Life After 50 February 2017

LOS ANGELES METRO FEBRUARY 2017

southern california

lifeafter50.com

VENTURING FOR

A VALENTINE?

A matchmaking master offers tips

EATING RIGHT

to maintain heart-health

THE PASSIONS OF

“ M*A*S*H*S’ ”

Loretta Swit

ROBERT WAGNER STEFANIE POWERS

AND

A “Hart to Hart” conversation with one of television’s most romantic couples

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Contents

February 2017

10

16

22

Cover Profile

Departments

10 Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers

6 50-Plus: What You Need to Know

A “Hart to Hart” conversation with one of television’s most romantic couples.

A quick look at things 50-plusers should be aware of.

Features

Looking to get out and about? Our February/March calendar has some great suggestions.

16 Venturing Out For a Valentine

Tips on finding that special someone from a matchmaking master.

18 You Are What You Eat…At Heart!

What you should and shouldn’t be eating to maintain heart-health.

20 The Hallowed Hall Of Must-Knowtables – Rudolph Valentino

30

26 Let’s Get Out

30 Rick Steves’ Travels

Reveling in European romance.

34 And Finally…The Bookworm’s Best, A Look Back and Just A Thought Before We Go

A book suggestion, memory, and a little something to leave you with.

Legendary notables that everyone, of every age, should know.

22 The Look Of Life After 50 – Loretta Swit

Her “M*A*S*H” memories, pet passions and theory on aging.

Cover photo by Keith Munyan / www.keithmunyan.com.

All material published within this issue of Life After 50 and on www.lifeafter50.com is strictly for informational and educational purposes only. No individual, advice, product or service is in any way endorsed by Life After 50 or Southland Publishing, Inc. or provided as a substitute for the reader’s seeking of individualized professional advice or instruction. Readers should seek the advice of qualified professionals on any matter regarding an individual, advice, recommendations, services or products covered within this issue. All information and material is provided to readers with the understanding that it comes from various sources from which there is no warranty or responsibility by Life After 50 or Southland Publishing, Inc. as to its or their legality, completeness or technical accuracy.

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Editor’s Note...

Pages of Passionate Provisions

O

nce again, we turn the calendar page to February, the month we celebrate Valentine’s Day and turn our fancies to affairs of the heart: the memories of those we have loved and lost, the longing for the ones we have not yet found, and, for the lucky, the ones we have and hold dear.

As a magazine editor, this month always has me fancying something else: filling pages with those who make for a good story of passion and romance.

Without the bow-and-arrow-toting cherubic son of Venus being available, I’m always left to search about for others whom those of us over 50 associate with passion and romance.

A few months ago, as I began thinking about this month’s issue, three television characters popped into my head that I thought would fit the bill: Jonathan and Jennifer Hart from the ABC series “Hart to Hart,” and Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan of the legendary CBS series “M*A*S*H.” I knew, of course, that this trio would be as impossible to get as the aforementioned Cupid, since the romantic, crime-solving, wealthy couple who led a glamorous, jet-set lifestyle, and the army-brat-turned-solider who passionately pined for a fellow major she served with in a Korean Mobile Army Surgical Hospital were simply creative creations. So we did the next best thing: turned to the actor and two actresses who gave us those iconic characters: Robert “R.J.” Wagner, Stefanie Powers and Loretta Swit.

For those of us who grew up in the 1970s and ‘80s, the characters from “Hart to Hart” and “M*A*S*H,” as with so many other popular television shows, became like friends, some whom we admired, related to, learned from, and even liked better than some of the real people in our lives.

In this issue, you’ll get the chance to spend a little time with Wagner, Powers and Swit, who offer up some unique insights only they could provide on both the shows and characters they are most-associated with, along with their real-life passions.

By reading D.B. Galliano’s cover feature, you’ll learn of Wagner’s passion for nature, family and the farmers of America, and Powers’ love for wildlife conservation. In my piece on Swit, you will discover that the spark which incites her passion is the care and respect of animals both wild and domestic.

