HOLLYWOODLAND

The Lizzie Borden House: Now and Then

2009-11-14T18:45:00.001-08:00

I recently took a trip to Fall River, Massachusetts and spent two nights at the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast. This is the original house where Lizzie, the New England spinster, murdered her Father and Stepmother on August 4th, 1892. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizzie_Borden

You may remember the famous poem, "Lizzie Borden took an axe, And gave her Mother forty whacks, When she saw what she had done, She gave her Father forty one."

Lizzie was found not guilty, but to this day most people believe she committed the crimes.
The house was a private residence until the mid-90's when it was opened as a bed and breakfast. The owners claim that the house is haunted and there have been many tv shows documenting this. During my two nights there I didn't experience anything out of the ordinary.
Here's my Mom at the front door.
The back of the house at the time of the murders and how it looks today. The original barn was much closer to the house. A few years ago they recreated the barn, but set it further back to make room for parking. Inside the barn is a small gift shop.
The front entry. I was told that all the doors and locks are original to the house except for two.
Off the front entry is the parlor. This is where Lizzie was told that she was the prime suspect in the murder case.
On the morning of August 4th, Lizzie's father, Andrew, returned home early from work. He decided to take a nape and laid down on the sofa in the sitting room. The above crime scene photo shows what happened next. Andrew's face was completely crushed on one side. According to court testimony, Lizzie found the body and called up to the maid, Bridget Sullivan, that "someone had killed Father."
While Lizzie was being tended to by neighbors, the maid went upstairs and from the landing, looked over into the guest room and saw a body laying on the ground on the other side of the bed.
Laying beside the bed was the body of Mrs. Abbey Borden. Both victims had been killed by blows from a hatchet. At the time of the murders, this room was occupied by Lizzie's uncle, John V. Morse. He was out of town on that day.
In the corner of this bedroom they have the original costume worn by actress Elizabeth Montgomery from the 1970's tv movie, "The Legend of Lizzie Borden". Montgomery is probably most famous for playing the witch, Samantha, in the long running tv show "Bewitched".
The staircase is original to the house.
As you go downstairs, there's a small sign that reads "CAUTION! Watch your head! Low ceiling. There have already been two fatal head injuries in this house."
Here's Lizzie's bedroom where I stayed on the first night.
All over the place, pictures of Lizzie stare out at you.
In this case is a collection of Lizzie's original books. You can see she initialed the one behind the doll.
Notice the title of the book, second from the right. "With Edged Tools"
Having breakfast in the dining room.
The kitchen looks into the sitting room where Andrew was killed.
Here's the basement.

Back in the corner they found this hatchet, though it was never determined if it was the murder weapon.

This is where they would collect rain used to wash clothes.

The side of the house.

An old view of Second street.

Here I am at the Fall River Historical Society. They have an entire room dedicated to the Borden case. On display is the hatchet that police found, the blood stained bed cover from the upstairs bedroom, and many photographs from the case.

After the trial Lizzie decided to move to the nicer part of town, up on the hill. This was her house until she died there in 1927.

She called the house Maplecroft and had the name carved into the steps.

This is Oak Grove Cemetery, where the Borden family is buried.

They have so many visitors wanting to see the graves that they actually have arrows that direct you to them.

The family plot.

Lizzie headstone reads "Lizbeth".

Lizzie and her sister Emma side by side. They died just nine days apart.

This is the former Central Congregational Church, where Lizzie attended.

Down the street from the Borden house is The St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, where the maid Bridget Sullivan attended.

Weekend Photos from Hollywood

2009-10-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a two week vacation and spent part of last Sunday at the Hollywood Collector's Show. The lady above used to scare me as a kid. That's Sarah Douglas, who played Ursa in the Superman movies. I was surprised how tall she was. She told me that she just got back from a month in China, where she was filming a movie for the Sci-Fi Channel.

This is Rusty Goffe, probably the most recognizable Oompa Loompa from "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory". He also was the Ministry of Magic Goblin in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix".

This is Stan Freberg, famous voice over actor, radio personality, composer, singer, author, and comedian. He voiced Junyer Bear in the Looney Tunes, the beaver in Lady and the Tramp, and the yawning man in George Pal's Tom Thumb. In the background of this photo you can see actor Mickey Rooney in the yellow shirt.

Weekend Photos from Anaheim!

