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We got up early this morning and took the shuttle from our hotel back to the airport and caught the MARTA (the metro) into the city. It was virtually a ghost town, which was really confusing because I’d never seen a big city so dead. The ticket guy at the station said a) it’s Sunday and b) there’s a football game in town. It was strange. MARTA is pretty efficient, and I like that the train cars are fairly big; we weren’t packed in like sweaty sardines in a can like on some lines of the Tube in London, but it also doesn’t come every 6 minutes like the Tube does. Still, it got us to where we needed to go for fairly cheap, so that was awesome.
LONDON?! No? Where is everyone?
This station reminded me of one in London–Charing Cross, I think. Look at all those stairs! It’s like climbing a concrete mountain.
Our first stop was the World of Coca-Cola, which is an actual factory and we took an interesting tour and saw some pretty cool memorabilia, like this:
Clark Gable and Joan Crawford like Coke
At the end of the tour, there was a room with about 5 or 6 different kiosks that served Coca-Cola products from all over the globe. Some of them were pretty good, others were really interesting, and some were really not very good. We tasted a drink from Italy called “Beverly” which happened to be the most disgusting soda I’ve ever had in my life. I can’t even decribe it, it tasted like some sort of medicine. No thanks, “Beverly!”
We then made our way to Midtown MARTA station and took 10th street to the Margaret Mitchell Museum. We had remembered reading somewhere that Margaret Mitchell called this house “the dump” because it was so small. When we saw the outside we said, “Say what? This house is big!” But it turns out MM and John Marsh only lived in the downstairs apartment which was 3 small rooms. She called it “the dump” because she had grown up in a mansion. Anyway, MM wrote most of Gone with the Wind in this house. And isn’t it funny to think that she didn’t think anything of her book when she was writing it? She didn’t think it any good. WRONG, Margaret Mitchell! Yours is the only novel I’ve ever read more than once (I’ve read it 3 times, actually). So I think it was good!
Margaret Mitchell House & Museum
There was a small movie museum next door to the MM House that had the huge painting of Scarlett that was used in the film of GWTW. It looks kind of scary but it was so cool!
It was used in the movie!
Autumn
Afterword, we walked up Peachtree Street and found the Georgian Terrace Hotel, where stars from GWTW stayed during the premier. It was really posh inside, very fitting for Vivien Leigh, methinks, although did she stay in the governor’s mansion with Larry instead? I got a chocolate/raspberry cupcake at Mims Cafe next door. We were then accosted by a possible vagrant who “needed $2.15 to get a MARTA ticket because he just moved to Decatur and his friend left him stranded.” I hope he enjoyed that ‘MARTA ticket.”
For dinner we headed over to the Pittypat’s Porch restaurant downtown. It was pricey but we figured we had to try it. I think I gained 10 lbs in that one sitting, there was so much food! I got the salmon, which was really good. We also decided we had to try mint juleps since none of us had ever had one/ I think we were expecting it to be a mojito but boy were we wrong. It looked like dirty pond water with algae at the bottom. And it tasted about the same. The bourbon and mint were so strong. Kasia forced herself to drink almost the whole thing, but it looked like quite a struggle. I quit after 1/2 a glass. Oh! The ladies’ room at Pittypat’s was so cute! It had a powder room and everything.
Mint juleps = Beverly...or pond water. Are those organisms swimming around in there?
We decided mint juleps are the “Beverly” of cocktails. I tried to picture Scarlett O’Hara (if she were real) or even Vivien Leigh drinking mint juleps on the porch (or the balcony?) and had a hard time. Although Vivien’s favorite drink was apparently a gin and tonic which I also don’t like very much because it’s so dry. Oh, Alcohol.
Then we went into a food coma and decided to go back to the hotel. The night ended with Tool Academy on VH1 and a program about monorails on the Travel Channel.
Tomorrow: Atlanta History Center, Jonesboro, and beyond!
