May They Forever Be Old: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Death at Age 44

Growing old means that people you once viewed as old are now younger than you. Life is always safest when you are buffered on all sides. We buffer ourselves with family and friends. Money is a buffer. The battlefield is safest if you’re the person in the middle, not the edges. Life’s edges bring great… Continue reading May They Forever Be Old: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Death at Age 44

Bars, Nightclubs, and Casinos from Ocean’s 11 (1960)

Sands Hotel and Casino Phone Area from Oceans 11 (1960)

How bad can a movie be yet look fantastic? Ocean’s 11 (1960) is a heist film famous for its slick Rat Pack, mid-century modern trappings, but altogether a heaping, floppy mess. It’s a movie you want to like but can’t. It has no real highs, no lows, no drama, little humor. Interminable parts of the… Continue reading Bars, Nightclubs, and Casinos from Ocean’s 11 (1960)

The Strange Case of the U.S. Soldier Who Talked 162 Germans Into Surrendering

As with so many war stories, this one is hazy and sounds like it’s ready-made for a movie. Particulars are hard to pin down, since the only person who might corroborate them has been dead since 1955. This is the story of a U.S. soldier whose “super-salesman” silver tongue persuaded German soldiers to surrender to… Continue reading The Strange Case of the U.S. Soldier Who Talked 162 Germans Into Surrendering

Edward Andrews: Great Character Actor Who Took Imperious to a New Level

Many character actors might bristle at the idea of being branded a character actor. Because, after all, who wants to be branded as a type? If in your last ten movies you played that type, are you destined to play that type again and again? On the other hand, if you’re good enough, it means… Continue reading Edward Andrews: Great Character Actor Who Took Imperious to a New Level

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Categorized as 1950s, 1960s

Modern Babylon: Deserted Weyerhaeuser Campus in Federal Way, Washington

Quietly ensconced in 130 acres of woods south of Seattle is the abandoned campus of the Weyerhaeuser Corporation. Much like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, with gardens built into the walls of the palace, the Weyerhaeuser campus’ 5-story building is heavily draped with English ivy; thus the name of the complex: The Greenline. Built in… Continue reading Modern Babylon: Deserted Weyerhaeuser Campus in Federal Way, Washington