Mecum Celebrity Auction slated for July 26-27

John Lennon's sunglasses, Ringo Starr's ring part of Celebrity Auction at Mecum

John Lennon's "Lost Weekend" glasses & Ringo Starr's "Power Ring" will be at the Mecum Celebrity Items Auction

 

 

Mecum Auctions, known for its collector car auctions, has announced its first celebrity auction taking place in July in Santa Monica. More than 2,000 items will be featured in the Mecum Celebrity Items Auction including personal items and artifacts from Steve McQueen, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Hunter S. Thompson and more.

Two high-profile items from ex-members of The Beatles were both consigned by their ex-girlfriends: A pair of John Lennon prescription sunglasses worn by Lennon in the mid-70s during his 'Lost Weekend' when he spent time with former girlfriend, May Pang; and a custom-made ring worn by Ringo Starr that was given to him in 1976 by his ex-girlfriend, Nancy Andrews.

Ringo can be seen wearing the silver and gold Electrum diamond 'Power' ring on the cover of his 1977 album, 'Ringo the 4th.' Both Pang and Andrews will be at the auction to authenticate their items.
Steve McQueen fans will take note of his 'Yucatan' trunks (circa 1969-1971) which are also up for auction. The two trunks contain '16 leather-bound notebooks filled with drawings, storyboard illustrations, photographs and a detailed story pitch' for 'Yucatan', a movie intended to be the follow-up to McQueen's racing flick, 'Le Mans'. Although the film star worked on developing the film for two years, 'Yucatan' never got made. The film is currently in pre-production with Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role.

The bulk of the auction will feature items from the collection of John Hagner, curator of the Hollywood Stuntman's Hall of Fame. Hagner's extensive collection includes movie memorabilia from 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade', 'Captain America' and other classic films.

Mecum Celebrity Items Auction: Celebrating the Legendary History will take place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, CA on July 26 and 27. A silent auction featuring select items will begin online at www.MECUM.com on July 5.

Melvyn's owner spills beans in new book

Judith Salkin • The Desert Sun • February 22, 2009

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“Raconteur” is a good way to describe Mel Haber, owner of Melvyn's at the Ingleside Inn in Palm Springs for more than 30 years.

Haber has recorded his memories, with co-writer Marshall Terrill, in “Palm Springs á la Carte: The Colorful World of the Caviar Crowd at Their Favorite Desert Hideaway.”

The book, published this month, is available at the Ingleside Inn. On Thursday, Haber is hosting a book-signing dinner followed by a Q&A at Melvyn's.

The first couple of chapters are devoted his early life in New York, before the Ingleside Inn changed his world.

The rest of the book focuses on Haber's singular ambition of returning the Ingleside Inn to its former glory, and in turn, a success for himself.

Haber admits that he's made “every mistake in the book” when it came to running the famous resort.

In the end, he also says, “If I can make it, anyone can.”

The book is full of anecdotes, like how he turned a scruffy Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw away when they pulled up for the grand opening on a motorcycle.

Or the story of Sir John, the ultimate con artist who ran his ponzi scheme on the Coachella Valley's elite from the Inn.

Haber talks about meeting stars such as John Travolta, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Frank Sinatra, who he calls “Mr. S.”

But not all the memories are good. Haber recalls the still-unsolved murder of his son, Lonny, in 1981.

“It's a pain that never dulls or goes away,” Haber says in the book.

What: Dinner and booksigning with Mel Haber

When: 6 p.m. Thursday, February 26

Where: Melvyn's 200 W. Ramon Road, Palm Springs

Information: www.inglesideinn.com

Dinner and book signing with Mel Haber

Looking for something fun and interesting to do in Palm Springs? Why not have dinner with a legend?

Mel Haber, the owner and proprietor of Melvyn's Restaurant and The Ingleside Inn, is hosting a special dinner and book signing next week to promote the publication of his new memoir, Palm Springs a la Carte.

The two-hour event starts at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26 at Melvyns, 200 W. Ramon Road, Palm Springs. Haber, along with co-author Marshall Terrill, who has authored a dozen books and best-selling biographies on Steve McQueen, Elvis Presley and “Pistol” Pete Maravich. The two will discuss Haber's autobiography during a special three-course meal followed by a special question and answer session period. Autographed copies of the book available for purchase. Reservations for the $45 dinner (includes tax and tip) must be pre-paid.

Palm Springs a la Carte: The Colorful World of the Caviar Crowd at Their Favorite Desert Hideaway (Barricade Books, 2009) is a charming, often hilarious book describing the adventures of the novice restauranteur and hotelier, Melvyn Haber, an automotive accessory manufacturer from the bowels of New York City who is a legend in the sugar-frosted society of Palm Springs.

Haber admits he made every mistake in the book, which didn't preclude him from running one of the most successful restaurant's and hotels of all time. His two establishments have attracted a guest list that reads like a Who's Who of the world. Visitors have included Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Marlon Brando, Liberace, Liza Minnelli, President Gerald Ford, Lucille Ball, Dinah Shore, Rita Hayworth, Jerry Lewis and June Allyson.

Haber restored the historic inn and grounds, and built his own restaurant, Melvyn's. He learned the business the hard way and lived through a comedy of errors that would have bankrupted most investors in today's ultra-competitive hotel and restaurant markets. He managed not only to survive, but flourish, and became an example of the American dream in its fullest flower.

The book is filled with entertaining stories that offer a peek into the colorful world of celebrities, Hollywood elite, royalty, diplomats, mafioso and lovable con artists at their favorite desert hideaway.

