Harrison Ford Archives - Author Tony Piazza

Star Wars: My Connections by Tony Piazza

December 15, 2015 By tonypiazza 2 Comments

Since everyone’s on the STAR WARS bandwagon with the release of its’ latest saga: ‘The Force Awakens’. I worked with MARK HAMILL twice. Once in 1975, and again in 1977 on “The Streets of San Francisco.” He was a guest star on the show. The episodes were ‘Poisoned Snow’ and ‘Innocent No More.’ He was a very focused actor, and enjoyed his profession. A serious, no-nonsense guy, that knew his lines, and how to deliver them. He also listened to the directors, and nailed his performance every time.

Mark Hamill in the original Star Wars

Mark Hamill today

I also had a chance of working with HARRISON FORD. My agent offered me a chance to work on “American Graffiti” at the Santa Rosa, CA. location. I turned it down, knowing that I was going to be requested as a stand-in for The Streets Of San Francisco. I don’t regret the decision, but “Graffiti’ would’ve also been great to work on. I was asked recently, “was that a hard decision to make?” Honestly, it would’ve been if I’d even a hint at how much a classic “Graffiti” came to be…and how enormous some of the actors in it had become.

Harrison Ford as Hans Solo (Star Wars 1977)

Harrison Ford today

Another connection I’d like to share, is that years earlier a young film enthusiast used to come down to SF when films were being made. My father being a liaison to visiting film and television companies in the bay area, allowed this young man on location to watch the process. My dad said the young man was a dreamer. His name was George Lucas!

Early George Lucas

George Lucas

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Tony Piazza (Courtesy of Charlotte Alexander)

Tony Piazza is author of the 1930s Hollywood murder mystery novel, “Anything Short of Murder,” which had its roots on the TCM fan website. His second novel, “The Curse of the Crimson Dragon” was published next in early 2012, and in November of 2013 his second Tom Logan Mystery, “A Murder Amongst Angels was released.” In July of 2015 his latest Logan mystery, “Murder Is Such Sweet Revenge” was made available for purchase, and has since been an instant bestseller. All are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites. He was an actor/extra during the 1970s and worked with such legends as Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Karl Malden. His non-fiction e-book “Bullitt Points” is an in depth look at the making of “Bullitt” from a person who was there. Look for it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites, or at the link posted below. All profits go to the Boys Republic charity: www.bullittpoints.com.

Tony Piazza is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and SLO NightWriters.

NEW!

The novels that started it all. The first and second novel in the Tom Logan mystery series have become audio books- read by actor James Romick, and is available on Audible, Amazon, and I-tunes.

NEW!

The NEW Tom Logan mystery, “Murder is Such Sweet Revenge” is available in print, e-book, AND NOW audio book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites. For audio- Audible, Amazon, and I-tunes.

Also:

My earlier bestselling novels, “The Curse of the Crimson Dragon” and “Anything Short of Murder” now joins “A Murder Amongst Angels” and “Murder is Such Sweet Revenge” on Amazon’s Kindle at a new, low price of $2.99. Now you can have hours of adventure, thrills, mystery, and romance for the price of a cup of coffee- and just as stimulating! Look for it on Amazon. Print versions have also been reduced.

Also: The new Tom Logan mystery thriller, A Murder Amongst Angels .

Find them all on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever fine books are sold. Also available for $2.99 on Kindle.

Locations of Film, Television, and Soon, My Novel- Part 4. By Tony Piazza

October 31, 2012 By tonypiazza 16 Comments

PART FOUR

A continuation of my visit to film and television locations in the Los Angeles area as a means to “walk the walk” of my novel’s characters and bring realism to my storytelling. This week, The Union Station.

