LA Confidential

By James Bartlett

Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and director DW Griffith changed the movie industry forever when they formed the United Artists movie studio in 1919. They were world famous movie stars, and they wanted more control over the movies they were in, rather than be tied to contracts. It was the beginning of what is known as the "Star System" and led to the huge salaries and outrageous extras that some of our famous faces get today.

Over the years UA had it's fair share of success, winning Oscars and producing huge hits such as Rebecca, The Apartment, West Side Story, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Rocky, Annie Hall, Rain Man, Bowing For Columbine, and Hotel Rwanda, written and directed by Belfast-born Terry George. They had their fair share of misses too, the most notorious being the disastrous Heaven's Gate in 1980, and last year - amidst Oscar buzz for Capote - the studio closed its doors for the final time.

That was until this week, when in a rather genius move that took United Artists back to its roots and also salvaged the career of an actor who had been dumped by his last studio, Tom Cruise and his long-time producing partner Paula Wagner were named as the new people in charge at UA.

They own at least 30% of UA now, and are following the trend in today's movie business in teaming up with private investors to produce around four features a year - and these investors can be from all kinds of arenas including bankers, internet billionaires, sports stars, music stars and the like. Talent agencies, who often "package" up a writer, director and star for a movie, are also getting into this game: it's easy to negotiate when you hold most of the cards.

Wagner will be chief executive, and Cruise will produce and maybe star in some UA movies, though he's not tied to them. Essentially they are now in charge of a mini-studio, although many people in Hollywood say that they might have bitten off more than they could chew: their record of producing movies Cruise doesn't star in has been spotty at best. That said, Cruise and Wagner have got a result, and they get this week's BOUNCE BACK AWARD.

There were bigger stars in Hollywood this week though, back after an absence of 5 years. They were still around of course, it was just that no-one could really see them - at least not from the Griffith Observatory, a Los Angeles landmark that has just opened again after a $93,000,000 refit. Seen in many movies over the years, the familiar dome - and huge telescope inside - is back bigger and better than before, with more exhibits and more of everything.

Drag is, you can't drive there anymore. Locals and visitors alike have to take a shuttle bus from either the LA Zoo or Hollywood and Highland. And you have to reserve both shuttle seats and a ticket for the Observatory, which is sort of a gyp. Sure, the Observatory was mandated always to be free and still is, but with parking and the shuttle bus fee, you're still out of pocket. Still, that's apparently only for a while after the reopening, so I'm looking forward to taking a trip up there soon.

Something else big in the sky this week - and it wasn't just the nine planets coming back into view. Five-year-old Gabriel Gottfried snapped a capture of a bird he saw through his window in his Topanga Canyon home: a big bird. A very big bird. He snapped a picture of a Californian condor, the first seen in the area for over 100 years. It's likely the condor was taking refuge from a forest fire in the Los Padres National Forest and isn't nesting there, but even so he gets the GOOD SHOT AWARD.

This week also brought good news for Hollywood wildlife; ideas are afoot to convert a small piece of the Hollywood Freeway into a tunnel and make what is known as a "freeway cap" on top of the tunnel into a new park. It's between Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard and is only 24 acres in size, but it's public taxpayer's property. Expansion in the city has usually meant that green public areas were often the size of a postage stamp, so this idea is quickly gaining support. A feasibility study is on the table, so watch this space - it would be within walking distance from my house, so I hope it goes ahead.

This week I saw a preview screening of Flushed Away, the latest animated movie from Aardman (Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run) and DreamWorks (Shrek, Madagascar). It was an amusing tail (!) about rats being flushed down a toilet and emerging in a London-in-the-sewers, and Hugh Jackman provides the voice for lead character Roddy.

Jackman seems to be suffering a bit of the Jude Law Syndrome. He's been in quite a few movies this year including X-Men 3: The Last Stand, The Prestige, Happy Feet (another animated movie out soon), The Fountain (again out soon), and Scoop. Let's hope it doesn't affect his career as it did Law's, who got too over-exposed and only managed to get back in the game with a great turn in the disappointing All the King's Men a month or so back.

Sunday we had an amazing time Downtown. We had lunch at one of the few remaining - and I mean probably the last - large-scale cafeterias in Southern California. Before WWIII and post-Depression, the cheap food and community-size dining area was a staple eating experience for many, but now things have changed. Determined to check out Clifton's before it fell victim to fast food, we went down there and wow!

Part early Vegas and part early Disneyland - décor was Splash Mountain (wooden shacks and fishing grizzly bears) and the top floor had bright red walls with gold motifs. There was even a single-person chapel with a tiny forest scene inside; the Clifton family were strong members of the Salvation Army.

We ate dinner (roast turkey, stuffing, country biscuits, vegetables, Texas toast on plastic or paper trays) and then had a look round the cafeteria. Back in the 50s it was an outrageous place, with a huge waterfall on the OUTSIDE, neon palm trees and so on. A truly great experience and now likely to be a regular for us!

We also went down Broadway, which was hoppin' with people. Fruit carts, hot dogs carts, popsicle carts, people selling belts, wallets and lighters - it was colorful and wild, and was market day for the Mexican community in the area. We also came across the Grand Central Market, which had amazing fruit, meat and food stands, as well as a place selling all sorts of dried chilies, peppers, beans, peas and even fish!

To top it all off we went inside the Bradbury Building, which movie fans will remember from "Bladerunner" where cop Rick Dekard (Harrison Ford) had his final showdown with Roy (Rutger Hauer). Designer George Wyman was totally untested at the time he got the commission, and he only took on the job after contacting his brother in a séance - who told him to go ahead because "It will make you famous!"

Hoping for their own fame on the West Coast are a band called STAND. A friend of mine in New York has been singing their praises for years now. She raves and raves about them, and now the four lads originally from Tallaght in Dublin are playing L.A. at The Knitting Factory in Hollywood on November 14 and in the Afterknit Lounge two days later on November 16. Their latest CD "Travel Light" reminded me off Coldplay, Pink Floyd and The Smiths - quite a mellow vibe, but with some punch to it too. Go and check them out if you can!

Finally, a word about an amazing Christmas gift I have seen recently; it's a white powder that you add a splash of water to. Three seconds later it fluffs and fizzes up into fake snow! Not only does it stay cold, but two weeks later it goes back into powder and can be re-used. It's hard to resist, so keep an eye out for it!