The Boy from Out of This World

The Science Behind The Film

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:51:00 +0000

I was pleased to discover this morning that the Utah Educational Network (uen.org) runs a podcast every Friday where scientists break down the "science behind" science fiction and also talk about their own careers in science. Cool stuff. This week Valy Vardeny, professor of physics at University of Utah, discusses the use of lasers in Teenagers from Outer Space. A few technical inaccuracies (as always) but it's definitely worth a listen. Check it out!

Teenagers: The Cocktail

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 07:34:00 +0000

This surprisingly positive review (originally from Amazon, I imagine) of TFOS has a great bit at the end: a Teenagers from Outer Space cocktail recipe:

I was so awed by this masterpiece that I created a cocktail for viewers to rob while watching the film. It’s called the Teenagers from Outer Space Cocktail, and is made up of: 1 cup pineapple juice, 1/3 cup coconut rum, and a gallop of Blue Curacao. Succor over ice, and garnish with a plastic lobster.

Awesome Betty Morgan costume!

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:26:00 +0000

What a great Halloween costume! Miss Kayla Kromer stepped out as Betty Morgan this year -- in black and white, no less! -- with a very special (and delicious) date. Great job!

More pics here.

The Gas Station in Teenagers is the Shell Station on La Brea Avenue

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:02:00 +0000

Because I don't remember ever confirming the location of the TFOS gas station previously in this blog, here it is! The Shell Oil station at the corner of La Brea and Fountain.

As with much of the Mid-Wilshire area, few buildings remain on the corner of Fountain & La Brea that could be seen in the late 1950's. No part of the original gas station structure, the Grove Brown Texaco, still stands, and Levin's Pharmacy, Soda Fountain & Kosher lunch spot, across the street from the Texaco an prominently seen in Teenagers from Outer Space, was sold in the early 60's. It has since been razed.

Great Site for Classic Car & Movie Fans!

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:19:00 +0000

I wanted to share a cool site I stumbled across recently: the Internet Movie Car Database. The site is an online archive dedicated to identifying picture vehicles, especially classic vehicles, in films.

They have a surprisingly in-depth section on Teenagers from Outer Space. You can check out dozens of vehicles, including Bryan Pearson's 1941 Pontiac De Luxe Torpedo, driven by Nurse Morse (Helen Sage). You might remember this car from its explosive end in the film, when a woozy Thor drives off a cliff and tumbles into the canyon below. In reality, the crew didn't have a permit for the stunt, so they left the wreckage behind.

'Station' fire threatens historic Mount Wilson Observatory

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:47:00 +0000

The 'Station' fire that has threatened much of the Angeles National Forest just north of Los Angeles is closing in on the Mount Wilson Observatory, and is expected to reach the facility in the next few hours.

The observatory was built in 1904 by famed George Hale, and was home to many important astronomical discoveries of the 20th century, including Edwin Hubble's research into the Big Bang theory. The observatory, now used by students from UCLA and other Los Angeles universities, continues to be used for research. The Mt. Wilson Observatory is considered the most prominent and historic observatory on the West Coast, if not the entire United States.

Firefighters have evacuated the area as of last night, after clearing brush and using preventative fires to stem the flow of the fire. The observatory's survival, and that of a large quantity of television and radio transmitters nearby, rests solely on helicopter and plane relief.

In 1956, Tom Graeff filmed the opening of his film Teenagers from Outer Space at the observatory. Max Mayer's 2009 feature, Adam, partially takes place at the observatory.

Keep up with the Mount Wilson firefighting efforts here, thanks to the LA Times.

Though the connection is spotty, watch the Mount Wilson webcam here, courtesty of UCLA.

The New Beverly Cinema is Not of This Earth

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:24:00 +0000

On August 7th, Joe Dante showed a beautiful and incredibly rare 35mm print of sci-fi/horror classic Not of This Earth as part of his second DANTE'S INFERNO screening series. Better yet, Roger Corman, who directed NOTE, stopped by for a Q&A before the film and answered questions about Beverly Garland and Paul Birch.

Those who follow this blog know that Tom Graeff worked as Roger Corman's assistant on NOTE, which was filmed during the summer of 1956 and released in 1957 as a companion to Attack of the Crab Monsters. NOTE was one of a string of science fiction films Corman directed for Allied Artists that year.

