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[John G.]

Sleep vibes for ChasSmith.

[John G.]

Two!

[Jane]

From John:

Fascinating. But has the traffic in LA ever been that light?

Yes, and there wasn't much traffic on the freeways.

[Ginny]

Thursday afternoon greetings!  Trying to be upbeat on a day when I'm anything but.

[Jane]

DR JANE it is the Churchill biography by Roy Jenkins.

Thanks.

[Jane]

DR TCB - oh no it wasn't James MacArthur who is favorite in these here parts as much if not more so than Tommy Kirk.

In fact it is Mr John Mills - I always thought it was interesting that he played the father the same year his daughter played Pollyanna and now it turns out that his employment was a BIG part of her contract.  If they wanted her for the movie, they had to put him in a movie as well.

I thought it was something like that.  I don't think Disney regular Fred MacMurray would have worked in SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, but there were others actors around that would have.....  Mills is just hard to look at for me - and his acting is just too precious and self conscious - kind of like how he used to fluff his eyelashes with his fingers before every take.....

I would have to watch the movie again though I don't recall disliking his performance.  When I read about his contract deal I found it surprising, but also clever-lol

[Jane]

Worst night of insomnia ever. And for no good reason.

I was in bed by midnight, and had only begun to drift off to sleep by 3:00 am or thereabouts. After I'd looked at the clock then, it was later still that I was finally asleep.

My dreams (I wish I could actually remember the main thing going on) were largely about the sleep I needed. That's real helpful, right? Oy.

That was your worst night of insomnia.  I am envious.

[Jane]

As I suspected, the numbers were already in the phone.  Someone just had to be taught how to use Speed Dial correctly.

Tell him to practice by calling you.  He probably didn't use it enough to remember. 

[Jane]

The father of the young man who played JOSEPH in the postponed show was also in the show as one of the brothers.  He was very good.  It was his first show since high school.  He had a very good time during rehearsals.

He died yesterday of COVID complications.  JOSEPH had COVID in January, so he decided he had the antibodies and didn't need a vaccine.  Of course his girl friend got COVID and was the reason the show was canceled......then his 14 year old brother got COVID and finally recovered.

And now his father is gone.....NO ONE GOT A VACCINATION -

So, so sad

[Jane]

Early 40's......gone....

And so young.  More babies are now dying of this, or getting very sick.  It scares me that Freyja now lives in an rather unvaccinated area.

[ChasSmith]

Back! -- on (thank the gods) a new and presumably faster and stronger internet connection.

[ChasSmith]

DR Jrand71's news about the Covid death, etc., is horrific. What in the HELL?!

[ChasSmith]

Okay, back to the Wilshire Blvd. video.

That technology is really something. I first saw it applied to turn of the century footage of NYC and Paris, and the way it can bring the past to life, so to speak, is astounding. The thing this guy gets right is being right up front about the color, etc., not being historically accurate -- which, of course, how could it be, because it's up to the guy's best guess as to how things looked.

As to the footage itself -- I'd seen that night one before -- and I'm thinking there's another one out there, perhaps from a later year, that even more shows the night life on the sidewalks, perhaps more neon signage, etc., that's simply heartbreaking when you think of how all of that style and those inviting places disappeared so many decades ago.

This daytime one shows my original favorite Du-Par's, which I discovered one evening in '72 or early '73 during my first year in L.A. The architecture and feel of the place spoke to me, though I recognize that infinitely more now than I did then. It's too bad this film footage didn't capture BK's dad's place instead. Close, but no cigar.

And man, the wide open spaces then. But that's a full 20 years before I first saw the Miracle Mile. I guess some of the tar pits were filled in or built over by LACMA? Have to research that. Such an interesting area.

[ChasSmith]

I still can't believe they've just destroyed that entire LACMA complex. Yes, I know it needed updating and improvment in some ways. But completely demolishing so much of what people knew for decades? What a loss.

[KevinH]

Good afternoon!

[KevinH]

Thanks BK and DR George for the links for those fascinating videos!

[ChasSmith]

I do smile over how much the film industry seems to like that part of town for apocalyptic disasters. The late '80s movie Miracle Mile, 1997's Volcano, and the new TV series or mini-series La Brea. I've seen the first three episodes of the latter and it's fun. The '97 movie is ridiculous, but there's some decent location footage. But I've really been thinking about Miracle Mile lately, which I've only watched once several years ago, and I just added the Blu-ray to the watch pile.

[John G.]

Got my tix for Kauai in January. $132 each way from San Antonio.

[John G.]

Is it January yet?

[John G.]

Andrew Lloyd Webber to Variety:

Cats was off-the-scale all wrong. There wasn’t really any understanding of why the music ticked at all. I saw it and I just thought, “Oh, God, no.” It was the first time in my 70-odd years on this planet that I went out and bought a dog. So the one good thing to come out of it is my little Havanese puppy.

[During a recent trip] I wrote off and said I needed him with me at all times because I’m emotionally damaged and I must have this therapy dog. The airline wrote back and said, “Can you prove that you really need him?” And I said “Yes, just see what Hollywood did to my musical Cats.” Then the approval came back with a note saying, “No doctor’s report required.”

[Jane]

Got my tix for Kauai in January. $132 each way from San Antonio.

I mentioned to Keith I would like to go there.  He doesn't enjoy snorkeling and usually sits on the beach while I swim.  What else is there to do except play at the beach?

[Jane]

Thursday afternoon greetings!  Trying to be upbeat on a day when I'm anything but.

I know the feeling.  Are you and Richard improving?

[Jane]

TOD

Late 1950s - the entire lengths of Main St. and Broad St. in Columbus.
Early/mid 1960s - the downtown and other commercial/retail areas of Fort Lauderda.e
Late 1960s-early 1970s - downtown Cleveland, University Circle area, and a few other parts of Cleveland.
Early/mid 1970s - Oy, don't get me started. L.A./Hollywood/Beverly Hills/Westwood...
Same for the late 1980s, but a bit less critical than the above.

I will never understand how Westwood, in the heart of UCLA, could become so dead.  It really is sad.

[John G.]

Got my tix for Kauai in January. $132 each way from San Antonio.

I mentioned to Keith I would like to go there.  He doesn't enjoy snorkeling and usually sits on the beach while I swim.  What else is there to do except play at the beach?

Not be at work.

[Jane]

[John G.]

Wow. What a draggy day.

[Jeanne]

Hello, everyone.

[Jeanne]

The electricians have come and gone. I survived three waking hours without internet. I felt quite lost.

[Jeanne]

The video of Wilshire Blvd is interesting. I confess I don't remember much from 1951, but BK, older and wiser, would. It would not surprise me to find that HE took that footage.

[Jeanne]

DR Ginny, I've been thinking about you and Richard and wondering how you're doing. I hope you have a positive report.