Category: This and That

The McGinley Residence – Where Robert F. Kennedy Is Said to Have Spent His Last Night

Another Lafayette Square-area home that was mentioned in the “Affairs of Estate” article that I blogged about yesterday was the property located at 1821 South Victoria Avenue, where, according to author Ann Herold, Robert F. Kennedy spent the last night of his life. And while that assertion would be extremely hard to prove (and some sites speculate that the senator’s last night was spent either at the Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City or the Malibu home of director John Frankenheimer), because the Victoria Avenue residence belonged to RFK’s godfather’s son at the time, it is an entirely likely possibility. So after stopping by the incorrectly identified Leave It to Beaver house this past Saturday afternoon, I dragged the Grim Cheaper right on over to stalk the place.

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The residence that originally stood at 1821 South Victoria Avenue was constructed in the Prairie School-style by Emmett G. Martin in 1924. In 1939, McGinley Oil Company-heir Charles E. McGinley commissioned Paul R. Williams – the legendary architect who also designed the now-defunct Perino’s restaurant (which I blogged about here) and the Just Married mansion (which I blogged about here) – to remodel and enlarge the dwelling. What ended up happening, though, according to the Paul R. Williams Project website, was a complete refab after which only the original home’s foundation remained. McGinley also purchased two neighboring plots of land during that time, essentially tripling the size of his lot. Williams’ remodel, which became known as the McGinley residence, transformed the house into a Classical Regency Revival-style manse and enlarged the property to 6 bedrooms, 4 baths, and 5,952 square feet. At the time, the place looked quite a bit different than it does today. While the façade remains exactly the same shape as it did during the 1939 re-construction, it appears as though the abode was originally painted white, as you can see here. I prefer the unpainted red brick, myself, as it reminds me of the Home Alone house – one of my favorite movie houses of all time.

As I mentioned above, Charles McGinley’s father, oil tycoon Walter T. McGinley, was Robert F. Kennedy’s godfather. And although Walter passed away in 1932, more than thirty years before RFK was assassinated, it is entirely plausible that Kennedy and his family spent some time with Charles while in the area that week – including the night of June 3rd, 1968, Kennedy’s last full night alive. Late the next evening, June 4th, it was announced that the senator had won the California Primary and he gave a short speech in the Embassy Room of the Ambassador Hotel just after midnight on June 5th. Following the speech, Kennedy and his entourage exited through the Ambassador’s kitchen area, where he was shot four times by Sirhan Sirhan. RFK was first taken to Central Receiving Hospital and then Good Samaritan Hospital where he passed away at 1:44 a.m. on June 6th, almost 26 hours after he had been shot. You can check out a more detailed chronology of his assassination on the fabulous FindADeath website here.

Ironically enough, while we were stalking the McGinley residence, the owners’ son-in-law happened to come outside and we got to chatting. When I mentioned the recent Los Angeles Magazine article and his in-laws’ home’s connection to Robert F. Kennedy, the gentleman was absolutely bowled over with excitement and ran right inside to let them know the news. I so love it when homeowners are not only nice about me taking photographs of their property, but are also excited about to learn new things about their residence’s history.

You can find me on Facebook here and on Twitter at @IAMNOTASTALKER. And be sure to check out my other blog, The Well-Heeled Diabetic.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: The McGinley residence, where Robert F. Kennedy is reported to have spent his last night, is located at 1821 South Victoria Avenue in the Lafayette Square neighborhood of Los Angeles.

September 7, 2012
Holden’s House from “The Good Girl”

Another Simi Valley location that Mike, from MovieShotsLA, suggested I stalk this past Saturday after my and the Grim Cheaper’s American Jewish University Brandeis-Barden Campus snafu (which you can read about here) was the supposed Texas-area home where Holden Worther (Jake Gyllenhaal) lived in my favorite movie of all-time, The Good Girl. Ha, just kidding! As I mentioned in yesterday’s post about the Retail Rodeo, I actually hated the 2002 Jennifer Aniston flick. But because the GC and I were pretty much right around the corner from Holden’s house when Mike texted me its address, I figured we might as well stalk the place.

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In real life, the charming one-story, Anywhere, U.S.A.-style residence was constructed in 1964 and measures two bedrooms, two baths and 1,267 square feet. Mike, who lives in Simi Valley, actually tracked this location down way back in 2002 thanks to some local buzz that he heard while The Good Girl was being filmed.

In The Good Girl, Holden lives at the house – after getting kicked out of college – with his spiritless, emotionless parents, Mr. Worther (John Doe – and yes, that is his actual stage name!) and Mrs. Worther (Roxanne Hart), neither of whom utter more than a single word during the entire movie. As you can see below, the property looks very much the same in person as it did onscreen. Even the number plaque next to the garage door is still exactly the same! Yay!

I find it pretty ironic that producers ended up choosing a home with a large mountain range visible behind it to stand in for Holden’s in the flick. As I mentioned above, The Good Girl is supposed to take place in a small Texas town and the Lone Star State isn’t exactly known as being mountainous.

I am fairly certain that the real life interior of the house was also used in the flick, but I, unfortunately, could not find any photographs online with which to verify that hunch.

