Ep 872 : Tyler Measom and Craig A. Williams directors of the brand-new Doc If These Walls Could Rock

All right, thanks for tuning in to another episode of Let There Be Talk. Fantastic guests today. Two guys here. Introduce yourselves. >> I'm Tyler Misum. >> I'm Craig Williams. We are the co-directors of the film If These Walls Could Rock. >> It's uh I just finished the film and uh I have a a really unique history with this hotel. I don't know if you guys know, but I'm a comedian now. And uh for 25 years before I became a a comedian, I played music. And I grew up in San Francisco area and played music there. And then do hit the first wave and destroyed San Francisco. It was it was just it was death. So I play the Viper Room and it's sold out. And I tell my band, I'm moving to LA tomorrow. This is uh weeks after September 11. And I moved to LA. And the reason I'm telling this story is my life has completely changed from the Viper Room, the Comedy Store, and the Sunset Marquee. What happens is I go to the marquee to see the studio. I'm going to track some vocals there. And I hear there's a studio in the basement. So I get there at night and there's a [ __ ] red rope and it's madness outside and I go, "What the [ __ ] is going on here?" And now I've grown up in rock and roll and I know all the hotels, but I wasn't aware of this one. I mean, I know all the rock hotels. You know, you had the Riot House, of course. San Francisco has the Phoenix Hotel. you know, New York, the Paramount, but I never knew the Sun Sunset Marquees. So, I show up there and there's this blonde wiry guy. He's all, "Hey, man, what's going on?" His name's Jay Davis. And I go, "What's happening?" He's the manager of the Whiskey Bar. And so, I I meet him and we hang out for a few weeks. He goes, "I run comedy shows." Fast forward 10 years later, I do one of his comedy shows and now I've been doing comedy for 17 years. So those three venues, the comedy store, the Viper Room, and the Whiskey Bar completely changed my life. >> Yeah. It all at the marquee. So because of this random meeting you had at the Whiskey Bar at the Sunset Marquee, it you changed career paths. >> Well, he invites me to a comedy show. I'm blown away because I loved comedy, but I hadn't watched it since I kind of dropped off around the Chris Rock era and uh Chris Rock and Martin. And so I go to one of his shows and they're famous. They're at this place called Dublin's which is right up the street. >> Oh yeah, I remember that. >> So I go there and there's these insane comedians. I'm like, "What is this? This is amazing." And um and slowly my music career started winding down and then I did a movie with Ice Cube and with some comedians and I decided I'm going to start and I call Jay and and and that's years later. But anyway, I'm watching this film and I'm just looking at that era is really the Paris Hilton, the you know the influencer start, the Lindsay Low Hands and and all of that. And I'll tell you this, the first night I was there, I was taking a piss in the bathroom, and the guy left of me is Mickey Ror, and I just go, "Oh my god." First of all, this guy is my all-time favorite drugstore cowboy uh or sorry, um Barfly and uh Diner. And he' done all these films that I love. The Pope at Greenwich Village. He hadn't done The Wrestler. That was a few years ago. But anyway, he's standing next to me and I go, "Oh, [ __ ] Mickey Roor." He goes, "Rock bottom." And I go, "Oh, [ __ ] He's drunk." And I go, "What's happening?" He goes, "You know, I once had an all gold Mercedes and I crashed it." [laughter] >> Oh my god. >> Anyway, I had to give you my opening of that place. I started hanging there quite a bit. I would see Bono in that outdoor little side bar there off the bar, the smoking area and uh Sean Penn and you know Chris Robinson and all these people, Lenny Kravis. It was insane. >> You know, you kind of summed up the beauty of the Sunset Marquee. It it it really is this unknown spot in Hollywood that is the place where everyone is. And I'll tell you, every time I go there, and we go there often, I will meet someone. I mean, Craig and I were there for lunch the other day. We're sitting next to filmmakers. The filmmakers chat us up. Two days later, she contacts me. We just, it's this place where people commune and get together and meet. And that is really the theme of the entire film. The owner, the founder, George Rosenthal, founded this hotel on the hope that artists and people could come together and meet and be a community. And by God, in today's world, when there's less and less of that and we do things like Zooms and calls and we don't get together, at that hotel is more important than ever. >> He wanted to party with Playmates, too, just to be clear. >> Yeah. Yeah, there's that. >> At at what point are you guys both uh did you grow up in LA? >> I'm an LA native. Um I I was born and raised here. actually fourth generation Angelino, very proud Angelino, which is kind of how I got this gig uh writing the book about the Sunset Marquee Hotel was I got a lot of LA history. I know a lot about the strip and that