You’ll also get an inkling of how these renowned thespians view the passing of years: Powers’ embrace of each new day and person she meets as a learning experience, Wagner’s gratitude for the blessings he has received, most notably, the gift of giving love and being loved, and Swit’s staunch refusal to be bound by society’s version or perception of what various ages are supposed to look life.

It is always my hope that within each issue of this magazine, we provide you with stories that are entertaining and enlightening. In the case of this particular issue, I also hope you’ll find something more: the inspiration to renew and reignite your passion for the causes and people that are dear to your heart, as well as for life itself.

David Laurell, Editor-in-Chief

4 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

Publisher Valarie Anderson

Account Executives: San Diego County/Orange County Phil Mendelson Phil@LifeAfter50.com

Editor-in-Chief David Laurell Associate Editors Steve Stoliar Claire Yezbak Fadden Art Director Michael Kraxenberger

Travel/Los Angeles James Thomopoulos James@LifeAfter50.com For advertising/distribution inquiries contact: Valarie Anderson (310) 822-1629 x 121, Valarie@LifeAfter50.com

Editorial Assistant Max Andrews Controller Kacie Cobian Human Resources Andrea E. Baker Business Manager Linda Lam Billing Supervisor David Garcia VP Of Operations David Comden

To contact our editorial department: (818) 563-1007

5301 Beethoven St., Suite 183 LA CA 90066 Valarie Anderson Valarie@LifeAfter50.com 310 822-1629 x 121

Follow us on facebook @Life_After50

©2017 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved

A February Thought

“Love is friendship set on fire.”

— Jeremy Taylor

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50

The Will To Box It Up For Good

PLUS

What You Need To Know

By Claire Yezbak Fadden and Max Andrews

A Winning Formula For Finding Love Over 50

A

s we celebrate this month of love and romance, no one knows better than Lisa Copeland those highly desired commodities can be difficult to attain as we get older, especially for women.

An internationally recognized expert and dating coach for women over 50, Copeland is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and numerous websites and newspapers. In her book, “The Winning Dating Formula For Women Over 50: 7 Steps To Attracting Quality Men” (Amazon Digital Services LLC, 2013), which is now out in a second edition, you’ll discover the littleknown secrets to finding a quality partner. “Forget everything you think you know about dating,” says Copeland. “The things that worked 30 years ago don’t work today, especially in the 50-plus dating scene.” Whether your dream is finding marriage or companionship, Copland’s book is a pragmatic blueprint for attracting and keeping a quality partner. In her entertaining and informative tome, you’ll find a step-by-step guide for finding love after 50 that explains how Copeland went from single and lonely to finding the love of her life after 50. You’ll also get insight on how to flirt, write a successful dating profile, use your feminine powers in the most effective way, and speak the language men respond to, including four magic words that will have men telling you: “You’re the best date I’ve ever had!”

Fifty Candles

F

ifty years ago this month, the United States federal minimum wage increased from $1.25 to $1.40 an hour. Aretha Franklin recorded “Respect.” The United States launched the Lunar Orbiter 3 spacecraft. CBS premiered the “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.” After going 15 rounds, Muhammad Ali won the World Heavyweight boxing title with a unanimous decision over Ernie Terrell.

Bolivia adopted its new constitution. The sling-shot goal post and a six-foot-wide border around the field became standard in the National Football League. Mario Andretti won the ninth Daytona 500. The 25th amendment to the Constitution dealing with presidential succession was adopted, and The Beatles released a double A-sided single record featuring “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Notables born in February 1967 who are celebrating their 50th birthday this month include actors Benicio Del Toro, Michael Easton and Bentley Mitchum; actresses Laura Dern, Lili Taylor and Sherie Rene Scott; author Meg Cabot; singers Chante Moore and Gigi D’Alessio; screenwriter Vince Gilligan; chef Gary Mehigan; fashion designer Ozwald Boateng; golfer Steve Stricker; and guitarist Michael Ward.

