The Polo Lounge is a popular gathering spot despite ongoing calls for a boycott because it is owned by the sultan of Brunei.Credit…Rozette Rago for The New York Times
LOS ANGELES — Hollywood is down in the dumps. Oscar hopefuls like “King Richard,” “Nightmare Alley” and “West Side Story” have sputtered, and everyone knows that, studio spin aside, the Omicron variant is only partly to blame.
What about those stunning Spider-Man grosses? Sure, great, whatever — another superhero hit. It doesn’t change the fact that one storied studio, 20th Century Fox, vanished in 2019 and another, the venerable Warner Bros., is slashing theatrical output by almost half. Unless regulators do something unexpected, Amazon will soon swallow Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Streaming services are ending a moviegoing era.
“It’s over,” a glum film executive said at a holiday fete. “TV won.”
But there is at least one place where Hollywood feels undiminished. Step into the 88-year-old Polo Lounge — as a deluge of film V.I.P.s have done lately, defying a lingering boycott over its owner, the sultan of Brunei, and his enacting of Shariah law in his country — and return to a time when movies indisputably commanded the culture. Outside the Beverly Hills Hotel, which houses the Polo Lounge, change is washing through moviedom with terrifying speed. (Hollywood’s prize system, long a crucial promotional platform, is crumbling, with the near-abandonment of the Golden Globes on Sunday as only one example.) Inside the clubby Polo Lounge, however, very little has changed in decades.
It might as well be 1937, when Marlene Dietrich, wearing long gloves, could be seen dispassionately smoking a cigarette at the bar, her mink slung over a stool. “It’s one of the last surviving links to a time when movies still mattered,” said Terry Press, a former president of CBS Films and longtime patron.
What better place for Hollywood heavies to gather for what amounts to group therapy? And, perhaps, plot a counterattack.
As of early December, Polo Lounge revenue for the year was roughly 10 percent above the same period in 2019.Credit…Rozette Rago for The New York Times
Regular visitors in recent months have included David M. Zaslav, the chief executive of Discovery, which is merging with Warner Media; Brian Robbins, the new kingpin at Paramount Pictures; Toby Emmerich, Warner’s movie chairman; Bryan Lourd, the Creative Artists superagent; and Jeffrey Katzenberg, a former studio chief who remains a formidable Hollywood string-puller.
Mary Parent, who produced “Dune” as vice chairman of Legendary Entertainment, and Casey Bloys, who reigns supreme at HBO and HBO Max, have conducted business there in recent months. Power lunchers have included Emma Watts, Paramount’s former production chief; Reginald Hudlin, an Oscar-nominated producer and director; and Lorne Michaels, the creator and executive producer of “Saturday Night Live.”
Not long ago, Jimmy Fallon, dutifully wearing a face covering, stood next to the grand piano on a Friday night and belted out “Sweet Caroline.” Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Lawrence have been spotted. Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson dropped in for a bite the day after Christmas. Caitlyn Jenner had tried but was asked to leave for ignoring the dress code. (No “ripped denim.”)
As of early December, Polo Lounge revenue for the year was roughly 10% above the same period in 2019, according to Edward Mady, the hotel’s general manager. He added that the Polo Lounge had recently been receiving about 150 calls a day for reservations, with roughly 75 requesting one of nine patio booths.
“What boycott?” Mr. Mady said. In 2014, Mr. Katzenberg, Jay Leno, Ellen DeGeneres, Elton John and others led an entertainment-industry boycott of the property after its owner, the sultan of Brunei, imposed Shariah law in his country, making gay sex and adultery punishable by stoning. Hollywood mass-shunned the Polo Lounge, which was at first deserted and then bounced back as a popular spot for Beverly Hills Ladies Who Lunch. (“Betsy! Betsy!”)
The restaurant has a large outdoor dining area filled with Brazilian pepper trees, rose bushes and magenta bougainvillea.Credit…Rozette Rago for The New York Times
By 2017, many luminaries had returned. The entertainment industry enjoys a public snubbing, but it also has a short attention span. President Trump, elected in 2016, prompted outrage on so many fronts in liberal Hollywood that remembering to be mad at the Polo Lounge was difficult.
