January 3, 2017 (Tosh's Diary)

January 3, 2017

My favorite actress is  ZaSu Pitts.   I was fortunate enough to see the original version of “Greed,” made by Erich Von Stroheim.  Or I should mention that I saw the entire 85 hours of footage.  Of course, it took longer to watch the damn film, due to bathroom breaks, meals, sleep, and the need to get out and see the natural life.   ZaSu’s (pronounced as “Say Zoo”) intensity in that film was a marvel, and I often think of her when I think of money.  Somewhere in my house, I have the 8mm copy of “Greed.”  It’s in one of the boxes that I have stored in our storage shack in our yard.  "Greed" has been on my mind lately because I should share the footage with others.   I have been told that this film footage is very rare, and only a few has seen the complete version of “Greed.”  

An idea came to mind.  Why don’t I have a public screening of the 85 hours of “Greed,” as a fundraiser for the Trump statue?   I called all the non-profit spaces in Los Angeles to see if they would sponsor my fundraiser, but oddly enough, they all turned me down.   This is not a hinderance.  I will arrange a showing of the film at my house.  I will rent a big screen, and perhaps with the help of Sammy’s Camera, I can find an 8mm projector.  I just hope that I can find all the original 8mm films because there must be a lot of them.

My understanding is that ZaSu was a life long Republican.  Perhaps I can tie that in with the benefit.  Since the theme of ‘Greed” is about wealth, and my understanding is that many Republicans are concerned with that subject matter.   In today’s world, one has to take an idea and explore the entire area around it.  A film is not just a film.  It represents a culture.  Therefore I need to give this showing a whole spectacle, for audiences to come.  No spectacle, then no culture, which means no statue for Trump.