AMERICA! THE TINSEL MECCA

America presenting tonight the Tinsel Mecca, Hollywood, California. A new look at the people, the places, the names, the faces. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is Jack Douglas in the heart of Tinsel Town, USA, better known as Hollywood, California. Behind me is the entrance to one of the many unique spots we're going to be visiting while we're here, the Roaring 20s. Now, I know that you've seen Hollywood many times on television, but I think we have some surprises for you on this colorful tour. So, welcome to Hollywood, the Tinsel Mecca. This is the main street of Tinsel Town, Hollywood Boulevard, the boulevard of broken dreams and of dreams come. the dreams, for example, of a young child star who was destined to become the highest paid performer in the history of entertainment. But we've come to Tinsel Town to see the sites and not the signs. So, we'll start our tour in a slightly different way in a two-seater Hughes helicopter donated to us for this purpose. Now, we want a good clear look at Hollywood and the surrounding area. So Tom McHugh, our producer director, removes the plastic door from the passenger side so that our view will be unobstructed. He fastens his safety belt and here we go taking off from the Hughes Field just 20 minutes from Hollywood. As we skim over the field, the sunlight catches the whirling blades just right, creating this unusual pattern. [Music] Well, now we've circled and we're flying over downtown Los Angeles. Here's a good view of the handsome new sports arena and just behind it, the Coliseum with a seating capacity of 100,000 spectators. This is Dodger Stadium, but the game is between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels. Those pin spots on the field are the Yankees and the visiting team's white uniforms. [Applause] Now, in Tinsel Town, every home is expected to have a swimming pool. And as these pictures prove, most of the homes do. Pinsel Town has always had a sense of humor. For example, this section of the freeway system has been dubbed Prayer Pass. The natives claim you have to pray to get on, pray to get off, and pray you never see it again. The movie studios, once the number one magnet for the visitor, are no longer as active as they used to be. Today, the few major studios still in operation are concentrating on TV programs almost as much as movie making. Speaking of movie making, there's always something going on at Tinsel Town's favorite movie ranch, Coranville, about 29 mi northwest of Hollywood. Corrianville was founded more than 20 years ago by the one-time cowboy star Crash Corrigon. And here, Crash is proving he can still ride down a villain or a TV cameraman with the best of them. Howdy. This is a sheriff's office where we lock up the baddies. You folks call them villains. We call them heavies and pictures. You know, this is Silvertown, the western street that you've seen probably in many pictures. In fact, 3,500 motion pictures have been made here at Coranville. You'll recognize some of these rocks and trees. And not only that, it'd be awfully nice if you'd come out and visit me sometime, will you? Well, thousands of youngsters and their parents do visit Coranville each week, reliving for a full day the memories of the Old West. And no matter how they spelled it, salami was only a nickel. The big attractions at Corrigonville are the stuntmen. Now, these two chaps are the bad guys because that's what it says in the script. And you just know they're going to get the beating of their lives until the next show, of course. The two good guys are always nice and dry. And after seeing this fight about six times in the same day, you sort of get the feeling sorry for the bad guys. In fact, they get a big hand from the crowd. And but hold on, partner. Well, you know the rest. The gunfight at the OK Corral. Here he comes. [Applause] Watch the stunt man. Even when photographed in slow motion, they look like the experts they are. [Music] [Music] [Music] Yes, folks. He's a goner. All right. But he got a big hand. Just me. Back in our helicopter, we head due south of Hollywood. And no one under the age of 90 has to be told that we're flying this probably the most famous entertainment attraction in the world, Disneyland. It's been featured on television many times, and I'm sure that these scenes are familiar to all of us. Its enormous size is even more impressive from 1,000 ft up. But let's bypass Mr. Disney's Magic Kingdom and land instead about a mile away at one of the