And people wanted their salads. The most popular one at the Polo Lounge is the McCarthy, famous for its price ($44) and for being chopped so finely that one could almost drink it with a straw.
A-listers may have returned, but none were eager to be quoted in this article. An email to Mr. Katzenberg, for instance, was forwarded to a spokesman, who responded, “He is actually unreachable on vacation at the moment so won’t be able to participate.” Others declined because they did not want to make themselves a target for activists. Several cited the awkward optics — cooing over an ostentatious watering hole at a time when more studio layoffs are on the horizon.
Protesters have not given up. In 2019, George Clooney wrote an opinion piece calling for an expanded boycott. (He did not respond to a query on whether his position had changed.) In October, one of the most ardent proponents of a boycott, James Duke Mason, wrote a new letter to the sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, demanding the revocation of his kingdom’s “draconian laws.”
“The boycott has been and still is firmly in place,” Mr. Mason said by phone. “It’s a matter of values. Is your McCarthy Salad really more important than human rights?” Mr. Mason added that he and several associates intend to redouble their campaign against the hotel and its sister Dorchester Collection properties in 2022. (Mr. Mason comes from a show business lineage; his parents are Belinda Carlisle and Morgan Mason, a former agent and producer.)
Dorchester Collection, the London-based hotel company owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, responded with a statement: “We operate autonomously and embrace our longstanding values of inclusivity and belonging.”
Pepe De Anda, the director of Polo Lounge, started working at the restaurant in 1986.Credit…Rozette Rago for The New York Times
In some ways, the Polo Lounge is perfectly positioned for life during the pandemic. It has a large outdoor dining area adorned with Brazilian pepper trees, roses and magenta bougainvillea. Studio offices have been mostly closed since March 2020, so moguls who would normally conduct business meals on their lots have needed a place to go; many live within walking distance. Mr. Zaslav has been intermittently staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel; he is renovating a historic estate four blocks away.
The Los Angeles power-restaurant scene has also been shaken up. Chateau Marmont closed its restaurant to the public when the pandemic started. (It has also had boycott issues.) The Palm was sold, prompting the departure of its charismatic torchbearer, Bruce Bozzi. For some, the Peninsula still has the stench of Harvey Weinstein, who, his accusers said, used the cover of work meetings there to sexually harass and assault women.
San Vicente Bungalows, a red-hot private club that opened in 2019, has filled much of the gap. It is known for a diverse and young Hollywood clientele (and for its treacly maître d’hôtel, formerly of the Sunset Tower).
But the Polo Lounge still ranks. In mid-December, Mr. Robbins, who took over Paramount in September, was deep in a breakfast discussion with Hannah Minghella, a senior executive at J.J. Abrams’s production company. Mr. Lourd occupied a booth nearby, partly concealed by a wall of white poinsettias. The restaurant’s director, Pepe De Anda, who started at the Polo Lounge in 1986, tended to an important-looking woman wearing a head scarf at Table 6, a relatively secluded spot where Marilyn Monroe preferred to sit.
Hollywood has lost some of its glamour to budget cuts and corporate consolidation, not to mention the pandemic. But the Polo Lounge — where avocado toast runs $36 — oozes the same extravagance it did in, say, 1998, when 57 million people watched “Titanic” sweep the Academy Awards. (Last year, the Oscars attracted 10.4 million viewers, beneath “The National Dog Show.”)
Near the Polo Lounge hostess podium, menus have recently been on display from Christmas dinners in the distant past, when moguls and stars apparently washed down “creamed calf’s sweetbreads en casserole” with “frozen apple toddy.”
The present, of course, can’t be avoided entirely. At tables favored by film executives, there is eye rolling and nose upturning about Silicon Valley’s push into entertainment: Apple is spending how much on Martin Scorsese’s next film?