6 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

D

o you have clothing you no longer wear or household items that you don’t use? Sounds like you are ready to make a donation. To help make this easy, Amazon offers a free shipping service for any items you wish to donate. By using a free Amazon-provided shipping label and empty Amazon (or other) box, your donations will go directly to your nearest participating Goodwill organization. Goodwill then sells your donated goods, and the revenues help support local area employment placement, job training and other community-based services. For more information, click on www.amazon.com or www.givebackbox. com.

Rolling Out Rock’s Class Of 2017

T

he Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame has unveiled its 2017 Inductees list: Joan Baez, Electric Light Orchestra, Journey, Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur and Yes, all of whom are being honored in the performer category. They have also announced their Award for Musical Excellence will go to Nile Rodgers, a record producer, songwriter, musician, composer and arranger who was the lead guitarist and founding member of the band Chic.

The 32nd Annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on April 7 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York followed by a special exhibition featuring the 2017 Inductees, which will open at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on March 30. Artists are eligible for inclusion in the Hall of Fame 25 years after the release of their first recording. This year’s inductees were chosen by more than 900 voters of the organization’s foundation, as well as the aggregate results of an online fan vote. The top five artists from the fan vote comprised the fans’ ballot that was tallied along with the other ballots to determine the 2017 Inductees.

A Little More You Need To Know

Where You Need To Go The Love Boat – Sail Into Romance Italian-Style, Right Here In SoCal

I

magine spending Valentine’s Day gliding along Venice, Italy’s Grand Canal, under a romantic moon aboard a gondola.

The traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, gently propelled by a gondolier, provides all the ingredients for a romantic evening with your sweetheart. If travelling to Italy isn’t in your budget for this Valentine’s Day, you can still enjoy the experience right here in Southern California. The following is a sampling of local companies that offer a variety of ways to recreate the Italian magic under the California Sun. •

• • • • •

Gondola Getaways: Authentic Venetian gondolas gently cruise the enchanting canals and waterways of Naples Island, near the resort area of Belmont Shore in Long Beach. (562) 433-9595. www.gondolagetawayinc.com.

Gondolas D’Amore: Your gondolier takes you on a slow excursion around Marina del Rey, one of the world’s largest man-made marinas. (310) 736-7301. www.gondolasdamore.com.

Sunset Gondola: Cruise the Canals and Islands of Huntington Harbour and Sunset Beach. (562) 592-3295. www.sunsetgondola.com.

The Gondola Company: A relaxing, romantic cruise through the canals and waterways of the Coronado Cays. (619) 429-6317. www.gondolacompany.com.

Gondola Company of Newport: Gondoliers navigate around the canals of Newport Harbor in Newport Beach. (949) 675-1212. www.gondolas.com.

Gondola Paradiso: Your gondola trip winds around Coral Island through the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard. (805) 612-4475. www.gondolaparadiso.com.

New Words You might not find all of these words in a dictionary yet, but they’re a part of the everyday American vocabulary. Here’s what they mean.

The Most Important Thing To Know This Month

The Signs And Symptoms Of A Female Heart Attack

T

his month, we celebrate affairs of the heart, both romantically and physiologically. While women were once thought to develop coronary disease five to 10 years later than men, younger women, in their 50s, are now known to be equally at risk. Many physicians, however, have yet to catch up: even with over eight million women globally dying each year from heart disease, some doctors still see stress rather than heart disease in their younger, female patients. So what should women be doing to help themselves? First, all women should realize their potential risk, even those who are relatively young and have heart-healthy lifestyle habits: non-smokers who exercise regularly, drink modestly, eat nutritiously and control their weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and stress levels. Second, all women should be aware of the vague and sometimes silent symptoms of heart attack in their gender, so they can rapidly seek appropriate help.

The symptoms are these: • Most common is discomfort or pain anywhere in the chest. While it can feel truly unpleasant like a tightening vise, the sensation of squeezing or fullness is more ambiguous than the excruciating pain experienced by men on the chest’s left side.

