Santa Monica Press – serie

A guide to noir films and their California settings, illustrating how the films use LA's diverse cityscape and architecture to convey a unique vision of urban corruption and existential fatalism. Dozens of noir and neo-noir films are featured, including classics such as Crimson Kimono, Double Indemnity, Kiss Me Deadly, Sunset Boulevard and Touch of Evil. Recent films like Mulholland Drive and Pulp Fiction have also made the list. More than 150 photographs, many of which appear for the first time, further illustrate the rich and constantly changing City of Angels.

Revised and Updated in January 2026!Containing walks and detailed maps from throughout the city, Secret Stairs highlights the charms and quirks of a unique feature of the Los Angeles landscape, and chronicles the geographical, architectural, and historical aspects of the city’s staircases, as well as of the neighborhoods in which the steps are located.From strolling through the classic La Loma neighborhood in Pasadena to walking the Sunset Junction Loop in Silver Lake, to taking the Beachwood Canyon hike through “Hollywoodland” to enjoying the magnificent ocean views from the Castellammare district in Pacific Palisades, Secret Stairs takes you on a tour of the staircases all across the City of Angels.The circular walks, rated for duration and difficulty, deliver tales of historic homes and their fascinating inhabitants, bits of unusual local trivia, and stories of the neighborhoods surrounding the stairs. That’s where William Faulkner was living when he wrote the screenplay for To Have and Have Not; that house was designed by Neutra; over there is a Schindler; that’s where Woody Guthrie lived, where Anais Nin died, and where Thelma Todd was murdered . . .Despite the fact that one of these staircases starred in an Oscar-winning short film—Laurel and Hardy’s The Music Box, from 1932—these civic treasures have been virtually unknown to most of the city’s residents and visitors. Now, Secret Stairs puts these hidden stairways back on the map, while introducing urban hikers to exciting new “trails” all around the city of Los Angeles.

A first-person account of sudden, unexpected tragedy and life-affirming courage, this remarkable tale of regeneration imparts lessons both medical and spiritual.

The first survey dedicated to the work of the McKimson brothers, I Say, I Say...Son!' offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the upper echelon of 20th century animation and examines the creative process behind the making of numerous popular characters and classic programs. This collection also explores the careers of three ground-breaking animators whose credits include Looney Tunes, Pink Panther, Mr Magoo. Beginning in the 1920s, this study traces the brothers' work together at Warner Brothers Cartoons in the following decades.'

A tale of teenage friendships set in 1970's suburban Los AngelesIn the haze of a hot San Fernando Valley summer in 1970’s Los Angeles, Douglas and his friends—Hank, Weddy, and Ronnie—struggle with their awkward teenage years during a confusing and highly permissive era. Weed and alcohol are regularly available, and most of the boys freely partake as they each navigate their own family dramas at home. Meanwhile, Douglas must also sort through the ups-and-downs of his relationship with his not-quite-girlfriend, Natalia.When not in the swimming pool trying to beat the intense Valley heat, Douglas and his friends spend their summer vacation taking the RTD into Westwood to see Jaws, watching the Fourth of July fireworks at Balboa Park, seeking thrills at Magic Mountain, checking out the head shop and the turquoise jewelry at The Sixth Chakra, eating hot dogs and facing Koufax in the batting cage at Flooky’s, and playing plenty of basketball. Ventura and Zelzah is a funny, poignant, and nostalgic coming-of-age tale of teenage friendships in a blissfully unhurried, pre-digital era.

Do You Have a Naughty Mind?Some readers of Mike McCoy's Earplug Erotica will simply see earplugs placed in a variety of domestic and outdoor settings.Others might see earplugs representing people of all genders and orientation engaged in a wide variety of bawdy activities!What do you see? Do you think these earplugs belong in Playboy magazine . . . or Audiology Today? What you see inside Earplug Erotica may say more about how you view the world than you care to admit! One thing is for certain: After browsing through Earplug Erotica, you will never see the humble earplug in quite the same way ever again.