Tom has a cameo in NOTE as a car park attendant. This appearance is the third of his four known(/surviving) on-screen roles.

Thanks to the New Bev for sharing this classic film with a new audience! Check out their upcoming schedule at http://www.newbevcinema.com/, or follow them on Facebook and Myspace.

Dr. Grordbort's Atomic Disintegrator

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:39:00 +0000

Last weekend at San Diego Comic-Con curiosity got the best of me when I passed the Weta Workshop booth in the Exhibition hall.

Weta, in addition to supporting Peter Jackson's work on District 9 and The Lovely Bones, was showcasing its own amazingly cool line of retro die-cast ray guns, one of which, the 'Manmelter 3600ZX Sub-Atomic Disintegrator', bears a striking resemblance to Hubley's Automatic Disintegrator. Hubley's Disintegrator was used as the "Focusing Disintegrator Ray" in Teenagers from Outer Space.

Luckily I was able to chat with the brainchild behind Dr. Grordbort's, Greg Broadmore. Greg, according to his official site, "is an illustrator, writer and conceptual designer for Weta Workshop and has designed for the motion pictures: District 9, King Kong, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I Robot and Black Sheep amongst many, many others." Pretty strong resume, huh?

I asked Greg whether the Manmelter was consciously based on Hubley's model. His response? Yes and no. He had started to draw, he said, letting his creativity guide the design, and before he knew it, he was drawing the Atomic Disintegrator. (Of course anyone as interested in weapon design and retro ray guns as Greg would be familiar with the only ray gun model die-cast giant Hubley ever produced!)

Greg embraced his sub-conscious source of inspiration, and the Manmelter was born. Turns out the Manmelter was the only model from the original Grordbort's line based on any historical ray gun, although an upcoming release takes its design from Buck Rogers' spaceship. Nifty!

You can check out Weta's full line of Dr. Grordbort's beautiful steampunk novelties at wetanz.com. You can even buy your own Manmelter online. Want to learn more about Greg? Check out his website: http://www.thebattery.co.nz/.

(Pictures of me in my brand new Manmelter t-shirt coming soon!)

The Legacy Project

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Thu, 07 May 2009 01:04:00 +0000

Greetings!

It's been a while since we've updated -- lots of interesting developments going on behind the scenes. But for those of you in the Los Angeles area, I wanted to let you know that Tom's Alma Mater UCLA and the Outfest Legacy Project will be screening Teenagers from Outer Space, Toast to Our Brother, and Island Sunrise on Sunday, May 17th, 7:00 PM, at the Billy Wilder Theater in the Hammer Museum.

It should be a real treat!

The Outfest Legacy Project was selected a few months ago as the most appropriate group with whom to entrust the restoration of The Noble Experiment, Tom Graeff's first feature film. Hopefully we'll be able to see a clean print in the next year or so!

Outfest does some really great restoration work, and have a regular screening series at UCLA, where their archive is housed. If you can't make this screening, definitely check out their other movies on their calendar.

A few farewells ...

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 07:37:00 +0000

This post has been a long time coming, but has been tremendously difficult to write. 2008 has seen some great losses, from Paul Newman to Heath Ledger, but some of the most far-reaching and inspirational names are ones you may not be familiar with.

Forrest Ackerman in April, 1951.

The first of these is Mr. Forrest J Ackerman, who passed away on December 4th at the age of 92. Forry (4SJ, FJA, Mr. Science Fiction), was the favorite uncle of a league of sky-gazers and monster kids, nerds and dreamers like John Landis and Stephen Spielberg whose appetite for fantastic tales was sated only by a weekly copy of Famous Monsters of Filmland from the local dime store.

Reprint of Issue #1, Famous Monsters of Filmland

Famous Monsters, first published in 1957, was only one of Forry's huge number of contributions to the world of the weird. The man who coined the term 'sci-fi' also contributed prose and fiction to dozens of magazines and journals, represented a generation of genre writers (including Ray Bradbury, L. Ron Hubbard, and Isaac Asimov to name a few) via his Hollywood literary agency, owned an 18-room collection of horror and science fiction memorabilia, and was a respected participant in every aspect of the entertainment industry.

