This was an old email I sent to friends back in January 2013 detailing a quick trip to Los Angeles. I was still in nursing school at the time, so having the time/money to get away to do this was a big deal to me. There were lots of interesting things crammed into this trip. Here's the email:
Hi
I've got to get to the library to study for my big test for school. I'm just finishing up my smoothie and coffee (I had to use a bottle of San Pellegrino to make it this morning as I was out of bottled regular water! Ha!).
I wanted to share some pictures from my adventures last weekend before heading out.
I went to LA last weekend for a couple of reasons. First, I wanted a chance to FINALLY see the 1960s BATMOBILE because it is being sold soon. Here's a link to the article about it:
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/30/george-barris-to-sell-original-1966-batmobile-at-barrett-jackson/
(click the press release to show details of the sale. It happens THIS Saturday --Jan. 19. I am so lucky I got to see it when I did). The Batmobile is a creation of George Barris' for the 1966 TV series. It was on display at George Barri's Kustom City car shop in Burbank.
It was really just incredible to see the Batmobile. It was a life-long dream come true. Zowie!
While there, I saw a few other cool cars---most notably the MUNSTERS KOACH (another car I have always wanted to see).
They also had the car from KNIGHT RIDER (never watched that show) and I've included shots of it.
Afterwards I went to the oldest surviving (and very beautiful--if an old diner can be called that) Bob's Big Boy just down the street.
That was followed by a visit to the Hollywood Heritage Museum (basically a converted barn where the very first full-length movie was shot and it eventually it was the origins of Paramount Pictures).
This was followed by a trip to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery where I was trying to track down some of the more elusive graves that I had not found yet (I've included a few pics--but not every one).
Here is Alfalfa from "The Little Rascals"/"Our Gang":
And Alfalfa's girlfriend, Darla from "The Little Rascal's" / "Our Gang":
Bugs Bunny (and Elmer Fudd, and Tweety Bird and...) himself, Mel Blanc:
If you do not know the wildly bizarre music by Yma Sumac, I don't know how to explain her...except that she was a big influence on the wild vocals of The B-52s:
The next day I went to one of those celebrity shows. There were not many celebs I wanted to see--in fact, I only ended up paying to see three of them (70s fantasy/horror queen and one-time Bond girl Caroline Munro, last original Charlie's Angel and one-time Bond girl Tanya Roberts--and, shhh! She looks like she's had plastic surgery--, and "Carrie" 's mom / "Twin Peaks" star Piper Laurie) and I'll include the photos of them (Piper Laurie has no nose--thanks to too much flash! UGH!!!).
Hi
I've got to get to the library to study for my big test for school. I'm just finishing up my smoothie and coffee (I had to use a bottle of San Pellegrino to make it this morning as I was out of bottled regular water! Ha!).
I wanted to share some pictures from my adventures last weekend before heading out.
I went to LA last weekend for a couple of reasons. First, I wanted a chance to FINALLY see the 1960s BATMOBILE because it is being sold soon. Here's a link to the article about it:
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/30/george-barris-to-sell-original-1966-batmobile-at-barrett-jackson/
(click the press release to show details of the sale. It happens THIS Saturday --Jan. 19. I am so lucky I got to see it when I did). The Batmobile is a creation of George Barris' for the 1966 TV series. It was on display at George Barri's Kustom City car shop in Burbank.
It was really just incredible to see the Batmobile. It was a life-long dream come true. Zowie!
While there, I saw a few other cool cars---most notably the MUNSTERS KOACH (another car I have always wanted to see).
They also had the car from KNIGHT RIDER (never watched that show) and I've included shots of it.
That was followed by a visit to the Hollywood Heritage Museum (basically a converted barn where the very first full-length movie was shot and it eventually it was the origins of Paramount Pictures).
This was followed by a trip to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery where I was trying to track down some of the more elusive graves that I had not found yet (I've included a few pics--but not every one).
Here is Alfalfa from "The Little Rascals"/"Our Gang":
The original "King Kong"'s gal pal, Fay Wray:
Bugs Bunny (and Elmer Fudd, and Tweety Bird and...) himself, Mel Blanc:
If you do not know the wildly bizarre music by Yma Sumac, I don't know how to explain her...except that she was a big influence on the wild vocals of The B-52s:
But the big attraction for me really (and one that was NOT scheduled as far as I know) was the appearance of TWO cars used in James Bond movies--a BMW from "GOLDENEYE" and the most iconic of all Bond cars, the gadget-laden Aston Marton from "Goldfinger"! ZOWIE!!! I was sooooooo thrilled.