Beautiful and spirited Daniela dreams of becoming a doctor while growing up in Yedinitz, Romania in 1940, but as a Jew, she is barred from higher education. Her mother, who is the dressmaker to a local countess, hires her a tutor, the rebellious and precocious Mihail. The two soon begin a passionate romance, unable to resist the powerful love and attraction they share. When the Nazis invade Romania, Daniela and Mihail’s lives are forever changed: Mihail escapes and joins the partisans; Daniela is captured and sent on the notorious Transnistrian Death March, where Jews are starved, murdered, and robbed. Daniela is brutally raped by Romanian soldiers, and trapped by their depravity, she watches helplessly as her people are destroyed.Daniela’s life is spared when her beauty catches the eye of a Romanian Iron Guard commander, Major Dragulescu, who forcibly takes her as his concubine and also sends her to nurse Romanian soldiers in the field hospital, where Daniela cannot help feeling pity at the suffering that surrounds her.One night Mihail appears with a troop of partisans on a mission to assassinate two key Nazis visiting the major. What happens next is both heroic and tragic, and results in Daniela’s escape with the partisans, who train her in sabotage and battle tactics. She throws herself into living on the run behind enemy lines, and transforms herself into an effective soldier and partisan leader until the war mercifully comes to an end. The Dressmaker’s Daughter is an unflinching look at the horrors inflicted by the Nazis upon the Romanian Jews during the Holocaust, and one brave young woman’s ability to rise above her suffering and escape to freedom.

From cell phone users in yoga classes to Zoom yoga participants sneaking wine and cheese off camera to those folks who just can't help peeking during meditation sessions, The Lighter Side of Yoga presents the humorous and offbeat aspects of yoga through Mike Nevitt’s satiric comics.The many true-to-life situations in the book are based on Nevitt's experiences and observations over a 30-year period as a full-time yoga and meditation teacher. Aside from providing good laughs, Nevitt aims to gently poke those teachers and students who might have a tendency to take themselves and the practice of yoga a little too seriously.Yoga and mindfulness practitioners will smile knowingly as they recognize the all-too-familiar scenarios which Nevitt skewers throughout the book. So settle into your favorite yoga pose and let The Lighter Side of Yoga get your chakras spinning!

Bingo!: Forty Years in the NBA is the memoir of legendary Los Angeles Clippers and sports broadcaster Ralph Lawler. Bingo! covers Lawler’s extraordinary life and career, from his childhood in Peoria, Illinois; through his time at Bradley University; to the beginning of his sports announcing career at the Riverside International Raceway; his years spent in Philadelphia with the Flyers, Phillies, and 76ers; his stint in San Diego with the Sails and the Chargers; and culminating in his 40-year career with the Clippers.Along the way, basketball and the NBA is the focus of the book, with Lawler’s observations and stories about players, coaches, and teams from the 1940s through his retirement at the close of the 2019 season forming the core of the narrative. Included among the myriad stories and reflections are his relationships with NBA legend Bill Walton, infamous Clippers owner Donald Sterling, Clippers GM and NBA great Elgin Baylor, and a variety of famous players, coaches, and fellow broadcasters from throughout the NBA.As Lawler used to memorably say from behind the microphone, “Fasten your seatbelts!” Bingo! is a fun-filled journey through professional basketball, with plenty of “Oh me, oh my!” moments, including the definitive answer to the burning question all NBA fans want to know: What are the origins of Lawler’s Law?

Steve Adelman’s humorous and engaging memoir reflects on his years as the director and owner of some of the world’s most popular nightclubs, including the Roxy, Limelight, Tunnel, and Palladium in the heyday of clubs in New York City during the 1980s and 1990s, followed by Avalon (Boston, Hollywood, NYC, and Singapore locations), and the New Daisy Theatre in Memphis. Nocturnal Admissions is a timely, unconventional look at one of pop culture’s most outwardly glamorous, yet misunderstood industries, bringing the reader backstage into the world of nightlife at its highest level.Wearing the multiple hats of ringmaster, entrepreneur, guidance counselor, multimillion-dollar dealmaker, and music soothsayer, Adelman chronicles an improbable journey from small town to big city, filled with a cast of characters he could never have imagined: People named Hedda Lettuce, Jenetalia, Maxi Min, and Jiggy, who collide with and around the likes of Jack Nicholson, Bruce Willis, Sir Richard Branson, Leonardo DiCaprio, RuPaul, Rudy Giuliani, and Snoop Dogg, among many, many others.Navigating city crackdowns, crazed partners, and cultural differences, Adelman relates how he watched his Nana out-dance an ex-NFL lineman, was chastised by Bob Dylan, launched the EDM cultural movement, helped created the “mash-up” with Perry Farrell, butted heads with Jerry Falwell, rang in the New Year with Matt Damon’s mother, leveraged porn star Jenna Jameson, relied on advice from felons, almost pancaked Prince, and built the world’s most lavish nightclub.Nocturnal Admissions is a hilarious, adrenaline-filled ride through the peak decades of the world's most famous nightclubs and nightlife scenes.

