Photography, Signs

Friday Photos: True Hollywood Confessions, Passover Edition

April 21, 2016 by Robert J. Avrech 4 Comments

Eleanor Parker (’22 – ’13) was a brilliant actress who played comedy as deftly as she played drama. Her voice was film noir husky, and she used it like a musical instrument. Raised a Protestant, she converted to Judaism. “I think we’re all Jews at heart,” she told columnist Kay Gardella. “I wanted to convert for a long time.” Her daughter spent a summer working on a kibbutz, married an Israeli, and settled in Israel permanently. Parker’s best films are: Caged (’50) Detective Story (’51) Scaramouche (’52) Interrupted Melody (’55), and The King and Four Queens (’56). — Eleanor Parker (1922–2013) was a brilliant actress who performed in comedy as deftly as she played drama. Her voice was film noir husky, and she used it like a musical instrument. Raised a Protestant, she converted to Judaism. “I think we’re all Jews at heart,” she told columnist Kay Gardella. “I wanted to convert for a long time.” Her daughter spent a summer working on a kibbutz, married an Israeli, and settled in Israel permanently. Parker’s best films are: Caged (’50) Detective Story (’51) Scaramouche (’52) Interrupted Melody (’55), and The King and Four Queens (’56).

Friday Photos: True Hollywood Confessions, Self-Portraits, Early Selfies

February 19, 2016 by Robert J. Avrech 5 Comments

“Never get caught acting.” —Lillian Gish — “Never get caught acting.”
—Lillian Gish

Seraphic Secret In the Land of Israel, Part I

August 4, 2015 by Robert J. Avrech 8 Comments

No matter how many times we see the Old City of Jerusalem, we are overcome with emotion. — No matter how many times we visit the eternal, undivided city of Jerusalem, we are overcome with emotion.

Friday Photos: Welcome to the New La-La Land

May 22, 2015 by Robert J. Avrech 9 Comments

“Paul Newman, Jim [Garner], and Steve and I went to the races at Riverside. On our way home, the men became annoyed because I had insisted on stopping at the next service station rest room. They had hoped to beat the traffic home. When they did stop I discovered to my dismay that there was a long line of women ahead of me. Unable to stand the delay any longer, I came up with a brilliant idea. I said to the girls standing there, ‘Hey, do you know there’s a car full of movie stars around the bend?’ 'Who?’ they cried in unison, 'Why, there’s Steve McQueen, there’s Paul Newman, and there’s James Garner!’ The girls looked at each other and ran like crazy, leaving me in sole possession of the facilities. I never did tell the fellas how a swarm of females suddenly discovered them!” -Neile Adams (Mrs. Steve McQueen) — “Paul Newman, Jim [Garner], and Steve and I went to the races at Riverside. On our way home, the men became annoyed because I had insisted on stopping at the next service station rest room. They had hoped to beat the traffic home. When they did stop I discovered to my dismay that there was a long line of women ahead of me. Unable to stand the delay any longer, I came up with a brilliant idea. I said to the girls standing there, ‘Hey, do you know there’s a car full of movie stars around the bend?’
‘Who?’ they cried in unison, ‘Why, there’s Steve McQueen, there’s Paul Newman, and there’s James Garner!’ The girls looked at each other and ran like crazy, leaving me in sole possession of the facilities. I never did tell the fellas how a swarm of females suddenly discovered them!”
-Neile Adams (Mrs. Steve McQueen)

Hollywood was once the dream capital of the world. Movies peddled glamour and fantasy. This was La-La Land where outrageous plots and larger than life characters allowed audiences to construct alternate realities — entertainment.

But La-La Land has relocated.

On Wednesday, President Obama delivered the commencement address at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. The mission of the Coast Guard is to protect America’s coasts. But according to this Commander-in-Chief the real threat to America comes not from enemies attacking the homeland, but from so-called global freezing/global warming/climate change — whatever they’re calling the weather this week.

Friday Photos: ObamaNet Edition

February 27, 2015 by Robert J. Avrech 8 Comments

The other day Karen and I were walking along La Cienaga Boulevard when we spotted this giant sculptor of Lenin. We could not believe our eyes. Naturally, whoever is responsible for this hunk of junk will claim that this is deconstruction, an ironic comment on postmodern art and politics, yadda, eider. As far as karen and I are concerned, it's an insult to the millions of victims of Communist genocide that was a central foundation of Lenin's pitiless political program. — The other day Karen and I were walking along La Brea Boulevard when we came upon this giant sculpture of Lenin outside a building owned by Ace Gallery. “Miss Mao Trying to Poise Herself at the Top of Lenin’s Head” is by the Chinese artist brothers Gao Zhen and Gao Qiang. I have no doubt the brothers will claim that this is an ironic comment on postmodern art and politics — yadda, yadda. As far as Karen and I are concerned, it’s an insult to the millions of victims of Communist genocide that was engineered by Lenin.

Few noticed that a significant erosion of liberty took place this week in a room in Washington where three Democrat party commissars voted to classify the internet as a public utility.

This means that over the next few years, slowly, almost imperceptibly, the federal government will levy increasingly heavy taxes on the internet. In ways both subtle and flagrant, internet content will be heavily influenced by Washington bureaucrats. Keep in mind that the internet is becoming indistinguishable from TV or even the movie screen. Thus, the greatest tool of propaganda—American movies—will, over the next few years, fall under the shadow of federal regulations.

The internet has been one of the greatest engines of innovation and free market capitalism since the invention of the printing press. The truth is, if the government had controlled the internet from the outset we’d still be using dial-up to get a slow-poke connection.

Of course, the Democrats understand that to control the internet is to control the message, which is what’s needed in order to centralize power. And the postmodern Democrat party is all about the exercise of raw power in order to establish a soft tyranny of the very highly paid whose mission is to redistribute every one else’s wealth and foster the illusion of liberty and equality.

We have gone from ObamaCare to ObamaNet.

And on that cheery note, let’s look at some moments in time that will, hopefully, brighten your weekend.