On an interesting The Good Girl side note – according to IMDB, director Miguel Arteta had Jennifer Aniston wear wrist weights prior to and during the filming in order to give her character, Justine Last, a worn-down look. The trick worked as Justine was light years away from Rachel Green. Her wardrobe only added to the effect, especially the drab shoes. And while I realize that I have posted this quote before (back in October 2011 in my column about the What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? house), I absolutely love it, so I figured it bore repeating. In the September 2009 issue of Elle Magazine, Jennifer Aniston said of her process of creating a character, “I‘ll never forget my high school acting teacher, Anthony Abeson, who said, ‘It starts with the shoes.’ When I think about a character, it does start with the shoes: What kind would she wear? How would she walk in them? If I’m going to put on a dress for a role – I don’t care if it’s the hardest dress to put on – I have to put the shoes on first. The physicality leads me to the character . . . Like Justine in The Good Girl: She was so disconnected from how she looked, that’s what led to the discomfort of who she was.” She’s right – Justine’s shoes – and her flood pants – definitely made that character.

And on a Simi Valley side-note – the GC and I stumbled into Aubergine Emporium – the coolest, most unique antique store that I have ever been to in my life – while stalking in the area on Saturday. The place is worth a visit just to check out its decor alone! My favorite adornment was the antique ladder above the cash register, which the owners placed a sheet of glass on top of and now use as a shelf. SO INCREDIBLY COOL AND UNIQUE! Love, love, love it! Aubergine was chock full of creative, whimsical touches like that and I honestly could have spent all day there, walking around gathering interior design ideas. I cannot more highly recommend stalking the place!

Be sure to “Like” IAMNOTASTALKER on Facebook here and “Friend” me on my personal page here. You can also check out the IAMNOTASTALKER About Me page here and you can follow me on Twitter at @IAMNOTASTALKER. And you can take a look at my latest post – about road trip eats – on my other blog, The Well-Heeled Diabetic, here.

Big THANK YOU to Mike, from MovieShotsLA, for finding this location!

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Holden’s house from The Good Girl is located at 5368 Leland Circle in Simi Valley. While in the area, be sure to stop by Aubergine Emporium at 4385 Valley Fair Street for a little antique shopping.

August 2, 2012
A Free View of Universal Studio’s “War of the Worlds” Set!

Many moons ago, shortly after we first met, Mike, from MovieShotsLA, took me to a place that quickly became one of my very favorite “only in L.A.” spots – a residential street from which the Universal Studios War of the Worlds plane crash set is visible. And even though I always make it a point to take visiting friends to the site (which is located on the 3400 block of Blair Drive in the hills just south of Burbank), I somehow forgot to add it to My Los Angeles Must-Stalk List back in May. I have since corrected the problem and figured that now was as good a time as any to blog about the location. (I also just turned My Must-Stalk List into a page on my site in order to make it more accessible to my fellow stalkers. I will be adding to the list as I discover more must-stalk locations, so check back regularly. )

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When Mike first took me to the 3400 block of Blair Drive, I was absolutely aghast at both the fact that such an amazing set piece was so openly visible from a residential street and that it had not, for whatever reason, ever been written about in any of my L.A. guide books. That is the beauty of going stalking with someone born and raised in L.A., as Mike was. He knows the city – and all of its little hidden treasures – like the back of his hand. Mike had actually discovered this location back in the early ‘90s, before the War of the Worlds set even existed, while working for the radio station Power 106. When he first began his DJing job, the station moved him into a hill-top house with several other DJ’s. That house happened to be located on Blair Drive, directly across the street from what was then the site of Falls Lake – a 2.7-million-gallon water tank and green screen in the Psycho Flats area of Universal Studios. (Falls Lake was moved a few hundred feet west in 2004 to make way for the War of the Worlds set, but you can still see it in the background of the pictures below).

According to the fabulous The Studio Tour website, the War of The Worlds plane crash shoot took place on January 5th, 6th, and 7th of 2005 and the set was then left, virtually untouched, to be featured as one of Universal Studios’ backlot attractions. The only changes made to the set after the filming were the relocation of a few of the houses and the removal of some debris in order to provide a pathway for the tram to pass through during tours. Otherwise, though, the scene appears pretty much exactly the same as it did onscreen. SO INCREDIBLY COOL! On a side-note, one of my favorite movie lines ever was uttered in War of the Worlds. When Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise – and I canNOT believe that he and Katie Holmes are getting a divorce!) begins making peanut butter sandwiches for dinner, his daughter, Rachel Ferrier (Dakota Fanning), informs him, “I’m allergic to peanut butter!”, causing Ray to laugh and say, “Since when?”, to which Rachel states, “Birth!” LOL LOL LOL

The War of the Worlds plane crash set is so realistic, it is almost unbelievable! I cannot even imagine living on Blair Drive back in 2005 during the filming and getting to witness not only the construction of the massive set, but the actual shoot. How incredibly cool would that have been?!?

It is actually quite surprising that I like this location as much as I do being that I am absolutely petrified of flying, but I guess that is the magic of the movies!

As you can see below, when the Universal Studios tour tram passes through the crash set, smoke begins to rise from several of the props.

The set features an actual Boeing 747 airplane that the production team cut up and distressed. Supposedly it cost $2 million in transportation fees alone to get the aircraft to the studio.

I visited Universal Studios way back in June of 2008 (you can read my post here) and snapped the below close-up photographs of the War of the Worlds plane crash set. As you can see, it is nothing short of incredible – no matter which vantage point you view it from!

From the 3400 block of Blair Drive, you can also catch a glimpse of one of the Whoville sets from the 2000 movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas;

the back of the house where Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) lived in the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock classic Psycho;

the Old Mexico and Six Points Texas backlot areas;

and the Falls Lake green screen/backdrop.

Which I decided to have a little bit of fun with.

Be sure to “Like” IAMNOTASTALKER on Facebook here and “Friend” me on my personal page here. You can also check out the IAMNOTASTALKER About Me page here and you can follow me on Twitter at @IAMNOTASTALKER. And don’t forget to check out my new blog, The Well-Heeled Diabetic, here.

