A December to Remember

I hope all is well with you. Here’s a look back at December 2007 in the Cameron/Utt household.

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS
Every family celebrates Christmas their own way. After thirteen years together, Daryl and I have developed a few household customs. Here’s a few:

• Daryl hadn’t seen the 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street until our first Christmas together. Now he watches it every year.

• Rhino’s Happy Holiday Hearth DVD is modeled after the annual WPIX Yule Log broadcast. The 1960’s Christmas music is great but most of the time we opt for the “crackling fire” audio track because it really warms up the apartment. (You can download a version for your computer at www.theyulelog.com.)

• Fresh cranberry sauce only requires a cup of water, a cup of sugar and a couple of minutes so it’s my annual contribution to the Christmas dinner. December also means delicious biscotti from DiCamillo Bakery.

• Daryl puts a lot of time into decorating the tree so we are always looking for new ornaments. The two of us head to Beverly Hills to visit Saks, Neiman Marcus and the like in search of unique holiday additions.

• There are three Disney cartoons that Daryl watches annually: Mickey’s Christmas Carol, Pluto’s Christmas Tree and the Once Upon A Wintertime segment from Melody Time.

HOLIDAY MUSIC
My family’s Christmas albums consisted of Herb Alpert, Barbra Streisand and some Firestone collections. Boy, have things changed. The last time Daryl and I counted, we had 150 holiday CDs with a little something for everyone: squawky medieval carols, sacred choral music, acoustic Appalachian, and lots of mid-century pop standards.
I thought we had gone overboard until I stumbled onto the Christmas Yule Blog hosted by Fort Wayne’s Rob Martinez. This guy is admittedly obsessed with documenting every Christmas recording in existence, regardless of its merit.

Equally obsessive but more focused is Last-Christmas.com. This is your one-stop reference for all versions of George Michael’s “Last Christmas.” There are more than 300 versions that can be searched by artist or genre including accordion, polka, and metal.

If you’ve ever wondered what Alvin, Simon and Theodore sounded like before their vocals were sped up for “The Chipmunk Song” click on this YouTube clip.
CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK
Daryl loves New York during the holidays and this year he got to share the experience with his mother Rita and sister Annette. Neither had been before so Daryl was determined to cram as much into three days as he could without running them ragged.

They stayed in an 1871 Victorian townhouse on the Upper East Side, within walking distance to many of the sites Daryl planned to take them. They shopped and lunched at Bloomingdales, gazed at the diamonds in Tiffany's, played with the toys in FAO Schwarz, enjoyed makeovers at Henri Bendel, and went to Macy's to peek in on Kris Kringle.

The window displays at Saks Fifth Avenue and the tree at Rockefeller Plaza were highlights. Walking through Times Square, seeing the Chrysler building, and riding the subway were part of the tour. The stagehand strike had been resolved the weekend before they arrived so Rita and Annette got to see The Drowsy Chaperone, their first Broadway show. The three of them strolled through a chilly Central Park and spent their final morning at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The weekend went very smoothly and the only real complaint anyone had was that there wasn’t more time. There were two especially magical moments. One happened on the first day when the three of them rounded Fifth Avenue and saw The Plaza Hotel. It started to snow. Welcome to Christmas in New York!

The second happened when Daryl asked Annette what she thought of the Big Apple. She thanked him and said, "It’s even better than I expected."

RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR
On his 100 Things to Do Before I Die list, Daryl got to check off “See The Rockettes and the Radio City Music Hall Christmas show.” It was pure luck that he got to see the 75th Anniversary edition. He and his family enjoyed the 90-minute trip through some of the greatest hits in the show’s history.

Radio City has every right to call the show a spectacular. On what other stage can you see a four-story Toy Shop, a working double-decker bus, fifty dancing Santas, and an all-teddy bear version of The Nutcracker? And that's only half the show.

The lineup changes a little every year, but there are two segments that have appeared in every production since 1933: The March of the Wooden Toy Soldiers—which ends with The Rockettes collapsing on each other lik dominoes—and The Living Nativity which boasts more live animals than Old MacDonald’s farm.

A WEDDING
The same weekend that Daryl was in The City That Never Sleeps, I was in Orlando for my nephew Mathew’s wedding. I was just getting used to him voting and owning property when he announced his engagement to Kristen. Time marches on.

The lovely ceremony was followed by a wonderful celebration at which the bride and groom were formally introduced with U2’s Beautiful Day. I’ve heard the song twice since my trip and can’t help but fondly think of Mathew and Kristen’s arrival at the party. (Does that mean I’m stuck in a moment I can’t get out of?)

The reception was a beautiful outdoor affair held at a private lake house near Hontoon Island State Park. There were fun touches like a photo booth and a candy bar. Not a lone Milky Way, mind you, it was an entire station of chocolate, taffy, bubble gum and other confections that guests were encouraged to box up and take home. We graciously obliged. (Snapshot taken by my sister Karen.)

The evening function coincided with a local Christmas parade. During dinner we were treated to a flotilla of brightly-lit boats sailing by the party. It was a perfectly unexpected coincidence that only added to the festivities. I hope Mathew and Kristen’s life together is full of happy surprises like this one.

It’s no surprise that it was such a great event. Kristen started her own wedding planning company a while back called An Affair to Remember. She obviously knows her stuff because the location, the menu, the DJ and everything else were terrific. Her photographer, Karla Fountain was top-notch, too. Check out the wedding and travel shots on her site.

THREE PEOPLE/FOUR PARKS
The Monday after the wedding, friends Juliet and Nate took me to all four Disney parks to see what had been added since I moved from Orlando in 2005. They drafted a plan based on the attractions and park hours which left us time to do a few extras like the revamped Spaceship Earth. The final tally:
We drove from DAK to Epcot and parked the car. We took the monorail to MK and rode a bus to DMGM. We finished the day off by walking back to Epcot. It was the perfect, leisurely end to a terrific day filled laughter and much craziness. Thank you, Nate and Juliet!

FLORIDA STUFF
I really enjoyed being home again. Hanging out with my Mom, seeing my sisters Gail, Susie and Karen and their respective families was awesome. Visiting with friends and co-workers was great, too, but I didn’t come close to seeing everybody on my list. How does Santa do it every year?

My family and I went to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and then Karen invited me to Universal’s Islands of Adventure for a day of roller coasters with nephews Tyler & Cameron. It was her first time and even though she doesn’t like heights she went on everything. Her favorite attraction was Spider-Man which we did three times.

Karen and I had a fun evening at the Marketing Holiday Party where we got to see our friend Marge Ann and catch up with former co-workers. The rest of the time, I was at my Mom’s house eating, bird-watching, or working in the yard. It was a great vacation and over way too soon.

BACK IN LA
Daryl and I had a full calendar of visitors, dinners, and get-togethers with friends and family back in LA. Here are a few locations we got to experience:

On the 18th, we had dinner with friends Mark, Ashika and Gauruv at The Bistro Garden at Coldwater. We all enjoyed the atmosphere and dinner but what stays in my mind are the chocolate and pumpkin soufflés we had for dessert. Delicious.