What: Dinner with Mel Haber

When: Thursday, Feb. 26, 6 to 8 p.m.

Where: Melvyn's Restaurant, 200 W. Ramon Road, Palm Springs

Information: (760) 325-0046 or visit http://www.inglesideinn.com

Connie Martinson Talks Books

Palm Springs a la Carte
Reviewed by Connie Martinson

It is said that every business man or woman has two businesses, his own and the desire to be in show business or run a restaurant. Neither is the way the dream seemed. In Palm Springs, Mel Haber found the way to combine both. He wrote with Marshall Terrill "Palm Springs a la Carte: The Colorfull World of the Caviar Crows at Their Favorite Desert Hideaway"(Barricade Books $23.95).

In other words, can a small town boy from Brooklyn, NY find happiness in the sunny Palm Springs running a hotel and restaurant? This is before Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells, when there was only Palm Springs and the rest was sand.

When he was 13 Mel's father died, a month before his father was at his Bar Mitzvah, his father was in a business where five checks arrived every month and he knew everyone when the family went to Miami Beach, Mafia and show folk. After his father's death, the checks stopped and Mel started a series of businesses. He got married young, had children and had a partner, Artie, who shared in the various businesses that Mel was in. In 1971 Mel decided he wasn't in love with his wife and that he was happiest when he was in California.

On a trip to Palm Springs with his new friend, Barbra, he started to look at real estate and on April 15, 1975, he bought the Ingleside Inn and restaurant for $300,000 dollars. He never looked back. There were tough financial years, there were people he never should have hired, but where else could he have gotten to know Frank Sinatra and catered his pre-wedding dinner to Barbara Sinatra at the restaurant now known as "Melvyn's".

Mel was present when a certain man who stepped out of The Sopranos placed a phone call to that certain singer telling him to be at the Dinner Theatre in Westchester, NY.

Along the way, Mel remarried and he has a daughter, Stephanie, who is in college. He opened disco dancing restaurants, and a Chinese restaurant, he even had a late night radio show. .Due to the economy and changing times, both have closed. Today, Mel is 72 but he still has the Ingleside Inn and Melvyn's and as he said to me when we taped, that if he sold it, five minutes later it would be "Mel, who?". I laughed and reminded him of the Jack Warner quote about "next week I am just a rich old, Jew". And with changing times, Palm Springs is coming back to be the centre of attention.

To buy a signed copy of Palm Springs a la Carte, go to www.inglesideinn.com, or visit Amazon.com.

"The Interview" presents Mel Haber Part 2

"THE INTERVIEW" WITH MEL HABER! (PART 2 OF 4)

Mel is back!...

"My staff of misfits included a day-to-day manager who sported a Buddha-like belly, a bad toupee, and a pronounced limp; a twenty year-old man-boy with a thick Arkansas drawl who alternately served as a bell captain, bellman, bookeeper and front desk clerk; a temperamental chef with a huge appetite for pornography; a housekeeper who had difficulty making beds because of a bad back; and four sixty-year-old waiters, including an Englishman who caused diners to gag on their escargot by addressing them as "Mum" and "Pops".

---Mel Haber, from "Palm Springs a' la Carte".

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MM: My readers are a young audience. They'll recognize the names of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, Cher, Madonna, Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson. But how do you explain the appeal of The Ingleside Inn? You write about walking into one of the the two basements (rare in Palm Springs) of the hotel and finding files of Guest Cards left behind by Ava Gardner, Liz Taylor, john Wayne and Howard Hughes--as I mentioned in my introduction of you--from the 1940's. That's a big stretch to today! I mean, we're talking over 50 years of celebrities in that brief mention. How do you explain that appeal? Someone opens a restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona and it stays open more than six months, they are considered lucky!

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MH: Well, there's a charm and there's an ambiance. The place was built in 1925. And everybody says 'Why don't you open another Ingleside Inn?' And I said 'If I knew how to build another place 80 years-old I would! I don't know how to duplicate that. But there's a certain intrinsic charm and ambiance about the place. And I must tell you as I've come to find out, that people who love small, intimate properties--they hate what they call the big box hotels. Now, having said that, I happen to be going to New York tomorrow. And I stay at a big-box hotel. I'm one of these guys who likes to sit in a lobby and see a thousand people walk by. But there's a whole clientele for my product. That's why it is so incongruous for me to have an Ingleside Inn and a restaurant--because I still can't even cook a hamburger. The point of the story is in the last line of the book, and it's really the story. 'If I can do it, anybody can'. I really hope that it will be an inspiration and motivation for anybody to try anything they want to do. Because I came to this business, knew nothing about the business, was not interested in the business, had no connections, had no money and I had no particular intelligence. So those are things you don't have control over anyway. The things you do have control over is caring, how hard you're willing to work and building around those two things is legitimate. Everybody has those tools. They're intelligence: whatever God gave is what they're stuck with. But everybody can control how hard they're willing to work, being sincere, listening to the customer--that's what I'd like to point out, Michael. The fact that I don't know anything about wine, food or liquor--I couldn't criticize a customer or correct them or anything. The only thing I could use as a tool was to listen to the customers and if a customer called coffee tea when he wanted coffee--I'd give him tea. I wasn't out to prove anything. I was only out to satisfy the customer. And because I had no knowledge, I had to listen to everything they said. My famous saying is, ' I've never been accused of listening to nobody, but I've been accused of listening to everyone'. It's such a great story. Forget about the guy whose name is Mel Haber. I mean, Michael, I just called my best friend in New York and said 'I think I just discovered the cure for cancer'. He said what? I said 'They're putting me on 60 Minutes cause I have a hot saloon!' For all I know, I'm going broke tomorrow. Amazing!

