malibu category archive

malibu. a simpler time 0

i’ve been enjoying roddy macdowell’s home movies of his casual malibu gatherings, shot over the summer of 1965.  the films are short, silent and somehow, completely captivating.  in an era when movie star candids were rare, when privacy meant private, when even tabloid mags were mostly staged photo ops, seeing so many legends, in their youth, relaxed, chatting, drinking, smoking, doing crossword, with their (never seen in tabloids) kids playing on the beach – sheds a new light on the icons we mostly knew through  -dare i say it, their work.  this is no e!/mtv “who are these people and why do we care” beach mcmansion set-up.  it’s a cavalcade of truly talented stars: actors, writers, directors, studio execs of the day with spouses, kids and pets, hanging, (as we all do, with our friends,) nothing fancy.  there’s tuesday weld, natalie wood, jane fonda, paul newman, susanne pleshette, hope lang, ruth gordon(!) to name a few but i will say, for me, the starriest of stars in any of these shorts is the regal, tall, tan and lovely lauren bacall. chic-er than chic, a timeless summer-style inspiration, captivating everyone in her midst.  you don’t need to know what she’s saying, the body language says it all…

                                    

Share

capricorn clearing. aries aeration. 2

high above the pch, on my way to visit my friend valerie, i happened upon our friend gretchen, just as she was receiving a herd of visiting goats (and sheep) for seasonal brush clearing.
new goats checking out the all-you-can-eat hillside buffet.
milo meets his neighbors. learns about electricity later.
many varieties. meet billy.(not his real name..)

ramses, again, not his real name…

the goats are domesticated and while non stop grazing, will also stay near your general vicinity. en masse.

the sheep, not so much. they keep to together. mind their own business.


valerie took me on an all too brief ‘highlight tour’ of a few her favorite hiking spots. note to self: get there – crack-of-dawn earlier next time…so many wonderful trails and views and places to just sit and be.
secret stairs to
a secret spot

good night goats and sheep. hope you have a grand time grazing, clearing and aerating. maybe other neighbors will host you after your time here. don’t get into too much mischief…i have a feeling there will be some tales to share about their adventures…i’ll keep you posted…

Share

malibu 1


Share