Advertisement for Ackerman's "Out of This World" Science Fiction Agency

Forry was the man who made space ships cool and used Dracula's coffin as a coffee table. He created Vampirella, and wrote lesbian fiction in the 50's, allied with Los Angeles gay rights group Daughters of Bilitis. A lover of puns and schoolboy jokes, Forry adored Al Jolson and all the men, women, and children -- those honorary nieces and nephews -- who visited his homemade palace of cinematic treasures, from Ed Wood props to a replica of Metropolis' golden robotrix.

Forry with friends Ray Harryhausen and Ray Bradbury, 2005.

Though Forry never had any biological children, generations of his disciples became both friends and family, and he left this earth as he lived, surrounded by love, affection, and youthful wonder.

Beverly Garland in Roger Corman's Not of This Earth (1956).

Actress Beverly Garland, who starred in a half dozen Roger Corman films including Not of This Earth, also passed away this week, aged 82. Most well-known for her role in the television series My Three Sons, Ms. Garland started her acting career in the 1940's playing bit parts in film noir before moving up to star in low-budget sci-fi flicks in the 50's and 60's. Not a typical scream queen, Beverly was described as a kind, down-to-earth girl, and fun to work with. She had a killer screen presence and played strong heroines, whether chasing aliens or alligators.

Later in her career Beverly was a regular on dozens of television shows, and she operated the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn in North Hollywood through her death. Always friendly to fans and filmmakers, Beverly will be remembered as a gracious dynamo who lit up the screen with her charm and charisma.

Dr. Norman Watson circa 2006.

Lastly, but certainly not least, is Dr. Norman Watson, onetime chancellor of Orange Coast College and founder of KOCE, Orange County's long-running public television station. Watson began his career as a professor at OCC, where he was the faculty advisor for Tom Graeff's second film, The Orange Coast College Story. Watson enlisted his friend of Vincent Price to narrate the film.

In 1972, while still chancellor of OCC (as well as the Coast Community College District), Watson helped to found KOCE in order to broadcast educational content to local students. 35 years later KOCE has become the 6th most-watched PBS station in the country, broadcasting 24 hours a day on TV and the Internet. Dr. Watson died on February 29th at the age of 92.

Space Sugar. Next: Space Lobster (with Space Butter?)

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 21:43:00 +0000

Wired this week announced that scientists have discovered that "a sugar molecule linked to the origin of life was discovered in a potentially habitable region of our galaxy." Sugar? Sweet!

"The molecule, called glycolaldehyde, was spotted in a large star-forming area of space around 26,000 light-years from Earth in the less-chaotic outer regions of the Milky Way. This suggests the sugar could be common across the universe, which is good news for extraterrestrial-life seekers."

While this discovery is unlikely to make a dent in the "is there or isn't there?" debate, it's nonetheless fascinating to hear about. Besides which, the only thing more improbable than humans finding a way to travel far enough, long enough, to find another planet swarming with life (or Creatues from the Id), is that we're the only living matter in a massive universe full of floating intergalactic chemicals.

We're not alone. As Derek said, "we were put on places far, far apart."

Ro-man seen here getting a little space sugar of his own.

The Day I Held The Noble Experiment

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:39:00 +0000

for the first time was one of the greatest moments of my life. The metal canister, all rusted with age, the smell of vinegar ... and a decades-old, peeling label with a simple name scrawled on the side: GRAEFF.

In tiny scrawling caps beneath, I read Ronald and His Magic Pill, and I knew I had finally found the holy grail. Tom Graeff's first feature film was sitting in my hands. If only Richard Valley was still around to see it.

A still I cleaned up. Though magentaed, the color is mostly salvagable!

My friend Mike picked up the canister and hoisted it up on the table. A former projectionist for USC, he was used to lugging heavy films around, though never before with such excitement. He bubbled with energy as we (gently) pulled out the first reel and started to inspect our treasure, buried in a basement of filmic wonders for 50 years.

