The San Francisco Examiner from San Francisco, California • 110

Page 4 Scene May 22, 1983 S.F. Sunday Examiner Chronicle I The Arts The fabulous showman who got what he wanted, including Liz By John Stark Examiner movie critic MARCH 23, 19(58, a small plane called The ii i Lucky Liz" (named af ter Elizabeth Taylor), crashed outside Grants, N.M.. killing all four ft 5 The 1057 Oscars when Mike Todd with Elizabeth Taylor celebrated his award with another winner, Yul Brynner Todd, whose real name was Avram Goldbogen, became i successful Broadway producer before be went to Hollywood In the mid-19408 (one of his New York shows was The Hi Mikado," an all-black, Jazz version of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta). He pioneered Cinerama and Todd AO wkiescreen. As a producer, he's most famous for the 3-hour, star-studded, multi-million dollar spectacle, "Around the World In 80 Days," which Hollywood voted "Best Picture of 1956." That was the picture which Initiated "cameo roles." "Dad coined the phrase, meaning a small, gem-like portrait," Todd said.

Todd Sr. certainly knew how to package and sell a play or movie. Everything was an event "He was the complete showman from start to finish," Todd said. "I mean, Dad went so far as to put a no-popcorn clause for theaters that showed Todd AO. He wanted people to know they were going to see a special event not Just a movie.

He wanted to make it more like going to the theater. "My father never took no for an answer," Todd said. "He never accept ed defeat He could always turn a loss into a profit If not financially, in his own head. He'd store the experience up for the next go-round. Dad had the power of positive thinking, before Norman Vincent Peale, Dale Carnegie, est and all those kooky California groups.

"He used to have a saying: If 10 people tell you you're drunk, go home and lie down even if you've never had a He'd say that to other people, but it'd take 100 people, no, make that 110 people, to convince him to go home and lie down." ExannrSlv Emit "Every woman he fell in love with rated him the number one man in their lives," Todd said. The secret of his appeal isn't complicated. He was a total take-charge person. What could be more wonderful than having somebody make all the decisions, who has a tremendous sense of humor and who goes first class all the way? He occupied your whole Ufa He was like being on the world's greatest guided 'tour." Todd's courtship of Taylor was about as subtle as a caveman's club. At the time, she was separated from Michael Wilding and had another boyfriend.

Although Todd knew Taylor only casually, be was determined to marry her. She was sitting In an office at MGM when he stormed in, dragged her Into a deserted office, told her he couldnt live without her and that they were getting married. And they did. What did they see in each other? This is an inappropriate phrase, but Liz is a real go-go-go girl," Todd said. "She loves action.

She loves to go out, have fun, and she can hold her own. Marrying Liz was dad's best Joke. Lots of guys want to grow up and become president of the country. Dad wanted to marry the most desirable woman of the age." Not Just Taylor's nylons hung in the bathroom. Todd other famous stepmother was Blondell.

According to celebrity biographer George Eels, the two nicest Holly- passengers, the most famous being its owner, showman Mike Todd. In his 50 years on earth, Todd had achieved some fantastic goals, Including an Oscar for Best Picture and a wife every man in the world wanted Nine months before he died, Todd told his son, Mike "to hold on to the story of my life. It's going to be a valuable property." That story is now a book called just that "Valuable Property." It's Mike Todd memories of his charismatic, ambitious, often broke, often wealthy father, who died at the peak of his life, on his way from Hollywood to New. York to accept an award as "Showman of the Year" from the National Association of Theater Owners. Todd who was in town promoting his book, is the product of his father's first marriage, to the late Bertha Freshman.

Unlike Christina Crawford's or Gary Crosby's remembrances of horrors past, Todd book is a warm, loving tribute to a famous parent: "He was the most outstanding father imaginable," Todd said. "I have eight kids of my own, and I would consider myself the world's greatest wood performers he ever met were Vera Ellen and Blondell. I mentioned that to Todd: "He certainly wont get an argument from me," he said. Todd and Blondell remained friends up until her recent death. Unfortunately, Todd Sr.

treated Blondell terribly. "Dad always said timing was everything in life. Joan married him when he was going through a bad time. She had to support us for a year and a half, which was a terrible blow to his pride. He was unable to blame himself, cut down his excesses or trim his sails.

He took it all out on Joan. He knew perfectly well his picking on her was totally irrational and unjustified. He said he couldn't control himself. His rages came from the blue, like: Why did you serve turkey to night?" I asked Todd if he feels he's had a charmed life, being around so many famous names. He thought for a moment, grinned and said: "Hey, you know, Eric Preminger (Otto's son) and his wife came to visit me in Ireland.

We got in a long debate, almost an argument, over lunch, as to whether my father and his mother, Gypsy Rose Lee, ever slept together. I was maintaining that they didn't He said they did. The poor girl who was serving us her head was spinning." Todd Sr. was the ultimate streetwise hustler. Born and reared in Minneapolis, the son of a rabbi, he was able to promote anything, and did, including charging admission to his friends for seeing his removed tonsils.

