Commentary by Kendall Whitehouse
Category: Travel Tales
The Maltese Falcon begins with the murder of Sam Spade's partner Miles Archer, a crime that takes place in a fog-shrouded San Francisco alley. As portrayed in John Houston's 1941 film, however, the location of the murder seems rather puzzling. After an establishing shot of a street sign -- the intersection of Bush St. and Stockton … Continue reading The Maltese Falcon: The Scene of the Crime
On October 24, 1938, playwright Howard E. Koch had less than a week to write the script for the next episode of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre on the Air. Producer John Houseman had given him the assignment: Dramatize H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds as a radio play. Koch knew he would have to … Continue reading Return to the Scene of the Martian Invasion
Sometimes We Communicate A Great Deal When We Don't Say What We Mean Indirection is an essential tool of the stage magician. The right hand flourishes a wand to draw your attention as the left hand lifts a card from a hidden pocket inside the magician's coat. Outside the magic hall, indirection can serve as … Continue reading Indirection and Coded Language
Following Adobe Systems' MAX developer's conference in Los Angeles in late October of last year [2010], I attended a performance by singer/songwriter Kat Parsons at a private home in Los Angeles' storied Laurel Canyon. It was an apt location for an intimate evening of music. While the history of Laurel Canyon reaches back to the dawn … Continue reading The Spirit of Laurel Canyon
On Technology and Media 