ABOUT THIS EVENT:

LAVA – The Los Angeles Visionaries Association is pleased to announce a free roof-top screening of a newly-discovered circa 1949 short color film of Main Street and other downtown Los Angeles locations, the Union Rescue Mission-produced Of Scrap & Steel. The screening is in conjunction with a series of downtown stories on the In SRO Land time travel blog, featuring material from the Union Rescue Mission Archives.

ABOUT THE FILM: In mid-1948 the Board of Directors of the Union Rescue Mission approved the expenditure of $5,000 to make the 30-minute film Of Scrap & Steel which portrays the redemption and good works of Arthur Hawkins, an alcoholic executive who ended up on the streets of Los Angeles and whose life was saved when he turned to the URM for help. Porter Hall (Arthur Hawkins) is one of only two actors in a film otherwise populated by real Los Angeles characters. (You may recall Hallâ€s performance as the pesky guy on the train in Double Indemnity.)

Of Scrap & Steel was only shown in screenings organized by the URM or related organizations, and would have been completely lost if Liz Mooradian, URM historian, had not saved a deteriorating 16mm print and had it transferred to video before it was too late. Of Scrap & Steel is just one of the remarkable artifacts discovered in the Union Rescue Mission archives and explored in the In SRO Land blog.

This entertaining and powerful short film is a compelling snapshot of life on Skid Row (Main Street) circa 1949, and a fascinating document of the important work that the URM continues to do with the most needy in the community. Although downtown Los Angeles features in numerous noir films, it is extremely rare to see color images of eastern downtown, and rarer still to see full-color live-action footage of the vibrant street scene that included rescue missions, pawn shops, amusement parlors, bars, restaurants and the ever-patrolling paddy wagon in search of drunkards to haul away to jail or County work crews.

This free rooftop screening is jointly organized by LAVA–The Los Angeles Visionaries Association, the In SRO Land time travel blog and the Union Rescue Mission. Attendees are encouraged to dress warmly for the cool night air. Refreshments will be provided compliments of URM.

This screening is held in conjunction with the Skid Row Walking Tour, a separate free event beginning two hours before the screening. Separate registration for each event is required if you wish to attend both the screening and walking tour.

Nearest Metro station is Little Tokyo.

Limited free parking is available at the URMâ€s underground parking lot. Just tell the attendant you are there for the film. Please carpool: if each guest arrives with one other person in their car, there should be enough parking for all. Those arriving later will have to leave their keys with the parking attendant.

In addition, there will be overflow parking in the San Julian parking lot located just behind the URM, on San Julian Street between 5th & 6th Streets, on the east side of the street, adjacent to URM. Registered attendees will be able to enter the URM from the Womenâ€s entrance on San Julian. There will be ample staff to direct you from the lot to this entrance.

In the event of rain, we will screen the film in the Chapel.

Schedule

6pm – Doors open (reserved guests check in at the main entrance and are sent up to the roof)

7pm-7.30pm – Refreshments served compliments of the URM. Guests can watch the sunset (7:45pm)

7.30pm – 8pm – Rev. Andy Bales (URM), Richard Schave (Esotouric) and Prof. Paul Rood (BIOLA) will introduce the film in the context of the neighborhoodâ€s history, and their work on the In SRO Land time travel blog, and a brief introduction to the life and legacy of the URM‘s founder, Lyman Stewart.

8pm – Film screening

8.30pm – Q & A 

9pm – Event ends

To buy a ticket for this event click here. If you’d like to be contacted when another crime lab tour and lecture are scheduled, subscribe to LAVA’s occasional Crime Lab Newsletter.

Join us in the Cal State Los Angeles teaching crime lab for an afternoonâ€s inquiry into the history and practice of forensic science in Los Angeles, in support of new research coming out of the Criminalistics Department. 

Presentation #1: V is for Vice

Mike Fratantoni, an LASD Jailer who sits on the board of the Los Angeles County Sheriffâ€s Museum and is organizing the new exhibition space in the Hall of Justice, makes a return engagement with a fascinating presentation on the unwritten history of vice in West Hollywood and corruption in law enforcement.

In 1940, West Hollywood madam Lee Francis was arrested on a morals charge, her first. Media coverage of the subsequent trial exposed the thriving trade in sin along the Sunset Strip, and had southland husbands quaking in their socks. But the papers never printed the name of one prostitute arrested in the “House of Francis” raid: LaVonne Weaver, soon-to-be wife of gang kingpin Mickey Cohen. For decades, mob historians have chased down rumors that “dance instructor” Lavonne was actually a “working girl.” Wonder no more, as in a LAVA exclusive, LaVonne Weaverâ€s mugshot will be unveiled. Lee Francis had a reputation, but madam Brenda Allen was an underworld superstar, as famous for her wardrobe and high-powered social connections as she was for the services available at her hillside brothel. Her 1948 arrest and subsequent Grand Jury investigation revealed deep veins of corruption within the Los Angeles Police Department.