On the 29th, Rob hosted his 40th birthday poolside at the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills. This boutique hotel has that mid-century Palm Springs/Miami Beach vibe and offers excellent dining at blue on blue.

On the 30th we were in West Hollywood for an open house at the historic El Mirador hosted by Doug and Richard. This 1929 apartment building is classic Hollywood with Moorish touches like decorative arches inside and Juliet balconies outside. Previous residents include silent film star Marie Prevost, 1930’s film comedian Robert Woolsey and Designing Women star Delta Burke

On the 31st we had lunch with our friends JJ & Adam at Santa Monica’s Cock N Bull pub. We dined on shepherds pie, sausage rolls, fish and chips and hard cider while the staff prepared to ring in the New Year at 4:00pm when 2008 would officially reach London.

SAYING GOODBYE TO 2007
That evening we joined friends at Kim’s house to watch a movie, to see the ball drop in Times Square and to share wishes of love, health and prosperity for the year(s) to come.

We also said goodbye to a few things that 2007 was taking with it: Trader’s Vic Restaurant which closed in March; the wait for the final Harry Potter book which ended in July; our neighborhood Crocodile Café which went dark this Fall; and Daryl’s favorite magazine, House & Garden, which folded this month.

STAR SIGHTINGS
Our last star sighting of the year happened on New Year’s Eve in Santa Monica. While shopping on Montana Avenue, we walked by Leonard Roberts who played DL on Heroes and Forrest Gates on Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

TWO LAST WORDS
In case I don’t say it enough, here’s one last THANK YOU—for reading this update, or for forwarding us yours; for sharing your time, your vacation, your wisdom, your goodwill, your home, or your interests. For being a part of our lives, Daryl and I thank you.

May 2008 be a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year for all of us.

James & Daryl

November 2007: Two TV Tapings and Turkey

Hello again. I hope all is well with you. Here’s a look back at November 2007 in the Cameron/Utt household.

MERV GRIFFIN’S CROSSWORDS
Another item that can be checked off my 100 Things To Do Before I Die list is “Be A Contestant on a TV Game Show.” Back in September I competed on Merv Griffin’s Crosswords but wasn’t able to discuss it until the first airing November 5. The episode is being re-run Wednesday, December 19. Angelenos can see it at 3:30 on KNBC 4 and Orlandoans can tune into WRDQ/Action 27 at 8:30pm. The times for the rest of the country are here.

BACKSTAGE STUFF
On Tape Day, I arrived at 7:00am with three changes of clothes that were not white, patterned, or logo-ed. They liked the green shirt I was wearing but made me remove my cotton undershirt because some of the white was visible at the collar. (Imagine their surprise when they found the skin beneath it was actually whiter.)

The standards and practices person went through the 20-page contract with us and we learned that the producers retain the right to NOT award prizes. For example: If the national news pre-empts a bunch of shows, as it did during Katrina, the production company isn’t legally required to pay.

At 10:00am, once everyone’s questions were answered and the producer had gone through all the rules and mechanics of playing the game, the first contestants were chosen. The rest of us were confined to the holding area which was appointed with tables, folding chairs, snacks and magazines. There was also a TV so we could watch the action on the stage.

Even though Merv Griffin’s Crosswords is a 30-minute show, it takes the production team an hour to complete a taping. Podiums have to be moved, camera and sound problems occur, and the giant puzzle board experiences a glitch now and then.

One thing that doesn’t slow down the game is host Ty Treadway. Like Alex Trebek, he has to keep everyone’s name straight, keep an eye on who’s in the lead and read every single clue. It’s a tough job. The day I was there Ty was battling a head cold but remained upbeat through all six tapings. He’s a total professional.

They put me on the final show of the day and I passed the time meeting the other contestants and watching them play. Some of the sharpest players in the holding room didn’t fare as well on set. Here’s why:

PLAYING THE GAME
Merv Griffin’s Crosswords starts out with Players 1 and 2 answering the crossword puzzle clues and spelling their answers. After the first commercial break, Players 3, 4 and 5 are added. Known collectively as spoilers, these contestants can unseat the leaders and take their money with one correct answer. In the first episode that day, a woman answered one question—the very last one of the game—and automatically went to the Final Round.

Around 4:30pm we were escorted to the green room where watched the second-to-last show and were miked by the sound people. Ty stopped in to wish us luck and to check the pronunciation of our names. After that we were led to the studio. As Player 5, I sat offstage as the first round was played. At the commercial break they brought the three of us spoilers onto the set to join the game. The lights came up, we made our way to the podiums, and Ty introduced us.

SPOILER ALERT! If you’d rather watch the show December 19 without knowing the outcome, skip to VISITORS.

Whatever strategy I had planned disappeared as soon as those cameras came on. It was everything I could do to look relaxed. My interior monologue went something like this: “Is this ringer working? How did he know that answer? Why did they take my shirt? Am I sweating? What if I choke and end up on YouTube?”

I tried to ring in a few times but Player 1 was on a roll and the round finished with me in the same place I started. During the commercial break, I calmed down and strengthened my resolve to answer at least ONE question. Midway through Round
Three I finally got my chance. No one else remembered the Charlton Heston film The Omega Man. I rang in, spelled “o-m-e-g-a” and moved into first place. I defended my lead by answering four more answers. At the end of the game I had earned $2,400 and qualified for the Final Round.

The last commercial break was a blur. The standards and practices person was there as the crew reviewed the do’s and don’ts of the Final Round. “Speak clearly. Let Ty finish the clue before your respond, etc.” Someone handed me a bottled water which I promptly spilled on my shirt. They rushed me to wardrobe where a blow dryer was employed to erase the spot. Before I knew it I was standing with Ty Treadway about to start the Final Round. He was very encouraging, but once the cameras came on, my main thought was, “Everyone’s staring.” With 1:30 on the clock, I asked for the first clue. I nervously spelled “b-u-b-b-a” and moved onto the next clue, gaining confidence with each correct answer. With a few seconds left, I solved the last clue and won an XBOX 360, a week in Cancun and an additional $5,000 for my trouble.

Everyone came back onstage for the last shot and, after signing some papers, we were all free to go. I headed home, gave Daryl the news, and then wondered when I would get my winnings.

Things you might not notice watching the show at home.
• Many contestants live in LA but use their hometowns on the air.
• Winnings aren’t disbursed until four months after the airdate.
• Crosswords is shot on the stage next to Hannah Montana.
• All name tags are returned to be re-used.

Contestant coordinator Kathie and her team were very organized and pleasant whether it was administering the audition questionnaire, prepping us for competition, or calling us with the air date. It’s not an easy job, but they never let us see them sweat.

I must give a big thank-you to my friend Jim who made me watch the The Omega Man in high school.

VISITORS
Our friend Juliet was in town and we had lunch at Billy’s Deli, a Glendale institution for almost 50 years. Waitress Evelyn—famous for her tableside banter—offered Juliet this Thanksgiving zinger: “They’ve got a new breed of turkey called the Hilary Clinton. It comes with two small breasts, two large thighs and one left wing.” Evelyn’s got a million of ‘em, folks but this is the first one suitable for a family audience.