2009-09-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

I spent a few days down in Anaheim for Disney's first ever D23 Expo. The event featured special seminars, displays for upcoming attractions, screenings, and celebrity guests. On the first day I attended the annual Disney Legends awards. Some of the special guests in attendance over the course of the expo included Robin Williams, Betty White, Art Linkletter, Nicolas Cage, John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Johnny Depp, Tim Burton, Robert Zemeckis, Miley Cirus, and Jerry Bruckheimer.
They had the original animatronic Lincoln from the 1964-65 World's Fair. This was the prototype for the Lincoln figure that opened in Disneyland.
Here I am with actress/singer Mary Costa. She was the voice of Princess Aurora in Disney's 1959 classic, "Sleeping Beauty".

Mary during the production of Sleeping Beauty.

Here's Mary with animator Marc Davis.

Herbie.

This display model shows the upcoming Cars Land, which will be opening at Disney's California Adventure in 2012.

I spent a little time in the parks.

The Enchanted Tiki Room.

Over in California Adventure, they're installing all the equipment for their new water show called "World of Color", premiering next spring. The show takes it's inspiration from Walt Disney's 1960's television show, "The Wonderful World of Color".

The show will be the size of a football field and feature animation projected against water, much like Fantasmic over in Disneyland. But the mist screens will be four times the size that you see in Fantasmic.

In this scene, the cats head will be projected against the mist screen, but the body will be made of water.

Claymation Article

2009-08-17T22:40:00.001-07:00

I found this1987 issue of Step-By-Step on Ebay.
Will Vinton in front of the Raisin "Lunch Box" set.

Mark Gustafson setting up the shot.

Weekend Photos from Hollywood

2009-07-19T14:41:00.001-07:00

On Saturday I went to another Hollywood Collector's Show. Here are a few people I met. Above is Leonard Stone, who starred as Mr. Beauregarde in one of my favorite movies, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". In the film, his gum chewing daughter Violet turns into a big blueberry. "Violet, you're turning Violet, Violet".
Leonard with Mr. Willy Wonka, Gene Wilder.

Actress Kathy Najimy, who starred as a nun in "Sister Act" and as one of the Sanderson sisters in "Hocus Pocus". She's also done voice over work for "King of the Hill" and "Wall-E".

This is old time Disney star, Tommy Kirk. He starred in a string of Disney Classics such as "The Hardy Boys", "Old Yeller", "The Shaggy Dog", "Swiss Family Robinson", "The Absent-Minded Professor", "Son of Flubber", "Babes in Toyland", "The Misadventures of Merlin Jones" and "The Monkey's Uncle".
Here's Tommy with fellow Disney Star, Annette Funicello. Here's character actress Edie McClurg. Her first movie was "Carrie" where she starred as Helen Shyres. She's gone on to do tons of film and television roles. Her voice over work includes "The Little Mermaid", "A Bugs Life", and "Cars".

Forest Lawn- Hollywood Hills

2009-07-05T13:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills to do a little celebrity grave hunting.

The front of the cemetery is currently lined with news station trucks and satellites. Michael Jackson's body is being held here until his funeral on Tuesday. The news crews have been set up out front since last Wednesday.
The King of Pop and the Claymation Michael.
A private family funeral will be held here at 8 AM Tuesday morning, followed by a procession to the Staples Center in Downtown LA.
Inside I found the grave of Roy O. Disney, brother of Walt. Roy was in charge of the financial side of the Disney Studios, allowing Walt to focus on the creative.
Next to Roy is his wife, Edna.
After Walt died in 1966, Roy continued on with the plans to build Walt Disney World in Florida. The park opened in 1971, and Roy died shortly there after.
This statue of Roy and Edna can be seen at the Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, right across the street from the Disney Studios in Burbank. This also happens to be the hospital where Walt passed away. In 2003, actor John Ritter died here. He was filming "8 Simple Rules" at the Disney Studios when he collapsed and was rushed across the street.

The tomb of Bette Davis.

Piano player Liberace.

James Bond and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang producer Albert Broccoli.

Actor and Director Charles Laughton. He was married to the Bride of Frankenstein, Elsa Lanchester.

Actors Freddie Prinze and George Raft are side by side.

Woody Woodpecker creator Walter Lantz.

Actor Strother Martin from "Cool Hand Luke".

Animator Tex Avery

The great stone face, Buster Keaton.

Stan Laurel of "Laurel and Hardy" fame. The marker for Stan's wife is in front of the wall.

The television family, Ozzie and Harriet.

Their son, Ricky Nelson is two rows up.

His marker reads Eric Nelson.