Hello, website blog. It’s been a while. I recently did a little poll on the vivandlarry.com facebook fan page about what visitors most wanted to see on the website. One of the suggestions was more film reviews, and I thought that was a good idea.
I just finished watching Franklin J. Shaffner’s 1978 film The Boys from Brazil, which Turner Classic Movies aired as part of their month-long salute to the thriller genre. The film stars Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier in surprising roles. Surprising for Gregory peck because he plays a ruthless Nazi, Dr. Joseph Mengele, a total departure from Peck’s all American screen persona. Surprising for Laurence Olivier becuase he had just done a turn as a ruthless Nazi in John Schlessinger’s 1976 film Marathon Man, and in The Boys from Brazil he plays a frail Jewish Nazi hunter.
I have to admit that The Boys from Brazil isn’t a very good movie (so this review may contain some sarcasm and/or mockery). Disappointing because it has so many big names. Aside from Olivier and Peck, the cast includes James Mason and Lilli Palmer, and that guy who plays the creepy cart operator who lures the children to Willy Wonka’s factory of wonders in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the one with Gene Wilder, not the Tim Burton movie that I refused to watch because no one beats Gene Wilder as the Candy Man). I just checked, his name is Günter Meisner.
The story is based on the book of the same title by Ira Levin, in which we follow a Nazi Hunter named Ezra Lieberman as he unfolds a plot by Nazi-on-the-run Joseph Mengele to clone little Hitlers (I know, right? Huh?). According to the recent documentary about thrillers that aired on TCM last weekend, the 1970s were prime for making people paranoid about the potential second rise of the Nazis, and Hollywood really took advantage of this. War criminals on the run and hiding in South America, waiting to come to the US to wreak havoc after they find out “Is it safe?” Interesting plot point right there.
DVD poster
The Boys from Brazil had a lot of potential. The story was just weird enough to border it on horror, but unfortunately the cheesiness of the 1970s and the bad acting all around, especially by Jeremy Black who plays the Hitler clones, didn’t help it any. Plus is had Steve Guttenberg. Remember him? Laurence Olivier received his 10th and final Oscar nomination for this film, and while I say “Huzzah to Larry!” it feels like one of those films that he did later in his life because he needed the money to put his younger kids through school. It also made me really sad to see him looking so gaunt and frail. It’s like he dropped about 30 lbs between 1976 when he did Marathon Man, and 1978 when he did this film. There was even a scene at the end when Lieberman and Mengele are having a fighting match and they’re rolling around on the ground trying to strangle one another, and Gregory Peck looked so much meatier than poor Larry. I hope he used a stunt double.
I want to say that this movie probably would be better with today’s special effects, but then I’m not so sure the story would hold up today because it doesn’t involve vampires or robots.
Sadly, I’d give it a C- rating.
Gregory Peck and a pack of vicious dobermans
Attention all West Coast (specifically southern CA) classic film lovers! Starting May 18, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is doing an ode to Hollywood’s greatest year, 1939, with a 10 film tribute (all 10 films nominated for the 1939 Best Picture Oscar). Starting off with the mother of all 1939 movies, Gone with the Wind!
Hooray for Hollywood!
THE FILMS:
Gone with the Wind
Stagecoach
Wuthering Heights
Dark Victory
Love Affair
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Ninotchka
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Of Mice and Men
The Wizard of Oz
WHERE: The Samuel Goldwyn Theatre | 8949 Wilshire Blvd | Beverly Hills
WHEN: Monday nights at 8 pm starting May 18, 2009
HOW MUCH: $25 for entire film series//$20 with a student ID
Tickets go on sale on April 27, be sure to grab yours in time!
I think you can guess which two I’ll definitely be at, hope to see you there!
I’m at my friend Katie’s house in Pinner, in west London. It’s been such a good time and her family is so nice! Her mom even gave us a proper English desert of bread and custard, mmm!