• Women experience pain in their arms, back, neck or jaw more commonly than men – gradual or sudden pain that can come and go before growing intense.

• Abdominal pain or pressure (like an elephant sitting on your chest) is another signal, one often confused with heartburn, flu or stomach ulcer.

• Difficulty breathing, nausea or lightheadedness when inactive can indicate a heart attack is underway.

• Sweating – a cold sweat that feels stress-related, rather than one that comes from heat, exercise or hot flashes.

• Fatigue, even when sitting still. The kind of fatigue that would make even a walk to the bathroom a huge challenge.

Not everyone experiences all these symptoms, but if a woman has discomfort in her chest, and especially if she has any of the other indications, she should get herself to an emergency room, ideally in an ambulance, as fast as possible.

Filter bubble: Social media algorithms that provide feeds that agree with your ideological direction, limiting information from others who think differently or who hold the opposite viewpoint.

New collar job: High-skilled careers that may require new and highly specialized vocational training instead of a traditional college degree.

Damn Gina!: An expression of total approval or appreciation, most often used as a term of positive endearment for something someone has done, says or is wearing. The expression was first used in the Fox sitcom “Martin,” in exchanges between Martin Lawrence’s character and his partner, Gina.

February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 7

Living with

Macular Degeneration?

For many patients with Macular Degeneration, the world has literally disappeared before their eyes. They have lost the ability to see and do many of the things they love, like being able to recognize the faces and facial expressions of friends and relatives, watch TV, cook, sightsee and read. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Macular Degeneration. However, if you suffer with the disease, there is hope. Thanks to low vision technology, Dr. Richard Shuldiner and Dr. Harold Ashcraft are helping patients reconnect to the things in life they love to see and do.

“The first step toward determining if a person would

benefit from a low vision evaluation is to speak to them personally” says Dr. Shuldiner, Optometrist, Clinical Director.

“If we determine the person may benefit from care, a low vision evaluation will be scheduled,” says Dr. Shuldiner.

“In California, low vision drivers can use Bioptic Telescope Glasses to read street and road signs and see traffic lights faster and easier”, says Dr. Ashcraft.

“This can allow some with conditions like macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy to continue driving”.

Call today to see if you could benefit from low vision technology.

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February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 9

CovEr ProfiLE

ROBERT WAGNER STEFANIE POWERS

AND

A

“Hart to Hart” conversation with one of television’s most romantic couples

Story by D.B. Galliano Photos by Keith Munyan www.keithmunyan.com

W

hen it comes to great screen romances, few couples have captured viewers’ embrace like Jonathan and Jennifer Hart in the ABC series “Hart to Hart,” which premiered in August of 1979 and ran for five seasons.

Portrayed by Robert “R.J.” Wagner and Stefanie Powers, the Harts were a wealthy couple who led a glamorous, jet-set lifestyle. The series, created by novelist and television writer Sidney Sheldon, told the story of Jonathan, the CEO of Hart Industries, a Los Angeles-based global conglomerate, and his wife, Jennifer, a beautiful freelance journalist who often found themselves involved in cases of smuggling, theft, corporate and international espionage and, most commonly, murder.

Today, 33 years after “Hart to Hart” wrapped production, the magical chemistry of Wagner and Powers together can still light up a room, a fact made evident when the duo recently sat down with Life After 50 to reflect on doing “Hart to Hart.”

Powers, who turned 74 late last year, is hard to keep up with. A dedicated conservationist, she divides her time between shepherding the William Holden Wildlife Foundation in Kenya, Africa, writing, traveling, producing and performing. As for Wagner, at 86 he still keeps up a rigorous work schedule, most notably in a recurring role on the CBS series “NCIS,” and is currently doing a nationwide book tour promoting his latest tome, “I Loved Her in the Movies: Memories of Hollywood’s Legendary Actresses” (Viking, 2016), in which he shares his recollections of working alongside and knowing some of the most iconic and beloved actresses of the 20th century.

