Eat...Drink...and be Merry!

It's that time of year again when the holiday season is in the air and visions of sugar plums dance in our heads and often we are nostalgic for the magic of the seasons of our childhoods... it's not the most wonderful time of year for everyone... but I'll get back to this later...

The holiday season is undeniably one of the busiest and perhaps the most stressful time of the year with so much to do between late November and early January... one of the things that I've found to be one of the best anxiety relievers this time of year is to simplify... so much so that I do it all year long... Not a day goes by living in NYC that I will be walking and something will catch my eye and remind me of Nora Ephron I can relate to her viewpoint and sense of humor on almost everything she has ever written or said... She once wrote not having to worry about the overwhelming amount of time and money spent on maintaining your hair might be the up side of death... My hair for a long period of time was an all consuming battle of trying to have straight bouncy hair that involved expensive trips to salons, hair dryers, straighteners... irons, sprays you name it I tried it...but truth be told hair...like nature really can't be tamed or controlled... you have to really work with what you have and make it be the best it can possibly be. Learning to embrace my natural curls meant giving up blow drying it every day (which really damaged it) and getting a good hair cut that works with my face shape and daily activities and does not need excessive maintenance. A good haircut will fall into place no matter where you part (or don't part) your hair.

It took a long time and a good stylist to finally convince me you don't have to wash your hair every day... you only need to wash when it needs it... every couple of days or as needed depending on perspiration and oil buildup. I wrote previously that the people who can walk out of the ocean or swimming pool and shake their hair and look great have a good haircut. When your hair becomes difficult to manage... that's the time to go back to the salon for a touch up. I want to add one thing here... if you are going to add color go to a professional... here is where you get what you pay for; a bad color job can be spotted a mile away. If you can learn how to do it yourself... you will save yourself a fortune... until that time pay attention to the colorist and ask questions if you want to learn.... but be subtle.

People have said "clothes make the man" I tend to disagree... intelligence, a sense of humor and a sense of decency make the man... the clothing is the icing on the cake...you can go back and re-read everything I written about picking the right thing for your body type your complexion and lifestyle... but one of the things that has always served me well when shopping and getting dressed is that I have sort of tingle (kind of like little hairs standing up on your neck) when I come across the perfect item (it does not happen as often these days) if you don't have this fashion sixth sense it will help you to ask yourself... "Do I like it or do I love it?" "Do I need it or do I want it?"... but when you try it on look at yourself in a 3-way mirror and ask... "Does this look great on me?" if you are not sure about the answers to any of the questions then I would say it's not for you.

One of the other things Nora Ephron wrote about was that you can do all the things that everyone tells you to do to live longer and healthier... but you are still going to die eventually so invest  in yourself by taking care of yourself by staying in the best possible shape and eating the best and most healthy food to nourish yourself... but that does not mean you can't sometimes go to a restaurant and order two desserts...because we only have one life we need to enjoy some of the tantalizing  things  things that sabotage a healthy diet once and a while. One of the best things I have ever done for my health and appearance is I stopped smoking... truthfully I've never felt better in my life... but I'm not going to kick myself for starting smoking because I enjoyed every cigarette I ever smoked and because of that I ended up meeting Catherine Deneuve, Brad Pitt and Penny Marshall... and a load of other fascinating people sitting in the smoking section on Pan Am... but the day a doctor told me "you are really lucky because you are in perfect health... the minute you have a smoking related illness your life is never the same!" and that was my motivation for stopping.

The one thing I will tell you in terms of keeping yourself healthy and attractive is water... water and a little more water (especially during air travel or in dry climates)... that rule of drinking eight glasses of water helps your insides and much as it shows on your face....and keeping your face clean will help keep your game face ready... All of this is so simple and there have been countless books and magazine articles written  to tell you the latest trends in styles and health... keep things simple and do it in ways that work easily for you and your life will make looking and feeling great as easy as you want it to be.

You can think of your routine the way you view the holidays... you start with something as simple as a tree and you can dress It up any way you like. For me personally I love some of the traditions from my childhood but I treasure the traditions that I helped build as an adult and as a couple by trading some for others that are more interesting and fun or more rewarding at this time in my life. But always keep in mind not everyone has wonderful childhood memories and some people are alone this time of year... so without being invasive or condescending try to put a holiday smile on someones face if you can... sometimes the smallest of compliments can light up someones day, week or year.

