5/29/02

LC020529

VAL ZAVALA>> ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT --

JESS MARLOW>> WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE ABOUT A SOUP KITCHEN THAT FEEDS THE HOMELESS? PLENTY, APPARENTLY, IF IT'S IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

PENNY LANDRETH>> WE'RE A SAFE HAVEN FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY PRETTY MUCH EXCOMMUNICATED OUT OF, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, NOBODY QUITE KNOWS WHAT TO DO WITH HOMELESS PEOPLE.

VAL>> THEY'RE STILL RICH AND FAMOUS, BUT THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS AREN'T GROWING AS FAST AS THEY ONCE DID. TONIGHT A LOOK AT CALIFORNIA'S BILLIONAIRES. ARE THEY BECOMING MORE LIKE THE REST OF US?

JESS>> HE HAD MUCH MORE THAN HIS FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME AND THE LEGEND GOES ON FOR THE LATE ARTIST, ANDY WARHOL. HIS WORK IS DRAWING BIG CROWDS AT L.A.'S MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART. TONIGHT WE'LL LOOK AT THE ARTIST WHO TRANSFORMED HIMSELF INTO A SUPERSTAR.

VAL>> THESE STORIES COMING UP NEXT ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS:

THE L.K. WHITTIER FOUNDATION
DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE ENDEAVORS IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICINE, HEALTH, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION.

AND THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT
THE STATE'S LARGEST HEALTH FOUNDATION SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT DIRECTLY IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF CALIFORNIA'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT, A PARTNER FOR HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES.

VAL>> GOOD EVENING, I'M VAL ZAVALA.

JESS>> AND I'M JESS MARLOW.

BEING A HUMANITARIAN ISN'T ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE. JUST ASK THE OPERATORS OF A LOCAL SOUP KITCHEN. FOR YEARS, THEY'VE BEEN ON THE MOVE, OR SOME WOULD SAY, ON THE RUN, MAINLY BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS THEM IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.

VAL>> IT'S A CLASSIC CASE OF "NOT IN MY BACK YARD", BUT SOMEHOW THE SOUP KITCHEN HAS SURVIVED EVEN WHEN THERE WAS NO ACTUAL KITCHEN. TONIGHT PHILIP BRUCE REPORTS ON THE UNCERTAIN JOURNEY OF A VERY SPECIAL MOVABLE FEAST.

PHILIP BRUCE>> THE CORNER OF SYCAMORE AND ROMAINE IN HOLLYWOOD IS AN UNLIKELY SPOT FOR A SOUP KITCHEN. THE MOSTLY INDUSTRIAL NEIGHBORHOOD HAS LITTLE FOOT TRAFFIC, BUT SHOW UP HERE ANY EVENING AT AROUND 5:30 AND YOU'LL FIND 100 OR MORE PEOPLE WAITING IN LINE FOR DINNER. MOST OF THEM HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON: THEY'RE HOMELESS. AND THE WEST HOLLYWOOD FOOD COALITION TRIES TO MAKE SURE THEY GET AT LEAST ONE GOOD MEAL.

ANDRE DIAMOND>> FUNDS ARE TOUGH NOWADAYS, SO THIS KIND OF HELPS WITH A HOT MEAL THAT HAS SECONDS ALSO.

PENNY LANDRETH>> WE'RE A SAFE HAVEN FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY PRETTY MUCH EXCOMMUNICATED OUT OF, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, NOBODY QUITE KNOWS WHAT TO DO WITH HOMELESS PEOPLE.

PHILIP BRUCE>> OVER THE FIFTEEN YEARS THE VOLUNTEER GROUP HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS, THEY'VE CONNECTED WITH SOME OF THE CITY'S BEST RESTAURANTS, BAKERIES AND HOTELS. THE STRUGGLE HASN'T BEEN COMING UP WITH FOOD. IT'S BEEN FINDING A PLACE TO COOK IT AND SERVE IT.

TED LANDRETH>> WELL, WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT THE CITY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD AROUND ABOUT 1987 DECIDED IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE HOMELESS, SO THEY PUT OUT A CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS, PEOPLE WHO REALLY WANTED TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP. NOT CREATING ANOTHER BUREAUCRACY UNDER THE CITY, BUT GETTING PEOPLE TOGETHER WHO HAD A FEELING THAT MAYBE THEY COULD MAKE SOME SORT OF DIFFERENCE.

PHILIP BRUCE>> THE COALITION STARTED OUT IN A CHURCH. WHEN THE NEIGHBORS OBJECTED, WEST HOLLYWOOD BROUGHT THE EFFORT TO PLUMMER PARK. BUT BEFORE LONG, THE NEIGHBORS THERE ALSO STARTED COMPLAINING AND WEST HOLLYWOOD STARTED QUESTIONING ITS COMMITMENT. TED LANDRETH, A VOLUNTEER, SAYS PEOPLE FEEL GENEROUS JUST AS LONG AS THE SOUP KITCHEN ISN'T IN THEIR BACK YARD.

