The Fake Angeleno

Dorothy Parker Society L.A. Meets Tonight In Beverly Hills

As if hearing the anguished cries of Bing Crosby's abused children seeping through the sub-text of the umpteenth mall-sound-system-rendering of White Christmas didn't stress you out, it's raining today and you could very well be headed towards a massive car accident.  This means you need to come join us at the Beverly Wilshire for the latest meeting of the International Dorothy Parker Society, L.A. Chapter.

Details here.

The LA Chapter of the Dorothy Parker Society will meet on 12/17 at 7:30 pm for a drink at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel 9500 Wilshire Boulevard,Beverly Hills, minutes from Dorothy's many houses off Canon Drive, where John O'Hara would often entertain her with his buddies who met there weekly for drinks and mayhem.

After a quick drink, we will walk down Wilshire Blvd to admire the holiday windows of Saks and Barneys. The closest LA gets to Manhattan at holiday time, especially if the weather is cold enough for coats.

Dorothy Parker Society Walking Tour in WeHo Tomorrow: 9/27

If you find yourself at loose ends tomorrow morning, the DPS West is holding a walking tour of Dorothy Parker's West Hollywood starting at 10 AM.  I'm on docent duty at 914 N. Roxbury Drive -- and you can't miss me.  I'll be the agreeable chap holding up the black umbrella and ready to chat about the house Mrs. Parker and her husband Alan Campbell rented in the mid '30s -- their most happy and successful period here in L.A.    Details directly below:

Dorothy Parker's West Hollywood Walking Tour will take place on Saturday, September 27, 2008 starting at 10 a.m. at Washington Mutual Bank, 8158 Sunset Boulevard. The tour will be hosted by the Los Angeles Chapter of the Dorothy Parker Society. Participants in this rare opportunity will have the opportunity to visit writer Dorothy Parker's residences and favorite spots in and around West Hollywood during her Hollywood years. Learn more about Ms. Parker's activities in Los Angeles in the 1930's through the 1960's and hear stories about her contemporaries and friends such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, John O'Hara, S.J. Perelman and Charles Brackett. Admission is free.

For reservations and for more information, please call (323) 848-6883 or (626) 376-7605 or email "info at adrienne crew dot com." For the deaf and hard of hearing, please call (323) 848-6496.

24 Hour Parker People: Welcome

To everyone visiting the Fake Angeleno today from Adrienne Crew's LA Observed post about our pursuit of a Dorothy Parker portrait at the WGA library, welcome!  First off, let me give you a bonus image from our WGA jaunt: a telegram to Robert Benchley urging him to join his fellow scribblers to join the union post haste. 

Second, if you were interested enough to click over here, then I suspect you also might be interested in hearing a little more about the Dorothy Parker Society.  I was a member in good standing the last three years in NYC, and it was one of the best things about living there I could imagine.  Led by President Kevin Fitzpatrick, the DPS is about as far from a stuffy literary mausoleum dedicated to  working papers and minutiae haggling as you could possibly get. 

It's a rolling party, drinking club, salon, history lesson, and philanthropic organization rolled into one. 

This picture, for instance was taken in 2004, not 1929.

At any rate, Adrienne and I are going to be organizing an inaugural meeting of the L.A. chapter of the Dorothy Parker society in late April.  The date, time and venue are still tbd although we have some good ideas. 

Per DPS bylawas, there is no dress code, although sharp duds are always appreciated.  Nor is there any requirement that you know anything of Mrs. Parker's work beyond a general appreciation for caustic wit and bitter wisdom. 

Basically, if you have a liver, we'll be glad to see you.   If you're interested in coming to the inaugural meeting/ booze/ conversation session, drop me a line in the comment box, and we'll add you to the invitation when it goes out.