A caravan of ten Hollywood Heritage members drove to the desert on May 1 to view a delightful collection of movie and theater memorabilia at the home of Helen and Richard Nederhauser outside of Palm Springs. Mr. Nederhauser, a long-time Director of Construction, Maintenance and Projection for Metropolitan Theaters, continually saved artifacts from the Golden Age of movie theaters, as his employer sent him to one theater after another to update projection systems and theater interiors.
The convoy met for a delicious luncheon at the Historical Society of Palm Desert, where they were graciously greeted by the president, Hal Rover, Dan Callahan, the Museum founder and Jan Homlund, the Museum Advisor...as well as Hollywood Heritage board member Bud Lesser, who had made the day happen. After lunch and a brief tour of the Museum all set out for the Nederhauser’s.
The Nederhausers are incredibly gracious hosts and plied visitors with food and drink even as film was running. The Museum, Richard’s brainchild and Special Place, houses a wonderful collection of theatre seats of elaborate design(s), posters, signed photos of famous stars, props, books and, in the middle of it all, a 1933 Simplex projector, rebuilt and converted to xenon by our host, himself! He showed some wonderfully entertaining ‘short subjects,’ including a GE sales promotion short with Bette Davis and Dick Powell ‘earning their daily bread’ before stardom and a producer’s sales short on the making of The Poseidon Adventure.
All in all, a wonderful day and an unusual one…well-worth the trip. Our thanks to the Nederhausers and Bud Lesser for being Tour Director.