whole world. >> And what about you, Tyler? Where'd you grow up? >> No, I mean I I grew up for the most part in in in Utah, oddly enough, which is a whole different Mormon, ex Mormon, no longer Mormon story. I've been here in LA for five years now. Funny thing about Utah, I do comedy there and whenever I'm, you know, out eating at uh like a restaurant or something before I do the shows, there's always somebody will open their conversation with formally of the church. I'm like, I I get it, dude. [laughter] I didn't ask. >> Everyone there is either trying to prove how Mormon they are or not Mormon they are. It's it kind of separates the two. Yeah. Now, Craig, did you go to the marquee back at when it was the whiskey bar booming? >> I really didn't. And I'll tell you why. Uh, Dean, it's because I wasn't cool enough to go there and get in there. I mean, at the at the time that the whiskey bar was really going off, um, I was like an aspiring writer, aspiring screenwriter, and I wasn't poser enough to to try to pose there. But it actually goes back to my teenage years when I was a teenager growing up out there. I uh I was in a hair metal band as a 15-year-old, 16-year-old. I was like a nerdy honors kid and decided that my ticket to cool was to form a a hair metal band with my other nerdy honors friends. And we did it within a year. We were selling out shows at the Roxy and the Whiskey and the Trouidor and we were partying at hotels more like the Travel Lodge, you know, on Highland and Hollywood Boulevard. >> Of course, >> we wouldn't think of going to the Sunset Marquee. Like, it was just mythologically cool. and you knew that that's where Guns and Roses was hanging out and the Black Crows were hanging out and Aerosmith was hanging out and we were [ __ ] nerds. There's no way we would think about going there. Needless to say, I didn't become a rockstar, but uh I did become a writer and uh becoming a writer finally gained access to this hotel and next thing you know, I'm interviewing Slash and Steven Tyler and Chris Robinson and [ __ ] Ringo, you know? It was just like um I got access into this world that uh I'd always wanted access to. So, >> you know, don't you Craig wrote an an incredibly hilarious book uh called Mom, Have You Seen My Leather Pants? about his uh his his adventures on the Sunset Strip. And that's how we initially met is a friend of mine said, "You have to read this book." And uh I was doing a series for Paramount. I directed a series called uh uh I Want to Rock. And it was about the Sunset Strip era and people who went to the Sunset Strip to try and make it. And uh I read that book and we interviewed Craig and then he came on as a consultant/p producer and we totally hit it off. And then next thing you know Craig says, "I wrote a book about the Sunset Marquee. We should make a documentary about it." And I go, "What's that place?" I read the book. I didn't have the same kind of experience you did, Dean, at the Sunset Marquee. Um, but uh immediately after reading the book, I was like, "Yeah, [ __ ] Of course, we have to do this documentary. Do I get to interview a [laughter] Beetle?" Because there's only 12 Beatles. How many do I get to interview? And uh uh five years later now we finished the film. Is it five? Three. Feels like five, but three. [laughter] >> It's been magical. Yeah. And here it is. But yeah. >> Well, I'll tell you. Um, it's funny because in the '9s I knew about the whiskey bar at the Paramount. So, it's interesting not to have known about the Sunset Marquee as deep in rock as I was, but you know, it was always the um holy grail was the Chateau Marmmont. You know, >> that was like, oh, the Chateau, you know. So, when I first went there, and I'm telling you, it was madness. You guys show it in the uh film, you know, cars out front, the [ __ ] line, people are drunk. I saw I don't know if you had at the end of Aloma, they have those pylons that come up at night so you can't go down the road. I saw a guy burn rubber up, didn't know they were there, and plowed into those in front of all of us at 2 am. Just >> It was [ __ ] That place was nuts. I mean, >> yeah. >> I mean, way, way more nuts than any place in LA as far as rock stars per square footage. It was a box. And I never even knew the hotel existed except [laughter] for going down to the studio. >> And that's kind kind of the problem. We cover that in the film that the the hotel was, you know, the hotel was launched in 1963 >> and the whiskey bar and there was we have footage in the film and you'll literally see the lobby of the hotel filled, packed, and it's a big room. And that's not even the bar, that's the lobby. And then there's outside and this is just people pouring all around. And it kind of was at the detriment to the hotel because people couldn't get to the hotel or didn't want to get to the hotel because at that period the whiskey bar was king. >> Did you ever were you ever uh privy to interviewing those two dicks that were the door guys, the rope guys? >> I forget their names. I think one was Adam. >> We didn't we weren't privy to interview the rope guys. Um, you