The Vampire of Harold Way

Bela Lugosi's dead
The bats have left the bell tower
The victims have been bled
Red velvet lines the black box

The last years of Bela Lugosi's life were not the stuff of glamour, not those of an international star. Dracula made him famous to the point of infamous and it was Dracula that made his life a hell. His hell came to an end in a small apartment on a quiet street across from an elementary school in an at that time less than fashionable Hollywood neighborhood. The mansion in the hills was long gone, the money and the acclaim as well. What was left was a gaunt pale Hungarian looking very like the un-dead after a long battle with a heroin addiction.

The road from the Budapest stage to Harold Way in Hollywood was a long and colorful route filled with the very heights of stardom and the misery of typecasting. There were five wives along this route as well as a son.

Lugosi after years of drug addiction had a very hard time finding work sometimes making personal appearances at horror conventions. Notoriously bad film maker Ed Wood seeing name recognition value in Lugosi used him in several of his low budget movies. This part of Lugosi's life was captured in Tim Burton's bio-pic "Ed Wood" portrayed by Martin Landau. Wood's films were shot on the fly scenes for "Plan 9 From Outer Space" were shot on the street in front of Lugosi's Harold Way apartment. 
It was in the Harold Way apartment that Lugosi spent his last days and where he died. He was found dead on the sofa in his living room by his fifth wife Hope. Lugosi died at the age of 73 on August 16, 1956. It was rumored that Lugosi was holding a script written by Wood and that his funeral was paid for by Frank Sinatra these rumors are both false. Lugosi was buried in his Dracula costume.

He Made His Money 99 Cents at a Time.

David (Dave) Gold the founder of "99 Cents Only" stores has died at the age of 80. Dave Gold had a heart attack at his Mid-Whilsire district home in Los Angeles. Gold got the idea for the 99 cent stores while running a liquor store. "When I put a .99 cent sign on anything, it was gone in no time. I realized it was a magic number. He opened his .99 Cents Only stores in 1982. The chain now has over 300 stores. A friend suggested that he open a store that all the merchandise was priced at .99cents. To create publicity for the store's opening he sold televisions for .99 cents and had members of his family call local television stations to ask what all the commotion was at the store. His publicity ploy was a coup! To this day the first 9 customers of the day get anything they buy for .99 cents as in 2008 prices did go up and are advertised as .99from to $99.99. Long known for Gold's sense of humor the business advertises it self as being opened 9 days a week. They celebrated 99th birthdays of celebrities and once congratulated Joan Rivers on her 99th face lift.
Dave Gold and his wife Shelly of 55 years still lived in their middle class home of 50 years. Along with Dave, Shelly and their three children have all worked at the stores. The company was sold and the Golds no longer have anything do to with the company as of January of 2013.
Dave Gold created a billion dollar empire .99 cents at a time.

Wienerschnitzel Founder has Died

John Galardi the founder of Wienerschnitzel has died at the age of 75. Mr. Garardi founded Weinerschnitzel a hot dog stand chain in 1961 in Wilmington a suburb of Los Angeles. Started with the name Der Weinerschnitzel the stores focused mainly on hot doggs and chili and of course the infamous chili dog. Weinerschnitzel restuarants which oddly doesn't sell weinerschnitzel are mainly in California but are in found through out the west and one is located in Guam. Mr. Garardi who had previously worked for Glen Bell the owner of Taco Bell when he opened his first shop at the age of 23.

She was "His boy Elroy"

Lucille Bliss died on November 8, 2012. You most likely would not recognise her name but you would know her voice. Bliss was a very successful voice over actress. Ms Bliss' voice has been the voice of very memorable animated characters. Her voice was the voice of the title role of the first made for television cartoon Crusader Rabbit. Bliss also worked in animated films. She is the voice of one of the horrid step-sisters in Disney's "Cinderella" as well as in "101 Dalmations". Her real fame came from her television characters. She was the voice of Bam Bam Rubble and Elroy Jetson in the 60's and later was the voice of Smurfette.

Bliss a pioneer in telvision animation was born in New York in 1916 and later lived in San Francisco where she started working in radio dramas.. When she heard that Walt Disney was casting role for Cinderella she moved to LA and auditioned. Disney gave Ms. Bliss her Hollywood first job.
I'm an actress specializing in voices," Bliss once told a writer. "I don't like the term 'voice-over.' … You have to be an actor first, and then the voice.... You have to take acting lessons to learn how to act before you can speak."

Lucille Bliss died of natural causes at the age of 96 while living in an assisted living center in Costa Mesa, California.

