Year: 2019

  • Zipper Concert Hall from “The West Wing”

    Zipper Concert Hall from “The West Wing”

    ‘ Most actors will tell you that extra work is the worst.  But when I first landed in L.A. back in 2000, I did quite a bit of it and couldn’t have enjoyed myself more.  Just being on a movie or television set was surreal and provided an indelible opportunity to observe the inner workings…

  • Healdsburg Town Plaza from “Scream”

    Healdsburg Town Plaza from “Scream”

    ‘ I was saddened to wake up to the news of yet another fire tearing through Sonoma County last Thursday morning, this one threatening Healdsburg, one of my favorite places in the entire world.  Not only is the city idyllic, pastoral and ridiculously charming, but it is a filming location to boot, the main square…

  • The Millennium Biltmore Hotel’s South Galleria from “The West Wing”

    The Millennium Biltmore Hotel’s South Galleria from “The West Wing”

    ‘ The Millennium Biltmore Los Angeles is a rare bird when it comes to filming locations in that virtually every square inch of it has appeared onscreen – and I’m talking in multiple major productions!  This factoid fascinates me and I thought it would be fun to cover in an in-depth article, so a few…

  • The “Young Sheldon” House

    The “Young Sheldon” House

    ‘ I don’t think I’ve ever hated a television character more than Samantha Ruland on Scandal (though Beverly Hills, 90210’s Kelly Taylor ranks a close second).  Played by Zoe Perry, Samantha represented pure evil – there was literally not a single redeeming thing about her.  It got to the point that even hearing her voice…

  • The Derby from “Book Club”

    The Derby from “Book Club”

    ‘ They say that laughter is the best medicine.  For me, it’s laughter coupled with stalking.  While recovering from a minor surgery last October, I hunkered down in bed for a couple of days watching movies.  The flick that brought the most healing was easily Book Club thanks to both its humor and the fact…

  • JFK and Jackie’s Former Georgetown Homes

    JFK and Jackie’s Former Georgetown Homes

    ‘ Considering how much I love history, I know shockingly little about former President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline.  So I was thrilled when the Grim Cheaper gifted me with Jackie, Janet & Lee: The Secret Lives of Janet Auchincloss and Her Daughters Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill last Christmas.  The 2018…

  • My Favorite Entertainment Finds of 2018

    My Favorite Entertainment Finds of 2018

    ‘ I watch a lot of television and movies throughout the year – as both part of my job and for entertainment.  I am also a voracious reader and listen to a copious amount of podcasts.  2018 brought a slew of new finds.  Some started out as promising, but completely missed the mark [I’m looking…

  • Hotel Constance from “Café Society”

    Hotel Constance from “Café Society”

    ‘ It is always such a thrill to discover that a beloved restaurant, building, bar or boutique I wasn’t aware was a filming location has actually appeared onscreen.  Such was the case with Hotel Constance, one of my favorite Pasadena-area lodgings.  You’ve seen me talk about the place before in My Guide to L.A. –…

  • Third Edition from “St. Elmo’s Fire”

    Third Edition from “St. Elmo’s Fire”

    ‘ A couple of weeks ago, Rob Lowe posted an Instagram selfie taken in Georgetown with the caption “Return to the scene of the crime.  #StElmosFire,” and I was instantly reminded that I had stalked some locations from the seminal 1985 drama while back east in April 2016.  I learned about the locales thanks to…

  • Jerry’s Condo from “Jerry Maguire”

    Jerry’s Condo from “Jerry Maguire”

    ‘ Location hunts can take some strange, circuitous paths.  Case in point – during my laborious, years-long search for the condo where Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) lived in the 1996 classic of the same name, I headed down a fairly deep rabbit hole in an attempt to identify the onetime beach home of actress Suzanne…