know, we did want to get that kind of bird's eyee view if we could. So, we did interview a bartender uh named Mia who was there for a long time. And of course, we interviewed Randy Gerber as well, >> right? >> Um, but no, we we we didn't have the opportunity. We interviewed a valet as well named Peter. He's in the film. I think he's been he's been there forever and he's got, >> you know, stories that you can't even include in the film because they're just they're >> too scandalous. Well, here's a here's a question uh have for you guys. Of course, of course, George opens it in 1963. He he helps open the Playboy Club on Sunset. He wants somewhere to stay. He's getting divorced. He builds this hotel. It's the first all suite hotel in America. Um quickly it catches on with rock and rollers. And what I don't think people don't understand is in the ' 60s, '7s, and 80s, if you had long hair, you couldn't stay at hotels. That's just how it was. You couldn't even go to Disneyland if you were a man with long hair up until about 76, I believe, or something. It was crazy. >> So, >> these places were sanctuaries, and it's amazing to see how it catches fire. the first wave of this thing through the 70s up into the 80s and you know with people like Iggy Pop and uh you know the Stones I mean the [ __ ] Stones in there you know and then it kind of dies off. Now my question here is when I start going it they have the whiskey bar and they're cleaning it up but then they just have the outdoor area but there was this prince of like Dubai that I met in there and he goes I'm staying in the bungalow next door come over and it was like if you're looking at the hotel it was to the left there on the street and it was a [ __ ] palace. Now eventually they build all this other [ __ ] in the back. Now, what I wanted to ask you was, did they own that land? Because it it's huge now. >> Yeah. They didn't actually initially own that land. So, it backed up to what was essentially like a strip mall, right? Like classic LA development [ __ ] that had a gay bath house. Um, it was Roman themed. Um, an abortion clinic. >> Wow. >> Um, just all these like very um West Hollywood type of businesses that were adjacent to the property. and it was cut off by, you know, the garden and there was a wall and the Rosenthalss for years had been trying to get this property because they had this dream of, you know, expanding it onto this onto this lot. Um, probably I think in the early 80s they had that and they weren't able to do it until 2007. >> Well, they run into this lawsuit with California. Now, I'm watching it very carefully, but I kind of miss what happens now. George, does he do something bad where California, you know, goes and sues him for billions of dollars? What does he do? >> Well, this there's a reason it's not in the film. It's kind It's a bit tedious, [laughter] >> right? >> It's a bit financial and bookkeeping as opposed to rock and roll. >> I I I kind of got to that. And what's funny is it's almost like um the Beatles documentary, you know, the last one Peter Jackson did. Uh I I do a bit about it on stage where I'm like, "Wait, George just quit the band. What What happened?" And you back it up like nine times like, "Wait, he they're eating toast and then he quits. That's what just happened with me." I go, "Hey, wait a minute. All a sudden he's in trouble. What happened here?" You know, [laughter] >> it's a fair question. Um it it ties into this company called Executive Life Insurance that George Rosen was on the board of. Um, [groaning] >> can we get back to the rules? >> And then there was [ __ ] then they all [ __ ] >> Okay. All right. [laughter] So, we'll skip on that. I get it. Now, my next question is it [ __ ] completely is run down and and there's two things I want to address right now. Uh, when I first started going there, it was chaos. And now when I go there, it is this haven of vibe. When you walk through the door and then you go to the back restaurant, you're just in there going like, "Oh, I I'm I'm Billy Bob Thornton. I want to move the [ __ ] in here and just become, you know, a tenant, man. It is unreal. It's a jungle. It's it's peaceful. There's rock photos everywhere. >> Yeah. you know, the the the the the Sunset Marquee came around in 1963 and as we mentioned in the movie, that's really the birth of rock and roll as we know it in many in many many ways. You know, that's and the hotel has really paralleled with rock and roll. At first, it was kind of rundown and crazy and party place and now that I don't think rock and roll has the kind of party and debauchery that it used to have. The marquee now has evolved in that same manner. It is a place and it is magic. I I there is something magical about that place and it it has to be when a it's built on the premise that people can come here and be themselves and enjoy themselves and you can be an artist and you can be creative and you can have a good time and that feeling has has stayed with that hotel in management and the people who work there and the ownership since its birth. Uh, but also when you have that many