most unusual and colorful museums to be found anywhere, the Movie Land Wax Museum. It's a long, handsome building, but what immediately catches the eye is this glistening symbol of Hollywood's golden era. Let's step inside. Hello, I'm Mona, wardrobe mistress at Movie Land Wax Museum. This figure that I am just dressing of Zu Pets just arrived from Hong Kong. Our figures come from all parts of the world. They come from Mexico, Spain, France, and some right here in Hollywood. It takes an average of about 3 months to complete a figure. The sculptors study many, many pictures, actual stills from the original movie that we are depicting the scene from the late and beloved Zazu Pitts. Let's turn back the pages of movie history. Clark Gable and Vivian Lee in a scene from Gone with the Wind. Katherine Heppern and Humphrey Bogart in the great action adventure The African Queen. Now it's 4 minutes to noon. High noon and a memorable portrayal by the greatest of the tall silent types, Gary Cooper. Incidentally, the flesh tones of these wax figures is amazing. Charles Lton as Henry VIII. Well, the bikini is enough. Rajit Bardaux. Bardaux and Frankenstein. What a box office attraction they would have made. Of course, it's Boris Caroff and one of the best known makeups in the history of the movies. Another master of the horror film, Bella Losce is Dracula. [Music] Somebody's in an awful predicament here. And who else but Laurel and Hardy? And finally, the superstar, the king of the elite, the one and only. And you can pile on the superlatives when you mention Valentino. And even today, some 40 years after his tragic death, the very mention of his name generates an incredible response from the millions who cannot forget the son of the chic. His final resting place is wellknown, but not too many visitors know that in this small park in Hollywood, at the corner of Dong Prey in Cherokee, there is a small but imposing marble tribute to the great matinea idol. A shrine paid for by donations from his fans throughout the world. Rudolph Valentino, 1895, 1926. A lifespan of 31 short but emotion-packed years. There are more memories of the Titans of Tinsel Town at the famous Groman's Chinese Theater. And every day, rain or shine, thousands of movie fans come here to walk where their idols have walked, to match footprints and fingerprints with the Joan Crawfords, Bing Crosby's, and Marilyn Monroes. They come, they look, and find it hard to leave. The Pacific, the world's largest oceanarium, is rated the finest water show of its kind anywhere. The setting is a natural. It's perched high on the cliffs of Palace Veries, overlooking the blue Pacific. Roughly an hour by car from Hollywood, the helicopter cameras give us an idea of its size, 90 acres of amphitheaters, aquariums, and giant tanks. The building in the background, some four stories high, allows visitors to walk in from any of the ramp levels and peak through port holes at the fishbowl. And what a fishbowl. It contains 540,000 gallons of water, some 3,000 creatures of the deep representing 100 different species of sea life. The helmeted diver feeds the inhabitants six times daily, and the feeding is handled in this manner to make sure that the little fellas also get their share. Otherwise, the giant turtles, the rays, and the large sea bass would simply take it all. It certainly is a colorful ritual, and every youngster can just visualize himself in that diver suit, and so can most adults. The sea arena is the biggest of the show arenas and seats approximately 3,000 people. The pool measures 120 ft by 60, and it's here that the seals and corpuses earn their room and board. Well, the stands are packed with visitors from all over the world. A whistle blows and it's showtime. The seals are first and they're brought on by trainer Art Thomas. The spectators encourage the seals to show off, but there seems to be a little problem. This seal wants no part of showbiz. He just wants to catch some shutye. But the water hose makes him change his mind and he crawls back begging forgiveness. You know, seals are naturalborn politicians. Show them a microphone and they'll fill a buster with the best of them. Let's listen to Mr. Sai Seal as he expresses his views on the current situation. Mr. Sai Seal. [Applause] All those in favor applaud and Sai carries the motion by a landslide. The graceful, playful corpuses are the hit of the show. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Look, ma. No hands. After that strenuous game, the porpus is saying how dry I am. Next week, paliachi. Now watch this. Here is the first and only porpus known to willingly leave the water and seek dry land. This most unusual porpus is called Flipper. And none of the other porpuses will even make the effort. In fact, even after the rubber mat is removed, Flipper risks shaping her skin against the concrete by again leaping out of the water voluntarily. Now, this remarkable achievement can be compared to a baseball player hitting 200 home runs in a single season. It's never happened before to our knowledge. When they take their final bows in unison, they remind us of a graceful ballet. [Music] The porpuses are fed in a tank of their own and this amounts to individual feeding. Now here again the porpuses reveal their playful, gentle nature. Look closely and you'll see the diver actually pet the porpuses as they glide by. Perhaps the most spectacular of all the attractions of Marine Land of the Pacific is the whale show. It takes place in the whale tank, the largest in the world with a capacity of 640,000 gallons of water. These are the small Pacific pilot whales. And as of the moment, Marineland has three. This is Bimbo, 20 ft long and weighing a tidy 4,000 lb. Bubbles, the female here, is only 14 feet long and weighs less than half as much as Bimbo, about 1,700 lb. [Applause] [Music] Well, this is certainly the Hollywood touch. They've even taught whales how to sing. Bubbles and Bimbo give us their rendition of Red Sails in the Sunset. Anyway, that's what it says in the program. [Applause] It's one of Tinsel Town's finest attractions, Marineland of the Pacific. From any point of view, another marvelous place to spend a most enjoyable day. Our helicopter cameras are focused on the heart of Hollywood, the city that isn't really a city at all. And if we circle north, just one long block from Hollywood Boulevard, we can't help noticing this enormous gingerbread mansion of tall spires, turrets, gables, and gothic trimmings. Despite its antique appearance, the mansion by day has a serene look to it. But at night, when Hollywood Boulevard is ablaze with activity, the House of Spires has all the warmth of a witch's den. And pedestrians have been known to look over their shoulders and walk a lot faster when they pass these eerie premises. Well, to be sure, strange things do happen here. But have no fear. Instead, welcome to the Academy of Magical Arts, a private club composed of professional and amateur magicians. Getting inside the foyer is no problem, but getting that wise old owl to open the doors to the club rooms involves these magic words. Open sesame. We're in and hoping to make friends, we ask, how's tricks? Well, ask a foolish question. Now, believe it or not, the magic castle does have a ghost. a musical ghost known to the members as invisible Irma. The guest plays and Irma repeats. [Music] Meanwhile, back at the bar, neither fire nor musical shenanigans disturb this gentleman because he knows just about every trick in the book. This is the great Blackstone. You're not afraid to go, sir. No. Well, either one. Aha. Go on, take it. [Laughter] Nothing there. Like most private clubs, the Magic Castle has a card room, but even a professional gambler would be crazy to try his luck place. The dealer is Jerry Anders, a real master at handling cards. JC is the resident magician of the academy, and we've all seen this trick. Or have we? Place it back and deck. A little question, sir. What was your card, by the way? It was the uh 10 of hearts. 10 of hearts was the hardest card in the deck to find. Open ring tricks are almost as old as the art of magic, but Dick Zimmerman has [Music] We are [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Meanwhile, back at the bar, the Magic Castle is not open to the public, but if you know a member, try to wangle an invitation. Witches don't need an invitation, just a broomstick. The new Ginsa Supper Club downtown Los Angeles is a far cry from the merry madness of Hollywood's Magic Castle. The entertainment is not lavish, but the atmosphere is charmingly Japanese, and world travelers are likely to compare it with the better restaurants in Kyoto or Tokyo. The patrons squat comfortably on soft cushions around huge, low, highly polished red lacquer tables. The waitresses wear the traditional Japanese kimono and serve tantalizing dishes from a menu that combines the best of oriental, American, and European cuisines. Broiled lobster tail is a specialty of the house, and so is kushiaki, the Japanese equivalent of shish