Archive for May, 2011
Protected: Celebrity Hunting in Hollywood 2011
Saturday, May 21st, 2011The Jaws Got Her First
Thursday, May 19th, 2011
I know that some of my celebrity encounters are obscure and some are beyond obscure. But oftentimes I am oddly drawn to folks that have only had five minutes of fame. I just feel lucky when I get the chance to meet someone whom I’d never expect to meet…or even look for. It’s likely that you would never recognize Susan Backlinie’s name, nor her face, unless of course it was seen in the context of having a few shark teeth imbedded into it. But you probably will never forget that moment – especially if you saw it in the theater in 1975 – when her character Chrissie Watkins became the first victim of the shark in the blockbuster thriller Jaws. Read the rest of this entry »
Westwood Memorial
Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
Continuing with my series of Hollywood cemeteries is the Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, located in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. For visitors wanting to get the most bang for their buck when it comes to Hollywood celebrities, one wouldn’t find a more condensed gathering of famous burials than this location. Just by casually browsing the cemetery, I was able to spot more than twenty-five famous graves in less than one hour’s time. Oddly situated in a downtown area, this small cemetery is very easy to get around. Tour groups often stop here to see its most famous grave, that of Marilyn Monroe. Read the rest of this entry »
E.T.’s Mom
Sunday, May 15th, 2011
It was in the early part of the 2000’s decade that I asked my friend Bob to pick me up a signed photo Dee Wallace when she made an appearance at one of the Hollywood Collector Shows. My knowledge of her at the time was that she had played the Mom (Mary, with last name intentionally never disclosed) in E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial, which was one of the most touching and popular films during my adolescent childhood. By the time she starred in E.T. in 1982, she had already had a rather lucrative career, having starred in The Stepford Wives, The Hills Have Eyes, 10, and The Howling. Read the rest of this entry »