I’m so glad I’ve checked out of that hostel and had a proper shower, lol. THAT’S what I’ve missed from home. But i’ll be sad to leave as I love Europe so much. However, as I’ve told people already, I feel like this has definitely been the best trip of my life and I feel like I got the most out of it. Looking back, I really feel lucky that so MUCH happened in only 2 weeks. I met just about everyone I’d always wanted to meet regarding Larry and Vivien, and they couldn’t have been more kind and hospitable, and there I was worried that they’d think I was stupid because I’m so young or something. I guess with enough determination, you really can do anything! Now when i get back I have a task I’ve set out to do and I fully intend to make it happen one day. It’s nice to have people’s support.
I also met some amazing people that I knew through vivandlarry.com, and it was so fabulous to talk to people in person who actually like the same things as I do and love talking about it! So, Kasia, Katie, Elizabeth, and Meg, thanks for meeting up and for being so nice! And tomorrow I’m meeting up with Adeline (who does those amazing drawings in the vivandlarry.com gallery), so that’s exciting! It’s like Larry and Vivien really DO bring together people from around the world.
Yes, this has definitely been the best trip of my life, and I’m glad I came alone and had my own adventure because I got to meet so many amazing people and have such amazing and enlightening conversations, and just do my own thing on my own terms. It’s empowering and fun and I couldn’t have asked for more, really.
I’ll miss it here, but I’ll be back again some day. Only one more day 
I went to York today–I took the train from King’s Cross–and met my livejournal friend, Elizabeth-Anne. We took a taxi to Castle Howard! IT WAS AMAZINGLY GORGEOUS! Especially because of all the snow there. The house wasn’t open but the grounds were and we traipsed across snowy fields, saw the Atlas Fountain and the Temple of the Four Winds. Castle Howard was used as the location for Brideshead in both versions of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revsisted. This, of course, made me think of Larry who was in the mini series, and there are some great behind the scenes photos of him sitting on the steps leading up to the castle.
The fountain wasn’t running but it was amazing to see it filled with snow, especially when you think of Matthew Goode and Ben Wishaw swimming naked in it in the film haha. but really the whole place is amazing and so HUGE. We tried to be adventurous and climbed this fence by the Temple of the Four Winds to go across the bridge (which looks very much like the one Kiera Knightley runs across in the rain in <i.Pride and Prejudice which was why I thought part of it was filmed there. But it wasn’t. Anyway, there was a sign on the fence that said “Beware of Bull”. We were like wtf? It was interesting. I didn’t see any animals there except ducks and an owl, but no cows or anything of the sort.
It was so fun but my boots aren’t waterproof so they got soaked (they’re still wet, actually). We had to go back to the info center and dry our socks on the radiator behind the information desk! The employees were very kind about it though, thankfully!
There were a lot of peacocks outside in the snow. I tried to chase one and imitate their calls so they would open their tail feathers. I failed. Haha!
I wish we had those sorts of old stately homes in America–that’s what I love about Europe, everything is so OLD!
I really enjoyed meeting you, Elizabeth, because you know so much about Larry and Brideshead and EVERYTHING! You’re awesome! 
Thumbs up.
Photos to come later. I can’t believe my time here has gone by so fast This really has been the best trip of my entire life!
I can’t believe my 2 weeks in London are almost up I want to stay for ever and ever! I had a lovely day today though. I woke up and went over to the British Library to look at some more photos and such. Anyway at the BL today I found the most amazing things! Larry is amazing for keeping all of this stuff but part of me wonders why Suzanne Farrington doesn’t have it instead. For example there’s an entire scrapbook full of never before-seen GWTW photos most of Vivien playing around on set and such behind the scenes. They’re wonderful and so so gorgeous! There’s also a cool album of Titus Andronicus tour photos, Candids of Larry and Viv in the early 1950s etc. My favorite thing though was a little framed photo about 4 x 6 of Vivien at Notley with her cat New (aka Satan everyone’s favorite Siamese that’s in all of her pics) and this gorgeous dog that looked like a lab/huskie mix or something. Her hair is kind of mussed up as if it were really windy or she just woke up from a nap. I recognized it from a photo in a magazine–Larry used to keep it on his dressing room table, and it’s SOOOO gorgeous! I think I might splurge and get a print of it for a ridiculous price. But I think it’s my new favorite photo because it’s so candid and she was so lovely. ♥
Then i went to Charing Cross and got some photos at the National Portrait Gallery, got lunch and happened upon the Westminster Reference Library, where I leafed through some old Vogue UK mags and found some new Larry and Viv photos inside–so I copied them for 10 pence a piece!! WHEEE.
