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The stock market crash in 1929 ushered in the Great Depression of the 1930s. The U.S. economy tanked, but that didn’t stop Hollywood. The major movie studios churned out everything from screwball comedies and westerns to extravagant musicals, and fans paid 25 cents each to escape their troubles in front of the big screen. In this lecture, we explore—and see clips—of some of the greatest films. We also look beyond Hollywood to other aspects of the 1930s that impacted Angelenos. They include the growth of the Hispanic minority; the corruption in City Hall that led to the recall of Mayor Frank Shaw; and the fashions, food, and fads that caught the public’s attention.

Sharon Boorstin is a contributing writer for the Los Angeles Times, specializing in lifestyle, food and travel. In 2019 she won Visit California’s Eureka Award for Best Newspaper Travel Article. In the 1970s and ‘80s Sharon was the Restaurant Critic of the (late) Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, and in the ‘90s she edited the annual Gayot Guidebooks for Los Angeles and other cities. She also wrote for magazines including Bon Appetit, Smithsonian and Town & Country Travel. With her husband Paul, she wrote dozens of screenplays for feature films and television including Angel of Death (ABC) starring Jane Seymour. Her memoir/cookbook, “Let Us Eat Cake: Adventures in Food and Friendship” (Harper-Collins 2002), was a selection of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club. Raised in Seattle, Washington, Sharon moved to Los Angeles in 1966 after earning a California Lifetime Teaching credential at U.C. Berkeley. She taught high-school History, English and Social Studies in L.A. for 11 years.

Theater architecture of the 1920s and 1930s embraced the clean and streamlined design of the Art Deco era, while also reflecting the glitz and glamour of the movie industry that evolved in Hollywood and in cities and towns across America. Theater architecture was so grand that people nicknamed the structures "picture palaces." This lecture will provide a view into the stylish era of Art Deco opulence as we review the best in theatrical architectural and interior design.

Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning educator, lecturer, and author. She lectures worldwide on art and architectural history, and leads art and architecture tours throughout the world. She has been named a Distinguished Instructor at UCLA Extension, where she teaches history of architecture, interior design, furniture, and decorative arts. She is also Professor Emeritus of Art and Architectural History at Santa Monica College. She has done graduate work in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby's Institute in London and New York. She has served as a Design Review Commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the John Lautner Foundation.

Ivor Davis was a foreign correspondent for the London Daily Express and the Times of London, covering some of the biggest stories in North America in the 1960 and 1970s. In 1962 he was smuggled onto the campus of the riot-torn University of Mississippi when James Meredith was enrolled as the first black student on campus. Three years later he was in the front lines as Los Angeles’ Watts riots erupted. He was the only British daily newspaper correspondent to cover The Beatles’ first American tour from start to finish, given unparalleled access to John, Paul, George and Ringo. Ivor was in the kitchen at the Ambassador Hotel when Robert Kennedy was assassinated. He was one of the “Boys on the Bus” chronicling the life of actor-turned-politician Ronald Reagan, first in his campaign for governor of California, then for president. He also covered some of the biggest trials including that of Sirhan Sirhan.

Join us for a fascinating trip through Ivor’s eyewitness accounts of monumental American events!

Ivor Davis was a foreign correspondent for the London Daily Express and the Times of London. He penned a weekly entertainment column for the New York Times Syndicate for over 15 years, interviewing some of the biggest names in show business, from Cary Grant to Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton to Tom Cruise and Muhammad Ali to Jane Fonda. As a foreign correspondent, he traveled throughout the western hemisphere covering riots, floods, earthquakes and politics. As Editor at Large for Los Angeles Magazine, he and his late wife Sally Ogle Davis wrote over 100 major magazine and cover stories. Davis is the author of the award winning “The Beatles and Me on Tour.” Davis also coauthored “Five to Die” the first book ever published about the murder of Sharon Tate. His most recent book is, “Manson Exposed: A Reporter’s 50-year Journey into Madness and Murder” the real inside story of the crimes that shook the world

He currently lives in Southern California and is working on three new books: one about his adventures in Hollywood-- the other a true crime book about a friend who turned out to be a mass murderer and a third an updated 60th anniversary version of his award winning “Beatles and Me on Tour.”

When one thinks of Memphis, W.C. Handy and Elvis always come to mind, and maybe some long forgotten funky hits. Nashville is only 200 miles North, and has always overshadowed its Southern sister. Truth be told, this two-part lecture will uncover the real facts of that musical mecca- hit after hit and great artists of all genres, including the Box Tops, Neil Diamond, and Elvis Presley. Come join us for a nostalgic trip down the Mississippi as we stop at one of the more unusual music centers of America!

Tony Moon has spent 60 successful years in the music business. Beginning in 1960, he joined the L.A. group Dante and The Evergreens, which was managed and produced by Lou Adler and Herb Alpert. He later moved to Nashville, becoming the guitarist and conductor for Brenda Lee. Tony also began playing on recording sessions and was Nashville's first rock independent music producer, working with five major labels. He scored several big hits for The Vogues, including "5 O' Clock World." Tony has won several awards as a songwriter and music publisher. His songs have been released by artists as diverse as Porter Wagoner, Willie Nelson, Vickie Carr, Pearl Jam, and The Beatles.

