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More on our LA trip...
The lovely Flo pointed out to me that, in discussing our tour of the Paramount lot, I neglected to mention our visit to the Paramount television facilities therein. That segment of the tour is well worth mentioning, if only because it was then that we encountered the first of the only two famous faces we saw that week.
When our guide, Justin, mentioned that we'd be seeing the Entertainment Weekly set and that the show might even be taping while we were there, I told him that, many years ago, I'd known ET host Mary Hart a little bit. Her last stop before moving to Los Angeles and hitting it big on Entertainment Tonight was Oklahoma City, where she was briefly the co-host of a local daytime talk show, Danny's Day, and we became casually acquainted.
I had no idea whether she'd remember me -- I assumed not -- but some years ago (a dozen or more), a mutual friend told her I'd said hello, and, as it turned out, she did, indeed, remember me. So I'll admit that I did sort of hope that we might encounter Mary during our visit to the ET set.
And we did, as it happened. But just barely. The taping was over for the day, and as we stood out of the technicians' way and looked over the set, a cute blonde did pop out of a doorway perhaps thirty or forty feet to our left. It was Mary! But she didn't look our way (and I certainly wouldn't have counted on her recognizing me, anyway. I've changed a bit in the past 25 years -- more than she has, certainly), and I just couldn't bring myself to call out to her.
So, a tearful reunion with Mary was not to be. But chin up, kid -- we'll always have Oklahoma City.
Further along in the television part of the tour, we got to visit the set of The Insider. I have to say, I wouldn't watch that show (or, if truth be told, Entertainment Tonight -- sorry, Mary!) on a bet, but it's always interesting to see the behind-the-scenes workings, anyway, and I have to tell you that I was very impressed, indeed, with the crew of The Insider. They allowed us access to the control room, and the staff there couldn't have been warmer or more welcoming.
They didn't have to be, you know. They were busy as bees, waist deep in the final editing of that day's program, and I fully expected they'd give us a cursory, collective nod and get back to business, but no, they engaged our little group, showing us how everything worked, explaining the processes they were currently involved in, and even going to the trouble of asking individual members of our tour group about themselves. They really couldn't have been more charming -- or funny, for that matter.
The TomKat wedding was all the rage that day -- the entire show was devoted to it, I think -- and during one of the montages, they displayed on-screen a professional photo of the happy couple. One of the guys in the booth commented on the fact that, in the photo, Tom Cruise towered over Katie Holmes, even though she's actually a couple of inches taller than he is. This wag explained the discrepancy by wisecracking, "We're pretty sure he's standing on the pre-nup" -- a jape that got the hearty laugh it richly deserved.
Those fifteen minutes really were some of the most enjoyable of the tour, and, given my lack of interest in that particular program, I certainly wouldn't have expected that. Hats off to the crew of The Insider, a truly classy bunch.
Flo took a picture of me, standing just where Pat O'Brien does on The Insider set, but it came out too dark to share here.
Tuesday, Nov. 21 -- On Wednesday morning, we drove out to Culver City to take a tour of Sony (formerly MGM) Studios.
It was fun to stroll the streets, sidewalks, and sound stages that once made up the great MGM studios, but it was a little surprising and even disheartening just how little the tour focused on MGM. In an introductory film, the focus was on Columbia Pictures (which Sony has owned for some years now) -- MGM received barely a mention.
Once the tour began, occasionals mentions of MGM were made, but considering the hallowed ground on which we were walking, it was strange it didn't happen more often.
Also, in sharp contrast to Paramount, where photos were allowed just about everywhere, the Sony rules barred all photography, except on the studio's Main Street USA backlot. So I don't have much to show you from the Sony Studios tour, except the shot on the right of the former main entrance to MGM.
We did get to enter the giant sound stage that housed Munchkinland during the filming of The Wizard of Oz, which was a kick for Flo, who is a big Judy Garland fan. They also filmed part of A Day at the Races there, which pleased me, a huge Marx Brothers fan.
We also got to see the building that formerly housed the schoolhouse for MGM's child stars (Garland and Mickey Rooney, among them), and the former office (and the small park below) of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. And we got to take a peek at the set for the popular game show, Jeopardy. But when you can't take even a snapshot of these locations, it can't help but dampen one's enthusiasm.
Oh, and it was at the Sony Studios that we saw our second and final "famous face" of the week -- character actor Kurt Fuller, who's currently starring as the father of the bride in ABC's new sitcom Big Day.
From Culver City, it was back to Hollywood, where Flo and I strolled Hollywood Boulevard a bit, stopping by Grauman's Chinese Theatre to check out the hand- and footprints of the stars and finding the tributes to some of our favorite stars imbedded in the Walk of Fame.
Then we had a late one-martini lunch (actually, I opted for a tequila gimlet, and Flo enjoyed a whiskey sour) at the oldest restaurant in Hollywood, Musso and Frank Grill. This classic old joint has been in business (and with the same owners) since 1919. It's got the dark wood, the red leather booths, and the ancient waiters in short red jackets that you'd hope (and expect) to find in a spot of this vintage.
Lots of Hollywood power players have dined (and lunched) at Musso and Frank over the years, and I wanted to make sure Flo got to see it. I had a ham and swiss, while Flo enjoyed a tomato omelette. We had a grand time.
Then it was over to Beverly Hills, where we enjoyed a self-guided driving tour of some movie stars' homes. We saw the former abodes of such celebrated names as Lana Turner (the house in which her daughter stabbed Johnny Stompanato), Jack Benny, Jimmy Stewart, Hedda Hopper, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe, George Burns, George Reeves, Harold Lloyd, Rudolph Valentino, and Frank Sinatra.
As I've observed before, it always strikes as surprising how accessible most of these homes are. Sure, they're large and impressive, but somehow I always expect them to be huge estates -- lavish mansions hidden a half-mile beyond fifteen-foot fences and guarded gates.
They're not. They're just large homes, and generally sitting right there on the street with a not particularly oversized lawn. Had you known, when he was still with us, where Ol' Blue Eyes lived (or Jimmy Stewart, Jack Benny, or any of the others), you could easily have driven by his house now and then and eventually have spotted him coming through the front door bright and early one morning (well, in Sinatra's case, maybe it wouldn't have happened bright and early, but you get the idea).
That evening, we made our way out to Santa Monica to spend the evening with Flo's pal Natalie. We arrived nearly an hour early, so we drove all the way to the end of Santa Monica Boulevard so that Flo could a) see the marker there that designates the western end of Route 66 (we couldn't find it, so I can only guess it's be refurbished or replaced) and b) get a peek at the Santa Monica pier, in case we didn't get back out there before trip's end.
After strolling the beachside park for a bit, we drove a few blocks east to Natalie's place. She has a lovely home -- an expansive duplex with private roof access. Quite impressive to a couple of Manhattanites.
Natalie recommended a sushi joint on Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade where the dishes go skimming by the tables on conveyor belts. Both Flo and I had heard of such establishments, but neither of us had ever patronized one, so we were game.
In theory, it sounds like a fun idea, having the food slide by so that you can reach out and grab whatever catches your eye, but in practice, I found it a bit distracting. I sometimes had trouble following the conversation, so intent was I not to miss some tasty treat as it paraded by. But that's okay -- it was Old Home Night for Flo and Natalie, anyway. I was something of an interloper (though not made to feel such).
It was chilly by the time we called it a night, so my tentative plans to return to the Pier for some seaside fun were given the gentle kibosh by Flo. Next time.
More to come...
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