The story began in summer of 2007, when I first got in touch with Austin McKinney and Lee Strosnider through a friend. I was in Connecticut, and had to will myself to pick up the phone -- I'm terribly shy with phones, though not many know this. I was shaking when I said hello, shaking when I asked them if they would be willing to be interviewed, and shaking when I lamented that The Noble Experiment had been lost to time.

"No," Lee said. "There's a copy in our basement."

I stopped shaking.

Lee explained that he and Austin had kept copies of all the films they'd ever worked on, including TNE and Tom's short film, Toast to Our Brother. He also assured me that their film was intact and in pristine condition. (Note: If anyone has a copy of Redneck Miller or non-MST Skydivers, Lee and Austin would really appreciate a copy!)

We talked for a long time that first day, and when I hung up the phone I was elated, reeling, and strangely wary. It had seemed too easy. Richard had known about Lee and Austin, hadn't he thought to ask? If TNE was that easy to locate, how could it have been considered "lost" in the first place?

Especially in '07, when so much information was swirling about Tom Graeff between Jim Tushinski's project and my own, I couldn't believe I had the luck of finding it, something my 14 year-old self could never have dreamed of when I emailed Bryan Pearson for the first time. My (then) 21 year-old self could barely believe it either -- I'd struggled on this project for so long, and against so many obstacles, but God was undoubtedly on my side that day.

Two months later when I received the film, I was almost in tears. The four of us looked at the first scene -- crisp, clear, though heavily magentaed -- then returned the film to its canister to make sure it remained in good condition while I had it examined professionally. Because of its format, there are only a handful of places the original copy could be digitized or even screened in its native format, Fox Studios, American Cinematheque, and The UCLA Film & Television Archives, who have expressed great interest in restoring and screening the film next year.

Cleaned up vs. Original. Restoration will be a long task.

I never meant to hold onto this secret for so long, but with restoration imminent, I thought it was the right time to let people know. Many, many films, especially those by cult filmmakers, are considered lost, and with early stock disintegrating it's more important than ever to make an effort to find these films before it's too late.

Next up, London After Midnight? Here's to hoping.

Later that evening, I sat on the couch in my crummy apartment and popped on Teenagers. It was just the two hulking octagons and me. I stared at them and smiled.

The Noble Experiment DOES exist.
And I found it.

This discovery was made during the filming of documentary The Boy from Out of This World. Read more about Tom Graeff and The Noble experiment at Tom Graeff dot org!

Get better, Forry!

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:27:00 +0000

TOMGRAEFF.ORG would like to join the monsterkid and sci-fi communities in wishing Forrest J Ackerman, grandfather of much ghoulish nerdery, a speedy recovery. Here's to your 92nd, 4e!

Clips

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:31:00 +0000

We've been assembling clips from some of the interviews we've done recently. Here's a clip of the enigmatic Jessie Lilley explaining why the story of Tom Graeff grabs people.

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:23:00 +0000

Here's a tad bit of a break from TFOS to bring you a great clip about Dementia 13, Francis Ford Coppola's first film. Why haven't we had a good DVD yet? Why don't any good copies exist? I know many people have been wondering, so we asked Roger Corman during our TBFOOTW interviews.

Here's his answer. Enjoy!

A Minute with Lloyd Kaufman!

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:28:00 +0000

If you haven't had the chance yet, check out Lloyd's awesome musings on the film industry.

Do you think some actors or filmmakers wouldn't be able to make it in the film business if they started today?

Teaser Trailer!

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 02:21:00 +0000

Please comment on it/rate it! It's also posted up here (The Boy from Out of This World: Official Teaser Trailer) if you have a MySpace account. You can add the film as a friend!

Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 00:12:00 +0000

Back when I was a wee lass, I thought it might be cool if Teenagers were made into a musical, Little Shop of Horrors style.

Well, here was my 14 year-old attempt at a theme song:

They're coming...
They're coming...
They're coming...

They're...
Teenagers from Outer Space!
Landed on this planet without a trace!
Thrill crazed space kids on a raygun rampage!
Gonna blast the Earth back into the Stone Age!
They're Teenagers from Outer Space!

They've found a new home for the Gargon herds,
And they only speak in small non-contracted words!
While the son of the leader runs free,
Thor goes on a killing spree!

