In Beverly Hills, Even the Trash Can Be Pricey

In the film magazine Classic Images, Lee Harris of Burbank came across an ad relating to the once-famous Beverly Hills estate of two silent-screen idols. It said: “Original 1930 telegrams (65) Mary Pickford sent Douglas Fairbanks. Found Pickfair trash in 1970. Excellent condition! $55 each ... “ That’s $3,575 in all. Commented Harris: “Things found in the trash in Burbank aren’t worth $3,575.”

Harrumph for Hollywood: In a new development in Perris (I love Perris in the springtime), John Green of Riverside saw signs “posted all around for houses that appear to have built-in theaters” (see photo). He added: “More bad news for the traditional box office!”

Unclear on the Concept: Barbara Grubman of Woodland Hills noticed that people could be squeezed into a tight space for a “Self-Destructive Emotions” seminar, which sounds like unhealthy behavior to me (see accompanying).

Unclear on the Concept (II): In Wales, Sergio Ortiz of Malibu observed some fowl behavior around a drinking area (see photo).

55 Ways to Leave Your Viewers: Longtime NBC news producer Reuven Frank, who died the other day, devised the closing lines of the dual-anchor “Huntley-Brinkley Report” of the 1950s: “Good night, David.” “Good night, Chet.” He recalled that Chet Huntley and David Brinkley grew tired of the sign-off but that when he challenged them to come up with something just as short, they couldn’t.

CBS’ Edward R. Murrow already owned “Good night, and good luck.” Contrast those lines with the sign-off used on KCAL-TV Channel 9 these days: “We know you have many choices for news. We thank you for choosing KCAL 9.” Tres punchy.

A different kind of sign-off: Writing in the New Yorker, Tad Friend asserted that a true L.A. police chase requires this condition: “After you have eluded your pursuers with masterly driving for a goodly period, you must then pull into a fast-food joint to be overpowered.” I thought of that this week after I heard a TV report about a suspect who ended a long chase by pulling into a Burger King in Lancaster to be overpowered.

Season’s grumbles? The latest crime log of the Beach Reporter carries a complaint from a Manhattan Beach resident who said he has received about 30 calls before and since Christmas “from a person sounding like a young child. The caller always acts like he is talking to Santa Claus.” Someone tell the kid that Santa doesn’t do gift returns.

miscelLAny: Gene Mestel of Glendale read in a local newspaper about a teenager who spoke of how difficult it was to find any cute collars for her 7-year-old miniature “Dotson.” Hope it’s not a gasoline guzzler.