You're Invited to an Old Hollywood Murder Mystery Party!
Miss Sally Merrill
requests the pleasure of
your company at a garden party
in honour of the birthday of
Mr. Kent Briggs
on a Saturday in August
at two o’clock
Pasadena
Cocktails
Brought to you by Lindsey (eldanorien ) and by yours truly:
One Saturday this August, Old Hollywood will be descending upon my house in Pasadena for a Murder Mystery party, to which you are most cordially invited, but not as yourself! This particular soirée will be full of glamorous movie stars, ambitious newcomers, and Hollywood socialites, along with a gossip columnist, a nightclub singer, a stage actress, and maybe even a treacherous imposter!
It’s the late forties (or the early fifties) and television hasn’t quite caught on yet. Film is still king, and Hollywood is a land where dreams come true - for some. To get a sense for what Old Hollywood was like, I highly recommend watching movies like Sunset Boulevard (1950), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), Singin’ in the Rain (1952), The Cat’s Meow (2002), and The Aviator (2004). For getting a sense of the madcap murder mystery, I offer up Clue (1985), as essential viewing. Our character list pulls from many of the same archetypes (and occasionally stereotypes) used in those movies, but we’re playing up the melodrama and the intrigue, because after all - there will be a murder at this party!
So take a look at this star-studded list of characters, and talk to me about who you might be interested in playing. This is just the beginning, and if enough people are interested, more characters can be written in - let me know if you have any ideas. As people sign up for characters, I will be editing this list to keep it as current as possible. Note: if you previously spoke to me about taking on a specific character and have since changed your mind or can't come, PLEASE tell me. If you're still in, great! Tell me that, too. If your friend wants to come, great. Let's talk.
Baxter Pictures - one of the big movie studios and home to some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. In recent times, Baxter Pictures has been in some financial distress, and it will sink or swim with the failure or success of its latest film, the epic Scheherazade.
• Dale Baxter (assigned) - the head of Baxter Pictures, he is excitable, fickle, and eccentric. He has a great love for the exotic, and is notorious for harboring infatuations for studio starlets. His pride as a studio mogul is inextricably tied to the success of Scheherazade.
• Randolph Garrett - the temperamental director who rules the roost at Baxter Pictures. He sees Scheherazade as his great masterpiece, the film for which he will always be remembered. A harsh and exacting master, he is known for making actresses cry with his pointed criticisms.
• Kent Briggs (assigned) - the biggest star at Baxter Pictures, debonair and masculine, known for his biting asides and take-no-prisoners attitude. He starred as the sultan in Scheherazade. The gossip columns have been awash with tales of his notorious, womanizing exploits on and off the set.
• Leda Cameron (assigned) - a prominent British stage actress with a flourishing career and a brilliant engagement to a top London playwright. This well-respected lady deigned to star in Scheherazade, her first motion picture, and is being courted for a long-term contract. Her distaste for Hollywood is well-known.
• Nona Raine - a Baxter Pictures femme fatale who coveted the title role of Scheherazade, and was distraught/infuriated to learn that she had lost the part to a stage actress. (This character could be fleshed out in various ways.)
• Max Brandon (assigned) - an embittered private eye in the employ of Baxter Pictures. Formerly a Los Angeles cop, he refused to hide a political scandal, and after someone else hushed it up, they saw to it that his career was over. Now he is reduced to keeping an eye on troublesome contract players for Dale Baxter.
• Hortensia West (assigned) - a self-righteous studio hairdresser who is known for giving out good advice heavy with moral platitudes. She once had a budding acting career, and everyone has a different story for how she went from ingénue to hairdresser. These days, she helps along the girls at the studio, and has been known to admonish directors and producers for working the actresses too hard.
Other Hollywood Types - outside of Baxter Pictures but inside the Hollywood social scene.
• Maggie [Magnolia] Sutton (assigned) - a gossip columnist who delights in scandal and misfortune. The only secrets she keeps are her own - when asked of her background, she tells a different story every time, her unmistakable Southern accent the only clue to her origins. She has many enemies, but also allies and fans, especially among the newcomers and bit players, whom she sweetly cultivates for stories and access.
• Grant Austin (assigned) - the swashbuckling star of rival studio Lamont Brothers. Grant is tall, dashing and well-muscled. He stars in adventure pictures, and is widely considered to be Kent’s biggest rival. Grant is rumored to resent Kent’s casting as the sultan in Scheherazade, an interesting and multi-faceted role, for which he isn’t seen to have the acting chops. What he does have is a certain affection for publicity and scandal.
