Photo by Bill Dow, Courtesy of The Hollywood Museum
On the night of December 5th — 34 years following just as many 365 day revolutions around the sun, the trilogy that transported us future-forward by way of Flux Capacitor encrusted DeLorean finally had its day amongst the stars!!!
Yes, it was a night of hover boards, Nike High Tops and Food Hydrators at the Hollywood Museum as actors, directors, producers, memorabilia collectors, and all around sci-fi nerds alighted the marble floored staircase of the Hollywood Museum to honor none other than the fantastical film (turned trilogy) to beat all clocks (and related conjecture): Back to the Future!!!
Pending the first ever curated display of the Time Fluid Trinity, it was a commemro(y)ation like no other! As The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News blasted through all four floors of the old Max Factor Building (the musical heft of which Max Factor himself might not be capable of resisting, all the while affording him the super human ability of painting a face in tempo-record time) entertainers and ambient time travelers alike breezed past the DeLorean flaking said Hollywood Landmark’s prestigious lobby. As an arresting aside, few could help but discuss the notion of time travel and parallel reality – a not-too-distant cousin to time tourism (aka “era exploration” — but purportedly encompassing the same chronological framework.)
“I don’t have an answer for that. That is the first time I ever remember feeling this way,” admitted a pensive Jeremy Miller aka Ben from Growing Pains at musing upon the notion of firsthand witness to parallel universality by way of time slips.
According to Dee Wallace, best known for her role as Mary “the mom” in the film of another sci-fantastical kind – E.T.: The Extraterrestrial, “[I time travel and reality shift] every day, I’m a spiritual healer!”
Ilene Graff, most famously recognized as a mother of a more terrestrial kind (from Pittsburgh to be precise) aka Marsha Owens of Mister Belvedere fame, had no tales regarding any personal sort of time travel, but did possess an observation or two about LA traffic patterns, particularly from Silver Lake on into Hollywood, boasting the greatest personal satisfaction pertaining to time-saving techniques via her quaint Studio City neighborhood.
However, once upstairs, (or swiftly on the way there — and the LA Beat MUST impart all that transpired heavenward) more detailed discussions were to abound involving, in particular, Susan Olsen, Judy Tenuta, a younger surprise guest (perhaps a relation of Olsen), Actor Danny Arroyo, and Director David Roundtree!
Decked out with more-higher-than-high tech gadgetry most of us still have yet to behold, the third floor of The Hollywood Museum boasted nearly every cinematic prop, car replica, set piece, and toy amassed in one rectangular room!
Highlighted display items encompassed a Food Hydrator, along with the most deluxe Nike high tops your ol skool self has ever beheld, boasting built-in blue neon lights no less, progressing, all in related fashion to a hover board or two, an additional replica of Doc Brown’s DeLorean flaked by a two dimensional mannequin of Doc Brown sporting his signature yellow silk coat copping an expression both of surprise and delight that he was even invited to said event, let alone a part of its display, several other vehicles featured in the films, a plethora of mannequins sporting costumes from all three films, and lest we not forget a Mister Fusion for all our hotter than hot, home heating needs!
And of course no Hollywood Museum exhibit would be complete sans recognition of all the take home keepsakes (doubling as toys and kitsch) conceived by, and from, the films’ existence, encompassing everything from lunch boxes, toy cars, comic books (culled from a time frame before they were commonly called ‘graphic novels’), probably a board game or two, and a curious wheel-clad board of another kind: Aka a skate board-masquerading as a hover board because… well please…
But the piece de resistance and the accents that really made the exhibit pop, would have to have been three divided territories (separated by both time and space) commemorating Hill Valley circa 1955, Hill Valley circa 1985, and Hill Valley 1885!
Rob Klein, one of the key guest curators and collectors had the following to impart: “In my opinion these three films are the most perfect in Cinematic history. In fact, Universal Studios wanted a 4th installment. However, both Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis agreed that the trilogy should not be revisited as they felt they had created and produced a trilogy that could not get any better.”
According to Hollywood Museum President and Founder Donelle Dadigan, “Steven Clark, Bill, and Patrick Shae: They are phenomenal collectors. They brought the hero car form Back to the Future III all the way from the East Coast here. They trucked it out!”
