On October 29th, 1957 Louis B. Mayer died from leukemia, a disease which would claim his nephew, Leonard Cummings, the youngest child of my great-grandmother, Ida Mayer Cummings, just eight years later.
Tag: louis b mayer
The tailor’s son takes a wife…
When Popa mentioned he had also done this on windy, precipitous mountain roads, I had a vision of a wiry, redheaded kid with a huge smile and a constellation of freckles across his face, loving the fresh mountain breeze through the windows and Death not able to catch up with him. In my previous post, … Continue reading The tailor’s son takes a wife…
I thought I heard a whisper…
The ritual of the cake made it clear there was certainly affection and understanding between them. But had that come with time? Was it a place of comfort after many disappointments and disagreements? I will never know. This photo of my grandmother Mitzi is undeniably stunning and it doesn't look like it took a lot … Continue reading I thought I heard a whisper…
Charles Bickford: Acquitted of attempted murder at nine, nearly killed by a lion, and three times Oscar nominee
"It's appropriate that I should have come in on the wings of a blizzard. I've been blowing up a storm ever since." Charlie Bickford This fantastic publicity photo of actor Charles Bickford isn’t dated, but I am fairly sure that it's pre-1935 when he was still contracted to MGM and causing hell for my great … Continue reading Charles Bickford: Acquitted of attempted murder at nine, nearly killed by a lion, and three times Oscar nominee
The Legendary Ghosts of 625 Beach Road, Hearst’s Gargoyle and Citizen Kane
If only the best in ghost experiences will do, you can't do much better than 625 Palisades Beach Road, a house that has hosted several eras of legends and is located on a small strip of oceanfront road under the bluffs of Santa Monica, where some of Hollywood biggest heavyweights, and often their toughest competitors, chose … Continue reading The Legendary Ghosts of 625 Beach Road, Hearst’s Gargoyle and Citizen Kane
The Humanitarian Hat – Ida greets First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt
I love that the only person looking straight to the camera in this instant is the policeman on the right. With his smart glossy policeman's hat with its polished badge and his craggy face, he looks straight out of Central Casting I read recently, while watching the Republican National Convention, that my great-uncle Louis B … Continue reading The Humanitarian Hat – Ida greets First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt
To bury a son…
"Instead, Leonard took his last breath with no more to give and no more to get." In this photo, joy meets agony... This is a portrait of my great-uncle Leonard "Sonny" M. Cummings who died at just 44 years old in 1965. My oldest son looks exactly like him. Not a little bit like him. … Continue reading To bury a son…
A Room So Powerful…
This is one of the oddest photos in the collection. Clearly, Louis B Mayer is chairing a meeting, but which one? And who is the amazing mustachioed man? The boardroom table, with its incredibly polished surface, mirrors these men of power. In fact, through some freak of lighting, the table reflects them in an even … Continue reading A Room So Powerful…
In Memory of Richard Zanuck
In memory of Richard Zanuck who died today at 77. Here is his father, Darryl, shown as a young filmmaker being interviewed by my grandmother Mitzi Cummings, who in this instance was writing for Photoplay Magazine. As a niece of Louis B Mayer she was no doubt aware of interviewing the "competition" but she was … Continue reading In Memory of Richard Zanuck
Now Showing! The Mitochondrial Candidate
As I think about these descendants of mine - far into the unknown future - I can almost feel myself fade and flicker like a faulty hologram. Why is it that so few of us know anything about our families past two or three generations? I am lucky enough to have a fairly well documented … Continue reading Now Showing! The Mitochondrial Candidate
The Film Colony ♛ 
You must be logged in to post a comment.