Sitting next to one of those special women, his “Hart to Hart” co-star, Wagner said he wanted to do this book to share what he calls “a wonderful gift” he received: the opportunity to know and work with women who were so beautiful and professional.

Robert J. Wagner (RJW): The book is a tribute to all of the wonderful women I feel so fortunate to have known and worked with. I had such tremendous admiration for them all. Each one was a great original.

Life After 50 (LA50): Among those great originals you worked with was Debbie Reynolds, who we lost late last year.

RJW: I was very saddened by her passing. I had just spoken with her a few weeks before Carrie [Fisher] died. Debbie and I started out in the business at the same time. We were just kids. I went out with her in the early days and was her date for the premiere of “Singin’ in the Rain.” We always remained good friends and she was such an original. There’ll never be anyone like her again.

LA50: You also write about Susan Hayward, who starred in “A Song in My Heart,” which proved to be your breakout film.

RJW: I was under contract to Fox Studios and Darryl Zanuck put me in “A Song in My Heart.” That picture put me on the map. I remember saying to him: “I don’t have very much to do in this, Mr. Zanuck.” And he said: “If the picture is a hit, people are going to walk out of the theatre saying: ‘Who was that guy with the beaming smile?’ ” Well, the film came out, it was a hit and suddenly I was this bobby-sox idol, and on my way. Susan Hayward was absolutely marvelous to me during the making of that picture.

LA50: Let’s talk about another film icon you worked with, and whom you also had a romance with: Barbara Stanwyck.

RJW: I had such a strong connection with her, and a love for her. She helped me tremendously as a young actor – and as a young man venturing into this business. Barbara gave me so many insights and such confidence. I was so fortunate to have had a relationship with her. She was very, very good to me.

Barbara was so encouraging and gave me a tremendous amount of knowledge.

She helped me to be able to have the courage to stand up to the rejection one encounters in show business. It was a wonderful relationship that lasted nearly three years, and I loved her very much. I have been very blessed in this life in many ways, and she certainly was a major blessing to me.

LA50: You write about so many legendary actresses in your book: Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Lana Turner, but let’s turn to your thoughts on one very beautiful actresses who has meant a lot to you – the exquisite woman sitting next to you. It really is amazing that you and Stefanie both suffered the tragic loss of the most important people in your lives – your wife, Natalie Wood, and her longtime love, William Holden – while you were doing “Hart to Hart.” In an odd way, because you both suffered such a devastating and life-changing loss, you were uniquely qualified to help each other get through that time.

RJW: Nine days after Natalie died, we went back to work on “Hart to Hart.”

I had lost most of my emotional equilibrium by that time and, having lost Bill just a few weeks before, Stefanie was only in marginally better shape than I was. Yet, she shepherded me through that time and never let me out of her sight.

She’s truly a wonderful woman and has been a great friend.

Stefanie Powers (SP): Bill had died on November 12th, and then, only two weeks later, Natalie died. It was a “What are the chances of this happening?” situation for R.J. and me. Certainly we propped each other up. We were working together, spending a lot of time on the set, because we were in every shot, as we were every day for nearly six years. There was just an enormous amount of pressure on both of us during that time and those terrible losses.

LA50: Tell us about what it is like to work with R.J. SP: It was the happiest surprise. I remember Tom “Mank” Mankiewicz [writer/director and creative consultant on “Hart to Hart”] reflecting on the first day of filming. Mank was very instrumental in helping to get me into the part, and of course R.J. was my champion, because he wanted me to play that part.

There were other people that had been suggested that R.J. had worked with before, but he felt that we had some kind of special connection when we had worked together.

RJW: So we brought Stefanie in and made the pilot. It went on the air and became a big hit, because of the chemistry and the writing. That was the exciting part. It’s what film is all about – the magic. The thing about “Hart to February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 11

Hart” that was so exciting was that it had a “Thin Man” kind of feel to it. The first script was a little too slick, too modern, and it didn’t really work for me.

