L.A. STORY is one of my favorite movies since I first saw it on a big screen on February 16, 1991 with my family. Gosh, 1991, then I was 13 going on 14 and a movie nerd. It was a movie that I instantly fell for, laughed at and even teared up for. I remember watching it with my folks and hearing them laugh, and obviously getting more of the jokes than I did. I was already a fan of Steve Martin, my sister and I had watched THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS, old SNL episodes and loved ALL OF ME to name a few.
So, back to the outdoor screening! My guy Dave and I arrived at 6:30pm just before the gates open, we got the spiel of what was to come and then settled in on our blankets, set up our picnic and got ready for the show.
It was already a super cool night and it was only going to get better! Yup! L.A. STORY was about to get rolling! A story about a weatherman in Los Angeles, finding true love! What could be better than that?
Once the sun set after 8pm the evenings host took the stage and introduced a few guests! Things just got cooler! There was sound editor Mark Stoeckinger, editor Richard Harris, actors Marilu Henner, Victoria Tennant and director Mick Jackson.
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| OSCARS OUTDOORS HOST! |
The director Mick Harris said how L.A. STORY was Steve Martin's passion and love for Los Angeles, which he wrote over seven years. Mick had originally passed on the project. He called the script "perfect and beautifully detailed". When Mick first came to L.A. he hated it and said Steve took him out for a drive to show him "there's something more there." Mick continued with memories of the scenes everyone talks about when the film comes up; they are the coffee ordering and earthquake at brunch and the freeway shoot out. In a deleted scene from the earthquake there was Los Angeles figure Angelyne with her "endowments" shaking. Mick called L.A. STORY Steve's loves story to Victoria and Los Angeles that's filled with an optimism of L.A. life that's not dated.
Victoria Tennant continued with more stories about Steve writing the movie calling it the best portrait of L.A. and it's everyday things, like the Freeway signs. At the time she and Steve were reading about Buddism and the Koan Riddles where the point is not the answer but how you get there which really influenced the Freeway sign message in the movie. Then Victoria shared a sad story about the Royal Command Performance in London that screened L.A. Story. She was sitting beside Princess Diana and said that when the line "...we don't always recognize the moment when love begins be we always know when it ends." came up Diana began to cry and she felt sorry for her. It was during the time of Princess Di's marriage troubles. (The crowd seemed to all sigh at the story.)
Marilu Henner shared what a fantastic time she had, and being able to ad-lib and the whole "Point System" during the bunch scene on the set. That scene took 3 Days to shoot. Marilu remarked this was was her most favorite movie making experience.
Richard, the editor, called himself a product of L.A. growing up in the neighborhood where we were watching the film and for him working on L.A. STORY was a thrill.
Mark, the sound editor, commented that the soundtrack was as poetic as the movie and really supported L.A. making it all a memorable experience.
Victoria later added that the film had 87 location shoots over 57 day and it was almost NOT filmed in Los Angeles. The permit department did not want to issue 87 permits. One of the producers made a call to the permit office and said he would take out a full page add the very next day stating "L.A. STORY SHOOTS IN CHICAGO" and they got all the permits they needed right away.
The host then shared a letter from Steve Martin and it was a most lovely note filled with the things that inspired him to write the film. From the day he drove on the 405 and saw Freeway sign thinking about it talking to him, as it was the "ethereal pulse of the city."
And with the intro completed the film began to roll. It was a beautiful print screened from a CHRISTIE PROJECTOR. The sound was great too! It as so much fun, at moments the palm trees that lined the street behind us were silhouetted on the screen only making the L.A. STORY screening even more Los Angeles.
L.A. STORY! Such a good movie, yup yup yup.
The movie absolutely holds up so well after all these years, it was just as funny as the first time and I still get teary eyed at that ending. Oh how I do love Los Angeles!! The OSCARS OUTDOORS does a fantastic job at screening movies in this groovy little town! YUP!