This is the time of year when I walk away from drama and the people who create it and focus on the good things life has to offer and the people who make me laugh and feel good about myself. Life is just too short to be anything but happy but remember that falling down once in a while is all part of life... but getting back up and going forward is living.

So I'm taking my usual break during the winter holidays and will return in January...have a wonderful holiday and a bright new year!... and don't make the mistake of over indulging at the office party... people will talk about it forever! Cheers!

Looking Forward

Perhaps the criticism I have heard the most concerning the content I post here is that it dwells too much on the past... I'm not going to apologize because if you go back to my very first post I said I was going to be walking the hallways of my life and opening a few doors and looking back at what was there for me once and what is still here for me now. I'll have to go back and reread some of the archival material but somewhere in the first year I said that it's a good idea to go back to review your wins and failures like a sports team or a business and use it as a blueprint to help map your next moves and your future success... it's important not to use it as a crutch to hold on to past hurts and missteps or rest on the laurels  of victories long forgotten and lost to time.

We have to except that things change and if we don't evolve with them we are going to be left in the dust clinging to old memories and experiences. As life goes forward we lose love, and friends and little bits and pieces of ourselves along the way but all of these come back in the form of new love and friends... but the death of certain people defies this rule but as a result you can with time become stronger, wiser and a more experienced and hopefully understanding you to live in the ever changing world but only if you look at these changes as some of the pieces that fill in some of the parts we lost or left behind. If we changed or gave something up  solely  for someone or something then I think that it's crucial that we try get in touch with who we once were and find some of those missing pieces because we are going to need them to grow and move forward. The life lessons of letting go, moving on and starting over are often the most difficult... but necessary in every stage of our life.

In my recollections on travel I think what I neglected to discuss is how I find visiting ancient sights from around the world is a way that I have found to connect to another time and place   by seeing what ancient mankind saw and smelled and tasted and touched... but at the same times seeing something that has stood the test of time of thousands of years juxtaposed to the many marvels of the modern world; if you take the time to look at some of these places in context there is much to be discovered. You can find the remains of history everyplace on the planet... in North America you just have to look a little harder but it's there for the finding if you are willing to travel off the beaten path of the modern world... the most notable exception are the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles.

Giza Egypt

Mercury, Venus, and Saturn aligned with the Pyramids of Giza for the first time in 2,737 years on December 3, 2012. The last time this happened, an Egyptian Pharaoh was there to see it. 

Aswan Egypt

Sometimes if we take to time to see how something began and what it eventually has become and know the history and events of it's evolution we gain a deeper understanding and respect for what it is and what we have because of it... this is especially evident  if we apply the same principle to people in that you can see what is there in the big picture but if you look beyond the surface you can find treasure. Not enough people take the time to consider where someone has been and their life experiences that have brought them to them to you and where they are on the timeline of their life.

Honolulu International Airport 1964

Honolulu International Airport 2019

Perhaps the biggest change for me and the one that has the most impact on the world is terrorism... from my perspective of the the bombing of a Pan Am aircraft in 1973 to the feelings that all of us have going through TSA and boarding a flight is sometimes fear and often anger... but if we accept that our emotions are real and natural and don't let the fear of the unknown and anger of our perceptions of the world take complete control we can still find some hope... and from what I have seen hope is one of the things that can help keep someone or something from despair and completely unravelling. As long as you have some hope you can always find a way to make a new plan if you need it. Change can be drastic and sudden or elusive and subtle... but understanding the differences and how to navigate them can be a tremendous help in strategizing the hurdles sometimes.

Rome 1973

One of the most important things we have to come to terms with in life is that people and situations change... and may become obsolete with time and innovation... 

Kennedy International Airport 1977

and maybe something better does not take it's place... or that the something better has still not been introduced and is itself in a stage of evolution yet to come.

The second biggest change in my opinion is the way we communicate... when I was growing up and into young adulthood long distance telephone calling was one of my biggest luxuries...

