Monday, March 31, 2008

Park Theatre - Woonsocket 1970

Park Theatre - Woonsocket 1970

Park Theatre

37 North Main St.

Woonsocket, Rhode Island

Built 1888

Destroyed by Fire 1975

"Woonsocket Opera House was completed in 1888 on North Main Street near Monument Square. Later converted to a movie theater named the Park Theater, it showed its last movie in 1963. Fire destroyed this impressive structure on September 22, 1975". - woonsocket.org

Park Theatre aka Woonsocket Opera House - My Home Town on the Web

Park Theatre - Cinema Treasures

Woonsocket, Rhode Island - wiki

GO BABY GO! - Lori Petty's Art on Montana

GO BABY GO! - Lori Petty's Art on MontanaGO BABY GO! - Lori Petty's Art on MontanaDeborah Page GalleryArt's Here, Now Where's the Crowd?

Note: The exhibit closed yesterday. But you can still see samples at the Deborah Page Gallery web site.

Lori Petty- imdb

Lori Petty - wiki

Lori Petty - Deborah Page Gallery

Deborah Page Gallery - Montana Ave., Santa Monica

Sunday, March 30, 2008

John "Gomez Addams" Astin Plays Poe

Happy 78th Birthday!

John Astin

Born March 30, 1930

"We all struggle, and I had plenty of that, but I've had a great time. I've done hundreds of TV shows and 30 to 40 movies, and I love acting. I'm very happy having done the Poe. That's been really terrific."

Besides bringing to life the legendary character Gomez Addams, actor John Astin has played Poe. This You Tube clip is a sample of his portrayal. He has toured in the one-man play Edgar Allan Poe: Once Upon a Midnight, written by Paul Day Clemens and Ron Magid. (I saw an earlier version of this play years ago in Hollywood with Clemens in the title role. Clemens and his wife attended our POE HUMOUR event in 2001.) John Astin currently teaches acting and directing at his alma mater Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, his home town.

John Astin - imdb

John Astin - wiki

Edgar Allan Poe: Once Upon a Midnight - starring John Astin

Poe Humour - PoeForward.com

"The Raven" - Poe Funeral text

John Astin: Actor, Director, Professor

Lassie in Baby Carriage - 1952

Lassie in Baby Carriage - 1952

Barrington Avenue and Court - Brentwood Village aka Brent-Air

Barrington Avenue and Court - Brentwood VillageBarrington Avenue and Court - Brentwood VillageBarrington Avenue and Court - Brentwood Village

Brentwood, Los Angeles, California - wiki

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Cousin Craig and the Bishop - 1972

Cousin Craig and the Bishop - 1972

Gardena Strip Clubs - Part I

Gardena Strip ClubsGardena Strip Clubs

Gardena Strip Clubs

These clubs were here when I was a kid in the 1960s. They were and still are on Western Ave. near Rosecrans Blvd. In those days, Rosecrans was the informal DMZ between South Central and Gardena. I think the actual line is 135th Street, where the city limits end, so I may have to correct myself. I grew up on 148th Street, just a few blocks south of Rosecrans in North Gardena where most of the Japanese-Americans lived. Gardena was SIN CITY in the 1950s and 60s. Poker was legal and Gardena had the card clubs. My father worked the bars on Vermont Ave. near all the card clubs on the Gardena side of the railroad tracks. The strip clubs kept a low profile. Even as kids, we took them for granted and never gave them a second look. I never saw a naked woman running around the neighborhood.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Audrey's Birthday - circa early 1960s

Audrey's Birthday - circa early 1960s

Her older brother Wesley is the kid front right.

Julianna Redding Crime Scene Flowers - Santa Monica

Julianna Redding Crime Scene Flowers - Santa Monica

Julianna Redding Crime Scene

1527 Centinela Ave.

Santa Monica, CA

Julianna Redding Crime Scene Flowers - Santa Monica

Julianna Redding - imdb

Aspiring Model Found Dead in Santa Monica Apartment - LAist

Juliana Redding - The Homicide Report - L.A. Times

Aspiring Model Juliana Maureen Redding Found Dead in Santa Monica - abc7.com

Julianna Redding Crime Scene Flowers - Santa Monica

Coincidence?

Alexander "Sasha" Merman - Santa Monica Homicide - The Homicide Report - L.A. Times

Another Apparent Santa Monica Apartment Murder - LAistJulianna Redding Crime Scene Flowers - Santa Monica

Thursday, March 27, 2008

NDG: Julianna Redding Crime Scene - Santa Monica

Julianna Redding Crime Scene - Santa Monica

New Poe Forward Dead Girl:

Julianna Redding

1987 - 2008

RIP

Julianna Redding Crime Scene - Santa Monica

Julianna Redding - imdb

Aspiring Model Found Dead in Santa Monica Apartment - LAist

Juliana Redding - The Homicide Report - L.A. Times

Aspiring Model Juliana Maureen Redding Found Dead in Santa Monica - abc7.com

Julianna Redding Crime Scene - Santa Monica

Coincidence?