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MM: Television has been good to you. You've been on '60 Minutes', 'Phil Donahue', 'David Suskind'. How did that turn out for Mel Haber? Television becomes you!

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MH: I enjoyed it. It turns out that I didn't realize I was a ham! I did ten additional shows because I created the word 'Palimony' (this was during the famous 1977 lawsuit between actor Lee Marvin and live-in girlfriend Michele Triola). I mean, that was a great story and a great debate from my side of the fence.

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MM: Let me throw out one name for a thumb nail sketch--and you knew him: Frank Sinatra. I'll let you elaborate.

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MH: Frank Sinatra is the only person I have ever been in awe of. There was an aura of power about him. And everybody knew that about him. And he was a very high profile presence in Palm Springs. Everybody knew where he was having dinner, and where he was having drinks. in those days, when I first opened Ingleside Inn, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria (Shriver)--they were in the hotel once a month. Once they got married and had kids, they wound up renting a house near The Ingleside Inn and then eventually he became governor. They came into the restaurant (Melvyn's) quite a bit and they were great customers. Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn would come here back when Kate Hudson was just a little kid. As a matter of fact, one day as I was walking out of my office and I saw Kurt and Goldie and I said, 'Oh, God! What are you guys doing here?' As it turns out, they needed someplace to go. So, they decided to fly to Palm Springs--Kurt Russell is a pilot--and spend an hour and a half at my pool at The Ingleside Inn and then fly back home in L.A.--which was a quite an honor for me. Marlon Brando spent a couple of days at the place--spending half his time, I might add--sitting in his mobile home outside the property talking on his CB (Citizens Band) radio. If these people knew they were talking to Marlon Brando on their CB Radios, they'd go crazy! John Travolta used to come down here all the time--back when he was in "Saturday Night Fever". All of that was such a blur, Michael. I had five restaurants that I had going and all of that celebrity was going on --and I was the loser. because I was so busy with my restaurant or my hotel--working 18 to 20 hours a day. I didn't have the time to absorb all of the people that I met. I remember one time, I told my wife 'Of all the people I met, I always wanted to meet Dionne Warwick'. And my wife took me into my office at home and showed me my picture with Dionne Warwick!

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MM: Well, this next item was hilarious for me. All three of actor Michael Landon's ex-wives showed up at the restaurant at the same time. My God, how did you handle that nightmare?

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MH: I'll one-up you on that. One night, as it turns out--a married couple that were cheating on each other somehow wound up in adjacent rooms at The Ingleside Inn and both walked of their rooms at the same time and I was standing there--and they were both in shock! They wound up getting a divorce, of course. But both a very prominent couple from Beverly Hills--both decided to sneak away to the small Ingleside Inn where nobody would see them and as fate would have it--I guess it was meant to be--they both walked out of the rooms and saw each other. But those stories go on endlessly. I'm sitting at the bar and a guy walks up to me and says 'Can you do me a favor?' I said certainly! He says 'I'm sitting right around the corner at the first table with my girlfriend. I'm going to go out into the car and I'm going to give you a ring. And after that, would you come around the corner and propose to my girlfriend for me?' So he does that. He gives me the ring, I wait until he walks around the corner and I walk up to his table and say to his girlfriend, 'Excuse me. Would you like to get married?' And she says, without hesitation. ' I hardly know you'. And I said, 'Not to me--to him!' And then she screamed and kissed him and they got married.

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MM: There ya go! Tell us about the night Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw showed up. This is a killer!

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MH: And that's how I got to meet the prolific Marshall Terrill, who wrote the biography of Steve McQueen, ("Steve McQueen: Portrait of an American Rebel") right? This is the story I am best known for. It was the first of a million bleeps. In 1975, while I was remodeling the place there was a young guy who hung around everyday. because he was a parking lot attendant at a restaurant two blocks away that was closed for the summer. So, he had nothing to do. He hung around and we became friends. His name is Danny Glick. He promised me that he would send up people from Lion's English Grille--it's been around for years. Come opening night, everybody is dressed beautifully. I am as nervous as can be. In the dining room, I had a maître d' who knew everybody in town. Everybody had jackets and ties. During the course of the evening, many people came up and told me 'Danny told me to come up and look at the place', and one was actor Tony Franciosa. I step outside to take a smoke because I'm nervous, and a motorcycle pulls up--a big blue Harley-Davidson with a girl on the back. And they're dressed the way they should be dressed on a motorcycle. I looked up and said "Buddy, give me a break will ya please? It's my opening night". And the guy looks at me, smiles and he takes off. An hour later Danny shows up and I said 'Danny, you're a sweetheart. It was just marvelous'. He said ' Did ya get all the people? Tony Franciosa, the actor?' I said 'Absolutely'. He said 'How about Steve McQueen?' I said 'Steve McQueen never showed up'. He said 'What are you talking about? That big blue Harley showed up and he promised me he'd come right up'. So, I got famous for chasing away Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw!

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Next Up: We're Gonna Disco

at Cecil's!

"The Interview" presents Mel Haber Part 1

"THE INTERVIEW" PRESENTS: MEL HABER! (PART 1 OF 4)

Mel Haber

Owner of The Ingleside Inn & Melvyn's

Palm Springs, California

The New Book by Mel Haber with Marshall Terrill
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Mel Haber is my Guest today on "THE INTERVIEW" and he is a celebrity among U.S. presidents, business tycoons and movie stars alike who are frequent guests of The Ingleside Inn and his famed restaurant and bar named Melvyns. Not to worry! I'll be staying there soon after reading his new book.