Big THANK YOU to Mike, from MovieShotsLA, for telling me about this location!

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: The War of the Worlds plane crash set at Universal Studios can be viewed from the 3400 block of Blair Drive, just off of Barham Boulevard, in Los Angeles.

July 3, 2012
The Sand Acre Estate – Where Marilyn Monroe is Rumored to Have Vacationed

A few weeks ago, while doing research on Seward Johnson’s “Forever Marilyn” statue, which I blogged about yesterday, I came across a press release posted on the Visit Palm Springs website and just about passed out over the mention of a desert-area MM location that I had never before heard of! The press release stated, “Marilyn Monroe has many legendary ties to Palm Springs. To name a few, she was photographed and “discovered” by Johnny Hyde from the William Morris Agency at Charlie Farrell’s Racquet Club. She was also rumored to have frequented a Movie Colony estate with Joe DiMaggio, currently known as the Sand Acre Estate, and owned a 1950’s bungalow-style house in Las Palmas.” While I had stalked and blogged about both Charlie Farrell’s Racquet Club and Marilyn’s Las Palmas home, I had somehow never before even heard of the Sand Acre Estate! So I immediately added the place to my To-Stalk list and dragged the Grim Cheaper right on over there this past Friday afternoon while visiting my parents in the desert.

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When we pulled up to the Sand Acre Estate, which is located in Palm Springs’ Movie Colony neighborhood (LOVE that name!), I was shocked to discover the sheer enormity of the place! As you can see below, it is absolutely gargantuan! And I was even more shocked to discover that the manse is located directly across the street from Cary Grant’s former desert home, which I stalked back in July of last year. How in the heck had I not known about this place??

The Sand Acre Estate, which is currently a vacation rental and special events venue, is surrounded by a tall stucco wall that is topped by even taller hedges making the place extremely private and hidden from view. The stalking gods were definitely smiling down upon us that day, though, because the front gate happened to be standing wide open when we arrived, affording us a tiny peek at the site’s magnificent grounds.

The 3,434-square-foot Spanish-style dwelling, which was originally built in 1933 and recently underwent a year-long restoration, boasts 5 bedrooms, 6 baths, exposed beam ceilings, a media room, a large gourmet kitchen, a carriage suite complete with its own bedroom, a tennis court, a pool and Jacuzzi, numerous en-suite wood-burning fireplaces, a gym, and a 1.02-acre corner plot of land.

As you can see below, the property also boasts some breathtaking views of the San Jacinto Mountains. You can check out some fabulous interior photographs of the home here.

The rumors of Marilyn and Joe vacationing at the Sand Acre Estate are, sadly, just that – rumors. Because there is nothing concrete to prove that the couple ever set foot on the premises, Larry Rener, who manages the property, is quoted as saying, “We go with the rumor.” The tower-shaped area pictured below is the room where Marilyn and Joe are purported to have stayed during their frequent visits. And while I am not sure what the starlet’s link to the property was, if one ever even existed, it is definitely easy to picture her vacationing there, unwinding by the pool with her new husband while protected from the prying eyes of the ever-present and hounding media. Besides Marilyn, the Sand Acre Estate also has another Hollywood connection – Linda Gray, Donna Mills, and Morgan Fairchild once posed for a photo shoot there for the cover story of Palm Springs Life magazine’s January 2009 issue.

And on a very exciting side-note – fellow stalker Lavonna texted me on Friday afternoon to let me know that my fan question for Colin Egglesfield on Extra had finally aired! Whoo hoo!

As you can see below, I had quite a bit of fun watching the filming, especially when Colin showed us his AMAZE-BALLS Tom Cruise impersonation. Big THANK YOU to Lavonna for telling me about the episode and for making the screen captures that appear in this post.

Be sure to “Like” IAMNOTASTALKER on Facebook here and “Friend” me on my personal page here. You can also check out the IAMNOTASTALKER About Me page here. And you can follow me on Twitter at @IAMNOTASTALKER.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: The Sand Acre Estate, where Marilyn Monroe is said to have vacationed with Joe DiMaggio, is located at 953 North Avenida Palmas in the Movie Colony neighborhood of Palm Springs. You can visit the property’s vacation rental website here. Cary Grant’s former desert home is located right across the street at 928 North Avenida Palmas.

May 31, 2012
The “Forever Marilyn” Statue in Palm Springs

Back in December the Grim Cheaper’s boss, while on vacation in Chicago, spotted a huge statue of my girl Miss Marilyn Monroe towering above the Michigan Avenue skyline and texted me a picture of it. Well, as you can imagine, I just about lost my mind upon seeing the looming bronze effigy and told the GC that we had to get out to the Windy City as soon as possible to stalk it. As it turns out, though, Marilyn ended up coming to me! A few months after learning of the installation, which is named “Forever Marilyn”, fellow stalker Lavonna informed me that it was actually being relocated to the West Coast – to the corner of Tahquitz Canyon Way and Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs to be exact! So I immediately called up my parents, who live in the Coachella Valley, and told them to keep me abreast of the bombshell’s status so that I could stalk it as soon it was installed, which, thankfully, did not take long. “Forever Marilyn” was finally unveiled last Thursday evening and I dragged the GC right on out to the desert to see it the very next day.