Our buddy Nate was here this month, too. His first night, the three of us went to Café du Village in Larchmont for a delicious meal of French/Mediterranean fare. Driving there, Nate mentioned that all he needed to complete his visit to California was a celebrity sighting. “Somebody cool like Joel McHale from The Soup.”

STAR SIGHTING
As we left the restaurant that night, Nate’s wish came true. Joel McHale, host of E!s The Soup, walked right by us. I quietly pointed him out to Nate but Daryl said “Hey, Joel! We love your show! We’re going home to watch it right now!” Although surprised by the shout-out, Joel thanked us and headed to his car.

We couldn’t believe it. The three of us continued walking along Larchmont asking each other “What are the chances?” We were looking in one of the shop windows when Joel appeared again. This time, he introduced his wife Sarah, told a few jokes and invited us to a taping.

We said yes immediately even though Nate would have to reschedule his flight home. I felt bad about that but the additional time in Burbank allowed him to tour the Disney Studio lot and to visit the Disney Archives.

THE SOUP
Once upon a time there was TV clip show called Talk Soup which debuted in 1991 on E! Its host was the charming Greg Kinnear who left to become an Oscar-nominated actor. His successors included the less-charming John Henson, the always goofy Hal Sparks, and the stunningly beautiful Aisha Tyler. As the show’s content shifted from Ricki Lake excerpts to reality programming clips, “Talk” was removed from the title. The revamped program debuted in 2004 with host Joel McHale.

The Soup’s slogan says it all: “We watch TV so you don’t have to.” With just a green screen, some props and a small audience, Joel presents a half-hour recap of the week’s stupidest, funniest, and most outlandish TV moments. He cracks wise on everyone, himself included. It’s a simple premise but McHale and company make us laugh every Friday.

The live taping was no exception since it included some of our favorite clips of the last year. You might hear us laugh throughout The Soup Presents The Best of the Worst Daytime TV Moments when it airs Monday, December 10 at 8:00pm. Joel was just as funny in person and talked with us during the course of the taping. He even posed with Nate for the attached picture. We thanked Joel and promised to come back for future shows.

A big Thank You to Nate, too, since none of this would’ve happened without his visit.

CAMPO GORILLA RESERVE AT L.A. ZOO
Thanks to our friend Cynthia, we got to preview the new Campo Gorilla Reserve at the L.A. Zoo. It’s as lush as the gorilla habitat at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and houses two of its former residents, bachelors Hasani and Jabari. They share the space with family members Kelly, Evelyn, Glenda and Rapunzel.

Because it was an evening preview, some of the environment and it residents were difficult to appreciate, but you can see how beautiful the $19 million exhibit is in this slide show. I hope the elephant habitat the zoo is working on is just as spectacular.

Thank you, Cynthia!

THANKSGIVING AT THE O’NEILL’S/SOLVANG WITH DIANA
We’ve spent every Thanksgiving in California with our friends Shawn, Rob and the O’Neill family. The turkey is always moist, the table is beautiful and the company is top notch. After the meal, we play games and watch Christmas movies. We miss our families during the holidays and we are grateful to have friends that welcome us into their home.

The next day we took our friend Diana to the Danish village of Solvang. We hit our usual stops: Jul Haus, Little Bit o’Denmark restaurant, Solvang Antique Center and the neighboring Santa Ynez Mission.

THE HISTORY BOYS AT THE AHMANSON
The last day of the month, Daryl and I went to Alan Bennet’s Tony-winning drama The History Boys at the Ahmanson Theater. Set at a 1980’s English prep school where the faculty is readying its students for university interviews, the play explores issues of power, class, gender, unrequited love, politics, ethics and tradition.

The script does a good job capturing the mix of youthful bravado and teenage cynicism of these highly educated boys, but the set changes kept taking us out of the narrative. Even when moving between two identical classrooms, the stage went black and a large screen appeared with erratic, black and white videos of the students going to class, studying in the library, and horsing around to uptempo British pop music. Designed to camouflage moving scenery these breaks had the opposite effect.
Act I’s repeated references to classical poets, a scene played entirely in French, and a rambling narrative frustrated some of our fellow playgoers. Many did not return for Act II, but Daryl and I liked The History Boys. It’s a play full of small moments which needed a more intimate space than the Ahmanson and a simpler set design.

The film version of The History Boys, featuring the original London cast, airs the morning of December 6 on Cinemax. I’ve already set our DVR.

Thank you to Byron and Shephard for making sure we got to see this!

MORE STAR SIGHTINGS
Two familiar faces in the The History Boys cast were Peter Paige from Showtime’s Queer As Folk and film/TV veteran Dakin Mattews. You might recognize Dakin as the mission commander in the Epcot attraction Body Wars.

While shopping in Woodland Hills we ate lunch a few tables over from Wilmer Valderrama and his entourage.

DECEMBER
Our tree is up and the last of the house decorations should be in place this week. Daryl and I will be visiting friends and family this month. If we don’t get to tell you in person, please accept our wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Until next month,
James

October 2007: Pumpkin-Palooza

Hello again. I hope all is well with you. Here’s a look back at October 2007 in the Cameron/Utt household.

ANOTHER OPENIN’ ANOTHER SHOW/ATAS SALUTE TO TV THEMES
It’s hard to imagine The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mission Impossible or Hawaii Five-O without thinking of their theme songs. With current shows like Heroes and Brother and Sisters opting out of elaborate opening credits altogether, it was great to spend an evening at The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) for its tribute to TV themes Another Openin’ Another Show.
Hosted by Monica Mancini and Divided up into categories Like “Action/Military,” “Medical”and “Sci-Fi/Fantasy” the program sampled about 120 show themes, from All in the Family to Wild Wild West. We got to sing along with The Brady Bunch’s Maureen McCormick, rub elbows with Man from U.N.C.L.E. Robert Vaughn and see original Bionic Woman Lindsay Wagner.

Vic Mizzy is most known for the themes to Green Acres and The Addams Family. While recording Acres, he realized that Eva Gabor wasn’t the best singer and encouraged her to act the lyrics. “She only had to sing the last note and luckily we got it in the first take.” The Addams Family has been his most lucrative song and can be heard regularly at sporting events and in commercials. Summing up its success, Mizzy deadpanned, “Two snaps and you get a house in Bel-Air.”

John Schneider and Jean Louisa Kelly performed several songs, including Dukes of Hazzard, I Love Lucy and Three’s Company. Jean Louisa climbed onto the piano and sang a Marilyn Monroe/JFK version of The Mickey Mouse Club to which John replied, “After that, I’m sure Walt’s no longer frozen.”

Mike Post has scored twelve series for Steven Bochco, including the unfortunate Cop Rock. Their first collaboration was Hill Street Blues. Post played the music once for Bocho and the rest is history. The theme for L.A. Law went through four or five versions because there was a committee of people weighing in with “…it needs to reflect the majesty of the law…I don’t hear courtroom energy…make it more sexy…” and so on. That’s why it sounds like the way it does.
Stacy Keach, star of Mike Hammer, performed that show’s piano-based theme “Harlem Nocturne” and introduced its composer Earle Hagen. Mr. Hagen wrote the song in 1939 and he must have been about 5 years old at the time because he barely looked a day over 60. He has 3000 hours of television to his credit. His easiest composition may have been The Andy Griffith Show which he wrote thinking, “it needs to be simple enough to whistle.” His toughest was probably I Spy because the international series required musical cues reflecting so many different cultures.

