Bird Watching...

Yesterday afternoon, while enjoying the beautiful weather and a refreshing glass of sauvignon blanc, I watched from my apartment, one of the red-tail hawks that live in our immediate neighborhood. The hawk gracefully rode the wind down from high on its perch across the street and landed on one of the light poles for the great lawn at the RFK Community Schools campus. As the hawk sat there, a catbird obviously feeling its nest threatened, tried valiantly and persistently to shoo the hawk away by flitting at it non-stop. The hawk looked to care less about the catbird and continued to sit there, probably with its sights on some far tastier dinner treat. Like a rodent! This went on for approximately 20 minutes, until the hawk, reasonably fed up, flew over to one of the other light posts to continue its watch. Only to have that catbird follow him. All during this faux battle between the hawk & catbird, I had a sweet hummingbird come and pay me a visit to feast on my flowering plants.

It seems that more & more hummingbird feeders are making their way outside the units on the backside (north & west) of the Gaylord. Soon, the Gaylord will be attracting innumerable hummingbirds that one large, buzzing shadow will surround our beloved home and will bring us the joy that these colorful, little birds of flight put forth.

Notes on April 1926 'Gaylord Glimpses'...

On page 4, a story on the vision for the Gaylord by the original owners/builders, Mr. J.B. Lilly and Mr. P.B. Fletcher.
On page 7, a picture of one of the original lobby chairs. All hand embroidered and wood carved.
On page 10, Gaylord resident & film actress, Greta Nissen is pictured in the top left corner. Greta was originally a dancer from Oslo, Norway. She starred in 32 film titles from 1923 up to her last film in 1937, 'Danger in Paris.' When the 'talkies' came about she was not hired much for film due to her thick accent. In the year of this issue she starred with Lionel Barrymore in 'The Lucky Lady.'
On page 12 & 13, 'Why the Gaylord Appeals to Discriminating People' An article on the furnishings and offerings at the Gaylord.
On page 12, a photo of the original Gaylord Lounge, which is where the EyeMax optical store is located currently.
On page 13, photos of the dining/kitchen area and living room in an #02 unit.
On page 17, a photo of Oscar B. Bach, the designer of all the metal work inside the Gaylord. Mr. Bach's work can also be seen on the Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building, all in New York. In 1924, his work was also exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

April 1926, 'Gaylord Glimpses'...

'Hey Judy,' 'Yes Mickey?' 'Let's put on a Show!'...

It is time to let your fellow Gaylord neighbors and friends know what you are all about. No wallflowers will do. It's all about blossoming bouquets!

Dance...

Gaylord resident, Sunny, will be participating with the LA Unbound dance troupe at El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood on Saturday, May 5th with performances at 4 & 8pm. You may want to check this group of lively dancers out. For more info go to,

www.launbound.com

Notes for April 1928 'Gaylord Glimpses'...

-On page 5, Mrs. Frank Roger Seaver gave a dinner party 'complimenting' John McCormack and Mr. & Mrs. Edward L. Doheny, Sr. John McCormack was the original Irish tenor and he owned the Runyon Canyon Estate. He starred with Maureen O'Sullivan in 1930's 'Song O' My Heart' and had an uncredited singing role in Orson Welles' 1941 'Citizen Kane.' Edward L. Doheny, Sr. is 'that' Doheny, the L.A. oil tycoon that the main character played by Daniel Day Lewis in P.T. Anderson's (who last year filmed at the Gaylord) 'There Will Be Blood' is based on. Also attending this dinner party was Dolores del Rio, award winning Mexican actress who had a romance with Orson Welles at one time. Dolores starred in over 60 film & television titles. In this year, 1928, Dolores appeared, with another guest at this dinner, in the film "Revenge.' He was Spanish actor, Jose Crespo, who was featured in 35 film & television roles and was friends with Charlie Chaplin. The hostess' husband, Frank Roger Seaver, had a distinguished Navy career, became an attorney, a L.A. County Supervisor early on, worked for Doheny and was a generous philanthropist to Pomona College & Pepperdine University.
-On page 5, Film director, writer, producer & actor, Lothar Mendes and his wife, actress, Dorothy Mackaill threw a dinner party for guests, film writers, Adela Rogers St. John & Dick Hyland who married in this year. Lothar worked on 30 films with such notable actors as Clara Bow and Adolphe Menjou. Dorothy Mackaill was featured in over 60 film & television titles. She had top billing over Humphrey Bogart in 1932's 'Love Affair' and her last role was on the original 'Hawaii Five-O' in 1980.
-On page 13, Notice of Gaylord residents, editor of 'Photoplay' magazine, James Quirk (as best man) and his actress wife (as maid of honor) , May Allison, attending the wedding of film writers Adela Rogers St. John and Dick Hyland, up in Santa Barbara. May was featured in nearly 60 films between 1915-1927.
-On page 13, Notice of our very own 'Talmadge' sister, silent film actress Constance Talmadge, leaving for New York with her actress sister, Natalie and brother-in-law, Buster Keaton, where Buster was shooting some 'on location' scenes. Constance was in over 80  films between 1914-1929 as one of the most popular silent film romantic comedy leading ladies.
-On page 16, The esteemed Gaylord guest, George S. Dougherty, former Police Commissioner for New York City expressing his reasons as to why people commit crime (quite hilarious).

