10/16/02

LC021016

VAL ZAVALA>> ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT --

JESS MARLOW>> NO ONE EVER PROMISED THE STUDENTS A DAY AT THE BEACH, BUT YOU MIGHT EXPECT ONE AT A SCHOOL NAMED FOR THE CHANNEL ISLANDS.

LOUISE LUTZE-MANN>> IF YOU START SOMETHING NEW, YOU GET TO DO IT RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING. YOU DON’T HAVE TO TRY AND CHANGE WHAT IS IN EXISTENCE. YOU GET TO CREATE IT THE WAY YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE CREATED.

VAL>> HOLLYWOOD ISN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE, BUT WE’LL SHOW YOU THE WAY IT WAS.

[FILM CLIP]

VAL>> TONIGHT A VETERAN JOURNALIST TELLS US THE SECRETS WE HAVEN’T HEARD BEFORE ABOUT A HOLLYWOOD FEW OF US EVER SAW.

JESS>> AND THEN A LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN EAST MEETS WEST.

[FILM CLIP]

JESS>> WE’LL VISIT AMERICA’S OLDEST ASIAN THEATER GROUP. IT’S HERE IN LOS ANGELES AND WE’LL FIND OUT HOW THEY’VE STAYED TOGETHER ALL THESE YEARS.

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. AN OLD STATE MENTAL HOSPITAL MAY NOT BE THE MOST OBVIOUS PLACE TO START A NEW STATE UNIVERSITY, BUT AS IT TURNS OUT, THE LOCATION HAS BEEN IDEAL. JUST DON’T GET CONFUSED BY THE NAME.

VAL>> WE’RE TALKING ABOUT CAL STATE CHANNEL ISLANDS. IT’S CALIFORNIA’S NEWEST UNIVERSITY AND, AS PHILIP BRUCE REPORTS, THE SCHOOL MAY HELP PAVE THE WAY FOR A NEW HIGH-TECH FUTURE IN VENTURA COUNTY.

PHILIP BRUCE>> AFTER A STRUGGLE OF MORE THAN THREE DECADES, VENTURA COUNTY FINALLY HAS ITS OWN MAJOR UNIVERSITY. THEY CALL IT CAL STATE CHANNEL ISLANDS, A NAME THAT IMPLIES AN OCEAN VIEW, THOUGH THIS CAMPUS IS FAR FROM THE WATER LOCATED NEXT TO SOME FARMLANDS ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF CAMARILLO.

KEION MORGAN>> WHEN YOU DRIVE IN SOMETIMES, YOU MAY SEE DEER RUNNING UP TRYING TO SAY HELLO TO YOU, BUT ALL IN ALL, THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE.

PHILIP BRUCE>> KEION MORGAN, WHO WORKS IN THE STUDENT CENTER, ALREADY HAS HIS UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE FROM HUMBOLDT STATE, BUT THE DAY HE READ ABOUT THE NEW CAMPUS, MORGAN KNEW THIS WAS WHERE HE WANTED TO BE.

KEION MORGAN>> I REALLY FELT A SENSE OF I NEED TO BE THERE, I NEED TO BE THERE, I NEED TO BE THERE, AND IT JUST WENT FROM THERE. I ACTUALLY APPLIED FOR A POSITION ON CAMPUS AND HERE I AM NOW.

LOUISE LUTZE-MANN>> NOW JUST DO IT GENTLY SO WE DON’T DAMAGE THE CELLS.

PHILIP BRUCE>> JUST ABOUT EVERYONE SAYS WHAT DREW THEM HERE WAS A DESIRE TO BE PART OF SOMETHING NEW. BIOLOGY PROFESSOR, LOUISE LUTZE-MANN, COMES ALL THE WAY FROM AUSTRALIA.

LOUISE LUTZE-MANN>> IF YOU START SOMETHING NEW, YOU GET TO DO IT RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING. YOU DON’T HAVE TO TRY AND CHANGE WHAT IS IN EXISTENCE. YOU GET TO CREATE IT THE WAY YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE CREATED.

PHILIP BRUCE>> PAUL RIVERA IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS. HE SAYS BEING ABLE TO HELP MAKE IMPORTANT DECISIONS THAT WILL AFFECT THE FUTURE COURSE OF THE UNIVERSITY WAS A HUGE DRAW FOR HIM.

PAUL RIVERA>> I THINK THAT THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE WHO PROBABLY WERE SCARED OFF NOT SO MUCH BY THE LACK OF REPUTATION, BUT BY THE LACK OF SOLIDITY, THE AMBIGUITY, SO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE ARE THOSE OF US WHO ARE VERY COMFORTABLE WORKING IN A FLUID ENVIRONMENT, WORKING IN A VERY CROSS-DISCIPLINARY ENVIRONMENT.

