For someone like me who has been brought up on a healthy diet of movies since my tender years, it is not easy to visit a new place and the mind not veering off to recollect a movie which the place reminds me of. Besides, anything connected with movies in any way – be it a Walk of Fame, a theatre where the prestigious Oscar awards get presented, or even a drive past either Sunset Boulevard or Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills – acts as a strong magnet, drawing me to it the way a moth would be captivated by a candle. Luckily, the analogy stops there, since, unlike a hapless moth, I do not perish. On the contrary, I live to tell the tale, merely in the spirit of sharing my experiences with those who are likewise besotted by the science and art of moving images.
Recently, an opportunity came up whereby I could visit the South-Western part of the United States of America. Here are some of my experiences.
The Grand Canyon
Irrespective of the viewing point one decides to visit, the stark beauty of raw nature here holds you mesmerized. Just like the many fjords in Norway, these unique rock formations would have taken millions of years to take their present shape. As one reads about the aboriginals who inhabited this area, believing in the forces of nature which protect them and guarding over the famous gold deposits which ended up sounding their death knell when those who consider themselves as ‘civilised’ ended up suppressing their rights, one wonders if there would ever be an end to human greed and avarice.
As the sun continued its journey in the clear blue sky above and the shadows of peaks falling on the opposite side of a narrow valley, my mind went back to Mackenna’s Gold (1969), with Gregory Peck and Omar Sharif chasing a pillar’s shadow to find the gold.
Meeting Some Orcas
A visit to Sea World, a large aquarium-cum-amusement park in San Diego, enabled me to have a close look at a herd of pink flamingos, some sea lions, penguins, besides other sea creatures like orcas.
The last mentioned may be baby whales, but their immense size does not fail to impress. As they glide past you with effortless ease, making some sounds which normal human beings like me would not be able to interpret, the awe and admiration which follows holds you in thrall for a long time. I was recalling the movie Free Willy (1993) which showcased the bond which develops between Willy and Jesse.
It Happens Only in Las Vegas
The ‘Sin City’ is famous for its unique tourist attractions. An ode to many European cities such as Paris and Venice, it even boasts of a small volcano which displays the fury of fire and red-hot lava when a show takes place. A shopping mall which is designed to make you feel as if you are in Venice, what with a meandering canal on which you could enjoy a gondola ride and a blue sky above with white clouds flitting by.
Many other attractions dot the landscape, including a yet-to-be-commissioned Sphere which is said to be an auditorium with a seating capacity of 16,000 persons, equipped with the latest audio systems. The external surface of this structure offers enchanting displays which often leave one mesmerized at night.
The musical fountain outside Hotel Bellagio ended up reminding me of the series of Ocean’s Eleven (2001 onwards) movies.
The Dolby Theatre
The Dolby Theatre (formerly known as the Kodak Theatre) is a live-performance auditorium in the Ovation Hollywood shopping mall and entertainment complex, on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. This is where the annual Academy Awards ceremony takes place.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame
One may not expect to run into either Julie Andrews or Anne Hathaway here but walking over more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California leaves one in awe of the kind of multi-faceted talent nurtured and showcased in Hollywood offerings over the decades. It is a motley mix of actors, directors, producers, musicians, theatrical/musical groups, fictional characters, and others. Of course, it is a challenge to see many of these clearly, partly due to the sheer length of the walk, and owing to the jostling crowds which tread over these with gay abandon.
There is also a separate portion next to the Chinese Theatre where concrete slabs carrying either the signatures or the handprints of such yesteryear celebrities as Peter Sellers, Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin, Tom Hanks, Susan Sarandon, and many others can be seen.
Hollywood and P G Wodehouse
Fans of P G Wodehouse are well aware that he had used Hollywood as a setting for some of his novels and short stories. He wrote a series of Broadway musical comedies during and after the First World War, together with Guy Bolton and Jerome Kern, which played an important part in the development of the American musical. Sometime during the 1930s, he began writing for MGM in Hollywood.
One may be disappointed to not to either find the offices of Perfecto-Zizzbaum Corporation or run into Montrose Mulliner and Rosalie Beamish in Hollywood. One may merely surmise that the couple might be quietly enjoying a peaceful time somewhere in Loas Angeles these days, listening to the prattle of the feet of their many grandchildren who are forever eager to sit around them and listen to them recounting the details of their marriage in a gorilla’s cage.
Likewise, Wilmot Mulliner, having retired as a manager of the affairs of a famous Hollywood celebrity, may be entertaining his grandchildren with some bird calls, at times fondly remembering Mabel Potter.
Wannabe starlets struggling to catch the eye of producers and studio owners would still be learning a few lessons from the case of Minna Nordstrom.
I did not come across any swamp of alcohol during my travels. In any case, running into Sister Lora Luella Stott, the woman who is supposed to be leading California out of the swamp of alcohol, was not on the agenda.
Some Lifelong Memories to Cherish
Travel is highly educational, said Jeeves. It is also a source of happiness, one may add. It is about experiencing the sights and sounds of a place. There is the sheer pleasure of soaking in its ambience.
When one passes by Hollywood, one feels having had a platonic brush with the many talented celebrities who, over the decades, have added all the glitz and glamour for which it is known.
(Visuals edited by Suman)
ashokbhatia 