As I climbed the small winding staircase, and stepped out onto the landing, the view took my breath away.
In the distance, the Hollywood Hills carved a jagged dark line across the horizon, and a quarter moon hung just to the right of Venus, the only brilliant star winking out at the guests below on the roof of the 3-story penthouse at the Roosevelt Hotel.
The spectacular suite - once a love nest for film greats Carole Lombard and Clark Gable - was the setting for a glittering after-party for the West Coast Premiere of the new feature film release "OF ALL THE THINGS".
Director Jody Lambert - who attended a red carpet event at the ArcLight earlier - strolled in with well-wishers in tow.
There was a lot of glad-handing and the liquor flowed.
I sipped on perfectly-chilled champagne provided by an impeccably-dressed rep from Barefoot Wine, Eric Dorton
Of course, a number of well-heeled guests charged the bar for the exotic cocktails, too, that were being conjured up from one Fest sponsor's product, the ever-popular party favor, Absolut.
"OF ALL THE THINGS" focuses on the career of Dennis Lambert who started out as a child performer in the Catskills and ended up with a recording contract at Capitol Records at a startlingly young age.
The man with a remarkable musical ear proceeded to make inroads in the industry when he wrote & produced hits for Freddie & the Dreamers (Do the Freddie); the Nashville Teens (Find my Way back Home); The McCoys (Up & Down); and the Roulettes (I Can't Stop).
Lambert went on to work with Dusty Springfield, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Glen Campbell (Rhinestone Cowboy).
The giant left the business for a number of years, but was finally persuaded by a Filipino promoter to go on tour and saunter back into the spotlight.
"Of All the Things" chronicles that successful transition back into the limelight.
And, as Lambert's son chuckled, offers filmgoers a chance to watch "Dad" get his musical mojo back.
In the past, the AFI has spun out its celluloid offerings from a spiffy rooftop lounge at the ArcLight Cinerama Dome, with all the modern conveniences.
This year, the Fest chose to center its base of operations amid the old-world charm of the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood proper.
This year, AFI Fest Members and the media are being treated to a round of scintillating press junkets and dazzling soirees at the AUDI SUITE - for instance - where film buffs may savor a bird's eye view of the famous pool (adorned with a swirl of soothing patterns by noted English painter David Hockney).
The Cinema Lounge in the Oscar Room, meanwhile, wows with its panoramic view of Hollywood Boulevard, Walk of Fame, and ornately decorated Mann's Chinese Theatre across the street.
The Roosevelt has always maintained a unique relationship with the tony set in Tinsel Town.
The comfy Roosevelt was founded in 1927 by a handful of power brokers which included America's Sweetheart - Mary Pickford - Douglas Fairbanks, Sid Grauman, and Louis B. Mayer.
Initially, the Hotel housed filmmakers and their crews when they came out from the east coast to toil on location in the Los Angeles area.
The "Blossom Room" hosted the first Academy Awards Ceremony on May 19th, 1929.
Can you believe it?
Douglas Fairbanks and Al Jolson gave away 13 Statutes in a staggering five minutes.
A far cry from today's bloated three-hour televised presentations!
And, sexy siren - Marilyn Monroe - posed here at the swimming pool for her first modeling gig for a suntan lotion.
Down-on-his-luck - David Niven - actually set up a cot in the servant's quarters when he first came to Hollywood to break into the biz.
There have been some celebrated entrances onto the world stage here, too.
Mary Martin, for example, began her singing career at the Hotel's nightclub (Cinegrill).
Her salary was allegedly $35.00 a week.
If you're in the elevator or hall, you may hear guests whisper in hushed tones that there are apparently two ghosts haunting the Hotel.
Fifties screen idol Montgomery Clift allegedly haunts the ninth floor (suite #928) where he used to stroll the halls memorizing his lines for the Academy award-winning film - "From Here to Eternity".
Eyewitnesses swear they've heard loud noises coming from the empty suite - and going bump in the night - and that phones are often left mysteriously off the hook.
The other apparition is said to be the ghostly image of Marilyn which appears in a full-length mirror which used to hang in her poolside suite (now situated next to the elevator).
Unfortunately, The Roosevelt Hotel went into a decline in the 1950's.
Sadly, during that time-frame, one owner demolished exquisite archways, covered up elaborately painted ceilings, and bathed the entire hotel in a sickly shade of "green."
There was a call to tear down the "eyesore", but an "Angel" rescued the historic Hotel in the nick of time.
Radisson bought the historic hotel and restored it to its former glory with the aid of original blueprints and old period photographs at a cost of $35 million.
The swanky new old-world Roosevelt Hotel is also now protected by virtue of its status on the National Historic Register.
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