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“Forever Marilyn” was originally constructed in 1996 by American-realist sculptor Seward Johnson as part of his ICONS REVISTED series. The design was based upon the famous 1954 photograph of the starlet taken by Bruno Bernard, aka Bernard of Hollywood, during the filming of The Seven Year Itch’s iconic subway grate scene (the location of which I blogged about way back in June 2008). The statue did not make its debut until 15 years after its inception, though, when, on July 15th, 2011, it was unveiled as a temporary installation in the middle of Chicago’s Pioneer Court. Of the work, the now 82-year-old Seward states, “In this series, ICONS REVISTED, I am trying to discover what makes an image stay with us; become something more than its one moment in time. Marilyn has come to represent beauty, and the white dress blowing up around her is a type of teasing sensuality. There is something about her pose: the exuberance for life without inhibition, which is quintessentially American. It expresses an uninhibited sense of our own vibrancy.” Because The Seven Year Itch was the first MM movie that I ever saw, the image of the starlet trying to hold down her billowing dress has always been one that I’ve held extremely close to my heart. As photographer Mark Anderson asked in the October 2008 issue of Vanity Fair, “Who ever forgets the first time they saw Marilyn Monroe?” So true!

“Forever Marilyn”, which was constructed entirely out of bronze and stainless steel, measures 26 feet tall, 17 feet wide and weighs a whopping 34,300 pounds. It is owned by The Sculpture Foundation, Inc., an educational organization that provides public exhibitions and works of art to various communities around the globe.

Earlier this year, it was decided that the Coachella Valley would be “Forever Marilyn’s” next temporary stop and, on May 7th, a crew of six dedicated men began the dismantling process before the blonde bombshell embarked upon the long journey to her new home. (You can check out some fabulous photographs of her cross-country drive here.) Of the move, Seward said, “I am very pleased that Marilyn will be on view in Palm Springs. It was, after all, a location of her own choosing, and I assume she was drawn to the beauty and stillness of the landscape.”

As you can see here, the positioning of “Forever Marilyn” in relation to the skyscrapers of downtown Chicago was quite deceiving and made the statue appear to be much taller than it actually is. As the GC and I made our way down South Palm Canyon Drive towards the sculpture last Friday afternoon, I kept expecting to see it towering over the short one- and two-story buildings that make up Palm Springs. When we finally did come upon the icon, I was quite shocked as she is much shorter than her Chicago surroundings made her appear. Don’t get me wrong, “Forever Marilyn” is HUGE, just not as huge as I had originally anticipated.

“Forever Marilyn” is honestly one of the coolest works of art that I have ever seen in my entire life and I was literally pinching myself the whole time I was stalking it. I have a feeling that I will be making regular pilgrimages to see it when visiting my parents in the desert over the next year.

I am absolutely IN LOVE with the photograph below that the GC took of “Forever Marilyn”. I think it is can’t-take-my-eyes-off-it stunning and if we had any blank wall space left in our apartment, I would so have it blown up and framed.

I would be remiss in my blogging duties if I did not mention here that located directly across the street from “Forever Marilyn” is a statue of Lucille Ball that was designed in 1995 by the husband-and-wife sculpting team of Emmanuil and Janet Snitkovsky.

I actually stalked the statue, which is titled “Lucy Ricardo”, way back in May of last year for fellow stalker Owen, of the When Write Is Wrong blog, whose mom is a HUGE Lucy fan, but I never got around to blogging about it.

While doing research for today’s post, I discovered that I had unknowingly stalked another of Seward Johnson’s statues while in San Diego back in 2008. The 25-foot-tall “Unconditional Surrender”, which is part of a 2005 series, recreates the infamous photograph of a sailor kissing a nurse in the middle of Times Square on August 14th, 1945 – the day that the end of World War II was announced. I saw the piece at Tuna Park Harbor, just outside of The Fish Market Seafood Restaurant, in downtown San Diego. It has since been relocated to New Jersey for restoration, but according to a May 28th, 2012 Los Angeles Times article, a replica of it is currently being created and will eventually be on permanent display at the seaside park.

Be sure to “Like” IAMNOTASTALKER on Facebook here and “Friend” me on my personal page here. You can also check out the IAMNOTASTALKER About Me page here. And you can follow me on Twitter at @IAMNOTASTALKER.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: ‘Forever Marilyn’ is located at the northwest corner of South Palm Canyon Drive and East Tahquitz Canyon Way in downtown Palm Springs. The statue will be on display through June 2013. You can visit the “Forever Marilyn” Facebook page here. The “Lucy Ricardo” statue can be found directly across the street from Marilyn on the northeast corner of South Palm Canyon Drive and East Tahquitz Canyon Way, in front of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

May 30, 2012
Poquito Mas on the Sunset Strip

Last month, fellow stalker Ashley, from The Drewseum website, wrote a comment on my Pinches Tacos post which stated that her girl, Miss Drew Barrymore, was often spotted at another West Hollywood-area taqueria, this one named Poquito Mas. So, because I am always on the lookout for celeb hangouts, and good Mexican food, I immediately added the eatery to my To-Stalk list and dragged the Grim Cheaper right on over there for lunch a few weekends ago.

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Poquito Mas, which has the look and feel of a Baja Fresh, but with better food, actually boasts ten locations in the Southern California area – including one on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, which Wil Wheaton was apparently thrilled to no end about. (And I would be remiss if I did not mention here that the WB lot also has a Starbucks onsite. Um, yes please! Count me in! But I digress ). Drew Barrymore’s favorite branch, though, is the one located right on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.

I have to say that Ashley’s recommendation was spot on, because Poquito Mas serves up some FABULOUS food! I ordered a World Famous Chicken Tostada, which I absolutely loved (and, as I have mentioned before, I am very picky about my chicken), while the GC opted for a Classic Chicken Taco and a Classic Steak Taco, both of which he devoured. While we were dining, we sat on the eatery’s patio area, which is situated facing the Sunset Strip, and had an absolute blast counting the numerous Hollywood tour buses that drove by.