Author Chris Epting established a new genre in book publishing when a trio of titles in the early 2000s—James Dean Died Here: The Locations of America’s Pop Culture Landmarks, Elvis Presley Passed Here, and Marilyn Monroe Dyed Here—were released to critical acclaim and introduced readers to a groundbreaking travel concept: The pop culture road trip. Epting promptly followed these hugely popular and influential titles with two more legendary books: Led Zeppelin Crashed Here and Roadside Baseball.A Booksense 76 pick at the time, James Dean Died Here was covered by such major news outlets as NPR’s "All Things Considered," USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and Publishers Weekly. Everyone from Ken Burns to The Sporting News to the New York Post expressed their love for Roadside Baseball, while Led Zeppelin Crashed Here was recommended for all public libraries by Library Journal and outlets from the Associated Press to Newsday encouraged any fan of rock and roll history to buy the book.Now, in honor of the 20th anniversary of James Dean Died Here, Epting has produced It Happened Right Here: America’s Pop Culture Landmarks, which collects the best of the best from all of Epting’s prior books, and then adds dozens and dozens of new sites, many of them based on the pop culture of the 21st century.It Happened Right Here once again takes you on a journey across North America to the exact locations where the most significant events in American popular culture took place. It’s a road map for pop culture sites, from Patty Hearst’s bank to the garage where Apple Computer was born. Fully updated, the book includes such new entries as:• The locations featured in such television series as Stranger Things, Breaking Bad, and Curb Your Enthusiasm• Locations celebrating the legacy of legendary musician Prince• The dorm room where Facebook was created• The location of the opening freeway sequence from La La Land• The locations featured in the cult film Napoleon Dynamite• The Jay-Z, Beyonce, Solange elevator incident• The Jussie Smollett Subway sandwich shop location• Steve Bartman's seat location at Wrigley Field• and dozens and dozens of other new sites!Featuring hundreds of photographs, this fully illustrated, updated, and revised encyclopedic look at the locations of the most famous and infamous pop culture events includes the fascinating history of over a thousand landmarks—as well as their exact location. With up-to-date information for the sites included in Epting’s five original titles, plus dozens and dozens of new additions, It Happened Right Here is an amazing portrait of the bizarre, shocking, weird and wonderful moments that have come to define American popular culture.

The author of Ventura and Zelzah follows up that critically acclaimed debut novel with Ventura and Winnetka, a stand-alone work that furthers the adventures of Douglas and his friends as they come of age in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley in the late 1970s.As seniors in high school, the gang spends their final year before college practicing crazy car stunts, getting high, obsessing about girls, passionately listening to the great rock and roll of the ’60s and ’70s, arguing about the Dodgers and the Lakers, and partying at the prom in powder blue tuxedos.From a West Hollywood porn theater to a punk rock club in Chinatown to the site of the Manson murders, the Valley boys also begin to spread their wings as they explore the city of Los Angeles, located “just over the hill” from where they live.Like Ventura and Zelzah, the stand-alone Ventura and Winnetka is a funny, poignant, and nostalgic coming-of-age tale about the relationships of teenagers on the verge of adulthood. The re-creation of the Valley culture of the late 1970s is palpable and magical.