Unnerving Vocal Terror

Mental illness, despair and AIDS are just a few of the topics Diamanda Galas takes on in her work. With her three and a half octave vocal range Galas can turn a shriek into an aria. Galas is classically trained and has studied a wide range of musical styles which has created a sound that is distinctly her own. Her themes are dark and difficult but there is the slightest ray of hope in much of her work.
Upon her brothers death from AIDS Galas focused on the disease. She has worked closely with ACT UP and was arrested in a protest in New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral. Her operatic trilogy "Masque of Red Death", dedicated to her brother who died before its completion.
She has also performed the blues. Her recording "The Singer" includes her unique cover versions of songs by Willie Dixon and Screaming Jay Hawkins. The power of her keening voice and piano is chilling. Her recordings "Judgement Day" and "Vena Cava" further explore the depths of despair and madness.
In 1994 Galas teamed up with Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones to record "The Sporting Life" her most accessible recording. Her themes on this recording are mainly mental illness and murder.  The song "Baby's Insane" is terrifying sing along.

Galas has also worked extensively with the film industry contributing to many film soundtracks. Several of the songs from "The Sporting Life"are included in the soundtrack of Oliver Stone's film "Natural Born Killers". She was also one of the voices of the vampires in Francis Ford Coppola's "Dracula".

Her live performances are always thrilling and terrifying at the same time. They are dark moody performances featuring her piano and often she will be drenched in blood. Her work is not for everyone but it has a sense of drama that can overwhelm and enthrall the audiences.

Peg Entwistle Hollywood Sign Girl

80 years ago today was the worst day in Peg Entwistle's life it was also the last. Peg was an actress born in Wales and raised in London with the name Millicent Lilian Entwistle. Peg and her family emigrated to the US and she eventually settled in Boston where she studied acting at Henry Jewett's Repertory (now know as the Huntington Theater). She once performed the role of Hedvig in Ibsen's "Wild Duck" and inspired a young Bette Davis to be an actress "Just like Peg Entwistle". In 1925 Peg moved to New York having been recruited by the New York Theater Guild. In New York she performed with George M Cohan, William Gillette, Lilian Gish and Laurette Taylor. Peg met and married fellow actor Robert Keith. It wasn't until after they were married she discovered Keith had been married before and had a son Brian Keith. Brian Keith went on to star in TV's "Family Affair" as Uncle Bill. Their marriage was short lived. Peg was cast in a touring company and ended up in Los Angeles in 1932. She co-starred in the play "Mad Hopes" with Billie Burke. Humphrey Bogart was also in the cast. When "Mad Hopes" closed she was cast in the RKO film "Thirteen Women". This was a pre-code film produced by David O Selznick starring Irene Dunne and Myrna Loy. It is considered to be the first female ensemble film made in Hollywood. Ms Entwistle was living with an uncle on in Beachwood Canyon down the hill from the Hollywood Land development. She was dead broke at the time and spent most of her time looking for work as an actress. It was Friday night September 16th 1932 she told her uncle she was going out to the drugstore and would be back later. She never returned. It is now known she walked up through the canyon to Mount Lee. There she walked to the Hollywoodland sign and climbed a workman's ladder to the top of the "H". On Sunday morning of the 18th an anonymous woman called the Hollywood police station telling them she had left a package on their steps. She said she found a jacket, shoes and purse while out hiking near the sign. The police found the body of a blond woman in a ravine 100 feet below the sign. This was Peg Entwistle. She was later identified by her uncle. There was a note left in her purse stating simply: "I am afraid, I am a coward. I am sorry for everything. If I had done this a long time ago, it would have saved a lot of pain. P.E.

There is a story that a letter arrive the next day offering her a job. This is just Hollywood lore, it makes a good store but has no basis in truth.
Peg Entwistle was 24 years old.

Salute Helen Gurley Brown!

The feminist icon Helen Gurley Brown died at the age of ninety. Ms Gurley Brown found fame with her 1962 book "Sex and the Single Girl". The book was a landmark in feminist literature giving the advise that women could have a career as well as having sex before marriage. She encouraged women to become financially independent. She also advised that women didn't have to marry if they chose not to. The book became a bestseller with endorsements from both Joan Crawford and Gypsy Rose Lee on its jacket.
Ms Gurley Brown then went on to become the Editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine. Where she reigned until her ouster in 1997. During her tenure at Cosmopolitan the concept of "Cosmo Girls" took hold. These were glamorous sophisticated and successful women who controlled their own lives. Helen Gurley Brown was a major figure in the sexual revolution as well as in the women's right movement of the 1960's and 1970's.
The irony of her coming to fame as a supporter and profiler of single women was Helen Gurley Brown was married for over 50 years to her husband David Brown one of America's most successful film producers.

