Visiting the Vasquez Rocks!

Vasquez Rocks! Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Wednesday, November 5, I visited another well-known filming location for Hollywood productions: the Vasquez Rocks. While there isn't much of a Japanese connection -- unless you count something like Solar Crisis (1990) -- it has much more to do with Universal horror movies. It was used as Borgo Pass in Dracula (1931), as well as the Tibetan mountains in Werewolf of London (1935). It was a blast seeing another popular filming location up close and personal!

Borgo Pass, as seen in Dracula (1931). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Visiting Bronson Caves!

Bronson Caves -- Hollywood's not-so-hidden secret! Photo by Brett Homenick.

One destination I've been meaning to visit in Los Angeles for years but simply never got around to seeing was Bronson Caves in Griffith Park, a notable filming location for all kinds of movies and TV programs since the silent era. Robot Monster (1953) and a slew of 1950s Roger Corman flicks have used the caves as a location, and it's even featured in the American version of Varan the Unbelievable (1958), giving it a slight Toho connection, too.

On Tuesday, November 4, I made the trek to Bronson Caves and spent a few moments in a prominent filming location for countless films. Here's what I saw. Enjoy!

My Brief L.A. Vacation

On October 27 and 28, I traveled to the L.A. area and spent those two days in the company of familiar faces. A picture's worth a thousand words, so here's a few thousand of them!

Sci-Fi Director Bert I. Gordon Passes Away at 100

With Bert I. Gordon in April 2010.

Bert I. Gordon, the legendary director of numerous sci-fi films from the 1950s through the '70s, passed away on March 8 at the age of 100. I don't have much to add here, except that I met him once in April 2010 at a convention in Los Angeles. I was excited to meet him, as his I grew up with several of his films.

Our meeting, however, was rather disappointing. He seemed disconnected and uninterested, even though I bought his book, which I thought should've earned me at least some fake enthusiasm. He smiled for our pictures, though, but that was all. Still, I guess I'm glad that I met him, but that's about all there is to say. 

RIP.

Actress Lori Nelson Passes Away at Age 87

With Lori Nelson in April 2010.

Actress Lori Nelson, best known for starring in Revenge of the Creature (1955) and The Day the World Ended (1955), has passed away at age 87. I met Ms. Nelson at an L.A.-area convention in April 2010. Our encounter was brief, but it was truly memorable to meet the star of two iconic ‘50s sci-fi flicks.

RIP.

Ted Newsom: 1952-2020

Yours truly with Ted Newsom in August 2010.

Word has been circulating online that writer-director Ted Newsom has passed away at age 67. No details seem to be available, but he's had a myriad of health problems in recent years, so news of his passing isn't all that surprising. But the world of Monster Kid fandom will be a lot less interesting without his unique voice.

A day at Don Glut's house, with Ted Newsom, Bill Warren, and others. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

I met Ted only once -- in August 2010. When I went to visit Donald F. Glut at his home in Burbank, Don took it upon himself to invite several fandom luminaries to join us. Naturally, Ted Newsom was among them. I was especially pleased to meet him, as I always enjoyed reading his perspective on things, even when I disagreed with him.

Actually, out of all of the folks who attended that day, I'd have to say that I gravitated toward Ted the most. I appreciated his wit (which was just as quick and amusing in person), and he was a friendly fellow. I had a great time picking his brain about a variety of topics.

From left to right: Ted Newsom, me, William Winckler, Sid Terror, Don Glut, and Tim Smyth. 

I'd hoped to meet Ted right before I left for Japan, but it wasn't to be. I lost touch with him over the years and thought about reestablishing contact (especially after my friend Jacob hung out with him in California). Unfortunately, life got in the way, and I never got around to it. I'll just have to hang on to the memories I have.

RIP, Ted.

UPDATE (7/9): Given the general theme of this blog, I thought this story that Ted shared on Facebook on May 4, 2019, ought to be preserved for posterity.

I had a CSUN teacher named Al C. Ward. He had been writing for films and TV since the early 1950s, first for the Brian Donlevy series Dangerous Assignment (Bela Lugosi's wife Lillian worked on that; she married Donlevy 10 years later) then shows like Ben Casey and The Fugitive and finally as writer-producer of UMC Medical Center. I had a potential gig writing a dubbed comedy version of the two Steve Reeves Hercules films ("Hercules Recycled"), and I asked Al about it. He said "When I first started out, I had a job like that. They had this Japanese film with a lot of special effects and they needed an American version. I wrote the thing, and they said 'Y'know, if you take a little less money, you can have a piece of this.' I said 'Oh, no, give me the cash.' That was a movie called 'Godzilla.' Brilliant." 

He won have been 100 this year. Poor laddie passed away in the prime of his youth ten years ago.

RIP, Julie Adams

With Julie Adams in 2010.

Word has circulated that Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) star Julie Adams has passed away. I had the privilege of meeting her twice at L.A.-area conventions. The first time (in May 2009) wasn't very memorable; it was a just brief encounter. The second time (in April 2010) was much better, as I got to spend quite a bit of time at her table and talk to her about a variety of subjects, most of which had nothing to do with Creature. (Confession time: I'm not a big fan of the movie.) She was enormously friendly, and even though I met a lot of guests at that convention, she essentially tied with Son of Frankenstein's Donnie Dunagan as my favorite. I'll always appreciate the kindness she showed me.

Rest in peace, Ms. Adams.

Margot Kidder Passes Away at Age 69

With actress Margot Kidder in May 2009.