PHILIP BRUCE>> AMID FANFARE AND SPEECH-MAKING, THE UNIVERSITY OPENED ITS DOORS IN AUGUST.

GRAY DAVIS>> I WANT TO OFFICIALLY DECLARE CAL STATE UNIVERSITY CHANNEL ISLANDS OPEN THIS INSTANT, OPEN AS A FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY.

PHILIP BRUCE>> EVENTUALLY, CHANNEL ISLANDS WILL HAVE 15,000 STUDENTS, BUT TODAY IT HAS ONLY 670. ALL OF THEM ARE JUNIORS AND SENIORS WHO TRANSFERRED IN FROM COMMUNITY COLLEGES OR OTHER FOUR-YEAR SCHOOLS. THE FIRST FRESHMAN CLASS WON’T ENROLL UNTIL NEXT FALL.

RICHARD RUSH>> IT TAKES A DIFFERENT KIND OF STUDENT, I THINK, TO COME TO A STARTUP. A STUDENT WHO WANTS ALL OF THE TRADITIONS AND THE PERKS AND THE AMBIANCE OF AN ESTABLISHED CAMPUS WILL NOT BE INTERESTED IN US. A STUDENT WHO WANTS TO BE IN ON THE BEGINNING WILL BE ATTRACTED TO US.

PHILIP BRUCE>> UNTIL NOW, VENTURA COUNTY HAS SENT FEWER STUDENTS TO FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAN OTHER PARTS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, BUT THE NEW CHANNEL ISLANDS SCHOOL MIGHT CHANGE ALL THAT. ONE OF THE NEW ARRIVALS HERE IS NICOLE MANZANO, A 21-YEAR-OLD MOM WITH A YEAR-OLD BABY. HER HUSBAND IS AWAY IN THE NAVY, BUT NOW THAT THERE’S A UNIVERSITY CLOSE TO HOME, NICOLE HAS DECIDED TO GET HER DEGREE.

NICOLE MANZANO>> I’M GLAD THAT IT OPENED HERE. I WAS KIND OF WAITING. I WAS KIND OF HOLDING BACK ON FINISHING MY DEGREE UNTIL IT ACTUALLY DID OPEN HERE.

PHILIP BRUCE>> MOST OF THE STUDENTS HERE WORK AND MANY OF THEM ARE OLDER THAN THE TYPICAL COLLEGE CROWD. THOMAS O’GRADY IS MAJORING IN BIOLOGY AFTER TRYING HIS HAND AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT CAREERS.

THOMAS O’GRADY>> WELL, I’VE DONE A NUMBER OF THINGS IN MY LIFE. MOST RECENTLY, FOR SEVERAL YEARS, I WAS A COOK AND OWNED A SMALL RESTAURANT IN OXNARD. WE FINALLY SOLD IT, OUR FAMILY, AND I WAS IN BETWEEN THINGS AND HERE I AM.

PHILIP BRUCE>> PROFESSOR LUTZE-MANN SAYS IT SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM FOR HER STUDENTS TO PUT THEIR EDUCATION TO WORK RIGHT HERE IN VENTURA COUNTY. THAT’S ANOTHER BIG REASON THAT SHE WAS ATTRACTED TO THE CAMPUS.

LOUIS LUTZE-MANN>> THERE ARE LARGE BIOTECHNOLOGY FIRMS WITHIN THIS COUNTY, AMGEN, BAXTER, FOR INSTANCE, SO THAT I KNEW THAT WE WOULD BE PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH AN EDUCATION THAT THEY WOULD THEN BE ABLE TO USE.

PHILIP BRUCE>> UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT, RICHARD RUSH, HAS A VERY DIFFERENT TASK FROM MOST COLLEGE PRESIDENTS. HE HAS TO CREATE EVERYTHING HERE FROM SCRATCH. BUT RUSH SAYS THE ACADEMIC OFFERINGS ARE STRONG AND WILL GET STRONGER AS THE ENROLLMENT GROWS.

RICHARD RUSH>> AS A STARTUP, WE’LL HAVE A NARROW CURRICULUM FOR THE TIME BEING AND WE’LL BUILD UPON IT EACH YEAR AS RESOURCES ALLOW.

