28 August 2012

the camera that looms over downtown Elyria

Tom Mahl -- who is now my oldest friend -- just alertd me to this story.

I don't think I ever bought anything at Loomis Camera but that sign is such a part of the history of my hometown. ironically I was with Tom on my last visit to Elyria when I took this picture:



we were in Ely Park & talking abt the Loomis sign.  knowing that nothing lasts forever I figured it was a good idea to have my own photo of it.


Julia's kettle cake

I'm working on a little film abt cakes. here's a picture of my dear friend the late Julia Waida with her famous chocolate cake.  I have a memory of her recipe appearing in a local cookbook.  however I can't find it in my modest cookbook collection. nor can the good folks at Kent State's special collections find a copy.


21 August 2012

Rosemary Rice (1930-2012)

one of my favorites tv shows as a boy was "Mama." the title role was playd with grace by Broadway great Peggy Wood.  but it had a strong supporting cast. & among those was radio actress Rosemary Rice who playd Katrin.

when I sent the show a fan letter I got this oversize postcard of the cast:




19 August 2012

17 August 2012

Biff Elliot (1923-2012)

best known for playing Mike Hammer on screen & James Dean's brother on tv

15 August 2012

Wendy Hiller (1912-2003)

it was 1962. spring break. & I was in NYC on my own for the first time.  & the very first Broadway show I ever saw was Michael Redgrave's stage adaptation of Henry James' "The Aspern Papers."  Hiller shared over-the-title billing with Maurice Evans & Francoise Rosay.




this is the actual program I got at The Playhouse. yes I was an archivist before I was an archivist.  I've been keeping all my programs for more than a half century now.

BTW that program informs me that Hiller's understudy was Olympia Dukakis.

10 August 2012

09 August 2012

08 August 2012

my cousin Regina is here for a week of opera.  so far we survivd a weak production of a silly Strauss but then were excitd by the glory of Luca Pisaroni as Maometto.

03 August 2012

while cleaning house

I discoverd this portrait of Jim Hailey from a long-ago summer Stater.  I write abt him in the poem "Off Campus."



02 August 2012