Dead Man's Party?
Tonight I went to see a silent film screening. In a cemetery.
I had plans to meet Claudia today, but the communication gods decided to have a little fun with our understanding of what time we were to hook up. Via e-mail, she had thought we might get together in the afternoon and make a day of it, and I had replied that I had to work and couldn’t make it till after six. According to the voicemail she left me, her cell died, and she couldn’t get access to her computer, so she probably didn’t get the messages I left. Hence, her not being home when I knocked on her door ‘round about seven. I left a note saying I had missed her. She had mentioned something about us catching a Valentino film that would be shown tonight at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and so I figured she might be there and that I might catch up with her--I wrote that in the note as well and headed over.
Luckily I’d looked up the link a friend of mine had put on her blog that said “cemetery screenings”—how many screenings can there be in cemeteries, even in L.A., I reasoned—so I knew and remembered the address. I tooled down Santa Monica Blvd. and finally saw the sign. It’s a very old cemetery that houses a lot of old Hollywood, much like Forest Lawn. I went to the mausoleum first, since that’s where the crowd was headed (moo…). Turns out it was the 80th anniversary of Rudolph Valentino’s death (death-iversary?), and they had some original costumes from his movies, and a shrine with some memorabilia in plexi-glass cases. There were candles lit and rose petal strewn everywhere. Some hardcore people were even dressed in all-black funeral attire. I looked for Claudia but didn’t see her so I headed outside, to the screening area.
They were showing the film on the side of the mausoleum. It made a perfect screen: huge and white. People brought blankets, chairs, food, wine, candles—nice & cozy. There was the festive air of an outdoor concert on the green about to take place. No sign of Claudia. I spread my sweatshirt on the ground like a small blanket, and sat down on it. I was in my usual long skirt and maryjanes--not traditional grass-sitting garb--but I didn’t care. At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to stay to see the movie if I didn’t find Claudia, but then I thought, what the hell? I’m already here, it’s a classic movie, the one that made Valentino a star, and it’s free. So I stayed. I’m glad I did.
Even though I was freezing (I soon donned my sweatshirt), and had to keep changing positions every so often so my muscles wouldn’t get stiff, I toughed it out. The movie was wonderful. I could see why so many women swooned for Valentino. He had a killer smile and excellent facial expressions (a necessary skill for acting in silents, since they couldn’t use tone of voice to convey emotion). He talked with his eyes. I like it when people talk with their eyes. The plot of the movie was full of stereotypes, especially gender ones, with fainting women and strong men, but it was 1921—it wouldn’t have been any other way. It was basically “boy likes girl, boy abducts girl, girl thinks she likes boy, boy realizes he loves girl instead of just lusting her, girl knows she loves boy, arch-nemesis abducts girl, boy fights to get her back and almost dies, girl confesses love to boy at his deathbed, boy recovers, boy gets girl”. And…scene. I kept thinking about what it would have been like to actually be on the set and watch (and listen to) them filming it, way back in 1921. What did they say, when they weren’t saying the title card lines? Did they walla like we do now: “burrito, tomato, Escondido”? Or did they ad-lib what the characters might have said? How did they talk in real life? What words did they use? Did they swear? I could go on and on, about what I wonder about people who lived back in the day…
After the movie I was walking back to my car, past the mausoleum, past the elaborate headstones, past Johnny Ramone’s grave, and I realized, ‘I’m in a cemetery. At night.’ But instead of being creepy, it was beautiful. It was surreal that it was so beautiful. Of course, there were tons of people there and there was candle glow illuminating everything. If I was alone and it was dark, it probably would have been creepy. But weirdly, maybe not. I find cemeteries to be incredibly rich sources of history. When I was in my hometown in New England five years ago, I visited its cemetery, trying to find the oldest graves I could. Some of them went back to turn-of-the-century, and I think a couple went even as far back as the 19th century—that’s some primo history right there, folks! I’ve gone to Forest Lawn and date-hunted the graves there, too. The architecture of the mausoleums and the chapel, built in the early 20th century, is gorgeous! So I really don’t think cemeteries are creepy. They’re a place in time that doesn’t change, even though the rest of the world does, and they mark where people place their loved ones for the remainder of time. Allright, go ahead. Let the commenting begin…
So I saw a great silent movie in a graveyard this evening. What did YOU do tonight? Bet ya can’t top that!