PHILIP BRUCE>> ONE THING WAS ALREADY HERE, THE SPANISH REVIVAL STYLE ARCHITECTURE FROM THE 1930’S AND 1940’S. THIS USED TO BE THE GROUNDS OF CAMARILLO STATE HOSPITAL, A FACILITY FOR THE MENTALLY ILL AND DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED PEOPLE. AT ONE TIME, AS MANY AS 7,000 PATIENTS LIVED HERE. MANY OF THEM ATE IN THIS NOW ABANDONED DINING HALL. EVEN THE OLD BOWLING ALLEY IS STILL INTACT. FOR THE MOST PART, THE UNIVERSITY WILL PRESERVE THE ARCHITECTURE WHILE RENOVATING THE INSIDE SPACES FOR CLASSROOMS AND FOR OTHER NEEDS, SUCH AS THIS ALREADY COMPLETED ART CENTER. BUT THERE IS SOME NEW CONSTRUCTION. THE UNIVERSITY IS CURRENTLY BUILDING A NEW SCIENCE FACILITY PLUS A 900-UNIT HOUSING COMPLEX FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO LIVE NEAR THE CHANNEL ISLANDS CAMPUS.

RICHARD RUSH>> THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO ATTRACT FACULTY AND STAFF ON THE FRONT END, BUT ON THE BACK END, THE REVENUES FROM THOSE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS WILL GIVE US THE RESOURCES TO RESTORE THE SPANISH REVIVAL ARCHITECTURE ON CAMPUS.

PHILIP BRUCE>> THE UNIVERSITY HOPES TO HAVE MANY TIES TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. THE GOLD COAST INNOVATION CENTER, A THINK TANK STUDYING ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, IS ALREADY AT WORK HERE. SO IS A LOCAL ART GALLERY THAT’S ALSO USING CAMPUS SPACE. BUT THE SCHOOL SAYS ITS NUMBER ONE CONCERN IS PROVIDING A GREAT EDUCATION FOR ALL THOSE WHO COME HERE.

KEION MORGAN>> WE WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES FOR OUR STUDENTS TO BE HAPPY.

PHILIP BRUCE>> KEION MORGAN IS WAITING FOR A GRADUATE PROGRAM IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. IT SHOULD BE OFFERED IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. IN THE MEANTIME, MORGAN SAYS HE HOPES HIS TIES TO CAL STATE CHANNEL ISLANDS WILL INSPIRE HIS FRIENDS AND RELATIVES BACK IN THE OLD NEIGHBORHOOD IN INGLEWOOD.

KEION MORGAN>> IF I CAN MAKE IT GOING FROM NOWHERE TO SOMEWHERE, ANYONE CAN MAKE IT. THAT’S THE BIGGEST THING I REALLY WANT TO PROVE, ESPECIALLY TO MY FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD BROTHER WHO’S RIGHT NOW JUST STARTING HIGH SCHOOL AND I JUST WANT TO GET HIM ON THE RIGHT PATH TO PURSUE COLLEGE.

JESS>> IT MAY NOT HAVE AN OCEAN VIEW, BUT THAT’S A CAMPUS THAT WAS THERE TO BEGIN WITH, IT SEEMS LIKE. THE BUILDINGS, THOSE MATURE TREES, A SHADED CAMPUS. THAT’S VERY TRADITIONAL LOOKING.

PHILIP BRUCE>> IT’S A GREAT SCENIC LOCATION AND THE PEOPLE SAY, AS FOR CHANNEL ISLANDS, IT’S A NAME THAT EVOKES THE COASTAL SPIRIT THERE. IT’S KIND OF THE SAME PHILOSOPHY THAT PEOPLE HAD WHO NAMED GREENLAND, YOU KNOW? I MEAN, YOU BRING THEM IN, YOU GIVE THEM THIS WHOLE IMAGE THING, BUT IT REALLY APPLIES TO THIS LOCATION BECAUSE IT IS VERY CALIFORNIAN.

VAL>> NOW HOW ARE THEY DOING IN TERMS OF ATTRACTING FACULTY? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, THEY HAVE JUST A VERY SMALL STUDENT BODY, LESS THAN SEVEN HUNDRED, SO THE FACULTY IS SMALL TOO.

PHILIP BRUCE>> JOB ONE IS BRINGING STUDENTS, JOB TWO IS BRINGING FACULTY. AND THE FACULTY PART OF IT CAN BE DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THE PAY DIFFERENTIAL. CAL STATE TYPICALLY PAYS FOR BEGINNING PROFESSORS SOMEWHERE AROUND $55,000 AND, IN THAT VENTURA COUNTY MARKET, THAT CAN BE TOUGH WHEN PEOPLE HAVE TO FIND A PLACE TO LIVE. THAT’S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE SCHOOL IS BUILDING SOME HOUSING NEAR THE CAMPUS. THEY HOPE TO USE THAT AS AN INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT WANT TO COME HERE AND TEACH, BUT WHO MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT OTHERWISE.