I don't have the Trim-Line telephone anymore... but I do still have a rolodex... sadly I am no longer in contact with some of the people I used to be for one reason or another... but there are new people and with them new ideas and experiences to discuss and formulate new plans and our hopes and dreams with..  I've learned (somewhat reluctantly) that texting is an important means of communication... even though I think I was one of the last people I know to get a smart phone... I still prefer to speak with you in person... the one thing I won't ever accept is this "ghosting" business... if you are doing this to anyone you need to grow the f**k up... if you don't want to continue a business or personal relationship for one reason or another don't be a child about how you deal with conflict or potential conflict.

There were things that I dreamed about doing years ago that simply were not possible or plausible... but thanks to time and technology many of the things that we  once only dreamed about have become a reality....

With everything that has changed in the world and shaped our viewpoints of who we have become and where we are going it's important not to forget some of the simple things that never change... like love, decency and doing the right thing.

So if you have dreams... get up in the morning and go out and chase them... If you have ever dreamed of visiting Venice... you need to hurry!

Venice Italy 12, November 2019

Before it's too late... go out and have the best life possible. It's important to have a plan and look forward to the best tomorrow you can create. If we are going to be successful in dealing with the changes in life it's important to know that like any good vacation... you come away with something new whether it's a different viewpoint or revelation but you also leave something behind by choice or necessity.

Next time I'll be talking about some ways to look and feel great without breaking the bank!

I'll Take Manhattan

"I'll Take Manhattan" is a wonderful song written in 1929 by Rogers and Hart and a book by the same name written by Judith Krantz and both have been inspirations to movies and probably almost everyone including me who ever dreamed about living in New York City.

There is no other place on earth that compares to New York... for me I fell under it's spell long before my first visit from reading books and watching movies like 'The Best Of Everything" and dozens of others... Many film makers  use the landscape as a backdrop to their cinematic stories of love, careers and adventure... which is what you will find here and much, much more.  I have to start by saying if you are thinking of moving to NYC it takes about a year  to find your way and your place and groove where you fit in ... and to be a real New Yorker  you will find that in the span of the same day you can love and hate living in what has is commonly referred to as "The Big Apple"... but mostly you will love it, that's what made you move here in the first place and that is what keeps you here. The one thing I'll say it that real New Yorkers have manners and are helpful but are often depicted as rude and loud oafs... and unfortunately many people who move here think that they have to act that way to fit in... The fact of the matter is New Yorkers the people who call it home are matter of fact yes and no people... there is no time for games and there is very little wiggle room for maybe; the essence of understanding this is the easiest way to spot an out of towner pretending to be a New Yorker.  One of the things I'm always asked is "Is living in New York just like the way it is in the movies ( Sex And The City... Seinfield... etc) or any other book television show or film someone has seen... but I'll get back to this...

Simulation of New York City Now & 600 Years Ago

New York is about evolving and growing... back in 1626 when Manhattan was called New Amsterdam the tallest building was a two-story windmill on land purchased from the Lenape Indians called Lenapehoking. New York City covers  over 300 square miles and consists of  five boroughs: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. The over 8 million people who live here speak about 100 different languages and practice as many religions as exist... it's the center of the world of finance, music, theatre, art, publishing, advertising and fashion... and the melting pot of cultures, ideas and creativity is what drew me here in the first place.

I think anyone who lives here will agree that Central Park is their favorite space in the city... we have come to think of it as our back yard where we have picnics and take walks and dream our dreams and plan our plans... The park was conceived by Calvert Vaux and Frederic Law Olmstead and roughly 10 million cartloads of soil and vegetation were hauled in and out to create what it has become; they wanted to create a park for the people and it has something for just about everyone two ice skating rinks, a theatre, horseback riding paths, a zoo, baseball fields and restaurants.

Bethesda Fountain

More than anything else Central Park offers a respite from the noise and crowds and a quiet place to convene with nature and gather your thoughts.

From the pagoda style buildings in Chinatown all the way up to the Empire State and Chrysler buildings that crown the skyline of New York the architectural wonders in the city are up and down every avenue and just around every corner you turn... in addition NYC is a city of schools... Columbia University stared out as King's College in  1754 in a church school house and Barnard College the Columbia woman's school affiliate began in a rented brownstone in 1889. Today both schools boast about 23,000 students. New York University was founded in 1831 and has been regarded as a more modern and middle class alternative to Columbia the countries largest private  university. City College began in 1849 (originally tuition free) was a stepping stone for immigrants and working class students. The New School was created as an informal college for adults with no degree offering  adult education... New York has too many schools to list here but they offer in-depth and world class knowledge and training for  medicine, law, art, music, design, theology, fashion and probably anything else you can think of.

