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Leslie’s On Zee Go Newsletter February 2020

“la merda è merda” – shit is shit. Courtroom 1, Santa Barbara
Happy Birthday to Me
 
Through the annual girls only dance party. Super fun! Cuban food, 80s 90s dance music. And lots of laughter with my ladies.


The End of a Good Party
One of my celebrations was a surprise weekend in Hollywood. We started with lunch at Musso & Franks, which is now over 100 years old. The food was delicious, service great and the Cosmo was fantastic. It was packed by 11:30 on a Saturday, most everyone drinking. History.
Golden Oldie
 

Then we did a tour of the hills, driving in areas I’ve glanced up at but never explored. When I studied with Milton Katselas and Jeffrey Tambor, I did several scenes from “Double Indemnity” (great noir film) and Sheri took me to the Indemnity House. Awesome! And Charlie Chaplin’s old home, way on a tin twisty street you’d never want to live on – looks like a lot of houses falling off of their foundations.

A million times I’ve driven on Highland past a tiny “barn” with a sign out front that reads Hollywood Heritage Museum. The barn was built in 1901 (and the roof is a great indication of that!) and in 1913 Cecile B. DeMille leased it to make films in and outside of “The Squaw Man” was the first feature-length film (ever) and was shot there. It wasn’t actually shot there, the barn used to be located on Selma and Sunset. It’s a nice museum with a current exhibition on animals that worked in Hollywood, including a bit on Mabel Stark and Jungleland. Mabel, you know was my third documentary “Mabel, Mabel, Tiger Trainer.”

Mabel and her Tiger Babies
 
Aspen

Zipped to Aspen with tons and tons of snow, in fact so much we could not land in Aspen and had to fly into Grand Junction and drive. Tons of powder. Cold, with a mix of sunny and snowy days. No people on the mountain. Turns out Coco likes walking in the snow! I mean loved it. Climbing in the powder and sinking.

I’ve been exploring vintage ads and thought you’d enjoy a few of these.

Went to a local burlesque show at the Black Box. Fun and fab, seeing some great acts, and familiar faces.

 

Burlesque in Santa Barbara
 

This 104 years never looked so good.
 

Betty About the Time I First Met Her
 


I brought Betty Rowland flowers and visited her, a few weeks late for her birthday. She doesn’t really know who I am anymore. But she’s not totally out of it. She’s kinda in her own world but does respond. Betty, for you that don’t know was in my book and film “Behind the Burly Q,” and she is the last of the last of the last great burlesque stars. Her and her two sisters started in vaudeville, moved into burlesque and she became a big Minsky star, known as the “Great Ball of Fire” either for her dance style or her flaming red hair.

 

I’ve been writing like a crazy fool. Two projects and a couple lectures/talks coming up. And there was the of course there was the little matter of The People v. Mark John Melchiori that took up a little of our time. The piece of shit.

 

Inspired by recent events I’ve begun exploring Santa Barbara and Montecito history. I know, I know. I’ve only lived here years!!

 

The Santa Barbara Court House is gorgeous. I’ve been photographed outside it I’ve never been inside a courtroom. My “waitressing” job when I lived in LA was working for an attorney. But I’ve never been inside a courtroom. I haven’t even been cast as someone in a court. Well, now I’ve been in one.

 
Santa Barbara Courthouse (not the criminal)

Have you subscribed to Coco’s You Tube channel? Here’s the link:
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj2i8cr83ezcPjQ-vEv4ASA
 

Burlesque and Pinup Emojis
 

If your BOOK CLUB would like me to visit via Skype, I’m available. It’s been fun coming into your homes, sending specialty FAN cocktail recipes before for you all to try. email me at staar@staarlet.com if you want me to join in. A questionnaire is on the website to download for your Book Club.

A Bio with Bite

 

Loved this book (actually listened to it and I’m glad I did. Kate Mulgrew has a beautiful voice and actors especially will love this book. Though I think the history and drama she lived and creates in the retelling is superb. Others were, Still Here, about Elain Stritch. Another theatrical biography. Unstoppable, “madcap” or mad half the time. The Lady from the Black Lagoon, about the creator of the Creature from the Black Lagoon

 
And what I’m reading or recently read
for complete list, I have everything on Good Reads
as I can’t remember them all!




It was a relatively light travel month. But buckle your seat belts, I’ve got a crazy March a comin.’

See ya between the pages next month . . . (this might be a mess, it got deleted and I’ve got stuff to do)

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