Mike Todd Jr. hat fond memories of his father success if I could be two-thirds the father that he was. You can give your kids time and money. But there's nothing better than letting them know, without saying it, that you think they're the most important thing in the world. That's the ultimate gift, and that's what my old man gave to me." According to Todd, who lives in Ireland with his second wife living life in the slow lane, and loving it, courtesy of my Todd Sr.

could charm the birds off a utility pole. Women found him irresistible, including Joan Blondell, who was his second wife, and Evelyn Keyes, with whom he lived for three years. Richard Pontzious 4- Music for the summer TOOK a long time, but it looks as though the rains are finally behind us and we can begin to make plans for the summer. vVarm days, cool nights, pops concerts, Bach in O. a musical potpourri at the Cabrillo Music Festival, opera and bluegrass in foggy Stern are up and down, but the open-air setting, with lights of Los Alamos twinkling in the distance, is magnificent THE MIDWEST The Chicago Symphony's Ravinia Festival concerts in Highland Park dominate the cultural scene in this part of the country.

From June 24Sept 11, the series features an array of guest conductors and artists, as well as concerts played by the Cleveland and St Paul Chamber Orchestras. James Levine, in his 11th season as Ravinia's music director, leads an impressive roster of artists who will perform in this Chicago suberb during the summer. July 19-Aug. 13, the city of Minneapolis turns itself into a mini-Vienna with concerts indoors and out by the Minnesota Orchestra and an assortment of guests. Not only does the Viennese Sommerf est offer music, there's also a European marketplace downtown, where you can get beer, bratwurst wine and Viennese pastry.

THE EAST It would be impossible to list all of the musical events that take place on the East Coast every summer. Well limit our recommendations to three this yean Wolf Trap, Tanglewood and the Marlboro Music Festival in Marlboro, Vt Now in its 33rd year, the Marlboro Festival July 9-Aug. 14, attracts some of the finest chamber musicians in the world and the cream of America's instrumental and vocal talent They meet and play whatever seems approproiate at the time At the end of the week they decide what they'll play in concert Programs take place every weekend. Repertoire is not announced in advance. Tanglewood, an estate near Lenox, Mass, is the summer home of the Boston Symphony.

From June 30-Aug. 23, there are weekend concerts in an open-air shed, and weekday programs played by student groups and guest artists in a smaller open-air building on the opposite side of the estate. This is probably the most famous American festival, and it draws an impressive roster of guest artists and conductors, including Seiji Ozawa, Leonard Bernstein and Andre Previn. If you're headed for Washington D.C., don't miss a stop at Wolf Trap in Vienna, where a natural park setting provides the summer home for a variety of different artists and attractions, from the Cleveland Orchestra to Harry Belafonte and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Highlights of the Wolf Trap season, June 28-Aug.

23, are expected to be a production of Virgil Thomson's opera, The Mother of Us All," and appearances by soloists of the Royal Danish Ballet For complete details on events listed here, write to the festival in question, co the city and state where it's held. Coos Bay and North Bend therell be orchestral programs, chamber concerts, jazz Jam sessions and band music. Seattle has been home for Wagner's "Ring" for many seasons. Now the city has a companion event the Seattle Chamber Music Festival, beginning June 27 and continuing through July 15, with concerts In the 350-seat St Nicholas Hall on the Lakeside School campus. Soloists include Myra Kestenbaum, Elmar Oliviera, Paul Rosenthal David Shifrin and Ransom Wilson.

The varied repertoire tends to be on the conservative side. At the Opera House, the "Ring" will be done in German July 23-28. After a couple of days off, the singers return for the English version Aug. 1-6. The most important festival in the West takes place in Aspen, where professional musicians and students gather every year to study, perform and climb the beautiful 12,000 and high mountains that ring the town.

Concerts begin June 24 and continue through Aug. 21. Programming runs the gamut but there's a tendency to feature new music and neglected pieces by popular composers. This year's composers-in-residence are Jacob Druckman and Peter Mennin. Conductors who'll lead the festival's three or four orchestras include Sergiu Comissiona, John Nelson and Leonard Slatkin.

The summer schedule includes chamber music, recital and orchestra programs. Most concerts are played in a huge tent erected for the festival just two blocks off Main Street A free shuttle bus will take you there from anywhere in the town, or you can walk along tree-lined streets and enjoy colorfully painted Victorian homes. One of the hairiest plane rides you'll ever want to take will get you from Aspen to Sante Fe, via Denver, in a couple of hours. Once you've gone through the inevitable thunderclouds that keep you on the edge of your seat, you're ready for Sante Fe's Opera and Chamber Music Festivals. Now in its 11th season, the Chamber Festival continues to expand its popular events.

