To Him, It Looks Like a Runaway Bestseller
As a prelude to the 20th Los Angeles Marathon, scheduled for March 6, a ceremony was held recently in Hollywood to honor the 289 “legacy runners” who have competed in every L.A. Marathon. The highlight of the ceremony was the screening of a film about Olympic marathons that Bud Greenspan put together for the occasion.
The award-winning filmmaker, who was present, afterward took questions from the audience. A high school cross-country coach said, “Is this film for sale? I would pay dearly for a copy to show my kids.”
Said Greenspan: “How dearly?”
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Trivia time: What was the name of the 1970s documentary television series, shown widely around the world, that established Greenspan as the world’s premier Olympic filmmaker?
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More Greenspan: Over the years he has been in great demand as a public speaker. He said he once showed up for an engagement and there was one person in the audience.
He said that since he already had been paid, he decided to deliver his speech anyway, and the man in the audience was very attentive, clapping and laughing throughout.
“Afterward, I said to the man, ‘Come on, I’ll buy you a drink.’ And he said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t. I’m the next speaker.’ ”
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The famous and infamous: In addition to Philadelphia Eagle Coach Andy Reid, others who have graduated from Los Angeles Marshall High are actor Leonardo DiCaprio, Judge Lance Ito and USC football radio announcer Pete Arbogast.
The list includes singer Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas and Heidi Fleiss, the “Hollywood Madam.”
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Small world story: Bob Arbogast, father of Pete and an L.A. radio personality in the 1960s, said his family and the Reid family were neighbors.
“We lived three doors apart -- and three houses too,” said Bob Arbogast, who also was the voice of many animated film characters and is now retired and living in Mariposa, Calif.
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Nothin’ Bruin: Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times, on the poor attendance for UCLA basketball games in Pauley Pavilion: “Or, as Bruin fans refer to the sight of all those empty seats: Pauley unsaturated.”
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Looking back: On this day in 1990, Lisa Leslie of Inglewood Morningside High scored 101 points in the first half against South Torrance. The final score was 102-24. The coach of South Torrance decided not to bring his team out for the second half.
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Trivia answer: “The Olympiad.”
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And finally: So what’s it like to be the winning coach of the Super Bowl? Brian Billick recalled on the Fox Sports radio morning show what it was like for him four years ago when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants, 34-7.
He said he had a phenomenal time attending an all-night party at the team’s hotel.
“And, in the infinite wisdom of the NFL, the winning head coach has an 8 a.m. news conference the next day,” Billick said.
Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.