TED LANDRETH>> IF YOU'RE AT A CERTAIN DISTANCE AWAY FROM PEOPLE WE SERVE, IF YOU DON'T DEAL WITH THEM YOURSELF, YOU TEND TO BE A LITTLE BIT AFRAID OF THEM. PEOPLE THINK THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE DIRTY, PEOPLE WHO LOOK A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN WELL-ORGANIZED, IF YOU WILL, ARE SOMEHOW DANGEROUS OR SOMEHOW OR OTHER GOING TO BE A PROBLEM TO THEM OR THEIR BUSINESSES.

PHILIP BRUCE>> AFTER A LENGTHY BATTLE IN 1990, WEST HOLLYWOOD EVICTED THE COALITION. SOME EXPECTED THE GROUP WOULD DISAPPEAR, BUT THEY NEVER MISSED A MEAL. THEY SHOWED UP HERE THE NEXT DAY WITH FOOD JUST OUTSIDE THE WEST HOLLYWOOD CITY LINE AND THEY HAVEN'T LEFT EVER SINCE.

HAVING A PLACE TO COOK HAS BEEN MORE COMPLICATED. FOR YEARS, THE FARMERS MARKET GAVE THE COALITION KITCHEN SPACE RENT-FREE, BUT THEN ALONG CAME THE GROVE SHOPPING CENTER. THE OLD KITCHEN THE COALITION WAS USING WAS TORN DOWN. FROM THERE, THERE WERE TWO MORE MOVES, INCLUDING A CLANDESTINE STINT AT MOLLY MALONE'S, AN IRISH BAR. FINALLY CAME HELP FROM AN UNLIKELY SOURCE WHO READ ABOUT THE COALITION'S PLIGHT IN THE NEWSPAPER.

ORLY HALEVY>> SO I DID CONTACT THEM PERSONALLY AND I TOLD THEM THAT I DO HAVE A SHOWROOM AND I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP THEM IF THIS SPACE WOULD SUIT THEM.

PHILIP BRUCE>> ORLY HALEVY WAS ONE OF THE OWNERS OF AFFORDABLE WEST HOLLYWOOD RENT-A-CAR. THEY LET THE FOOD COALITION BUILD A KITCHEN IN THEIR SHOWROOM.

ORLY HALEVY>> EXCEPT BUILDING THE KITCHEN ON THEIR OWN, EVERYTHING HERE WAS FREE. THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY US RENT OR ANYTHING. THIS IS MORE SOCIABLE. IT'S NICER. I LIKE IT BETTER.

PHILIP BRUCE>> BUT EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE RENTAL CAR AGENCY SOLD AND THE NEW OWNERS WEREN'T SURE THEY WANTED A KITCHEN IN THEIR SHOWROOM. FOR THE MOMENT, THEY'RE LETTING IT STAY. THE SOUP KITCHEN IS STILL IN BUSINESS.

MARIA RASIL>> I'M STILL THINKING ABOUT THE GROUP. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT EASY TO DIVIDE THIS PROPERTY AND ALL THIS IN TWO BUSINESSES.

PHILIP BRUCE>> BACK AT SYCAMORE AND ROMAINE, THE VOLUNTEER EFFORTS HAVE EXPANDED. NOW THE COALITION IS JOINED ONCE A WEEK BY A MOBILE HEALTH CLINIC ORGANIZED BY STUDENT VOLUNTEERS FROM UCLA.

DENISE GARVEY, MD>> WE SEE A NUMBER OF THE CLIENTS HERE ON A REGULAR BASIS TOO BECAUSE, GENERALLY, THEY'RE PEOPLE WHO LIVE LOCALLY, SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY COMING TO WALK OVER TO GET THEIR MEAL AND WE'RE RIGHT HERE TOO.

PHILIP BRUCE>> THE COALITION IS A BAND OF REGULAR VOLUNTEERS. SOME, LIKE 89-YEAR-OLD GABRIELLE BRILL, HAVE BEEN HELPING OUT FOR YEARS.

GABRIELLE BRILL>> I AM STRONG AND CAN STAND THREE HOURS WITHOUT BEING TOTALLY EXHAUSTED, BUT I DO NOTICE IT WHEN I COME HOME.

PHILIP BRUCE>> AND SOME OF THE CLIENTS HAVE BECOME VOLUNTEERS ALONG THE WAY.

RANDY ZASLOFF>> I STARTED WORKING THE LINE AND MAKING SURE THAT IT STAYS ORDERLY AND EVERYBODY STAYS SAFE.

PHILIP BRUCE>> THE COALITION ESPOUSES NO PHILOSOPHY AND LOOKS FOR NOTHING IN RETURN FROM THE HOMELESS MEN AND WOMEN IT SERVES. THE HOPE IS THAT A LITTLE HELP AND ENCOURAGEMENT MIGHT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR THEM.

TED LANDRETH>> THE CLOSER YOU GET, THE MORE YOU UNDERSTAND AS WE HAVE UNDERSTOOD OVER THE YEARS, THAT THESE ARE JUST PEOPLE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE AND LIKE US WHO, IN MANY CASES, ARE JUST DOWN ON THEIR LUCK.

>> ANOTHER HAPPY CUSTOMER.

JESS>> AS YOU'VE JUST SEEN, SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE HAVING THE SOUP KITCHEN AROUND, BUT THEY DO BELIEVE IN WHAT IT'S TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. THE CITY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS PROVIDED FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THE COALITION EVEN AFTER THE SOUP KITCHEN MOVED TO ANOTHER LOCATION.

