Screenwriters Give Fashion the Treatment
Hundreds of aspiring screenwriters lingered outside the hotel ballroom, hungrily devouring free sushi and cocktails and mixing with a large wedding party that swished around in formals. Signs posted nearby targeted the fame-hungry: “Five free meetings with development execs!” and “Want an Oscar? Get a Coach!” It was the final stretch of the three-day Writers Guild Foundation’s “Words Into Pictures” forum, an event at the Hilton in Universal City that features nonstop workshops and panel discussions.
Needless to say, fashion was not a priority for this crowd. “It’s Day 3 of some really long sessions,” said a screenwriter from Ottawa, Canada. Scanning the casually dressed crowd, some in oversized Hawaiian shirts, others in baggy pants and baseball caps, she compared the “understated and elegant” locals with the out-of-towners. “The out-of-towners, if you’ll excuse me for saying it, look like hell,” she said.
The commentary was apropos: The ballroom would be the setting for a tongue-in-cheek fashion show, with screenwriters wearing duds that reflected the themes from their famous films or TV shows.
Emcee Fred Willard took the stage first to show off a shiny purple suit that he said he bought in Cleveland. Next, “Seinfeld” writer Peter Mehlman strutted down the catwalk in athletic wear: shorts, a gray T-shirt and a baseball cap that he tossed into the audience. “The China Syndrome” co-writer T.S. Cook dressed in fishing gear and posed as Ernest Hemingway. The real crowd pleaser, however, was “Meet the Parents” co-writer Jim Herzfeld, who bravely took the stage in a pink bathrobe, bared his chest in a Speedo bathing suit and then spiked a volleyball to the back of the room. It was an unusual way to spend a Saturday night, one that might not soon be repeated. As novelist and screenwriter Peter Lefcourt said, “This was the first, and quite possibly the last, writers’ fashion show.”
Renovated House Has the Wright Stuff
Wandering guests exclaimed over the architecture of their host’s home, an open-air classic designed in 1926 by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son, Lloyd Wright. Nearly all of its rooms open onto a colorfully lighted pool. At the head of the rectangular lot, which is nearly invisible from Franklin Avenue, the master bedroom was accented by two giant flaming torches that illuminated walls with Aztec and Mayan accents. Inside the master bath, a koi pond featured lily pads and grasses. The whole place is decorated in natural tones, and the landscaping is delicate and subtle. “It’s a garden of Eden,” said one guest. “Only it’s in the city.”
On Saturday night, the house was crowded with industry folks, performers, psychics and an Austin Powers impersonator, all celebrating the recent renovations of the property, known as Sowden House. The party’s hosts were writer Cliff Rothman and real estate entrepreneur Xorin Balbes. The latter bought the Los Feliz home last year for $1.2 million. “When I bought it, it was completely destroyed,” he said. “When you would touch the walls it would turn to sand in your hands.” After an exhaustive five-month renovation, he was offered more than $4 million for the place. But he’s not selling.
From the master bedroom, which became a stage, singer Morganne serenaded the crowd. During breaks, she modeled a bright blue feather hat and sleek silver gown, then a hat of yellow flowers with a beaded gown to match. As she sang, the crowd mingled. “Face lifts are over,” said one guest, a plastic surgeon, to a new acquaintance. “They are done.” Every few minutes, Austin Powers, a.k.a. Richard Halpern, dressed in a blue velvet suit with Edwardian lace collar, offered his most authentic “Yeah, baby!” Most guests couldn’t contain their admiration of the house. “All you see are tall cypress, palms and pines,” said one man gazing at the sky. “I’m never leaving here,” said another.
Quote/Unquote
“I’ve got metal on the bottom and clear on the top.... I’d broken teeth in fights, tennis, wrestling, and as a result, my front teeth were pushing hard on my lower teeth. The dentists told me I had to change my bite. My kids think it’s hilarious.” --Tom Cruise in the July issue of W magazine on why he’s wearing braces.
City of Angles runs Tuesday through Friday. E-mail: angles @latimes.com