Margot Kidder's passing has just been announced by various news outlets. I was lucky enough to meet Ms. Kidder at a horror con in May 2009, and she surpassed all my expectations. I was never much of a Superman fan (in any of the character's incarnations), but I wanted to meet Ms. Kidder, so I bought a lobby card from Brian De Palma's Sisters (1973) for her to sign.

Despite being one of the bigger names at the convention, I found her to be one of the friendliest guests. He had an nice chat in which she seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. That memory was one of the highlights of my convention-going experiences in America, and I'm very sorry to hear that she has passed away.

RIP, Ms. Kidder.

RIP, Dr. Franklin Ruehl

Posing with Dr. Franklin Ruehl after our interview in 2010. Photo courtesy of Franklin Ruehl.

After becoming unresponsive to e-mails and suddenly disappearing from view, it has been confirmed that Dr. Franklin Ruehl, host of Mysteries from Beyond the Other Dominion, has passed away. Several of Dr. Ruehl's Facebook friends have been openly wondering what happened to him, as nobody seemed to know his wherabouts since November of last year. One of the friends stated that he spoke with Dr. Ruehl's apartment building property manager and confirmed his passing.

Since my friend Mike Barnum could not find any information about his passing in the indexes and registries he has access to, I decided to call the apartment management myself, based on the information provided in the Facebook message. The individual I spoke with confirmed that Dr. Ruehl passed away in November (to the best of his recollection) and that it was a natural death.

In the fall of 1993, I discovered Mysteries from Beyond the Other Dominion on the Sci-Fi Channel. What the program lacked in production values, it more than made up for in heart and can-do spirit. The topics were sometimes silly, but Dr. Ruehl always gave them their day in court, and that's what made the show so special. Without Dr. Ruehl, it simply would not have stood out.

By about the summer of 1994, Mysteries was no longer a part of the Sci-Fi Channel lineup, and aside from the tapes I made of the show, it became a pleasant memory. Many years later, I reached out to Dr. Ruehl via e-mail, and he turned out to be very welcoming to his fans. In the fall of 2010, I made an appointment to visit him in Los Angeles, and we recorded a brief video interview. We touched on Mysteries from Beyond the Other Dominion as well as his interest in Japanese monster movies. The interview is below. (As Dr. Ruehl would say, "Roll tape!")

After I moved to Japan, Dr. Ruehl and I remained in contact. I always enjoyed getting a like or a comment on Facebook from him on my various activities. He was a genuine person, and I'll miss him.

If and when more information becomes available, I will share it here.

Rest in peace, Dr. Ruehl. The power of the cosmos will always be with you.

A Tribute to Cleo Baldon Melchior

Spending time with Cleo Melchior at the Melchior residence in July 2012. This photo was taken the night before I left Los Angeles.

This morning I woke up to some of the worst I've read in years, via classic horror writer Tom Weaver. Cleo Baldon Melchior, the wife of writer-director Ib Melchior (Reptilicus, The Angry Red Planet), passed away on October 12 of a stroke. No other details seem to be available at the moment, but I know that I'll always cherish the time I was honored to spend in this wonderful lady's company.

Born on June 1, 1927, Cleo worked as a landscape architect who specialized in designing swimming pools. She had several celebrity clients, some of whom she told me about over many dinners we would have together.

I first met Mrs. Melchior in September 2009 when I traveled to Los Angeles to visit some friends. This was shortly after I relocated to Rancho Mirage, CA, after a four-year stay in North Dakota. In 2008, I interviewed Ib Melchior for G-FAN magazine about his monster movies, and shortly thereafter I also reviewed his book Melchior A La Carte for the magazine. When I moved back to California, Ib kindly invited me to stay at his home if I wanted to come to L.A. Of course, I readily accepted the invitation.

I spent the night at Ib and Cleo's house and was privileged to get to know them. But that was only the beginning. Over the next year and a half, I would visit the Melchiors several times, staying at their home when I would come to the L.A. area.

With Cleo and Ib Melchior at a book signing for Ib's book Six Cult Films from the Sixties in June 2010.

The last time I Cleo was when I stayed at their home in July 2012 when I was visiting the U.S. from Japan. I stayed at their home for about a week and gave the Melchiors several gifts from Japan, including a Japanese-style teapot that Cleo seemed to enjoy very much. During this time, their regular caregiver was on vacation, and in many ways I was able to step in and offer my assistance. For example, a friend of the Melchiors was hosting a party, so I drove the Melchiors to the area and assisted them at the event.

Thoughts of my last moments at the Melchiors' home has been running through my mind ever since I read the heart-breaking news. Cleo Melchior was like a grandmother to me, and I'll always remember her warmth, kindness, and humor. She and Ib were a great couple, and I'm so glad they were able to find each other. If you didn't believe in the concept of soulmates before meeting the Melchiors, you would have afterward. They were a perfect pair.

As much as I could go on about Cleo, words seem so futile to me now. Those of us who knew and loved Cleo mourn her loss, and we send our condolences to Ib.

RIP, John Fasano

Writer-director John Fasano gives me a genuine work of art in July 2012 in Los Angeles.

Word just came that filmmaker John Fasano passed away in his sleep last night. John was a big Godzilla fan and has contributed a substantial amount of art to G-FAN magazine in recent years. He was also a friend, whom I always enjoyed speaking with about monster movies. John was incredibly talented and passionate, and I'm shocked at his passing. This news will take a long time to process.

RIP, John Fasano. I'll miss you every day for the rest of my life.