VAL>> TOMORROW ON LIFE AND TIMES, TURNING SALTWATER INTO DRINKING WATER. IT COULD CHANGE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOREVER, BUT WHAT'S INVOLVED AND WHO'S TRYING TO DO IT?

>> THE COSTS ARE REASONABLE NOW, SO IT REALLY WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE FOR US, I THINK, NOT TO PURSUE OCEAN DESALINIZATION BECAUSE IN THE FUTURE WE'RE GOING TO NEED IT AND IT'S GOING TO BE A MAJOR COMPONENT OF OUR SUPPLY.

JESS>> HERE'S SOMETHING THAT MAY MAKE YOU FEEL A BIT BETTER ABOUT YOUR NEXT PAYCHECK. THE RICH ARE STILL GETTING RICHER, BUT NOT AS QUICKLY AS THEY ONCE WERE JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. IN FACT, SOME CALIFORNIA BILLIONAIRES -- BILLIONAIRES -- ARE ENCOUNTERING THE SAME HARD TIMES AS THE REST OF US. THEIR INVESTMENTS AREN'T PANNING OUT AND A FEW OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY WORTH LESS THAN THEY WERE LAST YEAR.

VAL>> BUT DON'T EXPECT THE VERY RICH TO BE CLIPPING COUPONS OR LINING UP AT SOUP KITCHENS JUST YET. THE TOP FIFTY NAMES IN LOS ANGELES ARE STILL WORTH BIG BUCKS, MORE THAN $76 BILLION DOLLARS. NOW THAT IS THREE TIMES WHAT THE SAME GROUP WAS WORTH IN 1996. THE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN COMPILED BY THE LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL AND JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THAT IS THE JOURNAL'S EDITOR, MARK LACTER. WELCOME TO LIFE AND TIMES.

MARK LACTER>> GOOD TO BE HERE.

JESS>> THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT THAN YOU AND ME, HUH?

MARK LACTER>> THEY ARE --

JESS>> -- THEY HAVE MORE MONEY. (LAUGHTER)

MARK LACTER>> (LAUGHTER) YES, HOW ABOUT THAT? BUT THEY DIDN'T DO ALL THAT WELL, AS VAL POINTED OUT, LAST YEAR. THEY DID OKAY, ABOUT A ONE PERCENT YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASE, BUT IF YOU LOOK BACK THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THE TOP FIFTY IN LOS ANGELES HAD A BUMP OF TWENTY PERCENT, SO THEY TOOK A PRETTY BIG HIT. A LOT OF THAT, OF COURSE, BECAUSE OF THE STOCK MARKET AND THE GENERAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS.

JESS>> WE ALWAYS THINK OF FINANCIER PHILANTHROPIST, ELI BROAD.

MARK LACTER>> YOU DO, AND FOR GOOD REASON, BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN ON OUR LIST FOR MANY YEARS NOW. MR. BROAD TOOK SOMEWHAT OF A DROP TO ABOUT A THREE PERCENT DROP OVER A YEAR. A LOT OF THAT, AGAIN, WAS DUE TO THE STOCK MARKET. HE HAS LARGE HOLDINGS IN A BIG INSURANCE COMPANY WHICH DIDN'T DO ALL THAT WELL THIS PAST YEAR.

VAL>> HE'S A VERY PUBLIC FIGURE COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHER FOLKS. BUT ONE WHO ALSO IS VERY PUBLIC IS MARVIN DAVIS. HE MADE HIS MONEY IN OIL, RIGHT?

MARK LACTER>> STARTED WITH OIL. OF COURSE, HE'S BEEN DOING A LOT OF REAL ESTATE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS AND HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THAT. OF COURSE, HE WAS TOILING IN HOLLYWOOD FOR A WHILE AND IS INVOLVED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. MR. DAVIS ACTUALLY HAD A SMALL INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR, SOMEWHERE IN THE $6 SOME ODD BILLION DOLLAR RANGE. AT A CERTAIN POINT, WHO'S COUNTING, REALLY?

VAL>> BUT THE FORTUNES WERE NOT QUITE AS GOOD FOR MR. GARY WINNICK OF GLOBAL CROSSING. TELL US WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.

MARK LACTER>> THAT'S RIGHT, VAL. REMEMBER, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE WERE ON THE SHOW AND HE WAS AT $6 BILLION DOLLARS THAT YEAR AND HE WAS THE WEALTHIEST ANGELENO. MR. WINNICK IS CHAIRMAN OF GLOBAL CROSSING, THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY THAT'S GOTTEN INTO ALL THAT TROUBLE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.

JESS>> IT'S BANKRUPT, BUT HE IS NOT.

MARK LACTER>> HE IS NOT. HE SOLD OUT PRETTY NICELY LAST YEAR AND HIS NET WORTH IS NOW IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $900 MILLION DOLLARS, SO HE'S DOING PRETTY WELL.

VAL> BUT STILL, QUITE A DROP FROM $6 BILLION DOWN TO LESS THAN A BILLION.

MARK LACTER>> IT IS, BUT $900 MILLION IS STILL PRETTY GOOD, VAL. (LAUGHTER)

VAL>> I WOULDN'T COMPLAIN. (LAUGHTER) SO ARE THERE ANY SORT OF OTHER TRENDS THAT ARE HAPPENING AMONG THESE LOS ANGELES RICHEST POPULATION?