artists and people, there's something in the walls. I mean, Nancy Wilson says it's almost like a museum. There just has to be something there. Joe Elliot says, "Is there something in the walls here with all of the people that have stayed here and written great songs and and the air kind of changes, but it is beautiful. It unlike look most hotels, you go in, you walk through the [ __ ] lobby, you go in a elevator, and you go up to your room, you know, and that's it. The marquee is is lateral. You you walk through the lobby, you walk through the hotel, the pool area, the multiple pool areas, you walk through the restaurant, you walk through the gardens, you walk to your room, which is, you know, a place away. And if you sit long enough, you will see someone famous there. >> So, there is the opportunity to see people and to communicate. And I was there once not too long ago and I'm literally talking to Jean Simmons and Billy Corgan comes up. He's It's like they're walking to through the halls of the high school and they're like, "Hey, Billy, how you doing, Jean?" "Oh, I've got to go record this thing." And I'm just sitting there watching it all going, "I can't believe I'm seeing this." But that's what happens at the marquee. >> Yeah. You know, even now they have the um Morrison Hotel photography gallery there and they'll have big uh theme nights and I'll go and it'll just be like all of a sudden you're just back in 2001, you know, it's just full lobby there of rock stars, photographers, you know, and it it's I think that the older you get and you're into rock and roll, you enjoy fine things and peace and quiet after the madness of your show, which is what it is now for me because I do comedy every night and it's crazy on stage and then I go back to the hotel and I just want to chill with friends and that's the best time hanging with oh [ __ ] I ran into Slash and we talk the old days and it's it's it's amazing and also we're alive. [laughter] I think that's a big I think that's a big part of it for sure. The >> they're survivors and the hotel is the same way. You know, it could have died. It could have closed down. It could have been sold to a big chain. Um but it's still these this family that still owns this place and you know, it's the it's Mark Rosenthal's namesake. It was named after him. Like uh it's it's a family member. You know, they're they're very uh protective of it and want to maintain that vibe. And you know, as Tyler talks about, you will go there and see just Moresy [ __ ] sitting at the table, people watching. But they are very protective of that as well. So that if they see somebody who's there, you know, you can see the guy at the next table getting excited, holy [ __ ] that's right there. And they jump on that before it even happens. You know, they know it's it's like a private club, you know, where everybody is taken care of. And and I think that makes people feel very comfortable. >> Also, a key key thing to this, and I I I love this more than anything, familyowned. Okay. So, we've got the Whiskey, Roxy, Trouidor, uh The Rainbow, The Comedy Store. Okay. These are all still familyowned. >> Yeah. and and and the [ __ ] show that is going down on Sunset right now. To have these familyowned businesses still makes me want to support them more than ever. And uh I got to tell you, I've never stayed in the Sunset Marquee and I'm dying to go there for a couple days and just soak it in and do some podcast around the pool, you know, cuz the original idea was to do my show at the Sunset Marquee because it was called Poolside with Dean Del Rey. And I came up with the idea because I came down there hoping to interview Joe Elliott of Death Leopard. And I go, "Oh, the show's called Poolside with Dean Del Rey." and I pitched it to them, but I never got to Mark, you know. So, then it became Let There Be Talk, but that was the gold of this uh podcast. The the goal of it was to do it there. >> Oh, cool. >> Well, >> well, we should have done that. >> Oh. Oh, it it I mean, I could still do episodes there, which would be cool if I hooked up with Mark because Yeah. I mean, I'm the show is bigger than ever now. People quit podcasting and they all come to me. the rock and roll, you know, so it's it can be done, you know, but uh >> you know, and then the standard came and that was redhot for years and now that's gone, but it's going to be hot again. But the Sunset Marquee has just solded on. >> Yeah. And it is what they want it to be. You know, I think that they don't want to be the standard. They don't necessarily want to, you know, they want it to be the place where Slash can kind of hide out and feel safe and >> Yeah. Now, uh, quick question. Have you guys ever been to the Phoenix Hotel in San Francisco? >> I've not. No. >> No. No. >> Is that our sequel? >> Well, it's Well, I think that it might have just was going to close, unfortunately. So, I don't know. Google that and see. But, you know, Andy Warhol designed the pool and it's very similar. The square around the pool and strictly rock and roll. >> Yeah. I'll tell you there are so many I just