Some factoids I picked up this event:
•The Addams Family was recorded with Lawrence Welk’s harpsichord.
•Future Oscar-winner John Williams wrote the theme to Lost in Space.
•Kotter was re-titled after John Sebastian submitted his song “Welcome Back.”
•Mike Post composed NYPD Blue based on two words: drums and subway.
•Henry Mancini agreed to score Peter Gunn thinking it was a western.
•Composer Earle Hagen is the whistler heard in The Andy Griffith Show theme.

Thanks to Shawn and Diana for inviting us along to this fun night full of celebrities.

OAK GLEN
About 90 minutes east of Los Angles and 4500 ft above sea level is the apple-growing region known as Oak Glen. The terrain, temperature, and low moving clouds all remind me of the Smoky Mountains. At this time of year, when the leaves are turning, it is especially evocative.
We were there on Friday which meant less traffic and fewer crowds. On the down side, some locations and attractions were closed. We sampled and shopped at five growers including Parrish Pioneer, Riley’s, Law’s and Los Rios.

Snow Line Orchard was a new stop this year. Our favorite apple varieties there were the Pink Lady—named because of the marbled pink flesh—and the sweet & crunchy Honey Crisp. Snow-Line also had these sinfully delicious apple cider mini-donuts which were the perfect size and texture. I don’t usually seek out donuts, but I’ll be looking for these babies next year.

After an afternoon in what felt like Western North Carolina, we continued on to the high desert of Joshua Tree to spend a fun, laid back weekend with my Uncle Carl.

RAYMOND CHANDLER TOUR
The following Saturday we took the first-time-ever “Raymond Chandler’s Hollywood ” tour offered by the Hollywood Heritage Society. The presentation was a work-in-progress but we enjoyed this close-up look at some of the haunts that were around during the time that Chandler was writing classics like Farewell My Lovely and The Big Sleep.

CAHUENGA BUILDING
Private detective Philip Marlowe works in the fictional Cahuenga Building supposedly located at the intersection of Cahuenga and Hollywood Boulevard. Our first stop was 6404 Hollywood Boulevard to see the kind of office described in Chandler’s books. Located on the third floor was a working office owned by a film noir buff. He had appointed the two-room suite with vintage furniture, a manual typewriter, a rotary phone, a hat rack, and an oscillating fan. The only thing missing was Marlowe himself.

FREEMAN HOUSE BY FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT
A few blocks northwest of the “Cahuenga Building” is the house Frank Lloyd Wright built for Harriet and Samuel Freeman in the late 1920’s. It sits above the intersection of Franklin and Highland but I never noticed this architectural gem because it is hidden behind some foliage and a four-story cactus.

The Freeman House has the pressed concrete tiles of the Hollyhock and Ennis Brown houses and—like its more famous sisters—suffered extensive damage during the 1994 earthquake. The USC School of Architecture owns the building and is refurbishing the foundation and interior. The have pictures from the house’s heyday here.

It had some classic Frank Lloyd Wright touches, such as a budget that more than doubled during construction. The Freemans dumped Wright and architect Rudolph Schindler completed the project, eventually adding an apartment to the lower level where bandleader Xavier Cugat lived for a while.

VILLA CARLOTTA
At the entrance to this four-story courtyard apartment building we were met by a man wearing a smart ascot, tweed vest and riding pants. All he was missing was a megaphone or a polo mallet. Our guide looked right at home in the Villa Carlotta since the place reminded me equally of the Tower of Terror and the Venable house in Suddenly Last Summer. See for yourself.

Inside on the right was the two bedroom apartment which functioned as Louella Parsons’ office. She used to hand the couriers her columns through one of the courtyard windows. Upstairs we got to peek in our guide’s studio apartment. He explained that when the Villa Carlotta opened maid service was included. Every apartment had a second entrance so that the maid could enter the kitchen directly and prepare breakfast for the resident.

This was a building that actually welcomed movie folk in a time when landlords posted signs reading: “No Dogs. No Actors.” A frustrated Gloria Swanson famously remarked “We didn’t even get top billing!”

CHATEAU ELYSÉE
Across the street was our next stop, the Chateau Elysée. Built in the French Normandy style, in 1929, this stately building operated for years as a hotel to the stars and later as a retirement home for aging actors. It was purchased by the Church of Scientology in the early 70’s, returned to like-new condition in 1989 and functions today as the church’s Celebrity Center International.

The grounds were lovely and the interior portions that we saw—rear lobby, side hall and Renaissance Restaurant—were also immaculate.

MORE CHANDLER
At tour’s end, we were given instructions on how to find the house from Double Indemnity (6301 Quebec Drive ) and the tower referenced in Chandler’s book The High Window. Featured prominently in the film Dead Again, the tower is located near the Freeman House in the Broadview Terrace/Los Altos/ High Tower Drive area.

I haven’t seen it for my self but there is a book called Raymond Chandler’s LA by Elizabeth Ward and Alain Silver. It features excerpts from his writings paired with photographs of the locations which inspired them.

If you’d like to learn more about the man, here is Chandler’s wikipedia entry, a critical essay from Salon.com called The Case for Raymond Chandler, and an examination of the real life events incorporated into Chandler’s novels.

CHOC WALK/DISNEYLAND RESORT
The next day, we were at the annual CHOC Walk fundraiser benefiting Children’s Hospital of Orange County. We met our friend Margo and her four-year-old daughter Ruby on Main Street before 7:00am. The little one was excited to be there but disappointed that none of the rides were open. Once we started moving, she cheered up.

Disneyland had posted enthusiastic cast members along the route, but I didn’t really need Alice and the Mad Hatter’s encouragement after a mere 15 minutes of walking. They actually slowed us down as walkers stopped to take pictures. We made our way through Disneyland, California Adventure and Downtown Disney. I think the route was somewhere in the 5K range. Next year it might be more cost-effective to have everyone walk through the Indiana Jones queue twice.
Afterwards, Daryl got friends Ryan and Ann into the park, while I stayed outside with Margo and Ruby. Margo’s husband Richard and older daughter Lea were headed to the resort but ran into some traffic since the highway exit ramp, parking deck, tram, and security were still recovering from the morning’s glut. Margo and I entertained ourselves playing hide and seek with Ruby and catching up. By the time we got everyone inside, secured a stroller and met up with Daryl, it was time for lunch. Following that, Daryl and I headed out about 1:00pm, leaving our tickets with Richard and Margo so the kids could ride Buzz Lightyear twice in row.