Union Station with William Holden (1950)

Union Station isn’t in my next book for a very good reason- it wasn’t opened until 1939. The sequel to Anything Short of Murder ( let’s call it Tom Logan’s adventure #2) is set in 1931, one year after my reader’s first introduction to this hardboiled Hollywood detective. Union Station’s predecessor however, La Grande Station will play a major role in the conclusion of the novel. La Grande was the main passenger terminal in Los Angeles for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe until the opening of Union Station. The final years of La Grande Station was spent in a dismal state after the Long Beach earthquake of 1933. The station occupied an area located at 2^nd Street and Santa Fe Ave., and after the completion of the new station was demolished.

Exterior of Union Station

In 1926 a measure was put on the ballot in Los Angeles which offered an option to consolidate the different railroad terminals or construct a network of elevated railways. The former won, and Union Station was born.

Sign outside of Union Station

The location chosen for Union Station was in the heart of the original Chinatown, and a narrow vote of 51 to 48 percent permitted the demolishing of a large part of this section to build the station. Its official address today is 800 North Alameda Street, across from what was the original center of Los Angeles, the pueblo, referred today as Olvera Street.

Looking west towards entrance

The architects John and Donald Parkinson who’d also designed Los Angeles City Hall were partially responsible for Union Station’s design. They were assisted by Jan van der Linden and other supporting architects that combined Dutch Colonial Revival, Streamline Moderne, and Mission Revival to give the station its’ unique look.

Closer look at detailing on ceiling of waiting area

The interior walls are divided into two parts; the upper originally early acoustic tile is now being replaced with cork, and the lower travertine marble. The floor is terra cotta with a strip of marble that runs down the center.

Waiting area looking east. Restaurant is in foreground.

There are two gardens of either side of the waiting room, and attached to the main building on the south side is a restaurant (now closed) that was the last of the Fred Harvey Restaurant chain and designed by famed southwestern architect Mary Colter.

Fountain in garden north of waiting area.

In 1980 Union Station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Harvey Restaurant, Union Station postcard (courtesy Harvey House Fan site)

Wing off from the waiting area used in Scarecrow courtroom scene in the film, The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Although smaller than the other Union Stations, this Los Angeles cousin stands tall amongst the tall palms of Southern California having been seen by countless millions on film and television over the years. Here are just a few:

Them! with James Whitmore & James Arness

FEATURES

Union Station (1950) with William Holden and Nancy Olson.

Southside 1-1000 (1950) with Don Defore and Andrea King.

Them! (1954) with James Whitmore and Joan Weldon.

The Hustler (1961) with Paul Newman and Piper Laurie

Silver Streak (1976) with Gene Wilder and Jill Clayburg

Blade Runner (1982) with Harrison Ford and Sean Young

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) with Patrick Stewart and Alice Krige

Pearl Harbor (2001) with Ben Affleck and Kate Beckinsale

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) with Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

TELEVISION

Quantum Leap (1989) with Scott Bakula

24 (2001) with Kiefer Sutherland

Alias (2006) with Jennifer Garner

NCIS: Los Angeles (2009) with Chris O’Donnell

Castle (2009) with Nathan Fillion

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

Every corner you turn in Los Angeles gives you this feeling of déjà vu, and no more so than this historic station which was a pleasure to visit and share with you today.

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Look for the new Tom Logan mystery coming in 2013

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Tony Piazza is author of the 1930s Hollywood murder mystery novel, “Anything Short of Murder,” which had its roots on the TCM fan website. His next novel, “The Curse of the Crimson Dragon” was released early 2012 and is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites. He was an actor/extra during the 1970s and worked with such legends as Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Karl Malden. His non-fiction e-book “Bullitt Points” is an in depth look at the making of “Bullitt” from a person who was there. Look for it where fine books are sold, or at the link posted below. All profits go to the Boys Republic charity: www.bullittpoints.com.

