Sunday, February 13, 2011
Los Angeles, California
In BDA I write that some of my fondest childhood memories from the late 1940s were playing with my brothers in Fern Dell Park just up the street from our Franklin House, where we hunted for crawdads and frogs or played Cowboys and Indians.
High on that same list was- Hollywood’s Hitching Post Theatre, where my brothers and I got our inspiration from watching Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers and Tim Holt out-ride and out-shoot the bad guys who you could always recognize from the Black Hats they wore. (The Good Guys wore white.)
Almost every weekend during the summer, my brothers and I would put on our cowboy boots, chaps, gunbelt complete with cap-gun and holster and our cowboy hats (white of course) and mother or dad would drop us off out front of the Hitching Post where we could watch a double-feature complete with newsreel and two cartoons for –twenty-five cents. (If memory serves me right, popcorn was a nickel.)
In today’s L.A. Times, “Then and Now” reporter, Steve Harvey has written a very nice piece remembering those bygone days. Here it is:
Note that the 1949 Hitching Post billboard is showing a double feature: “Outlaw of the Rockies” and ”Indian Agent” starring, Tim Holt. Tim Holt was not only one of our favorite cowboy stars, but, he was also a regular visitor to our home as his girlfriend, actress Carol Foreman, lived with us and rented a room at the Franklin House. Here is an anecdote I wrote in one of my earliest FAQs about six-years back, which is appropriate to today’s blog.
Kelvin Hodel- Tim Holt Anecdote
My younger brother, Kelvin “Kelly” Hodel was born in October, 1942, just eleven-months after the birth of my twin John and I. He would be Dorothy and George’s, fourth, and final son. Kelly from an early age “loved the girls” and believe me—the girls LOVED him. A 1949 Franklin House Kelvin anecdote is appropriate:
In 1948 -1949 our father rented out many of the rooms at the Franklin House to creative types, generally, artists and actors. During that time, one of the “roomers” was a beautiful actress named, Carol Forman. (Photo below) At the time she was living with us she was dating film star, Tim Holt, who naturally, came and went on a regular basis.
Brother Kelly, then age-6 or 7 had a terrible crush on Carol, and whenever Tim showed up to take her on a date, Kelly would object, informing Holt in no uncertain terms, “she’s my girlfriend.” Finally, Holt could take it no longer and took Kelly into the center courtyard, mano-a-mano and came up with the following suggestion:
“Look Kelly. You’re too young to be with Carol now. I will date her only until you get old enough and then you and Carol can get married, and I will get on my horse and ride off. Fair enough?”
Kelly agreed, Holt & Hodel shook hands, and the battle for Carol’s heart was ended.
Franklin House tenant and Tim Holt girlfriend, Carol Forman, “The Black Widow” Carol Forman as “Spider Lady”
Tim Holt & Carol Forman starred together in this 1949 Wester
Kelvin “Kelly” Hodel (left) and Brother Steve at Franklin House circa 1949
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Hi Steve: Just saw your great article about the Hitching Post Theater and that your family once had Carol Forman as a tenant. Of course you know that she appeared as the Spider Lady in the first Superman serial and also was the Black Widow at Republic. I loved the story about Tim Holt and your brother. Didn’t know him but knew his sister, Jennifer very well and corresponded with the family. Too bad you and your brother couldn’t have had your picture taken with him. Roy Rogers was my favorite and I met him when I was 12. Still have the photo of us together on my mantle. Have always read about the Hitching Post in Hollywood but never saw a photo until your article. Great shot. Where did you find it. Thanks again, Mike Newton.
Hi Mike:
Yes, great photo. It was featured in the L.A. Times article, “Then and Now”. Like you, I’d never seen it before and seeing
it really was a “trip” back to yesteryears. In a very “Twilight Zone” moment, I found a photo of Carol Forman as
the January 1947 Calendar Girl. Talk about SPOOKY. I’ll post it one of these days.
Best Regards,
Steve
Hi Steve: I just ran across your article about when Carol Forman used to board with your family and dated Tim Holt. As I explained in the last post, I didn’t know Tim, just Jennifer and his family. Nan Leslie appeared with Tim in many of his movies at RKO in the Forties. It was during this time, 1948-49, that they also dated. She said that Tim had been seeing other women, but always thought that they would wind up together. She told of how they used to take horseback rides together. Tim however went to Oklahoma where he met his future wife.
Thanks for the additional info Mike. I touch on the various “roomers” at the Franklin House in my newly published BDA II. Best, Steve
P.S. Mike: Re. Nan Leslie I see she had a bit part in THE CLOCK (1945, directed by Vincente Minnelli). Costume designer in that film was George Hodel’s secretary, Marion Harwood Keyes. I discuss Marion’s connections to my father at length in BDA II. Marion attended parties at the Sowden/Franklin House, so Nan Leslie with both connections to Marion and Tim Holt could well have been there too.