Manhattan is divided up into distinct districts... 

My first apartment was on Minetta Lane in Greenwich Village... at the time nine out of ten cab drivers had no idea how to get there.... if you ever have to go there tell them to take you to 6th Avenue and Bleecker Street. I've also lived on East 52nd Street where I would sometimes catch a glimpse of Greta Garbo... and Sutton Place where I did not know any of my neighbors... the Upper West Side on Riverside Drive and now on the Upper East Side.... the beauty of it is that each neighborhood offers something unique and interesting and/or you have easy access to one of the cities landmarks or attractions... I also lived briefly in Brooklyn Heights between Cranberry and Pineapple Street.

Probably one of the best known buildings in NYC is The Dakota...

The luxury apartment house probably best known as where John Lennon lived and subsequently was murdered is on West 72nd Street was built to resemble a stately home... it was used as a location in the films Rosemary's Baby and The Mirror Has Two Faces... I had a friend who was considering buying and found the monthly maintenance a bit steep...and settled into life at The Turin not far away at 333 Central Park West. At the time it was built it seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere... most well-to-do New Yorkers lived below 59th Street and/or on Park Avenue. When The Dakota was built it was primarily a pied a terre for most of it's residents. The building boasted seven stories of apartments artfully constructed with wood panelling and marble floors... the eighth and ninth floor were where servants were housed and the tenth floor was a children's playroom and the basement boasted laundry facilities and it's own generator since electricity was not available that far north yet. It's other notable residents over the years have included Gilda Radner, Judy Garland, Lauren Bacall and Leonard Bernstein.

Times Square has been called "The Crossroads Of The World" it most certainly is on New Year's Eve and if you are ever there on a busy weekend night you will understand why... it's the first place that many people visiting NYC identify with as being quintessential New York. By the 20's about 80 theaters and related businesses had located themselves in the neighborhood giving the name the area known today as "The Theater District"... someone had the brilliant idea of putting light bulbs on the marquees to advertise the shows that gave way to to this section of town to be referred to as "The Great White Way"

Here are the larger theaters...

Just to clarify many of these houses are on the side streets and not actually on the street named Broadway... in this area you will also find some of the venues for "Off Broadway" and "Off-Off Broadway" that is in no way indicative of the quality of the production but rather the size and seating capacity of the the theatre.

I just love this part of town... One Fifth Avenue is where 5th Avenue begins and I used to have a friend who lived there who had the most amazing view of Washington Square Park... it was once a burial ground for paupers, criminals and victims of yellow fever. When gracious homes started being built it became a park and a wooden arch was erected in 1889 for the 100th anniversary of George Washington's  inauguration and the center of the centennial festivities and a permanent marble structure was built to replace it. Today it's a beautiful park with a playground, dog runs and chess tables... Greenwich Village is where Manhattan's street grid goes a little haywire because the roads have been around since they followed the Algonquin Indian tracks that meandered  streams like Minetta Brook. The area was once very Bohemian and affordable but the buildings were very charming and served as the home of many artists and writers and radicals of the era... it's retained it's charming atmosphere but has subsequently become more desirable and expensive. I will also add it took me about three years of living here not to get lost or turned around... so don't beat yourself up if you get lost a few times.

Getting around New York can be a bit tricky and exasperating at times because of the volume of people needing get someplace... the easiest and most economical way is walking and taking the subway... for $2.75 you can get and go anywhere in town...  In my opinion it's one of the easiest subway systems in the world... but I also find it easy to use in Tokyo and London too... with the help of a map or just using your smart phone with the MTA app you will be a pro in no time at all... the thing to remember is you have have a sense of humor to make NY work for you... if you don't you are going to be one of the many people who say they hate New York City...

One of the things I love best about living here is you never know what you will see and who you might run into... I had a brief conversation with Catherine Deneuve in Bloomingdales and have spoken to Bernadette Peters on the subway... the beauty of NY is you can see and experience so much more if you keep your mind and your eyes open... and accept that everyone  and everything here has a story behind it...(usually one that is really very interesting)

Living and loving New York and making it work for you is a master class of thinking outside the box... I think of Gwenn Verdon and this photo every time we have a heat wave...