And barbarians await at the gate. TikTok creators and Instagram influencers have discovered that the hotel’s lawn makes an interesting backdrop.
Mr. Mady, the hotel’s general manager, tensed up when asked about the social media crowd. “We’re not proud of that,” he said. “We’re trying our best to curb it.”
One of the coolest musical events at the Hollywood Bowl returns for a third year! Black Movie Soundtrack III returns on Wednesday, September 25, with musical director Marcus Miller and Reginald Hudlin presenting the best in black film music, with Craig Robinson serving as host. The big musical event will feature themes, scores, and songs that have set the tone for eight decades of black cinema with El DeBarge, Dionne Farris, Chaka Khan, Meshell Ndegéocello, Raphael Saadiq, Charlie Wilson, BeBe Winans, and more providing the vocals and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra coming through with the musical backing for the tracks. We’re giving our readers the chance to attend this magical night of music by giving away a pair of tickets to the show!
For your chance at a pair of tickets to this upcoming tour date, send your full name and contact info to [email protected] before Monday, September 23, at 10 a.m. If you don’t win, tickets are on sale now via the venue’s ticketing site $9 to $72 each plus service fees. Enter our contest or click below to attend Black Movie Soundtrack III live under the stars at the Hollywood Bowl!
One of the best African-American musical events in the nation and the current hot topic talk of music fans who reside in South Los Angeles is back for a third year.
Black Movie Soundtrack III returns to the Hollywood Bowl Sept. 25, with Oscar-nominated Reginald Hudlin and Grammy Award-winner Marcus Miller serving as musical director and presenting the best in black film music. Craig Robinson, one of the most talented comedians in Hollywood, will serve as host. I attended last year’s concert, which was also held at the Bowl and included performances by Common, Babyface, Lalah Hathaway, Earth Wind and Fire and I had the time of my life.
For those South L.A. residents who have never attended this musical event, it’s different than a jazz or musical concert. Black Movie Soundtrack III will feature themes, scores and songs that have set the tone for eight decades of black cinema with Chaka Khan, Charlie Wilson, El DeBarge, Meshell Ndegéocello, Raphael Saadiq, Dionne Farris, BeBe Winans and more providing the vocals and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra coming through with the musical backing for the tracks.
As a dedicated music fan, what’s most exciting for me is Hudlin’s continued collaboration with Miller who as a jazz composer, producer and bass guitarist is a musical icon. Miller has won several Grammy Awards over the years as a producer and worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandross and saxophonist David Sanborn, among others.
Miller first came to my attention in 1984 with his performance on Sanborn’s track performed live called “Straight to the Heart.” Sanborn gives Miller a shout out at the conclusion of that track for writing the song which to this day I play weekly on my playlist.
Miller was also a member of the Saturday Night Live band in 1988 and 1989 and has played bass on more than 500 recordings, including those of Luther Vandross, Grover Washington Jr., Roberta Flack, Carly Simon, McCoy Tyner, Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol.
He won the most valuable player award given by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize studio musicians three years in a row and was subsequently awarded “player emeritus” status and retired from eligibility. In the 90s, Miller began to write his own music and make his own records, putting a band together and touring regularly.
As a composer, Miller co-wrote several songs on the Miles Davis album “Tutu,” including its title track. He also composed “Chicago Song: for Sanborn and co-wrote “‘Til My Baby Comes Home,” “It’s Over Now,” “For You to Love,” and “Power of Love” for Luther Vandross.
In addition, he composed and provided spoken vocals on “Burn it Up,” which was featured on Najee’s 1992 album “Just An Illusion.” Miller is without question a musical icon. I’m excited to see what he and Hudlin have in store for us at this year’s Black Movie Soundtrack III.