Besides Drew Barrymore, just a few of the stars who have dined at the West Hollywood Poquito Mas include Bonnie Hunt, Kelly Brook, Jonah Hill, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Nicky Hilton, Britney Spears, Keanu Reeves, Kris Allen, Adam Lambert, Rebecca Gayheart, and Eric Dane. And Ashley has spotted Fred Durst, Dyan Cannon, Kelly Osbourne, and Art Alexakis from Everclear during her various visits. The chain is such a celebrity hotspot, in fact, that the outposts in Thousand Oaks and Westwood post signs that read, “Please no autographs. No photographs. Cameras, videotaping, filming & recording devices of any kind are prohibited from use on these premises.” WOW! “No shirts, no shoes, no service” is one thing, but no autographs? Puh-leeze! The place is a fast food taco stand, not The Ivy! I did not spot any such “no photography” signs at the Sunset Strip branch, though, so I happily snapped away while I was there.

We did spot the sign pictured below, though, which I cannot even being to understand. 10:05? Really? Why not 10:07 or 10:09?

Be sure to “Like” IAMNOTASTALKER on Facebook here and “Friend” me on my personal page here. You can also check out the IAMNOTASTALKER About Me page here. And you can follow me on Twitter at @IAMNOTASTALKER.

Big THANK YOU to Ashley, from The Drewseum website, for telling me about this location.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Poquito Mas is located at 8555 West Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. You can visit the restaurant’s official website here.

May 14, 2012
#Fail!

A couple of weeks ago, I found out, thanks to my friend Marie, that the love of my life, Mr. Michael Buble, would be in town on May 10th to sing at a benefit concert at the Hollywood Palladium. So yesterday morning I headed out to Sunset Boulevard bright and early, armed with the above sign, in the hopes of catching the cutie crooner on his way into the soundcheck. Unfortunately though, he never showed up to the soundcheck and when he arrived for the actual event, he entered through the front door while I waited (breath bated) in the back. As my girl, Miss Pinky Lovejoy, of the Thinking Pink blog, would say, “Fail!” Such a bummer! All I have to show for my efforts (which lasted NINE hours) yesterday is a really bad sunburn. If I don’t manage to get a pic with him the next time he is in town, I just might cry!

I did manage to snap the above photograph with the “Buble Band” bus, though, so at least there’s that. Anyway, because I was standing outside of the Hollywood Palladium for the entire day yesterday, I did not have time to write a post for today. But I do promise to be back on Monday with a whole new location. I hope all of my fellow stalkers have a fabulous weekend and a fabulous Mother’s Day!

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

May 11, 2012
Another Day of Cleaning . . .

I swear, I feel like all I do is clean lately! I have not mentioned this before, but the Grim Cheaper and I have a vacation rental that I clean almost weekly. The GC is also starting a new company with his boss, so I have been doing all of the cooking over the past few months (he loves to cook, but unfortunately does not have the time for it as of late). So, add to that taking care of the apartment where we live and I, unfortunately, do not seem to have much time for stalking and blogging. Ah, how I wish I could clone myself. Anyway, I spent all day cleaning our rental yesterday, so I did not have time to write a new post. But I thought I would give y’all a preview of one of the photographs I took while at the Walsh house this past weekend.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

May 9, 2012
My Los Angeles Must-Stalk List

If I had a nickel for every time a fellow stalker wrote to me asking for my top ten favorite locations in all of Los Angeles, I would have a whole lot more Louis Vuitton in my closet than I do right now. Over the years, in response to that repeated question, I compiled a list of sorts of my fave Southern California locales. Because this stalker loves the City of Angels pretty much more than life itself, though, I was never able to narrow it down to just ten spots, and the more I discover L.A., the more locations I add. As of right now, my list hovers at 23 places, but I am sure that by next month, that number will have grown. Anyway, after sending out my list yet again just last week, I figured that I might as well write a blog post on it. So, without further ado, I present my Los Angeles Must-Stalk List.

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1. Disneyland – While not necessarily a stalking location, per se, The Happiest Place on Earth is one of my favorite spots in the entire world, let alone Southern California. It is DEFINITELY a Must-Stalk for anyone visiting the area, especially for the first time. If you have only one day to spend in L.A., I would spend it here. You can read my post on Club 33, the theme park’s legendary restaurant, here. Disneyland is located at 1313 Disneyland Drive in Anaheim.

2. Casa Walsh from Beverly Hills, 90210 – If you know anything about me at all, then this location pretty much goes without saying. You can read about my experience of going inside the Walsh house (which I just got to do again and will be blogging about soon) here. Casa Walsh is located at 1675 East Altadena Drive in Altadena. Dylan McKay’s house is located a block away at 1605 East Altadena Drive.

3. The Father of the Bride House – One of the most iconic (and picturesque) movie houses in cinematic history. You can read my post on the property here. The Father of the Bride house is located at 843 South El Molino Avenue in Pasadena. Don Draper’s house from Mad Men is located right across the street at 675 Arden Road. Afterwards, be sure to hit up The Slaw Dogs (720 North Lake Avenue) for lunch – they have the best hot dogs EVER; Lula Mae (100 North Fair Oaks Avenue) for shopping – it is my very favorite gift store; and the Blo Out Lounge (62 North Raymond Avenue) – my fave salon – for a fabulous blo out! Big THANK YOU to Mike, from MovieShotsLA, for the photograph below.

4. The Bradbury Building – The interior of this architectural landmark in Downtown Los Angeles is nothing short of stunning – like jaw-droppingly stunning! One of the most unique properties that I have ever laid eyes on. You can read my post on the Bradbury Building here. The structure is located at 304 South Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles. The building’s first floor and lobby area are open to the public daily. Big THANK YOU to Mike, from MovieShotsLA, for the picture below.

