Is it Divine Providence KARMA “meant to be” or not…but there was Charley Parker’s alto sax from Bird land…Oh sure“Bird’s”afficiandos from Kansas City would acclaim, that the “Bird” was their own..
THE ORIGINAL!!
The Kansas City “Yard bird. The Bird”.
II
“Billy Bergs”….Hollywood Boulevard and Vermont? Wherever the Bird and Dizzy Gillespie were toot tooting theirbebop sound . ….17 years old, a Ucla “freshman, scribblingfootball scrimmages and tennis for the Daily Bruin, challenged by the semi tropical landscape, an amigo named HowieGoldman (Midwood High and basketball at Wingate Field)whose father was the Adams Hat crème de crème at the Boulevard and Ivar, a block off Vine Street, down away from the library, and the plume de plume hotel at the street, where the composer Harry Revel “Paris in the spring” twirled the ivories, holding court..
Later in the patio, he brought out his bag of oranges. “The Surrogate Court Blues was my beat”(the Name Dedective) said Harry Ravel, peeling his orange as though World War 2 had ended, but shortages were still the drift..
“Finito” our boys were coming home , to continue their post warlongings and dreams into the semi tropical scene…..VictorMacLaglen (“The Informer)” came booming through the veranda . A big smirk, laughing it up, carrying his bag of oranges in a wrinkled paper bag..
It was 1945,wasn’t it? Commander John Ford, Rear Admiral ( Naval Reserve) discovered Duke Wayne on the USC football line, adjacent to the Trojan Horse. Mister Morrison was on hiswave length or meant to the:”Iformer” Maclagen into his and Commander Rear Admiral Ford was on his “meant to be”. At the Hollywood Plaza Hotel, a block from Stanley Rose’s book store, “What makes Sammy Run’s Budd Schulberg’s reading….(“The Pismo beach tennis champ….Irwin Gelsy, Sam Jaffe, PhilGersh)
Creating art in the cinema of Hollywood’s sound stages andArizona’s Monument Valley
III
How could they master Cyber Space social media rada, make it their ownr? This Holy unholy trio? The consciousness wrapped up in “Stagecoach”, the Duke riding shotgun. The passengers Claire Trevor, John Carradine, Thomas Mitchell, Porter Hall.
The driver (Barry Fitzgerald) spitting out…..”giity up youDudes,” snapping the reins, the horse flesh sweating bullets,their legs like pistons into the lashes.
IV
In the meantime, the Hollywood Boulevard Normandy Avenue reality was much to miniscule for the Goldman’s and the Ucla“freshman” to share, so Howie’s mommy put out an S.O.S toward the Hollywood High School locals….Jay Cameron’smother, the locale for Lana Turner, Ava Gardner at Hollywood High School. Her son Jay and Howie into the school’s band, the school off the library’s Ivar and Sunset Boulevard, the drive in restaurants Lana Turner’s a swinging waitress made famous..
.Artie Shaw, the bandleader “Beguine the Beguine” with Mickey Rooney in the “meant to be” semi tropical environmental vibes.
“Have him call Beverly Hills Mrs Miriam Latker. She may need a roomer. A block from LaCienega’s restaurant row and across the way from m the Fox Wilshire, near the LaCienega tennis courts……
.Schroeder, Kramer, Ted Olewine. Sammy Match’s tennis shop….actors like Kent Taylor (“Boston Blackie”) AllennJoslon playing chess…composer Igor Stravinsky him living,offNorth Wetherly Drive.
V
Little did Missus Goldman know that the call was fortuitous and that the connection would son bear “fruit”. The freshman’s girl friend’s uncle was the second unit director on “King Solomon’sMines” George Marton once of Budapest) was off to Africa,second location director…Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr, heading the international cast for footage on the second location.Giving realism to Rider Haggard’s immortal story.
“Get the drift” asked director Marton from his rehearsing pad,high above his home atop Lookout Mountain off Laurel CanyonBoulevard…. the Hollywood Hills.
VI
At the same moment in time, the Westwood Village campus of the Ucla Bruins longed for a basketball coach the likes of Wilbur Johns, the local coach, and athletic director, who opted for his own initials in reverse for the immortal John Wooden.
Lew Alcindor….a 7 footer from the Bronx….7 decades after thekarma…. the Cultural Ambassador of the United States,debuting on NBC’s “Meet the Press”, Sunday morning .
It’s meant to be. ….. . the “Yard bird” in disguise.
The City that never sleeps. January 24, 20154