An Icon 50 Years Gone

August 5, 1962 was the last day of Marilyn Monroe's life. She was found in her bed with her phone lifeless. Marilyn Monroe today is still an icon perhaps more now than ever. Interred in Westwood for 50 years Marilyn's grave is one of the most visited in Los Angeles. She is loved but was she liked? When reading her biographies a difficult person to like emerges. She had a talent and an ability to come on like a light bulb but that came with a lot of baggage. Marilyn was described as difficult and needy to the point of being frustrating. Those who knew her either loved her or hated her. It is all understandable when Marilyn's life story is examined. Dysfunctional barely begins to describe her early life. Mental illness, abandonment and disappointment was what formed her yet somehow she persevered. Her weaknesses were her strengths. Marilyn was a paradox. She was a shining example that money and stardom do not bring happiness.

Damn Now CHad Everett is Dead!

Chad Everett was hot 70's hot and now he is dead! Is every star of the 70's going to die? Medical Center was a huge hit and Chad Everett was a major part of that success. Chad was 75 years old. Doesn't that make you feel old if you can remember him? Did you know Chad's nurse on Medical Center was his wife? She was his wife for 45 years. Chad was the real thing. He was hot and a nice guy. How often does that happen in Hollywood? Chad Everett also appeared on "Love Boat" (who didn't) and "Murder She Wrote" along with a string of movies. Now he too is dead! RATS!

The George Jefferson Door Slam

Sherman Hemsley has died! George Jefferson has gone to meet Wezzie. Hemsley was 74 years old when he died in his home in El Paso, Texas. He will forever be remembered as Geroge Jefferson dry cleaning magnate from Queens who moved on up to a Dee-Luxe apartment in the sky. He was discovered in 1971 by ground breaking sitcom producer Norman Lear and cast as the ying toArchie Bunker's yang on "All in the Family" before being give the lead in his own sitcom "The Jeffersons". Sherman Hemsley and Isable Sanford moved on up to the east side as George and Louise (Wezzie) Jefferson for 11 seasons. He then went on to play and equally bombastic character in the sitcom Amen in the mid-80's. Mr. Hemsley and Ms Sanford were paired again in a series of ads for Old Navy until Isabel Sanford died.
George Jefferson will always be remembered as the man who perfect the door slam. Be it in his neighbor's or his maid Florence's face. His character was also the perfect foil to Archie Bunker's dislike of other races.
Sherman Hemsley was an iconic actor and had received both Emmy and Golden Globe awards for his comic performances. He was living in El Paso when he died of natural causes. George has gone off to meet Wezzie in that deluxe apaprtment in the sky

Encyclopedia Brown's Creator has Died

Donald Sobol died at the age of 87 he was the creator of the Encyclopedia Brown book series. The Encyclopedia Brown books are mystery books written for kids. The main character Leroy "Encyclopedia" Brown is the son of the chief of Police of the town of Idaville. Encyclopedia helps his father solve crimes while sitting at the dinner table and runs a detective agency out of their garage where he along with his sidekick Sally Kimball. Encyclopedia charges 25 cents a day plus expenses. Most of Encyclopedia's cases involve the school bully Bugs Meany. Sally is the brawn of the agency and protect Encyclopedia from the threats of violence from Bugs and his gang the Tigers. Donald Sobol wrote eighty books in the series. Each book ended with the solution to the mystery. Encyclopedia would lay out all the clues and explain the thinking that enabled him to reach the solution. Mr. Sobol's books made reading fun for kids.

Do you have Friggatriskaidekaphobia?

Are you afraid of the day Friday the 13th? If you are you may be suffering from Friggatriskaidekaphobia. Friday the 13th is considered and unlucky day by some and feared by others. the number 13 has been considered an unlucky number in many cultures and Friday is also considered an unlucky day in others when the two combine and bam superstition takes over. It is estimated that between 17 and 20 million people have a fear of Friday the 13th.
Some odd events have happened on a Friday the 13th. The luxury liner Costa Concordia ran aground of the coast of Italy earlier this year on the first of three in 2012. If you were Tupac Shakur, Tim Russert or Julia Child you might find Friday the 13th to be a bad day as they died on the cursed day.
Throw some salt over your shoulder and beware of black cats!

Ernest Borgnine and why he Rocked

The news that Ernest Borgnine died came today and yes an amazing charater actor died . But he was more than just a character actor; he was Ethel Merman's ex-husband. For one scary month that man was Mr. Ethel Merman! A Hollywood match made on someone's acid trip; or was it real? What pray tell makes a straight man want to marry Ethel Merman? Was she a vixen as well as a ham? Was Ethel a great piece of Ethel and Ernest Borgnine went for it? I hope so. Thanks for Marty, thanks for MacHale. Thanks for giving Ethel Merman a month long shag!!

Andy Griffith, Wow!

It is surprising sometimes the things that make you sad. Today it was the death of Andy Griffith. He was America and he died the day before the 4th of July. That's an American Icon! There aren't too many people who would say negative things about Andy Griffith and how seriously would they be taken. Who doesn't like Aunt Bea?  Opie could make a comedy actually dramatic. Barney Fife! Andy Griffith  and Mayberry were small town even if it was a set, it was small town America.
Andy Griffith was known for Sheriff Taylor but he was so much more. His career started humbly but he ended up on Broadway. Then there were the movies. "A Face in the Crowd" is a masterpiece and if you haven't seen it you are missing out! He is brilliant as a small town guy who turns into a radio and television star. He didn't receive an Oscar but deserved it! Later in life he was Matlock and set millions of older women's heart a flutter. His death is the death of another part of the older and simpler America. The rosy colored American past.

Jim Morrison 41 Years

July 3, 1971 was the day Jim Morrison died in Paris, 41 years ago. An apartment on the Right Bank of the Seine at 17–19 rue Beautreillis in the 4th arrondissement was where he was living with Pamela Courson at the time of his untimely death at the age of 27. There have been many varying stories about his death over the years. Pamela herself gave different accounts. It is basically assumed he died of a drug overdose. There have been stories over the years that Jim Morrison did not die at the Right Bank apartment but in a mens room stall in a Paris rock club and was transported there. There are others who believe that not unlike Elvis did not die.
The grave site in the Pere Lachaise cemetary in Paris is a must see tourist attraction to many Doors fans. Jim Morrisons remains are intered with the like of Gertrude Stein and Collete. Stiv Bators ashes were sprinkled upon Jim Morrisons grave.
"It hurts to set you free
But you'll never follow me
The end of laughter and soft lies
The end of nights we tried to die
This is the end"

Rodney King has Died at 47

Rodney King the man at the center of the controversy that caused the LA riots has died at the age of 47. He was found by his fiancee at the bottom of a swimming pool. 20 years ago King's beating by the police and the trial where the officers were found not guilty sparked the 1992 LA riots. Mr. King was infamous for being quoted as saying "Can't we all just get along". This may well be the way he is remembered. Rodney King later faced many personal demons with drugs and alcohol and had just written a book about his experience.

James Honeyman-Scott

On June 16 1982 James Honeyman-Scott died. That was 30 years ago. The Pretenders' guitarist was 25 years old when he died. His brief career had not yet reached its possible peak. Honeyman-Scott died of heart failure due to an intolerance to cocaine. Pete Farndon the Pretenders' bass player survived him by one year. The Pretenders as they were died too. Two full albums and an EP were the output of their brief existence. Chrissy Hynde and Martin Chambers still perform under the name Pretenders more aptly than ever.
Honeyman-Scott was a native of Hereford, England as were Fardon and Chambers. There they met American Hynde and formed the Pretenders. Four years later it was all over. Thirty years ago, time flies. Listen to "Precious" really loud. Then put on "Tattooed Love Boys". Do as a tribute to James Honeyman-Scott.

Mr Drucker, Sam Cady has Died

Somewhere in America is a quirky little town called Hooterville, it's not far from Pixlie. In that town is a general store and post office run by a man named Sam Drucker. Mr. Drucker is the the voice of semi reason in a town that has its own reality. Mr. Drucker was also the newspaper editor and volunteer fireman in Hooterville, a Renaissance man. Things happen in Hooterville that you wouldn't believe. There is a collective craziness there.
Hooterville is not a real place and Sam Drucker is not a real person. Mr. Drucker was a charater portrayed by actor Frank Cady. Frank Cady died recently he was 96. Sam Cady had a long career as a character actor. He graduated from Stanford and went off to England and did a show for the BBC before returning to the US to appear in small roles in several film noir classics and eventually appearing on television sitcoms. He will always be remembered as Mr. Drucker. Sam Drucker ran the store that was a fixture in "Green Acres" and "Petticoat Junction". He was also a love interested, albeit one sided, of Granny Clampet.
When Frank Cady retired from acting he and Shirley, his wife of 60 years retired in Oregon. He will always be Sam Drucker. Thanks for the laughs Mr. Drucker!

Hate to Love You Baby

Donna Smmer has died after a battle with cancer. She was the face of disco music. I have to admit there was a time when I was in junior high school I listened to pop radio and disco music. She was the bad girl who felt love in MacArthur Park. Donna Summer made a lot of people dance. If I had to name a disco singer off the top of my head it would be Donna Summer.
Donna Summer was raised in Boston in a devout Christian family. Her early influnce was Mahlia Jackson. When the 70's came around she became a disco sensation releaseing some of the most widely known disco songs. Try as she may she was always asscoiated with disco no matter how many other styles of music she tried to release. In the 90's she was involved in an anti-gay, anti-AIDS scandel. She eventually sued New York magazine for a piece written about her supposed opinions. Ms Summer's fan base seemed to disappear but in reality gay discos play her music to this day.
Her Last Dance: RIP Donna Summer.