finished the Led Zeppelin book and there are so many instances of them talking about particular hotels of course uh they were riot house people they have stayed at the marquee but their key time was at the uh the Hyatt House >> but they mentioned that Seattle hotel crazy [ __ ] went down I forget the name of it but that was a very rock and roll hotel right on the water >> yep >> uh >> that's the fish one >> great stories the fish one but my favorite story of that is that they what they staying there once and they didn't trash a room. And the manager said, "Why didn't Zeppelin trash a room?" And they go, "Oh, they're just tired. They didn't do it." And the manager of the hotel, said, "Man, just one time. I'd love to just trash a room." And Peter Grant, their manager, just hands over the key to his room and he goes, "Have one on Led Zeppelin." And the manager, goes up and [ __ ] trashes his own hotel room. Amazing. So, >> rock and roll. >> Rock and roll. hotels are uh just so [ __ ] cool. And what really makes them cool is the staff and that's what they really cover in this thing. Hey man, the maids were going in, the cocaine was laying around, the dudes were naked, the weeds still there, they didn't touch anything, they didn't snitch anybody off. And yeah, >> it was even interesting when George said they were talking about that what was that Garden of Allah before. That was his inspiration. I've never heard of this hotel, Garden of All. And he said that these Hollywood early silent film stars were smoking weed and doing drugs way before rock and roll was even invented. So >> yeah, that's the place where they could hide to do it because they had to hide that even more than they do now, obviously. >> Of course. But it it >> that was like Rock Manovv and F. Scott Fitzgerald and >> silent film stars. >> Yeah, Greta Garbo was there quite a bit. Chaplain hung out there. It was it was it anyone who's interested in LA history. The Garden of Alla was a a block. It was a city block of villas. It was quite remarkable. And of course now it's a >> I think it's a Ralph. >> I think it's I think it's a Ralph. I think it's [laughter] a Ralph. I tell you, man, you know, the things uh like the Sunset Marquee and the Comedy Store and um the, you know, the whiskey and the rainbow, it makes me so proud to live in Los Angeles. I I love this city uh more than anything. And I love when people are like, "Fuck those guys." I'm like, "Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Please don't come out here." You know, because the more they say that, the more I I support and fight for Los Angeles and support these familyowned businesses because, you know, you take this [ __ ] away. >> What's the Why live in LA if it's all gone? There's nothing to do. It's just a bunch of dumb buildings. Uh and then you're like, "Yeah, well, you know, used to be over here, the Viper room, and then over here was this and that." If there's nothing, you can just go live in Oklahoma, you know. >> So, we need to fight for that kind of cool [ __ ] >> Yeah. Agreed. Agreed. And fortunately, Mark Rosenthal, he loves the Sunset Marquee. It is not going anywhere. It will not be a Ralph's or as Morrisy says in the film, a Dairy Queen, >> a Goodwill or Dairy Queen. >> We don't know what Morrisy has against the Goodwill, but uh you know, he doesn't he doesn't want it to turn into that. Okay, question. They get into this trouble. The hotel is totally turned into a [ __ ] like flop hotel. There's there's holes in the wall. There's cracks all over. The place is decrepit. They win against California. Where do they get the money to redo this place? Because it is incredible. Do they get a loan somehow? What happens? Um, I think one of the keys to the Sunset Marquee is that it doesn't actually make money. I don't think it's profitable at all. The Rosenthal family, >> Mark says it's profitable, but it's not it it's definitely not the time and energy that he puts into it. >> Yes. Right. >> Yeah. I mean, they have a number of other businesses. Uh, real estate is is mostly what they make their money off of. You know, all the wineries up in Malibu, the Rosenthal Vineyards, those are all theirs. >> Wow. >> So, they they have a number of interests. film studios. All the Raleigh studios are theirs. >> Oh [ __ ] that's theirs. >> Yeah. >> So, that's primarily where they make their money. Um, he's not a big fan of uh taking out loans to have to, you know, do something like this. Um, so, you know, they they find the money elsewhere from other parts of the business to throw into this and and refinance and and all that. If you go to the marquee today, uh you will see that they are now doing a major rehaul of the older villas. >> I saw that there it is. It is under construction. It's a $30 million rebuild of this hotel. And we've walked through it. It's going to be remarkable. But with the same ideals that the hotel carried, it is still I mean, look, they do things right knowing their clientele. One of the best things about the marquee is they have the best blackout drapes of any hotel I've ever stayed in. And the rock stars