• Angelique Timms - a nightclub singer known for her close friendships with Hollywood leading men. Time was she could frequently be seen with Kent Briggs, but she’ll be attending this particularly on the arm of rival Grant Austin. She has street smarts, good looks, and a notorious temper.
• The Socialite - male or female, someone who doesn’t do much, but a party isn’t a party without them. This character might be married to someone at Baxter Pictures or another Hollywood type.
Hollywood Outsiders - these characters aren’t truly a part of the glamorous Hollywood social scene, but have made it to the party nonetheless.
• Sally Merrill (assigned) - a pretty young lady who lives in a house in Pasadena, and is said to be a secretary for the Department of Water and Power. She is a great fan of the movies, and is throwing this birthday party for Kent Briggs, as he’s a friend of hers - a very good friend, as long as no one mentions it to her family back in the Midwest.
• The Servants - two waiters borrowed for the day from Baxter Pictures, where they normally work on the lot. The help is aspiring to Hollywood greatness, but are not supposed to bother anyone with their ambitions. They are both gossipy and cutthroat, willing to forge any alliances necessary to make it.
• The Dancers (assigned) - a lady-and-gent pair of stylish dancers who make the rounds of stage shows but are now trying to get movie contracts. She wants to be the next Ginger Rogers, and he’s along for the ride.
• The Businessman - this gentleman has been known to gain entrée to some Hollywood circles but not others. He’s a wealthy businessman, but no one quite wants to ask just what his business is - there are always a couple of toughs nearby.
• Toughs - see above. They spend most of their time scowl, occasionally pause in said activity long enough to leer at girls, and have exceedingly poor manners.
Miscellaneous Other Character Ideas - if nothing above strikes your fancy, maybe one of these will intrigue you, or perhaps you’ve thought of something else entirely.
• A fencing instructor/stunt man (assigned)
• A silent film has-been (assigned)
• A Hollywood or New York restaurateur
• A brilliant but under-appreciated screenwriter
• A major fashion designer
• A studio composer who feels he’s prostituting his music
• A photographer (assigned)
• An actress-turned-Hollywood-housewife
• Musicians
• A gambler
• Someone's secretary or assistant
• A Red Scare snitch of any occupation
• A genuine communist
• An undercover G-man
• A temperamental chef (be warned - if you take this one on, we WILL put you to work!)
• A BARTENDER (we definitely need at least one of these, functionally!)
If this sounds like your idea of a good time, we want you there! If you think of a friend who might enjoy it, let me know - we can accommodate quite a few, and would love to meet fellow enthusiasts of oddball entertainments like Murder Mystery parties. The party will take place on a Saturday in AUGUST (June didn't end up working out), either the 15th or the 22nd. If one of those dates doesn't work for you, let me know, as we'll be finalizing soon.
Send me a message on here, or email me at ava.trimble@gmail.com, or message me on Facebook, from whence comes this very note. Or call me, but since this post is public, I don't want to include my phone number.
p.s. [RE the original Facebook note] I rather randomly tagged anyone I thought might be interested, until I ran out of tagging slots, so if you're interested and weren't tagged, don't take it personally! The more the merrier.
p.p.s. A couple people have contacted me expressing concerns about what to wear - don’t worry, darlings, you’ll get through it! Part of our rationale for pick the late 40s/early 50s is that the clothing, or something that resembles it, is easier to come by than that of earlier time periods. Also, this is an afternoon-into-evening garden party rather than an evening cocktail party, so that drops the level of formality a little. But of course - this is Hollywood, and I could certainly see a few starlets turning up a little too well turned out! I assure you that even if you have no idea what to wear, Lindsey or I can help you work something out. Even thrift stores are great about having things that look the part, and I know some of us have some extraneous pieces lying around. So first, talk to me and figure out a part, and then I can point you in the direction of what to wear. ALSO - for ladies in particular, if you want you can come early to have your hair and makeup done! If anyone would like to assist me in doing those things, let me know.
p.p.p.s. Lindsey and I are both perpetually broke - she's an actress and I'm putting every penny into my move back east (at the end of August), so in order to cover the pure costs of food, drinks, and (gasp) liquor, we're hoping everyone can contribute $15 each. There will be deliciousness and martinis, I promise.