He currently administers several Music Publishing Companies and a New York Entertainment Company.

The Statue of Liberty is one of the most iconic symbols of America. Few public objects portray more powerfully American ideals of acceptance and freedom. Yet is it possible that the Statue of Liberty is most appropriately considered a Jewish statue? How might we define a work of art as Jewish? Is it determined by the identity of the face depicted or cultural identity of the sculptor? Or by the sponsor and champion who brought it into the public space?

While the face of the statue is not of a Jew nor was the sculptor Jewish, many attributes of the statue reflect a deep Jewish connection, specifically the imprint on the status made by the Jewish American poet, Emma Lazarus. The message at the pedestal beckons the world to “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Significantly, Lazarus based this poem on ideas that are distinctly Jewish, words drawn straight from the Torah that state how we are to treat the stranger. This lecture will explore the efforts of Emma Lazarus as philanthropist, social reformer, and poet, specifically her work to bring the Statue of Liberty into public display and through her poetic inscription installed at its pedestal that has provided its unique cultural significance. We will assess if these contributions sufficiently define the Statue of Liberty as a Jewish construction.

Clifford Wilcox, Ph.D., is a historian who focuses on American intellectual and cultural history and Jewish Studies. His courses concentrate on the intersection of culture, ideas, politics, and religion in American history. He is Director of Education and Operations at Temple Beth Torah in Ventura, CA and has taught in the CLU FAB program since 2021. He holds a Ph.D. in American intellectual history from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

This lecture will celebrate Cal Lutheran’s Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival; focusing on “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” and “King Lear,” the plays to be performed at this year’s festival. The first hour of the lecture will focus on the origins, production histories, and challenges presented by each play. In the second hour, Michael Arndt will be joined by members of the company for an interactive discussion of Kingsmen Shakespeare and the plays.

Michael J. Arndt has been a Professor of Theatre Arts at California Lutheran University for the past forty years and is the artistic director of the Kingsmen Shakespeare Company. As a theatre director, he has directed over 200 theatre productions. Among the awards he has received are the Cal Lutheran President’s Award for Teaching Excellence, The Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival, Region VIII-Outstanding Theatre Educator, and the Alliance for the Arts’ Exemplary Arts Educator Award. He was named a “local hero” by the Ventura County Reporter and “Patriotic Citizen of the Year” by the Conejo Valley Chapters of the Military Order of the World Wars and The Military Order of the Purple Heart.

A Vietnam combat veteran, Michael created Under Fire: Stories of Combat Veterans Across Generations. He is currently co-authoring a book: Making Contact: The Way to Healing from the Trauma of Combat.

Join us as we examine the life and art of silent film’s most versatile actor – Lon Chaney. From underpaid bit performer to the undisputed master of makeup artistry, Chaney left behind a remarkable legacy despite the fact that so many of his performances have been lost to time. Born to deaf parents, Chaney’s ability to express himself through gesture and body language became not only his way of communication but the ultimate expression of the art of silent film acting. Part one of this two part lecture we will explore the 15 years Chaney struggled as a working actor transitioning from the stage to film. Part-two will delve into Chaney’s years as a movie star, diving deeply into Chaney’s surviving movie roles where we will see that even without any make-up, Chaney really was the greatest actor of his time.

Matthew Weisman received his MFA in Film from Columbia University School of the Arts where he also taught classes in Cinema Studies and directed the Cinematheque film program. His undergraduate degree in English is from Boston University. A professional screenwriter and producer, he taught Graduate Screenwriting at the USC School of Cinema for fifteen years. He is a retired member of The Writers Guild of America. He has taught several continuing education courses in film and television history and appreciation both online and in the classroom.

For 24 years, this event has raised funds for United Way initiatives and programs. In the fall of 2020, we were unable to hold an in-person event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event took the form of a virtual campaign that brought together donors from across the county and beyond to help support our programs.

For our 24th annual celebration, we are honored to be able to come together to hold an in-person Red Feather Ball. Our theme this year is Birds of a Feather, to commemorate a year of community and partnership that carried us through the effects of a global pandemic.

Saturday May 27 & Sunday May 28 at 4pm, Megill & Company Dances... with friends at NAMBA, in historic Downtown Ventura. Featuring new dance work by Megill & Company and pieces by Nathalie Wutkee and Connor Casavan.

Thirty of Santa Barbara County’s top wineries will serve tastings, chefs will serve appetizers, and Grammy-nominated musicians will play jazz in a shady park at the 17th annual Los Olivos Jazz and Olive Festival on Saturday, June 10.

Singer Denise Donatelli will again lead her all-star “A Team” band of Los Angeles musicians from 1 to 4 p.m. in Lavinia Campbell Park in charming downtown Los Olivos.

Local makers of olive oil and related products will also be offering free samples and sales of their wares.