Forest Lawn is very uptight. They refuse to give out information on the location of star graves. If you're caught with a book telling you where they are, they may take it from you or ask you to leave. The Hollywood Forever Cemetery is much friendlier to Celebrity grave hunters.

RIP Dom DeLuise 1933-2009

2009-05-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

"Ghostbusters" Locations!

2009-05-04T23:45:00.000-07:00

Here's another location I found during my New York trip in March. The Ghostbuster's Fire House.

The New York Public Library was seen in the opening of the film.

The Librarion above is the first person to encounter ghostly activity. This is the Library's reading room which has changed a little over the years.

Rosemary's Baby-Now and Then

2009-04-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

I visited New York City last month and one of the places on my must see list was The Dakota apartment building near Central Park. Construction on the building was finished in 1884. In 1968 the exterior was used in Roman Polanski's film, "Rosemary's Baby", starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes.

This high angle shot is from the opening credits of the film.

The Upper West Side of Manhattan was quite sparse during The Dakota's early years.

Here you see Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes walking outside the building. That's Central Park in the background.
In the film, this couple, Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse move into the the building, called the Bramford. They befriend this older couple, the Castevets, who happen to be witches/devil worshipers. Many of the building's older residents are part of this coven. The Castevets convince Guy that he could have fame and success in his acting career if his wife conceives Satan's child.

The Dakota is also known as the home of former Beatle John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono. Lennon was murdered in this entryway behind me on December 8th, 1980. He was shot several times in the back by Mark David Chapman when he was returning home for the night.

Yoko and John, outside The Dakota shortly before his murder.

This is actress Ruth Gordan, who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Minnie Castevet. Some of her other films include "Harold and Maude" and "What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?". She was also a successful screenwriter, having received Oscar nominations for "Adam's Rib", "Pat and Mike", and "A Double Life".

In this scene, Mia is waiting for her friend, Hutch, outside the Time and Life building.

That's Radio City Music Hall in the background. Home of the Rockettes.

Weekend Photos From Hollywood!

2009-02-15T21:38:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos from this weekend's Hollywood Collectors Show in Burbank. At the show you have opportunity to meet many old time stars or look around the tables filled with all kinds of movie memorabilia. Some of the people in attendance included Tony Curtis, Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher, Joan Collins, Jane Withers, Bruce Dern, Paul Reubens, and Beau Bridges.

Here I am with actress Nancy Olson, star of many classic Disney films, including "The Absent-Minded Professor", starring Fred MacMurray.

She was married to famous music composer, Alan Jay Lerner. She's currently married to former Capital Records Chairman, Alan Livingston. At 80 years old, she looks pretty amazing!
Here are a few of Nancy's film roles. Top: She starred with William Holden in the 1950 classic, "Sunset Blvd", for which she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar Nomination. Below that is Nancy with Fred MacMurray in "The Absent-Minded Professor", 1961. The bottom two stills are from one of my favorite Disney films, "Pollyanna",1960, in which Nancy starred as a character named Nancy Furman, one of Aunt Polly's servants.
This is actress Elizabeth Daily, who starred as Dottie in, what else, "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure". Her distinctive voice has given her quite a successful voice over career. Some of her voices include Tommy Pickles in "Rugrats", Babe from "Babe: Pig in the City", and Buttercup from "The Powerpuff Girls".

Outside the show, this vehicle from " The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas" was on display.
Back at home, I'm working on a personal project that will be shot in stop-motion animation. I'm returning to my roots!

Spahn Movie Ranch

2009-02-07T23:11:00.001-08:00

At 1200 Santa Susana Pass Road in Chatsworth, stands the former location of the infamous Spahn Movie Ranch.

Many Westerns were shot here, including "Duel in the Sun" and episodes of "Bonanza" and "The Lone Ranger". The old western town sets burned down in a 1970 fire.

This is George Spahn, the dairy farmer who purchased the property in 1948.

Here you can see one of the many Westerns that were shot on the property.

But Spahn Ranch is probably more well known today for being the location where the infamous Manson Family lived in the spring of 1969. On my visit there I found the location of the famous LIFE magazine photo of the Family, above. The lady third from the right is Lynette Fromme, who is serving a life sentence for attempting to assassinate President Ford in 1975.

It was from this ranch that madman Charles Manson sent out his followers on two nights of murder in the Los Angeles area.

On the night of August 9th, 1969 they went to the Benedict Canyon home of director Roman Polanski. The Manson Family members killed five people on the property, including Roman's wife, actress Sharon Tate. He was over in England working on a film at the time of the murders.