Alexander "Sasha" Merman - Santa Monica Homicide - The Homicide Report - L.A. Times

Another Apparent Santa Monica Apartment Murder - LAistJulianna Redding Crime Scene - Santa Monica

Poe Forward's Dead Girls - PoeForward.com

The Original Dead Girl: Mary Rogers - Marie Roget - PoeForward.com

Tommy Playing the Organ - Woonsocket 1969

Tommy Playing the Organ - Woonsocket 1969

Birds Are There to Greet You - Paradise Cove, Malibu - Part IX

Birds Are There to Greet You - Paradise Cove, MalibuBirds Are There to Greet You - Paradise Cove, MalibuBirds Are There to Greet You - Paradise Cove, MalibuBirds Are There to Greet You - Paradise Cove, Malibu

Paradise Cove, Malibu - Part VIII

Paradise Cove, Malibu - Part VII

Paradise Cove, Malibu - Part VI

Paradise Cove, Malibu - Part V

Paradise Cove, Malibu - Part IV

Paradise Cove, Malibu - Part III

Paradise Cove, Malibu - Part II

Paradise Cove, Malibu - Part I

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Cousin Craig's Confirmation - 1972

Cousin Craig's Confirmation - 1972

Maria Regina Catholic Church, Gardena

Westwood & Le Conte - Westwood Village

Westwood & Le Conte - Westwood VillageWestwood & Le Conte - Westwood Village

My First Mister (2001) - Jill Franklyn

September 21. 1997

MY FIRST MISTER

Screenplay by Jill Franklyn

Synopsis by Brian Aldrich

Seventeen year old JENNIFER ANNE WALTERS is an angry young woman. She wears black, has several different face and body piercings, and spends most of her time relaxing in the cemetery. Her hippie father left her Donna Reed mother when she was a child and Jennifer grew up alone, lonely and resentful. After graduating high school, anti-social Jennifer finds it impossible to keep a job until she goes to work in a Century City clothing store owned and operated by RANDOLPH, a paunchy fortyish fellow, who treats her with understanding and respect.

Randolph and Jennifer become friends. Her teaches her how to dress and helps her get an apartment away from her mom, SYLVIE, and her stepfather, BOB. Although there is a sexual attraction, Randolph and Jennifer remain platonic friends. Randolph reveals he was once married long ago, but the marriage didn’t work out. Eventually, Jennifer finds out Randolph is dying of cancer. He encourages Jennifer to embrace what family she has and get to know and appreciate them. So, as Randolph lies dying in a hospital bed, Jennifer visits her long lost hippie father, BENJAMIN, and his former mistress, now his wife SHEILA. Jennifer even apologizes to her mother for being a poor daughter and promises to be friends. Mom faints.

Jennifer wants to make Randolph happy. She drives to Arizona to find his long lost wife, SARA, but learns she has recently died from her handsome son RANDY, 19, who learns from Jennifer that his never-seen father, Randolph, is dying. Jennifer and Randy drive back to L.A. in his van. They enjoy one another and their mutual attraction is obvious. Meanwhile, Randolph moves back home to die, accompanied by PATTY, his friend and nurse. Jennifer and Randy arrive to find Randolph and Patty having sex. Jennifer holds a once-in-a-lifetime family dinner including Sylvie and Bob, Benjamin and Sheila, Randolph, Randy and Patty. It is a special night of forgiveness. After Randolph dies, she reflects on how he changed her life and looks forward to a future with Randy.

Summary Criticism: The characters are three-dimensional and sympathetic; the plot is engaging and humorous.

My First Mister (2001) - imdb

My First Mister (2001) - wiki

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Jeanne, Louis & Del - Old Orchard Beach, Maine - 1947

Jeanne, Louis & Del - Old Orchard Beach, Maine - 1947

Old Orchard Beach, Maine was the favorite summer vacation haunt for the New England French-Canadians. The Parenteau family went there frequently. My mother Doralice and her best friend Jeanne are featured in this series of photos. According to my mother, my father showed up unexpectedly in Old Orchard to join them. Was he keeping an eye on her? Was it a prideful statement of independence after not being invited? Or was he invited, but with no room in the family automobile, he had to hitchhike? I like to think it was the romantic in them both.

Old Orchard Beach, Maine - wiki

Driving North on Pacific Ave. - Venice

Pacific and Sunset - VenicePacific and Dudley - VenicePacific and Rose - Venice

Monday, March 24, 2008

Sir Arthur Charles Clarke 1917-2008 RIP

Sir Arthur Charles Clarke

December 16, 1917 - March 19, 2008

RIP

Sir Arthur Charles Clarke - wiki

Poe dabbled with science fiction. In "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar," the scientist uses hypnotism (mesmerism) to prolong life beyond death. In "Some Words with a Mummy," a team of scientists use a galvanic battery to resurrect the dead. Even "The Balloon Hoax," "Maelzel's Chess Player" and Poe's Moon Hoax "The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall" contain elements of science fiction.

