By Jan Wahl–
Debbie Reynolds would practically go door to door in West Los Angeles hoping to raise money for her Hollywood Museum. I remember as a little girl feeling sorry for her—the Unsinkable Molly Brown seemed to be missing her dream of raising enough money to house her fabulous collection of classic film costumes and props. There was a minor celebration of classic Hollywood with the Hollywood Wax Museum, and Max Factor gave us a glimpse into his makeup magic in his building. But for as long as I can remember, we have always needed one, extravagant, important Hollywood museum, as fabulous as classic Hollywood itself.
Let’s raise the curtain on the Academy Museum, opening at the end of September 2021, to the public, at the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax. For those of us who remember, it’s the May Company building, and they have thankfully kept its gorgeous Art Deco façade. Everything else is new.
Speaking with Exhibitions Curator Jenny He for the San Francisco Bay Times had me so excited I was forgetting to breathe!
Jenny He comes to this exciting job with important credentials: she organized a Tim Burton exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art and also curated exhibitions on Kathryn Bigelow, Lillian Gish, the Coen Brothers, great film posters, and Pixar (Pixar: 20 Years of Animation). She has served as the Programming Director for the South Asian International Film Festival and on various international film juries. She earned degrees in film and environmental studies from Wesleyan. She is as impressive as you can get, but chatting away, we are just two total movie fans, like so many of you.
“We are going everywhere in the world of film, from cinematographers to costumes, writers to sound and everything possible,” Jenny tells me. “We are celebrating every aspect of film, from history to contemporary. Let’s just take the small example of costumes. We just put in Jeff Bridges’ bathrobe from The Big Lebowski and have beautifully displayed Jane’s and Marilyn’s outfits from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”
She adds, “There’s film-worn red slippers from Oz and other iconic fashion. Special events include coloring costumes with Oscar-winning designer Ruth E. Carter, Black Cinema 1898–1971, and a retrospective on Hayao Miyazaki. Seeing scripts, props, and costumes from all angles and their backstories adds to the appreciation of detail and art.”
One can hear Jenny’s passion as she talks about the installation on Pedro Almodóvar. The renowned director’s own specifically edited film segments and intimate information about his perspective on filmmaking, sexuality, gender bending, and more will immerse visitors entirely in his films and themes.
The galleries will be rotated every twelve months, and I am rooting for Busby Berkeley, George Cukor, Hugh Jackman and Bette Davis immersions. These immersive exhibitions are powerful, as the gorgeous Immersive Van Gogh in the Bay Area shows us.
Of course, Jenny and I would not be film fanatics if we didn’t dish our favorites. She loves screwball comedy, with some of her favorites being the brilliant Ball of Fire and the films of Ernst Lubitsch. I weighed in with Capra’s You Can’t Take It with You.
Regarding current cinema, we raved about Nomadland; both of us loving its brave use of cinematic simplicity.
I know we could have spoken for days, but that will wait until she shows me around this exciting world. And the giftshop, you ask? She says, “Expansive!” There will also be a restaurant so we can relax between exhibitions, information overload, overwhelming visuals, and tours.
I am filled with an attitude of gratitude that this dream is finally a reality. Thank you to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and to hard workers like Jenny who are the wind beneath its wings.
https://www.academymuseum.org/en/
Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian, film critic on various broadcast outlets, and has her own YouTube channel series, “Jan Wahl Showbiz.” She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community. Contact her at www.janwahl.com
Published on May 6, 2021
Recent Comments