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Now, you've got to admit: my timing is a bit ...different. I mean, posting a new Guest on December 23rd! Am I crazy? Au contraire! Then what's the deal? Well, January, 2009 marks the publication of Mel's book Palm Springs a' la Carte. Built in 1925, The Ingleside Inn fell into a state of disrepair by the 1960's. Then in 1974, after a long career in New York as a garment industry executive, Mel Haber took on the Hospitality Industry armed only with a determination to be successful and to restore the storied hotel that was frequented in the 1940's by the likes of Howard Hughes, Katherine Hepburn and Liz Taylor. Never mind that he can't cook a hamburger! Today, The Ingleside Inn's roster of clientele includes Madonna, Cher, Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver! Unlike the corporate-owned chains of predictable hotels and casinos one finds in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, Mel Haber restored The Ingleside Inn and built Melvyn's with his own blood, sweat and tears. It was (excuse the pun) a roll of the dice. But Mel managed to survive every embarrassing blooper and blunder and emerge with his wit and humor intact.

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Can you imagine being in Mel's shoes the night all three of actor Michael Landon's ex wives showed up at Melvyn's? YOW! Or how about seeing a pretty lady on the back of a blue Harley-Davidson motorcycle with a bearded guy and watching Mel in a slightly stressed out state of mind say, "Buddy, it's Opening Night. Please, give me a break!"...only to discover he just sent away Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw! OUCH! And remember the other night, when I wrote about suffering a laughing fit and falling off my couch at home? It was 11 PM and I had just read the opening of Chapter 5 of Mel's book. His description of the kitchen staff he inherited redefined the word "Hysterical"! No, I can't repeat his description here. But believe me...When every thing that could go wrong and did, Mel admits it in this highly entertaining book with nothing held back! Whats more...Little did I know that it was Mel (not that other guy) who first used the term "Palimony". Then there was the night when a dining patron begged Mel to propose for him to his girlfriend while dining at Melvyns! Another time, Frank Sinatra summoned Mel over to his table to discuss a party he was planning. And Frank knew details like no one's business! Sly Stallone filmed Rambo: First Blood Part II at The Ingleside Inn. Oh, I could go on...and I will! And the reason is that many of you read BLOGS on Christmas Week. So, I figured: "Why not?" In that spirit we sat down last weekend to get a take on life among "Caviar Dreams and Champagne Wishes". I separated this visit along 4 days. It is a fun roller coaster ride. Welcome Aboard!

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MM: You made a fascinating observation toward the end of your book where you stated that the celebrities of New York (Mel was raised in Brooklyn) were actors, actresses and well known millionaires of the business world. But in Palm Springs, celebrities are more likely to be restaurant owners, bartenders, valets and doormen. Tell us about this. It's a curious take on fame, isn't it?

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MH: It's a totally different mentality. When I first came out here in California 34 years ago in 1974, they would tell me that the guy to see was Vidal Sassoon. At that time, he owned a hair salon that did women's hair. The other guy was Mike Silverman. Mike was a realtor, and if you wanted to buy a house, he took your girlfriend or your wife around to show them a house. In New York, to be big you had to be Donald Trump; you had to own twenty-two buildings. In California, a business owner or a store owner was a big shot in Beverly Hills. And they would point these people out to me. I remember when I first came out here, there was a club that I wanted to join called PIPS--it represented the points on a backgammon table. Anyway, it was a very exclusive and private club. When I applied to join they told me I had to be qualified by Stan Herman. Stan Herman was a realtor! He was a very prominent socialite, but again, he was the guy to show you around when you wanted to buy a house. And it was a whole different mentality. You had to get used to that after a while.

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MM: Mel, when you arrived in Palm Springs in 1974 what was your first impression of the area before you acquired The Ingleside Inn?

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MH: Well, when I first came to Palm Springs, I was interviewed by The New York Times. And nobody could define the magic of Palm Springs. And in the interview, out of my mouth came the word 'Gold'. I realized that was the magic of Palm Springs. Another comment made me the worst outcast in town. I said, 'My first impression was that it had the ugliest mountains I ever saw! They were brown, they were dirty. I come from back East where the mountains are green, there's trees and there's foliage'. So, of course that didn't make me very popular in town. But as I was describing my existence in Palm Springs, I said 'Depending on your personality and your nature, when I was in New York, if I was looking for clothes, maybe there were better clothes in other stores and I'd go and look. If I was in a certain bar, maybe there were prettier ladies somewhere else'. In other words, there were always choices about where I could be or should be, maybe I should be someplace else. If I was staying here, maybe there was more action there? And you were always a little anxious. When I came out to Palm Springs, the magic was that there was nothing happening anywhere. So, if you were staying at The Spa Hotel, or The Riviera or The Canyon Hotel, you didn't say 'I could be or should be' because there were no choices; there was nothing happening. Subsequently, you were totally at peace with yourself. It was serene. If you wanted to sit by the pool and read your book, or go to a bar and have a drink or play tennis whatever you wanted to do in the desert, you knew that there was nothing else going on. There were no theaters, things weren't happening. Wherever you were is where it was happening! And that was the magic of Palm Springs, that you didn't end up missing something. Now of course things are changing--that's called progress. And now you have choices, there are things to do. But still, it's three words. It's Quality of Life. As an ex-New Yorker, if I get caught by a traffic light or I can't park my car in front of a store, I'm annoyed. Everything is relative. When I was in L.A. last week doing an appearance on a TV show, I said to myself, 'I don't understand why people even live there! I am so spoiled living in the desert, it's amazing!'