5. The John Ferraro Building – One of my favorite buildings in all of L.A. The huge water fountains that surround the property are overwhelmingly gorgeous and, when coupled with the stellar views of the Los Angeles skyline in the background, one’s breath can easily be taken away. You can read my post on the structure here. The John Ferraro Building is located at 111 North Hope Street in Downtown Los Angeles.

6. Scranton Business Park from The Office – This location is particularly cool because not only is it used in establishing shots of Scranton Business Park, where the Dunder Mifflin gang reports to work each day, but it is actually the exterior of Chandler Valley Center Studios, where The Office is filmed. You can read my post on the location here. Chandler Valley Center Studios is located at 13927 Saticoy Street in Van Nuys.

7. Torrance High School from Beverly Hills, 90210 – Another no-brainer for those who know anything about this stalker. Torrance High School is located at 2200 West Carson Street in Torrance. You can read my post on the location here.

8. Yamashiro Hollywood – I have three things to say about this restaurant – views, views and views. While the food is most-definitely spectacular (especially the Butter Lettuce Wraps and Crispy Chicken), the place serves up some of the best views in all of Southern California. Little known fact – the spire on top of the Capital Records Building, which is visible from Yamashiro, intermittently spells out Hollywood in old Morse Code each night. Be sure to head to the eatery right around sunset so that you can catch glimpses of both the daytime and nighttime views. You can read my post on the restaurant here. Yamashiro Hollywood is located at 1999 Sycamore Avenue in Hollywood.

9. The Huntington Library – Hands down one of my favorite spots in Southern California. Aside from being an oft-filmed-at locale, the place is just spectacularly beautiful. One could easily spend an entire day just walking the grounds. Along with Disneyland, if I only had one day to spend in L.A., I would spend it here. I would skip the Library area, though, and head straight to the spectacular and extensive gardens. You can read my post on the location here. The Huntington Library is located at 1151 Oxford Road in San Marino.

10. The Studios at Paramount – I love this place so much, the GC and I almost got married here! Hands down the best studio tour in Los Angeles (and I should know – I’ve been on it seven times!). You can read about one of my many Paramount experiences here. After your tour, grab lunch at the fabulous Lucy’s El Adobe Café, which is located right across the street. Paramount Studios is located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Reservations are highly recommended as tours tend to sell out quickly and far in advance. Big THANK YOU to Mike, from MovieShotsLA, for the photograph pictured below.

11. The Rooftop Bar at The Standard, Downtown L.A. – A fabulous restaurant/bar that offers unparalleled, 360-degree views of Downtown Los Angeles. The menu is spectacular, as well. The Standard Hotel is located at 550 South Flower Street in Downtown Los Angeles. You can read my post on The Rooftop Bar here.

12. The Terrace at the Sunset Tower Hotel – Another café/bar that offers spectacular views, these of Century City, Downtown L.A. and West L.A. Can you tell that this stalker is into views? The Sunset Tower Hotel is located at 8358 West Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. You can read my post on the Sunset Tower Hotel here.

13. The Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles – One of L.A.’s most spectacular, beautiful and historic properties. Rates are extremely reasonable and I would recommend spending a night at the iconic location. If it is not possible to do so, then set aside at least a few hours to explore the 85-year-old hotel and be sure to try to sneak a peek at the spectacular art deco indoor pool, which was used in Cruel Intentions. When you are done, grab a drink at the beautiful Gallery Bar. The Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles is located at 506 South Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. You can read my post on the hotel here. Big THANK YOU to Mike, from MovieShotsLA, for the pictures below.

14. The View of the Hollywood Sign from Canyon Lake Drive – Ironically enough, the best place to view the legendary Hollywood Sign is not in Hollywood at all, but on Canyon Lake Drive in the hills above Burbank. You can get so close to the iconic sign at this location that it almost feels as if you can reach out and touch it. You can also catch a spectacular glimpse of the Hollywood Reservoir from this spot. For the best views of the Hollywood Sign, head to where Canyon Lake Drive meets Mulholland Highway in Los Angeles. You can read my post on this location here.

15. The Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine Temple – One of the most peaceful and unique spots in all of SoCal. Hard to believe it is situated right on Sunset Boulevard. The Lake Shrine Temple is located at 17190 Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades. You can read my post on the site here.

16. The Prince – Hands down, one of the coolest restaurants I have ever been to! The eatery first opened in 1949 and has not been altered since. Thanks to its historic aesthetic, dark red walls and wood-paneled booths, the place has been the site of countless filmings over the years. It currently serves as Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and the gang’s main hangout on fave show New Girl. You can read my post on the location here. The Prince is located at 3198 1/2 West 7th Street in Koreatown. You can visit the restaurant’s official website here.

17. Olvera Street (aka The Birthplace of L.A.) – A bustling, open-air Mexican marketplace located on the site of the very spot where Los Angeles was originally founded on September 4th, 1781. The center features some of the oldest structures in L.A., tiny shops selling handmade goods, and fabulous restaurants at every turn. I challenge you to find better taquitos anywhere else in the world, including Mexico! The official address for the entrance to Olvera Street is 845 North Alameda Street in Downtown Los Angeles. You can read my two posts on the location here and here. The Pico House, which serves as CBI Headquarters on The Mentalist is located right around the corner from Olvera Street at 430 North Main Street. You can read my post on that site here.