The next night, they went to the Los Feliz home of Leno and Rosemary Labianca and killed the couple.

I could go into more details about the crimes, but it's been written about so much.
This shot is from a Police raid on the ranch. Members of the Family were picked up on a separate charge of car theft. The killers were finally charged in the Tate/Labianca murders after Manson member, Susan Atkins bragged to her cellmate about committing the crimes.

The World of Coraline at Universal Studios

2009-02-03T13:30:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pics I snapped this weekend of the Coraline display at Universal Studios.
http://www.coraline.com/
It opens this Friday!

The film was created by Laika Entertainment in Portland, Oregon.

Here you can see the facial seam that was painted out in post production. The upper and lower parts of her face were separate replacement pieces.

More "Roger Rabbit" Locations and Stars!

2009-01-31T20:55:00.000-08:00

Back in October, 2006 I wrote about a few locations used in the filming of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". http://kevinmaclean.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html I recently took the time to find one more spot used frequently throughout the film.

This is Hope Street in Downtown LA. It was the street used to film the scenes outside of Eddie Valient's Office and the bar where Dolores works.
Most of the buildings have been demolished, but Eddie's office was still there at the time of my visit.
It looks like it's ready for the wrecking ball.
This is Charles Fleischer, the voice of Roger Rabbit. During the filming of the movie, he actually dressed up as a rabbit and stood off camera, acting out his lines with Bob Hoskins. He was recently seen in "Zodiac", with Jake Gyllenhaal.
Here I am with actress Joanna Cassidy, who played Dolores in the film. She's had a long career in films including "Bank Shot" with George C. Scott and "Blade Runner".

"The Lone Ranger" Rock

2009-01-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

Just West of Topanga Canyon Blvd, below the 118 Freeway, you'll find this famous boulder, known as the Lone Ranger Rock.
It was seen in the opening credits of the TV classic, The Lone Ranger(1949-1957). Actor Clayton Moore and his trusty steed, Silver, can be seen rearing up in front of the rock.

Me, Maggie, and the rock.

The area was once part of Iverson Ranch in Chatsworth, a place where many Westerns were shot. Now there are condos surrounding the area. Nearby is the former location of the infamous Spahn Movie Ranch, once the home of the Manson Family!
Actor Clayton Moore(1914-1999) and Silver. Apparently, Mr. Moore continued to wear the mask and hat out in public after the series ended.

My trusty steed, Maggie, takes a rest on the rock.

She's exhausted after this photo shoot.

Welcome to Fantasy Island!

2009-01-24T20:56:00.000-08:00

I was at the LA Arboretum this weekend and snapped these pics of the Queen Anne Cottage, the filming location of Fantasy Island. It really hasn't changed in 30 years.
The cottage was constructed in 1881 by Elias Jackson ("Lucky") Baldwin, a California businessman who once owned this land.

Actors Ricardo Montalban and Hervé Villechaize. Mr. Montalban passed away last week at the age of 88. Hervé shot himself in 1993 after suffering from health issues.

The cottage is on the National Register of Historic Places.

"de plane, de plane!"

Laurel and Hardy "The Music Box" steps

2008-11-09T19:36:00.000-08:00

The classic 1932 Laurel and Hardy short, "The Music Box" won the Academy Award for short film comedy. It's probably their best known film.
In the film, they have to deliver a piano to a house that sits at the top of a steep flight of stairs.

The stairs still exist to this day. They're on N. Vendome St. south of Sunset Blvd. The house to the right still looks pretty much the same.

At the bottom of the stairs you'll find this plaque.
A lady pushing a carriage hits Stan. A toilet was sitting out there on this particular day.

Eric and Ollie.

View from the top.

Recent Trip Photos

2008-09-22T21:34:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pics I snapped on a recent trip to South Dakota and Wyoming. Mt. Rushmore above.

View from the Presidential Trail at the base of the mountain.
Nighttime view and the parade of flags.

The Crazy Horse monument. This mountain carving was started 60 years ago and is located just 30 minutes from Mt. Rushmore. They're currently focusing on the horse's head which they hope to have done in the next 10 years.

I was able to get an up close view of the face which was pretty amazing.

At night they do a laser light show on the mountain.

Devil's Tower in Wyoming, seen in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind".

