Vintage film, Swing Music/Dance, Baseball, travel, ships, cooking, historic preservation and study, sailing, being with people that I like, helping run vintage festivals, Historic Theatres/Movie Palaces. My first love- my passion for Laurel and Hardy! Since 1984, I've had a long affiliation with the SONS OF THE DESERT. I belong to Way out West Tent of Hollywood and Early To Bed Tent of South Pasadena.AFFILIATIONS: Hollywood Heritage, Inc.,American Cinematheque, Alex Film Society, LA Conservancy, Autry National Center, Al Jolson Society, Eddie Cantor Appreciation Society, Sperdvac, Sybil Jason Fan Club, RMS Queen Mary Foundation.
Vin Scully and Tommy Lasorda! And I really want to meet Cass, Tammara, Sarah, and Chlse!!
I have diverse musical tastes, but I spend most of my time in the lush time warp of the 1920's and 1930's. Swing is a deep passion, but I also like the sweet bands. (I have a secret fondness for Guy Lombardo! Guy was still living when I was a young kid, so New Years hasn't been the same since) I love Jolson, Cantor, Crosby, Dick Powell, Russ Columbo, Helen Ward, Helen O'Connell, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Kayre Morrison (she sings with Dean Mora, and could melt you), Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Ruth Etting, Judy Garland, Patti Page, Tony Bennett, Sinatra, Perry Como, Frankie Laine, Sammy Davis, Dean Martin, Eddie Fisher, Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, Steve Lawrence, Ricky Nelson, Buddy Holly, early Beatles, Karen Carpenter, Engelbert, Neil Diamond, and the Beach Boys. From today, I like Michael Feinstein, John Pizzarelli, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Dr. John, Steve Tyrell, Michael Buble, Bette Midler, Brian Setzer, Squirrel Nut Zippers, and Big Voo Doo Daddy. I like the early rock and roll of the fifties/early sixties, Stray Cats, clasical music, showtunes, Marches, college fight songs, service themes, Berlin, Gershwin, Warren, Porter, Mercer, Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson. Special mention of the great jazz scores of LeRoy Shield and Marvin Hatley, that made the short subjects of Hal Roach so head and shoulders above anyone elses!!
For a film buff, the toughest question to ask. I most appreciate the films of the Golden Age of Hollywood, Silent films, and documentaries. As a history buff, I've devoured the works of Ken Burns and have much of his works on DVD. Ok, Ok, I would say, at the present, my TEN favorite all time films are (not necessarily ranked):1) Libeled Lady 2) It Happened One Night 3) Casablanca 4) Thin Man/After the Thin Man (tie) 5) Mutiny on the Bounty 6) Topper 7)Tin Pan Alley 8)Adventures of Robin Hood 9) Yankee Doodle Dandy 10) Sons of the Desertand running close behind; Double Indemnity, Hollywood Hotel, A Star is Born (1937), Dinner at Eight, Sunset Boulevard, Best Years of Our lives, Singing in the Rain, The Sting, Pride of the Yankees, Lady Vanishes. Suspicion, 39 Steps, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Lost Horizon, Way Out west, Pack Up Your Troubles, Horse Feathers, Roaring Twenties, Top Hat, Test Pilot, Boys Town, Edison the Man, Rose of Washington Square, Kennel Murder Case, Ex-Mrs. Bradford, My Man Godfrey, Charlie Chan series, Gunga Din, Gentleman Jim, Angels With Dirty Faces, G-Men, ... Okay, you got the hint... I LOVE Classic Movies!
My favorite channels are TCM and History Channel. You'd be more apt to find me watching American Experience or Huell Howser! I think the modern popular culture is at an all time low. The television is just dreadful. Again, I look to the sheer joy and fun of the past and shows such as Brady Bunch, Three's Company, The Honeymooners, Hollywood Squares (with Peter Marshall and the great and hysterical Paul Lynde!), What's My Line, You Bet Your Life, This is Your Life, Cosby, All in the Family, Happy Days, Columbo, Dragnet, and STILL my all time favorite, I Love Lucy.
I mostly look at baseball and classic Hollywood reference books, and periodicals like Classic Images. But I have enjoyed The Thin Man, Dashiell Hammett, Twain, Dickens, The Last Convertible by Anton Myers, and several biographies, historical and show business.
I have many heroes ranging from historic figures like Jefferson, Lincoln, TR, and Thomas Edison, to Sportsmen like Ted Williams and Carl Yazstremski (I saw Yaz' last game and went to Cooperstown to see him inducted in 1989) to entertainers like Jolson, WILL ROGERS, Cantor, Gene Autry. Stan and Ollie forever! But one stands out as having been one of my greatest influences, and that's Ronald Reagan. I stood in line overnight to pay respects when he passed on. He took a bullet for this country, so I could do that for the Gipper! And last but not least, I also would mention the heroic film archivists who work tirelessly for not much money (I was one of them once) to pass on our cultural heritage. Finally, to our greatest heroes as always, THANK YOU VETERANS!