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Mysteries of the "Miss Beatnik Contest" photo |
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js 
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 Posted: 29 Oct 2015 at 5:18pm |
Yeah, thats her, she doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the group.
Did the other two, Shaunna Lea or Jan Vandaveer, live with you and Sammy too? Jan Vandaveer looks like a live wire, like somebody who could get you in a lot of trouble, ha. Just curious, why is Jan way in the background for the photo? |
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patti.mccrory
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Posted: 02 Nov 2015 at 3:11pm |
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I didn't know the girl in the back, but Shaunna was a beautiful red head, & lived with us...also modeled.
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js
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Posted: 02 Nov 2015 at 7:01pm |
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I've always been interested in late 50s to early 60s California culture, life before the big hippie invasion.
What was some of the music you'll were into, favorite styles of music or favorite artists? Who or what would you be listening to at parties etc, and who would you go see live at clubs?
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patti.mccrory
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Posted: 03 Nov 2015 at 8:00am |
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Actually I was too young to get into clubs. I got away with it in Louisiana, but not in L. A. We listened to Jazz, June Cristi (Christi?), Julie London, and believe it or not, Frank Sinatra ("Only the Lonely" album) & Les Baxter.....his music with the drums & nature sounds in the background. Most late afternoons or evenings, we'd gather around the bongo & conga players & dance. That was my favorite time. My surfer boyfriend played the bongos. That was the closest thing to work he ever came to. You don't remember, but there was a popular TV show out at the time called "Dobbie Gillis." The Beatnik on the show was Maynard, & his favorite expression was "Work? Work? What, me work?!" We didn't own TV's, but later when I moved into the city & worked for the Dodgers, we rented one. Oh yeah, forgot to mention my favorite Nina Simone. I still cannot listen to her without crying a bit.
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js
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Posted: 03 Nov 2015 at 9:19am |
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"My surfer boyfriend played the bongos. That was the closest thing to work he ever came to."
 I'm a big fan of Les Baxter, his records are very collectable now and I found quite a few in good shape at thrift stores in San Francisco in the 90s. I also like Maynard on Dobie Gillis. Bob Denver (later Gilligan) was a childhood hero of mine, ha ha. What clubs did you go to in Louisiana, would this be New Orleans? I would imagine New Orleans would be about the only city in the south to have a beat scene at that time.
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patti.mccrory
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Posted: 03 Nov 2015 at 11:06am |
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Okay, the "computer genius" is replying to these questions. I wrote a LONG e-mail replying to this recently, but it was returned as "no-reply site" or something. If you can pull it up, and do your thing, let me know. If not, I'll answer you questions again. Thanx
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js
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Posted: 03 Nov 2015 at 11:39am |
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I am really sorry if a long answer got lost, just know that websites and computers are a big aggravation for all of us.
Make sure you're logging in under the right name, remember we corrected your site name, watch out for default setttings that use your original name. Also, sometimes this forum will tell you something didn't post, when actually it did, this happens to me a lot. All the same, don't get discouraged, your stories are priceless. Let me know if there are more problems.
Edited by js - 05 Nov 2015 at 6:01am |
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js
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Posted: 03 Nov 2015 at 9:30pm |
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Here is a picture of Dana Barron, daughter of Joyce Barron. I think she has a strong resemblance to the picture of Sammy. Let me know what you think. Click on the link. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0057654/?ref_=nm_dyk_trv1
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patti.mccrory
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Posted: 04 Nov 2015 at 4:28pm |
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The album (googled it) by Les Baxter was "Quiet Village." I loved the sounds, & still buy flute, nature, etc. cd's. My
youngest daughter had her pic taken with the crew from Gilligan's
Island....I believe in Florida (or Hawaii) on her Honeymoon. (most of
the cast) My
favorite hangout on Bourbon St. in New Orleans was Papa Joe's. At the
time it had a fabulous jazz juke box, and nothing more...but a lot of
happy people. I understand it was made into a pretty big club before
Katrina. I don't know what it is now, and don't care. It's so nasty
now. The "boy next door" in Natchitoches, LA (Steel Magnolias) and
later a movie critic, etc., Red Reed, and I were joined at the hip. His
parents moved to Baton Rouge later. We put our black turtle necked
sweaters & shades (sun glasses) on in the middle of Summer, &
hit a Jazz bar there. Sweat was pouring off of us as we stumbled and
fell over everything there! We were just trying to be "cool." I was
suppose to move to Hollywood & act, & he was going to New York
& write....whoever made it first was suppose to help the other out.
Let's just say that he had more discipline than I. Everytime I played
Edith Piaf I thought about our High School days and how much we adored
her! |
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js
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Posted: 05 Nov 2015 at 5:56am |
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Ha ha, a beat scene of two people, thats great, what can be more important than being cool.
 I'm sure you have a typo up there, I'm sure you meant Rex Reed, which is awesome, I don't suppose you'll ever talk anymore? Also, I was wondering what year did you give up on California and move back home. As you know, California was about to change a lot over the rest of the 60s.