But then after that I went and saw a lovely concert at St Martin-in-the-fields. It was a string concert group and they played Bach concertos and Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusic by candlelight. It was so so so beautiful (except for the mental crazy guy sitting behind me. he threw a paper airplane into my pew and was talking to himself. No joke.)! We never have this sort of thing around where I live. A bit of culture–good! I just kept thinking that that was where Vivien Leigh’s memorial service was and remembered reading how Larry slipped in and stood in the back. I’m obsessed, yah. Lol. But it was amazing and tomorrow they’re doing Vivaldi’s 4 Seasons!!! I think my friend Katie and I are going to go! It’s only £12! Ohh you guys, I love it here so very much. *Sigh*
This morning I took a train from London Marylebone to Haddenham and Thame Pkwy. I mistook someone’s directions and took the wrong road, which meant I was walking for miles–literally and and had to stop for directions. But the man who pointed the way was so nice and put me on the right path. It took me an hour to get there (when I could have been there in 10 minutes haha). But anyway, Notley is BEAUTIFUL. That’s really all I can say about it because that’s what it is. It looks smaller than I imagined on the outside but once inside it’s enormous! No wonder they had so many parties, two people would get lost in there! The river was flooded from all the snow but it was kind of neat. Actually, I walked along Larry’s lime walk drive and saw someone taking photos outside. I thought she worked there or something but she said “I think I know who you are.” And it turns out it was someone who had visited vivandlarry.com and who had emailed me a couple weeks ago about visiting London. I wasn’t expecting to meet with anyone but the owners (who I didn’t actually end up meeting…) but, hi Meg, it was nice to meet you!
The grounds were gorgeous and so medieval, but it was a shame it’s been so modernized inside. Larry and Viv’s L-shaped room was lovely and had nice views from the windows. I could just picture them speeding up the drive in their Rolls on the way back from a show in London!
It really was beautiful and so fitting for them and their otherworldliness. Many, many more photos to come when I get home!
I think today can be summed up in one word: Superfabulous.
I went to Westminster Abbey this morning and got a pic of Larry’s grave on the sly. As I was looking around Poet’s Corner I noticed two boquets of flowers on Charles Dickens’ grave and it was from 100 of his direct descendants for his birthday on the 7th. That was sweet.
Then I met up with Kasia again at Euston station and we got coffee at Starbucks and talked about Tarquin and Joan and Larry and Viv and everything. It’s so fun meeting other people who like talking about the same things you do!
Then at 6 I took the tube back to Kensington, annnnnd I just got drunk with Hugo Vickers. And by that I mean I got drunk, I don’t think he did, but it was amazing. We also ate chicken soup and a TV dinner and lemon cheesecake and polished off a bottle of wine, it was so awesome, lol, and it was rather delicious. YOU GUYS, he’s just like he is on the tv! He has the nicest voice and he’s so kind! He told me all the inside info about when he was researching his Vivien book and who he met, etc. He showed me the manuscript for the re-issue of his book which IS being published some time this year. He doesn’t like Larry very much so he jokingly referred to him as my friend, lol, and I said “Whatever, I love that guy!” But we both definitely agree that Vivien was the number one for Larry. He’s so full of good stories. We talked about everything from Vivien Leigh to David Niven to Facebook to Greta Garbo to Silence of the Lambs to Kate Winslet, and he’s so nice and laid back and sooo British.
I think he’s my favorite. He couldn’t have been more sweet or interesting! He left a really nice message in my book and we talked for 5 hours.
WIN.