CAROL BURNETT: A WOMAN OF CHARACTER
Later that week, we made our way to The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills. They were premiering a new Carol Burnett documentary for PBS that is airing this week as part of American Masters. Check your local listings because it’s a terrific show.In addition to The Carol Burnett Show, there were clips from The Garry Moore Show, Once Upon A Mattress, and specials with Julie Andrews and Beverly Sills. More than a career retrospective, the film explores Burnett’s non-traditional upbringing, her alcoholic parents, her marriages, her daughter’s struggle with drugs and lots more. At the end of the film when the narrator says “For more on Carol Burnett, go to PBS.org” Carol, sitting in the first row, shouted “There’s nothing left!” and got a big laugh.

In the lobby, people mingled with the stars and part of me really wanted to say something to Carol, Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, but I rarely approach celebrities. Sometimes I feel guilty that I haven’t shown more appreciation to folks whose work I admire.
There’s no way that Carol, Tim and Harvey could have left that theater without knowing their work had brightened our lives. Even that old clip from Went With the Wind brought the house down. I laughed so hard during all the show clips that there were tears coming out of my eyes. All I could think as we left the building was “I’m so glad we had this time together.”

Thanks to Christy and Shawn for inviting us along to this one.

PUMKINPALOOZA AT DESCANSO GARDENS
Did you know that the pumpkin is considered a fruit? I didn’t until Daryl, Diana and I drove up to Descanso Gardens for PumkinPalooza. Although there weren’t that many pumpkins on display, there was a kids costume parade, sing-along, petting zoo, crafts station and festival shop. Beyond the festival doings, I think the highlight for Diana was seeing the rose garden. (I wonder if they’ve considered staging “Rose-a-Palooza?”). She and Daryl took about 100 pictures, but you can’t really blame them. It was an amazing display.


We left in time to lunch at Zeke’s Smokehouse and to stroll the Farmer’s Market in downtown Montrose That evening at Diana’s we were joined by Kim for our first experience with the Wii game console. It was awesome. We bowled, played Skee-Ball and competed in a bunch of midway games, laughing a lot. I’m recommending that Diana host an annual competition called Hallo-Wii-n. Thank you, Diana!

HALLOWEEN CARNAVAL IN WEHO
A few nights later, for the third straight year, we spent Halloween evening in West Hollywood (WEHO.) We got there at 7:30, walked along Santa Monica Boulevard and looped back to the car by 9:30. Sure, the party goes on until all hours of the morning, but navigating the crowds becomes a real challenge around 10:00.

In addition to food stands and vendors, the event has stages with live music, DJs and under-dressed dancers of both sexes. There are also evangelicals and Hare Krishna’s looking for converts. Daryl and I are just there for the wacky costumes.

I didn’t have time to snap one of my favorites: A black T-shirt with the message “My costume would’ve been funnier but the writers are on strike.” Official photos and contest winners should be posted soon at WEHO Halloween Carnaval.

STAR SIGHTINGS
At the Carol Burnett presentation, we were especially thrilled to be seated behind Tim Conway, Florence Henderson, Phyllis Diller, Carl Reiner, Jon Cryer and Harvey Korman.

NOVEMBER
We will definitely be giving thanks that the fires were finally put out.
Until next month,

James

A House Blessing, Home Entertainment and the Hollywood Bowl

Hello again. I hope all is well with you. Here’s a look back at September 2007 in the Cameron/Utt household.

VISITORS
Our buddy David Fernandez, in LA for some Disneyland meetings, got to spend Labor Day Weekend with us. He joined us for dinner with friends, had tea at Rose Tree Cottage, drove by the house from Father of the Bride and did a little shopping in historic Pasadena .

PARAMOUNT NIGHT/HOLLYWOOD BOWL
David finished off the visit with his first Hollywood Bowl concert. Leonard Slatkin conducted The Big Picture: The Films of Paramount Pictures which included themes from The Godfather, Love Story, True Grit, A Place in the Sun, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Chinatown , Indiana Jones and Titanic. Movie scenes accompanied the scores, which was the perfect evening for a film buff like David. Emcee Leonard Nimoy introduced a collection of music from the various Star Trek incarnations (and smartly avoided saying “…to BOWL-dly go.” Daryl and David tell me it was a great show and want to thank Rob and Shawn for inviting them.

A HOUSE BLESSING
The following weekend, we joined our friends Ashika and Gaurav for their house blessing. It was a Hindu ceremony led by a priest and attended by family and friends.

There were about twenty of us, some in traditional Indian garb, seated on the living room floor around a small open fire. The doors and the windows were open for symbolic and practical considerations. The priest intoned the blessings and placed various spices and food into the flames. The rising smoke helps to cleanse the house and to discourage negative spirits or energy from settling in.

Like a wedding, different parts of the ceremony focused on Ashika and Gaurav, their parents or the group at large. There was some call-and-response, too, but since it wasn’t in English, I can only assume that we were pledging to help maintain a healthy, happy home—physically and spiritually—for our friends. We also passed around spices that were to be thrown into the fire en masse. This was definitely the high point for the younger family members.

Afterwards, we returned the living room to its regular state and stopped by the dining room table for some samosas, naan, and jalebi

Early on, the priest tied small cords onto each of our wrists which we are to leave on until they break off. Daryl’s is already gone but mine is still going strong, reminding me to think good thoughts for Ashika and Gaurav. I hope that strengthens their blessing.

A MOVIE CALLED “ONCE”
Here’s a great example of irony: Our buddy Justen has seen the movie Once four times.

Daryl and I accompanied him on that fourth viewing and could see why this small story of a Dublin street musician resonated so strongly. It’s a musical without splashy dance numbers, opulent sets, or dream sequences. Instead, songs that move the story forward are performed by leads Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová within the context of the scene. We picked up the soundtrack the next day.

Check your local art house for show times or look for the DVD in December. You can sample the music at the link above but I recommend hearing it within the story for maximum impact. A big thanks to Justen for sharing this wholly unique experience with us.

Incidentally, Glen and Markéta fell in love during the filming and are now touring as The Swell Season. They’ll be at the Wiltern Theater November 10.

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT/HOLLYWOOD BOWL
The next night we went to our final Hollywood Bowl show of the season: Rufus Wainwright Sings Judy Garland. Rufus, the son of folk singers Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III, has five albums of original songs. He isn’t a household name but you might recognize his distinctive voice performing “Hallelujah” on the Shrek soundtrack.
Judy at Carnegie Hall is one of my Mom’s favorite albums, and I guess it’s one of Rufus’ because he performed the entire album of her classic 1961 concert. He did all twenty-six songs in order with the original arrangements starting with “When You’re Smiling” and ending with “Chicago ” Rufus even stopped to talk to the audience at the same points Judy did. During her concert, Judy went into the audience to give a kiss to Rock Hudson. Rufus went down and planted a kiss on a gracious Debby Reynolds who was in the front row with daughter Carrie. The crowd went crazy.

Reviewing the track listing for Judy at Carnegie Hall will give you an idea of how intimidating it would be for anyone to mount this show. Wainwright performed signature songs like “Over the Rainbow”, “You Made Me Love You,” “The Trolley Song” and “The Man That Got Away” with an air of tribute, not imitation. He didn’t camp it up until the encore when he performed “Get Happy” in Judy’s fedora-coat-and-stockings outfit from Summer Stock. That was pretty funny.