say that all the time. I mean, if you are going to stay up and party till 3 in the morning, there's nothing better than a dark hotel room. Uh the new rooms they're doing are completely utterly like concrete soundproof. >> Wow. you know, so they they think of the they know that their clientele wants to keep this hotel, but they also are making some beautiful renovations to it. >> If anything, they're nervous about having a film like this that talks about the debauchery and uh rockousness of the place because they're like, "That's not what we are anymore, and we don't really want people to think that that's what we are, but you know, the story needs to be told. There's so many so much great history that's happened here that it it felt really necessary get it out there. >> But on the flip side, Kelly Osborne says she doesn't want the film to do well because she doesn't want the film to ruin the place. >> Uh you know, Billy Billy Bob says he doesn't, you know, he doesn't want people like he says, what do you say? The Plastics Corporation. He was like, that's all this hotel needs is the Plastics Corporation having conventions here. >> Question. the original rooms around the pool. The original Sunset Marquee. Um, how many rooms was it originally? >> I think it's about 144. >> Wow. Wow. >> It's actually pretty pretty decent size, you know? >> Yeah. It's three stories. >> Yeah. >> And then when did the bungalows in the front come into the mix? Because when I'm there, those were like private, you know, giant bungalows you could rent. >> Yeah. That's where, you know, the the heavy hitters started staying for extended periods. Like that's where Billy Bob's living for two years is in one of these massive villas. And it's hard to explain. I mean, they are they're not hotel rooms. They're they're houses. I mean, these are >> houses. >> They were the John Barrymore estate actually back in the in the 20s. And so they just became available and George bought one and then bought the next. And it was like Monopoly, you know, he just like moved his way up the culdesac. I think that's the other important thing here is that this is a residential street. It's on a culde-sac. It's it's surrounded by residential property. Um, and you would never know it's there in a million years. And then you have all these >> just killer villas. I mean, they're they're beautiful 1920s style uh that I don't think you find anywhere else in the world. >> Well, when I went into the one the Dubai Prince had, >> I was like, "What the [ __ ] is this?" It was just this palace. >> And he's Oh, yeah. come on in. And he just had [ __ ] guns and money laying around and [ __ ] and I was like, "This place is insane." You know, he was like a younger Dubai Prince and he was JUST LIKE ROCK AND ROLL. >> YEAH. That's Billy Bob talks about that guy. He talks about he said I was underneath him for like six months. He >> was under. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And and you'd go to the marquee and you'd be like, "This guy's going to party and he's going to pay for everything." You know, you're dead broke. you [laughter] know, he's just got shitloads of booze and oh my god, it's just >> Yeah. >> I mean, that small time, like I said, that [ __ ] building and the Viper Room and the Comedy Store have changed my life. You know, I played the Hollywood Bowl with Bill Burr last year and the and the LA Forum and the, you know, the uh Madison Square Garden and and I think about it. It's just these three [ __ ] places and 300 mile drive that changed my whole trajectory of life. You know, I I thought I was done playing rock and now here I am comedy 17 years later. >> Yeah. And look, not to not to diminish what you're saying, but we hear that all the time. There's so there's so many people who their lives changed at this place because they had the random [ __ ] meeting with the guy at the bar, the lady at the restaurant, whatever it was, and it totally changed the trajectory of their lives. >> Oh my god. >> Not to mention, people have met their mates there. I mean, there was a a deleted scene that we never finished of multiple people uh who met their wives or husbands at that place. >> Mark Rosenthal included. >> Dave Gro met his wife there. Um Richard Mark's first date there. Harry >> Con. There's also people that lost their wives because there >> it's possible. Yeah, it's possible. Those aren't as widely talked about, but yes. Very likely. >> Including including George Rosenthal. >> Oh, yeah. Exactly. [laughter] Um, George 93 now, still alive. I mean, uh, I saw he's still alive in the film, but I just wanted to make sure he was still, you know, >> he is still kicking and he still calls Mark multiple times a day to talk about some deal or another and where are we going to get the financing for blah blah blah and it's [ __ ] sharp physically. He's just having a hard time. He's got some back trouble and things like that. And >> right, >> you know, when you're a guy like that, you know, he's he's has a similar vibe to like Hef, you know, and once he starts deteriorating physically, like he's a little