Press Release
CELEBRATE THE 125TH BIRTHDAY OF CLASSIC FILM STAR DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS SR. ON FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2008 WITH A FREE SCREENING OF HIS FINAL FILM, THE PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN, AT HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY
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Hollywood, CA – Put another candle on Douglas Fairbanks’ birthday cake when the Fairbanks Memorial celebrates the classic screen star’s 125th birthday on Friday, May 23, 2008 with a free screening of his final film, 1934’s The Private Life of Don Juan, under – and above – the stars at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood on the Fairbanks Lawn, overlooking the scenic crypts of Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and his equally famous son, Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
The festivities begin at 7:00 PM with birthday cake and light appetizers provided by Event Solutions, followed at dusk by a screening of The Private Life of Don Juan projected on the wall of a mausoleum which is the final resting place to luminaries such as Rudolph Valentino. Audiences are encouraged to bring blankets, a picnic with their favorite beverages, and jackets.
For more information on the Fairbanks Memorial screening of The Private Life of Don Juan, contact Sparrow Morgan at (424) 645-2540, or visit www.fairbanksmemorial.org.
“Watching a Douglas Fairbanks film on his birthday – particularly his final film – is one of the best ways we can keep his memory alive, especially when the film is screened in a nontraditional environment like Hollywood Forever,” says Fairbanks Memorial founder Sparrow Morgan, who is writing a biography of Fairbanks. “I particularly want to encourage people who know little or nothing about early film to attend, The Private Life of Don Juan is still charming even three quarters of a century later! It’s also appropriate for the entire family, so I hope people of all ages will come out to enjoy this special event.”
Directed by Alexander Korda, The Private Life of Don Juan stars Douglas Fairbanks, who even at 52 was known for his athleticism, as the famous but aging love Don Juan de la Manara. Merle Oberon is radiantly beautiful as the dancer Antonita, one of Don Juan’s many love interests. Melville Cooper plays Leporello, Don Juan’s loyal friend in this witty and captivating film. The opening scene, with women scrambling to their balconies for a glimpse of Don Juan, is classic. Fairbanks always chose characters he identified with, and it is fair to say he was a bit of a Don Juan himself, his marriage to Mary Pickford began as an affair and ended with one as well!
Black & White, 89 Minutes, Sound, Unrated.
ABOUT HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY
Founded in 1899, Hollywood Forever Cemetery was originally known as Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery. In 1920, 40 of the Park’s 100 unused acres of cemetery land along Melrose Avenue were sold to Paramount Studios and RKO. The Paramount building is still in use today. After falling into disrepair, the legendary final resting place for many of Hollywood’s greatest stars was refurbished in 1998, and renamed Hollywood Forever Cemetery in celebration of its grand history. Now, Hollywood Forever Cemetery attracts visitors from all over the world. Hollywood Forever is also a working cemetery, conducting new burials each week.
In addition to Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and his son Douglas Fairbanks Jr., other notable figures buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery include Mel Blanc, Lillian Bond, Louis Calhern, Iron Eyes Cody, Marion Davies, Cecil B. DeMille, Nelson Eddy, Janet Gaynor, Darla Hood, Peter Lorre, Jayne Mansfield, Hattie McDaniel, Adolphe Menjou, Paul Muni, Eleanor Powell, Tyrone Power, Johnny Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Nelson Riddle, The Ritz Brothers, Ann Sheridan, Bugsy Siegel, Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer, Constance Talmadge, Norma Talmadge, and Rudolph Valentino.
For more information, visit www.hollywoodforever.com.
ABOUT SPARROW MORGAN
Film historian Sparrow Morgan has always had a passion for the movie business. “I was practically raised on a sound stage, and so it was natural for me to fall into the film world. In fact, I was an unwitting extra by the time I was six.” Featured in the documentary Douglas Fairbanks: Swashbuckler and a regular participant at Hollywood Forever’s Day of the Dead Celebration, she is currently seeking a publisher for her biography of the silent screen star, Douglas Fairbanks: The Laughing Swashbuckler.
“I love Hollywood, and I love its history,” adds Morgan. “In a city where we tear down historical buildings to build million dollar condos, I believe we have a duty as members of the community to preserve the legacy of those before us, and that legacy is most definitely film. I’ve chosen to focus on Douglas Fairbanks because he was one of Hollywood’s founding fathers, not only producing blockbuster films, but establishing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Even in his own time, Doug worked to bring film to a wider audience.”
ABOUT EVENT SOLUTIONS
Event Solutions is a premiere corporate event planner for Southern California, offering complete solutions for all events and holiday parties. Event Solutions specializes in quality catering, with over 18 years of experience and thousands of satisfied clients. If you can imagine it, Event Solutions can make your party idea a reality, handling every aspect from planning to execution.
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