Then Tom came in and rewrote it to reflect that “Thin Man” kind of feeling, which I loved and made the characters richer so the audience could get more involved in their lives.

SP: Just because you’re friendly with someone and you know them on a social basis or maybe because you’ve worked together, there’s no way to predict that there is going to be that kind of immediacy – an action-reaction between two people. Of course, it was written into the script. And, as Mankiewicz always said: “I put it on the page, but I could never imagine it was going to explode on the set and on the screen.” The pilot was his first directorial job – I remember it vividly. There was a scene on the first day of filming where I was climbing in a window like a cat burglar and I had to unzip my jumpsuit and let it fall to the floor, and then climb into bed with Jonathan. That was the first scene we shot, and Natalie and Courtney [Wagner and Wood’s daughter] were on the set along with about 65 other people. It wasn’t exactly sequestered for an intimate scene, but it clicked and Mank said: “Oh boy, this is going to make my job really easy,” and we never looked back.

LA50: What do you think it was about the Harts that resonated with viewers?

RJW: That they truly loved each other and were always totally there for each other.

SP: Clearly it was designed, taking a sheet from the “Thin Man” series, which we were all great fans of – the stylishness and the sophistication of it. All of us having that background in not only the understanding, but the admiration of that wonderful rapport between Myrna Loy and William Powell – their devotion for one another. That was the watermark that we were hoping to achieve between the Harts, and we did that in our own way.

12 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

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RJW: Some of the executives at ABC suggested that the Harts should have a baby, and I asked them: “Exactly what are we going to do with a baby? The Harts could never do what they needed to do if there was a baby involved.”

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SP: All the qualities that were put into those characters were part and parcel of how we had envisioned those people, and how Mankiewicz had envisioned them –- so maintaining that was primary. And a big part of being able to do that was the fact that R.J. had so much clout with the studio and with the network, so that when they would come down with suggestions like the Harts should have an extramarital affair or something to spice it all up, R.J. would make it clear that these were not the spices we wanted to add as ingredients.

This wasn’t “And Baby Makes Three,” it was Jonathan and Jennifer Hart and this fictional world that these two people existed in – the kind of fantasy world that everybody hopes to have in their own relationship.

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Release: PDFx1a emailed to production@lifeafter50.com Date: January 5, 2017 2:20 PM

RJW: The fact that “Hart to Hart” played in so many countries, and was so well-received by the pubic was astonishing. People loved our relationship.

That was the object of it and it all came together beautifully. When something like that happens in your life, my God, you have to be so grateful for that… and the fact that your instinct was correct and that it all worked. That’s what was so exciting.

LA50: from 1993 to 1996, almost a decade after “Hart to Hart” ended, you two reunited for a series of “Hart to Hart” made-for-television movies that were a great success. Would you ever consider teaming up to do another one?

SP: Certainly, if the story and the script were right. It would have to be the approach. I’d love to work with R.J. again.

RJW: Absolutely. I agree. It would depend on what it was about, and if all the elements were right for those characters.

LA50: Beyond your work relationship and personal friendship, you two also share a love of animals and horses.

RJW: I was very fortunate to be able to be around animals and horses when I was very young. After Natalie died, a doctor friend suggested I get back to the land, that it would be very good for me. It’s something I loved and have always been in tune with, so I bought an 80-acre ranch. It was very healing and it helped me a great deal living in that environment. We raised cutting horses there. It was so productive for me. Later in my life, Jill [Jill St, John, Wagner’s third wife] and I then developed that ranch together, and I felt so

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A Tribute to Joni Mitchell

Great Classic Rock Hits of the 1970’s

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February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 13

it needs to constantly adapt, but it is a very active contribution that it gives to the world of environmental and animal protection.