The 'Gaylord Glimpses,' April 1928...

New Music Video...

...by former Gaylord resident, Jaz James. Jaz shared a home here with Laurent a while ago. Great to see they are being productive.

Take a look at... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69qDpMBrHpg

Notes on April 1927 issue...

...and there are some good ones.

-On page 5 is a recap of the opening night party for the Gaylord from 1924 and the following anniversary parties up to 1927. These folks partied late into the night!
-On page 6, photo of the lovely Marie E. Wells, playwright, stage star, film actress and Gaylord guest. Ms. Wells was in 34 film titles from 1915-1939 and starred with such notables as Myrna Loy and Ann Sothern.
-On page 7, the story of the very first occupants of the Gaylord, Dr. & Mrs. H.S. Chapman. Arriving weeks before the Gaylord officially opened, they had to walk over planks to enter the building since the lobby was not yet complete.
-On page 13, mention of Mr. & Mrs. George H. Mayr having wintered at the Gaylord. George H. Mayr was labeled a quack by the American Medical Association for his Mayr's 'Wonderful Stomach Remedy' ('snake oil' as they say). Though he was a curious character he left quite a respectable & lasting legacy. Mr. Mayr made most of his fortune through real estate investments in California and to this day his George H. Mayr Foundation awards scholarships to California university students.
-On page 17, Miss Kay Hammond is noted for appearing in the stage production of 'The Patsy' at the Morosco Theater, downtown at 744 So. Broadway. Miss Hammond had been a resident of the Gaylord for some time. Not just a stage actress, but she appeared in 25 titles in film and television between 1930-1961. Most notably, with Rex Harrison in 1945's 'Blithe Spirit" where she played the role of the ghost of the first wife to Rex Harrison's character.
-On page 22, Fay Bainter's stay at the Gaylord is mentioned as she was headlining on stage at the Orpheum. Fay was nominated multiple times for the Academy Awards. In 1938, she was nominated in two categories for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. As Best Actress in 'White Banners', but she was beat out by Bette Davis for the film 'Jezebel.' Fay won the award in the supporting category for 'Jezebel.' She appeared in more than 60 titles between 1934-1965 and was again nominated for an Oscar, in 1961, for her supporting role in 'The Children's Hour' which starred Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine.
-On page 22, George S. Dougherty and his wife are wintering at the Gaylord. Dougherty was the former Chief of Detectives for the City of New York. He helped in the introduction of modern day fingerprinting and in 1914 was featured in two silent films as 'himself.'
-On page 23, the departure from the Gaylord of Miss Flobelle Fairbanks, niece of Douglas Fairbanks. She herself was featured in 33 films between 1918-1946 and starred with Gloria Swanson in 1927's 'The Love of Sunya.'

The Gaylord had quite the roster of guests back in the day and continues to do so today.

The 'Gaylord Glimpses' from April 1927...