But Dadigan’s enthusiasm did not stop there: “We are beyond excited that fans of this movie franchise will be able to see original, costumes, [and] props, along with the ever popular merchandise that fans of all ages loved to collect from all three films…There are more than 350 artifacts in this special one of a kind exhibit, and many of these items have never been on public display before!”
Key speakers (aka Podium alighters) included Donelle Dadigan—(natch), Back to the Future creator, producer, and writer Bob Gale, Terry of Back to the Future II fame, (and voice of Roger Rabbit), Charles Fleisher, Don Fullilove: aka be(fulli)loved Mayor of Hill Valley: Goldie Wilson, Hollywood Deputy for council member Mitch O’Farrell Sean Starkey — pending the deliverance of a municipal proclamation!, Hollywood District Director Weishar Tomassian presenting a proclamation on behalf of State Senator Maria Elena Durazo, and the eternally adorable, albeit overly admonishing Elsa Raven aka the “save the clock tower” lady!
Photos by Bill Dow; Courtesy of The Hollywood Museum:
“Got get ‘em Dee Dee,” came a gid-inducing voice sounding much like former Councilman Tom LaBonge, from the peanut gallery as the evening’s speech-making commenced at the pronouncement of Ms. Dadigan!!!
“I want to thank you all for coming here this evening… We have so many dignitaries from so many different walks of life here tonight,” proclaimed Dadigan, but not before reminding us all that she used to be a schoolteacher and that we must all ‘be quiet’ (but only in the most friendly and non-dictatorial of ways). “I am thrilled… [and] I would like to thank the entertainment industry and all of the executives from the different studios that are here tonight!”
Next to the podium (and as introduced by Dadigan): “The Godfather, creator, producer and co-director of the Back to the Future Trilogy Papa Bob Gale!” And surprisingly, yet correspondingly enough, it was Gale who bestowed upon the crowd a most cinematically inspired photo op seemingly provoked by the Gods of Time Travel themselves as he held up a paper from 1986 in parallel fashion-to-present-day:
“Y’know if the me from today, got in a DeLorean and went back to September 1980 when Bob Zemeckis and I were trying to figure out what this story was going to be, and I told my younger self that this many years later we’d be in a museum, I would have looked at this old fucker and said ‘What are you drinkin’ and could I have some?’ Back to the Future is the Energizer Bunny that keeps on going, and going, and it seems like every generation finds themselves in it and embraces it… Parents who saw the movie when they were kids now want to show it to their kids. Their kids are growing up and they show it, and it’ll keep on going for all time… This is a U.S.A. today from January 1986. Ronald Reagan quoted Back to the Future in his State of the Union Address. He said that ‘Where America’s going, we won’t need roads!’ So this is a fitting addition to the exhibit…which will go next to a photo of Reagan that he signed to me because I thanked him…”
Charles Fleisher conferred upon us all a most fascinating college lecture, calculus class, sacred geometry tutorial, metaphysics lesson, spiritual oration, and Hippie psychedelic trip all in one, initially invoking (of all things) the name “Bob” – (post City Council proclamation presentation):
“Thank you very much. Thank you. I have no proclamations. I proclaim that gladly! But I am very honored to be a part of this incredible trilogy of films! And one day in the future, this will be studied for its prophetic value… If you examine the origins of it — Bob Zemeckis and Bob Gale: Bob and Bob. How many great writing teams have the same first name? It’s not John Lennon and John McCartney, doesn’t happen. Bob is a magical name! It’s a palindrome. You say it backwards and forwards like the number 1001, [which] interestingly enough, is three consecutive prime numbers factored seven times, eleven, times thirteen = 1001: Which is like Bob backwards and forwards. In German Bob means ‘shiny’, ‘famous’, and ‘brilliant’, like a five-pointed star. Right on bruthu! We have John DeLorean’s lawyer back there with some extra coke for you people in the back. The pointed star is intrinsically constructed based on the golden ratio which can be expressed as the square root of five, plus one, divided by two. The key to this is plus one… In 2015 [the movie had] the Cubs winning the World Series. They won it in 2016 — plus one. This is prophetic. This is magical, and going into the future, for those of you who do not know this, Back to the Future 4, 5, and 6 raised a lot of questions but Back to the Future 7, 8, and 9, answered all of them. God bless. Stay Holy.”
