Celebrate the Past and Future of Angels Flight with a Film Noir Fundraiser and New Mobile App Designed by Descendant of Railway Founder

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Kim Cooper

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Oct 16, 2015, 11:54:27 AM10/16/15

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WHAT: Angels Flight Railway Fundraiser with "M" (1951) film screening and historic Bunker Hill and Angels Flight lecture and film clips.

WHO: Welcome remarks by Hal Bastian of the Angels Flight Railway Foundation. Illustrated lecture by Bunker Hill historian Nathan Marsak. Film "M" introduced by producer Harold Nebenzal. Event curated by Richard Schave and Kim Cooper (Esotouric / LAVA – The Los Angeles Visionaries Association).

WHERE: The Million Dollar Theatre, 307 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013

WHEN: Thursday, November 5, 2015, 7:00pm to 11:00pm.

COST: Tickets are $35 (tax deductible), and all proceeds benefit Angels Flight Railway.

EVENT LINK: http://angelsflight.org/m-angelsflight/

MOBILE APP LINK: http://angelsflight.org/app/

SAVE ANGELS FLIGHT CAMPAIGN: http://www.esotouric.com/saveangelsflight

On September 5, 2013, Downtown's beloved funicular railway Angels Flight, Historic-Cultural Monument #4, was taken out of commission following a minor incident.

The operator of Angels Flight and numerous licensed professional engineers and the LAFD have concluded that safety issues have been addressed. The Railway is in safe working order, and has been since early 2014. However, because of the views of a now-retired NTSB investigator, the California Public Utilities Commission will not permit the vintage passenger cars to carry patrons until a track-adjacent evacuation walkway, which experts have written is unnecessary and even a foreseeable hazard, is installed alongside the track, the cables, and the electric third rail. And so 749 days after that minor incident, Angels Flight has yet to resume operation, and the cars and track structure have become defaced with graffiti.

In July, L.A. historians Richard Schave and Kim Cooper (Esotouric / LAVA – The Los Angeles Visionaries Association) launched a grassroots community group, The Angels Flight Friends and Neighbors Society (http://www.esotouric.com/saveangelsflight), and sought help from Mayor Eric Garcetti. The Mayor responded by asking Metro to produce a report, which is expected any day now. The Angels Flight FANs are encouraged by the Mayor's involvement, and hopeful that his office and Metro can help get the funicular running again.

But every day that Angels Flight remains out of service, there are still ongoing costs to "Keep the Lights On" – insurance, electricity and funicular maintenance.

That's why Schave and Cooper built a new Angels Flight website (http://angelsflight.org) with a seamless donation button, and why they're organizing a very special Film Noir Fundraiser at the Million Dollar Theatre on Broadway in Downtown L.A. on Thursday, November 5, 7-11pm. Tickets are $35 (a tax-deductible donation), with all proceeds going to support "Keeping the Lights On" at Angels Flight Railway as the Angels Flight Railway Foundation continues to seek a solution for the funicular's regulatory issues.

Come support this beloved L.A. landmark by attending an action-packed evening celebrating the past and future of Angels Flight Railway.

NOVEMBER 5 FUNDRAISER LINE UP:

• Hal Bastian, President of the Angels Flight Railway Foundation, will introduce the proceedings. (web link - http://www.halbastian.com/)

• Remarks from Richard Schave of The Angels Flight Friends and Neighbors Society. (web link - http://www.esotouric.com/saveangelsflight)

• A 45-minute illustrated talk by Nathan Marsak, LAVA's 2015 Visionary of the Year, about the lost Victorian neighborhood of Bunker Hill and Angels Flight's importance to the community. Included will be many rare images from Nathan's personal collection. Nathan will also introduce a series of short film clips featuring Angels Flight through the decades. (web link - http://www.lavatransforms.org/lavavisionary2015)

• A screening of the Film Noir classic "M" (Joseph Losey, 1951) introduced by Harold Nebenzal, who with his father, Seymour Nebenzal, produced the film with its stunning location photography on Bunker Hill and in the Bradbury Building. (Seymour Nebenzal also produced the original, German version of "M" (Fritz Lang, 1931).

Variety's original review: "'M' is a remake of picture produced in Germany by Seymour Nebenzal in 1931. Principal change is its shift in locale, presumably to California. David Wayne, as the killer of small children, is effective and convincing. Luther Adler, as a drunken lawyer member of a gangster mob, turns in an outstanding performance, as do Martin Gabel, the gang-leader, and Howard da Silva and Steve Brodie as police officials. Story is that of a killer (Wayne), whose only victims are children. The city is up in arms over failure of the police to nab the murderer. A series of raids by police is hampering the activities of a crime syndicate headed by Gabel. Mob knows it cannot continue with its floating dice games, bookie joints and other enterprises until the killer is caught. To protect his rackets, Gabel orders his gang to catch the killer. Joseph Losey's direction has captured the gruesome theme skillfully."

Please join the Angels Flight Railway Foundation and The Angels Flight Friends and Neighbors Society for an evening of cinematic thrills and historical enlightenment, dedicated to the preservation and return to service of Downtown's beloved Angels Flight Railway.

The Angels Flight Friends and Neighbors Society is also delighted to announce the launch of a free Angels Flight Railway mobile app, available for iPhone and Android from http://angelsflight.org/app/

The app was built by Chris Cherryholmes, the great, great grandson of Colonel Eddy, the man who built Angels Flight in 1901, in collaboration with his son, Josue, as a community service by their development company, Trinity Mobile Apps (http://www.trinitymobileapps.com).

Of his work creating the Angels Flight app, Chris Cherryholmes says, "When I was contacted by the Foundation there was no doubt that we would help. The Angels Flight was designed and built by our family and our family will help to keep her alive."

The Angels Flight mobile app features a history of Angels Flight, vintage and contemporary photos and film clips of the funicular in action, a link to the On Bunker Hill local history blog, a map of nearby tourist attractions, a Downtown events calendar, a handy Find Your Car parking tool, a Fan Wall for sharing thoughts about Angels Flight, information about the Angels Flight Railway Foundation, a donation link and newsletter signup. Plus stay tuned for important updates in the campaign to restore the funicular to service.