Locations of Film, Television, and My Novel. By Tony Piazza

October 11, 2012 By tonypiazza 2 Comments

A SF Classic filmed at Bradbury Building

As a writer, I try to go the extra mile for my readers. I do so by ensuring accuracy in details. In my latest novel the protagonist from Anything Short Of Murder, Tom Logan, returns. He’s got himself one humdinger of a case which finds him visiting many sites around the City of Angels. It has always been my aim to make my stories feel real, and in effect, give my readers a true sense of being there. To do this convincingly I realized that I had to make them feel real to myself first. I discovered that the best way I could accomplish this was to travel and experience them firsthand. I did it successfully with Hawaii in The Curse of the Crimson Dragon, so naturally I was up to applying it again. Therefore, earlier this month I made a special trip to several locations (being written into my latest novel) in or around the downtown Los Angeles area- landmarks that have stood since the book’s setting, circa 1930. I thought I would cover these over a series of short articles, the first examining the BRADBURY BUILDING.

This building could be overlooked by the uninformed

First off, the building is not named after author Ray Bradbury. Having gotten that misconception out of the way I can say that it was commissioned by L.A.mining millionaire Lewis L. Bradbury, designed by George Wyman, and completed in 1893. From the outside, the property at 304 South Broadway doesn’t seem remarkable (brown brick, sandstone with terra cotta panels), but pass through the front door and you’re in for a surprise.

Magic happens when you cross this portal

If you feel a certain amount of déjà vu when you observe its unique interior, you’re not alone. It has been the location for numerous television and feature films, most notably: Blade Runner (1982) with Harrison Ford, I, The Jury (1953) with Preston Foster, D.O.A. (1950) with Edmond O’Brien, Marlowe (1969) with James Garner, and Chinatown (1974) with Jack Nicolson. These are just a sampling of features. For television- to name a few: The Outer Limits, Mission Impossible, Banyon, and The Night Strangler.

A view from the ground floor

The architect, Wyman had been influenced by the 1887 science fiction novel Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy, hence its unusual design, and perhaps why it was utilized for Blade Runner.

One of the caged elevators

My FACEBOOK friend, Catherine Ryan Hyde’s film adaptation of her novel, Pay it Forward, was also shot here. And it has been the location for numerous novels, comics, and even a setting for music videos.

A view from the first floor landing

With its film noir connections, I think you can see why I chose the Bradbury Building as a setting for my next novel. As a writer, film lover, and former member of the entertainment industry, I design my books like the classic movies I love. I relish playing director, or location scout searching out properties that will add something visually to my storytelling. It is one of the perks of being a writer, and quite frankly I am enjoying every minute of it!

Author Tony Piazza at Bradbury Building

An additional note: The most recent film to utilize The Bradbury Building was The Artist (2011).

UPDATE: The novel mentioned above was published in 2013, its’ title, A Murder Amongst Angels, and was well reviewed and an Amazon as a bestseller.

Look for the new Tom Logan mystery coming in 2015

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Tony Piazza is author of the 1930s Hollywood murder mystery novel, “Anything Short of Murder,” which had its roots on the TCM fan website. His second novel, “The Curse of the Crimson Dragon” was next released early 2012, and in July of 2013, his latest Tom Logan Mystery, “A Murder Amongst Angels” was published and is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites. A new Tom Logan novel has been completed and is scheduled to be released in 2015. He was an actor/extra during the 1970s and worked with such legends as Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Karl Malden. His non-fiction e-book “Bullitt Points” is an in depth look at the making of “Bullitt” from a person who was there. Look for it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites, or at the link posted below. All profits go to the Boys Republic charity: www.bullittpoints.com.

Tony Piazza is a member of three prestigious writer’s organizations: Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the SLO NightWriters.

NEW! COMING SOON!

The novel that started it all. The first in the Tom Logan mystery series- read by actor James Romick,will be available on Audible, Amazon, and I-tunes.

Also:

My earlier bestselling novels, “The Curse of the Crimson Dragon” and “Anything Short of Murder” now joins “A Murder Amongst Angels” on Amazon’s Kindle at a new, low price of $2.99. Now you can have hours of adventure, thrills, mystery, and romance for the price of a cup of coffee- and just as stimulating! Look for it on Amazon. Print versions have also been reduced.

Also: The new Tom Logan mystery thriller, A Murder Amongst Angels is discounted for e-book.

Find it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever fine books are sold. Also available for $2.99 on Kindle.