I even got to sit my big, fat butt in the "GOLDFINGER" car (yes, where James Bond/Sean Connery himself sat nearly 50 years ago!).
I so am NOT a car guy--but the cars I saw last weekend--WOW!
The celeb show was having a celebration of 50 years of James Bond. In addition to the cars, they had a huge bunch of stars who had appeared in Bond films. They had a photo session with all of them out by the cars. We couldn't go out there, but you can bet that I was right next to the glass doors snapping away. I've included a photo. They are, from left to right (back row): Trina Parks ("Diamonds are Forever"), Caroline Munro ("Spy Who Loved Me"), Lana Wood-leaning- ("Diamonds Are Forever"), Serena Scott Thomas ("The World is Not Enough"), Lynn Holly Johnson ("For Your Eyes Only"), Tanya Roberts ("A View To A Kill"), Maud Adams ("Man With the Golden Gun" and "Octopussy"), Robert Davi ("License to Kill"), George Lazenby (one-time James Bond in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"), Tania Mallet ("Goldfinger"). Front Row (left to right): Eunice Gayson (in rainbow top from "Dr. No" and "From Russia With Love"), Luciana Paluzzi ("Thunderball"), Gloria Hendry ("Live and Let Die"), Britt Ekland ("Man with the Golden Gun"), Maryam D'Abo ("License to Kill"), Diana Lee Hsu ("License to Kill"), and Richad "Jaws" Kiel from "Spy Who Loved Me" and "Moonraker".
After that, it was off to the Westwood Memorial Cemetery for more celebrity headstones that had eluded me on previous visits (a few are also attached).
ALLAN MELVIN, aka Sam the Butcher from "The Brady Bunch":
Eva "Green Acres" Gabor, dah-ling!
James Coburn:
John Cassavetes:
Natalie Wood:
Sebastian Cabot (aka Mr. French on "Family Affair"):
Yikes! Who or what is this? CREEPY!!!
And then I went home.
It was a no-frills trip...The hotel was cheap and it showed. There were two rooms. The front room (which had the TV and a bed) was STINKY...so I slept in the back room, which also had a bed and was closer to the bathroom. However, that bed (both beds, probably) had plastic on the mattress and box springs (maybe they get a lot of bed wetters there?) so there was the annoying crinkle sound every time I moved... and then there was the floor. The carpet in that back room was WET! I can only guess that before I got there the toilet had over flowed? The bathroom floor was sooo slippery. There was fossilized soap on the window sill.
It was just miserable and it was in a scary area--but it was all I could afford.
[Here is a text message I sent to someone while in that hotel room: Fossilized soap on bathroom window ledge. Will the glamour and charm of this place never end? I just attempted a shower. No hot water! It was so cold my genitals started retreating into my body for warmth. I literally almost transformed into a woman before my horrified eyes! Eek! I got out quickly but soap got nowhere near my body. I just had a quick rinse on my left side (it was just too cold to get fully in). I get to meet the stars stinky! O' the joy of it all...]
Okay--gotta run. Check out the photos or DON'T!
I hope you are well.
CHEERS!
After that, it was off to the Westwood Memorial Cemetery for more celebrity headstones that had eluded me on previous visits (a few are also attached).
ALLAN MELVIN, aka Sam the Butcher from "The Brady Bunch":
Eva "Green Acres" Gabor, dah-ling!
James Coburn:
John Cassavetes:
Natalie Wood:
Sebastian Cabot (aka Mr. French on "Family Affair"):
Yikes! Who or what is this? CREEPY!!!
And then I went home.
It was a no-frills trip...The hotel was cheap and it showed. There were two rooms. The front room (which had the TV and a bed) was STINKY...so I slept in the back room, which also had a bed and was closer to the bathroom. However, that bed (both beds, probably) had plastic on the mattress and box springs (maybe they get a lot of bed wetters there?) so there was the annoying crinkle sound every time I moved... and then there was the floor. The carpet in that back room was WET! I can only guess that before I got there the toilet had over flowed? The bathroom floor was sooo slippery. There was fossilized soap on the window sill.
It was just miserable and it was in a scary area--but it was all I could afford.
[Here is a text message I sent to someone while in that hotel room: Fossilized soap on bathroom window ledge. Will the glamour and charm of this place never end? I just attempted a shower. No hot water! It was so cold my genitals started retreating into my body for warmth. I literally almost transformed into a woman before my horrified eyes! Eek! I got out quickly but soap got nowhere near my body. I just had a quick rinse on my left side (it was just too cold to get fully in). I get to meet the stars stinky! O' the joy of it all...]
Okay--gotta run. Check out the photos or DON'T!
I hope you are well.
CHEERS!
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