More Hollywood
Matt and I moved to a newer and larger apartment on N. Kingsley Dr. just South of Melrose. I think I was still working at Wallich’s Music City and Matt had become a ballroom dancing instructor. He met a fellow instructor named Sherry who was originally from Findlay, Ohio. I was uncomfortable when Matt said she was moving in with him. I apparently didn’t fell uncomfortable enough to object. Fortunately, I liked Sherry as a person and the arrangement lasted until my life started a different course.
Dale White, my former TV instructor from the Playhouse, along with Jan Haraszthy formed an Industrial Film studio called Dale & James Production. I guess Jan’s name was actually James. Jan and his family became very close friends (more on Jan later). Dale offered me a job with Dale & James Productions as a non-title general worker. I accepted – at least it was ShowBiz. Another original member of the group was Pat Miller. Pat and I over the following years went through many journeys together.
It wasn’t too long after I started work at Dale & James Productions that Jan decided it was no longer a good commitment for him and his family to continue as a partner in the production company. He continued to do some art work for the studio and through that association I got to know him and his family well. The name of the studio was changed from Dale & James Productions to White Productions.
A little more on Jan and our friendship. Jan was the great, great ... grandson of Count Agoston Haraszthey who is credited with being the father of the California wine industry. In 1857 he founded Buena Vista Winery and Vineyards at Sonoma, California. In 1861 he went back to Europe to tour through the country collecting cuttings from different quality grape stocks and brought them back to California in a trunk. He then by wagon travel up and down through California distributing the cuttings to the various vineyard which were struggling to rebuild after a devastating blight of Phylloxera.
The Count had quite a history escaping from Hungary and coming to America as a political refugee he ended up in the San Diego area of California. He served as the Marshall/Sheriff of early San Diego, as well as the Assemblyman representing San Diego at Sacramento. He later founded the winery and vineyards at Sonoma, but eventually ended up in Nicarauga where he died mysteriously in a river on his sugar plantation.
Jan and his family, his wife Miana, son Val and daughter “Missy”, lived just across the street on the East side of the Altadena golf course. I spent a lot of fun filled time in that home. What I fondly remember about Jan was in our travels he would point out a place and would tell me a historical account or anecdote about it. He was a great story teller. He’s the one who told me about the yellow poppy fields in Altadena that I have shared with my friends in Pasadena and Altadena. Jan told me that back when the air was clean and clear that the ships coming in from the sea would use the yellow poppy fields in Altadena as a beacon to take them in to the port at San Pedro. Can you imagine not only the yellow poppy fields but the clear air in the Los Angeles basin?
Before introducing the other leg of the “a different course”, let me relate another name dropping experience. White Productions was located between the Playhouse and Colorado Blvd. Which made it just a couple of doors north of the Playhouse. Before the Playhouse shut down as being a college due to issues with the IRS, a young female student would frequent White Productions. She was a young, vibrant and friendly girl name Sally Struthers. A short time after her graduation she landed the roll of Archie Bunker’s daughter Gloria on “All In The Family” TV show (1971-78).
While living in Hollywood I started attending the Hollywood Congregational Church located on Hollywood Blvd. near La Brea. After getting involved there I became the Sunday School Director. I was asked to take on that roll mainly because no one else wanted to. There was also a youth group active at the church headed up by a young couple who also had a small theatre/drama school. Of note the veteran film actor Mako was a member there for a while. Mako also for a short period of time attended the Pasadena Playouse before I got there. Mako seen above from the 2001 Jerry Bruckheimer film “Pearl Harbor”. Through both of these groups I came to know Susan Plews. I’ll follow up in the next chapter with more about Susan.
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