In addition to the Sunday and Monday concerts, there are now a Mozart-plus series, a Baroque series and special programs celebrating Brahms' 150th birthday. All concerts take place in the town's adobe museum. Concerts are generally first-rate. Plan in advance. Though the series runs July 10-Aug.

15, tickets are hard to find. Tickets for the opera are also much in demand. On the schedule this year are "Orpheus in the Underworld," "Don Pasquale," "Arabella," The Turn of the Screw" and "L'Orione." Performances begin July 1 and continue through Aug. 27. On hand to conduct will be Edo de Waart, Raymond Leppard and John Crosby.

Performances Philharmonics, the festival features Baker and Jean-Pierre RampaL Concerts are at the Hidden Valley Theater. The Cabrillo Music Festival will celebrate its 21st season Aug. 19-29 with concerts spread out over the Santa Cruz-Aptos area. The year's featured composer is Hans Werner Henze, whose community opera, "Pollicino, or the New Adventures of Tom Thumb," will be premiered at the festival. Popular conductor Dennis Russell Davies will be back for his ninth Cabrillo season.

Nevada City calls its lOday festival "Music in the Mountains." There are 14 concerts on this year's schedule, which runs from June 24July 3. Conductor Paul Perry will lead the festival's 40-piece orchestra and 100-voice choir in concerts paying homage to the memory of Johannes Brahms. North and East of us, residents of Alpine County open the tiny town of Bear Valley for a few days, July 30-Aug. 14, to host Music from Bear Valley. Featured guest Paul Badura-Skoda will be Joined by violinist Sergiu Luca, the Lake Tahoe Choir, the Theater Ballet of San Francisco and the Festival Orchestra under the direction of John Gosling.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Moving further south, the college community of San Luis Obispo will once again host its annual Mozart Festival Running Aug. 1-7, with concerts in several town locations, this year's festival will feature pianist Richard Goode, the Sequoia String Quartet Chanticleer and the New World String Quartet Among the summer's annual favorites are candelight concerts in Mission San Miguel and Mission San Luis Obispo. Ojai may not be the arts capital of the world, but the desert community has its own modest summer festival From June 35 you can hear Ravi Shankar, Brenda Boozer, the Kronos Quartet and the Musicians of Swanne Alley. The Hollywood Bowl is a favorite retreat for Los Angeles residents during the summer. Concerts at the Bowl feature the Los Angeles Philharmonic and an impressive array of guests conductors and soloists.

On the roster July 4Sept 17 are Michael Tilson Thomas, Andre Watts, Sarah Vaughan, Erich Leinsdorf Itzhak Perlman, Rosemary Clooney, Isaac Stern and John Williams, among many. Reserve a box, pack a dinner and get to the Bowl early. Eating is as much a part of the event as the concerts. Many Angelenos do it in grand style, bringing servants and using fine silver and Waterf ord crystal. THROUGHOUT THE WEST The folks in Eugene, Ore are enjoying the new Hult Center for the Performing Arts, and now they're inviting the world to enjoy it during the summer's Oregon Bach Festival June 20July 3.

Major choral concerts will include performances of Bach's minor Mass, the Magnificat and several cantatas. Artistic director Helmuth Rilling draws his performers from orchestras and college music departments around the country. The Oregon Coast Music Festival (formerly the Haydn Festival) doesn't attract the biggest names in music, but its programming variety is worthy of note. From July 18-24 in Grove, a glass of wine and bit a of Beethoven at the Paul Masson Winery, and for those lucky enough to get out of town, a country bursting at the seams with music festivals. The performances don't always meet the standards you can get back home, but surrounded by tall redwoods, graceful aspens, the quiet of a Southwestern desert or the estates of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville, quality becomes less important than it might be otherwise.

For those who haven't made plans for the summer, here's a brief rundown of what's going on around the country. If it's too late for this year, save the schedule for next summer. While artists and programs change, dates and festival philosophies tend to stay the same. FESTIVALS CLOSE TO HOME San Francisco has its own Summer Festival, of course. The opera offers "Das Rheingold," "Die Walkuere," "La Boheme," "Cosi fan tutte" and "Carmen" May 27-July a At Davies Hall, Kurt Masur conducts the San Francisco Symphony's Beethoven series, June lWuly 2.

The orchestra moves to the Civic Auditorium July 20 for the first of its annual Pops Concerts, which continue through Aug. 5. Two hours south of us, Sandor Salgo and his Bach Festival forces return to Carmel's Sunset Theater. For the first time in 46 years, the festival will run a full three weeks, July 11-31. Highlights of the season are likely to be performances of Bach's Passion According to St John and Mozart's "Cosi fan tutte." Just a week before the Bach Festival begins, flutist Julius Baker hosts the Hidden Valley Masters Festival of Chamber Music in Carmel Valley, July 6-10.

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