Towards the end of his life, he began formulating his own cosmology. While this is the work of an early 19th century man, Poe is a modern, schooled in the classics at Jefferson's University, and living among the best of American intellect and letters. When you read Poe's "Eureka," it is amazing how much of it turns out to be on the right track, even when it's wrong. Known for his hoaxes, many thought Poe had written a satire on Transcendentalism, a movement he detested. In my opinion, I think that while Poe detested the formal "movement" aspect of Transcendentalism, he shared, to some degree, the Transcendentalists' desire to fuse the intellect with the spiritual.

Eureka (1848) is a lengthy non-fiction work by American author Edgar Allan Poe which he subtitled "A Prose Poem," though it has also been subtitled as "An Essay on the Material and Spiritual Universe." Adapted from a lecture he had presented, Eureka describes Poe's intuitive conception of the nature of the universe with no scientific work done to reach his conclusions. He also discusses man's relationship with God, who he compares to an author. It is dedicated to the German naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt. Though it is generally considered unscientific, many of Poe's theories predate later accepted scientific theories including Black Holes. - wiki

"Eureka: A Prose Poem - An Essay on the Material and Spiritual Universe" (1848) - wiki

People Poe Influenced - Poe Forward

"Some Words with a Mummy" - Poe Forward Events: Poe Humour

Poe Humour - Poe Forward Events

Transcendentalism - wiki

"The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" - wiki

"The Balloon Hoax" - Poe Forward Events: Poe Humour

"The Balloon Hoax" - wiki

"Maelzel's Chess Player" - wiki

"The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall" - wiki

The Great Moon Hoax - wiki

Some Words with a Mummy

Audrey's Birthday - circa 1960s

Audrey's Birthday - circa 1960s

I have absolutely no idea who the kid is with Audrey. He must've lived in the neighborhood. 148th Street and Normandie, Gardena

Grauman's Egyptian Theatre - Hollywood

Grauman's Egyptian Theatre - HollywoodGrauman's Egyptian Theatre - HollywoodGrauman's Egyptian Theatre - Hollywood

Grauman's Egyptian Theatre - Hollywood

American Cinematheque - Grauman's Egyptian Theatre - Hollywood

Grauman's Egyptian Theatre - Hollywood - wiki

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Precious Blood Catholic Church - Woonsocket 1985

Precious Blood Catholic Church - Woonsocket 1985

Precious Blood Catholic Church

94 Carrington Avenue

Woonsocket, Rhode Island

Built 1881

Precious Blood Catholic Church in Woonsocket, Rhode Island was the home parish of the Parenteau family. My mother and father were married here in 1950. I was baptised there in 1955. I took this photograph in the summer of 1985. This image was scanned from a faded print in 2008.

Precious Blood Catholic Church - Woonsocket, RI - My Home Town

Eglise Precieux-Sang - Woonsocket, RI - Quebec History

Old and New on Ocean Ave. - Santa Monica

Old and New on Ocean Ave. - Santa MonicaOld and New on Ocean Ave. - Santa Monica

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Humpty Dumpty by Edgar Allan Poe

Enjoy this witty short video from Dylan Curry.

Humpty Dumpty - wiki

Edgar Allan Poe - PoeForward.com

Donna Enroute to Plymouth Rock - 1970

Donna Enroute to Plymouth Rock - 1970

Donna is my Godmother's daughter. This is a picture I took in the back seat of the car enroute to visiting Plymouth Rock and Plymouth Plantations in the summer of 1970. I remember having great fun with my effervescent new friend who shared the same interest as myself in the popular music of the period. If you look closely in this series of photos, you'll see me wearing a peace medallion and frequently giving the peace sign. I'm so embarrassed, but youth is frequently filled with pretensions and mine was overflowing.

My Godmother Jeanne is/was my mother's lifelong best friend. Across this site, you will see (or already have seen) many photographs of my mother Doralice and Jeanne together. You'll see them in their Catholic girl schooldays and the vacations in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. You'll see them at the mill, the cafes, and the neighborhoods in their hometown Woonsocket, Rhode Island. They spent their motherhood years living apart from each other on separate coasts, but we visited sometimes, certainly not often enough. Through letters they shared the experience of watching their children become adults. Jeanne and her husband Fred adjusted their Hawaii vacation to attend my wedding. I danced with my godmother at my wedding. How sentimental of me. My parents visited them in Cumberland for a final time. I have the pictures. From their schooldays to their senior years, you'll always see them together smiling and having fun. These two French Canadian gals were the archetypical best friends.

Plymouth Rock - wiki

Visit Plymouth, Massachusetts

Redondo Beach Boat Rides

Redondo Beach Boat RidesRedondo Beach Boat Rides