I had plans to meet Claudia today, but the communication gods decided to have a little fun with our understanding of what time we were to hook up. Via e-mail, she had thought we might get together in the afternoon and make a day of it, and I had replied that I had to work and couldn’t make it till after six. According to the voicemail she left me, her cell died, and she couldn’t get access to her computer, so she probably didn’t get the messages I left. Hence, her not being home when I knocked on her door ‘round about seven. I left a note saying I had missed her. She had mentioned something about us catching a Valentino film that would be shown tonight at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and so I figured she might be there and that I might catch up with her--I wrote that in the note as well and headed over.
Luckily I’d looked up the link a friend of mine had put on her blog that said “cemetery screenings”—how many screenings can there be in cemeteries, even in L.A., I reasoned—so I knew and remembered the address. I tooled down Santa Monica Blvd. and finally saw the sign. It’s a very old cemetery that houses a lot of old Hollywood, much like Forest Lawn. I went to the mausoleum first, since that’s where the crowd was headed (moo…). Turns out it was the 80th anniversary of Rudolph Valentino’s death (death-iversary?), and they had some original costumes from his movies, and a shrine with some memorabilia in plexi-glass cases. There were candles lit and rose petal strewn everywhere. Some hardcore people were even dressed in all-black funeral attire. I looked for Claudia but didn’t see her so I headed outside, to the screening area.
They were showing the film on the side of the mausoleum. It made a perfect screen: huge and white. People brought blankets, chairs, food, wine, candles—nice & cozy. There was the festive air of an outdoor concert on the green about to take place. No sign of Claudia. I spread my sweatshirt on the ground like a small blanket, and sat down on it. I was in my usual long skirt and maryjanes--not traditional grass-sitting garb--but I didn’t care. At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to stay to see the movie if I didn’t find Claudia, but then I thought, what the hell? I’m already here, it’s a classic movie, the one that made Valentino a star, and it’s free. So I stayed. I’m glad I did.
Even though I was freezing (I soon donned my sweatshirt), and had to keep changing positions every so often so my muscles wouldn’t get stiff, I toughed it out. The movie was wonderful. I could see why so many women swooned for Valentino. He had a killer smile and excellent facial expressions (a necessary skill for acting in silents, since they couldn’t use tone of voice to convey emotion). He talked with his eyes. I like it when people talk with their eyes. The plot of the movie was full of stereotypes, especially gender ones, with fainting women and strong men, but it was 1921—it wouldn’t have been any other way. It was basically “boy likes girl, boy abducts girl, girl thinks she likes boy, boy realizes he loves girl instead of just lusting her, girl knows she loves boy, arch-nemesis abducts girl, boy fights to get her back and almost dies, girl confesses love to boy at his deathbed, boy recovers, boy gets girl”. And…scene. I kept thinking about what it would have been like to actually be on the set and watch (and listen to) them filming it, way back in 1921. What did they say, when they weren’t saying the title card lines? Did they walla like we do now: “burrito, tomato, Escondido”? Or did they ad-lib what the characters might have said? How did they talk in real life? What words did they use? Did they swear? I could go on and on, about what I wonder about people who lived back in the day…
After the movie I was walking back to my car, past the mausoleum, past the elaborate headstones, past Johnny Ramone’s grave, and I realized, ‘I’m in a cemetery. At night.’ But instead of being creepy, it was beautiful. It was surreal that it was so beautiful. Of course, there were tons of people there and there was candle glow illuminating everything. If I was alone and it was dark, it probably would have been creepy. But weirdly, maybe not. I find cemeteries to be incredibly rich sources of history. When I was in my hometown in New England five years ago, I visited its cemetery, trying to find the oldest graves I could. Some of them went back to turn-of-the-century, and I think a couple went even as far back as the 19th century—that’s some primo history right there, folks! I’ve gone to Forest Lawn and date-hunted the graves there, too. The architecture of the mausoleums and the chapel, built in the early 20th century, is gorgeous! So I really don’t think cemeteries are creepy. They’re a place in time that doesn’t change, even though the rest of the world does, and they mark where people place their loved ones for the remainder of time. Allright, go ahead. Let the commenting begin…
So I saw a great silent movie in a graveyard this evening. What did YOU do tonight? Bet ya can’t top that!
Comments
Hmmm - what did I do last night? I volunteered for the first time at the LA Mission for the homeless, setting up, serving dinner, and cleaning up. I got to wear a hair net and a plastic apron.
Okay, you topped me! (: I love how you do so much to help other people. Kudos!!
I love the idea of going to a movie in a cemetery - it is so "Only in Hollywood" but so very unique.
I definitely cannot top what you did last night!!
That's ANOTHER thing we have in common--I never knew that about you! We really ARE the same person, aren't we? (:
I love the sculptured headstones, too--so many wonderful decorative details. We should go to both HF and FL and take a look around. The grounds are beautifully-landscaped, too. Field trip!