In a deal that no doubt will...

In a deal that no doubt will be compared to the Getty Museum’s purchase of Van Gogh’s “Irises,” the American Stamp and Coin Co. of Tarzana has announced its purchase of Elvis Presley’s 1975 driver’s license.

As with “Irises,” the price fetched by the King’s Tennessee license was not revealed.

Owner Jay Tell of American Stamp says that Elvis originally gave the license--which had expired--to a fortuneteller identified as “Madame Star,” whose crystal-ball reading pleased him. The psychic later passed it down to her goddaughter, who sold it to Tell.

We’re sure that Tell has carefully checked the authenticity of the license. But one thing bothers us. This Elvis Presley lists his weight at 170.

Jay Olins of Santa Monica points out that in view of the recent massive sewage spill in San Diego, those billboard ads for the America’s Cup races have taken on new meaning. The blurbs say:

“JUST DOWN THE FREEWAY, SOMETHING BIG IS IN THE WIND.”

Herb Caen, the anti-Angeles columnist in the Bay Area, reports that a Stockton newspaper ran a headline that said: “Crooked Cop Gets 5 Years in L.A.” Caen’s comment: “That’ll show the mizzerable creep.”

The movie, “Bugsy,” a 1940s yarn about mobster Bugsy Siegel, took some liberties with the facts, but the filmmakers did pay attention to background detail. In one scene, Tinseltown’s most famous symbol is visible--the HOLLYWOODLAND sign. That was its original name, in honor of a real estate development. The LAND was later lopped off by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce (not Caltech students) to give it more universal appeal.

Barbara Casey of Malibu swears she saw it at a garage sale in that burg:

A sign that said: “We accept American Express.”

We mentioned the other day that El Pais, a Madrid-based newspaper, devoted an entire magazine article to the automobile culture of Angelenos, which it compared to los disparatados argumentos de las comedias norteamericanas (harebrained plots of TV sitcoms).

Janet Dooley of the Big Bear community of Fawnskin points out it could be worse here. “The Spanish go to work around 9, 10 a.m.,” she said. “They go home for their main meal around 1 p.m. They then go back to work at 3 p.m. and go home again at 7, 8 p.m.” She added: “At least we don’t have four rush hours.”

Unless you consider what we have now--one, never-ending rush hour.

If you aren’t attending Liz Taylor Fortensky’s gala nighttime birthday party at Disneyland, don’t despair. Maybe you’ll get invited to the Happiest Place on Earth’s other big birthday bash later in the year. That one’s also in honor of a famous screen star--Goofy. Small world. Like Liz, Goofy will be celebrating No. 60.

miscelLAny:

Just over a century ago, the Nadeau Hotel, located at First and Spring streets, became the first building in the city to install an elevator. The need was obvious. The Nadeau was four stories high.