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MM: This is a fascinating story, because the way you and Marshall wrote this book, I literally felt as though I were along with you! When you first drove onto the Ingleside Inn property it sounded dilapidated. It was not in great shape. But you had the vision to really see something beyond what was physically there before you. Not everybody that you brought out there as potential investment partners saw what you did. I guess this goes right to the heart of the magic you spoke about. What were you seeing that others didn't?

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MH: You know Michael, I would like to think that there was some foresight there. When you say that not many people saw it--nobody saw it! But I can't explain it. I'm not into old properties. I'm not into charm. I'm not into that. But there was something that made me want to buy The Ingleside Inn without having the intention of either operating a hotel or a restaurant. I just looked on it as an investment with no downside. Two acres in the middle of Palm Springs at a very inexpensive price. In hindsight, they say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I didn't know what I was doing! If I knew then what I know now, I could have never done it. I would have been aware of all of the obstacles; I would have been aware of the odds. All of these things I came to learn about! You don't know that you can't accomplish something--we didn't know we couldn't get to the Moon! Some way someone got us to The Moon. For years, we never thought we could get to The Moon, so we never got there! So, there's something to be said for just perseverance and tenacity without knowing what you're doing--just plodding straight ahead. And you wind up getting there somehow. That's my story nonetheless. I'm a lucky beneficiary of lucking out or of succeeding in spite of myself and not because of myself.

Look for part two of this interview soon.

To order a signed copy of Palm Springs a la Carte, visit www.inglesideinn.com.

Haber's new book offers delicious second helping

Mel Haber has written yet ANOTHER book, this time he enlisted the help of author Marshall Terrill. Mel's first book Bedtime Stories was well read and a huge success about the guests of his Palm Springs hotel the Ingleside Inn and the on-site restaurant Melvyn's. Bedtime Stories was an entertaining peek into the colorful world of stars and royalty at their famous Palm Springs hideaway!

His second book is Palm Springs a la Carte: The Colorful World of the Caviar Crowd at Their Favorite Desert Hideaway. The book starts where he was born, Brooklyn, New York and continues through his career as a former automotive accessory manufacturer to his 1975 move to Palm Springs.

Mel then tells the story of how he came to buy the hotel property with no knowledge of running a hotel or a restaurant. The rest of the story complete with personal and sometimes intimate detail is indeed a look behind the scenes and behind a few doors of the Ingleside Inn and Melvyn's restaurant.

Visitors have included Golden Era celebrities Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, John Wayne, Howard Hughes, Spencer Tracey and Katherine Hepburn, along with contemporary celebrities Madonna, Cher, Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver and Lance Bass.

Keep in mind with all of these celebrity name droppings that Mel Haber treats all of his guests like a star. Purchase this fabulous new book and read the charming and often hilarious book by going to his web site http://www.inglesideinn.com/ Once you read it you will find yourself inexplicably dialing 800-772-6655 for reservations for dinner at Melvyn's or a weekend at the Ingleside Inn.

Palm Springs a la Carte served up Feb. 1, 2009

Palm Springs a la Carte gets served up February 1, 2009

Mel Haber still doesn't know how to cook a steak, make a Bloody Mary or open a cash register.

That's not an astounding statement to make unless you have been a very successful restaurateur and have been in business for more than three decades. Haber, who was the operator of six different restaurants, including the legendary Melvyn's Restaurant and the Ingleside Inn in Palm Springs, made every mistake in the book and succeed in spite of himself.

Perhaps even more amazing is the fact how the former automotive novelty manufacturer from Coney Island, Brooklyn, stumbled into the desert in 1975 and made a name for himself in a business he knew nothing about – the hospitality industry.

Palm Springs a la Carte: The Colorful World of the Caviar Crowd at Their Favorite Desert Hideaway (Barricade Books, 2009) is a charming, often hilarious book describing the adventures of novice restaurateur and hotelier, Melvyn Haber, an automotive accessory manufacturer from the bowels of New York City who is a legend in the sugar-frosted society of Palm Springs.

Haber admits he made every mistake in the book, which didn't preclude him from running one of the most successful restaurant's and hotels of all time. His establishments have attracted a guest list that reads like a Who's Who of the world. Visitors have included Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Marlon Brando, Liberace, Liza Minnelli, President Gerald Ford, Steve Allen, Lucille Ball, Dinah Shore, Rita Hayworth, Jerry Lewis and June Allyson.

Haber restored the historic inn and grounds, and built his own restaurant, Melvyn's. He learned the business the hard way and lived through a comedy of errors that would have bankrupted most investors in today's ultra-competitive hotel and restaurant markets. He managed not only to survive, but flourish, and became an example of the American dream in its fullest flower.

The book is filled with entertaining stories that offer a peek into the colorful world of celebrities, Hollywood elite, royalty, diplomats, mafioso and lovable con artists at their favorite desert hideaway. As a raconteur, Haber has few equals. With this book, he finally lifts the velvet rope to give readers the best seat in the house, and enthralls them with witty stories about his black-tie clientèle.

These days you're likely to see Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, Sylvester Stallone, Cher, David Hasselhoff, Barry Manilow, Lance Bass, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, Donald Trump and John Travolta enjoying themselves at the site. It remains one of the world's top dream resorts.

Haber feels his story should be an inspiration to everybody, because in his own words, “If I can make it, anybody can.”

Mel Haber is currently the owner of the Ingleside Inn and Melvyn's restaurant. He is also the president of the Angel View Crippled Children's Foundation and has served on its board for twenty-five years, the last fifteen as president. He resides in Rancho Mirage, California.