Derek cares, but he's a traitor,
Thor's got a focusing disintegrator.
Locals saw another flying saucer,
Homicides followed by a giant monster.
And it's a recipe for disaster, when...

Those Teenagers from Outer Space!
Go leaving plastic skeletons all over the place!
Thrill crazed space kids on a raygun rampage!
Gonna blast the Earth back into the Stone Age!
Those Teenagers from Outer Space!
Those Crazy Kids from Outer Space!

Happy Holidays :)

Sad Tidings

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 05:45:00 +0000

It is my sad duty to report that Scarlet Street editor, and one of Tom's greatest fans, Richard Valley has passed away from cancer. He was 58.

Mr. Valley, along with writing partner Jesse Lilley, is credited with debunking the rumor that Tom Graeff starred in Teenagers under the pseudonym of David Love. Their 1993 article featured interviews with Bryan and Ursula pearson, speaking about the film's guerilla production and Tom's mental breakdown.

While Richard's illness prevented him from appearing in an onscreen interview, we corresponded about Tom, and Richard was a big advocate of Tom's work, showcasing his short films at Monster Bash and other conventions throughout the years. He had always hoped to write a follow-up article about Tom and David, but he never got the chance.

Comments and remembrances can be posted at the Scarlet Street Forums.

Richard, you will be missed. God bless.

You Win Some, You Lose Some

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 02:32:00 +0000

In this type of project, it's easy to imagine that once research is uncovered, following up on that research is a walk in the park. After so many people can be open and interested in sharing their story, it can be heartbreaking when some people just aren't interested. And of course there can be reasons for that, there can be bad times and dark memories, but it still hurts, just a little. After spending so many years idolizing and learning about someone, it almost feels like a break up.

(end lamenting)

It's been about a year now since I started updating my research to the web. It's been a crazy year, an exciting year, an amazing year in ways, but it's also be an arduous and chaotic journey. This past summer has yielded some of the best of a number of unthinkable discoveries, yet at the same time was riddled with illness and stress.

Hopefully I'll have some exciting new material to share with you shortly. For now I leave you with a picture of our ever-smiling hero and a reminder to follow your dreams to madness ...

(January 1960)

This Belongs on Page One in Headlines!

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 08:31:00 +0000

It's not just about being crazy. Tom found something to believe in. Who cares why he picked religion; some people turn to drugs, alcohol, or medication to drown their woes, so one could argue his route was positive. That he chose a good outlet for his escape from reality. Of course he took it too far, that much is evident, but when he was at his lowest, and clearly unable to cope with the problems and stress he was facing in his life, he found meaning in the chaos, and that's beautiful even if it was deluded.

He called himself Jesus Christ II. Of course he offended people; in fact he offended the very people who could have been his greatest supporters had he not infringed on their narrow scope of belief in what was "proper" and what was "improper" in relation to American Christianity. It wasn't enough that he himself was a believer -- a very true believer -- he didn't obey protocol and therefore deserved punishment.

Yet hundreds turned out for his (dare I say?) Christ-like sermons at churches throughout the Los Angeles metro area. And as much as these crowds could claim interest in the mere spectacle of the thing, is that really enough to get people out of the house and onto the church steps? Could there have been, perhaps, even an inkling of hope that this loon might be truly speaking the word of God? Of course he was crazy, at least in the total deviation from his usual behavior, but were his actions really so different from famed preachers like Billy Graham? He still spoke of love, and acceptance of Jesus, and trust and faith in God, just like any other minister.

Of course people would scoff at such a display; it was Los Angeles. But isn't it wonderful that Tom was able to find some positive meaning behind the religion that regularly dismissed him, as a gay man, as inferior and immoral? I think it's remarkable when the Bible is most commonly used today to justify hatred, segregation, and injustice that someone was able to look past the selectively-quoted yet terribly outdated social customs and grasp the declaration of acceptance and love for humanity that once was, centuries ago, the founding principal of the world's largest, wealthiest religion.

Though the overt nature of these proclamations is an attempt to explain love in the simplest of terms, one mind's desire and admiration for another mind, the undercurrent of his struggle to be accepted by society as a gay individual is obvious from his careful phrasing. And yet Tom signs his name boldly and proudly to his decree; the weight and direction of the letters show no hesitation in his belief in his words. He genuinely wanted to help people, he wanted them to see the same ray of light he had experienced. Is that so wrong?