MARK LACTER>> WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID IN ADDITION TO HAVING OUR FIFTY WEALTHIEST ANGELENOS WAS TAKE A LOOK AT A CATEGORY CALLED PENTA-MILLIONAIRES. THESE ARE FOLKS BETWEEN $5 MILLION AND $20 MILLION DOLLARS. THE STATISTICS ARE REALLY FASCINATING. OVER 20,000 HOUSEHOLDS NOW IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AT THAT LEVEL, AND THAT'S DOUBLE THE FIGURE OF 1995. SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO HAVE GOOD MONEY, NOT ELI BROAD OR MARVIN DAVIS MONEY, BUT HAVE SEVERAL MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

WHAT WE DISCOVERED WAS THAT THE VALUES ARE VERY MIDDLE-CLASS. THEY'VE RECEIVED MONEY EITHER THROUGH INHERITANCE, PERHAPS THROUGH THE STOCK MARKET, REAL ESTATE APPRECIATION HAS BEEN HUGE HERE IN LOS ANGELES, SO THEY HAVE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT THEY LEAD PRETTY MUCH MIDDLE-CLASS LIVES AND --

JESS>> -- THEY DON'T LIVE LAVISHLY AND THEY'RE NOT HIGH ON THE LIST OF PHILANTHROPISTS?

MARK LACTER>> PHILANTHROPY IS AN AREA THAT THEY'RE GETTING INVOLVED IN AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT A NUMBER OF THE LOCAL NONPROFITS ARE PLEASED WITH BECAUSE, AT A CERTAIN POINT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THIS MONEY AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT WITH YOU, SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH IT? SO THAT'S BEEN AN INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT.

JESS>> YOU HAVE TO ASK IF A PENTA-MILLIONAIRE LOSES HIS OR HER MONEY, ARE THEY PENTA-GON? (LAUGHTER) NOT REALLY.

VAL>> (LAUGHTER) I THINK YOU HAVE SOMETHING THERE. NOW WE MENTIONED, OF COURSE, THREE FAMOUS NAMES AT THE TOP, BUT THERE ARE THE TOP SIX THAT WE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT. IT INCLUDES SOME NAMES THAT MIGHT NOT BE AS FAMILIAR TO PEOPLE. TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. KIRK KERKORIAN. HE WAS YOUR NUMBER ONE, THE RICHEST ANGELENO, WORTH ABOUT $8 BILLION DOLLARS.

JESS>> HE CAN AFFORD CHILD SUPPORT.

VAL>> YES, HE CAN.

MARK LACTER>> HE HAS A BIG CASE INVOLVING HIS KID, ALLEGEDLY HIS KID.

VAL>> VERY MESSY DIVORCE.

MARK LACTER>> YES.

VAL>> AND HE MADE HIS MONEY FROM MGM. HE OWNS MGM STUDIOS AND THE CASINO, MGM MIRAGE.

MARK LACTER>> HE HAS CONTROLLING INTEREST IN MGM AND, AGAIN, THAT'S A CASE OF SOMEONE WHO DID PRETTY WELL LAST YEAR, ON THE VALUATION OF THE STUDIO MOSTLY.

VAL>> AND THEN, OF COURSE, THERE WAS MARVIN DAVIS AND ELI BROAD, WHICH WE TOOK A LOOK AT. DAVID GEFFEN IS NUMBER FOUR AT $3.6 BILLION.

MARK LACTER>> THAT'S RIGHT. I THINK THAT'S A FUNCTION OF THE INCREASED VALUATION FOR DREAMWORKS. MR. GEFFEN HAS BEEN STEADILY RISING ON OUR LIST OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. AT ONE POINT, HE WAS SORT OF AT A PALTRY $1 BILLION OR $2 BILLION DOLLARS. NOW HE'S UP TO ABOUT $3.5 BILLION. OF COURSE, HE MOST RECENTLY DONATED THAT MONEY TO THE UCLA MEDICAL CENTER.

VAL>> A HUGE CONTRIBUTION.

MARK LACTER>> SO IT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE PHILANTHROPIC ASPECTS OF A LOT OF THESE GUYS. AT A CERTAIN POINT, THEY MAKE A DECISION TO START DIVVYING IT OUT.

VAL>> THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER FELLOW, JERRY PERENCHIO. TELL US ABOUT HIM. HE WAS NUMBER FIVE, AT $2.4 BILLION.

MARK LACTER>> YES, HE MADE SOME BIG MONEY BACK IN THE 80'S WHEN HE WAS INVOLVED IN A PRODUCTION COMPANY WITH NORMAN LEAR. THEY SOLD THAT TO COCA-COLA AND HE GOT INVOLVED IN UNIVISION BACK IN THE EARLY 90'S AND HAS DONE VERY WELL WITH THAT ALONG WITH OTHER INVESTMENTS. THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT A LOT OF THESE VERY, VERY WEALTHY FOLKS ARE THE INVESTMENTS. IT'S NOT SO MUCH ONE PARTICULAR THING. IT'S A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT WE'RE NOT ALL THAT FAMILIAR WITH.

JESS>> THEY BELIEVE WHAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD: DIVERSIFY, DIVERSIFY.