self-conscious about being out in public. Doesn't want people to see him with the shaky hands or whatever. But >> yeah, >> you know, that guy uh talk about a vibe. I mean, the place really is a reflection of hanging out with that guy. Yeah. >> Well, anybody that supports rock and roll just gets it, you know, uh, all the way down to Jimmy Ivan. I mean, the history of him bringing the Born to Run acetates there. E Street Band staying. Bruce goes upstairs, plays it, throws it in the [ __ ] pool. Then they got the Time and Life in the lobby. He throws those in the pool and it becomes the best record he's ever [ __ ] made, you know, in my eyes. >> And, uh, that Bruce's influence of the marquee. I mean that he talks about it all the time. He talks about him and Tom Petty would hang out there. Just all these things we couldn't do. There's a great recording of of him playing at the whiskey and it's one of the [clears throat] greatest moments. It's on his album. God, I forget the name of it. >> But that was the day when he was at the marquee and he he talks about it in his book how he was on the cover of life and and and time, right? and he looked at the two and he went up into his room at the Sunset Marquee. And this is a turning moment for for Bruce Springsteen when he just goes, "Do I want this?" And I just imagine him sitting in his hotel room at the Sunset Marquee, sitting at the edge of his bed thinking, "Do I want this? Is this what I want? Is this what I want out of my life?" And then of course he goes, "Yeah, of course this is what I want. This is what I signed up for." And that night he goes to the Whiskey and it's one of the greatest [ __ ] shows of all time. >> Oh, no. The Roxy. >> The Roxy. Yeah, the Roxy show with Bruce Springsteen. >> Well, I got that on bootleg. It's insane. >> Yeah, it's amazing. And I forget the song, but he goes on this diet tribe right in the middle about his father didn't want him to be >> Oh, yeah. >> Come on. Help me out here, Craig. >> I'll get to it. >> Except I mean, that's a pivotal moment, man. There's some great black and white photos of him also at the end of Altaloma and uh sunset and he's just looking down sunset and this black leather jacket and it's just [ __ ] >> Oh yeah, it's great shot. >> Yeah, great shots, man. >> Yeah, there's a other stories that we didn't, you know, just have the time for with him. >> Of course. Didn't he uh he helped Bob Seager write his seinal record that I can't think of the name of >> at the hotel >> Against the Wind. He said every night they would meet they'd meet for breakfast him and Bob Seager and then they'd go off and record their albums uh and then they'd come back and compare notes. And that was the Against the Wind album. Um >> isn't it crazy that they had no room service till like the 90s or something? >> Yeah. You would you would pick up your phone and order from Green Blat's Deli. >> Yeah. Which is [ __ ] gone. >> Which is gone. >> And it's my all-time favorite deli on the planet. And it's gone. You know, >> I hop. I don't know. >> Yeah. And and you know, Magic Castle's hanging in there. That's another classic. >> Yes. Absolutely. [laughter] >> Well, okay. August 14th, you could see it at the Sunset. Uh it was the Sunset movie theaters. >> Landmark Sunset. Yep. >> Yeah. That's in the strip mall there, right? The old Paul or uh what's his name? Uh what was it called? Sundance Theaters, right? >> Yeah. Right across Chatau. >> Yeah, there it is. And then it's on Amazon and what? Apple. >> Yes, sir. >> Yeah, Apple TV. Not the streaming service. You It is Apple Apple Digital, formerly known as iTunes. Um which you can purchase the film for $6.99. I'll tell you, it is worth it. >> Oh, it's great. >> It's worth it. And if you want to uh buy it off of our website, if thesewalls could rock.com, it's only $5.99 on our website. And when you do that, you get bonus materials. And let me tell you these bonus materials. We interviewed like we interviewed Billy Bob Thornton for >> what? Four, five hours. >> Like he just went and went and went and went and he gave us gold. And it was unfortunate that we couldn't obviously put it all in the film, but what we did is we had extras. We had bonus scenes that we created. So, we have another 15 minutes of a Billy Bob interview. 10 minutes of Jean Simmons, 10 minutes of Sharon Osborne and Kelly Osborne. Um, who else did we have? >> That guy Morrisy. >> That guy Moresy. So, if you buy it off our website, A, you don't give money to the corporate overlords of Amazon and Apple. >> Great. >> Uh, B, you you get the bonus content for free. And I got to tell you, it is it is worth it. Those edit interviews are >> remarkable. >> Did Bruce just give you the music >> uh for Born to Run? >> Yeah, >> we actually we were able to fair use that clip because it was short. Um Okay, cool. >> You know, Bruce, we actually finished the movie. We pre premiered the movie. >> Um and then Bruce after trying to get Bruce for about two years to be in the film, he finally said, "Yeah, I'll do it. I'll do it on this date." >> Um and you know, we unfortunately weren't able