Clearly, the hard transition from growing up in a repressive time (the 1950's) into one of a (slightly) more free environment (the 1960's) was something that Tom grappled with for the rest of his life. Though he ran in gay circles for most of his adulthood, he was never comfortable with himself enough to be openly "out," and often tried to mask his identity.

But for a few brief months he was happy and proud of himself as a person, and the path he had found. Is that so crazy?

Finally, an Adonis who can also act!

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Mon, 21 May 2007 21:01:00 +0000

Publicity is a funny thing. Too little of it can ruin your box office (Grindhouse comes to mind) and too much of it ... can ruin your box office (Snakes on a Plane). I'm about to run off to the premiere of a certain crappy film tonight, so I was thinking about the publicity that Warner Brothers created for Teenagers and to what lengths studios are willing to go to make a mediocre film look good.

I'm not sure why WB bought the film in the first place -- all their correspondence describes the film as "satisfactory" or "acceptable." They made certain that the famous WB shield NOT be shown before the film but in the end credits, and even then as small as possible. But despite their fuss the powers that be did dedicate some time (a few hours?) to creating a press strategy for the film.

It wasn't a huge press packet, but enough to get the word out. A booklet of ads was created (see tomgraeff.org for the three "posters" they created) for print in the newspapers and trades, as well as some choice blurbs describing Dawn Bender's willingness to do her own stunts and the "science" behind the gadgets like the focusing disintegrator ray. For all you collectors out there, 30 publicity stills were created for lobby cards & press use, though at least 5 or 6 of them were probably never printed.

But the most interesting angle by far for the Teenagers campaign was that dedicated to the rising star of "teenage" David Love.

Apparently a sneak preview was held at a theater "far from Hollywood," where audiences were tricked into seeing the film, buying tickets for a different movie. But when it was over, the audiences couldn't stop raving about hunky star Love, whom comment cards described as an "Adonis" and a variety of other over-the-top praises. But was this "acclaim" real? Personally, I have a hard time believing that an audience would be that floored by Derek to the degree that WB purports. It's more than possible that the publicists could have just pulled the more positive cards out to quote, but the whole story just seems too overblown to be true.

In response to such high-sung praise, the newspaper reviews of Teenagers were mostly negative. Some are downright mean (thought witty) and tear the film in an almost Mystery Science Theater like fashion. Would this have happened if the film had been released under more modest circumstances? Of course no one could say for sure, but setting too-high expectations usually ends in disaster for those who can't live up to them.

The Teenagers publicity campaign reminded me a great deal of an interesting article I read a while back discussing filmic awards and their decline in importance vs. their proliferation. Years ago, there were few awards, and few film festivals, so an official selection meant something. Whereas today any filmmaker can finagle some kind of award or festival selection, no matter how niche, thereby leading them to assume the title of "award winning" director, producer, or whatever. However plastering the phrase "award winning" all over a project creates an expectation that a film maker's work will be great, and if that person cannot deliver great, audiences will be more irate than if they'd gone into a film expecting bad and receiving okay.

It's basic human psychology to love more that which you expected to hate (for me, Zodiac, best film of the year so far) than what you knew you'd love (Letters from Iwo Jima) . And the reverse is also true: you will hate more what you thought should have been good (Casino Royale) than what you thought would suck in the first place (Just Like Heaven, on HBO right now ... don't watch it).

But would an honest publicity campaign have saved Teenagers, or any bad film for that matter? In the 50's there was some healthy competition in the movie business from independently owned production companies and movie theaters. And those companies and theaters made a profit, even if the films were crap; people knew the films were bad but they saw them anyway. But there's no competition to be had nowadays, and no possible salvation for a film like Mr. Brooks ...

Finding Tom Graeff

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Tue, 15 May 2007 09:11:00 +0000

This past Sunday was somewhat emotional as I took a drive down to San Diego to visit Tom Graeff's grave site. On the heels of a visit to Hawaii to meet and interview the ever-enigmatic Bryan Pearson, I feel like every day I'm getting closer to finding out who Tom was as a person, and what his hopes and dreams were.