Presentation #2: Beverly Hills Confidential

Clark Fogg, the lead forensics investigator at the Beverly Hills Police Department, and investigative journalist Barbara Schroeder share the sensational crimes and scandals of the glamorous city of Beverly Hills, as chronicled in their book “Beverly Hills Confidential: A Century of Stars, Scandals and Murders.”

Featured topics include:

The cityâ€s first blockbuster scandal — the Doheny murder mystery at Greystone Mansion — New information on who really killed gangster Bugsy Siegel — The true story of the death of Lupe Velez, the movie star known as “The Mexican Spitfire” — The mysterious execution of publicist-to-the-stars Ronni Chasen

Copies of “Beverly Hills Confidential” will be available for purchase and signing during the event.

Join Kim Cooper and David Smay, co-editors of the book Bubblegum Music is the Naked Truth: The Dark History of Prepubescent Pop from the Banana Splits to Britney Spears, and contributors Becky Ebenkamp and Gene Sculatti, for an audio-visual celebration of the history and mythology of this under-appreciated musical genre, and the Saturday morning cartoons where many of the most memorable songs debuted.

After the presentation, copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

The event is free. Arrive on time to ensure you get a seat.  

Please note that, due to limited room capacity, attendees must register to attend the LAVA Sunday Salon. To sign up for this free event: First register as a user on this site, or login to your existing account and then return to this page. Refresh the page and the signup field will appear just to the left of this text. Enter your email address. No plus-ones; each guest must register individually. If you find you are unable to attend, please return to this page and cancel your reservation. Also, note that the Sunday Salon has a new time slot: 2-4:30pm.

Dead Men Do Tell Tales: Inside the Mind of Professor Donald Johnson

Join us this month as Professor Donald Johnson, Director of the Criminalistics Department at Cal State Los Angeles, shares lighthearted, offbeat and illuminating reminisces of his personal journey from morbid child to journeyman mortician to professional homicide investigator, forensic scientist and educator. From blood spatter evidence to embalming, bone collecting to rappelling down buildings looking for evidence, Professor Johnson always seems to find himself surrounded by the most interesting artifacts of lives interrupted. Share in his adventures, and learn about the shoes he fills at CSULA‘s Criminalistics Department, which was founded by the legendary LAPD criminalist Ray Pinker in 1965 and which continues to explore new frontiers in forensic science under Dr. Johnsonâ€s enlightened direction.

Professor Johnsonâ€s Sunday Salon presentation also serves as an introduction to his ongoing series of LAVA forensic science seminars in his teaching lab at Cal State Los Angeles, including the upcoming Serial Killer Summer Session: The Night Stalker & The 60 Freeway Slayer on August 16. Purchase your ticket for the program now and help support new research into the science of crime detection.

The Photography of Kristin Bedford: Race, History & the Divine

Los Angeles-based photographer Kristin Bedford will be presenting her series of photographs about the legacy of the African-American religious leader Father Divine. The body of work delves into issues of race, American religious history, and the mystery of enduring faith.

Father Divine, known to his followers as God, once had tens of thousands of devotees in 1930s Harlem. To the outside world Father Divine died in 1965, but for his followers he “lay his body down” and is still with them as he always has been. Now in their seventies, eighties, and nineties, eighteen of the remaining celibate followers live with Mother Divine at Fatherâ€s estate outside of Philadelphia. In 2013, Kristin Bedford spent five weeks living with and photographing this community.

The followers, who call themselves “The International Peace Mission Movement,” are living a way of life and performing rituals created over eighty years ago by their God. With the lack of new followers, their movement is likely in its final chapter. Bedford had the chance to experience and photograph their traditions before they fade away.

The Father Divine presentation will be followed by an exclusive sneak peek of Bedfordâ€s current photography project.

Biography

Kristin Bedford is a Los Angeles-based photographer who focuses on long-term visual studies of where we live – the streets we walk down, the places we worship in, the homes we create, and the spaces between them all. Her subjects have included religious movements, street culture in numerous urban centers, and the modern day legacy of historic African-American communities.

Kristinâ€s website

NY Times LENS Review

Game Girls is “A poetic take on Skid Row… Game Girls re-imagines what the documentary film genre can be.” -Shana Nys Dambrot for KCET Artbound.

We want to share some of what our team has learned and discovered along our journey making Game Girls! And trust us, you NEED TO SEE THIS.