“It was crazy — I was watching a documentary last night called ‘The Black Godfather’. It’s a story of this guy, Clarence Avant, that’s this monumental figure, a very quiet figure, but really pivotal in just any black musician’s career, record, film, concert, anything that was done in the last 50 years with black music, this guy was instrumental in making it happen or involved in, making deals, and advancing his people’s cause… So in this film, Isaac Hayes, Aretha Franklin — everybody is in this film. And all the heavyweights and all the CEOs of the labels — everyone. But [former U.S. president] Barack Obama is featured in it and knew this gentleman very well and speaks very highly of him when he’s talking about him. And I almost was brought to tears listening… I was not a huge fan of Barack. He was too much of a centrist for me; I’m very progressive. It was very frustrating, some of the things that he did. But listening to him speak so eloquently and intelligently and compassionately, with understanding, compared to what we have now, was terrifying.”
I spent the first half of summer 2018 producing the movie EMPEROR, based on the true story of Shields Green, who was rumored to have royal heritage. He escaped from slavery and had a series of amazing adventures as he moved north, where he ended up meeting Fredrick Douglass and John Brown.
First up is location scouting.
We saw pretty much every swamp in Savannah, and a few other cities too.
Plenty of reminders where we were.
In the gift shop of one of the forts. I shoulda bought it!
This was in the lobby of the building we used as our production office. I thought that was a good sign.
I like to cover the walls of the production office with research and inspirational images for the film.
Emperor. Something about this image that is undeniably powerful.
Dayo Okeniyi as Shields Green, Emperor.
Got to pick the right gun for each character.
Over the years, there have been many versions of the American flag. You have to pick the right one for the era.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016 – 8:00pm
at The Hollywood Bowl
ARTISTS:
Marcus Miller
Philip Bailey, Verdine White, and Ralph Johnson of Earth Wind and Fire
Full Force
Additional special guests to be announced
Craig Robinson, host
Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Vince Mendoza, conductor
I’ve produced a lot of popular projects in my careers…BET Awards, the NAACCP Image Awards, the Oscars…but few things have generated more excitement than the Salute to Black Movie Soundtracks that I did at the Hollywood Bowl several years ago. The audience loved every minute of the show from start to finish, and the word of mouth was so strong that I got angry calls and emails from friends who didn’t see the show, blaming me for not making them attend.
After weekly requests, the show is back this year and it’s going to be bigger than before. The show will cover the whole sweep of black music in the movies from Stormy Weather to Shaft and Superfly to Selma. Movie clips will show onscreen while the music plays.
Vince Mendoza will be conducting the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra so the sound of the music will be properly widescreen.
Marcus Miller, who has produced everyone from Miles Davis to Luther Vandross, will assemble an all-star band to keep it funky.
The hilarious Craig Robinson is the host, who will jam along with the band as he jokes:
There will be special tributes to the movie music of Babyface (Boomerang, Waiting to Exhale); Maurice White of Earth Wind and Fire (That’s the Way Of The World, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Soul Food) and Prince (Purple Rain, Under The Cherry Moon, Batman, Graffiti Bridge).
We can’t announce all the performers yet, but the line up of guest artists is crazy.
But we can tell you that Phillip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson will be there, doing classics like this:
Full Force from House Party and Krush Groove will be there, and they will do jams like this one from my first movie:
As I am able to announce more of the line up, I will post updates. But don’t sleep, buy your tickets now. Don’t complain to me later that the show is sold out and you need a hook up for a seat. I got nothin’ for ya. Handle your business now. Order your tickets by clicking here.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that Hero Films, Chestnut Ridge Productions and Hudlin Entertainment have chosen to film the Thurgood Marshall biopic, Marshall, in Buffalo. The courtroom thriller focuses on a young Thurgood Marshall prior to becoming the first African American Supreme Court Justice and his handling of a case that proved important to the Civil Rights Movement. Pre-production is already underway and filming is set to begin in late May, primarily in Niagara Square at the Dillon Courthouse, in the heart of downtown Buffalo. The production expects to spend at least $4.5 million, hire more than 400 crew and extras, and book an estimated 1,100 hotel room nights.
“Thurgood Marshall was a giant of the civil rights movement and the hosting of this film memorializing his great work is an honor,” Governor Cuomo said. “This production will help create hundreds of jobs and generate millions of dollars for the local economy, providing even more momentum to Buffalo’s economic resurgence and adding one more reason why this is a city on the move.”
