life in Palm Springs

this morning I postd an "I Love Lucy" clip on a friend's Facebook page. shortly thereafter I walkd down the block to my grocery store. & who shd roll her cart past mine but Lucie Arnaz.

the Carradines

Robert

Calista

Lupita Tovar (1910-2016)

I used to see her at Hollywood events. & then I met her in Santa Fe when she came for a film festival. a lovely woman.

where do we go now

unite. never.

respect this racist. never.

when George W. Bush was inaugurated I wore a black armband.  I felt so alone. I hope that when this monster is inaugurated I will be able to join thousands across the country in demonstrations.

all day yesterday I was full of fear & anger & depression. then the young people took to the streets last nite. it was glorious. we can't listen to the pundits who faild us who now normalize this vulgarian who didn't win the majority of votes. we must challenge him daily.

2016

the year I lost my mother & my country 

Palm Springs Pride Parade

with Brian Justin Crum
(photo by Tony Mataras)

Del Shores

with Ed Patterson

absent

I realize I've been neglecting the blog. I do post daily on Facebook. but I find myself thinking less abt what to present here.

Facebook feels like e-mail for everyone. here it seems I'm writing a letter to friends.

maybe when the remodel on my condo is done & I settle into some sort of routine I'll get back to regular postings.

think pink

photo by Omer Sharif

Trump is insane

his campaign probably began because he was mad at Obama for ridiculing him in public. from the beginning he was a clown. but as his lack of knowledge became clear & his bullying turnd into hate the whole campaign was a joke. but the leaders of the Republican party allowd him to continue.

along the way the stand-up comic turnd out to be a sociopath. still too many of his party leaders supportd him. he didn't begin to get any real critical examination until he reveald himself to be a sexual predator.

however yesterday was simply too much even for Trump. it's not just that he has no decency it's that he doesn't even know what decency is. he is the most dangerous person to run for the presidency in modern times. 

& perhaps the biggest tragedy of this election is that predictions are he will get 50 million votes.

not a clown.  not a creep. but a crazy man. & one who may receive 50 million votes.

the season begins

in Palm Springs it takes til oct to begin cooling down. & with that comes more activities.

tonite was the first artwalk in the Backstreet art district. of special interest to me was the opening of Tom Ross Gallery which for years had been on Canyon Rd. the vibe at all the galleries was exciting & did remind me of those first days I lived in Santa Fe.

(photo by Tony Mataras)

happy birthday

just called my friend John Ericson on his 90th

Cinema Diverse

with Michael Carroll Green who once again put together a sterling edition of one of the nation's premier lgbt film festivals

with the Payson brothers ("Throuple")











with 3 actors with 3 names: Alec Manley Wilson / Justin Xavier Smith / Christopher Grant Pearson ("Shared Rooms")

with director Casper Andreas who had 2 films in the festival

Melina

my precious girl died 10 years ago today

Edward Albee (1928-2016)

my memory is that I read Albee before seeing his plays. I think it was my freshman year. the teacher was Stanley Solomon. "The Zoo Story" was a slap.

some years later I saw the playwright for the first time -- cruising at Julius. I recall being jealous of the boy with whom he left. a couple years after that I was the object of his cruising -- on the streets of Manhattan. but it was a fun game that went nowhere.

over the years I saw many productions of many of his plays. & then I lost interest in him as an artist. what I shd do now is go back to all his plays to reassess the whole career. he derves that.

a difficult day

my mother was born 95 years ago in a suburb of Akron. this is her first birthday since her death. usually I'm in Ohio celebrating with her.

line from a dream

"an hallucination of birds"

Hugh O'Brian (1925-2016)

I've told this story before but I never tire of it.

the summer I was 16 I went to Cain Park to see Bob Hope. also appearing on stage with him was Hugh O'Brien. afterward I was looking for Hope to get an autograph.  somehow I managed to get backstage. & there I found an open door. I went in. it turnd out to be a dressing room & there was O'Brien looking glorious in nothing but his tighty whities. I no longer recall what I said but that image of him has been a powerful visual all my life.

Palm Springs Comic Con

I don't read comic books. I've never playd a video game. I have little interest in sci fi/fantasy. so I've never been to a comic con. however there's one in my backyard.  so I decided to see what all the fuss is.

welllllllllll... one waits in line for too long to pay too much to be pushd around by too many people. I didn't know any of the artists there. but there were a number of actors. of course it was disconcerting to see them asking from $20-$40 for an autograph. I heard Fred Williamson tell an attendee "there ain't nothin' free here homie." watching them pocketing folding money isn't a happy memory but I guess this sort of thing is a way of supplementing an income in a business where work isn't always available.

I was able to have a quick conversation with Keith Coogan abt his grandfather. & it was exciting to see a venerable actor whose career spans more than 60 years -- James Hong.

behind me is Sam J. Jones who I first encounterd decades ago posing naked for Playgirl under a different name.

Lou Ferrigno meets fans.

I don't regret going but see no need to do this again. & of course I'm happy for the community. I saw tons of dollars being dishd out. & with many out-of-towners coming as well this has to be a cash cow for the city.

May plays Esther

the release of yet another version of "Ben-Hur" is reviving interest in the silent version. the blog "Old Hollywood in Color" posts some dazzling stills as well as this banner with a sensational profile of May McAvoy.

& here she is again with leading man Ramon Navarro.

most of you have seen this snapshot of me taken with May & our mutual friend Lois Wilson years ago. it's the only picture I have with her & reminds me of her sense of humor. a lovely lady.  "Ben-Hur" was hardly her best performance but if it brings her back into the conversation so much the better.

Mark Thompson (1952-2016)

I took this 5 years ago in San Francisco