Edited by js - 05 Nov 2015 at 5:57am |
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patti.mccrory
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Posted: 29 Nov 2015 at 11:56am |
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Let me know if you get this. I don't know what in hades I'm doing. Just returned from Houston & trying to figure this out.....again. Rex and I make contact once a year. After yrs of making fun of our home town, Natchitoches, LA, & the movie, "Steel Magnolias" they talked him into returning for captain of some huge parade there. I thought it was comical.
I stayed in Venice for awhile longer, since San Francisco was the "dirty hippie city." We even posed in a bath tub on the beach full of bubbles with the caption "Beatniks bathe." Last I heard, a couple of my charcoals were still hanging in Big Daddys. My granddaughter & her boyfriend made it a point to visit there, & my granddaughter had many pics taken pointing to me by tourist. She's my little Flower Child.. |
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patti.mccrory
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Posted: 29 Nov 2015 at 5:46pm |
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Sorry, forgot to answer your question concerning leaving L. A. I got a 20th Century New Acting Class deal. It was a real joke...mostly spoiled little girls with actor-parents. The coolest guy I met on the acting class circuit was that cute little guy that played on Father Knows Best. Everyone encouraged me to go to New York, & convinced me that I was "New York" not Hollywood. I then moved to New York, & know I will upset many, but hated it! I had no desire to mingle in the Village, & Rex was in the middle of his love life, so I joined Minsky's Follies & transferred to Vegas. There are several stories in between these lines, but too long, etc.
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js
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Posted: 29 Nov 2015 at 7:24pm |
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Thanks Patti, there's a lot of info there to get back to, in the meanwhile, I wanted to make sure you saw this link with the woman who may be your friend Sammy's actor child.
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patti.mccrory
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Posted: 30 Nov 2015 at 4:46pm |
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Honestly, I don't know. anyone can resemble anyone in that biz. somehow I doubt very seriously if Joyce (Sammie) could possibly do stage acting; could be wrong tho. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then. Have they any idea who her father is? I did see her in Lampoon Vacation tho...was precious!
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patti.mccrory
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Posted: 30 Nov 2015 at 8:00pm |
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Okay. I was bored, so googled (& all that Jazz) Dana & Joyce McCord. It was quite confusing, as I still can't picture Joyce as a stage actress. Also, I didn't see any recent pics of her. I do believe that Dana is her daughter, however, and a cute one at that. Do you have any recent pics of Joyce (Sammy)? I read somewhere in the bio that Dana's mom was from Alabama. Now that makes total sense as she had a very thick southern accent. She told us all that she and her "sister" were from Texas. Her sister had an accent too & was a beautiful blonde. Those are the 2 I saw in Vegas.
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js
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Posted: 30 Nov 2015 at 8:36pm |
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I did not find any recent pics of Joyce (Sammy), but I have seen a bio somewhere, I'll look around for it, but as I recall, she moved to NYC and married a preacher, I think her kids moved back to California to be actors. I'll look around and see if I can find it.
As for her daughter Dana, I see a very strong resemblance to the Sammy in the original Miss Beatnik photo, look at her mouth in particular, the eyes are quite similar too, ... but maybe I'm wrong.
Edited by js - 30 Nov 2015 at 8:56pm |
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mmcleod
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Posted: 30 Nov 2015 at 9:03pm |
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My name is Melanie Mcleod. My mother is Patti McCrory -/in the beatnik pic - I have been working on a book about her years in Venice beach , Vegas and Laurel Canyon. She has led a remarkable life and is a wonderful source of a bygone era. I owe my free spirit and courage to fly outside the box to her. I teach biology and astronomy - her experiences with the early space program are just unbeatable. She still has the "beat". I have many pics my daughters have found in cyberspace. When I can find the pic attachment I will post them. My daughter Miriam had visited Venice beach recently and the old coffee shop is still there. I adore my mother She is forever young and will always be one cool cat [URL= ][/URL][EMAIL= ][/EMAIL][EMAIL= ][/EMAIL][URL= ][/URL]
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js
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Posted: 30 Nov 2015 at 9:56pm |
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Hi Melanie, and thanks so much for joining. Let me know if you need any help.
We are hoping this thread will become a meeting place for all the fans of that photo, plus late 50s-early 60s California, beat culture etc. When I do google searches about that photo, this thread usually comes out first. This, of course, will be a great place to promote your book too. I'm about to head out for the night, but I'll be around a lot tomorrow.
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patti.mccrory
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Posted: 30 Nov 2015 at 10:22pm |
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sammy married a preacher you say? I can't say anything.....I did too, the 3rd time. He was in the Prison Ministry....should have been IN the prison!! This reminds me of that song "Son of a Preacher Man"....in fact Sammy sort of favors that beautiful brunette that sang it. Heck, I think she (Bobbie Gentry?) was from Alabama too? Must be something in the water!
Yes, looking a bit closer, Dana has certain features that remind me of her mom. beautiful girl! |
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patti.mccrory
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Posted: 30 Nov 2015 at 10:26pm |
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My daughter also has a pic of me & my pseudo-intellectual poetry (?) reading freaks at Ricky Nelson's house. Ricky loved him some little beatniks! His mom wasn't too keen on his choice tho. I met Dennis Hopper there. Now, he was born a Beatnik! A very cool guy till the end! In fact, his home (cool home) was built on Venice Beach.
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patti.mccrory wrote: