Joan Crawford's Wild Ride

Joan Crawford, photo from latimesblogs.latimes.com

Many people when they think of Joan Crawford probably think of the "Mommie Dearest" version, the lunatic woman who can't stop cleaning, who abuses her adopted children, and screams "No more wire hangers!" Author Bob Thomas, in his biography on Joan, shines a fair light on the actress, showing that she was not just some psycho, however, he does include a few anecdotes that show how she did present some eccentricities, especially in her later years. Here is an interesting story from Thomas's biography.

Sportsmen's Lodge, Studio City, California

In the early 1950s, at the time Joan Crawford was working on the film Female on the Beach for Universal Studios, she was seen going on dates with different men. One evening Joan was to go on a date with a businessman from Chicago. The man was quite nervous about going on a date with such a huge star so he asked his friend Tony Owen and his wife Donna Reed if they would join him on his date with Joan. Reed, who had never met Joan (she joined MGM after Joan had moved on to Warner Bros.) but who had corresponded with Joan and wanted to meet the legendary actress agreed to the double date.

The Owens and the businessman were to meet Joan at her dressing room (probably a bungalow) on the Universal lot then go to the Sportsman's lodge for dinner. Joan was living in the dressing room while filming Female on the Beach. When the Owens and friend arrived at the studio they went to Joan's dressing room where they exchanged pleasantries. Then Joan turned and exclaimed, "Oh, dear, the dogs have tinkled on the carpet." Joan got on her hands and knees and began scrubbing with a towel and soda water, vigorously brushing the floor. When she was done, Joan washed her hands, came back to the group and nonchalantly asked, "Shall we go?"

Joan suggested they take the freeway from Universal to the Sportsmen's Lodge but Owen said, "Don't you think we should go on Ventura Boulevard? The Sportsman's Lodge is only a couple miles away." Owen was right, it made sense to take Ventura but Joan replied, "No, the freeway is better."

Joan and her date got in her car and drove off out the studio gate, made a left on Lankershim Boulevard and onto the Hollywood Freeway before Owen could argue. Owen and Reed got in their car and quickly tried to catch up. "My God, she's going east." said Owen. "The Sportsmen's Lodge is west!"

"We've got to catch her" said, Reed. They passed the Hollywood Bowl and kept going. Finally, Owen and Reed caught up with Joan in the Silver Lake district. Owen gestured to Joan that she was going the wrong way. Joan nodded, exited the freeway and then got back on heading west.

"How on earth can she get out of this situation?" Reed thought. "What can she possibly say?"

"I can't imagine," said Owen.

Joan stepped out of her car in front of the Sportsman's Lodge and said, "Didn't I tell you - the freeway's great!"

Quite the story don't you think? I wonder what was going through Joan's head at the time. At least she covered for herself rather creatively.

Sportsmen's Lodge, Studio City - photo from LAObserved.com

The Sportsmen's Lodge is a hotel on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, California and has been a landmark in the valley for over a century. Until the 1970s, there was even a lake for trout fishing. People would come to the Sportsmen's Lodge, catch their own fish out of the lake, and then have the Lodge restaurant prepare the fish. Even celebrities came to fish, including Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, Bette Davis, and numerous other big time celebrities.

Stars still head over to the Sportsmen's Lodge for the restaurant and hotel. The Sportsmen's Lodge also hosts many special events such as political gatherings, weddings and anniversaries.

Your thoughts?

Humphrey Bogart's Affair to Remember

Humphrey Bogart, Verita Thompson

Bogie and Bacall - The two actors seemed like the perfect couple and I'm sure they really did love each other, but, did anyone really think that Humphrey Bogart could be totally faithful to Lauren Bacall, who was wife number four? In Bogart's case, it appears that the saying, "once a dog, always a dog" rings true.

Verita Thompson, in her book, "Bogie and Me: The Love Story of Humphrey Bogart and Verita Thompson," details the long running affair the two had during the 1940s and 1950s. Thompson, a wig maker to the stars, first met Bogart in 1942 at a wrap party for Casablanca. At the party Bogart and Thompson danced and drank the night away. It was the "beginning of a beautiful friendship" - or maybe "beautiful" isn't the appropriate word.

Bogart would continue to see Thompson after that night. When Thompon's husband at the time, Robert Peterson, was away on military service, Bogart would stop by Thompson's home in Burbank. The home was conveniently located near the Warner Bros. studio where Bogart worked, so afterwards, Bogie could visit Thompson without his then third wife, Mayo Methot, ever knowing.

What is surprising is that, after Thompson divorced her husband and Bogart divorced Methot, he would go on to marry Lauren Bacall just 12 days later. Though this didn't stop Bogart from seeing Thompson. In 1949, when Bogart left Warner Bros. to form his own production company, he hired Thompson. Thompson was a wig maker and Bogart wore a toupee. It made perfect sense for Thompson to be working for Bogart.

The affair continued until 1955, when Thompson, married the producer Walter Thompson. Verita Thompson remained friends with Humphrey Bogart until his death.

722 Roselli Street, Burbank, California

Above is a photo of Thompson's home on Roselli Street in Burbank, the location where Thompson and Bogart spent many evenings together. Bogart was a heavy drinker and apparently Thompson could hold her liquor too. The two would kick back Scotch and soda, get loud, and then...

Your thoughts?

Sex and the Single Girl - Film Locations

Sex and the Single Girl

A couple months back Raquelle over at Out of the Past - A Classic Film Blog, posted a critical review of the Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood film, Sex and the Single Girl. She was completely spot on when she said this film is "ridiculous to the point of being just plain stupid." I won't go into reviewing the film, for a review you can check out Raquelle's post, but I will share the only thing I really did find interesting about Sex and the Single Girl, and that was spotting some of the film locations.

The film also stars Lauren Bacall and Henry Fonda as husband and wife. Towards the end of the film, Bacall goes to a police station where Fonda is being held. That police station was part of the Warner Bros. backlot. In the below screenshot Bacall is facing the facade of the  police station and behind her is a park-like space. By the way, that same stretch of green would also be used as "Central Park" in the television show Friends.

Lauren Bacall visits the police station.

Warner Bros. Backlot (April 2010)

Here is another shot of the same location.

Henry Fonda gets away in the taxi.

Warner Bros. backlot. (April 2010)

You can also see this same area of the Warner Bros. backlot in my post on The Omega Man (1971) film locations.

Henry Fonda's character sells women's nylons and the business he works at was also located at Warner Bros. but it was not on one of the backlots. It was one of the regular buildings dressed up to look like a business.

Henry Fonda leaves his work, "Sexy Sox"

Building on the Warner Bros. lot. used as Sexy Sox location.

Fonda getting into his car and leaving Sexy Sox.

Same location at WB as it appears today.

This location can also be seen in my post on A Star is Born (1954). You can check it out here.

The end of the film culminates into a big chase scene that ends at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Below are a couple images from the airport scenes.

Fonda arrives at the Los Angeles Airport

LAX today. Image (c) Arif Widianto All Rights Reserved

Police officer calling for back-up.