It was a gorgeous day outside, and it didn't take long to find Tom tucked away towards the far end of the cemetery. His tombstone, a simple marble plaque in the grass reads:

THOMAS L GRAEFF
Son and Brother
1929 - 1970

framed by a border of twin pine cone clusters. Sitting in the grass, where nearby families were celebrating their loved ones' memories with picnics and flowers, I couldn't help but to think of how few visits Tom must have been payed over the years. And of course I can't help but think of all the lonely souls nearby whose families may have also passed or moved away over the years, leaving their memorials to grow cluttered with leaves and twigs.

A part of me wishes I could send cut flowers once a week to keep the graves remembered, but why choose one when so many others as so deserving of recognition? They've all died, but before that, they all lived, and that's worth remembering.

When I visited Pearl Harbor last week I was appalled to learn that structurally the USS Arizona Memorial is falling apart inside; more people visited than had ever been planned for, and the structure is terribly damaged. I hope one day to be able to donate enough to keep the memories of these people and events alive, but it's something that becomes harder and harder as time wears on. It's inevitable that sooner or later everything fades away.

I watched a fantastic documentary last year called The Young and the Dead about the revitalization of Hollywood Forever Cemetery by a mortuary owner in his late 20's, who's cleaned up the cemetery and turned in from a sad joke into a gorgeous park and celebration of Hollywood's golden glory. Since it's heyday the cemetery had become rundown, especially in comparison with rival Forest Lawn, and the stars buried there deemed not "important" enough to merit visitation, aside from the great Rudy Valentino. But if Fatty Arbuckle isn't worthy of remembrence, there can be little hope for the rest of us.

In less than 50 years Tom Graeff's whole identity was lost, merged with that of Charles Robert's. Without those few dedicated to passing the torch, his life and others' would be lost forever, slipped through the cracks of popular culture and doomed to exist perpetually archived on dusty court records and spooled microfiche.

A Life in Memorium

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 11:30:00 +0000

I want to preface this next post by saying that it's very humbling and disheartening to read about people's lives boiled down into a few sentences or paragraphs, and it gets to me every time I learn a new fact about one of the many players in this particular story: that at its heart, this journey is about people's lives, and we must tread carefully on their memory.

This post is about someone we've all chuckled about, wondered about, and taken for granted, the lovely miss Sonia Torgeson.

Sonia May Torgeson was born on September 6th, 1932 to Severine "Sev" Emil Torgeson, an attorney, and May Johnson, a school teacher, in Kimball County, Nebraska. Neither of her parents originated from the small three-town county (her mother hailed from Bevier, Missouri and her father from Beresford, South Dakota), but both would become pillars of their community.

Severine--Torg to his friends--was an important man in Kimball. He served as the first County Attorney for four years, Secretary for the Fire Department for ten years, served as City Attorney, and Attorney for the High School Board. He was also a member of the Shrine and Scottish Rite, and a charter member of the Rotary Club. He served as President of the Chamber of Commerce from 1959-60, and sat on the Advisory Board of the Boy Scouts. Besides that, he was a damned good lawyer.

Sonia's mother, May, was a member of the Matron Club, and a loyal member of the local Methodist church, where she was an avid participant in the choir.

Both were formidible role models, and Sonia always had a lot to live up to.

Sonia grew up at 409 Howard Street. She attended local Kimball High School, where she first became interested in theatre, participating in drama classes and after school plays. A former classmate recalls one junior year play where Sonia "played a supporting role but stole the show. She was just a delight in the play and everybody there thought so too. I really believe that's what got her attention and set her goals. " Recieving praise from classmates and teachers alike, Sonia quickly grew more serious about theater, and after only three and a half years, she finished high school to attend the drama school at the University of Denver. After graduating in 1953 with a BA in Theatre and a minor in Education and English, she took the next big step: to move to New York, destined for a career on Broadway.

It was a year later, in 1954, that Sonia finally hit the stage: a bit part in the play Ondine, starring Audrey Hepburn as the title character. The show was a hit, and won four Tony Awards, including Best Actress in a Leading Role for Hepburn. (A photo of Sonia in Ondine is in the mail from the New York Public Library, and when it arrives, I'll share it here.) However roles were scarce for Sonia, and soon she gave up dreams of the stage to pursue a different kind of acting; film and television in Los Angeles.