18. The Old Place Cornell – A fabulously rugged old eatery that serves up some stellar gourmet comfort food. The restaurant, which was originally founded in 1969, seems so far removed from civilization, you will find it hard to believe you are actually in Los Angeles, just steps from the 101 Freeway. The Old Place is located at 29983 Mulholland Highway in Cornell. You can read my post on the eatery here.

19. The Hotel Bel-Air – One of the most beautiful and serene hotels in all of Los Angeles. The quiet, intimate space, which is located right off of Sunset Boulevard, boasts a huge swan-filled pond, meandering pathways and countless tucked-away terraces. Not only was my girl Miss Marilyn Monroe known to frequent the location, but one of her very last photo shoots also took place there. And while I much preferred the look of the place prior to its recent remodel, Hotel Bel-Air is still one of the most picturesque spots in all of Southern California. Warning – the hotel is most-definitely NOT a good place for kids. The Hotel Bel-Air is located at 701 Stone Canyon Road in Bel Air. You can read my post on the location here.

20. Paradise Cove – A beautiful, private beach located right in the heart of Malibu. This spot features a picturesque pier (where Britney Spears once danced), a fabulous restaurant (Bob Morris’ Paradise Cove Beach Café), and an outside bar area where you can dip your toes in the sand while sipping cocktails and watching the sun set. Don’t let the $25 parking fee scare you off – the Beach Café validates. Paradise Cove is located at 28128 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. You can read my post on the site here.

21. Grauman’s Chinese Theatre – Yes, the place is a tourist trap, but it is also a Hollywood landmark and I am of the firm belief that everyone should see it at least once. And besides, it is FUN to walk around and look at all the hand and footprints of your favorite celebs. Grauman’s Chinese Theatre is located at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. You can read my post on Grauman’s here.

22. The Pawnee Pit from Parks and Recreation – While some may say that this place is simply a vacant plot of land, I say it is one of the coolest stalking sites that I have ever been to – most likely because not only was the Sullivan Street Pit practically a character on the series, but it was also once an actual hole in an actual neighborhood and not a manufactured set piece. You can read my post on Lot 48 here. The Parks and Recreation pit is located at the southeast corner of Hazeltine Avenue and Collins Street in Van Nuys. Ann Perkins’ house from the series is located directly behind the Pit at 5655 Murietta Avenue in Van Nuys. You can read my post on that location here.

23. A Free View of Universal Studios’ War of the Worlds Set – Quite possibly my favorite “only in L.A.” spot, one can catch a fabulous and free glimpse of the plane crash set from the 2005 flick War of the Worlds from a residential street just south of Burbank. To check out the massive set, head to the 3400 block of Blair Drive, just off of Barham Boulevard, in Los Angeles

I had so much fun blogging about my Los Angeles Must-Stalk List that I am going to do a similar post on New York locations in the very near future.

Be sure to “Like” the IAMNOTASTALKER Facebook Page here and “Friend” me on my personal Facebook page here. You can also check out the IAMNOTASTALKER About Me page here. And if you are not already following me on Twitter, you can do so here.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

May 8, 2012
The Paley Center for Media’s “Television: Out of the Box” Exhibit

Two weekends ago, as the Grim Cheaper and I were making our way home from the Hollywood Show, I decided to peruse through my Facebook newsfeed and just about died when I saw that a fellow stalker named Brittany had posted photographs of numerous Friends props and costumes on display at the Warner Bros. “Television: Out of the Box” exhibit at The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills. Before seeing the pictures, I had been completely unaware of the new exhibit. And here I thought I had my finger on the pulse of L.A.! As you can imagine, I just about had a heart attack over Brittany’s fabulous pics and begged the GC to take me right on over there that very minute. Unfortunately, because the exhibit closes at 5 p.m. each day and it was already well into the afternoon by that time, I was forced to postpone our excursion until this past Saturday. And, despite some minor snafus which I will get to later, it was worth the wait and I had an absolute blast while there! (As you can see above, the exhibit is interactive and visitors are encouraged to sit on set pieces to pose for photographs, which I, of course, ate right up!)

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The Warner Bros. “Television: Out of the Box” exhibit features memorabilia, costumes and set pieces from over 50 different productions, but I was, of course, most excited to see the Friends items, which included (what were said to be) parts of the infamous Central Perk set. I was a bit confused about what the Central Perk couch was doing there, though, as I was fairly certain that the iconic piece was on permanent display at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. When I asked one of the many docents on duty about it, he explained that there were actually four couches made for the series and that they would be swapped out periodically throughout the show’s ten-year run so that no one couch would be overused and appear old or worn onscreen. Which makes sense, right? Well, something felt off about the whole “set” to me and after I returned home I discovered that, according to The Paley Center website, the Central Perk display is actually “a replica”. Which begs the question, why were the docents (who work for Warner Bros. and not The Paley Center) not aware of this fact? (And I am still trying out the GC’s idea of posting the descriptions of my photographs above the photographs themselves. It is extremely foreign to me, but a lot of people seem to like it.)

As you can see below, while similar, the couch on display at The Paley Center is most-definitely not the actual Friends couch. The arms and back of the real couch are much more rounded and have much thinner wood detailing than the “Television: Out of the Box” couch.

As I mentioned above, the actual Friends couch is on display at the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank. A photograph of it from one of the many VIP tours I have taken over the years is pictured below.

The coffee table featured in the exhibit also does not match the one that appeared on Friends.

Nor does the bench/coat rack that is on display.

Most maddening for me, though, was the fact that a docent had told me to be sure to sit in the green Central Perk chair, as one is not allowed to sit on it during a Warner Bros. tour. Beyond excited over this fact, I sat right down and decided to re-enact the scene in which Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) waves to Isabella Rossellini in the Season 3 episode titled “The One with Frank Jr.”. Needless to say, when I got home and popped in my DVD of the episode and realized it was not, in fact, the actual chair, I was a wee bit peeved.

