollywood: Weegee in Los Angeles.” Anger, of course, is the underground filmmaker who also gave us the original celebrity gossip books Babylon Hollywood and Babylon Hollywood II.  But even more notorious, in his time, was tabloid photographer Weegee, who loved to capture the less glamorous side of post-WWII L.A.  Both exhibits are highly recommended if you’re into a slightly twisted view of fame in early- to mid-twentieth-century Los Angeles.

Huntington Library

Maloof chair

With the holidays—and a rather grueling fall academic quarter—now over, we can once again turn our attention to Pacific Standard Time, the phenomenal regionwide show of postwar Southern California art.  To make up for lost time, Tim, Karen and I schlepped out to the Huntington Library on Saturday to see two fabulous exhibits: “The House that Sam Built: Sam Maloof and Art in the Pomona Valley, 1945-1985” and the chronologically-related “Blue Sky Metropolis: The Aerospace Century in Southern California.” 

Born in Chino, CA, in 1916, Sam Maloof was the first craftsperson ever to receive a MacArthur Foundation genius grant.  Although not as influential as his contemporaries Ray and Charles Eames, Maloof’s furniture is nonetheless world renowned and very emblematic of mid-century artistry.  The Huntington exhibit brings together 116 Maloof pieces, plus the complementary art of colleagues and friends who lived and worked nearby.  A sampling of the items shown follow below.  I highly recommend the exhibit, which ends January 30th, for anyone who loves mid-twentieth-century pottery, woodworking and art.

Maloof chair

Painting by Millard Sheets

Maloof loveseat

Painting by Jean Ames

Just as impressive (for me, at least) was the aerospace exhibit which, unfortunately, ended this past weekend.  Though small, “Blue Sky Metropolis” packed a lot of fascinating info into one room.  Included were several historic photos of Lockheed and its notoriously secret Skunk Works, located just a few miles from where I grew-up in Burbank.  Historic aeronautical events that took place in Downey, close to where I worked in 1994, and, of course, Culver City, which we now call home, were also featured.  A companion book is due to be released later this year.

And, naturally, no trip to the Huntington would be complete without visiting its magnificent cactus and succulent garden.  Not much in bloom yet, but outstanding anyway.