There is so much about this wonderful city I have not shared with you... just like the actual city there is too much to experience with one trip so you have to come back again and again... maybe sometime soon I'll continue the tour with the world class museums... the shopping... the restaurants and food... nightlife... sporting events...Rockefeller Center and Radio City and how to audition to be one of the Rockettes ...the Statue of Liberty... just to name a few things on the to-do list.

If you are planning to visit NYC for the first time or the 100th time... remember to leave your attitude at home and bring comfortable shoes to walk in and remember the weather is unique here just like everything else... so dress accordingly...

So back to when someone said to me... "Is living in New York exactly like it's portrayed  on Sex And The City?"... my answer is no it's not... It's better!

See you next time!

Let's Talk About...That Girl!

Opening Credits That Girl

First of all I want to apologize for falling behind here and letting the entires slip by for a month... but life has been life and hectic and pseudo-frantic to say the least but I'm trying to remain focused and in the moment.

Last night we had the last portions of the best stuffed cabbage I have ever made... whenever I make stuffed cabbage I always think about Ethel Merman & Marlo Thomas...

If you don't know why it's because... on 7, September 1967 Ethel Merman made a guest appearance on the television show  That Girl starring Marlo Thomas and part of the plot was Ethel Merman (who played herself) made stuffed cabbage for Ann Marie & Donald Hollinger (Marlo Thomas and Ted Bessell's characters on the show)... I remember watching this episode and thinking some day maybe Ethel Merman will teach me how to make stuffed cabbage--- But I'll get back to this...

That Girl premiered on ABC in September of 1966 and continued through 1971... if you have never seen it and don't know the story it's about a young woman who moves to New York to be an actress and get into several adventures and misadventures along the way... it was part of what ABC at the time called it's Friday night lineup... of Bewitched - Love On A Rooftop and That Girl... I hated to see it end but the writers and producers made the decision to end the show when it needed to end despite the networks wanting to continue with it because it was a top rated program.

I loved all three shows but Friday night was not a night I was usually home watching television and I caught most of these three shows on re-runs and syndication. There are 136 episodes of That Girl and I have watched all of them thanks to technology and the invention of the DVD. (I can't recommend the DVD sets highly enough because they have added bonus material including commentary of Marlo Thomas and Bill Persky who wrote and created the show with Sam Denoff) I've recently watched all of them again... and what I'm still left with and what remained with me from the first time I saw the program is how it was a show built on relationships... Ann Marie is full of life and spirit and is warm and genuine... her boyfriend Donald is smart and warm and kind... and her parents Lew Parker and Rosemary De Camp loved her and worried about her...

Looking back on the scripts it was one of the first shows to deal with racial equality, and important social issues that other sitcoms in the mid to late 60 were not dealing with. With the dawn of the 70's there was focus on the women's movement and ecology and essentially most all of the important social issues that could be confined to a situation comedy script at the time... During the run of the show they had an amazing ensemble of guest stars  from Ethel Merman, Billy De Wolfe, Mabel Albertson, Jack Cassidy and the early performances of Richard Dreyfuss, Regis Philbin and Cloris Leachman. But more than anything it is one of the best time capsules for fashion history of this era...

This black velvet and lace dress was named by Harper's Bazaar as one of the top "Little Black Dresses" of the 20th century.... I had a friend in college who copied it and remade it as part of a costume  assignment and it was stunning... in the show it was one of the Cardinali creations worn for a holiday program. Cardinali was designed by Marilyn Lewis (She and her husband  Harry Lewis were the owners of the Hamburger Hamlet  restaurant chain in Southern California) Marilyn Lewis designed and ran Cardinali (the name was an homage to her Italian grandmother) from 1968 until 1977.

One of the things that most inspired me about her philosophy was she was "logo averse" she wanted her designs to have a "whispering signature". Her collection was a very important part of the merchandise selection at Bergdorf-Goodman and I. Magnin (you know as much as I know about fashion and fashion history I really should have had a more important role in the industry in my opinion... but I will tell you from first hand experience it's way more fun to be an I.Magnin customer than an I.Magnin employee)

Marlo Thomas wore the most amazing clothes on the show and she chose them herself and through the run of the program wore  Daniel Werle, Oscar de la Renta... and one of my all time favorite Andre Courreges  from the sunglasses to the Go-Go boots and everything in between... But perhaps one of things that stand out to me most is she was the first (that I'm aware of) to mix and match designer clothing...

