Thursday Thirteen #401

Welcome to Danville, IL. I've long heard of Danville. Rob Petrie of The Dick Van Dyke Show often referred to it as his hometown. I thought it was a made-up TV place, like Bryant Park or Pine Valley. But Danville has been on the news a lot recently because it really was Gene Hackman's hometown. So I did a little investigating ...

1. It's 142 miles and approx 3 hours away from Chicago.

2. Abraham Lincoln once practiced law at the Vermilion County Courthouse in Danville.

3. In addition to Gene Hackman, celebrities born in Danville include cabaret performer Bobby Short, Jerry (Coach) Van Dyke, Donald (Singin' in the Rain) O'Connor and Dick Van Dyke. In Danville they are known as "The Famous Five."

4. The cultural heart of Danville is the Fischer Theater, which originally opened in 1884. The Famous Five came home in 1988 for a black-tie benefit to save the Fischer from the wrecking ball. 

At the fundraiser for the Fischer.

 

5. The above photo was displayed in Gene Hackman's Santa Fe home. After the theater renovation was completed, Dick Van Dyke returned to Danville to put his handprints in cement in front of the Fischer. Clearly this small-town theater meant a great deal to two world-famous performers.

6. The population of Danville is approx. 29,000.

7. The town is named for Dan Beckwith, He was one of the explorers who discovered a brine, or salt, spring in the river that runs through the area.

8. In the 19th century, residents supported themselves as fur traders and coal miners.

9. Today, Danville's major employers are in healthcare and retail.

10. Danville has a large VA medical center.

11. Students attend Danville Area Community College (DACC) and cheer the Danville Dans baseball team.

12. The holidays in Danville are special because of the annual Festival of Trees. This exhibit of more than 130 Christmas trees and wreaths raises funds for family healthcare initiatives. 

13. In summer there's Balloons over Vermilion. Crowds enjoy live music and food as they watch hot air balloons take off from Danville's Vermilion Regional Airport. Funds raised have benefited Danville public schools.

RIP, Gene Hackman.

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I'd Rather Be Lonely Alone

The Oscars were difficult for me this year. Not because the show wasn't good. It started early and, at least in my humble opinion, didn't drag. But the traditional telecast made me miss my departed friends, Henry and John.

How Henry would have loved Conclave! He was raised in the Catholic Church and proud that he was educated by Jesuits. Henry did indeed find God in all things, and it wounded him desperately that, as a gay man, he was precluded from the pageantry and music he dearly loved. I worshiped with him at his Key West church, MCC, and teased him it was like sharing a pew with a Kardashian because everyone knew him. Even though his fellow congregants came island casual, Henry always chose his church clothes with care. He would literally take my hand when it was time for communion. My church doesn't offer it so it's not a big deal to me. But oh! Communion meant so much to him and he wanted me to take the sacrament because he loved me. So I would have loved to discussing Conclave with him, asking him specifically about Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci) and Cardinal Benitez of Kabul. I would have loved to have watched his face as he took in the red robes, black habits and white umbrellas. Back in 2016 he told me that seeing Pablo Larrain's Jackie with me made it better. I know what he meant. I miss him so.

I swear I could hear John complaining during the Oscars. During the tribute to Quincy Jones, Queen Latifah sang "Ease on Down the Road." HELL NO, he would say. His goddess, Diana Ross, performed the song in The Wiz. She also worked with Jones on "We Are the World," and she was an Oscar nominee herself. We often discussed how the entertainment world doesn't give Miss Ross the credit she deserves. The Grammys got it right when they had her close the show. It brought John such joy to see her in sequins and a big, big weave. So here she is in Grammy glory. This is for you, Buddy.

I loved these men so. I belong to a movie group and didn't need to watch the Oscars alone. But if even if I had gone to a viewing party, I still would have been lonely and I find it's easier to be lonely all alone.