Notley tomorrow, hopefully it’s not raining so I can walk from the station!
I’m so tired right now but the French kids in my room are so noisy and watching TV on someone’s computer. *sigh*
This trip is turning out to be one of the richest experiences I’ve ever had! Yesterday (Friday), I woke up early and took the 8:44 train to Hither Green, a suburb of London. There I met Richard Mangan who works at the Mander and Mitchenson Theatre Collection. Richard has been a serious collector of Olivier memorabillia for about 40 years and his collection is the most glorious thing I’ve ever seen. Literally. As I said on LJ, it took me 7 hours to look through it all and it was mind boggling. he has so many things i never even knew existed! I definitely have a ton to look out for if I’m ever going to have anything nearly as amazing! On top of this, he was a stage manager at the National and worked with Larry. He had some wonderful stories, and it sounds like Larry was a really good guy, a very professional man, and he was awesome! Just as I suspected! I adore Larry, as you know.
Richard and his wife couldn’t have been more kind or hospitable and I LOVED looking at his collection! Thanks, Richard (if you read this), I had a wonderful time! You’ve done good, real good!!
I stopped by David Drummnd’s shop afterword and picked up some fun things for my collection
+++
So today I woke up at…5:30 am? I know, wtf, when was the last time that happened? (Answer: a looooong time ago). I have been going to bed early and rising early because I’m determined to see EVERYTHING I want to see. I left at 6:30 and my face and hands almost froze off, seriously, it’s SO COLD here. It didn’t help that I mispaced my gloves. I took the train to Leicester Square and walked over to Covent Garden, got some coffee and a croissant, and then took some photos and walked back to Trafalgar Square and had breakfast with Mr Horatio Nelson and his lions in front of the National Gallery. The streets were practically deserted, it was lovely!
Then I wandered with my freezing hands over toward Westminster, and across Jubilee Bridge to Waterloo again for another Old Vic tour with a man named Ned who let me join in with a tour group of some sort. I was disappointed that there was only one Olivier name drop but it was still interesting!
Afterword I grabbed tea at the National Theatre coffee shop and then met Katie (sassygirl on LJ) at the Larry statue (a good meeting place!). We got pizza at Waterloo and then headed to Chelsea to see the famous Vivien leigh places of residence. After walking around in vain for about an hour we weren’t able to find Lowndes Cottage, but we did go to Eaton Square (which is still under construction unfortunately). I got a pic of Viv’s bench over the fence and a rather bitchy lady with her dogs walked into the garden but refused to let us in to snap a photo. No biggie, it turns out I’m rather glad she didn’t let us in…But we were standing in front of 54 Eaton Square when this Asian girl walks up to the door and starts to go in. I asked if she lived there and she said yes, she helps Louise (Rainer, Oscar winner for The Good Earth). She said she didn’t know much about Vivien which made me sad. But it was cool to see someone go in there. I don’t think she totally understood what we were saying. Oh well.
Then we walked over to Christchurch Street and saw Durham Cottage–much better in the daylight. We were loitering across the street when GUESS WHAT HAPPENED?! A man walked up and went in the gate!! Katie went over (I was scared) and told him I was a Vivien fan and asked if we could take some photos! He said yes (Way to go, Katie!!)! So he let us in the gate and we got some nice ones of the garden walkway and everything! He was so nice and pretty cute too. I asked if he lived there and he said his godfather did, whom he helps because he has alzheimers. He said his godfather bought the house from Vivien Leigh. I about died! WHAT LUCK! If the bitchy woman from Eaton Square had let us in we would have missed catching the boy (Max, I think he said) at Durham Cottage! He said he’d have invited us in but his godfather has alzheimers and gets really confused with new faces. We said it was okay, we were just happy be lucky enough to catch him coming back from the grocery store! He also said he’d met Tarquin and I asked if he was nice, and he said yes. Amazing times! Katie, it was lovely to meet you finally!