JESS>> BUT, SYSTEM-WISE, THERE’S CERTAINLY NO SHORTAGE OF STUDENTS?

PHILIP BRUCE>> NO, NO. IN FACT, THERE IS GOING TO BE A HUGE SURPLUS OF STUDENTS AND THAT’S PART OF THE REASON FOR EXPANDING THE CAL STATE SYSTEM. ON DOWN THE ROAD, WE’RE TALKING MAYBE TEN YEARS OR MAYBE TWENTY YEARS, THE SYSTEM MAY BE OVERLOADED. YOU KNOW, THERE’S BEEN A PHILOSOPHY IN THE STATE AND THE LAW, AS A MATTER OF FACT, THAT IF A STUDENT, A CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE, HAD A “C” AVERAGE, THEY WERE GUARANTEED ADMISSION INTO A CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY.

VAL>> WITH A “C” AVERAGE, GUARANTEED ADMISSION?

PHILIP BRUCE>> YEAH, BUT WE’RE RUNNING INTO A PROBLEM NOW IN TERMS OF SPACE. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE COMING IN, SO MANY STUDENTS COMING UP WHO HAVE THAT QUALIFICATION, THERE AREN’T ENOUGH CLASSROOMS TO ACCOMMODATE THEM ALL.

VAL>> VERY GOOD. SO SEVEN HUNDRED STUDENTS NOW AND A MAXIMUM OF 50,000, YOU SAY?

PHILIP BRUCE>> 15,000.

VAL>> 15,000.

PHILIP BRUCE>> SO, BY CAL STATE STANDARDS, FAIRLY SMALL.

JESS>> THAT IS SMALL.

VAL>> PHILIP BRUCE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

TOMORROW ON LIFE AND TIMES, THE BATTLE OVER SECESSION. THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES SAYS HE WANTS TO CRUSH IT ONCE AND FOR ALL, BUT CAN HE BEAT THE SECESSION FORCES ON THEIR OWN TURF AND WHAT CAN THEY DO TO FIGHT BACK? THAT’S TOMORROW AT 7:00 P.M. ON LIFE AND TIMES.

JESS>> TONIGHT WE'RE TAKING A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE AND, FOR SOME MAJOR STARS, IT'S NOT EXACTLY A SCENIC TOUR. FOR THAT, YOU CAN THANK OUR NEXT GUEST. HE HAS UNEARTHED SOME NEW TALES ABOUT THE BIGGEST NAMES FROM HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN ERA.

VAL>> DAVID WALLACE IS AN EXPERT ON THE SUBJECT. FOR YEARS, HE HAS WRITTEN ABOUT HOLLYWOOD'S GLAMOUR DAYS, WHICH SPAN THE FIRST HALF OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, AND HE'S SHOWN US HOW THE BIG STARS FROM THAT TIME LIVED WHEN THEY WERE OFF-SCREEN. WELL, NOW DAVID WALLACE HAS WRITTEN A NEW BOOK. IT IS FILLED WITH STORIES THAT WE HAVEN'T HEARD BEFORE AND IT'S CALLED "HOLLYWOODLAND". WE ARE PLEASED TO HAVE HIM HERE TO TALK ABOUT IT TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.

DAVID WALLACE>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

JESS>> WITH ALL THE COVERAGE OF HOLLYWOOD, IT'S A REAL CHALLENGE TO FIND STORIES WE HAVEN'T HEARD.

DAVID WALLACE>> IT CERTAINLY IS, AND THIS GOES ALL THE WAY BACK BECAUSE HOLLYWOOD'S ALWAYS HAD THE HABIT OF EXAGGERATING ITSELF. THESE STORIES KEEP BUILDING AS THEY GO. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN WRITING A BOOK LIKE THIS OR MY PREVIOUS BOOK, "LOST HOLLYWOOD", IS TRYING TO GET BACK TO WHAT THE FACTS REALLY WERE.

VAL>> SEPARATING THE FACT FROM THE FICTION.

DAVID WALLACE>> AND WHO DID WHAT TO WHOM. THEN YOU START RATHER INTERESTINGLY GOING ON OTHER TANGENTS AND FINDING SOME REALLY PRETTY VERY EXCITING THINGS, WHICH I DID.

VAL>> WHICH YOU DID. AND YOU'RE GOING TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME MAJOR STARS, THE FIRST ONE HERE BEING DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS? I BELIEVE WE HAVE A PHOTO OF HIM WHEN HE WAS VERY YOUNG.

DAVID WALLACE>> NO, YOU HAVE A PHOTO OF HIS SON, DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS, JR.