MARK LACTER>> IT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE. THE FOLKS WHO HAD BEEN ON OUR LIST IN YEARS PAST AND ARE NO LONGER ON THE LIST, IT'S LARGELY BECAUSE MOST OF THEIR WEALTH WAS HELD UP IN STOCK AND, WHEN THE STOCK PLUMMETED, SO DID THEIR NET WORTH.

JESS>> SUCH AS?

MARK LACTER>> SUCH AS A NUMBER OF THE FOLKS FROM GLOBAL CROSSING IN ADDITION TO MR. WINNICK. A NUMBER OF THOSE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SEEN THEIR NET WORTH DROP. OF COURSE, AGAIN, THEY'RE STILL PRETTY WEALTHY PEOPLE.

JESS>> STEVEN SPIELBERG IS STILL DOING WELL.

VAL>> HE IS. HE'S NUMBER SIX.

MARK LACTER>> AGAIN, THE VALUATION OF THE DREAMWORKS PROPERTY IS A BIG REASON FOR THAT.

JESS>> $2.3 BILLION.

MARK LACTER>> UM-HUM, AND THE MOVIES HAVE -- YOU KNOW, HE HAS SOME AMAZING DEALS IN TERMS OF THE MOVIE CONTRACTS, SO HE DOES WELL ON THAT.

VAL>> DO YOU FIND THAT THERE'S ANY SORT OF COLLECTIVE PERSONALITY TO THESE GROUPS OR ARE THESE WEALTHY, REALLY INDIVIDUALS? SOME ARE VERY PUBLIC, SOME ARE PRIVATE, SOME ARE PHILANTHROPIC, SOME ARE NOT. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN --

MARK LACTER>> -- IT REALLY IS ALL OVER THE MAP. I WILL TELL YOU THAT, FOR THE MOST PART, THEY ARE VERY PRIVATE. PUTTING TOGETHER A LIST LIKE THIS EVERY YEAR IS --

VAL>> -- IS IT HARD?

MARK LACTER>> IT IS CHALLENGING. THE TWO MOST FREQUENT QUESTIONS, OR MOST RESPONSES, THAT I GET ABOUT THIS LIST FROM THE WEALTHIEST IS, ONE, "I DON'T WANT TO BE ON THE LIST", AND, TWO, --

VAL>> -- THEY DON'T WANT TO BE ON THE LIST?

MARK LACTER>> THEY DON'T WANT TO BE ON THE LIST, AND THE SECOND THING IS, "I MAKE MORE MONEY THAN YOU HAVE LISTED." (LAUGHTER)

JESS>> VERY QUICKLY, THERE ARE THOSE WHO WOULD NOTE THAT THEY ARE ALL MALE AND THEY ARE ALL WHITE.

MARK LACTER>> ALMOST ALL. THERE ARE TWO OR THREE OUT OF THE FIFTY THAT ARE WOMEN.

VAL>> AND OLDER.

MARK LACTER>> AND OLDER. YES, THAT'S RIGHT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SEVERAL BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, IT TAKES A WHILE TO ACCUMULATE THAT KIND OF WEALTH.

VAL>> TAKES A WHILE. WELL, MARK, I'M HOPING ONE DAY I'LL BE ON THE LIST, BUT I'M NOT HOLDING MY BREATH.

MARK LACTER>> PLAY THE MARKET. (LAUGHTER)

VAL>> (LAUGHTER) MARK LACTER, EDITOR OF THE LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE STORY ON L.A.'S RICHEST, CHECK OUT THIS WEEK'S EDITION OF THE LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL.

JESS>> IT'S BEEN A BUSY WEEK FOR THE LIFE AND TIMES MAILROOM. LOTS OF LETTERS FROM VIEWERS AND SOME OF THEM PRETTY CRITICAL. YOUR COMMENTS WERE VERY HEATED ABOUT A STORY ON OUR CONTROVERSIAL, TO SAY THE LEAST, NEW FLAG EXHIBIT IN PASADENA. THE FLAGS HAVE BEEN ALTERED TO REFLECT POLITICAL VIEWPOINTS THAT MANY PEOPLE MAY FIND VERY OFFENSIVE. ONE VIEWER ASKED WHY AIR A REPORT LIKE THAT ON MEMORIAL DAY:

"I AM A FIRM BELIEVER IN THE FIRST AMENDMENT. CRITICIZING AMERICA IS PROTECTED SPEECH AND EVEN USING THE FLAG IN ART OR BURNING IS WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT. GO AHEAD AND SHOW THAT KIND OF FEATURE, BUT DON'T DO IT ON MEMORIAL DAY. IT'S A DISHONOR TO THOSE WHO DIED IN SERVICE TO AMERICA."

VAL>> POINT WELL TAKEN. AND SEVERAL OF YOU RESPONDED TO OUR SPECIAL THAT FOCUSED ON THE ETHICS OF HOLLYWOOD. ONE OF THE KEY ISSUES CONFRONTING OUR PANEL WAS THE AMOUNT OF SEX AND VIOLENCE ON TELEVISION AND IN THE MOVIES. ONE VIEWER WROTE:

"TOM SELLECK ONLY ALLUDED THAT HOLLYWOOD SHOULD CONSIDER ITS RESPONSIBILITIES, BUT THE DISCUSSION SHOULD DWELL ON THE AMOUNT OF MEDIA AND THE NUMBER OF SHOWS CONTAINING VIOLENCE AND SEX. ONLY AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING THE BOMBARDMENT CAN YOU MOVE ON TO WHO BEARS RESPONSIBILITY."