Palm Springs a la Carte (ISBN 1-56980-353-6; 978-1-56980-353-0) is published by Barricade Books and will be distributed through the National Book Network.

To pre-order Palm Springs a la Carte, visit www.amazon.com or www.inglesideinn.com.

McQueen's main main releases new book

ROBERT RELYEA'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY: BEHIND THE ... Celebrating Films of the 1960s & 1970s

When I first moved to Los Angeles about a dozen years ago, the one person I wanted to meet was Robert Relyea. Now, this may seem like an odd choice since his is hardly a household name, but Bob Relyea’s credit was on just about every one of my favorite movies growing up. And if you’re reading Cinema Retro, the odds are these films are favorites of yours as well - “The Alamo,” “The Magnificent Seven,” “West Side Story,” “The Great Escape,” and “Bullitt,” to name a few of the classic movies he worked on.

His nominal title on a picture like “The Great Escape” was assistant to the producer but this hardly begins to describe what he actually contributed to that film. He scouted locations, he was the production manager, directed all the night scenes (because John Sturges didn’t like working nights), he even flew the plane that James Garner piloted in the film and was courageous enough to take on the hazardous job of stunt pilot when the plane needed to crash. Oh, and that immortal shot of Steve McQueen jumping the barbed wire fence on his motorcycle? Yup, Bob Relyea directed that.

They say it’s best not to meet your heroes, that they will only let you down. Well, as usual “they” are wrong. I finally got to meet Mr. Relyea and it has been one of the great pleasures of my life to be able to call him my friend. A finer, more decent man I have never met and he is also one of the best storytellers I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Now, with the publication of his memoirs of a life in the motion picture industry, “Not So Quiet on the Set,” you, too, have the opportunity to meet Robert Relyea and I urge you to do yourself a great favor and read one of the funniest and most moving books about the movie industry I have ever read. The style of the book perfectly captures the voice of the man I know - understated, honest, slightly amazed at the things he has seen and been a part of, and full of a puckish wit that infuses the incredible goings on.

And what a cast of characters! Grace Kelly, Marlon Brando, Elvis, John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Frank Sinatra, Steve McQueen, Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner, June Allyson, Yul Brynner, Burt Lancaster, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Cliff Robertson, David McCallum and Peter Sellers, even the Beatles make an appearance.

And the directors he’s worked with are here as well - Vincente Minnelli, William Wyler, Robert Wise, Blake Edwards, Peter Yates, Mark Rydell and his mentor, the great John Sturges. In fact, the story about how Sturges happened to make “Bad Day at Black Rock” is worth the price of admission alone, as they used to say. It’s hard to pick out a favorite anecdote, they are all so well told, but there are a couple of stories about the making of “The Alamo” that are priceless, including one about Relyea having a conversation with John Wayne as a horse proceeded to bite the Duke on the ass. Wayne turned around and socked his equine attacker squarely on the snout without missing a beat in the conversation with Relyea. And this was years before Mongo in “Blazing Saddles!” “I realized then,” Bob once told me, “He wasn’t acting. He really WAS John Wayne!”

John Wayne with director John Ford, who visited the set“The Alamo” provides the book with some of its funniest moments as well as one of the most dramatic. During the long, arduous shoot, Relyea developed a bleeding ulcer that came within minutes of killing him. Thanks to the blood transfusions of the many stuntmen on the film, he survived, thanks to the massive infusions of stuntmen’s blood, almost all of it laced with copious amounts of tequila, Jack Daniels and Scotch. In fact, there’s a funny story that Bob Relyea once told me about that film, that isn’t in the book so I won’t be giving anything away if I recount it here.

“On the first day of shooting, one of my responsibilities was to watch Duke play the scene, since they didn’t have video monitors in those days for him to look at after the shot was completed. Well, I got so pre-occupied with the set-up and and everything that I didn’t notice until we all saw the dailies that because he had lived so long with this project, Duke not only knew his lines, but knew every other actor’s lines in the scene as well. And when we saw the dailies, there he was, silently mouthing the other actor’s lines as they were delivering them. I was so focused on everything else, I missed it, and I can assure you that I caught hell for that one!”

Relyea was such a consummate professional that top directors like Sturges and Wise and Wyler clamored for his assistance on their films. In fact, one of the dramatic highlights of the book is when he is forced to choose whose company he will become a part of - Wise, who offered him a signed contract to become partner of his production company, or an identical proposal from John Sturges, his mentor. He had agreed to both men’s requests, figuring that it was unlikely that either proposal would pan out and yet when offers arrived on the same day from both directors, Relyea was forced to choose. It goes to show how a good man can find himself in an untenable position and I know that Bob Relyea still smarts over his own perceived shortcoming in the affair. In a highly charged scene in the book, he visits the man he is forced to turn down and receives a devastating dismissal. It just goes to show that the choices that the business forces to make can test the moral resolution of even the most upright man. I think that Relyea is too hard on himself in the matter but his own moral code doesn’t let himself off the hook any easier than it does anyone else in the book.

One of the interesting concepts of the book is the twin narrative than flows through the pages. Relyea’s son Craig introduces many of the chapters by placing the films in a social and familial context and though it is a concept that is fraught with hazards, Craig Relyea pulls it off superbly. His introductions are concise, well-written and illuminate the innate decency of his father. The book is a tremendously entertaining read and more knowledge on the inner workings of the American movie industry can be found between its covers than that in any undergraduate film school.

