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David Elliott honored by San Diego film community

March 31st, 2008 by Scott Marks

David Elliott shares a fundamental bonding moment with daughter Sabrina:

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Photo Courtesy of The Walter Parks Thatcher Memorial Library

Local cinema shindig reels in the fun!
by Burl Stiff, Jr.
Society Columnist
March 31, 2008

For someone who spent so many hours in a darkened room, the view of Del Cerro must have seemed staggering.

The Cinema Society’s Andy and Beth Friedenberg opened their luxuriant hilltop home to the San Diego film community last night to pay tribute to former Union Tribune film critic David Elliott.

The evening’s guest of honor, looking sartorially splendiferous in his customary blue blazer and button down Oxford, worked the crowd while his wife, Union Tribune classical music critic Valerie Scher, held court with local publicists about her new Rated G column.

Landmark Theatre’s Chris Principio was there, so was David Swanson. As always, screening-mate Jean Lowerison wowed the crowd in purple. The Coronado Museum’s Joe Ditler talked Our Gang comedies with Citizen Video’s Holly Jones while the San Diego Reader’s film critic Duncan Shepherd was anxious to visit the Friedenberg’s opulent subterranean screening room.

Local publicists old and new joined in the revelry. Former Solomon Friedman reps Stacey Torgeson and Jennie Petro mingled with current Allied Advertising whizkids J. R. Cordray, Jennie Ogness Gendron, Cathy Pedlow, Andy Hart, Lindsay Flateur, Heather Secrist and Jen Curran.

Also in attendance, Herb and Roberta Ross (sans Brooklyn), the ever mirthful Fred Saxon and his bride Laurie, and the Review Express’ Diana Saenger accompanied by her better half Lou.

More were the San Diego library’s Ralph DeLauro, Ginette Vicot, Emulsion Compulsion scribe Scott Marks , Marion Kahn, Cinema Under the Stars impresario Doug Yeagley, the North County Times’ Dan Bennett and KGTV anchorwoman/San Diego Asian Film Festival director Lee Ann Kim who was gracious enough to sandwich in an appearance between broadcasts.

Andy and Beth’s daughter Erica, with help from her ten year old son Morgan, was responsible for the never ending hours d’oeuvre.

Unlike one of Chris Principio’s screenings, the cocktail party went a half hour over it’s anticipated 120 minute running time. No money was raised for charity.

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Movies at San Diego’s Classic North Park Theatre!

July 10th, 2007 by Scott Marks

The North Park Theatre in 1929…

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…1935…

The North Park Theatre in 1935

…and today!

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Suffice it to say that San Diego is not the easiest town to peddle classic films in. The AMC Mission Valley may be one of the most successful multiplexes in North America, but when it comes to something produced before last week, the sun-worshipping locals want nothing to do with it.

When I opened my inaugural film series at the Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA) you could have counted the audience members on one hand and still have had the thumb left over. Imagine my surprise when last year’s opening series at the Stephen and Mary Birch North Park Theatre was met with such an overwhelming response. The North Park draws more in one week, and in some instances one day, than MoPA did in a month. And this time there’s concessions!!!

Built in 1928, the 730 seat North Park is the only theater of its size left in San Diego County. In 1974, the North Park screened its last feature before taking a 32-year vacation from cinema. Even when I first arrived in San Diego in 2000, Lyric Opera Director Leon Natker was touting the theatre’s renovation.

It was a hellhole: the booth sat empty, stripped of equipment, not one seat was left bolted to the floor and it smelled like a giant cat box. Ostensibly refurbished to house the Lyric Opera, movie nut Natker always wanted to bring films back to the neighborhood theatre. Six years late, Leon made good on his promise and the locals couldn’t be happier!

Along with my partner and pal, the Cinema Society’s Andy Friedenberg, we were called into action to put together a film series. Each week we show a classic film complete with featurettes, trailers and cartoons, everything short of giving out plates. I’m always on hand to introduce the films and hold a back-end Q&A.

The North Park Classic Film Series runs through the end of August with a Thursday evening show (except for A Place in the Sun, and a Sunday afternoon matinee. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop in and enjoy a movie. Did I mention that we have the best popcorn in town?

July
12th - GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953) - 7 pm
15th - GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953) - 2 pm
19th - ADAM’S RIB (1949) - 7 pm
22nd -ADAM’S RIB (1949) - 2 pm
26th - NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955) - 7 pm
29th - NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955) - 2 pm

August
2nd - SHE DONE HIM WRONG (1933) & IT’S A GIFT (1934) - 7 pm
5th - SHE DONE HIM WRONG (1933) & IT’S A GIFT (1934) - 2 pm
8th - A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951) - 7 pm
12th -A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951) - 2 pm
16th -RED RIVER (1948) 7 pm
19th - RED RIVER (1948) 2 pm

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