kebab. Meanwhile, on the small stage, the lights are turned low and two attractive young performers recreate the dances of a culture that predates our own by many centuries. [Music] [Applause] The Troopador, just a few blocks from Hollywood Boulevard, is a converted coffee house that now rates itself as an avongguard cafe. But it's much more than a cafe. As of the moment, it's the favorite of Hollywood's young and young in heart. Sundays and Monday nights, hoot nanny that is. And the entertainment features half a dozen or more performers who specialize in folk music, American and foreign. Many of the people are stars, some are newcomers. All have talent. This is Peter Evans, a brilliant flamco guitarist. [Music] These two young men really kick up a storm. They're built only as the other singers, which leaves us guessing, but we don't have to guess. The Rock Island Line. [Music] Yeah. Well, on the rockey line, it's a mighty good road. Rocky line. It's a road to ride. Rocky line. It's a mighty good road. If you ride, he got a ride. [Applause] This good-look lad provides the change of pace that's a must at a real hoot nanny. His name is David Bernard and the tune is an Israeli song. We stand on long term [Music] and America. What's that sound I hear? Jim and Jean. [Music] that I hear now ringing in my ear. I've heard that sound before. What's that I hear now ringing in my ear. I hear it more and more. [Applause] It's the sound of freedom calling, climbing up to the sky. [Applause] It's the sound of the old waves of falling. You can hear it if you try. You can hear it if you try. [Music] That I see now shining in my eyes. I've seen that light before. What's that I see now shining in my eyes. You know, you look and listen to these young people in love with music, in love with America, and you get the feeling that this new generation will not let us down. They're not out stealing hubcaps or assaulting pedestrians. They're in a nice cafe singing right from the heart and to anyone who will listen. And you get to wishing that there were more places like this. And there are and always will be. This one is called the Trouador. The Roaring 20s is almost certainly the most colorful and interesting night spot in Tinsel Town. This palace of pleasure is located on Lassienga Boulevard, which is Hollywood's restaurant row. The patrons are greeted at the door by a swavelooking gent decked out tuxedo. Irwin Hofberg the manager. Once inside, this vision of loveliness swinging from the ceiling gives us the folksy approach. Good evening, folks. Welcome to the Roaring 20s. It's too early for showtime, so to accommodate early birds, the management has thoughtfully provided for a price of course, minor attractions like a shooting gallery. It picks up a few quarters, and it's especially useful in making visitors from Chicago feel right at home. Our friend isn't doing too well, so the showgirl introduces him to the Black Marshall, a mechanical marvel touted to have the fastest draw this side of the POS. Well, actually, the Black Marshall is as slow as molasses, so of course the customer always wins. The Marshall is quite a ham. [Music] You got me. That was a pretty fast shot for a dude. There's also a touch of Paris at the Roaring 20s, a quick sketch artist who will draw your caricature for $1.50. The price is right, but the management doesn't miss a trick. Your caricature is reproduced on a large screen, just like a bowling score, and most customers find it amusing to kibbits, both the artist and the subject. Well, the loud bell formally introduces the showirls, who also double as waitresses. That was Jan. And this is Diane. [Applause] Sue [Music] me, [Music] Sharon, [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Leah, [Music] and Lyn. The entrance to the speak easy is blocked by a tall, ruggedly handsome gent who could pass as a tackle for the New York Giants. Inside the speak easy, the Putt Brown jazz quartet mesmerizes those who would rather listen than dance. The featured drummer is one of the all-time greats, Ray Beduk and his big noise from Wka. [Music] [Music] Oh yeah. [Music] I don't know. [Music] Hey, look what he's done. He can't do that. [Music] Going up. Going up. We're down. Going down. [Music] [Music] Back in the main saloon, or salon, if that's the word, the show girls perform on the bar. Well, it sure beats pink elephants. [Music] Once again, the name of this colorful oasis is The Roaring 20s, a flashback to America of yester year and the highlight in tinsel town. [Music]