Above wearing Halston and Giorgio Sant.Angelo

I'm a real stickler for continuity in movies and television (I would make one of the most amazing script supervisors for any production if I do say so myself)

But one of the things that impressed me most in the production is they did outdoor shots in New York City and all the studio work was done at the  Desilu Studios in Los Angeles... one of the biggest things for me... was the apartment... in the first season it was seen on the East River at 78th Street and FDR Drive... and then later it was scripted  as 627 E 54th Street and finally as 344 W 78th Street apartment D... I've been to all three locations where it was possible... but like every other sitcom residence it does not really exist except in the minds of the creators and writers of the program... Even now as I'm looking for the next place to call home I would love that walk-up with the two-way fireplace and the amazing butlers pantry and kitchen... so if you know this apartment let me know... it's been like the finding The Holy Grail  house hunting in New York City.

Someone once said to me that the show was unrealistic  and I was setting myself up to be disappointed if I had expectations that living in NYC would be like this show... Well the point is I think you have to have high exceptions of yourself and the people you surround yourself with to have the life you want... Sure Ethel Merman never made stuffed cabbage for me (I'm still kind of holding out for Patti LuPone or maybe Bernadette Peters is a safer bet)... but the fact of the matter is since moving to NY I've lived in some pretty swell places... and I was on the consideration list for Vanity Fair's Best Dressed List (twice)... and I've had some amazing Big Apple adventures and misadventures... but maybe most importantly I wound up with someone sweeter, kinder, smarter and more handsome than Donald Hollinger... and on top of all that... I know how to make the best stuffed cabbage in the world...From the beginning of the show when we waited for the delivery line of...

To the end of the credits to see the production  logo...

I loved every single thing about .... That Girl ... and btw... some of the first things I did when I moved to NYC was walk through the theatre district...stroll through the sidewalks at Lincoln Center and fly a kite in Central Park (I'm not kidding)

See you in a couple weeks... go out and make some ripples!

See You In My Dreams

First of all I hope everyone had a fantastic summer... and to begin I want to thank you for reading... Next week marks four years since I started this venture and I can only hope it's been as enjoyable and interesting for you as it has been for me.

As much as summertime has always been a time of action and adventure for me over the years it's also been a time of reflection and recharging... this past summer has been much of both. Someone a long time ago said to me while death was waiting at the door "After I'm gone if you ever need me I'll see you in your dreams" and in as much as I've spent most of my life trying to understand facts and proof... I've always been and still am deeply comforted with this thought. As much as I would like to I really don't believe in the afterlife or ghosts and spirits... but I'm touched somewhere in my soul  when I see a movie like "Ghost" or read books like "The Lovely Bones" or "The Whole Town's Talking"... what I do believe is that we can manifest the memory of people who we loved or someone who had a significant part in our life in our daily actions and in our subconscious and these people and those or new situations and insights can show up in our dreams at night. and that sometimes those memories with new experience and knowledge can maybe help us find new answers when we need them... if we listen to our dreams... but more about that later.

My wonderful friend Fanella once told me "I have lived through every bad day of my life" I've been thinking about her since she died especially sometimes going over some bad days and sleepless nights wondering about life and the uncertainty of the  future that started last November... I've dreamed about her and in one of these dreams I remember something she once told me that I had lost sight of in that loosing sleep and being frightened by something that may or may not happen is robbing you of the happiness of your life right now... so with that I've tried to re-ground my thoughts and be more positive about the here and now and put purposeful positive energy into dealing with negative people and life issues.

I had a very vivid dream a few weeks ago about two memorable months in the summer of 1977 during the production of the movie "Grease"... I worked as a background dancer and filled in some scenes  I was at the time somewhat disappointed with what I was doing because I was lead to believe I was auditioning for something more substantial... and like many others I thought it would be a bit more like the broadway show but it was cleaned up and polished and sadly most of the songs from the show became background music... but the fact of the matter is it was one of the most fun summers I've ever had and lead to some really great opportunities (at least in my opinion) that I would have never had otherwise...