The Wheel Inn Diner- Now and Then

2008-09-03T22:58:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos related to my previous post on the Cabazon Dinosaurs. This is the Wheel Inn Restaurant which sits right next to the roadside dinos. The place was once owned by Claude Bell, creator of the Dinosaurs.
In addition to using the Dinosaurs for "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure", director Tim Burton and actor Paul Reubens also filmed inside the diner. Here you can see Pee-Wee entering the restaurant and a view of how it looks today. Those pies look yummy!
The place looks pretty much the same, with the exception of some different booths.
Of course I had to eat lunch in the Large Marge memorial booth.
The counter, where Pee-Wee first meets Simone. Hope you enjoyed the pics.

The Cabazon Dinosaurs

2008-07-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

I recently went to visit the Cabazon Dinosaurs, just west of Palm Springs off the 10 freeway on Main Street. You may remember them from "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure". This is where Large Marge drops off Pee-Wee. Above you can see a now and then comparison from the film. The "Eat" restaurant, which they actually filmed inside, is still next to the dinosaurs. The dinosaurs are named Dinny and Mr. Rex.
The dinosaurs were created by a man named Claude Bell. He started creating Dinny in the mid 1960's at a cost of $250,000. It took 11 years to finish. Dinny has a gift shop in his belly.
Another Pee-Wee comparison.
Mr. Rex was created in the early 1980's.
Pee-Wee and Simone go up to Rex's mouth to watch the sunset. They've since built this fence around the T-Rex which looks completely stupid.
Going up.
A set was used for the interior shots of the mouth.

Queen Mary.....Haunted?

2008-07-16T09:22:00.003-07:00

I went to visit the Queen Mary yesterday in Long Beach. The ship is said to be haunted.
I took a self guided tour and when I was down in the boiler room wandering around, this white mist (above) appeared as I was framing a photo. It lasted only a few seconds and then I took a second photo from the same angle. My flash was turned off and there was nothing running down there that would have created smoke.

The pictures above were taken not far from the location known as "shaft alley", where a fireman was crushed to death by the closing water tight door #13 in 1966. Many people report seeing a bearded man roaming this area.
The creepy propeller!!
The first class pool was the eeriest location on the ship. People have reported seeing a women and a young girl around the pool. Sometimes people hear children laughing.
The promenade deck.
Two years ago I was in London visiting the Tower of London when I took these two pictures. They're not shadows.

Weekend Photos

2008-07-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos I took during the 4th of July weekend in San Diego. That's Mission Bay above. The Parrot is from the Catamaran Resort in Pacific Beach. The bottom two pics were taken at Balboa Park.

Recent Photos

2008-06-29T23:32:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent pics I've snapped. These were taken in Malibu this weekend.

This seal was relaxing on the rocks. He got annoyed when I started snapping photos, so he got up and started waddling towards me.

I recently went to Lake Arrowhead with some friends. We stayed at this old bed and breakfast called Bracken Fern Manor. According to one of those Discovery Channel shows, the place is haunted by the spirit of a woman named Violet and a young boy.
The place has an interesting history. It was once owned by mobster Bugsy Siegel.

Universal Studios: Back lot Fire

2008-06-01T21:59:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics I snapped this morning of the fire on the Universal Studios back lot. The fire destroyed the King Kong attraction and the Back to the Future courthouse set. A video vault was also lost.
In these shots you can see the "War of the Worlds" set and the back of the "Psycho" house in the foreground.

Here is the nearby Smoke House, one of my favorite restaurants.

Hollywood Collectors Show

2008-04-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from last weekend's Hollywood Collectors Show in Burbank. I went with fellow DreamWorks animators Jeremy Bernstein and Morgan Kelly. Above: Kevin and Richard Dreyfuss.
Morgan and Verne Troyer(Mini-Me)
Kevin and Dom Deluise

Jeremy and Patty McCormick, star of "The Bad Seed".

"PSYCHO" ... 48 years later

2008-04-21T17:03:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite films is the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock classic, "Psycho". Here are a series of photos I've taken comparing the present day locations with the film.
The Psycho house on the Universal back lot is not in the original location. It has been moved twice since the filming. The actual filming location is near the lake where Jaws attacks the tram. Also, the original motel was torn down. The one you see today was created from old blueprints and photos for the Psycho sequels.
Mother is still home. I remember seeing the original Mother when I was a kid. She was on display in a glass case, rocking back and forth. It gave me the creeps.
For some reason Universal has set pieces from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" right next to the Bates Motel.
I recently found the car lot used in the film. It's on Lankershim Blvd., just North of Universal Studios. This is where Marion, played by Janet Leigh, goes to trade her car in. She is being watched by a cop(Mort Mills) from across the street who has become suspicious of her.

The brick building and doorway still exist. They've since added a show room to the lot.