Paul Valéry was an essayist, intellectual, journalist, philosopher, Symbolist poet, fiction writer and polymath who was born 142 years ago today. Ambroise-Paul-Toussaint-Jules Valéry was born 30 October, 1871 to a Corsican father and Genoese-Istrian mother in Sète (or Cette) -- a small town in Occitania. There he attended school at Collège de Sète before the … Continue reading A look at French writer and thinker Paul Valery on the anniversary of his birth
Visiting LACMA’s Bing Theater for a Tuesday Matinee
A recent viewing of The Shining reminded me of just what a good idea it is for people who work at home (and perhaps have a bit of a tough time pulling themselves away from work) to forgo all work for occasional play. I also regularly suffer from a sort of paralysis that occurs when … Continue reading Visiting LACMA’s Bing Theater for a Tuesday Matinee
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Show-Me Hollywood — Missourians in Hollywood on Missouri Day
Happy Missouri Day! I was not born in Missouri but I count myself fortunate to have grown up there, moving to the Show-Me State from Kentucky when I was four and staying until I was sixteen. Of course, I ended up moving west (St. Louis is the Gateway to the West after all) to the great … Continue reading Show-Me Hollywood — Missourians in Hollywood on Missouri Day
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You probably haven't heard but today is Missouri Day. For this piece I'm honoring Missourians who've worked in Hollywood -- mostly as actors but as directors and film scorers as well.
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Nobody Drives in LA — Exploring Along the WeHo PickUp Line
With bicycles, buses, ferries, planes, rideshares, sidewalks, subways, taxis, and trains at Angelenos’ disposal, why would any sane person choose car-dependency? Nobody Drives in LA celebrates sense and sensibility in transportation. The city of West Hollywood recently launched a new nighttime shuttle service: the WeHo PickUp Line. Although the branding makes it clear that it's meant to be thought of … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Exploring Along the WeHo PickUp Line
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California Fool’s Gold — San Clemente, The Spanish Village in Orange County
INTRODUCTION Until the visit that Una and I took to San Clemente this past weekend, I don’t think that I’d ever visited the place. I’m not entirely sure because nearly all of my trips south on the 5 have ended in Mexico and the stretch of freeway between South Orange County and San Diego County has blended … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — San Clemente, The Spanish Village in Orange County
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Lucien Levy-Dhurmer — Artist, explorer, and autumn son
Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer was a Symbolist and Art Nouveau artist who was born on this day in 1865. In France, he is still celebrated in some quarters for his work -- which includes paintings, drawings, ceramics, furniture and interior design -- but he remains obscure, especially outside the Francosphere. Even though there aren't any films about him … Continue reading Lucien Levy-Dhurmer — Artist, explorer, and autumn son
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37 Years! Celebrating (or at least thinking about) VHS
The inaugural Cassette Store Day took place this past 7 September. On that day, over 50 audio cassettes were released by major musical acts like The Pastels, The Flaming Lips, and Suicidal Tendencies. Unfortunately for video cassette fans, Cassette Day was a strictly audio observance. For whatever reason, Cassette Culture (or the cassette underground), which … Continue reading 37 Years! Celebrating (or at least thinking about) VHS
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Nobody Drives in LA — Riding San Pedro’s Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Car Line
With bicycles, buses, ferries, planes, rideshares, sidewalks, subways, taxis, and trains at Angelenos’ disposal, why would any sane person choose car dependency? Nobody Drives in LA celebrates sense and sensibility in transportation. Una filming the Red Car's approach Any decent map of rail lines in Los Angeles has to include the rails used by Amtrak, Metro, and Metrolink. Extra … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Riding San Pedro’s Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Car Line
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Six Shooter — The Radio Western Starring Jimmy Stewart Debuted 20 September 1953
On 20 September 1953, one of my favorite old time radio Westerns debuted on NBC -- Six Shooter. It was created and written by Frank Burt, who'd also written for The Whistler, The Man Called X, and The Unexpected. It was produced by Jack Johnstone (Buck Rogers, The CBS Radio Workshop, Richard Diamond, Somebody Knows, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, and others). The music director, Basil … Continue reading Six Shooter — The Radio Western Starring Jimmy Stewart Debuted 20 September 1953
Eric Brightwell 