Rufus’ sister, Martha Wainwright stopped the show with her mournful take on “Stormy Weather.” Like Rufus, her voice is hard to categorize but it reminded of Patsy Cline, k.d.lang, and Blossom Dearie. Mom Kate McGarrigle provided piano accompaniment on “Everytime We Say Goodbye.” Another special guest was Judy Garland’s daughter Lorna Luft who took the stage and belted out “Nothing Could Be Finer Than To Be In Carolina.”

Rufus originally staged the show in Carnegie Hall and did so well that he took it to London, San Francisco and, ultimately The Hollywood Bowl. This final concert, that we were lucky to see, took place September 23, the forty-sixth anniversary of Judy’s Hollywood Bowl appearance. To learn more about Rufus or to find out the release date for his Judy Garland CD and DVD visit his official website.

Thank you to Rob and Shawn for inviting us along.

AUTUMN IN NEW YORK
Daryl spent the last weekend of the month in the city that never sleeps. He was in town for meetings and the Madison Square Garden premiere of High School Musical On Ice.

After meetings on Friday, Daryl got to see our friends Lee and Jessica and their new baby Lizzy. Later that evening, Daryl was able to see Girl Gang, a play written by Mark Knowles, his co-worker at Disney Interactive Studios. Daryl loved the musical with all the action of a pulp fiction novel and enough “camp” to fulfill its promise of a 1950’s B movie.

The next day Daryl was at MSG to preview the new HSM Karaoke video game. The game was so popular, that rather than lose their turn to sing, some families opted to miss the first few minutes of the ice show!

On Sunday, Daryl met up with Jeff Zitofsky, a college buddy that he hasn’t seen since 1990. They toured the Guggenheim, lunched at Alice’s Tea Cup and walked through Central Park before Daryl had to head for the airport.

WHAT’S ON TELEVISION?
The new TV season started at the end of September. In no particular order, here are the shows we’ve added to an already-full viewing schedule:

Pushing Daisies is the new ABC show I wrote about last month. It’s charming, but I’m not expecting it to last the whole season.

The Dirty Sexy Money pilot set up this ABC series well, but there was almost too much information. Peter Krause plays the lawyer hired to protect spoiled Darling family from themselves while he solves his father’s murder. The second episode had more emotion but still managed to overdo it with the “rich-people-are-crazy” scenes.
Reaper is a comedy from The CW about Sam, a 21-year-old loser who discovers his parents sold his soul to the Devil. Now, in addition to working at a Home Depot-esque warehouse, he has a part-time job collecting escapees from Hell and sending them back downstairs. (The closest portal is at the DMV, naturally.) Strangely, this new responsibility to well-dressed Satan seems to be improving Sam’s outlook on life.

The pilot for the HBO’s Tell Me You Love Me couldn’t decide if it was thirtysomething or Cinemax After Dark. Three couples struggled with marital angst—and staying clothed—as the show explored the differences between commitment and trust; desire and need, intimacy and exposure. It bounced between gratuitous nudity and self-indulgent moping like an artsy French film—but it was still compelling. By the third episode, the creators seemed to find the proper tone. Now, this examination on what it means to be in a relationship offers uncomfortably honest stories told with equal amounts of frankness and subtlety. HBO has renewed it for a second season.

Mad Men is a one-hour drama from AMC set in a Madison Avenue advertising firm during the year 1960. The building is rife with smoking, drinking, discrimination and repression. The elevators have attendants, the switchboards have operators and the offices have only male occupants. Even though computers, cubicles and casual Fridays are 30 years off, these men and women face contemporary issues like promotions, politics, balance, burnout, and office romance. It’s my frontrunner for next year’s Emmys and has already been renewed for 2008.
Daryl discovered the BBC America gem How Clean Is Your House? whilst he was home sick one day. Hosts Kim Woodburn and Aggie MacKenzie tour the most disgusting houses in Britain, clutching their noses at the overwhelming “honk” of rotting food, floating pet dander, and neglected toilets. One homeowner even let her eleven parakeets fly and poop freely throughout her living room, dining room and kitchen. For eight years!

While each house is being de-cluttered and disinfected, useful cleaning and health tips are shared. Kim and Aggie show how to clean without harsh chemicals, how to reduce the presence of household pests, and how to remove pesky stains from teacups. (Lemon juice and salt.) Another tip: In Britain, dishwashing liquid is called “washing up liquid” and laundry detergent is called “biological powder.”

Merv Griffin’s Crosswords is a syndicated game show on which contestants vie for cash and trips while solving a 15 x 15 puzzle. I like this one so much I signed up to be a contestant and was accepted. My episode was taped last week but I’m contractually obligated to stay mum about it until after its broadcast. I’ll forward the airdate when I find out myself.

STAR SIGHTINGS
Daryl and I were sitting in the front window of a small café when Hilary Duff peered in, gauged the line (we think) and turned away to leave. At the Rufus Wainwright show, we saw Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O’Connell and two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank.

NEXT MONTH
October should be fun. Tell you all about it next month.

James

Ronnie, Nancy, and a Summer Shower

Hello again. I hope you are enjoying your Labor Day holiday. Here’s a look back at August 2007 in the Cameron/Utt household.

SUMMER MOVIE ROUNDUP
This weekend marks the traditional end of the Summer Movie Season. This year’s didn’t look so hot because every movie had a 2, 3, 4, 5 or 13 in its title. Fans complained that there were too many films on the slate. Critics were skeptical about quality and Evan Almighty only egged them on. But, in a true “Hollywood ending” 2007 became the most profitable summer on record.

Daryl and I did our part to support the local economy. Here’s what we spent our money on and how we’d rank them:

We skipped Transformers, Pirates, Die Hard and Shrek but did see that other summer blockbuster: High School Musical 2.

*In what may soon become the routine release model for smaller films, the mockumentary Closing Escrow debuted on HDNET August 22nd, opened in theaters the 24th, and will be available on DVD September 4th.

VISITORS
Florida friends Juliet and her son Indy stopped by for a walk around Glendale and some dinner. Then they went to Disneyland, took a boat to the Channel Islands and enjoyed the lower humidity of California. We met up again on Sunday the 12th in Simi Valley to visit the Reagan Library.

RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
About 45 minutes northwest of Glendale is an unassuming southwestern-style museum and library dedicated to 40th president Ronald Reagan. The welcome video was an upbeat introduction to Ronnie’s All-American personality and his various careers, but it had sad parts, too. I can’t forget a grief-stricken Nancy at her husband’s funeral or the strangely cheerful narration by Merv Griffin who died the day of our visit.

Permamanent exhibits include a mock-up of the Oval Office, Ronnie’s presidential diaries, and a section of the Berlin Wall. Visitors can see the x-ray from the day he was shot, scenes from his movies, and the Ronald Reagan Pub which was moved a long way from Tipperary, Ireland. Gifts that the president received—like 500 belt buckles and a portrait made of jellybeans—are here, too. What you won’t find here is controversy. There are no exhibits about the record deficit produced by Reagan’s trickle-down economic policy, the government’s slow response to the AIDS epidemic, or the president’s personal struggle with Alzheimer’s. Perhaps when more time has passed, these facets of Reagan’s two terms in office will be addressed.