Inventing Paradise: The Power Brokers Who Created the Dream of Los Angeles traces the improbable rise of Los Angeles through the prism of six visionaries who had outsize influence on the city’s growth: Phineas Banning, Harrison Gray Otis, Henry Huntington, Harry Chandler, William Mulholland, and Moses Sherman.In the late 1870s, Los Angeles was a violent, dusty, 29-square-mile pueblo with a few thousand souls, largely unchanged since its founding in 1781. By 1930, its size had swelled to within 96% of its current 468 square miles, housing a staggering 1.2 million people. In just 50 years, L.A. had joined the ranks of other world-class cities.In the tradition of Mike Davis’s classic work City of Quartz, Paul Haddad (Freewaytopia and 10,000 Steps a Day in L.A.) debunks many myths about the City of Angels with a wildly entertaining narrative that sheds new light on the fascinating birth of modern Los Angeles. Power came from a select few, whose triumphs, scandals, and correspondence are well documented in Inventing Paradise, along with other little-known facts about L.A. history, including:How Los Angeles Times chief Harry Chandler pushed eugenics and endorsed “white spots”Henry Huntington’s and Moses Sherman’s trolley systems and the extortion-type practices that led to their expansionWhen Los Angeles was so desperate for water, it hired a miracle worker who promised rainHow L.A.’s power elite peddled the lie that the Owens River used to flow into Los Angeles and rightfully belonged to the cityWhen Los Angeles annexed a city in which monkeys cast votesHow Venice, California, was not the first Venice, CaliforniaWilliam Mulholland’s game-changing construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which raised the city’s population ceiling from 250,000 to 2.5 millionHaddad also covers the heavy costs that came with creating paradise in such a short period of time, including car dependency, environmental problems, and deep-seated inequities between wealthy white Angelenos and people of color due to racist policies. All have left an imprint on present-day Los Angeles.Los Angeles is a city that should not exist—and yet it does. Through Inventing Paradise, Haddad shows readers that Los Angeles is not a paradise found, but a paradise that was willed into existence, owing to the collective vision of these six Gilded Era-born tycoons.

The Book of Good Habits contains nearly 2,000 simple and creative ways to enrich your life. Dirk Mathison uses wit, humor, satire and a dash of cynicism to blend his own good habit recommendations with those of a diverse array of philosophers and fools, from Confucius and Abraham Lincoln to James Brown and Groucho Marx.The habits range from the practical (keep a pair of tennis shoes at the office so you can take a quick run or power walk during breaks) to the sublime (drink green tea from a blue cup) to the ridiculous (slap up—if you must slap, make it a habit to slap someone who makes more money and is more prominent than yourself).The Book of Good Habits includes habits for the mind, health, safety, sex, love, friendship and parenting. At the heart of Mathison's book is the belief that if we change our daily behavior, our lives will change as well. And that it is through our habits that we give life to our ideas and our ideals.So chew on a bit of parsley for clean breath, use candles even when there's no special occasion, and enrich your life with The Book of Good Habits.

A photo essay stemming from a unique project organised by a Californian schoolteacher. 2000 students from across the state were given digital cameras and a time limit of one month to document, in pictures and words, their day-to-day experiences. The students were able to communicate with each other on the Internet, sharing text, audio, photos and video. They were accompanied and advised by professional photographers, teachers, historians and community leaders but the images, thoughts, fears and hopes are theirs alone.

Spellbinding courtroom illustrations of the most celebrated and talked-about trials of the last 25 years, coupled with insider observations and case summaries. Sketches of OJ Simpson staring passively ahead while a projected image of his battered wife looms behind him and the parade of beautiful call girls present at the Heidi Fleiss trial are brought to life in 200 vividly coloured images. Courtroom commentary from the artist supplements the art from each trial, including highlights and lowlights, verdict summaries and reactions to the verdicts from trial participants.

A work of cinematic archaeology unearthing titbits of the history of Los Angeles and the early film industry hidden within Chaplin's timeless films. Combines movie images with archival photographs, vintage maps, contemporary photographs and scores of then-and-now comparison photos to conjure the silent movie era from an entirely new perspective. Includes not only Chaplin's classic films, but his lesser-known short movies and early work, highlighting both the genius of the man and the evolution of the city that provided the backdrop for his art.

The first book to come from the legendary comic strip Girls & Sports. Borus and Feinstein fearlessly tackle the issues most important to single people - dating, sports, relationships, the bar and club scene, working out, parties and holidays. They treat readers to an open, honest and humorous look at the events and circumstances that confront singles in their everyday lives. A smorgasbord of dating and relationship advice, replete with charts, graphs and pithy text boxes containing hilarious bylaws.