VAL>> OKAY.

DAVID WALLACE>> TAKEN IN A LEMON GROVE AT THE CORNER OF GOWER AND LEXINGTON IN HOLLYWOOD WITH THE 100-YEAR-OLD SENATOR CORNELIUS COLE. COLE WAS AN ADVISOR TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN, CAME OUT HERE AND THIS WAS A DAY THEY VISITED IN 1923.

JESS>> HOLLYWOOD AND POLITICS MIXING? (LAUGHTER)

DAVID WALLACE>> (LAUGHTER) I'M AFRAID SO. BUT HE WAS THEN JUST A LEMON GROVE OWNER, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND. OF COURSE, HOLLYWOOD WAS FULL OF LEMON AND ORANGE GROVES AT THAT TIME.

VAL>> THE NEXT ONE HERE, ONE THAT WE'VE ALL HEARD OF, IS RUDOLPH VALENTINO. YOU HAVE A STORY ABOUT HIM.

DAVID WALLACE>> ACTUALLY, I HAVE A PICTURE ABOUT HIM IN THE BOOK WHICH IS ILLUSTRATING THE CHAPTER ON THE GREAT RANCHOS THAT WERE ALL OVER THE VALLEY AND AROUND LOS ANGELES. IT'S A PICTURE TAKEN IN 1921 WHEN HE WAS MAKING "THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE" AT THE SAN FERNANDO MISSION. THAT WAS THE MOVIE THAT WAS TO MAKE HIM THE MOST FAMOUS MALE ACTOR IN THE WORLD AND THIS SHOT WAS TAKEN AT THE SAN FERNANDO MISSION BETWEEN TAKES OF "THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE".

VAL>> IS IT A RARE PHOTOGRAPH?

DAVID WALLACE>> I'D NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE AND I WAS LUCKY TO TAP INTO SOME AMAZING COLLECTIONS IN BOTH OF MY BOOKS OF PICTURES THAT NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN.

JESS>> ADVANCING FORWARD A COUPLE OF GENERATIONS, YOU ALSO HAVE SOME INTERESTING THINGS TO WRITE ABOUT JAYNE MANSFIELD.

DAVID WALLACE>> WELL, SHE'S A FAVORITE OF MINE. I THINK --

JESS>> -- THERE'S THE HEART-SHAPED SWIMMING POOL.

DAVID WALLACE>> THERE YOU GO. AND HER HUSBAND, MICKEY HARGITAY, WHO WAS A MUSCLEMAN. YOU KNOW, SHE WAS, IN HER DAY, SECOND ONLY TO MARILYN MONROE AS THE MOST POPULAR, YOU KNOW, WOMAN SEX FIGURE ACTRESS. I THINK TODAY SHE'S BEEN FORGOTTEN A LOT, BUT IN MANY PEOPLES' MINDS, THERE'S STILL A MYSTERY ABOUT HER EVEN IF THEY DON'T QUITE KNOW WHAT THE MYSTERY WAS. MOST OF IT COMES DOWN TO THE FACT THAT, WHEN SHE DIED IN A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT, THE STORY CAME OUT THAT SHE WAS BEHEADED IN THE ACCIDENT.

VAL>> IS THAT TRUE?

DAVID WALLACE>> I WAS TALKING TO JILL ST. JOHN THIS AFTERNOON AND WE WERE GOING THROUGH THIS. SHE SAID, OH, YEAH, THAT'S TRUE. I SAID, NO, IT'S NOT. IT WAS OUTSIDE OF BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI AND THERE WAS THIS TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. THEY REAR-ENDED A TRUCK, SHE AND HER LAWYER, AND HER BLONDE WIG CAME OFF AND WENT ROLLING DOWN THE ROAD. APPARENTLY, A REPORTER WHO ENDED UP ON THE SCENE SAW THIS AND SAID, OH, SHE WAS BEHEADED. BUT ACCORDING TO THE MEDICAL EXAMINER, NO, NOT AT ALL.

JESS>> A MYTH, BUT A MACABRE MYTH.

DAVID WALLACE>> YEAH.

VAL>> AND WE CAN PUT THAT ONE TO REST.

JESS>> AND JOAN CRAWFORD. TOUGH TO PUT THAT ONE TO REST.

DAVID WALLACE>> WELL, YES --

JESS>> -- "MOMMIE DEAREST"?

