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Event
Weho Reads: Hollywood Pictures
Tom Gregory presents "Talking Pictures", a lecture/presentation based on his unique collection of vintage signed photos from Hollywood's yesteryear. This presentation is part of The City of West Hollywood's "Weho Reads", a citywide celebration of reading. This year's chosen book is about the Golden Times of Tinseltown, The Age of Dreaming by Nina Revoyr. During his talk Tom Gregory will showcase never-before-seen pictures from his forty-nine years of collecting. He tells stories of the people behind the pictures and the commitment that has fueled his life-long passion.
This event is free, but RSVPs are requested.
Location/Time: *City Council Chambers at the Weho Library from 5:00-6:00pm
Gregory's forums include the Huffington Post, his self-produced online sitcom entitled Gregory Way TV, social media, as well as many entertainment blogs. He has been featured on Leeza Gibbons' internationally syndicated program Hollywood Confidential, CNN, E!, Fox News, NBC, and most recently Japan's "Hello! Japan."
Throughout his media pursuits, Gregory's personal style is a disarming cocktail of urbane wit, exuberance for his subject matter, and a gentle, abiding charm. Content-wise, his perspective blends arts and pop culture savvy with clearly communicated passion for social change. Out of this comes Gregory's trademark mix of old world savoir-faire and a down-to earth delivery --- a welcome change from the sugar-coated delivery of today's entertainment commentators.
It's a persona that's been a lifetime in the making. Gregory's love for film started at age three when his mother began educating him about the stars they would watch on the afternoon TV movies. Another early childhood revelation came when his imagination was captured by a box of photos of Hollywood icons that had been left behind by the previous occupant of a house his grandmother purchased. Gregory became an avid film and television junkie. When he moved to Los Angeles in the early '80s, he brought the photos with him. He reached out to stars that were still alive to have them sign their images, concurrently he began the "big bang" of expanding his collection with hard-fought acquisitions from clandestine corners of the world.
Today, Gregory is the world's foremost collector of archival Hollywood photographs of the highest quality, all of them signed by their legendary subjects - many of them by significant photographers. Included among the rarest photos are: a shot of Marilyn Monroe circa 1955 personalized to James Dean; an image of Boris Karloff in full Frankenstein monster regalia; and an exquisite portrait of Greta Garbo that is one of only a few known copies in the world. His cache of autographed photographs has been called "the collection of a generation."
Gregory has added important Hollywood memorabilia to his collection, a pursuit that has afforded him the opportunity to support non-profit organizations. At a 2006 charity auction benefiting Variety: The Children's Charity of Southern California, he was the winning bidder of the cowboy shirts worn by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain. In early 2009, another sartorial treasure entered his possession when he won a suit, shirt, tie and campaign pin worn by Sean Penn during his Oscar-winning performance in Milk. That auction also benefited Children's Charity as well as New York's Hetrick-Martin Institute, home of Harvey Milk High School. Gregory is an avid collector of art. He counts Piet Mondrian, Marsden Hartley, several Joan Mitchells, and original water colors from Warhol's first NYC gallery show among his greatest - and most recent acquisitions.
Being a modern day ambassador of classic Hollywood - and an all-around gentleman is something Tom Gregory wears extremely well. "A great film," he says, "is like a warm fire, it's comfortable and cozy. You light a fire, start up a meaty flick, sit back, immerse, and enjoy."
This event follows a short intermission after the Weho Reads event 'Hollywood Places'.
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LocationWest Hollywood City Council Chambers/Screening Room (View)
625 San Vicente Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
United States
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