Exploring the people, places & culture of greater LA
Los Angeles is a city always in flux. Sometimes in what seems like a blink of an eye that familiar building that you passed on your way to work or school is gone, only to be replaced by a new structure, or worse – a parking lot. The same can be said for businesses, which come and go along our commercial corridors and shopping districts on a regular basis.
We are very fortunate to live in a city that is home to some of the finest film preservation and screening organizations in the country. This month, two of these local film institutions, the UCLA Film & Television Archive and Los Angeles Filmforum, in cooperation with NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, present a program called Celebrating Orphan Films, an eclectic mix of screenings and discussions at the Billy Wilder Theater.
Ever since the first Harry Potter book was published, readers around the world have been captivated by the magical arts so vividly and compellingly described by JK Rowling and subsequently brought to life on the big screen. Now those of us living in the greater LA area have the opportunity to delve into magical history of a completely different kind with tomorrow’s opening of two companion exhibitions at the Skirball Cultural Center.
Tour companies that take you to conventional, well known LA area destinations such as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive, 3rd Street Promenade and Universal City, just to name a few, are a dime a dozen. While there is nothing wrong with any of those attractions and I enjoy visiting them myself, there is so much more to greater Los Angeles than those popular sites. You just have to know where to look and who to spend some time with to gain a more nuanced appreciation for the city and its environs.
On the last Saturday of every month, the African American Cinema Society (AACS), which is part of The Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum, presents rare and historically significant films by and/or about African Americans. This weekend the AACS is hosting a screening and discussion of Imitation of Life (1934). Directed by John M. Stahl, the film tells the story of the friendship between Bea Pullman (Claudette Colbert) and Delilah Johnson (Louise Beavers) as they start a business together that earns them a fortune. Although Delilah has financial success, her teenage daughter, Peola, rebels and uses her light skin to pass as white and experience a different life.
Recently some friends recommended the Old Pasadena Food Tasting Tour run by Melting Pot Tours. Since I love eating and neighborhood exploration, I decided to purchase two tickets for the Sunday, March 20, tour so my wife and I could become better acquainted with an area that we’ve enjoyed visiting over the years but didn’t really know very well.
Looking for a weekend activity that will get you outdoors and teach you things you never knew about a local landmark? Then this tour of the LA River is for you.
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