to be there. uh you know he did it on the heels of another uh another interview and so we had to reopen the film and recut and re-edit and remix and everything but Bruce was worth it. film done with the film again, Dean about a month ago and we learned that uh Miranda Lambert has a new record coming out and her first single is called Sunset Marquee and it's all about the Sunset Marquee and it's like this cool country disco song that we uh had to open up the film again and have that credit song. >> Um so never heard before single by Miranda Lambert is in the song. >> That's killer. Is the studio still open? >> Studio is still open. >> So great. So great, man. I love that place. You talk to Mark, tell him I want to stay two nights and I'll interview him there. >> Okay. >> It'll be great to interview him in that damn place and walk around, you know. >> Yeah. >> Yeah, we'll mention it. Absolutely. Team, do you can you contact Kim and uh we'll see if we can make that happen. >> I can't even tell you how much I love the place. it >> when they reached out to have you guys on. I said yes before I even I was just like yes. It's like yeah it's a documentary on the sunset. Yes. [laughter] >> You know you you epitomize the sunset marquee in a way. You just epitomize that gumption and that Hollywood dreaming and that communication and connection. I mean isn't that what you're doing with this podcast? You're connecting. You're telling people about things. your that is that is the Sunset Marquee uh in a nutshell. So, we're grateful that you had us on. We're grateful that the Sunset Marquee had a smidge to do with your >> uh career and that it comes back that you can have us on talking about the movie because look, you're this is a great film. It's not just about rock and roll. It's a beautiful father and son story. Um, it's about community and communication. And there's a moment in there when Dave Gro talks about the importance of artists getting together. And I am convinced of that. We are artists. And and he said something. He said, you know, sometimes it's just good to get together face to face >> and I don't think we have that enough anymore. So >> no, you know, the the the you know, my whole thing is uh I'm not a get off my lawn Clint Eastwood. [ __ ] this. But I went to see The Odyssey a couple nights ago and I'm in the theater with tons of people and I was like, "Yeah, man. [ __ ] your vertical uh TV ideas, you know? Sure, whatever. For some, you know, for some dumb stuff of like a guy riding a wheelie and crashing. Yeah, that's funny [ __ ] But not for art, man. You know, not for art." And uh and that's the bean counters that are pushing that, you know, pushing it to this. And I like this, you know. So that's what this is. Anytime I see something that is historic with rock and roll and Los Angeles, I'm in. >> Well, it's almost like they're they're afraid of us to get together and >> that. >> That's what they are. they are because you know when the gatekeepers lose control uh then they they don't can't pay their multiple mortgages. So >> that's right. >> Thanks for doing the show, guys. >> Thanks for having us, Dean. Love it. >> Email me. >> And uh I told Bill Burr about it. He's dying to see it. And uh >> and I'll be telling everybody about it obviously when this comes out in uh two weeks. I'll drop it in a couple Mondays from now. >> If uh you want to share a link with anybody, we can definitely help that out for you and we can >> Is there an Instagram for it? >> Yeah, of course. >> If these walls could rock. >> Great. And I'll tag the clips on your Instagram and collab with you and you guys can uh accept the collaboration. >> Send you an email right now, Dean. We'd love to see you at the Sunset Marquee. >> I'm in on that. >> Throw a TV out [clears throat] of a hotel room. >> Oh, [ __ ] yeah. Oh, man. Before we go, how about Green Day? >> Yeah. I mean, imagine being Green Day. You're [ __ ] You're like a teenager and somebody gives you a bunch of money and you're now you're sitting in a bar and [ __ ] drinking with Jeff Beck or whatever. >> Yeah. Painting the carpets green and and making Oh, man. They those guys were [ __ ] out of out of control. There's a there's a in in the uh in the administrative office of the Sunset Marquee, there's a poster of uh Green Day and on it uh I think it was Billy Ray signed uh uh Sunset Marquee. Billy Joe uh uh sorry for the And then it just dot dot dot. >> Yeah, they booted him out like, "Okay, you're you're kicked out for 30 days, then they come back, they [ __ ] up again. You're kicked out for 90 days, they come back, they [ __ ] up again." [laughter] I Matt Sorum, the drummer for Guns and Roses, he tells a story about hanging out with them and going into one of their rooms. >> Yeah. >> And taking all of the furniture and what did he put it on the ceiling? >> Glued it to the ceiling or something. >> Yes, he glued [laughter] it ceiling. Hilarious. >> All of the furniture glued it to the ceiling. So, yeah. Rock and roll. >> All right. Thank you guys. >> Thank you, Dean. >> I'll see you. >> All right. Have a good one.