DAVID WALLACE>> "MOMMIE DEAREST", BUT YOU KNOW, THIS IS A DIFFERENT JOAN CRAWFORD. THERE'S A PICTURE OF HER RIGHT THERE WITH THE FASHION DESIGNER, ADRIAN. IT'S ALWAYS A MYSTERY TO ME OF WHO MADE WHOSE CAREER. ADRIAN CREATED THE JOAN CRAWFORD LOOK, THE WIDE SHOULDERS, THE SLIGHTLY LOWERED WAIST BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T HAVE THE MOST ATTRACTIVE LEGS IN THE WORLD, AND THE LONG DRESS, ALL CUT ON THE BIAS, LOTS OF ANGLES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. HE CREATED THE LOOK, SHE MADE HIM FAMOUS. I MEAN, THERE WAS THAT SORT OF SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP ALL THROUGH ALL AREAS OF HOLLYWOOD INDUSTRY AT THE TIME.

VAL>> THE JOAN CRAWFORD LOOK. I REMEMBER THAT. WE ALSO HAVE A LESSER-KNOWN STAR, THELMA TODD.

DAVID WALLACE>> HOT TODDY WAS HER NICKNAME. SHE WAS A SILENT AND EARLY TALKIE ACTRESS WHO WAS VERY POPULAR. SHE DID A NUMBER OF COMEDIES WITH ZAZU PITTS. IN 1935, SHE WAS FOUND DEAD AT THE WHEEL OF HER CAR IN A GARAGE IN PACIFIC PALISADES. WELL, IT'S NEVER BEEN SOLVED. THE PLACE WHERE SHE HAD A RESTAURANT IS STILL THERE ON PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, WHICH USED TO BE CALLED THE ROOSEVELT HIGHWAY. STILL THERE.

SHE DEVELOPED A RELATIONSHIP, I GUESS IS THE TERM, WITH A MAN WHO WAS KNOWN LOCALLY AS CHARLIE LUCIFER. HIS NAME WAS LUCKY LUCIANO. HE WAS MOVING INTO HERE, THEY HAD A RELATIONSHIP AND HE WANTED TO MOVE INTO GAMBLING IN TOWN AND WANTED TO OPEN A CASINO ON THE ROOF OF HER RESTAURANT AND SHE DIDN'T WANT IT. SO SHE WAS GOING TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO TALK ABOUT THIS AND THAT'S THE DAY SHE WAS FOUND DEAD. THE SPECULATION IS THAT LUCIANO HAD HIS GIRLFRIEND WIPED OUT.

JESS>> IN FACT, IN THE ADVANCE ON YOUR BOOK, YOU TALK ABOUT THE GANG AND THE MOB'S EFFORTS TO MOVE IN ON THE FILM CAPITAL A HALF CENTURY AGO. WERE THEY A REAL INFLUENCE?

DAVID WALLACE>> OH, SURE THEY WERE. OH, SURE THEY WERE. I MEAN, THEY WERE TAKING PAYOFFS FROM EVEN THE SMALL STUDIOS ON SUNSET BOULEVARD TO THE BIG STUDIOS, $5, $10, $15, $100,000. IT WAS THAT PRESSURE THAT WAS PUT ON BY VARIOUS UNIONS THAT WERE CONTROLLED BY VARIOUS MOB INTERESTS THAT BROUGHT ABOUT SAM GOLDWYN'S FAMOUS QUOTE, "GENTLEMEN, INCLUDE ME OUT." HE WAS THE PERSON WHO DIDN'T PAY THEM OFF.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOMETHING INTERESTING THAT SORT OF HAPPENED ALONG WITH THIS TOO. I KEEP RUNNING INTO STRANGE THINGS THAT DELIGHT PEOPLE AND DELIGHT ME TOO. YOU MENTIONED JAYNE MANSFIELD. I INCORRECTLY MADE REFERENCE TO HER BEING BURIED AT HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY, THE OLD HOLLYWOOD MEMORIAL CEMETERY. THEN BACK IN THE CHAPTER -- I DON'T KNOW WHY WE MISSED THAT LITTLE BIT IN THE BOOK, BUT THOSE THINGS HAPPEN -- BACK IN THE CHAPTER, I SAY SHE'S BURIED PROPERLY IN ARGYLE, PENNSYLANIA. SO NEXT WEEK, I AM DOING A BOOK-SIGNING, OF ALL THINGS, AT HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY AS IT'S CALLED NOW SURROUNDED BY, AS THEY SAY, MY CAST OF CHARACTERS. WOULD YOU BELIEVE THERE IS A HEADSTONE FOR JAYNE MANSFIELD THERE THAT WAS PUT BY FANS YEARS AGO AND TO WHICH PEOPLE STILL CARRY FLOWERS?

VAL>> AND THAT'S WHY THE MYTHS PERSIST, ONE OF MANY.

DAVID WALLACE>> I MEAN, IT'S JUST AMAZING SOMETIMES.