Marshall is the latest major film production to tout New York State’s Film Production Tax Credit Program as a major factor in the selection of the Empire State as a filming location. Since 2004, 1,336 film and television projects have participated in the program and are estimated to have generated more than one million new hires and $20 billion in new spending in New York State. In 2015 alone, a record 203 film and television projects applied for the program, estimated to generate 187,764 new hires and $3.05 billion in new spending statewide.
Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky said, “We are very excited to have a major film like Marshall choosing a world-class city like Buffalo. The State’s Film Tax Production Credit coupled with the incredible attributes of New York State make for an unbeatable duo.”
Paula Wagner, Owner of Chestnut Ridge Productions and producer of Marshall said, “Reginald Hudlin, our director, and I look forward to filming Marshall in Buffalo. Its iconic architecture and environment lend themselves perfectly to recreate a time and place to tell this story best. The State’s production tax credit program was also a prominent factor while we were choosing where to film, and it made Upstate New York an even more attractive place to shoot. We look forward to working with the community of Buffalo and New York State as we prepare to begin filming the production of Marshall in this great city.”
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said, “Thurgood Marshall was one of our nation’s greatest legal minds and the choice to film the Thurgood Marshall biopic, Marshall, in Buffalo, New York is a tremendous honor. It is also another great opportunity to bring the eyes of the nation on the transformation taking place in Buffalo as we continue to build on the work we’ve been doing with Governor Andrew Cuomo to support growing industries, including Buffalo’s emerging Film industry, which generates millions of dollars to the local economy. We are demonstrating that Buffalo is a great place to film a movie and we will continue to work hard to bring even more productions to our city, which will create good jobs and drive more economic growth.”
Buffalo has emerged as a popular film destination as a result of provisions championed by Governor Cuomo, designed to drive more productions to locations in Upstate New York, like Buffalo, by offering an additional 10 percent credit on qualified labor costs for films that shoot or do post production in most Upstate counties. Buffalo has attracted a variety of productions in recent years, including smaller independent films and major motion pictures, with films like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 shooting in the city last year, generating jobs and millions of dollars for the local economy. When coming to a city like Buffalo, productions such as Marshall and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 generate a significant boost for many local businesses; in particular, downtown hotels, restaurants, vehicle and equipment rental companies, and other service industry businesses.
Marshall focuses on a case early in the career of the man who would later help to desegregate the nation’s public schools with his victory in Brown vs Board of Education, and then become the first African American Supreme Court Justice in United States history. While the country was on the verge of World War II in 1940, Marshall is sent by a nearly bankrupt NAACP to Connecticut to defend a black chauffeur against his wealthy socialite employer in a sexual assault and attempted murder trial that quickly became tabloid fodder. In need of a high profile victory but muzzled by a segregationist court, Marshall is partnered with Samuel Friedman, a young Jewish lawyer who had never tried a case like this before. Marshall and Friedman struggle against a hostile storm of fear and prejudice, driven to discover the truth in the sensationalized trial which helped set the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement to come.
Reginald Hudlin, who produced this year’s Academy Awards and the critically acclaimed Django Unchained, will direct Marshall. The film will star Chadwick Boseman, whose credits include recently playing two African American icons – Jackie Robinson in 42 and James Brown in Get On Up – as well as Josh Gad, who has starred in comedic films and also provided the voice for Olaf in the worldwide box-office hit Frozen.
Marshall is produced by Paula Wagner (Mission Impossible 1, 2 and 3), Jonathan Sanger and Reginald Hudlin, and line producer Chris Bongirne, who has interfaced with representatives from the City of Buffalo and the New York State Governor’s Office for Motion Picture and Television Development. The film is written by Mike Koskoff and Jake Koskoff.
BUFFALO, NY– Another Hollywood film crew is in Western New York to shoot a movie.
The biopic on the life of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Supreme Court Justice, is a courtroom thriller that focuses on his early career as a lawyer.