In a society filled with images of perfect-figured models and individuals obsessed with diets, The Naked Guy is here to remind readers not to take themselves to seriously. The Naked Guy is an average Joe whose ability to be comfortable in his own skin contributes enormously to the humorous tone of this book. People of all shapes, sexes and sizes will howl with laughter at images of The Naked Guy doing everyday stuff in the nod: The Naked Businessman; The Naked Sports Enthusiast; The Naked Huntsman; The Naked Fitness Guru; The Naked Man of Leisure - and heaps more!

Blending fact with fiction and written in diary form, this unique biography of Shakespeare captures his life as never before, from his views on daily events to vivid impressions of the Elizabethan era and his role within such a world. Delightfully whimsical, Wearing's distinctive life story provides possible answers to such questions as: What was Shakespeare thinking when he wrote Hamlet? What did he and Ben Jonson talk about when they were having a drink together? Incorporates lines and fragments from Shakespeare's plays and poems.

Examining the unique characteristics of the Net Generation, Pletka addresses the national problem of escalating school dropout rates and student disengagement - and offers solutions as to how to best involve students of the millennial generation. Chapters feature student interviews and photographs, synthesising the perspectives of current schoolchildren as to their experiences, beliefs and thoughts on learning, while a parallel set of parent interviews, surveys and photographs reveal what factors parents feel are important in their child's education.

Hecky Krasnow was the producer of such classic children's songs as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Here Comes Santa Claus and The Little Engine That Could. Weaving childhood memories and rich never-before-told anecdotes, Judy Krasnow tells both her father's story and the story of mid 20th century children's entertainment.

The completely revised 3rd edition of Free Stuff & Good Deals for Folks over 50 features goods and services that are either absolutely free or are such a fantastic deal, they won’t want to pass them up! And best of all, author and professional bargain hunter Linda Bowman shows them how to obtain their free gifts and incredible bargains quickly and easily. This fact-filled guide is packed with information on where to find:• Free Entertainment• Incredible Travel Bargains• Free Health Care Information• Prescription Medicine Discounts• Free Financial, Investment and Tax Advice• Free Educational Opportunities• Sports, Fitness and Exercise Bargains• Free Magazines, Newsletters, Catalogs and Books• Free Medicare and Insurance Information• Organizations and Associations for Folks over 50. . . and much more!

An insightful chronicle tracing the roots of the surf boom and its connection to the Beat Generation and 1960s pop culture. Featuring examinations of original beachcomber personalities like the Waikiki Beachboys to the rise of Venice Beach as a creative centre for music, art, and film, this text illustrates why surf culture is a vital art movement of the 20th century. Key figures, both obscure and popular, as well as the full spectrum of the pop culture world, are discussed, from beach' movies to the Trashwomen and the Beach Boys.'

With more than 200 puzzles to solve, this hilarious book offers drivers, car passengers, armchair travelers, and puzzle enthusiasts ample opportunities to sharpen word skills while having fun at the same time. Merging the popular pastime of puzzle solving with a unique form of personal expression - the vanity plate - this book includes many innovative brainteasers that will challenge and entertain puzzle-lovers, such as ISHLPKDS (I schlep kids), UEEEEA (Euphoria), AULOCKS (Goldilocks), and HIOFSIR (Hi Officer).

Featuring outstanding wine-label designs from more than 250 international vintners, this illustrated survey highlights leading designers who have elevated the design of wine labels to an art form. Tracing the history of wine-label design from its early use as a simple utilitarian way of cellaring wine to its contemporary role as the visual voice of the winemaker, this guide features full-colour wine labels that have been praised for their bold graphics, unique illustrations, beautiful typography, captivating photography and powerful words.

From dream research and global belief systems to extraordinary occurrences such as near-death and out-of-body experiences, this fascinating study delves into every aspect of death. Taking a scientific and anthropological approach, the reader is introduced to examples of how different cultures deal with death, how types of deaths are handled differently and how belief systems set the tone for grieving. The combination of factual research, personal accounts and the uncanny creates an intriguing overview into the end of a life.

Highlighting visions of a bygone age preserved in the background of Harold Lloyd's films, this history explores the landscapes of popular film locations through archival photographs, vintage maps and scores of then-and-now photographs. From Coney Island to Beverley Hills, LLoyd's timeless movies reflect the early 20th century visions on the silver screen, found in classics such as Safety Last, Girl Shy, The Freshman and Speedy. Tracing Lloyd's career from his early work to being a studio owner.