VAL>> DAVID WALLACE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING IN. AGAIN, THE NAME OF YOUR BOOK IS "HOLLYWOODLAND" AND, AS WE JUST HEARD, IT READS LIKE A MOVIE EXCEPT, OF COURSE, ALL THE STORIES ARE TRUE. THANKS SO MUCH.

DAVID WALLACE>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

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

VAL>> TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO VISIT ONE OF L.A.'S TREASURES, A LANDMARK THAT NOT EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT, BUT ONE THAT'S DEFINITELY HELPED PUT THE CITY ON THE MAP AS A HOME FOR SERIOUS THEATER.

JESS>> THE EAST-WEST PLAYERS ARE THE LARGEST AND OLDEST PERFORMANCE GROUP OF THEIR KIND IN AMERICA. THEIR STYLE OF THEATER IS CALLED ASIAN-PACIFIC AMERICAN AND, AS PATT MORRISON TELLS US, THE GROUP HAS BEEN A MODEL FOR THEATERS ALL ACROSS NORTH AMERICA.

[FILM CLIP]

PATT MORRISON>> IN AN OLD PART OF TOWN IN AN OLD CHURCH MADE NEW, THERE IS A THEATER, THE DAVID HENRY HWANG THEATER, AND THE ACTING TROUPE THAT CALLS IT HOME IS THE EAST-WEST PLAYERS, THE OLDEST ASIAN-AMERICAN ENSEMBLE IN THE COUNTRY.

[FILM CLIP]

PATT MORRISON>> FOR MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS, EAST-WEST AND SOMETIMES ONLY EAST-WEST HAS GIVEN ASIAN-AMERICAN PERFORMERS THE CHANCE TO PLAY ROLES BEYOND THE STEREOTYPES, EVEN BEYOND TRADITION.

[FILM CLIP]

ALVIN ING>> LAST YEAR, I WAS IN "CABARET". I PLAYED A JEWISH CHARACTER. I MEAN, WHERE ELSE WOULD I BE ACCEPTED TO DO A JEWISH CHARACTER?

KEONE YOUNG>> WHY AM I LOYAL? BECAUSE IT'S STILL THE ONLY ORGANIZATION THAT REPRESENTS MY POINT OF VIEW.

PATT MORRISON>> EAST-WEST'S SURVIVAL AND SUCCESS HAVE ENCOURAGED IMITATOR THEATER COMPANIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT IT'S FINANCIAL TRACK RECORD HAS SET NEW STANDARDS. THE PLAYERS RAISED NEARLY TWO MILLION DOLLARS, MONEY THAT MOVED THEM FROM THIS SMALL 99-SEAT THEATER IN SILVER LAKE TO THIS MID-SIZED ONE IN LITTLE TOKYO.

>> IT'S VERY REWARDING TO WATCH SOMETHING GROW AND DEVELOP AND TO GET TO THIS POINT. IF YOU KNEW WHAT WE KNEW (LAUGHTER).

PATT MORRISON>> AND ON THIS NIGHT, THE COMPANY THAT HAS TRAINED AND SENT FORTH MANY OF THE BEST-KNOWN ASIAN ACTORS OF OUR TIME IS PREPARING FOR ITS INAUGURAL PERFORMANCE IN THE NEW THEATER, THE STEPHEN SONDHEIM'S MUSICAL, "PACIFIC OVERTURES".

>> ACTORS' SECRET. BABY WIPES, KNEE PADS, KNEE PADS (LAUGHTER).

>> I LIKE TO THINK I GIVE SOMETHING TO PEOPLE. I GIVE THEM SOME LAUGHTER, I GIVE THEM SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST CHANGES THEIR DAY.

PATT MORRISON>> ALL OF THIS BEGAN IN 1965 WITH A SHOESTRING PRODUCTION OF THE LEGENDARY "RASHAMAN". JUST TO BE ON STAGE WAS ENOUGH BACK THEN. NOWADAYS, THERE IS MORE AT STAKE THAN PERFORMANCE, LIKE THE TALE OF "RASHAMAN" ITSELF. EACH PLAYER SEEKS TO BRING TO LIFE SOMETHING OF HER STORY, OF HIS POINT OF VIEW.

DEBRA NISHIMURA>> WE CAN TELL OUR STORIES BETTER, AND WHO ELSE BUT US? IT'S COMING FROM OUR HEARTS TO YOUR HEARTS.

ALVIN ING>> WE GIVE GLIMPSES OF OUR LIVES AND LIFESTYLE AND CULTURE, BUT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE.