See Downtown Los Angeles through director Alina Skrzeszewskaâ€s eyes. She has been making films in Skid Row for nearly a decade. Weâ€ll be screening her award winning documentary Songs From The Nickel in Indian Alley from 7:00 – 8:30PM. The film is comprised of 8 vignettes that will take you into the small flophouse rooms of an era since passed, into the old King Eddy Saloon, to underground tunnels of LA and street corners that have since drastically changed… Pop in and out, grab a drink and meander from the screening in Indian Alley to THESE DAYS store & gallery to view the late Carl Ramseyâ€s beautiful portrait series Women of Skid Row and other urban landscapes. Visit More Thanneâ€s special vintage sale, where 15% of the profit will be donated directly to Game Girls. More Thanne will also feature exclusive, unreleased clips from Game Girls! Listen to a live set of eclectic “soul ethnique” tunes by Gaio, straight from Marseille, France! And get inspired by a soulful, healing musical presentation by Downtownâ€s very own Charles Porter. Snacks and Drinks generously provided by our wonderful neighbors at Blossom and The Must.

Your donations will help fund the completion of Game Girls. Please donate what you can – we suggest a $20 or more contribution – every dollar counts. Our goal through this campaign is not only to raise money to move the film forward, but also to build awareness. We can do this together!

If you cannot make it to the event, please consider donating directly to the GAME GIRLS Indiegogo Campaign.

Join us in the Cal State Los Angeles teaching crime lab for an afternoonâ€s inquiry into the history and practice of forensic science in Los Angeles, in support of new research coming out of the Criminalistics Department. 

Presentation #1: Stalking The Night Stalker

Almost exactly thirty years ago, Richard Ramirez was captured by a mob of enraged East Los Angeles community members, ending the reign of terror of the self-proclaimed Night Stalker, who laid siege to the city through a series of vicious home invasion attacks in the spring and summer of 1985.

Giselle Lavigne is a forensic investigator for the Los Angeles County Sheriffâ€s Department who worked on analyzing the physical evidence used for Richard Ramirez†murder trial. She will present in great detail on the full complement of forensic evidence that was gathered, revealing the actions of the killer through the trace, blood and other evidence he left behind.

Presentation #2: The 60 Freeway Slayer

Professor Donald Johnson, our host and the Director of the Criminalistics Department, will present on six murders of prostitutes in 1993-94, which were initially attributed to an unknown “60 Freeway Slayer.”

When Professor Johnson was a forensic investigator for the Los Angeles County Sheriffâ€s Department, he investigated the murders, and gathered the evidence which, almost a decade later with the introduction of DNA evidence into the courtroom, would result in the conviction and death sentence of the “60 Freeway Slayer,” who DNA evidence showed to be incarcerated felon Ivan Hill. The case is a pivotal example of the remarkable impact that new forensic technology has in the courtroom and the lab.

By the afternoonâ€s conclusion, attendees will have a deeper understanding of the evolving toolkit used to gather and interpret physical evidence for the benefit of investigating officers and juries, from the 1980s to the present.

Join poet and memoirist Joan Jobe Smith for an afternoon of poetry & storytelling at the LAVA Sunday Salon. The newly published Tales of An Ancient Go-Go Girl by long-time Long Beach, California resident Joan Jobe Smith, is a picaresque True Tale, a 50-year Glotessey spanning the 1965 Los Angeles Watts Riots, near death at the hands of a homicidal ex-husband, the counter-culture go-go swinging let-it-all-hang-out 1960s-‘70s, single Motherhood and Feminism. Rarely does a natural poet and historian such as Joan Jobe Smith endure such ordeals and challenges and survive to tell the tale. It is a Tale written with go-going panache and patois, and heart, courage and humor to make our lives richer and wiser. The event will be a series of short Q&As with LAVA’s Richard Schave on milestones from the memoir, punctuated by Joan reading poetry selections which span her career.

Excerpts from 5-Star Reviews of Tales of An Ancient Go-Go Girl:

“Charles Bukowski said the inimitable Joan Jobe Smithâ€s writing ‘has the reality of force properly put down on paper; she cuts herself loose into the stratosphere.†Joanâ€s heart is so damned big. Sheâ€s not only cut herself loose into the stratosphere, she takes anyone who wants to go with her along for the ride. And now we have this raw-edged, honest, beauty of a book…” —L. Jakiela, Creative Writing Professor, University of Pittsburgh

“Vividly conjures up the dark shadows and wisecracks of a Film Noir, set in 1960s-‘70s L.A., with a cast of glamourous yet vulnerable dancers, slimy bosses, wharf rats (both rodents, ex-husband and customers) with walk-ons by celebrities (Dick Dale, Ike and Tina Turner) amongst the burgeoning pop music and drug counter-culture of the era. Energized by Joan Jobe Smithâ€s poetic eye and exuberant syntax, these true Tales will enthrall readers, revealing its author as a brilliant chronicler of her Noir-ish life and times.“—Jules Smith, Londonâ€s Times Literary Supplement

“I just finished reading Joan Jobe Smithâ€s Tales of An Ancient Go-Go Girl. She has such a descriptive, poetic talent for words as she weaves her true life tales of love, jealousy, near murder and trials. Bukowski advised her to write about her go-go girl years. I admire her ability to bring scenes from the ’60s and ’70s so vividly to life.”–Linda King