EDITED 7/24 TO ADD: Lindsey (eldanorien ) and I met up yesterday for planning purposes and got a lot figured out, plus I've been in contact with more people, so the character information posted here is no longer 100% accurate - there has been a name change, several anonymous characters named, one taken character now tentatively opened up, and several characters (including some new ones) assigned. Please see my newer entry for up-to-date info - http://bygoneglamour.livejournal.com/3787.html
requests the pleasure of
your company at a garden party
in honour of the birthday of
Mr. Kent Briggs
on a Saturday in August
at two o’clock
Pasadena
Cocktails
Brought to you by Lindsey (eldanorien ) and by yours truly:
One Saturday this August, Old Hollywood will be descending upon my house in Pasadena for a Murder Mystery party, to which you are most cordially invited, but not as yourself! This particular soirée will be full of glamorous movie stars, ambitious newcomers, and Hollywood socialites, along with a gossip columnist, a nightclub singer, a stage actress, and maybe even a treacherous imposter!
It’s the late forties (or the early fifties) and television hasn’t quite caught on yet. Film is still king, and Hollywood is a land where dreams come true - for some. To get a sense for what Old Hollywood was like, I highly recommend watching movies like Sunset Boulevard (1950), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), Singin’ in the Rain (1952), The Cat’s Meow (2002), and The Aviator (2004). For getting a sense of the madcap murder mystery, I offer up Clue (1985), as essential viewing. Our character list pulls from many of the same archetypes (and occasionally stereotypes) used in those movies, but we’re playing up the melodrama and the intrigue, because after all - there will be a murder at this party!
So take a look at this star-studded list of characters, and talk to me about who you might be interested in playing. This is just the beginning, and if enough people are interested, more characters can be written in - let me know if you have any ideas. As people sign up for characters, I will be editing this list to keep it as current as possible. Note: if you previously spoke to me about taking on a specific character and have since changed your mind or can't come, PLEASE tell me. If you're still in, great! Tell me that, too. If your friend wants to come, great. Let's talk.
Baxter Pictures - one of the big movie studios and home to some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. In recent times, Baxter Pictures has been in some financial distress, and it will sink or swim with the failure or success of its latest film, the epic Scheherazade.
• Dale Baxter (assigned) - the head of Baxter Pictures, he is excitable, fickle, and eccentric. He has a great love for the exotic, and is notorious for harboring infatuations for studio starlets. His pride as a studio mogul is inextricably tied to the success of Scheherazade.
• Randolph Garrett - the temperamental director who rules the roost at Baxter Pictures. He sees Scheherazade as his great masterpiece, the film for which he will always be remembered. A harsh and exacting master, he is known for making actresses cry with his pointed criticisms.
• Kent Briggs (assigned) - the biggest star at Baxter Pictures, debonair and masculine, known for his biting asides and take-no-prisoners attitude. He starred as the sultan in Scheherazade. The gossip columns have been awash with tales of his notorious, womanizing exploits on and off the set.
• Leda Cameron (assigned) - a prominent British stage actress with a flourishing career and a brilliant engagement to a top London playwright. This well-respected lady deigned to star in Scheherazade, her first motion picture, and is being courted for a long-term contract. Her distaste for Hollywood is well-known.
• Nona Raine - a Baxter Pictures femme fatale who coveted the title role of Scheherazade, and was distraught/infuriated to learn that she had lost the part to a stage actress. (This character could be fleshed out in various ways.)
• Max Brandon (assigned) - an embittered private eye in the employ of Baxter Pictures. Formerly a Los Angeles cop, he refused to hide a political scandal, and after someone else hushed it up, they saw to it that his career was over. Now he is reduced to keeping an eye on troublesome contract players for Dale Baxter.
• Hortensia West (assigned) - a self-righteous studio hairdresser who is known for giving out good advice heavy with moral platitudes. She once had a budding acting career, and everyone has a different story for how she went from ingénue to hairdresser. These days, she helps along the girls at the studio, and has been known to admonish directors and producers for working the actresses too hard.
Other Hollywood Types - outside of Baxter Pictures but inside the Hollywood social scene.
• Maggie [Magnolia] Sutton (assigned) - a gossip columnist who delights in scandal and misfortune. The only secrets she keeps are her own - when asked of her background, she tells a different story every time, her unmistakable Southern accent the only clue to her origins. She has many enemies, but also allies and fans, especially among the newcomers and bit players, whom she sweetly cultivates for stories and access.
• Grant Austin (assigned) - the swashbuckling star of rival studio Lamont Brothers. Grant is tall, dashing and well-muscled. He stars in adventure pictures, and is widely considered to be Kent’s biggest rival. Grant is rumored to resent Kent’s casting as the sultan in Scheherazade, an interesting and multi-faceted role, for which he isn’t seen to have the acting chops. What he does have is a certain affection for publicity and scandal.