It was an interesting summer I had not counted on and ended up living in a house in Hollywood Hills for the summer... and working incredibly long hours... I met some really interesting people that summer from Hollywood elite to people working in the porn industry (Harry Reems and Al Parker) who would have given their left nut to have the opportunity I had that at the time when I did not think it was good enough for my talent and background (I was so arrogant for someone who was really just getting started) I'm not going to get too much into the egos and personalities  that ran off the Richter scale that summer... I'll just say that there will never be another person  like Alan Carr and because of him I worked in two more of his productions that lead to even better things so I'm deeply indebted to him... and Randal Kleiser will always be one of my favorite people in the world.

I think Dinah Manoff and I were two of the youngest people on the set... but I in those days especially looked and acted older than I my actual age... it was an interesting cast of characters in their 20's and 30's playing High School students. The film shot June through August that summer and since that time I don't think I've ever met anyone who has not seen the movie and people always ask me about the production and in particular what it was like to work with Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta... the truth I had very little actual contact with them...outside of production only a  very small amount of professional socializing not really enough  to write anything particularly spellbinding or captivating... It was a different place and time in the world and Hollywood... there was a lot of sex, drugs and rock and roll going on for some of the cast and crew... I alas was not a part of any of it and had a fairly clean cut PG-13 rated summer. But I can share this...

There was a great deal of location work done in the Los Angeles area in addition to what was done at the studio.

The opening sequence (that I had no action in) was filmed near Malibu...

There were three separate locations used for  "Rydell High School" (the name was a nod to Bobby Rydell)

The exterior and some of the interior sequences were shot at  Venice High School

If you can spot me... you win a prize!

as well as the segment shot on the bleachers and lunch area and the sport scenes and pep rally.

The Drive-In scene was shot at the Pickwick Drive-In

The segment for the dance was shot in East LA at Huntington Park High School during a heat wave and was one of the longest, hottest and sweatiest five days of my life... 

The finale carnival scene was shot at John Marshall High School in Los Feliz...

This was the one really big continuity error evident  in the background as JM HS was near Griffith Park and nothing like those hills or the observatory  were visible at Venice HS... I don't think audiences  noticed or cared or that much of the choreography was done on the fly... but somehow it all came together. 

The one location that really surprised some people was that the malt shop scene was filmed on the Paramount lot...

As were most of the interior scenes...

Like many movies before it the final casting is perhaps one of the most important factors in a success and some of  the preliminary casting considerations will illustrate this...

Before John Travolta was signed the part was turned down by Henry Winkler...

Marie Osmond supposedly turned down the part of Sandy played by Olivia Newton-John that was used as publicity fodder.

Eve Arden replaced Paul Lynde as the school principle---

Alan Carr wanted Harry Reems to play the coach and Paramount would not have any part of it and the role went to Sid Caesar---

Lucie Arnaz wanted the role of Betty Rizzo and they offered her a chance to come in and read but her mother got involved and said she should not have to audition out of basic noblesse oblige and the produces cast Stockard Channing---

The part of Tom Chisum (the hunky football player) was originally played by Steven Ford (Gerald Ford's son) he just disappeared one day and eventually was played by  Lorenzo Lamas who agreed to become a blonde to play the part---

I really enjoyed meeting and talking with  Eve Arden and Alice Ghostly... the only person I knew previously was Susan Buckner (Patty Simcox) from something I had done at Universal the year before... and on a side note met Carrie Fisher, Teri Garr, Jane Fonda and Kirk Douglas and George Cukor. Eventually we finished filming and even though with every good intention I had planned to stay in touch with  some members of the cast and crew but sadly never did and only saw some of them at the 20th year reunion screening in 1998.

Even though it got panned by the critics it's been one of the most successful movies ever released and I'm happy that I had a small part in all of it. 

One of the biggest lessons I learned that summer is we can look at life two ways... either we are lost or we are finding our way...  that is still my motto... and like most everyone I know... after all these years... I'm still finding my way in the world... and when  my friend Fanella  visited with  me in one of my dreams this past summer and reminded me...

and maybe most importantly it's important to live not just survive...One of the things that made all of this possible is I have  one person in my life who is like no one else on earth who is my soul mate and best friend... Thank you Nicholas... we make a great team and finding our way is much more fun than I could have ever done alone or with someone else.

See you in two weeks! I have some interesting ideas about where we will go!