The movie will be directed Reginald Hudlin, who produced Django Unchained. The film will star Chadwick Boseman and Josh Gad.
Why was Buffalo chosen for this movie? Buffalo Niagara Film Commission representative Tim Clark says tax incentives and Buffalo’s architecture were the main reasons. “They saw all the old architecture here and that coupled with the great tax incentive that’s here in upstate New York, helped move a lot of movies this way and this one in particular.”
The movie shoot will start at the end of May and go through June. The majority of the scenes will be shot in Niagara Square at the Dillon Courthouse.
The production company is expected to hire 400 crew members and movie extras and spend more than $4 million in WNY during the production of the film. Details about casting calls will come at a later date.
The film crew is looking for period homes from the 1930’s-1940’s, as well as vehicles from those decades. If you are interested in participating in the film, you can contact the Buffalo Niagara Film Commission.
Producers for the movie Marshall, which will be shot in Buffalo, are putting out a casting call for extras.
The biopic will be on the life of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Supreme Court Justice, is a courtroom thriller that focuses on his early career as a lawyer. The movie will be directed Reginald Hudlin, who produced Django Unchained. The film will star Chadwick Boseman and Josh Gad.
The movie will be set in the 1940’s, and tentative dates for shooting in Buffalo will be May 24-June 25.
The extra roles are paid and SAG/AFTRA is accepted.
If you are interested, you will need to submit the following to: [email protected]
Whew, the Oscars are finally over, I’m almost recovered so I wanted to document some of the high points with articles and pictures I was too busy to post while it was all happening.
All photos either by me or the Andrew Cooper.
The big board. This is the show. Each strip of paper is a moment, divided into 14 acts. We’ve sweated over this thing for months. Then it turned to paper, then actual events broadcast worldwide.
Me with AMPAS president Cheryl Boone Isaacs at the Sci-Tech Awards.
It’s a parking space at the Dolby Theater, where the Oscars are held. It’s not a big deal. But these little things make it very real to me.
Reserved parking at Capitol Studios where we worked with Sam Smith, Dave Grohl and Lady Gaga on their Oscar performances.
Me, Byron Phillips and composer Danny Elfman.
Now we’re in the final rehearsals.
The beautiful Oscar stage. We changed the look for every act, and every award.
Chris Rock gives my son Alexander valuable advice.
My son got chilly so I gave him my coat.
AMPAS CEO Dawn Hudson, ABC Ben Sherwood, Chris Rock and I have a good time.
Rock and I work it out.
Meanwhile my daughter Helena plays on my phone.
She preps her Oscar speech while her mother Chrisette looks on.
The custom made floor for the Oscars. The detail is incredible.
We brought the band back from performing down the street at Capitol Records to back in the pit of the Dolby Theater.
The day before the show, the producers meet with all the presenters, fine tune their introductions, and rehearse on stage. JJ Abrams leaves us laughing. He has an amazing wit.
Quincy Jones was the first black producer of the Oscars. There were protests by Jesse Jackson the year he did the show. The more things change….
Whoopi was a staunch supporter of the show despite calls for the boycott. She hosted the show the year Quincy produced it.
Pharrell and Quincy rehearse on stage.
Security passes for special guests.
Security on the approach to the Oscars is air tight.
But they are still nice to mom as she approaches in the limo.
The Hudlin family on the Red Carpet. Success is nothing without someone you love to share it with.
Hanging with the family right before showtime.
Chris Rock – Oscar’s Monologue 2016 (Eng Subs)
Louis CK Gives Hilarious Intro To Short Doc Filmmakers
Shot of my daughter Helena discussing the show with my wife Chrisette.
All the way to the far right, there’s my daughter, and a helpful viewer is pointing out my son Alexander.
The bear from Revenant waits for his time to shine.
I don’t know how they nabbed this shot of me moving through the crowd between acts, but I guess it was in the show.
While the show was going on, power couple Steve and Candace McKeever hosted an Oscar viewing party with a lot of our friends. So nice!
