Post-B-Day Weekend

Culver Theater in 1968

Even though the weather was scorching hot again this weekend, we managed to keep busy. On Friday, we had a very nice salad at Bistro De L'Hermitage in downtown Culver City before our play started at the Kirk Douglas Theater. The play was just OK. The theater was great. I would definitely return to the old Culver Theater for another performance. I used to go to the movies at The Culver when I was a kid. The theater has been remodeled for live performances. The accoustics are great, the seating is comfortable and the lobby, etc. reallly look nice. Easy parking too. My aunt, uncle and a few cousins were at the play, so it was nice that we could visit at intermission.

On Saturday, our good friends, Audrey and Jeff treated us to a yummy breakfast at Jinky's on the Sunset Strip.

Jinky's has a huge menu, full of great breakfast dishes. Audrey and Jeff gave me some faboo b-day gifts too! Audrey gave me this useful and beautifully photographed Japanese crochet book with some very excellent crochet ideas! Jeff gave me these notecards made from hand-embroidered sayings...the sayings are 'modern' and very up-to-date in my HBO world. The contrast between the sweet embroidery style and the off-color sayings are very funny. Thanks, Audrey and Jeff! Oh yes, Audrey added a ripe home-grown avocado too! Yum!

Ellen, Jeff and Audrey on the Sunset Strip

Photo by Mr. Larry

It was sooooooooooo hot on Saturday, and we'd been running around all week, so Larry and I just tried to stay still and cool at home. This is not an easy feat. Our house gets full sun all day long. We have a flat, black roof. The house retains heat. Our best bet is to keep the shades drawn and the fans on. We minimally cleaned and straightened up the house, watched some TV, listened to some new CDs, read and practiced the ukulele. Saturday night.....more of the same.

Sunday, my Mom and Step-Dad invited us to a post-b-day brunch at the Pacific Dining Car in Santa Monica. Very posh! The service and food are excellent and fancy. We had a lovely brunch in the humid, but cooler Santa Monica. Thanks, Mom and Hal for the brunch and gifts!

The Lot, formerly Warner-Hollywood Studio

Later, Sunday afternoon we drove over to the former Warner-Hollywood Studios (now called The Lot). The Los Angeles Conservancy held a thank-you lunch and tour for the Last Remaining Seats volunteers. I wasn't a volunteer for this year's screenings, but Mr. Larry photographed a few of the LRS pre-shows for the Conservancy.

Woodshop at The Lot

Considering that I've worked in the entertainment business for almost 30 years at various studios around town, it's amazing that I have not worked on this lot.

Malibu Tiled Fountain on The Lot

It's a compact, well-maintained set of studio buildings on Santa Monica Blvd. just west of La Brea, next door to the historic Formosa Cafe. We were given a guided tour of some of the old soundstages and walked thru the patio. There's a lot of history here. Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks owned this studio. Howard Hughes had offices here. Portions of "West Side Story," "Some Like it Hot," etc. were made here. Lots of TV shows were filmed here, "The Love Boat," "The Fugitive" and "Dynasty" among others. Frank Sinatra recorded a few of his albums here in the 50's and 60's.

The L.A. Conservancy hosted a lovely buffet lunch in the Commissary.

L.A. Conservancy Volunteers enjoy lunch

There were speeches, thank yous and lots of conversation. We had a good time.

I want to thank EVERYONE again for making my birthday a wonderful one!