From: "Ric Carter" To: "Shannon Starr" References: <01C2CCF2.3FDB8C20@tmknws14.pe.com> Subject: Re: Desert History Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 23:18:59 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 Hello Shannon: Here are some tidbits: 1) In the quasi-biography A KISS FOR THE DESERT by Betty J. Stoller [see http://sonic.net/~ric/hofc/other/other.htm#k4d ] on page 61 is: "... by now [late 1946 or early 1947] ... Harry was busy mapping out an entrance for the Indio National Date Festival and designing California's most unique outdoor theatre on the fairgrounds, where nearly one-hundred perform each year, dressed in native Arab costumes." On page 62 is Ms. Stoller's sketch of "The Arabian Night's Stage", which I unfortunately can't transmit right now - scanner problems. And it's a pretty awful sketch anyway. In my links section [ http://sonic.net/~ric/hofc/harry.htm#hoal ] is a link to the Quality Inn (760-347-4044) in Indio [see this page, click on MORE: http://www.hotelchoice.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfo?hotel=CA449 ] which claims to feature: "Nightly musical tales of Arabian Nights on the Harry Oliver-designed Aladdin stage." These are the only references I can uncover about Harry designing any "Arabian Nights" stuff around Indio. 2) The best photos of Harry I know of online (neither is very good) are: postcard with Lena [ http://sonic.net/~ric/hofc/other/pc1.jpg ] and with Jane Russell and Bob Hope [ http://sonic.net/~ric/hofc/other/jhb.htm ] Both of these images were emailed to me - I don't have the originals. Your own paper has printed pieces on Harry before (see #3 below), so something may be on file wherever old Enterprise photos are stored. Ms. Stoller says that Harry had a column in Desert Magazine from 1959 to 1962. I haven't seen those issues, but there *may* be a photo of him there. Or maybe not. Ms. Stoller also says that Harry published in Coronet, National Geographic, New Mexico, Pageant, Westways and Frontier Times magazines, but doesn't say when. Do any of THOSE have photos of him? Damn if I know... Other possible sources of images, according to Ms. Stoller: [page 195] "On May 26 [1968 or 1969] Harry turned on the TV and watched his life story entitled; 'Raisen Wine', [sic] an award-winning film on channel 4, produced by the cinema students at Loyola University." For more on RAISIN WINE, a filmed monologue of Harry reminiscing, see the page [ http://www.pitt.edu/~ciddeweb/INSTRUCTIONAL-MEDIA/FILM/RA-RZ.htm - scroll down]. This catalog entry mistakenly claims he won Oscars. Does KNBC (channel 4) in Los Angeles have a copy? Yeah, right... Archives of Harry Oliver material *may* exist at College of the Desert in Palm Desert (contact the library) and "Orangerie Press at Cal State Fullerton Library." And in the late 1950s, Harry broadcast daily from KDES, Palm Springs [see http://www.kdes.com/ ]. Photos there? Hah. 3) A long profile of Harry -- KING OF THE DESERT RATS by Greenfield Lawrel from the Palm Springs Villager (1957) was printed in Harry's 1962 self-praise issue [ http://sonic.net/~ric/hofc/drsb/t112.htm#p4 ] (any typos here are probably my own). The profile gives a pretty nice depiction, probably just what Harry wanted the world to see of him, but of course leaves out many details. Tracking down those details is a greater biographical task than I wish to undertake. On the previous page [ http://sonic.net/~ric/hofc/drsb/t112.htm#p3 ] are some shorter profiles by Bob Hirt (Riverside Enterprise, 1955?) and Bob Zimmerman (also Riverside Enterprise, year?) and Alfred Jacoby (San Diego Union, 9 October 1960). 4) In Hollywood Links [ http://sonic.net/~ric/hofc/other/holly.htm#linx ] I have the following items: Citations of his Oscar nominations can be found here (scroll down) - 1928: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0147914.html 1929: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0147930.html The nominations in each year were for work in the prior year. Harry Oliver has a page in the Internet Movie Database - IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/Name?Oliver,+Harry I don't think this is a *complete* list of his credits - he apparently worked in the 'teens under various names. I've seen reports that he "influenced the German expressionists" and/or "did the 1925 Ben-Hur sets" and other apocrypha. Somewhen in my copious free time (HAH!), maybe this summer, I'll try to track down more on his film work, put up some web pages of sets he designed, that sort of thing. But that does YOU no good just now. I hope the above is of some help. Call if you wish. Yours, Ric Carter