Smoke Dreams.....

Claudette Colbert

Dirk Bogard

Frances Farmer

Burt Lancaster

Lucille Ball

Glenn Ford

Ida Lupino

Lupino Lane (Ida's uncle!)

Joan Bennett

Peter Lorre

Paulette Goddard

Yul Brynner

The Fabulous Glenda Farrell

Clark Gable

Miss Kay Francis

One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other.

It kinda looks like Paulette Goddard and Dorothy Lamour are posing with a miniature doll of  Veronica Lake!

At The Foot Of The Matter.

Paulette Goddard once said that she got the part in a DeMille picture by walking into his office and slapping a bare foot on his desk.

It was a rather well known 'secret' that Cecil B. DeMille was a foot fetishist.  So it's little wonder that local lore says it was DeMille (who's 1927 epic "King Of Kings" was to be the inagural show opening Grauman's Chinese Theater) who sold Sid Grauman on the idea of footprints in cement!

As gossip columnists Lance and John of the fabulous 1980's "Hollywood Kids" used to say: "Well that's what we've heard and that's what we're going to believe!"

Grauman and DeMille have both been described as 'legendary showmen'.  Well this is what it looks like when legendary showmen collide. 

The evening was one of the biggest spectacles Hollywood had seen in a while, as well it should have been considering that tickets for the premiere were going for a princely $22 per.

There were in excess of 100,000 people on the street.  Even the Los Angeles Mayor, his Fire Chief and the Chief of Police got into the act sporting chinese robes to greet DeMille on the red carpet.  Once ushered to their seats the poor unsuspecting audience was to learn, in time, that Sid had pulled out the stops there too.  One wonders what was going through Sid's mind when he decided that the way to kick off a picture that was nearly 3 hours in length, whas to produce a prologue of equal duration!  It opened with DW Griffith giving a long and puffy speech in which he proclaimed DeMille the greatest director of all time.  He then tossed to Mary Pickford and we all know what happens when an actor is asked to give a few remarks.  Mary, at some point, yielded the stage to Wil Hayes for an entertaining lecture on the importance of wholesome entertainment.  Then it was time for the orchestra to play a medley of hit songs followed by a series of dance interpretations and tableux of scenes from both the old and the new testement.  By the time the lights went down and the picture started some of the more thoroughly entertained in the audience began to leave, causing DeMille to stand and scream at them to take their seats at once!  When the pictures' intermission came at one o'clock in the morning, C.B. assessed the few hangers on that remained, ordered his entourage to their feet and marched out.

Despite this, King Of Kings enjoyed huge success for years to come.

Patio Del Moro

As I have yet to win the lottery, I consider this post to be one of public service.  So dear readers: Attention!

The Patio Del Moro Apartments is for sale. 

Now this is really something to squawk about, since it's the first time this building has been on the market in 49 years.  The complex consists of seven mansionette apartments ranging in size from one bedroom (2), to two bedrooms (3), to three bedrooms (2).  It was built by the husband and wife team of  Arthur and Nina Zwebell in 1925.

As far as architecture goes, Arthur and Nina were self taught.  While Nina did graduate from Northwestern University, Arthur's formal education concluded with the eighth grade.  They arrived in LA in 1921 and went on a building spree.  The Patio Del Moro was their third project and was built in 1925 for a client who was a physician.  They were encouraged to think outside of the box and let themselves go, and the Spanish/Morrocan/Tunisian mash up was the result.  The Zwebells only built for about 16 years (there projects included a house for Harold Lloyd's mother built on his estate), but in that time they revolutionized the courtyard building that is so ubiquitous in old Hollywood.  Their hallmark was to make each unit in a complex unique and not cookie cutter impressions of the apartments that surrounded it.

The Hollywood pedigree that "The Patio" enjoys as far as residents are concerned are Joan Fontaine, Humphrey Bogart, Suzanne Pleshette and Drew Barrymore.  Actually there is a couple of others, but more on them in a minute.

I know the picture above doesn't really look like much, but let's get a little closer to the arched entry way.

Now it's gettin' a little better, huh.  Well let's walk through.

Say, what were those, the pearly gates, 'cause I think I'm in Heaven.  As the website says:

"Many have wondered what lies beyond the great street front fortress wall with their imaginations running wild. The reality is far from disappointing with its wall mounted reflecting pond, grand outdoor baroque fireplace, and Tunisian tower that reaches over three stories high. Upon passing through the large plank entry doors and through the tunneled entrance, you are transported instantly though time and into another place leaving contemporary life behind you."

The 3 story Tunisian pigeon tower.

Reflecting pool at night.

Oh yeah, I mentioned a couple other tennants.  Well it's like this, there is a spectacular 2 story - 3 bedroom unit:

And an equally spectacular 2 story - 2 bedroom unit:

That are adjoined by a secret service entrance and for a few years, Charlie Chaplin occupied one and Paulette Goddard had the other!

So, as I noted above, here is a golden opportunity to own a piece of history.  It is being offered at $6.4 million.  Oh, and if you buy it, how about slippin' a brother an apartment?  A one bedroom will be perfectly fine.