In 1956 Sonia got her first role on screen. It was a bit part in a an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, entitled "The Gentleman from America." Sonia appears as "Julie Hurstwood" in a flashback sequence, killed off-screen in a supposedly haunted room occupied by the episode's protagonist.

In 1957 Sonia filmed her first speaking role, that of memorable "Alice Woodward" in Teenagers from Outer Space (1959). The specifics of her casting is unknown, but many of the castmembers were recruited through local theaters and acting courses, so that avenue seems a likeliehood. Sonia proves her ability to steal a scene when she outshines established ingenue Dawn Bender in one of her two scenes. Unfortunately the film wasn't sold until 1959, so Sonia had to wait another year for her big screen debut.

In 1958's Daddy-O, a rock 'n' roll exploitation flick, Sonia plays "Peg Lawrence," a friend to the protagonist. The film wasn't very memorable, and Sonia's career never took off. She appeared only once more onscreen, in an episode of western "The Rebel," playing a character called "Nan" in episode "Jerkwater."

Sonia left Hollywood shortly afterwards. At age 29, Sonia's ingenue days were over before they could even begin. Disheartened by her inability to strike it hot in California, Sonia left the United States. She travelled some, eventually settling down to teach English in Spain for a number of years. But eventually home called, and Sonia returned in the late 60's to live with her aunt in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Rumor has it that she became increasingly paranoid with age, and she lived a reclusive life in Cheyenne, though she moved back to 409 Howard for a few intermittant years. When her father died in 1988, it was said that Sonia challenged his will--which left virtually everything to the Masons and local charities. Her attempts failed, and she withdrew even further from society. Ironically, in Torg's Kimball obituary Sonia is listed as a working actress, dividing her time between New York and Los Angeles. Whether this misinformation was purposefully placed by Sonia or inferred from locals may never be known, but it marks the last reference to Sonia in public before her death five years later at age 60, on February 17, 1993.

In her last years, Sonia grew to embrace Christian Science, severing ties to her Methodist roots. She never married. Shortly before her death, she requested of friends and family that no obituary be sent to newspapers. However one friend, who was publisher of the local paper at the time, printed a short obituary anyway. He wanted to commemorate her life in print, even if just a brief mention to let the world know she had been there.

Just as I do now.

And I hope you'll remember Sonia's story, and share it, for what it's worth.

Thanks immensely to all the Kimball County residents and historians who helped to make this short biography possible, especially Kenneth Clinger, Marcia A. Buescher, Lindsey Tilton, and Robert Pinkerton.

Memories of the Orange Coast

noreply@blogger.com (Elle) — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 02:28:00 +0000

Just wanted to do a quick follow up to the OCCS post I made a few weeks ago. I've recently spoken to those involved with the film, and received a number of quite complementary anecdotes about Tom and his directing. These I impart to you now ...

OCCS was cast by word of mouth. While two of the main "stars" of the film were active in student theatre, the majority of the students appearing in the film had little or no acting experience (Chuck Roberts) and some were simply friends or girlfriends (Leslie Koivisto) who were cast by convenience rather than talent.

There was no script for OCCS; something rare for a Graeff film. Tom usually exhibited an almost Sorkin-esque dedication to scripts, and cast members from Teenagers remember him being a stickler for even ridiculous dialogue.

However, despite this, Tom did have a definite plan. He knew beforehand exactly where to place the camera, and was able to guide his actors with precision to elicit the performance he wanted. Never did they feel "pushed" to perform; Tom was a very good communicator, and led them towards what he wanted, letting them get their through their performance, rather than telling them or ordering them outright.

Filming for the main cast only took up a few days over the course of about three weeks, and the shoots were very short and easy. Because of excellent pre-production, there were no problems on set, except for a few gawking students, who eventually ended up as on-the-spot extras. Tom didn't "report" to anyone on campus, so he was able to use his own creativity and free-reign of the campus to make the best film he could, something rare nowadays.

While the film premiered on campus in April of 1954, there was no official premiere for the cast, and many of those involved never saw the finished print.