Orson Welles House

Famous ghosts, lovers and Elena Ferrante

We’ve been in LA for three weeks now and for those three weeks our family has rented a beautiful house in the Hollywood Hills. It has ivy climbing the walls, a slate roof and is painted white. It’s truly one of the most idyllic places I’ve ever stayed.

A storybook home.

 ^ Orson Welles house. The windows alone!!!!!! Ridiculous.

But the coolest thing about this house? Orson Welles used to own it. Yup THE Orson Welles who wrote the movie Citizen Kane. 

Now, if you aren’t familiar with the movie Citizen Kane I suggest you watch it. It’s great. Classic Hollywood cinema.

Now, I didn’t know Orson Welles (obviously). I don’t know if he was a good man or a bad one . So I asked google …. no really.. this is what I do at 9:26 pm.

Google wasn’t any help. In fact, Google only confused me more. 

All I can say is that *energetically* there are no bad ghosts in this house. But there are lots of pictures of him around. This is the one next to my bed. Mr Welles stares at me each night before I fall asleep, right beside my books and nail polish remover.

The artistic legacy of this home and the memory of those who walked through these hallowed halls makes for a wonderful environment to write. I love bunking down in the upstairs room and pretending that Orson is typing for me, creating some magic. I’m not sure he’d be writing about the same things I am but I appreciate his good writing juju regardless.

Speaking of cinema we recently were invited to a screening of the classic movie Rio Bravo by our friends Brooks and Angela. I’d never heard of it but knew John Wayne and Dean Martin were in it. I didn’t really rate John Wayne but Dean Martin? Are you kidding me ? I’m deeply in love with this man. He’s not alive at the moment but look at him !!!!!!!!!! (the one on the right)

Maybe somewhere in the afterlife we can hang. 

There’s a scene where he sings whilst he smokes , his hat tilted. I want him to sing me to sleep every night. I audibly gasped when he sung the first line of the song with vibrato.

Watch this and get weak at the knees. 

Hot.

Before I move onto books there was this moment at the screening that deeply moved me. Another star of Rio Bravo, Angie Dickinson was at the screening. She did a Q&A about the film and said she was Frank Sinatra’s lover for 20 years. The moderator asked her whether she still thought about him and she said “I think he was the love of my life” I bawled my eyes out. She then went on to say she googles him and listens to his music to have him around. More floods of tears. It was so romantic. 

I deep dove into their affair. And GUESS WHAT ?! 

Frank Sinatra used to frequent Orson Welles’ house. The house I’m writing from right now. Were he and Angie D ever in this house together???

Im going to pretend yes and imagine them whispering sweet nothings in the corner of the pool room.

Enough of that. 

What books have I been reading ? 

Well. I finally read Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend. You know… that book that everyone has read? I’ve tried to read it six times and just never got further than the first few pages. I packed it into my suitcase this trip and vowed to get through the whole thing. I get it now you guys. It’s brilliant.

Layers upon layers of beauty. The relationship between Lila and Elena ripped my heart in two. My Brilliant Friend is set against the backdrop of 1950s Naples. I have been to Naples. Naples is a tough city. Jamie and I got followed in a car once. It was terrifying. Great pizza though.

I’ve also been dabbling into Emily Dickinson’s poetry. I’ve only ever read her letters and now have my hands on a copy of her poetry. It is so good.

I thought I’d also mention what I’ve been reading my kids…. because that takes about half an hour of my reading time each night !!! 

We’ve been reading Paddington as it’s a goodie for both the 2 AND the 5 year old. Then we have been into Scooby Doo stories. Who knew that Scooby Doo was still a “thing”? What fascinates me is there isn’t THAT much variation on who the bad guy is every story. It’s usually the son of the guy who’s selling the theme park or the brother of the cousin of the guy who’s operating the competing pizza shop. Not that hard to figure out you know? 

I am also LOVING The Girl and the Dinosaur and wish I’d found it years ago. I’ve ordered it for the shop. Lennon has been obsessed with dinosaurs for 4 years and there aren’t that many good dinosaur books. Most of them are incredibly tedious. Stegosaurus this, Diplodocus that. I don’t want to memorise anymore dinosaur names thank you!! This one though?  It’s so sweet and the illustrations are exquisite. 

I’ll have another post up before the week is through.

May releases are about to drop in store and they are reallllllllyyy good.

Happy Reading !!!

Jessie

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Preview YouTube video Rio Bravo - Dean Martin & Ricky Nelson & Walter Brennan (High Quality)

Rio Bravo - Dean Martin & Ricky Nelson & Walter Brennan (High Quality)

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