VAL>> AND OUR SEGMENT ON THE PROS AND CONS OF SECESSION DREW AN E-MAIL FROM ONE VIEWER WHO WONDERED WHY THE VALLEY SPOKESMAN TALKED SO FAST:

"THOSE FOR SECESSION TALK VERY FAST AND THROW OUT LOTS OF NUMBERS AND SAY THINGS THAT MAKE OTHERS ANGRY. THEY ARE SO SURE THAT EVERYONE AGREES WITH THEM, THEY TAKE NO TIME TO THINK. THERE IS MUCH TO THINK ABOUT ON THIS ISSUE AND PEOPLE MUST BE INFORMED NOW, NOT WHEN IT'S TIME TO VOTE."

JESS>> SOME OF YOU ALSO COMMENTED ABOUT OUR STORY ON A NEW CLEAN AIR BILL. THE MEASURE TARGETS CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS AND HAS DRAWN HUGE OPPOSITION FROM THE AUTO INDUSTRY. ONE VIEWER HAD THIS QUESTION:

"I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY THE AIR QUALITY FOLKS ARE NOT GOING AFTER THE DIESEL TRUCKS THAT RIP UP AND DOWN OUR STATE ROADS. INSTEAD, THEY GO AFTER LAWN MOWERS AND SUCH."

JESS>> HERE'S HOW YOU CAN TELL US WHAT YOU THINK:

LIFEANDTIMES@KCET.ORG
WWW.KCET.ORG.
LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT
4401 SUNSET BLVD.
LOS ANGELES, CA 90027
(323) 953-5555

VAL>> HE WAS AN ARTIST WHO BECAME FAMOUS BY FOCUSING ON EVERYDAY IMAGES AND, ALONG THE WAY, ANDY WARHOL GOT SOMETHING ELSE THAT MANY SAY HE CRAVED: THE CELEBRITY OF A SUPERSTAR. WARHOL'S WORK WAS A MARRIAGE OF FINE ART AND POPULAR CULTURE AND MUCH OF IT IS NOW THE SUBJECT OF A MAJOR EXHIBIT AT L.A.'S MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART.

JESS>> WARHOL WAS OBSESSED WITH BOTH CELEBRITY AND CONSUMERISM. HE'S KNOWN FOR HIS PAINTINGS OF SOUP CANS AND COKE BOTTLES AND FOR HIS PORTRAITS OF THE FAMOUS, MANY OF WHOM JOINED HIM IN HIS FAST-PACED WORLD OF PARTIES AND EXPERIMENTATION. HERE WITH MORE ON THE LIFE AND WORK OF ANDY WARHOL IS JEREMY STRICK, WHO IS DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART. WELCOME TO LIFE AND TIMES. POP ARTIST MORE THAN CLASSICAL ARTIST?

JEREMY STRICK>> WELL, YOU KNOW, WARHOL REALLY BROUGHT TOGETHER FINE ART AND POPULAR CULTURE AND MADE A NEW SYNTHESIS. SOMETHING THAT WAS NEW HADN'T BEEN DONE BEFORE AND SOMETHING THAT'S LASTED. THESE IMAGES THAT HE MADE BACK IN THE 1960'S, BACK IN THE 1970'S, WERE RADICAL. THEY WERE EXTRAORDINARY. SOME OF THEM WERE SHOCKING. TODAY THEY'RE CLASSICS.

JESS>> THEY REPRESENTED HIM. HE WAS RADICAL. HE WAS EXTRAORDINARY. HE WAS SHOCKING.

JEREMY STRICK>> WELL, HE WAS, IN HIS WAY, BUT HE HAD A REAL TOUCH. HE UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE ENDURING IMAGES WOULD BE. HE UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE KEY IMAGES OF OUR CULTURE WERE AND HE WAS ABLE TO SELECT THOSE IMAGES, REFINE THEM, FRAME THEM, CREATE THEM ANEW AND PRESENT THEM TO US IN A WAY THAT WE REALLY GRASPED AND REALLY APPRECIATED.

VAL>> NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE SEEING SOME OF THE IMAGES HE'S REALLY FAMOUS FOR, BUT THE EXHIBIT ACTUALLY HAS A MUCH WIDER RANGE THAN THAT. SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF HIS EARLIER WORK, WORK THAT MAY NOT BE NEARLY AS FAMILIAR TO PEOPLE. WE HAVE A SKETCH HERE.

JEREMY STRICK>> RIGHT. THIS IS A SELF-PORTRAIT, ANOTHER DRAWING WARHOL MADE IN ART SCHOOL. HIS TEACHERS WEREN'T THRILLED WITH THAT, (LAUGHTER) BUT HE WAS AN INCREDIBLY TALENTED STUDENT. WHEN HE WENT TO NEW YORK IN THE 1950'S, HE STARTED AT A CAREER AS A COMMERCIAL ARTIST AND HE QUICKLY BECAME ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL, HIGHLY-REGARDED COMMERCIAL ARTISTS IN THIS COUNTRY.