The reason I asked if Tarquin was nice was because I was to meet him later (I just got back and en route to the tube from his house I stopped in this internet cafe). Anyway, so I was really nervous walking to the Olivier flat, but not so much after meeting him (He’s my fave, by the way, I always said if I could meet anyone who knew Larry and Viv it would be him). He looks so so so much like Larry (was wearing the signet ring Larry wore and has the same eyes–GRAy for the record, like Larry’s!!) and had nothing but wonderful things to say about Vivien and fun stories about his dad. And in case you were wondering (as I was for a long time), yes, he is still friends with “Suzy” who also lives in London.
I love that he adored Vivien and said he was never bitter about Larry’s leaving Jill for her because he always loved her, as he says in his book My Father Laurence Olivier (READ IT! It’s wonderful!). Viv was exciting and she and Larry were very much in love (my theory was confirmed!!!) even though it was sometimes really hard because of her illness. He said Viv told him once that she and Larry were “Mentally and physically in love but never spiritaully in love” because they knew that their relationship was made from hurting other people and they both felt guilty about it (Larry always it seems from what I’ve read). Anyway, Tarquin is very nice and seems to love talking about Larry and Viv (as you guessed, Lyndsy!) and I really enjoyed talking to him and still can’t believe I got the opportunity! It was a total dream come true! And he had some good stories about David Niven at Notley since I brought him up and said David was my favorite of Larry and Viv’s friends. Apparently Hjordis knew very little English and used to go around saying “WOOOONDERFUL!” all the time. But she was a bitch, as I learned recently when reading the authrized biography, Niv, and was terrible to poor David. And then I got kind of sad because Hjordis and David used to be my third fave couple. BOOO, Hjordis!!
Tarquin used to hang out with Christina Crawford at Joan Crawford’s house. And he showed me his stamp collection from when Thomas Mann used to live next door to them in Hollywood, and the stuff Larry sent him from Australia in 1948.
Anyway, he had to run after a bit and I still had so many questions to ask! I guess I will over email, but it was so amazing to meet him in person!! YAY!
I’m so tired now so I think I’ll go pay and go to sleep soon. Tomorrow I’ll take it easy. Then Monday I’m off to start my adventures at the British Library (You don’t know how excited I am!)!
Good night!
PHEW! After a 10 hour overnight flight from LAX, during which I got about 3 hours of sleep and the food was terrible, I finally landed in London at about 2 (London time). I had put on my winter coat before leaving the plane, so once I got my two backpacks, I instantly started sweating. It was heavy and awkward, but better than taking a suitcase, methinks!
I had to hop on the tube from the airport and take it to King’s Cross/St Pancras, and then find my hostel. I am proud to say I didn’t have any problems with anything (except carrying two backpacks), but it’s effing COLD here. Brrr! Big change from 70 degrees and sunny in CA.
But I didn’t get to see anything today because as soon as I got checked in, I took a shower and fell asleep. Now I’m up again and starving, but I’m down in the commons room using their computer (I opted for no laptop after all). There are quite a few people down here cooking in the commons room, I haven’t peeked in yet. I haven’t had time to get any groceries so I might just head out to McDonalds (kill me, please) or wander around and find something different. Either way, I need some food STAT. I’ve met two people in my dorm room so far: a French boy named Robert who I accidentally woke up when I called my dad (hey, I didn’t see him sleeping there to be fair), and an Australian girl whose name I don’t know. Hopefully everyone’s nice, even though I don’t plan on hanging out here the whole time, or much of the time at all, sorry hostel! One downside is I don’t see any luggage lockers around this place for my big backpack. Everyone just seems to let their stuff sit on their bed and cover it with their duvet. WEIRD and slightly uncomfortable.
I have a big day tomorrow. I’m getting up early to take advantage of the free breakfast here and then heading out for some photo sessions before meeting the first of 4 special people at the Old Vic Theatre at noon. Then I might meet up with Kasia from Poland, hopefully–either way, adventures abound!
And thanks, Katie, for texting me when i got in, you’re sweet! Can’t wait to meet up!
Until tomorrow!
Later
Kendra
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