That said, my two favorite things were purely sentimental. One was the Reagan family bible upon which he was sworn in. The other was the love story woven throughout the building with snapshots, video footage and Ronnie’s personal letters to Nancy. They adored each other and he never stopped courting her.

The most impressive exhibit has to be the hangar-sized building that houses Air Force One. Walking through the 707/SAM 27000 Indy asked the best question: “How did the plane get here?” A helpful guide told us that the wings were removed and the pieces were shipped by truck and reassembled.

After five enjoyable hours, we said goodbye to the 80’s and said goodbye to Juliet and Indy as they left us for the second time on their trip. In a nod to the Reagan/Carter debate, I should have tilted my head and declared, “There you go again.” We hope to see them soon.

LEONID METEOR SHOWER
Later that night we headed an hour north into less populated territory to see our first meteor shower. At about midnight we pulled off of a deserted two-lane road near Edwards Air Force Base and the six of us set our sights on the skies.

Sitting in folding chairs and laying on the hood of a car, we let our eyes adjust to the lower light level and waited. And waited. There’s no sound, no warning, just a short streak of light here, one way over there, another right above us, followed by five minutes of nothing. We filled that time by teasing the members of our party fearful of the snakes, coyotes and desert tarantulas which we had assured them were indigenous to the area.

I’m sure we ended up seeing more of the shower because we had twelve eyes searching the heavens. Since there were no other stargazers but us, we chattered away like we were on a high school camping trip. The conversation was punctuated with “Ooh, look!” or “You missed it” or “Pass the ginger snaps this way.”

We didn’t get home until 3:00 am but it was totally worth it. It was my favorite star sighting this year. Thank you, Linda, for setting this up and thank you, Shawn and Bhavani, for driving!

TWO MOONS?
A few days later we heard that Mars would be so bright in the sky on August 27th that it would look as though there were two moons in the sky. I accidentally slept through this one but that turned out to be a good thing. Turns out the e-mail was just another urban myth. Back in 2005, NASA debunked this annual Mars hoax and, for some reason, accompanied its online post with this picture of British mope-rocker Morrissey. Huh? Maybe the space administration officially upgraded him to “star.”

PUSHING DAISIES at HOLLYWOOD FOREVER
ABC’s new series Pushing Daisies is about a pie maker named Ned who can bring people back from the dead for one minute. He touches them again within 60 seconds and they die permanently. If Ned doesn’t that person lives and someone else dies. On paper, it sounds morbid, but the show is actually a comedic fairy tale.

In order to dig up some publicity, ABC hosted a screening of the pilot August 16th at Hollywood Forever cemetery. A mausoleum wall was the screen and the adjacent lawn provided seating for the young, hip types who came out for the free show. Staffers wandered the crowd handing out complimentary white flowers. That’s right, they were pushing daisies.

In typical Hollywood fashion, the premiere started an hour after the posted time since the cast was stuck doing interviews with Access Hollywood, ABC7 and USA Today.
Once that was done, the actors and director Barry Sonnenfeld were introduced to the crowd by the writer, producer, and creator, Bryan Fuller.

The pilot unrolled with Jim Dale's whimsical narration, eye-popping color, and lots of quirky characters. It was charming, clever and sweet but Daryl and I both thought it would fare better as a big-screen movie. You can judge for yourself by watching a preview at ABC.com or viewing the extended preview on YouTube. The show premieres Wednesday, October 3 at 8:00pm

NANCY WILSON at THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL
We were back at the bowl on Wednesday, the 29th for Nancy Wilson’s 70th Birthday Celebration with guests Arsenio Hall, Patti Austin, James Ingram, Natalie Cole, Ramsey Lewis and Terence Blanchard.

I wasn’t familiar with the first couple acts on the bill, so when Patti Austin came out things finally picked up. Nancy Wilson came out with James Ingram and the two performed their duet “Wish You Were Here.” They played off each other very well and flirted for comic effect. Then James sang his 1980 hit “One Hundred Ways”—nailing every high note—and the crowd went wild.

Besides two songs from Natalie Cole, the second half was all Nancy Wilson. Pianist Ramsey Lewis accompanied the birthday girl on “God Bless the Child.” She performed “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing” with a full band but spent most of the song improvising with the bass player. That was amazing to watch. Then she went in another direction, effortlessly breaking our hearts with the subdued “Guess Who I Saw Today?” It was my favorite song of the night.

She told a few stories, sung a medley of hits and thanked her fans for their support and her family for their patience, adding “I’m kind, tolerant, forgiving, loving, honest, and good but rarely on the same day.” Nancy sounded great, she looked great and I’ll she felt great knowing that 18,000 people came to her birthday party. By the way, her 71st album Cannon Reloaded comes out this year.

Thank you, Rob and Shawn for making this happen.

OUT LATE at MACHA THEATER
My own birthday weekend was more low-key as several friends stopped by for Cuban food and chocolate cake. (Thanks, guys!) As an early present, Daryl and I went to see the play Out Late at MACHA Theater. Out Late tells the story of a closeted doctor, married for 47 years, who begins an affair with one of his patients in this unflinching look at the costs of personal happiness.

The exceptional cast had just four actors, all equally strong: Nic d’Avirro, Judy Jean Berns, Kasey Mahaffy and Megan Maureen McDonough. The set was smart, the lighting effective, and the direction was solid. The show has since closed you can read this review and see a list of other works by playwright Tim Turner.

MICHAEL BUBLE at THE GREEK THEATER
Daryl also managed to fit in a Michael Buble concert at The Greek Theater. Like Sammy Davis Jr. or Dean Martin, Buble makes it look so easy. His voice is superb live and his comic timing ensures that the show is going to have some laughs. His new album Call Me Irresponsible and features the single "Everything."

QUICK HITS
On September 13, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia begins its third foul-mouthed season on FX. Any doubts I had about this sitcom losing its edge disappeared when I saw the first episode’s title: The Gang Finds a Dumpster Baby. So wrong.

Owning a personal flying saucer may become a reality in 2008.

Do you ever get nostalgic for the impersonal, computerized voice of Texas Instruments’ Speak & Spell?

STAR SIGHTINGS
At the Arclight movie theater we saw Danny Woodburn, better known as Kramer’s acting buddy Mickey on Seinfeld.

At the Pushing Daisies premiere, we saw Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Swoosie Kurtz, and Ellen Greene.

NEXT MONTH
Back to the Bowl and some travel east. Tell you all about it next month.

James

July 2007: The Boy Wizard and the Boys from Jersey

Hello again. I hope you are enjoying the summer. Here’s a look back at July 2007 in the Cameron/Utt household.

HARRY POTTER 2007
I can never remember what year the first Harry Potter book was published, but I won’t soon forget that Book 7 was released in 2007. The franchise offered a unique opportunity for Potter-philes to watch Movie 5 and read Book 6 the week prior to The Deathly Hallows debut.

