baron-pierreIV Posted September 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2014 ...pure corn...but I guess it was the closing ceremony so why not be goofy. There were original, bigger production plans surrounding the UFO. It was originally going to land right in midfield and disgorge a whole colony of 'aliens.' In fact, all they ended up was with one 7 ft-4 alien. Actually, Hollywood was already saluted in the Opening. The theme of the Closing was 'universality' (saluting the past host cities), mysticism (a benevolent being from another world looking down on the earth and "approving of what it saw."); and a PARTY!! There was no need, Paul, to allude to "Hollywood" movies again in the Closing. Besides, the back-&-forth replies between the UFO and the audience and the fancy stage, was already way too reminiscent of "Close Encounters;" so, if anything, they wanted to escape that comparison at all. This is in Chapter 10 of my book; and the LA Opening is the entire Chapter 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athensfan Posted September 1, 2014 Report Share Posted September 1, 2014 There were original, bigger production plans surrounding the UFO. It was originally going to land right in midfield and disgorge a whole colony of 'aliens.' In fact, all they ended up was with one 7 ft-4 alien. Actually, Hollywood was already saluted in the Opening. The theme of the Closing was 'universality' (saluting the past host cities), mysticism (a benevolent being from another world looking down on the earth and "approving of what it saw."); and a PARTY!! There was no need, Paul, to allude to "Hollywood" movies again in the Closing. Besides, the back-&-forth replies between the UFO and the audience and the fancy stage, was already way too reminiscent of "Close Encounters;" so, if anything, they wanted to escape that comparison at all. This is in Chapter 10 of my book; and the LA Opening is the entire Chapter 3. This is part of why I'm never going to buy this book. My dad knew David Wolper and I can tell you that's just wrong. Acknowledging Hollywood musicals with Rhapsody in Blue and all those pianos was NOT the same as bringing the flavor of a blockbuster space movie to the Closing Ceremonies. There was absolutely zero concern about being redundant. They were TOTALLY different things. The theme of "Universality" (stretching it, if you ask me) wouldn't be violated by a Hollywood tinged segment anyway. I'm not saying the segment was supposed to be an overt ad for the film industry. I'm saying there was an undeniable resonance there that was purposeful. It had nothing to do with "need." A Hollywood tie-in was fun in the Closing and no matter what the self-proclaimed expert says on the subject, that tie-in was there and was most definitely intentional. It is true that the original plans were much more elaborate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted September 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 This is part of why I'm never going to buy this book. My dad knew David Wolper and I can tell you that's just wrong. OK, I'm making an exception here and addressing your post. I guess it's a matter of interpretation. So what if you father knew David Wolper? I worked with Ceremonies, in Wolper's unit, and afterwards, Art Director Rene Lagler gave me complete access to his confidential files. So I do KNOW what I'm talking about. I have 1st-hand experience with the event. You have 3rd hand exposure to it. But you could of course, write your own version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durban Sandshark Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 OK.......never heard all this stuff but there's some great classics like John Williams Olympic Theme that came out of LA84 and lots of other crazy 80's style pop theme made for the games......I LOVE it! Bugler’s Dream / 1958 -Leo Arnaud Nothings Gonna Stop You (Team Sports Theme) -Loverboy Reach Out -Giorgio Moroder Courtship (Basketball Theme) -Bob James A Chance For Heaven (Swimmers Theme) -Christopher Cross Moodido /The Match (Boxing Theme) -Toto Olympic Fanfare and Theme -John Williams Grace (Gymnastics Theme) -Quincy Jones Power (Power Sports Theme) -Bill Conti Street Thunder (Marathon Theme) -Foreigner Junku (Field Theme) -Herbie Hankock The Olympian Lighting Of The Torch -Philip Glass THANK GOD LA HOSTED IN THE 80s! OK.......never heard all this stuff but there's some great classics like John Williams Olympic Theme that came out of LA84 and lots of other crazy 80's style pop theme made for the games......I LOVE it! Bugler’s Dream / 1958 -Leo Arnaud Nothings Gonna Stop You (Team Sports Theme) -Loverboy Reach Out -Giorgio Moroder Courtship (Basketball Theme) -Bob James A Chance For Heaven (Swimmers Theme) -Christopher Cross Moodido /The Match (Boxing Theme) -Toto Olympic Fanfare and Theme -John Williams Grace (Gymnastics Theme) -Quincy Jones Power (Power Sports Theme) -Bill Conti Street Thunder (Marathon Theme) -Foreigner Junku (Field Theme) -Herbie Hankock The Olympian Lighting Of The Torch -Philip Glass THANK GOD LA HOSTED IN THE 80s! Heard the Toto instrumental off and on for so many years. But I didn't realize until very recently that it was. Not shocked at all with Bill Conti being involved given his Rocky and Karate Kid scores devoted to combat sports Guess it wouldn't hurt to show the (largely intact) Parade of Nations in Los Angeles from the ABC broadcast here for us to reminisce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athensfan Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 OK, I'm making an exception here and addressing your post. I guess it's a matter of interpretation. So what if you father knew David Wolper? I worked with Ceremonies, in Wolper's unit, and afterwards, Art Director Rene Lagler gave me complete access to his confidential files. So I do KNOW what I'm talking about. I have 1st-hand experience with the event. You have 3rd hand exposure to it. But you could of course, write your own version. Yeah, I just don't believe you here. Sorry. It doesn't square with what I know (or what's obvious to common sense). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athensfan Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 And its really not much of an exception. I'm no fool. I can tell when you're responding to one of my posts, but pretending to aim it at someone else or a general audience. You ignore and make a big to-do about it by advertising the fact that you're ignoring people, but you end up reading everything anyway. Whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarpedReality Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Writing in the Globe, Peter Ueberroth comments upon the '84 Olympics in LA: However, it was very unpopular. It was unpopular to the point that we had to scatter our kids. We had a number of incidents and we had to basically take them out of schools here and take them elsewhere. The public had voted nearly 80 percent to not have the Olympic Games. I think it’s the biggest single majority on any issue that’s been put on the ballot in the history of the city. In Los Angeles, I would say, if you had a vote two years before, it would still have been an easy majority on the negative side. But a year before, I think it would have been 50/50 or maybe 60/40 positive. Does anyone else have any information regarding any supposed referendum that may have been posed to voters during the bid process? I can't tell if the 80% opposed figure is hyperbolic or meant to be taken literally. This was right after the Montreal debacle so I can believe that there being more than a few sour grapes opposed to LA's bid. Interesting how the USOC was able to make things work out well in the end. I am aware that the bid eventually ran unopposed, but it must've taken quite a bit of effort to reclaim the public's confidence nonetheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted April 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Writing in the Globe, Peter Ueberroth comments upon the '84 Olympics in LA: Does anyone else have any information regarding any supposed referendum that may have been posed to voters during the bid process? I can't tell if the 80% opposed figure is hyperbolic or meant to be taken literally. This was right after the Montreal debacle so I can believe that there being more than a few sour grapes opposed to LA's bid. Interesting how the USOC was able to make things work out well in the end. I am aware that the bid eventually ran unopposed, but it must've taken quite a bit of effort to reclaim the public's confidence nonetheless. I don't know about Ueberroth's role in the early stages of LA's bid. There was none of the above in his biography, MADE IN AMERICA. He really didn't come in until like fall 1979, a year after LA was awarded the Games in October 1978. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarpedReality Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 OK, I did more sleuthing and uncovered a few things. Apparently, Ueberroth is referring to Proposition N, an amendment to the LA city charter that passed in November, 1978. This places it a month after the IOC formally selected LA. It seems like losing this vote was a complete disaster for the bids' proponents, which caused Ueberroth to be brought on board soon afterwards: But he now faced a Herculean task: organizing and financing an enormous event that he, along with a majority of Los Angeles citizens, had voted against funding, amending the city’s charter so that taxpayers would not be responsible for the then-expected Olympic deficit. Los Angeles wasn’t happy to have the Olympics again (the city had hosted the games in 1932) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), for its part, wasn’t particularly thrilled to be there. Source I wonder if the law prohibiting the city from spending money on the Olympics is still on the books? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMarkSnow2012 Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 I wonder if the law prohibiting the city from spending money on the Olympics is still on the books? Apparently not: City of Los Angeles Administrative Code Division 5 Finance CHAPTER 141984 OLYMPIC GAMES SPENDING CONTROL Sec. 5.301. Legislative Intent. SECTION HISTORY Added by Ord. No. 150,796, Eff. 6-5-78, Oper. 10-20-78. Repealed by Ord. No. 169,116, Eff. 12-9-93. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted May 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 I wonder if the law prohibiting the city from spending money on the Olympics is still on the books? It shouldn't be. Plus the fact that history shows that the Games can be staged AND make a humongous profit...which was alien territory to the IOC and the old-line sports world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runningrings Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 While I appreciate that the American political machine is very particular with regards to public spending, there needs to be some acceptance that some public funds are required. Los Angeles was wildly successful- but Atlanta was smeared for taking the same model to the next level. I think the next U.S. Games will have to find an equilibrium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTHarner Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 I don't believe there has been a fully private funded Games. The security involves a federal, state, and local element. highways a state element, and subways a local element. The money for these projects comes from public dollars, not from an organizing committee. I really would have, had I read the article about the various cities in a more timely fashion, laid into the lady in the comments area who posted all those articles about Atlanta. She clearly lacked an understanding about who is responsible for what and where the funds come from for such projects. The Montreal games wound up costing each taxpayer $700 in increased taxes, I think that was spread out over 25 years, an average of $28 a year. Some of us can only wish to be that lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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