VAL>> SO EARLY WORK -- THIS IS, WHAT, FROM THE 40'S AND 50'S?

JEREMY STRICK>> THIS IS MOSTLY FROM THE 1950'S.

JESS>> THESE ARE ILLUSTRATIONS FOR CATALOGS PRACTICALLY.

JEREMY STRICK>> WELL, HE MADE ADVERTISEMENTS, ILLUSTRATIONS FOR CATALOGS --

JESS>> -- WINDOW DRESSING WAS A BIG THING WITH HIM.

JEREMY STRICK>> AND, YOU KNOW, HE COULDN'T GET A SHOW IN A GALLERY AT FIRST, SO HE SHOWED IN THE WINDOWS, THEN HE STARTED USING THESE IMAGES. FOUND OBJECTS, EVERYDAY IMAGES, SOUP CANS, COKE BOTTLES, THINGS FROM EVERYDAY LIFE. HE RECOGNIZED THESE AS GREAT DESIGN OBJECTS IN AND OF THEMSELVES, BUT HE REALIZED THAT IF YOU MAKE PAINTINGS OF THEM, THEY CAN START TO SAY SOMETHING EVEN MORE SPECIAL.

JESS>> WAS HE ALWAYS VERY COMMERCIAL? DID HIS WORK ALWAYS SELL WELL?

JEREMY STRICK>> NO, NOT IN HIS FIRST YEARS. THE FIRST SHOW HE HAD WAS RIGHT HERE IN LOS ANGELES IN 1962. HE SHOWED 32 "SOUP CANS". WE SAW A PICTURE OF IT A MINUTE AGO.

VAL>> DID THEY SELL?

JEREMY STRICK>> TWO OR THREE SOLD.

VAL>> (LAUGHTER) CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT THEY SOLD FOR IF WE HAD BOUGHT THEM?

JEREMY STRICK>> THAT'S RIGHT. EVENTUALLY, THE DEALER WHO HAD THE SHOW, IRVING BLUM, BOUGHT THEM BACK. IT'S AN INCREDIBLE STORY. SO HIS WORK WASN'T SO WELL-RECEIVED RIGHT OFF THE BAT, BUT VERY SOON HE STARTED TO ACHIEVE A REAL KIND OF RENOWN AND PEOPLE RECOGNIZED HIM. ALWAYS CONTROVERSIAL.

JESS>> NOW THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE IN THIS COUNTRY THIS SHOW WILL BE SEEN? IT WAS IN BERLIN AND, WHAT, LONDON?

JEREMY STRICK>> THAT'S RIGHT. THE SHOW OPENED UP IN BERLIN, MOVED TO LONDON, AND NOW MOCA IS THE ONLY AMERICAN VENUE. WE'RE INCREDIBLY HAPPY TO BE HOSTING THIS SHOW.

VAL>> IS THAT A REAL COUPS?

JEREMY STRICK>> IT'S A GREAT THING FOR THE MUSEUM. IT'S A GREAT THING FOR LOS ANGELES. YOU KNOW, WARHOL HAD THIS SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH LOS ANGELES. AS I SAID, HE HAD HIS FIRST GALLERY SHOW HERE. HE WAS ALWAYS FASCINATED BY CELEBRITIES, BY THE CULTURE OF CELEBRITIES THAT WAS GENERATED IN LOS ANGELES, LIKE HOLLYWOOD --

VAL>> -- WELL, WHEN IT COMES TO CONSUMERISM AND CELEBRITY, L.A. IS THE MECCA. NOW HERE ARE THE IMAGES THAT HE IS MOST FAMOUS FOR. THIS EMERGED AT WHAT STAGE IN HIS CAREER?

JEREMY STRICK>> WELL, YOU KNOW, EARLY IN THE 1960'S. IN '63 AND '64, HE STARTED TURNING TO IMAGES OF CELEBRITIES. IN 1963, AGAIN HE HAD A SHOW OF THE LIZ AND THE ELVISES. BUT THIS SHOW HAS, AGAIN, WORKS THAT PEOPLE HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE, LIKE THOSE EARLY DRAWINGS, SOME OF HIS MOST FAMOUS IMAGES, THE CELEBRITIES, THE FLOWERS. IT REALLY BRINGS TOGETHER AN INCREDIBLE SURVEY.

YOU'VE GOT MORE THAN 240 PAINTINGS, DRAWINGS, SCULPTURES IN THIS SHOW, HIS LATER WORK. YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THAT PAINTING OF SHOES. HE STARTED OFF MAKING SHOES FOR I. MILLER IN NEW YORK. AT THE END OF HIS LIFE, HE'S PAINTING SHOES AGAIN. EARLY PAINTINGS, CARTOONS, AND THEN THESE SELF-PORTRAITS THAT HE PAINTS THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER.

JESS>> HIS PERSONAL LIFE WAS AS FLAMBOYANT AS HIS PAINTING.

JEREMY STRICK>> WELL, IT WAS A DOUBLE-SIDED THING HERE. THERE WAS A PUBLIC ANDY WARHOL AND A PRIVATE ANDY WARHOL. PRIVATELY, HE WAS EXTREMELY PRIVATE. NO ONE VISITED HIS APARTMENT --

VAL>> -- ALMOST MYSTERIOUS. HE DIDN'T WANT A LOT OF HIS PERSONAL LIFE TO BE KNOWN.

