Chamber Honors Entertainment Industry Pioneer Fred Rheinstein

Walk of Fame Ceremony Brings Magic to the Boulevard

Chamber fights to bring Technicolor to Sunset/Gower Studios site

ACCESS City Hall, Sept. 21, 2006.

Pictured from left: Chris Essel, Senior Vice President for Government and Community Affairs, Paramount Pictures; Tony Uphoff, publisher of The Hollywood Reporter, Dan Glickman, Chairman and CEO of Motion Picture Association of America and former United States Secretary of Agriculture; Fred Rheinstein, current First Vice Chairman of the Director’s Guild of America Foundation; Hollywood’s Honorary Mayor Johnny Grant; and Jeffrey C. Briggs, partner in Briggs Law Office and chairman of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. ©Hollywood Chamber of Commerce2006

Motion Picture Assoc. Leader Discusses

‘State of the Industry’

Dan Glickman, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, addressed more than 200 industry representatives at a luncheon sponsored by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce this week. In an optimistic analysis, he told those assembled that the industry generates about $38-billion annually for the state of California, of which $34-billion comes directly to Los Angeles County. “This is not the first time this industry has faced challenges like it does today,” he said. “Time and again, the movie industry has responded – reinventing itself to continue its preeminent position in the culture and economy of this state, the nation and indeed the entire world.” He noted that new distribution platforms present new opportunities for movie companies to reach consumers in new ways. The new technologies will make movies more accessible to more people, which he considered as very good news for the industry. He reported that box office receipts are up around five percent over 2005 year-to-date. “People will continue to see movies as long as we continue to provide good value. They may see them on an Ipod or a computer or maybe even a phone, but movies are here to stay,’ he concluded.

View his full remarks.
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Chamber Honors Entertainment Industry

Pioneer Fred Rheinstein

Jeff Briggs, chairman of the board for the Hollywood Chamber, presented a special award to Fred Rheinstein for being a “Hollywood Star for more than 50 years” at this week’s Entertainment Industry Luncheon. Rheinstein, who has worked in Hollywood since 1952, waxed nostalgic on the changes he has seen in the community over the years and thanked all those who stuck with Hollywood over the years. “When I was transferred into town to report for duty at NBC, Hollywood was IT,” he recollected. “Twas the mecca, the pinnacle – the epicenter of film, radio and TV. If you were anybody, or wanted to be anybody, you paid dearly for a Cobb salad and coconut cake at the Brown Derby and you were seen.” He also recalled the dark days when he had to have armed guards walk his clients from the edit bay to the parking lot so they wouldn’t get mugged. “I will also never ever forget those of you in this town who swore Hollywood would come back,” he continued. “You not only swore it, but you made it happen. … It was you guys and gals that gave the likes of me the heart to hang in there.”

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Walk of Fame Ceremony Brings Magic

to the Boulevard

Photo by Bob Freeman©Hollywood Chamber of Commerce2006

Hollywood’s Honorary Mayor, Johnny Grant, was joined by game show host Bob Barker this week to honor Milt and Bill Larsen with the 2,317th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The long-time businessmen and magicians were the founders of the Magic Castle, a Hollywood icon. In 1963, they fulfilled their father’s unfulfilled dream of a club for magicians when they leased an old Gothic-Victorian mansion above Franklin Avenue and formed the nonprofit Academy of Magical Arts, Inc., which now has more than 5,000 active magician and non-magician members and entertains patrons from all over the world every night of the year. Milt’s other accomplishments include dozens of television and stage writing, producing credits and over 100 published comedy songs. Their star is located at the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Orange Avenue, the closest point on the Walk to the Magic Castle.

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Chamber fights to bring Technicolor to Sunset/Gower Studios site

Chamber advocate, Rochelle Silsbee was at City Hall from 4pm close to 10pm Tuesday night for the Central Area Planning Commission meeting that was held to discuss among other things, the appeal of the Site Plan Review of the Sunset/Gower Studios project. This project is hoped to house Technicolor, a state-of the-art post-production and sound recording studio. This project brings more high-quality entertainment jobs, and will be the first new construction office building erected since the 1980s. The commission unanimously voted to deny the appeal and upheld the City Director’s Site Plan approval. Hooray for Hollywood!

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ACCESS City Hall, September 21, 2006.

Sign-up Today!

Don’t miss this year’s ACCESS City Hall where the Hollywood Chamber has joined the Los Angeles Area Chamber to spend the day the City Hall to talk business. Plenary session includes updates from Mayor Villaraigosa, City Council President Eric Garcetti, City Controller Laura Chick, and City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo. Break-out sessions cover everything from improving LA’s overall business climate to education and workforce development to housing and transportation. Download the ACCESS City Hall registration form. For more information, contact Rochelle Silsbee, Vice-President of Public Policy at 323.468.1379 or via email at info@hollywoodchamber.net.

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