Monterey Movie Madness Tours
by Cymber Quinn
Monterey Movie Madness Tours
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Quick . . . think of a West Coast location where more than 200
movies have been shot. If you're thinking of California, you're
right. But if you answered Monterey, about two hours south of San
Francisco, then you probably have already taken Doug Lumsden's
Monterey Movie Tour. If you're not clued into Monterey's movie
history, climb aboard, and let Doug show you how much Hollywood
loves Monterey.
Right away, I know this is not an ordinary canned tour. Doug tailors
his tour to our group — an older family from the East Coast, a bunch
of locals, and a film student. From his library of dozens of film
clips, he shows those we know, and some that each generation will
recognize.
More Than 100 Years Of Celluloid
Directors and cinematographers have been drawn to this area since
1897, when a cameraman working for Thomas Edison shot the pounding
Monterey surf and filmed carriages arriving at the swanky Hotel Del
Monte (now the Naval Post-Graduate School). Filmmakers from Cecil B.
DeMille to Alfred Hitchcock have flocked to the Monterey Peninsula
ever since, seeking the perfect backdrops for their shots.
Monterey has doubled for many famous places over the years,
including Marin County's Stinson Beach in "Basic Instinct";
Sausalito in "Star Trek IV"; Louisiana swampland in "The Muppet
Movie"; and the 19th-century Baltic coast in budget-movie-king,
Roger Corman's "The Terror".
"We're in Movieland," Doug chimes out. He was born in Monterey
County, and his father was a friend of Clint Eastwood's dad; they
were both in the lettuce industry. Doug's dad also was roommates
with Jimmy Stewart in WWII, just after he won the Oscar for
"Philadelphia Story". Doug's movie roots fuel his enthusiasm. Not
only is he the president of the Monterey Film Commission, but also
he's a great source of local history and lore — better known as
small-town gossip.
Where the Locals Go
Doug is the owner, tour guide, and driver. After 22 years in
banking, and seeing customer service go down the tubes, he decided
to follow his dad's inspiration and start celebrating his hometown.
Doug had been providing generic scenic tours, as if any scenery in
Monterey is generic! But in 2003, to honor the new DVD release of
Clint Eastwood's "Play Misty For Me", Doug organized a special movie
tour. Because "Misty" was filmed entirely in the Monterey area,
choosing just a few locations for the opening was a challenge, but
the event gave Doug the idea to create a movie tour. If you're like
me, and like to go where the locals go, this tour is it.
What You'll See
First, you'll see a comfortable, 32-seat bus with overhead TV
monitors and headsets for listening to Doug's commentary and the
movie clips he shows. He is terrific at showing snippets just before
you arrive at the location. When we first boarded the bus, we
watched a scene from "A Summer Place", with Sandra Dee and Troy
Donahue. Our first stop was Colton Hall that doubled as Sandra's
girls' school. Today, this historical museum was the home of the
California Constitution.
Most of the movies made on the Monterey Peninsula were created in
the 1920s — about 30 films — but continued to be recognized at the
Oscars through the 1950s in "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1935), "Captains
Courageous" (1937), "National Velvet" (1944), "From Here to
Eternity" (1953), and "East of Eden" (1955). Monterey has also been
featured in some real flops, and Doug shows a bit of these just for
fun.
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Cymber Quinn, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters
Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit
Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit
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