Cinespia Kicks off the 2010 Season

Cinespia at Hollywood Forever Cemetery

This past Saturday, Cinespia kicked off their summertime movie screenings with the classic Hollywood musical, The Wizard of Oz. The screenings which occur on Saturdays (and some Sundays) during the summer, are held outdoors on the lawn of Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The cost is $10 and guests are encouraged to bring their own food and drinks.

Thousands show up early each night to picnic on the cemetery grounds and listen to the DJs playing music before the film. Then, once the sun goes down, a classic movie is projected on to the wall of Rudolph Valentino's mausoleum. This is one of my favorite things to do in LA and one of my favorite ways to catch classic movies: outside, with an audience of movie lovers, with some drinks and snacks, on a mausoleum wall that makes for a HUGE screen.

Here is a video I put together from this past Saturday at Cinespia:

Cinespia 2010

This coming Saturday Cinespia will be showing John Carpenter's The Thing. Also this month are North By Northwest, and Purple Rain. For full details check out the official Cinespia website here.

Your thoughts?

Scenes of Los Angeles in 1946

Check out this video, an MGM presentation of James Fitzpatrick's "Voice of the Globe" Travel Talks, featuring footage from Los Angeles and Glendale, California in 1946. The video starts with scenes of California wildflowers, but the really interesting scenes start 3 minutes into the video. There are clips of Hollywood Boulevard, the Chinese Theater, CBS Studios in Hollywood, NBC Studios in Hollywood (now demolished), the Fairfax Farmer's Market, and even Forrest Lawn Cemetery which I just previously did a post on.

I think it's very interesting to see what's changed since 1946 and what looks pretty much the same. My two favorite clips are those showing the old deco NBC building before it was demolished and the Chinese Theater before the huge Hollywood & Highland complex stood next door.

Wee Kirk of the Heather - Chapel for the Stars

Wee Kirk of The Heather at Forrest Lawn Glendale

Above is a vintage postcard I picked up recently of the Wee Kirk O'The Heather chapel located in the vast Forrest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California. The chapel and the grounds around look nearly the same today. This quaint chapel, which is a replica of a European church, has many old Hollywood connections.

Ronald Reagan & Jane Wyman Wedding 1940

The actor turned president, Ronald Reagan, married actress Jane Wyman at this chapel in 1940. The two met while filming the Warner Brothers picture, "Brother Rat."

Clark Gable & Carole Lombard at Jean Harlow Funeral

But there are also funerals at the chapel. Above is a photo from 1937 of Clark Gable and Carole Lombard attending Jean Harlow's funeral. Gable was Harlow's costar on the then unfinished film, Saratoga. Harlow's funeral was a huge event, like one of the big musicals her studio MGM would create. At the funeral MGM stars Jeannette McDonald and Nelson Eddy sang Harlow's favorite song, "Ah Sweet Mystery of Life." Harlow was later buried in the Great Mausoleum also located on the Forrest Lawn grounds.

Five years later Carole Lombard would be back at Forrest Lawn for her own funeral. Her funeral, unlike Harlow's was a small private event. Lombard and Gable are also buried at Forrest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale.

If you haven't been to Forrest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale it is definitely worth visiting. The grounds are beautiful and there are numerous old stars buried here. Some others include Irving Thalberg, Red Skeleton, Walt Disney, George Burns, Gracie Allen, and Errol Flynn to name a few. And if you go soon you can still check out the "Fine Art of Marc Davis" exhibit being held at the Forrest Lawn Museum. The exhibit, featuring artwork by Disney animator Marc Davis, runs until July 26, 2009. See me my post on that here.

The Fine Art of Marc Davis: a new exhibit at Forest Lawn Museum

If you're not familiar with the name Marc Davis you certainly must be familiar with his work. Davis was a legendary animator, one of Walt Disney's "Nine Old Men," best known for his skill at drawing female characters. Some of his most notable characters include Tinker Bell, Alice from Alice in Wonderland, and Cruella DeVil. In addition to his work in animation Davis created concept art for attractions at the Disneyland theme park. If you've ever been on the Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean rides you've seen the outcome of Davis's work.

From now until July 26, 2009 the Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale, California is exhibiting some of Davis's non-Disney work. The collection includes paintings of ships, Greek mythology, harlequins and experiments with space and color. There are some pieces that are connected to Disney, but almost all the works are very non-Disney.

Legendary Disney Animator: Marc Davis

The museum is open every day except for Mondays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00p.m. To get there you have to drive through the winding roads of Forest Lawn Cemetery all the way to the top of the hill. Once you get there you will have a beautiful view of both downtown Glendale and downtown Los Angeles.

To round out your visit with another Disney connection you can visit Walt Disney's grave site (No, Disney is not frozen). Disney is located just outside and to the left of the Freedom mausoleum. Inside the Freedom Mausoleum you will find George Burns and Gracie Allen.

The exhibit is free and definitely worth checking out.

Cinespia cemetery screenings are back!

Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd.

It's May and that means that the Cinespia cemetery screenings are back! Being a classic movie fan, this is hands down my favorite summertime activity in Los Angeles. Starting in 2002 movie buffs have been taking over the Hollywood Forever Cemetery to screen classic and cult films on the white marble wall of Rudolph Valentino's mausoleum wall. Films range from classics like The Thin Man and Rebel Without a Cause to cult films like Pee Wee's Big Adventure and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Below are some pictures from last year.

People begin lining up outside Hollywood Forever Cemetery, located at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd, early in the evening. The films don't start until 9pm when it is completely dark out but the gates open at 7:30pm. The cost of admission is $10.

Me in front of Rudy Valentino's Mausoleum, the "Screen"

Once the gates open visitors can find a place in front of Rudolph Valentino's mausoleum wall which is where the film will be screened. You are welcome to bring most anything you want into the cemetery. I usually bring a picnic blanket, something warm to wear at night, some snacks and wine. Then you have the pros who some how manage to bring in small coffee tables, full dinners, candles and the whole works. While you wait for the sun to go down their are DJs spinning music for your listening entertainment.

A view of the crowd getting ready for the screening.

The crowd varies in size depending on the film but there is always a large turnout. Above is a photo of the crowd finding their seats. That's the backlot of Paramount Studios bordering the cemetery. Not only are you watching a movie on a silent film star's mausoleum, but you are seated in a cemetery surrounded by old Hollywood stars including Douglas Fairbanks, Cecil B. Demille, and Norma Talmadge which is next to the oldest remaining Hollywood studio.

I don't believe they have officially announced the first screening of the season but rumor has it that it will be the Paul Newman classic Cool Hand Luke. Here's the nitty gritty:

Where: Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles

When: May 16, 2009

What: Cool Hand Luke

Cost: $10

For more details check out the official Cinespia website.