The petty politics, the logistical challenges, the studio machinations, the human emotions that all go into making a motion picture are delineated here with utmost precision.
Steve McQueen in "The Great Escape" I have had the great pleasure over the years to interview and in many cases, befriend, great directors like Frank Capra, Billy WIlder, Robert Wise, Martin Scorsese and Oliver Stone, to name a few, but I have learned more about filmmaking from Robert Relyea than the lot of them combined. There is wisdom here aplenty but it is never didactic; simply the hard-earned truths of a man who has done it all. The last section has an elegiac quality to it, starting with the sale of Warner Bros. just as “Bullitt” was commencing principal photography. And if I had any nitpicking's about the book, it is that stops in 1971, after the debacle of “Le Mans,” and the dissolution of Relyea’s partnership and friendship with Steve McQueen. I understand his reason for doing so, but ending such a wonderful tale on such a sour note felt a bit awkward. Would that he had continued a few more years to the wild tales of “Day of the Dolphin” with Mike Nichols and George C. Scott, or how Relyea chose Michael Cimino to direct his production of a Vietnam script that became “The Deer Hunter,” only to walk away from the project in a bitter dispute with the young director.

Bob Relyea understands the old show biz maxim of always wanting to leave the audience wanting more and this book certainly does that. Alas, he has said there will be no sequel, this is the story he wanted to tell and I urge you not to miss it. This is a book, rich in anecdotes and wisdom, so do yourself a favor and buy a copy and then do your friends a favor and buy them copies. To borrow a couple of adjectives from the two classic John Sturges movies he worked on, this is a MAGNIFICENT book, written by a very GREAT man. - Mike Thomas

To order a copy of "Not So Quiet On The Set," visit http://www.notsoquietontheset.com/ or http://www.amazon.com/.

Reuben on Wry: Q & A with Dave Madden

Dave Madden, the comedian and actor best known as Reuben Kincaid in "The Partridge Family" television series, tells all in his delightful book Reuben on Wry.

Q: Thank you for agreeing to this interview Dave Madden, or should I say Reuben Kincaid? As you say in your book, you are better known as Reuben Kincaid, one of the most fondly remembered fictitious characters in the western world. Before we start this interview I’d like to start by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed your new book Reuben on Wry. You and your wife Sandra have written a highly entertaining book. A book that gives great insights into Dave Madden, Reuben Kincaid and the other lucky people that crossed paths with you through your long and varied career.
As this interview is written primarily for the David Cassidy Fansite, www.davidcassidyfansite.com my questions have more than a slight bent towards your time on the set of The Partridge Family and your memories of David Cassidy. I must point out to readers that this book is a lot more than this though. It details Dave’s personal life, his very varied professional life (including four TV series, numerous guest appearances, nightclubs and the theatre) and we also learn that Dave Madden is an accomplished magician and musician and all around nice guy. In Reuben on Wry you say “..although I didn’t know it at the start of “The Partridge Family” series, I’d stumbled into the role of a lifetime. Thirty-seven years later, Reuben Kincaid lives on and continues to be an important part of my life.” What did you like about playing Reuben Kincade?

DM: The spelling of Kincaid...you did it right the first time and then changed it to Kincade...which is wrong. Anyone trying to reach my website had better spell it... reubenkincaidbook.com or they'll never get there. And they would be better off! What did I like about playing Reuben? The money! Any TV actor who answers differently is probably lying. Face it, it's not exactly Shakespeare. "The role of a lifetime." Did I say that? Actually, unless my calendar is lying to me...it was "the role of 4 years" of what's left of my lifetime.

Q: You say that nine out of ten questions you get asked, even today, are “Dave, what is David Cassidy really like?” After the millionth time you started answering “Well he’s a lot like me. Get to know me and you’ll find out what he’s like.” Did David’s fans take you up on that offer?

DM: Actually, nobody ever took me up on that...or anything else. Nobody trusts a manager.

Q: I believe you first met David Cassidy on the first day on the set of "The Partridge Family." What were your first impressions of David?

DM: My first impression was the same as my last impression...nice guy, liked to have fun...didn't seem to take it all too seriously...at least not then. Talented, creative, destined to live to be at least 50. He made it.

Q: David’s father Jack Cassidy used to come to your beach house long before you first met Shirley Jones on the set of “The Partridge Family.” What were your impressions of Jack and are David and Jack very much alike?

DM: Jack was a friend of my manager. I saw him quite often. Often referred to as a man's man...I think it was true. Lot's of charisma. Good sense of humor, multi-talented. Never made it as big as he should have. He was not too much like David, as far as I could see.

Q: What was your favourite “Partridge Family” scene/episode?

DM: The Christmas show...because there was a dream sequence that allowed us to play rolls other than ourselves...that's always the most fun.

Q: What was your least favourite Partridge Family scene/episode?

DM: I have no idea...a hundred shows. I guess my least favorite was one that I wasn't in. Makes sense.

Q: Being an accomplished musician I am interested to know what you think of “The Partridge Family” music.

DM: Thanks for the word "accomplished." I knew five cords. That was two more than Danny knew. Partridge music was referred to, then, as "bubble gum rock" easy on the ears...at least mine. I grew up with Sinatra, Nat Cole and Ella Fitzgerald.

Q: Did you like dressing up in costume? For example: the unforgettable fairy costume in the ‘Fellini, Bergman and Partridge’ episode. I read that your wife had a poster of you in the fairy costume!

DM: Yes, my wife has that poster...because she's "sick". The only reason it's "unforgettable" is because she won't let me forget it. I don't think dressing as a girl is funny. Silly...but not funny.

