"Viva Hollywood" and a Spotlight on Leo Carrillo

ABOUT THE PRESENTATION: Luis I. Reyes, author of Viva Hollywood: The Legacy of Latin and Hispanic Artists, new from Turner Classic Movies and Running Press, will put the spotlight on Leo Carrillo. Best known today as the loveable sidekick Pancho on the popular 1950s television series The Cisco Kid, Carrillo  is a founding member of The Los Angeles Breakfast Club. Besides having a California State Beach named in his honor , Carrillo was an actor with a five-decade career, a cultural preservationist, and was the most influential Mexican-American in California during the first half of the 20th century. 

Copies of Viva Hollywood will be for sale courtesy of Lary Edmunds Bookshop. Luis Reyes will be happy to autograph your book! 

ABOUT THE BOOK: Through an authoritative narrative and lavish photography, this book from Turner Classic Movies and Running Press is an in-depth history of the stars, films, achievements, and influence of the Hispanic and Latino community in Hollywood history from the silent era to the present day.

Overcoming obstacles of prejudice, ignorance, and stereotyping, this group has given the world some of its most beloved stars and told some of its most indelible stories. Viva Hollywoodexamines the stars in front of the screen as well as the people behind-the-scenes who have created a rich legacy across more than 100 years.  The role of Latin women on screen is explored through the professional lives of Dolores Del Rio, Rita Hayworth, Raquel Welch, Salma Hayek, Penélope Cruz, and many more. The book covers the films and careers of actors ranging from silent screen idol Antonio Moreno, to international Oscar-winning star Anthony Quinn, to Andy Garcia and Antonio Banderas. A spotlight is also given to craftspeople who elevated the medium with their artistry—visionaries like cinematographer John Alonzo, Citizen Kane scenic artist Mario Larrinaga, and Oscar-winning makeup artist Beatrice de Alba.  The stories of these and many others begins through a lens of stereotyped on-screen personas of Latin Lovers, sexy spitfires, banditos, and gangsters. World War II saw an embrace of Latin culture as the “Good Neighbor Policy” made it both fashionable and patriotic to feature stories set south of the border. Social problem films of the 1950s and '60s brought fresh looks at the community, with performances like Katy Jurado in High Noon, the cast of West Side Story, and racial inequality depicted in George Stevens's Giant. Civil Rights, the Chicano Movement, and the work of activist actors such as Ricardo Montalban and Edward James Olmos influenced further change in Hollywood in subsequent decades and paved the way for modern times and stars the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Lin-Manuel Miranda.  Illustrated by more than 200 full-color and black-and-white images, Viva Hollywood is both a sweeping history and a celebration of the legacy of some of the greatest art and artists ever captured on screen.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:  Luis Reyes is the author or co-author of five books on film, including the seminal 1995 work Hispanics in Hollywood, a film and television encyclopedia; Made in Mexico, the first book to document Hollywood productions filmed in Mexico; Made in Paradise; and The Hawaii Movie and TV Book with Ed Rampell, which was instrumental in the recognition of the South Seas Movie as a separate film genre. The author is also a noted publicist and a director member of the DGA. Reyes is a graduate of University of The Pacific, Stockton, California.

ABOUT THE CLUB: Founded in 1925, the Los Angeles Breakfast Club still thrives with food, friendship, and fun. Our meetings are held in our clubhouse, Friendship Auditorium, located at 3201 Riverside Drive, near the corner of Los Feliz Boulevard, in Griffith Park. Best described as a variety show, attendees enjoy a catered breakfast, silly songs, club traditions, and an interesting presentation from a guest speaker.

TICKETS: Sales on LAbreakfastclub.com close 48 hours before breakfast. Non-members are $25 and Members receive a 25% discount when logged into their Membership Portal. 

Please arrive between 6:45 - 7:00 AM sharp! Doors close at 7:15 AM. Your admission includes a buffet breakfast, enjoyment of our 97-year-old club traditions, plus a special presentation from our Speaker of the Week!

COVID-19 SAFETY:

- Surgical disposable face masks or medical-grade masks (i.e., KN95, KF94, N95) must be worn at all times unless actively eating or drinking.

- Cloth masks may only be worn if they sit on top of surgical disposable masks.

- Masks must cover the nose and mouth completely, and must not have any exhalation valves, vents, or holes of any kind.

- Remain 6 feet physically distanced wherever possible.

- The Los Angeles Breakfast Club requires proof of full vaccination, along with a government or education issued photo ID, upon arrival. Per the guidelines set by the CDC, full vaccination means that at least 14 days have passed since receiving the final dose of an FDA-authorized or WHO-listed COVID-19 vaccine. For anyone who is eligible, the LABC also requires attendees to have received booster shots. A one-month (30 day) grace period is given to those eligible but have not yet received booster shots. Booster shot eligibility is defined as:

• Moderna recipients ages 18-plus and Pfizer recipients ages 16-plus are eligible for a booster 6 months after their second vaccine dose.
• Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients ages 18-plus are eligible for a booster 2 months after their initial vaccine.

For more information, please see the CDC’s guidance on boosters: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html.