As you can see below, other than being green and quilted, the chairs in no way resemble each other, which seriously chaps my a** (as Sarah Jessica Parker likes to say). Hmpfh! So while The Paley Center website might call their Central Perk set “a replica”, it is, sadly, not a very good one. It seems that someone went out and purchased random, semi-similar looking furniture for the display instead of having actual replicas made. Not cool, Paley Center, not cool at all.

The actual green chair is on display at Warner Bros. Studios, as you can see in the photograph below, which Mike, from MovieShotsLA, took. The lesson here is this – if you want to see the actual Central Perk set from Friends, buy tickets to a Warner Bros. Studios VIP Tour and skip The Paley Center exhibit.

That all being said, “Television: Out of the Box” did have some cool (what I hope were) actual costumes and props on display. Some of the other Friends memorabilia at the exhibit included Ross Geller’s (David Schwimmer’s) leather pants from the Season 5 episode titled “The One with All the Resolutions” (notice the shirt does not match the one he wore in the episode, though);

Monica Geller’s (Courteney Cox’s) see-through karaoke outfit from Season 9’s “The One Where Monica Sings” [one of Chandler Bing’s (Matthew Perry’s) sweater-vest ensembles is pictured next to it];

one of Phoebe Buffay’s (Lisa Kudrow’s) outfits (I believe the coat was worn in several episodes, one of which was Season 7’s “The One with the Engagement Picture”, although the fringe on the sleeves seems to be missing), as well as one of her guitars;

the turkey Monica wore on her head in Season 5’s “The One with All the Thanksgivings” (the turkey looked so real, it was almost unbelievable!);

Chandler and Monica’s wedding vows (which both appear to have been written by the same person) and wedding rings;

Joey Tribbiani’s (Matt LeBlanc’s) shirt from the Season 7 episode titled “The One Where Rosita Dies”;

and a mash-up of two different outfits worn by Rachel during Season 10.

I originally thought that Rachel donned the schoolgirl-esque ensemble during the final episode of the series, but as you can see, while similar, it is not the same outfit.

Once I realized that it was not the finale outfit, fellow stalker Owen, of the When Write Is Wrong blog, and I went on a hunt to track down the episode in which it was worn. As it turns out, the ensemble is actually a combination of two different costumes. The shirt was worn in the episode titled “The One with the Late Thanksgiving”, while the skirt and boots were worn in two episodes (due to a continuing scene) – “The One with Princess Consuela” and “The One Where Estelle Dies”.

You can see below how truly tiny Jennifer Aniston is. I am a pretty small girl, but I look like an Amazon woman standing next to her costume!

Also on display was Ross’ “Science Boy” comic book from the Season 9 episode “The One with the Mugging” and his laminated “Freebie List” from Season 3’s “The One with Frank Jr.”, which, as any diehard Friends fan will notice, has a glaring mistake on it.

In “The One with Frank Jr.”, Ross’ Freebie List was said to be comprised of the following actresses: 1. Uma Thurman, 2. Winona Ryder, 3. Elizabeth Hurley, 4. Michele Pfeiffer, and 5. Dorothy Hamill. If you’ll remember, Ross removed Isabella Rossellini (#2 above) from his final list for “geographical reasons” and Vanessa Williams (#4 above) was never mentioned at all. I thought that maybe the card above had been made far in advance of the filming and that the script had, for whatever reason, changed at some point, and producers figured that because the laminated card would never be seen up close by the audience, it did not matter that an inaccurate one was being used. After I got home, though, I scanned through the episode to see if the list was ever visible up close and, as it turns out, it was! In the scene in which Isabella looks at Ross’ card, I saw that it was not, in fact, the same one that was on display at The Paley Center.

Just when I was about to lose all hope in the authenticity of the “Television: Out of the Box” exhibit, I decided to check out the scene in which Ross first presented his list to the group and, oddly enough, in that scene The Paley Card was used. As you can see, it does, in fact, have Isabella’s name listed on it, as well as Vanessa Williams’. Why there were two cards made and used is beyond me, but that appears to have been the case.

Other sets on display at the “Television: Out of the Box” exhibit included a Monk’s booth from Seinfeld (which after the debacle with the Central Perk set, I am doubting is even real);

as well as some costumes from the series.

There were also several props and costumes from The Big Bang Theory;

The Ellen DeGeneres Show;

Gossip Girl;

Gilmore Girls;

ER;

The O.C. (LOVE IT!);

The West Wing;

True Blood;

and The Mentalist, Southland, The Closer, and Cold Case (all pictured below).

And while I took over 150 photographs of the exhibit (no joke!), I obviously could not showcase them all here. Other productions with memorabilia on display include Full House, Family Matters, Supernatural, Perfect Strangers, The Vampire Diaries, and Two and a Half Men. Despite the faux Central Perk set, I had an absolute blast visiting the “Television: Out of the Box” exhibit and cannot more highly recommend it to others.

Big THANK YOU to fellow stalker Brittany for telling me about this exhibit!

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Warner Bros.’ “Television: Out of the Box” exhibit is being held at the Paley Center for Media, which is located at 465 North Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills. The exhibit will run through 2015 and is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, and $5 for children under 13. You can find out more information about the exhibit here. Be forewarned, the Central Perk set on display at “Television: Out of the Box” is not the actual Friends set, but a poorly-executed replica. The actual Central Perk set can be viewed on the VIP Tour at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, which you can purchase tickets for here.

May 2, 2012