Much has been made about Order of the Phoenix the longest book yielding the shortest movie in the series. [Harry’s godfather, for example, only has four scenes: "Here's the family tree. Look, I'm a dog. Now I’m in the fire. Let's fight the bastards! The End.”] I was thankful for the reduced running time since it meant one less CGI Quidditch match to sit through. The main plotline was there—Harry Potter meets The Devil Wears Prada—and Imelda Staunton was perfectly cast as headmistress-from-hell Delores Umbrige.

Leaving the Chinese Theater on opening night, we got to see the still-drying hand, foot and wand prints of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. The concrete slab has since been incorporated into the courtyard near those of George Clooney and Brad Pitt. (Photo by Shephard)

The following week, I re-read The Half Blood Prince and headed to Borders Friday at midnight to find I was Potter Nerd Number 282. The store was hosting a Grand Ball in which kids and adults were making wands, challenging each other with trivia questions, and complimenting each other on their costumes. There were lots of Gryffindors, a Tonks, a Hagrid (or was it Hurley from Lost?) and for some reason, two Pikachu’s. Unfortunately, Borders was so clogged with people that the air conditioning and PA systems were ineffective. Two of the sales girls had to stand near the counter and scream “Numbers 41 through 50!” while handling complaints about the heat.

The Fire Marshal In My Head directed me to the sidewalk so that I could wait the next half hour in the cooler air and open spaces of downtown Glendale. Finally, with book in hand, I walked back home and turned to page 1 at about 1:00am. Saturday was spent leisurely reading the remaining 758 pages. I wasn’t the only one doing this, since Warner Bros blamed the book’s release for a drop in ticket sales for Order of the Phoenix.

In case you are still immersed in The Deathly Hallows I won’t include any plot points here—they’re not called “spoilers” for nothing. I will say it was an enjoyable read with a fitting conclusion for the series. Future generations are sure to embrace Harry Potter as kids continue to do with The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars.


Bloomsbury, Harry Potter's U.K. publisher released two different editions overseas. The adult version looks pretty good but I think the kids cover missed the mark completely. The kids seem to agree as you can see in this BBC message board. In typical English fashion, 10 year old Lottie dismisses the art as “rubbish.” If you’re curious, here’s a link to all seven U.K. covers.

If you want to learn more about the Potter-verse there’s plenty online at Muggle Net including a comprehensive character database that has seventy-five entries under “B” alone. The Leaky Cauldron promotes itself as “The Most Trusted Named in Potter.” JK Rowling discusses spoilers here and answers readers' questions here. This Yahoo article details the record-setting first-day sales and challenges of such large-scale printing and distribution

I also recommend the August 3rd Entertainment Weekly which devoted 36 pages to the Harry Potter phenomenon.

JERSEY BOYS AT THE AHMANSON THEATER
The next day, we joined Diana and Kim at the Ahmanson to see the 2006 Tony Winner for Best Musical Jersey Boys. It’s the story of the 60’s/70’s group The Four Seasons told with their songs and plenty of four letter words.

Instead of dance numbers, this production uses humor, top ten hits and clever staging. It was as slick as a sharkskin suit. Structurally, the play moves chronologically through their rise and fall, giving each Season the chance to tell his side of the story. Daryl and I learned a lot about the group, such as the story behind “December 1963 (Oh What a Night)” where the group name came from, and the role Joe Pesci played in their formation.

Frankie Valli is such a vocally demanding part that two guys alternate the role during the week. Imagine having to hit all the high notes in “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Sherry,” “Rag Doll” and “Dawn” nightly. Rick Faugno earned two standing ovations for his work as Valli in the performance we saw.

If you like the Four Seasons or have wondered what a musical version of The Sopranos might feel like, check it out. The show runs through August 31. Thank you, Diana for setting this up.

THE SIMPSONS MOVIE
This weekend we headed over to the new AMC Century City 15 to see The Simpsons Movie. Like some of their best half-hour episodes, the film had plenty of one liners, sight gags, and political nose-tweaking. Daryl, Cynthia, I and the rest of the audience had a great time, so I wasn’t surprised that it was the number one movie this weekend. With $72 million, it was the fifth largest opening this year beating out Transformers and Ratatouille.

As part of the promotional push for the movie, 7-Eleven converted some of its franchises into Kwik-E-Marts, the not-so-convenient store run by Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. The outside is painted those distinctive colors and features characters like Bart, Milhouse, and Comic Book Guy. For sale inside are Springfield-specific items like Krusty-O’s Cereal, Duff Beer, and Squishees. We drove by the one in Burbank and I had to laugh when I saw that 7-Eleven had a line to get in. That’s as crazy as a midnight crowd at a bookstore. Oh wait.

THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL
We made it to the Hollywood Bowl to see Mozart’s comical opera The Magic Flute. This was a concert version without costumes, or sets or props. Or subtitles, which took everyone by surprise. It was a bit of a challenge at first but Alfred Molina was there to narrate between the arias and make sense of it for those of us unable to follow along in the original German. We'll be back tonight for more German singing as I finally get to see Beethoven's 9th performed live. Thanks to Justen and Kim for inviting us to both events!

DARYL'S BIRTHDAY
For his birthday, I took Daryl over to Pasadena for a proper English tea at Rose Tree Cottage. Covered in ivy and nestled among other half-timbered Tudors, you half-expect Jane Austen or Beatrix Potter to greet you at the door.

Between cucumber sandwiches and scones, we got to talk with owners Mary and Edmund Fry who have been serving up pots of tea and petit-fours for twenty years. They gave us the sad news that the Rose Tree was being forced out of its little cottage to make way for low-cost housing. Then they gave us the good news that the business will be continuing at a new location, although this one will be hard to top. Wherever they land, I’m sure we’ll follow.

After tea we walked around the attached shop, which has everything from clothes to crumpets. Daryl picked up a book called The Great Tea Rooms of America which features The Rose Tree Cottage and its feline ambassador Miss Moppet on page 87.

Daryl was working backstage at Disneyland on his special day and had two surprises. Mickey and Minnie stopped for a private photo op outside Team Disney and the entire cast of High School Musical Pep Rally completely caught him off-guard when they burst into “Happy Birthday.”

The following weekend we were at our friend Bhavani’s for an informal birthday get-together with friends. We played games, laughed a lot and didn’t get home until late because we were having so much fun. Thank you, Bhavani!

FOURTH OF JULY
Speaking of birthdays, we celebrated July Fourth in Santa Monica with our friends JJ and Adam. JJ hails from London, so instead of hotdogs and potatoes chips she served the English equivalent: bangers and mash. It was tasty!

Because of the continuing dry spell, the community fireworks were cancelled, but that didn’t stop the neighborhood from launching some private pyrotechnic shows. Their little dog Hamish thought he was in a war zone. Thank you JJ and Adam!

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS:
Although Daryl was disappointed by I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, he talked briefly to Seth Rogen [Knocked Up/40 Year-Old Virgin] as everyone was leaving the theater. At the Disney Commissary last week, I saw Victor Garber from Alias who is currently shooting the new series Eli Stone on the lot.

NEXT MONTH
Who knows what the stars will bring. Until then, James & Daryl