Q: In your book you talk about your enjoyment of photography. In fact there are some interesting pictures in your book. You also said that you enjoyed filming on location. Whilst on location how did you cope with the crowds of David Cassidy fans? Particularly at King Island Amusement Park.

DM: Kings Island was the worst location in my experience...what makes me think you already knew that. Oh, that's right...you read the book. Photography has been a hobby of mine since I was in the service. I have thrown away more pictures than most people have taken. Digital photography really makes taking pictures enjoyable. The computer makes a wonderful photo lab.

Q: You appeared as a regular actor on four different TV series. You say in your book that only “The Partridge Family” produced lasting relationships for you. What was it about your co-stars that facilitated this?

DM: Did I say only “The Partridge Family”? Not completely true. I am good friends with Dave Ketchum from "Camp Runamuck", Vic Tayback on "Alice" until he died...Henry Gibson from “Laugh-In”...but I guess I'm in touch with more cast members of “Partridge” than any other. I really don't know why!

Q: In your book you say, “He (David Cassidy) was professional. … And we had a lot of fun. Two or three times, I remember getting into laughing fits in scenes with just the two of us. We couldn’t finish the scene because one or other of us would crack the other one up.” Do you remember what scenes these were and what precipitated the laughing fits?

DM: I remember one in particular...David and I were meeting at the taco stand, having a serious discussion and he suddenly adlibbed "listen, Reuben, I have to go pee.” Well, after that, we couldn't get any further in the scene without breaking up. We threw the script out the window and just ad-libbed whatever we wanted to say.

Q: Ken Mansfield in his book The White Book says that David had “…the most incredible laugh I have ever heard from any human being. When something struck him funny his laughter came rolling out from deep within and would make me feel good all over.” Do you agree with Ken’s description?

DM: I don't know that would be my evaluation...but then I worked for several years as a stand-up comedian and I've heard a lot of strange laughs.

Q: What was the funniest moment off the set of “The Partridge Family” that concerned David Cassidy? (That you can tell us about!)

DM: That's a tough one. I'm sure there must have been some, but you're asking me to go back 30 some years and remember moments off camera. I don't know...ask Danny. If he can't think of any he'll make one up.

Q: You quit smoking after “The Partridge Family” episode ‘Each Dawn I Diet’ in which Danny bet Reuben that he could stick to a diet longer than Kincaid could quit smoking. How tough was that and did it effect your work?

DM: That was a strange premise. Logically, if I were to quit and never smoke again...then, in order to beat me, he'd have to diet until he died of malnutrition. In fact, I did quit and never smoked again...Danny, fortunately, didn't die of anything.

Q: Are you left handed? In the PF episode 'Each Dawn I Diet' I seem to remember you writing on a notice board (or is that a bulletin board?) with your left hand. Did you know that many comedians are left handed? I wonder what comes first - the comedy or the left-handedness.

DM: Actually, I was only left-handed on the show...(kidding) but you may not know that left-handed people are usually not TOTALLY left handed. I eat and write left handed, but do many other things right-handed. I suppose that makes me ambidextrous.

Q: I have to ask you about your relationship with Danny both off and on the set of “The Partridge Family.” Did Danny correctly portray your relationship in his made for television movie?

DM: He and David put out TV movies. David's was far more accurate...and for a very good reason. He was older when we started and his memory of events was sharper. As to our relationship, Danny and I got along great both on and off the set...but sometimes his memory of things that happened is faulty.

Q: You took your family to see David perform twice. You saw “The Rat Pack Is Back” at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas. Did you enjoy this show?

DM: Very much...great cast, good songs...what more can I say? Having worked with Sinatra, I could relate.

Q: You also took your family, including granddaughters to see David Cassidy in concert in Florida. Did you enjoy this experience?

DM: I enjoyed watching David...Unfortunately, he introduced me after his first song. Too early. I spent a lot of the rest of the show asking autograph seekers to wait until the show was over.

Q: Although you consider yourself retired you still work occasionally on the radio series, “Adventures In Odyssey.” Would you consider doing stand up comedy again? Maybe if David Cassidy asked you to open for him or maybe on one of your cruise ship holidays?

DM: “Odyssey” is radio...I love radio and I can do it in my jammies...stand up? Never! And you can quote me. Too bad, I'm sure audiences are just salivating to watch a 76- year-old comedian do his thing...whatever my thing would be at my age. Octogenarian humor I suppose.

Q: Frank Sinatra said, “I believe that Dave Madden is one of the bright young comedy stars in show business.” How did you meet and what was he like to work with?

DM: Notice he used the word: young? Gives you an idea of how long ago that was. 1964! Frank and The Rat Pack saw me perform at the Chi Chi in Palm Springs. Frank asked me personally if I would open for him at the Cal-Neva Lodge in Lake Tahoe. Frank and I got along great, but opening for a star of his calibre is not the greatest thing to do. I had no name at all. The audience was only there to see Frank and I was just in the way.

Q: It appears that your family, especially your four granddaughters, and your friends and putting the garbage out keep your fairly busy these days. Thank you very much for taking the time to do this interview. I can’t end the interview without thanking you for the pleasure you have given millions of people, your fans, all around the world in your role as Reuben Kincaid, and in your three other TV series, numerous guest appearances, nightclubs and the theatre work. Thank you!

A: Yes...especially the garbage. I hope to get "Down Under" someday. I can't imagine that you folks think of yourselves as being down under anything. For you, we are undoubtedly "Down Under"...and I must tell you...it's getting heavy!

To order Dave Madden's new book, go to www.reubenkincaidbook.com.