CELEBRATE THE 127TH BIRTHDAY OF FILM STAR DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS SR.
ON SUNDAY, MAY 23, 2009 WITH A 1920′s TEA PARTY
A FREE SCREENING OF ONE OF FAIRBANKS’ EARLY FILMS (TBD),
AND A SUNSET WALKING TOUR OF HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY
Hollywood, CA – May 1, 2010 – “Swashbucklers do it with panache,” says film historian Sparrow Morgan, founder of The Fairbanks Memorial. She intends to prove her point on Sunday, May 23, 2010, by celebrating classic film star Douglas Fairbanks’ 127th birthday with a 1920′s themed tea party, a screening of 1919′s When the Clouds Roll By, and a sunset walking tour of Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood.
The tea party and film screening will be held in the cemetery’s historic Masonic Lodge. Doors open at 5 pm. The festivities begin at 5:30 pm with a sunset walking tour of several historic graves at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The cemetery is beautiful, and guests are encouraged to bring cameras.
After the tour we return to the historic Masonic Lodge for a 1920′s themed tea party, with jazz music and dancing. When the Clouds Roll By is provided in a beautiful restored edition courtesy Flicker Alley, and begins at 7 pm. Dancing continues until 9:30PM. Complimentary tea and treats will be available, but guests are invited to bring a picnic with their favorite food and beverages.
Door prizes will be offered, including perfume courtesy of Hollywood perfumer Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, which is providing several bottles of its fragrance “Van Van,” a remarkable replica of the ladies’ perfume that Fairbanks himself was known for wearing.
For more information on the Fairbanks Memorial, contact Sparrow Morgan at (424) 645-2540, or visit www.fairbanksmemorial.org.
Douglas Fairbanks wanted to be remembered through his films, which is why I do this,” explains Morgan, who began the Fairbanks Memorial screenings at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in 2004. “I feel it’s more in keeping with the Fairbanks joie de vivre to host a celebration, so I chose to throw a birthday party instead of mourning the anniversary of his death. While there’s no doubt he’s missed, I can’t imagine Doug thinking a wake in his honor was anything short of ridiculous.”
According to Morgan, the event is suitable for all ages, and is not aimed simply at hardcore film fans. ”Back in the early days of silent cinema, film was seen as a low form of entertainment, hardly art at all,” notes Morgan. “Douglas Fairbanks was a popular hero, and his early films show why he was so beloved by both Broadway and movie audiences alike.”
ABOUT HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY
Founded in 1899, Hollywood Forever Cemetery was originally known as Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery. In 1920, 40 of the Park’s 100 unused acres of cemetery land along Melrose Avenue were sold to Paramount Studios and RKO. The Paramount building is still in use today. After falling into disrepair, the legendary final resting place for many of Hollywood’s greatest stars was refurbished in 1998, and renamed Hollywood Forever Cemetery in celebration of its grand history. Now, Hollywood Forever Cemetery attracts visitors from all over the world. Hollywood Forever is also a working cemetery, conducting new burials each week.
In addition to Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and his son Douglas Fairbanks Jr., other notable figures buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery include Mel Blanc, Lillian Bond, Louis Calhern, Iron Eyes Cody, Marion Davies, Cecil B. DeMille, Nelson Eddy, Janet Gaynor, Darla Hood, Peter Lorre, Jayne Mansfield, Hattie McDaniel, Adolphe Menjou, Paul Muni, Eleanor Powell, Tyrone Power, Johnny Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Nelson Riddle, The Ritz Brothers, Ann Sheridan, Bugsy Siegel, Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer, Constance Talmadge, Norma Talmadge, and Rudolph Valentino.
For more information, visit www.hollywoodforever.com.
ABOUT SPARROW MORGAN
Film historian Sparrow Morgan has always had a passion for the movie business. “I was practically raised on a sound stage, and so it was natural for me to fall into the film world. In fact, I was an unwitting extra by the time I was six.” Featured in the documentary Douglas Fairbanks: Swashbuckler and a regular participant at Hollywood Forever’s Day of the Dead Celebration, she is currently working on a biography of the silent screen star entitled Douglas Fairbanks: The Laughing Swashbuckler.
Film is our legacy, and I feel it’s important to remember those who have come before us even as we look to the future,” adds Morgan. “I’ve chosen to focus on Douglas Fairbanks because he was one of Hollywood’s founding fathers. He was one of the first artists to produce his own blockbuster films, he helped found United Artists, and was the first president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Even in his own time, Doug worked to bring film to a wider audience.”
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