• Angelique Timms - a nightclub singer known for her close friendships with Hollywood leading men. Time was she could frequently be seen with Kent Briggs, but she’ll be attending this particularly on the arm of rival Grant Austin. She has street smarts, good looks, and a notorious temper.
• The Socialite - male or female, someone who doesn’t do much, but a party isn’t a party without them. This character might be married to someone at Baxter Pictures or another Hollywood type.
Hollywood Outsiders - these characters aren’t truly a part of the glamorous Hollywood social scene, but have made it to the party nonetheless.
• Sally Merrill (assigned) - a pretty young lady who lives in a house in Pasadena, and is said to be a secretary for the Department of Water and Power. She is a great fan of the movies, and is throwing this birthday party for Kent Briggs, as he’s a friend of hers - a very good friend, as long as no one mentions it to her family back in the Midwest.
• The Servants - two waiters borrowed for the day from Baxter Pictures, where they normally work on the lot. The help is aspiring to Hollywood greatness, but are not supposed to bother anyone with their ambitions. They are both gossipy and cutthroat, willing to forge any alliances necessary to make it.
• The Dancers (assigned) - a lady-and-gent pair of stylish dancers who make the rounds of stage shows but are now trying to get movie contracts. She wants to be the next Ginger Rogers, and he’s along for the ride.
• The Businessman - this gentleman has been known to gain entrée to some Hollywood circles but not others. He’s a wealthy businessman, but no one quite wants to ask just what his business is - there are always a couple of toughs nearby.
• Toughs - see above. They spend most of their time scowl, occasionally pause in said activity long enough to leer at girls, and have exceedingly poor manners.
Miscellaneous Other Character Ideas - if nothing above strikes your fancy, maybe one of these will intrigue you, or perhaps you’ve thought of something else entirely.
• A fencing instructor/stunt man (assigned)
• A silent film has-been (assigned)
• A Hollywood or New York restaurateur
• A brilliant but under-appreciated screenwriter
• A major fashion designer
• A studio composer who feels he’s prostituting his music
• A photographer (assigned)
• An actress-turned-Hollywood-housewife
• Musicians
• A gambler
• Someone's secretary or assistant
• A Red Scare snitch of any occupation
• A genuine communist
• An undercover G-man
• A temperamental chef (be warned - if you take this one on, we WILL put you to work!)
• A BARTENDER (we definitely need at least one of these, functionally!)
If this sounds like your idea of a good time, we want you there! If you think of a friend who might enjoy it, let me know - we can accommodate quite a few, and would love to meet fellow enthusiasts of oddball entertainments like Murder Mystery parties. The party will take place on a Saturday in AUGUST (June didn't end up working out), either the 15th or the 22nd. If one of those dates doesn't work for you, let me know, as we'll be finalizing soon.
Send me a message on here, or email me at ava.trimble@gmail.com, or message me on Facebook, from whence comes this very note. Or call me, but since this post is public, I don't want to include my phone number.
p.s. [RE the original Facebook note] I rather randomly tagged anyone I thought might be interested, until I ran out of tagging slots, so if you're interested and weren't tagged, don't take it personally! The more the merrier.
p.p.s. A couple people have contacted me expressing concerns about what to wear - don’t worry, darlings, you’ll get through it! Part of our rationale for pick the late 40s/early 50s is that the clothing, or something that resembles it, is easier to come by than that of earlier time periods. Also, this is an afternoon-into-evening garden party rather than an evening cocktail party, so that drops the level of formality a little. But of course - this is Hollywood, and I could certainly see a few starlets turning up a little too well turned out! I assure you that even if you have no idea what to wear, Lindsey or I can help you work something out. Even thrift stores are great about having things that look the part, and I know some of us have some extraneous pieces lying around. So first, talk to me and figure out a part, and then I can point you in the direction of what to wear. ALSO - for ladies in particular, if you want you can come early to have your hair and makeup done! If anyone would like to assist me in doing those things, let me know.
p.p.p.s. Lindsey and I are both perpetually broke - she's an actress and I'm putting every penny into my move back east (at the end of August), so in order to cover the pure costs of food, drinks, and (gasp) liquor, we're hoping everyone can contribute $15 each. There will be deliciousness and martinis, I promise.
EDITED 7/24 TO ADD: Lindsey (eldanorien ) and I met up yesterday for planning purposes and got a lot figured out, plus I've been in contact with more people, so the character information posted here is no longer 100% accurate - there has been a name change, several anonymous characters named, one taken character now tentatively opened up, and several characters (including some new ones) assigned. Please see my newer entry for up-to-date info - http://bygoneglamour.livejournal.com/3787.html