[FILM CLIP]

KEONE YOUNG>> WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN PORTRAYED AS PASSIVE, SUBMISSIVE, HATING OUR OWN CULTURE. LOOK AT ALL THE STORIES. "MADAME BUTTERFLY", "MISS SAIGON".

[FILM CLIP]

KEONE YOUNG> ASIAN WOMAN FALLS IN LOVE WITH WHAT? WHITE, MILITARY IMPERIALIST.

TIM DANG>> I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THAT WE'VE BEEN A LITTLE EXOTICIZED. THE MAINSTREAM AUDIENCE IS STILL LOOKING TO SEE AN EXOTIC PRESENTATION OF THE ASIAN-PACIFIC PERFORMER OR ASIAN-PACIFIC WORK AND THEY'RE TOTALLY NEGATING OR MAKING INVISIBLE THAT THERE IS THIS ASIAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE THAT IS HAPPENING HERE IN AMERICA IN LOS ANGELES.

[FILM CLIP]

PATT MORRISON>> MORE ASIAN-AMERICAN ACTORS ARE READING LINES, BUT THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS THEIR LINES, NOT THE WORKS OF ASIAN-AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS.

DEBRA NISHIMURA>> WE'RE ONLY AS GOOD AS OUR PLAYWRIGHTS AND, RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE VERY FEW ASIAN-AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS.

TIM DANG>> WITHOUT THE WRITER WRITING ABOUT ASIAN-AMERICANS, THEN WE DON'T HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASIAN-AMERICANS.

[FILM CLIP]

PATT MORRISON>> THE LESSON OF LOS ANGELES THAT IS LEARNED AND LOST AND LEARNED AGAIN IS THAT THEATER COMPANIES RISE AND FALL SOMETIMES UNNOTICED IN THE HULKING SHADOW OF THE MOVIE AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY. THEATER AUDIENCES MUST BE WOOED TO ATTEND, CASTS MUST BE PERSUADED TO STAY THE COURSE, DONORS AND GOVERNMENT FUNDERS ALIKE MUST BE PERSUADED OF THE WORTH OF THE ENTERPRISE. AMID ALL OF THIS, EAST-WEST HAS A REMARKABLE LONGEVITY.

TIM DANG>> THE CHALLENGE OF THE EAST-WEST PLAYERS IS HOW ARE WE GOING TO RE-INVENT OURSELVES ONCE MORE? HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THE PEOPLE WHO CAME TO SEE OUR FIRST SHOW BACK FOR THE SECOND SHOW?

KEONE YOUNG>> I THINK WE'RE FACED WITH THE QUESTION OF DO WE STAKE A CLAIM AND TRY TO BECOME MAINSTREAM OR DO WE HAVE OUR OWN SIGNIFICANT VOICE?

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PATT MORRISON>> THE NEED FOR THAT DECISION WILL COME SOON ENOUGH. FOR NOW, THE PLAYERS ARE DELIGHTED TO BE A PART OF THE LIFE AND LIVELIHOOD OF LITTLE TOKYO AND TO HAVE A PART IN THIS MOST ANCIENT AND LIVELY OF ARTS.

TIM DANG>> ONE OF THE EAST-WEST PLAYERS' GOALS IS TO BE PART OF A COMMUNITY WHERE OUR WORK IS DETERMINED NOT ON WHAT WE LOOK LIKE OR HOW WE LOOK OR OUR EXPERIENCE, BUT BECAUSE OUR ART OR WHAT WE PRESENT TO THE COMMUNITY IS EDUCATIONAL, ENTERTAINING, ENLIGHTENING.

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JESS>> AND SINCE WE FIRST BROUGHT YOU THAT STORY, THE EAST-WEST PLAYERS HAVE GOTTEN FIRMLY SETTLED INTO THEIR NEW ACCOMMODATIONS. THE GROUP IS LAUNCHING ITS 37TH SEASON. YOU CAN GET MORE INFORMATION BY CALLING THE NUMBER ON YOUR SCREEN OR CHECKING THEIR WEBSITE AT EASTWESTPLAYERS.ORG. ALL THE PERFORMANCES WILL BE IN THE DAVID HENRY HWANG THEATER IN LITTLE TOKYO, DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES.

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VAL>> THAT IS OUR PROGRAM FOR TONIGHT. FOR THE LATEST IN CALIFORNIA POLITICS, LOG ONTO TO KCET.ORG AND CLICK ON "SPECIALS". THERE YOU WILL FIND OUR "REALITY CHECK" WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE TRUTH BEHIND ALL THOSE POLITICAL ADS YOU'VE BEEN SEEING. IT ALSO HAS LINKS TO OTHER POLITICAL NEWS.

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

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