| Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of and is pleased to | | | | disappointing house--at least for a celebrity of his |
| have as our guest, author William A.Gordon.William | | | | magnitude--belongs to Jack Nicholson. He has a |
| has authored: The Ultimate Hollywood Tour Book: | | | | very modest ranch house, although he does own |
| Shot On This Site: Four Dead In Ohio: and The | | | | other homes for his children and exes.Norm:If you |
| Quotable Writer.Good day William and thank you | | | | were to choose 5 Hollywood venues for a |
| for agreeing to participate in our interview.William: I | | | | wedding, provided the venue was available to |
| am very happy to do it.Norm:Could you tell us | | | | rent, which ones would you choose and |
| about yourself, and when did your passion for | | | | why?William:* If you are into castles, there is a |
| writing begin? What kept you going?William:I | | | | castle known as the Friedman castle on Hollyridge |
| started writing when I was eight and was pretty | | | | Drive in the Hollywood Hills. It is sometimes been |
| prolific in my pre-teen years. I used to study the | | | | rented out for weddings, as is the "Dynasty" |
| "Hardy Boys" novels and then wrote a couple of | | | | house in Pasadena. It's also rented out for |
| my own. I was a big TV fan, and not only wrote | | | | corporate parties and been in quite a few |
| mock-up scripts, but used to plan what were then | | | | movies.* There are also a few hotels, including the |
| 39-week seasons with plotlines and everything.I | | | | Bel-Air Hotel, which has a storybook quality to it, |
| guess I was an aspiring producer in my | | | | and both of the Ritz-Carltons in Pasadena and |
| teeny-bopper years. I gave up writing for a | | | | Marina del Rey.Norm:How have you used the |
| number of years, and then returned to it in | | | | Internet to boost your writing career?William:The |
| college, where I wrote for the UCLA Daily Bruin. I | | | | Internet really helps my publishing career as |
| subsequently transferred to Kent State and | | | | opposed to my writing career. The publishing |
| wrote my first book on the 1970 shootings and | | | | listservs I belong to give me some visibility and I |
| trials. It took me almost eight years to write the | | | | do like giving advice to writers who are in the |
| book, and another nine to get it published, but | | | | same boat I was in. I hate to see people make |
| after that things fell into place, and I wrote three | | | | the same mistakes I did when I first started |
| more books.Norm:Two of the books you | | | | out.Norm:Why are people so interested in visiting |
| authored are The Ultimate Hollywood Tour Book | | | | celebrity homes, and why do they want to see |
| and Shot On Site. Why were you interested in | | | | where films have been shot?William:People are |
| writing these books? Can you explain some of | | | | fascinated--in fact, probably a little too |
| your research techniques, and how you found | | | | fascinated--with celebrities and their lifestyles. |
| sources for your books?William:I wrote these | | | | Looking at homes owned by celebrities is probably |
| books after Four Dead in Ohio was published in | | | | no different than visiting presidential homes or |
| 1990. I needed to do something radically different, | | | | libraries. It's the closest most people ever get to |
| and more appealing to the general public. And | | | | power, and being a celebrity is a form of |
| since I always loved driving around L.A. (L.A. is my | | | | power.As for the movies, I always get a kick out |
| Paris), I wrote the tour book almost on a lark. | | | | of seeing places I've lived near, being featured on |
| That one that jump-started my career, and Shot | | | | the silver screen. And so do a lot of people. |
| on This Site was essentially a spin-off book. It | | | | However, if you visit some of the sites after the |
| covered movie locations throughout the United | | | | fact and see them close-up, you can come away |
| States, whereas the Hollywood book pointed | | | | disappointed. The big screen does wonders for |
| tourists toward movie and TV sites in L.A., among | | | | conventional homes.Norm:Could you indicate to our |
| other attractions.Having a background in | | | | readers 5 venues such as hotels, parks, etc |
| investigative journalism prepared me to segue into | | | | where celebrities have been married and who |
| investigative sightseeing. I'd interview real estate | | | | were these celebrities?William:The better known |
| agents and Hollywood historians to find out who | | | | celebrities tend not to get married in houses of |
| lived where when; and browse through celebrity | | | | worship |
| biographies to get more background information | | | | anymore--at least not in Los Angeles itself. They |
| on the stars and their homes.I'd also go to the | | | | seem to be getting married more and more at |
| county assessor to confirm property records, and | | | | large private homes (Jennifer Lopez and Britney |
| the L.A. permit office to find records of who was | | | | Spears are two recent example), and I think the |
| permitted to film where in L.A. Plus I had friends in | | | | reason for that is to protect their privacy. The |
| the entertainment industry who would take me to | | | | Bel-Air Hotel is a popular venue for those who are |
| some of the places tourists never found out. My | | | | on the "B" list, as is the Beverly Hills Hotel . . |
| favorites include some of the sites that inspired | | | | .Norm:Do you recommend other writers find a |
| songs and the so-called "Flying Saucer" house in | | | | niche or specialty? What have been the rewards |
| the Hollywood Hills.Norm:What celebrity owns the | | | | for you?William:Yes, and I think not having a niche |
| largest house in L.A.? The most expensive: The | | | | has not helped my career. My tastes are too |
| most disappointing?William:* The largest house is | | | | eclectic, and that is not necessarily a good |
| owned by Aaron Spelling, the producer who | | | | thing.Norm;What is next for William A. Gordon and |
| brought is "Charlie's Angels," "Dynasty," "Melrose | | | | is there anything else you wish to add to our |
| Place," and lots of schlock. He bought the old Bing | | | | interview.William:At the moment I am in between |
| Crosby estate for $10 million, tore it down, and | | | | books, but I still sell my "Ultimate Hollywood Tour |
| then built a 123-room, 56,000-square-foot, $40 | | | | Book" year in and year out, and I am happy that |
| million mansion on the site. It's larger than the Taj | | | | "Four Dead in Ohio" has been adopted in a number |
| Mahal or roughly 31 times the size of the average | | | | of college courses. Right now I am selling |
| American home.* He does not own the most | | | | databases to publishers and publicists and looking |
| expensive house in L.A., though. That distinction | | | | for my next project.Norm:What is your web |
| belongs to David Geffen, one of the founders of | | | | site?William: |
| DreamWorks. He bought the old Jack Warner | | | | * and good luck with all of your future |
| estate for $47.5 million. Ironically, he spends most | | | | endeavors.Norm Goldman is the Editor of the |
| of his time at his beach house in Malibu, where he | | | | travel site, and the book reviewing site, is also a |
| just lost a fight with environmental activists who | | | | travel writer and together with his artist wife, Lily, |
| had to sue him to live up to an agreement | | | | they meld words with art focusing on romantic |
| whereby he would allow beachgoers access to | | | | and wedding destinations. |
| the public beach next to his house.* The most | | | | |