Hollywood Archives • Page 4 of 5 • Memories of Hollywood

The Smart Money’s On The Favorite

Boxing used to be a lot more popular than it is now. There seemed to be big fight going on all the time, especially in the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions, where there was always a scrum for the number one spot. I never knew better boxing analysts than those 7^th and 8^th Graders back in 1980-1981 at LeConte Junior High. They were old school, like little Bert Sugars (only substituting Dodgers caps and candy cigarettes for Bert’s fedoras and stogies), offering not only their insights, but also the prospect of a wager.

July 20, 2012/by Bill Hardesty

Celebrity, Hollywood, Humor, Nostalgia, Television

Starcrossed

My time in Hollywood wasn’t one Celebrity encounter after another. Although I went to school then and later with a couple of people who turned out to be famous, my personal experiences were of a more “jejune” variety… that is, except for getting to see a hirsute (hairsuit?) Ed Asner anchor one end of a tug-of-war for ABC at “The Battle of the Network Stars;” IN PERSON!

June 4, 2012/by Bill Hardesty

Hollywood, Humor, Nostalgia

Eighth Grade Enigma

Seeking relief from the utter domination I suffered not only at the hands of the women in my family (mother and two sisters) but also at school (for a time the only male teacher was Mr. Bishop); my friends at LeConte Junior High School offered me something that was, for that time, an underdeveloped yet definitely needed male outlet. Though sometimes relating to other boys took some counterprogramming on my part.

May 24, 2012/by Bill Hardesty

Hollywood, Nostalgia

Uncle Mann

Living in Hollywood with a single mom who was trying to support herself and her three kids was hard; especially with all of the kids in school and a mother that was, by necessity, not home much of the time. Lucky for us, and due to our close residential proximity to Hollywood Boulevard, Uncle Mann really came in handy. Uncle Mann must have been a rich guy, after all he owned the 2 biggest, coolest theaters on the Boulevard. I assumed he must have owned all the rest too, the ones we passed daily walking back and forth to school.

My sister worked for him; so you could say that’s how we got in good. We spent hours on end, sometimes in a single day, fixated while Uncle Mann regaled us with Historical Dramas and Science fiction and Fantasy.

March 28, 2012/by Bill Hardesty

Hollywood, Humor, Nostalgia

My PT

Going into a new school in a new city, state and way of life was not without its challenges, particularly for a 12 year old. Luckily, and almost right off the bat, I acquired the services of a motivational coach. Seeming to perceive my need, fellow student Shawn was obviously attracted to the pathos I projected. I was meek and scared, afraid of being picked on or beat up by some bigger kid, maybe even some messed up gang member. Shawn showed me right away that fears, like fairy tales, can sometimes come true.

March 18, 2012/by Bill Hardesty

Hollywood, Nostalgia

Oscars Site

When the Oscar’s come around I always think about how different that area used to be when I lived there. The Kodak Theater is the site of the Oscar Awards and has been for 10 or so years. A visit back there 3 years ago was surprising for me because the only thing I remembered was the Chinese Theater (the core of which is largely the same).

It’s become a hoary cliché that New York tears itself down continually, disrespectful of its past (i.e. Penn Station), but this 2-block segment in Hollywood did the same thing; in this case maybe it was a good idea.

Boarded up building, parking lot, theater, parking lot; no wait…

February 26, 2012/by Bill Hardesty

Hollywood, Humor, Nostalgia

Why Can’t Guillermo Speak Spanish?

Even at a very young age I knew I wanted to be multilingual, or at least bilingual. Having finally learned enough of my own language, by the 8^th Grade I was able to take a foreign language class. I chose Spanish, mostly because I had several friends I could practice with. But I was already learning bits of different languages from kids around my school. I asked around avidly because what I really wanted was to be able to curse fluently in any country in the world.

February 21, 2012/by Bill Hardesty

Hollywood, Nostalgia, Television

The Greatest American Show?

One show marked the beginning of what we could call ‘modern times’ in TV entertainment. That show is, of course, “The Greatest American Hero.” Agent Bill Maxwell, played by Robert Culp, took the baton in the great zeitgeist relay race that marked the beginning of “military industrial complex” as entertainment. After many years, most of my life in fact, we are still in this phase, “NCIS” and Donald Bellisario being the inheritors of the work started by Stephen J. Cannell.

Yeah, this is heavy stuff.

February 16, 2012/by Bill Hardesty

Hollywood, Movies, Nostalgia

Fortress Lido

My homage to Stephen King

January 18, 2012/by Bill Hardesty

Hollywood, Humor

What To Believe In The Land Of Make-Believe

Hollywood has always attracted talented people trying to get into the business. It has also always attracted the B.S.er, the poser, and the conman (I was gonna say wannabee, but for some reason that sounds too harsh). There is no six degrees of separation for these guys, it’s either two degrees, or, if they can get away with it; one. Or none. Early on if you live there and mingle with the locals you learn you have to be able to filter out the real from the “oh-please!”

January 10, 2012/by Bill Hardesty

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