Author Harry Medved, best known as the co-author, with older brother Michael Medved, of the ‘Golden Turkey Awards: The Worst Achievement in Hollywood History’ books, will discuss film locations in the Santa Monica Mountains when the Chautauqua Series continues on Tuesday, July 21, 7:30 p.m., in Temescal Gateway Park, 15601 Sunset Blvd. The event, which will include a short video presentation of movie clips, is sponsored by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and presented by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. ‘I’m going to talk about how you can use movies as a tool to help plan your mini-getaway in Santa Ynez Canyon,’ says Medved, who is director of public relations at Fandango.com. The Palisades High alum notes that since Thomas Ince shot silent movies (from 1911 to 1919), various films have been shot in Santa Ynez Canyon, which today encompasses Palisades Drive and the Highlands. ‘The Post Telegrapher,’ which Ince shot with Francis Ford and was released in May 1912, is one of the movies shot in the Canyon. The neighboring Santa Monica Mountains have doubled for Africa (Paramount Ranch in the first 3-D movie, ‘B’wana Devil’), Korea and Wales (Malibu Creek State Park in ‘M*A*S*H,’ and ‘How Green Was My Valley,’ respectively). Shooting in the Santa Monica Mountains reached a fever pitch in the 1960s and 1970s, before private land held by Paramount and 20th Century Fox was sold. Still, filming in the mountains persists, as attested by a ‘True Blood’ shoot in recent weeks, across from Malibu Creek. Medved adds that, to his knowledge, the only movie shot in Temescal Gateway Park has been ‘The Number 23’ starring Jim Carrey (2007). One of the features Medved brought to Fandango’s Web site is its ‘Summer Movie Guide’ section, where people can plan visits to locations used in the filming of such motion pictures as ‘Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen’ (San Pedro), ‘Land of the Lost’ (Trona Pinnacles) and the upcoming ‘Iron Man 2’ (Sepulveda Dam). Following the lecture, Medved will sign copies of the book he co-authored with his PaliHi pal, Bruce Akiyama, ‘Hollywood Escapes: The Moviegoer’s Guide Exploring Southern California’s Great Outdoors.’ The Chautauqua Series meets the third Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. Meet at the Rubell Memorial Lawn. (Please note: Culture in the Canyon will move its programs to this location for July and August.) Free admission and parking. Open to the public. Coffee will be provided.
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