Next up to speak was Don Fullilove aka Mayor Goldie Wilson of Back to the Future I and III fame, speaking in as wholesomely and transparently legislative fashion as any politician has ever actualized:
“Greetings Citizens! I’d just like to say by proclamation, declaration, referendum and addendum, I hereby declare this is an awesome exhibit. If I could get everybody, on the count of three, to say ‘Back to the Future’ 1-2-3 Back to the Future!!! Yes indeed. I’d like to thank Mr. Bob Gale because I had no idea what his vision was thirty some odd years ago. All I know was, I showed up at Universal and tried to get A JOB. I got a job. I became Goldie Wilson. My life forever will be Mayor Goldie Wilson, and I have no problem with that! Thank you, Mister Bob Gale! Okay, so I said everything I wanted to say. I just want to thank everybody for coming here. I want to thank everybody for making Back to the Future the most incredible thing that ever happened in my life because thirty some odd years ago, I had no idea that I would be standing here talking to you about a film – God Bless you all and thank you; and one thing before I go: When you vote, who will you vote for? (crowd Goldie Wilson). You dag gone right!!! And I just have to say, the clock tower lady… It’s because of her. She took up a donation. Mayor Goldie Wilson is tryin’a save the clock tower! You’re going to hear from her soon!”
And in true honest to goodness, transparent political form, Mayor Wilson’s promise would eventually come to pass as actress Elsa Raven was handed the microphone to much applause and mirthful-stance:
“I don’t know what to say except: ‘Unbelievable!’ [In coming here tonight] I had no idea that I would be coming to something like this. You people are just marvelous, and I’m so grateful for all the people who are responsible for this evening!”
Other Back to the Future Trilogy stars in attendance included: Darlene Vogel aka Spike in Back to the Future II, Stuntman Richie Gaona on Back to the Future II, along with Ricky Dean Logan aka Data from Back the Future II and needles gang in Back to the Future III.
Other celebrities present included Alice Amter aka Mrs. Koothrappali on The Big Bang Theory, Brandin Stennis of Y&R and Family Still Matters, Carolyn Hennesy from General Hospital, Jessie and True Blood, Chalet Lizette Brannan from Peter Pan: Land of Forever, Darcy Donovan of Modern Family fame, Dawn Wells aka Mary Ann of Gilligan’s Island, Dee Wallace most famous terrestrial mom of ET: The Extraterrestrial, and Cujo fame, Diana Lansleen from Y&R and Days of Our Lives, Elaine Ballace of The Rich & the Ruthless, bestselling author Geoffrey Mark, Geri Jewell of Facts of Life and Deadwood fame, Gloria Garauya from How to Get Away With Murder, Hunter Payton of Raven’s Home, Ieva Georges of Criminal Minds, Ilene Graff from Mr. Belvedere, Isabella Leon of Disney Princess Club, Jaheem Toombs from 100 Things to do Before High School, Jailen Bates of WITS Academy, Jay Reeves from All American and A Girl Named Jo, Jax Malcom from Conservation Invasion, Jeremy Miller aka Ben of Growing Pains fame, most distinctive-voiced comedienne this side of the Mississippi (and the other side too while we’re at it in every time zone) Judy Tenuta, Lee Meriwether aka Batman’s Catwoman, Lee Purcell of Valley Girl and Carol of the Bells, Patti Negri of Good Witch, a most enthusiastic Petri Byrd of Judge Judy fame, Rico Anderson of #Freerayshawn, Ro Brooks of The Have and the Have Nots, singer Roslyn Kind, Sean-Ryan Petersen of Victor and Valentino, Sofi Milos from CSI Miami, Tracy Weisert of The Neighbors and Life In Pieces, and last, but certainly not least, a blast from the past waxing relevant into the future, Anita Pointer of The Pointer Sisters.
All in all, a night of hilarity, exuberantly spent hours, and naturally hydrated food!
For more information on The Hollywood Museum, please visit:
http://thehollywoodmuseum.com/