JEREMY STRICK>> ABSOLUTELY, THAT'S RIGHT. BUT HE HAD ALSO THIS PUBLIC PERSONA. HE WAS OUT AT EVERY PARTY, HE WAS TAKING PICTURES AND HE UNDERSTOOD --

VAL>> -- NOW EXPLAIN THAT, "THE LAST SUPPER".

JEREMY STRICK>> HIS LAST PAINTINGS. HE DIED IN 1987. IN '86 HE HAD A SHOW IN A GALLERY IN ITALY OF "THE LAST SUPPER". HE TOOK LEONARDO DA VINCI'S PAINTING AND MADE HIS OWN VERSIONS OF IT. THIS ONE IS THE LAST SELF-PORTRAIT WITH THAT INCREDIBLE FRIGHT WIG. A REALLY POWERFUL IMAGE.

JESS>> THIS IS A REAL COUPS FOR MOCA, BUT HOW WELL IS IT BEING RECEIVED?

JEREMY STRICK>> OH, THE RECEPTION HAS BEEN FANTASTIC. GREAT, GREAT REVIEWS, FANTASTIC PRESS, AND THE PUBLIC IS FLOCKING TO IT. WE HAD OUR OPENING DAY SATURDAY. THIS WEEKEND WAS LIKE NOTHING WE'VE EVER HAD BEFORE. WONDERFUL.

JESS>> SOME ARE COMPARING THIS TO THE COUNTY MUSEUM'S VAN GOGH EXHIBIT.

JEREMY STRICK>> WELL, FOR US, THIS IS A MAJOR SHOW. VAN GOGH WAS AN IMPRESSIONIST PAINTER. WE DON'T EXPECT TO BRING AS MANY PEOPLE AS THAT SHOW, BUT WE'RE SEEING MORE PEOPLE THAN WE'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE AND WE THINK THAT WILL CONTINUE.

VAL>> AND, AGAIN, WHAT I THINK IS SO INTERESTING IS THAT YOU DO HAVE A LOT OF HIS LESSER-KNOWN, LESS "POPULAR" WORKS. APPARENTLY, HE DID A SERIES CALLED THE "DEATH AND DISASTER" SERIES?

JEREMY STRICK>> WARHOL WAS KNOWN AS AN ARTIST OF GLITZ, GLAMOUR, FAME, BUT ALWAYS THERE WAS A DARKER SIDE, A MORE PROFOUND SIDE. HE PAINTED A SERIES BEGINNING IN THE 1960'S OF CAR CRASHES, DISASTERS, ELECTRIC CHAIRS --

JESS>> -- THIS IS AN ELECTRIC CHAIR.

JEREMY STRICK>> THESE ARE REALLY POWERFUL IMAGES.

JESS>> DARKER SIDE, INDEED.

JEREMY STRICK>> AND WHAT YOU REALIZE IS, EVEN WITH MANY OF THE CELEBRITIES, HE CHOSE TO PAINT MARILYN MONROE RIGHT AFTER HER SUICIDE. HE PAINTED JACKIE KENNEDY RIGHT AFTER THE ASSASSINATION OF JOHN F. KENNEDY. CONSISTENTLY, THERE'S AN UNDERLYING THEME OF TRAGEDY. FOR WARHOL, YOU REALLY GET THE TWO SIDES, THE GLAMOUR, THE FAME, BUT WHAT LIES BENEATH, AND THOSE TWO ARE ALWAYS IN ATTENTION. THAT'S, I THINK, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS GIVEN HIS WORK THIS REALLY ENDURING QUALITY. IT'S REAL POWER.

JESS>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR THANKS TO JEREMY STRICK, DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART IN LOS ANGELES. THE ANDY WARHOL RETROSPECTIVE IS NOW ON DISPLAY AT MOCA IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES THROUGH AUGUST 18. FOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN GO TO THEIR WEBSITE AT WWW.MOCA.ORG.

VAL>> IT IS GOING TO BE THERE THROUGH AUGUST 18, SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S EXTREMELY CROWDED NOW AND THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF SPECIAL EVENTS, BE PATIENT, WAIT FOR THE CROWDS TO THIN OUT A LITTLE BIT, BUT DEFINITELY GO. THANK YOU SO MUCH, JEREMY STRICK.

THAT IS OUR PROGRAM FOR THIS EVENING. WE INVITE YOU TO LOG ONTO WWW.KCET.ORG FOR TRANSCRIPTS AND STREAMING AUDIO OF RECENT PROGRAMS.

JESS>> NOW FOR ALL OF US HERE AT LIFE AND TIMES, HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

VAL>> GOOD NIGHT.

LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS:

THE L.K. WHITTIER FOUNDATION
DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE ENDEAVORS IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICINE, HEALTH, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION.

AND THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT
THE STATE'S LARGEST HEALTH FOUNDATION SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT DIRECTLY IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF CALIFORNIA'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT, A PARTNER FOR HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES.

TO REACH US AT LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT, CALL 323-953-5555. SEND US AN E-MAIL TO LIFEANDTIMES@KCET.ORG OR LOG ONTO OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.KCET.ORG TO SEND MESSAGES OR DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPTS OF TONIGHT'S PROGRAM.