Why I Love Hollywood
Why I love Hollywood by John Kerwin
I love a city with a sense of humor…and Hollywood is funny. I’m originally from Queens, New York and Hollywood always seemed magical to me. In college, I walked along campus during blizzards singing “California Dreaming.” My fraternity friends would call me, “Hollywood.”
When I finally moved out here, I immediately moved into the Alto Nido Apartment building, featured in the film, “Sunset Boulevard.” In fact, I used to WATCH Sunset Blvd. on my VCR, in that little apartment. I remember seeing a Gold Mercedes with the license plate: IKE TURNER on it. I pulled and right next to it and, sure enough, he rolls down the window and says, “That’s right, I’m Ike Turner, Motherf&*$ker!”
At CBS Studios in Hollywood, I was a champion contestant on Hollywood Squares – years later I had the host, Tom Bergeron on my show. One question which won me 15K was, “Which actress has an Oscar-Winning Mom – Melanie Griffith, Kate Hudson or Gwyenth Paltrow?” I’ll let you look that up. I was the house emcee at The Hollywood Improv, and it was there that I discovered that I was a talk show host. I also remember my first Hollywood party. I walked in the door and the first image was a woman weighing one of her breasts on a drug scale.
I like going to Hollywood Forever Cemetery on balmy, summer nights for Cinespia, which shows classic movies on a giant mausoleum wall. Walking back, I never forget to visit the statue memorial for Toto from “The Wizard of Oz.”
As for me, I appreciate the careers of people like Ryan Seacrest and Carson Daly – they immerse themselves in work – TV, radio, award shows – that’s the Hollywood-type career that I want. And to one day be able to say, “That’s right, I’m John Kerwin, Motherf&%$er!.”