LA50: What is important for Life After 50 readers to know about the foundation?

much a part of the land there. All that beauty extends your life and extends your feelings for life – your thoughts about things. I live in Aspen, Colorado now and I love it there. Jill loves the outdoors as much as I do. Her garden is really beautiful. I feel so fortunate to be able to have that and to be so close to the wonder of nature. It’s been such a gift. I know that I’ve been incredibly blessed and I thank God every single day for my blessings.

LA50: Stefanie, you have melded your animal-loving nature with conservation issues. How did you come to establish the William Holden Wildlife foundation?

SP: At the time – 35 years ago – after Bill Holden died, I remember that we broke from “Hart to Hart” just before Christmas for a two-week hiatus period.

I went to Kenya during that period of time and it was there that the birth of the idea of forming the William Holden Wildlife Foundation happened as a kind of living memorial to Bill’s work in Africa, which he felt was one of his greatest accomplishments. He had wanted to build an education center and it seemed the right thing to do. It became the child we never had. It was unequivocally an opportunity to be able to place all of my energies and emotions into a tribute to him, and at the same time realize one of his dreams and to also contribute in my own way. So that was the germ of the idea, and it was very comforting to know that our relationship had a purpose. I suppose that’s what happens when people have children together. Our relationship spawned the William Holden Wildlife Foundation. It was our baby, and now it’s my baby. It continues to grow and change and morph and evolve according to not only the needs, but also the requirements and all of the changes that have occurred in society. In general, 14 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

SP: One of the main objectives of the William Holden Wildlife Foundation’s Education Center is to evoke an awareness and understanding of the balance of nature and the vital roles the animals play in the environmental network. It is essential to build respect and appreciation for the fundamental role that both flora and fauna play on the quality of life on this earth, and to gain important insight of their delicate balance. These essential teachings could well benefit education systems worldwide.

Nature is a renewable resource, but only if we assume responsibility for its protection. Learning the crucial role animals play in the food chain and in the environmental network at large is the only way that the natural world will survive. The foundation also offers specific wildlife management studies, such as captive breeding and alternatives to habitat destruction. We also conduct an outreach program in rural areas where we not only implement some of our methods of renewable resource farming, energy sources and alternative energy sources, but we also raise the level of education by constructing and supplying a library attached to primary and secondary schools and encourage the parents’ participation. We have served nearly a million people of all ages, and the message has gone out into communities that we are now seeing reflected back to us. I’m very proud of the work we continue to do there.

RJW: Stefanie has really made such an extraordinary contribution to conservation.

LA50: R.J., what’s on the upcoming agenda for you?

RJW: I have a few projects in various stages of production. I’m working on a poignant story dealing with Alzheimer’s disease that we will hopefully begin filming this year. It’s such an important topic in today’s world. I’m also a semiregular on “NCIS,” which has been a wonderful experience. I really enjoy working with Mark Harmon and everyone on that show. People ask me: “Are you still going to keep working?” and I say” “Why not?!” I love the business, and this is what I’ve always wanted to do. I’m very fortunate to be doing what I love and throughout my career the public’s been great to me – they’ve stayed with me all these years. I’ve been incredibly blessed.

LA50: And, like Stefanie, you have also given back by being an advocate for American farmers.

RJW: I’ve always had such admiration for our farmers. The people with the most freedom in the world were farmers who could self-sustain their land.

But, over the years, that has been taken away from them. Farming is all a conglomerate now. Today, there is not enough uninhibited flow of the land – of allowing the soil to reproduce naturally. They have to turn it over so quickly, there is no chance in essence for it to breathe. It’s kind of what’s happening to

all of us in today’s world. You don’t get a chance to really breathe with all the technology and social media and the pace of things – the state of farming is an elaborate metaphor for our society – turning things over too quickly and not stopping to breathe.

LA50: As we get older, we all start reflecting more and form certain philosophies about life. Do you two have any thoughts – your philosophy on living life after 50 – that you would like to share?

SP: I don’t know that I’ve defined everything down to one philosophy of life. I embrace all philosophies. I’m a voracious reader and learn as much as I can.

I feel grateful for every remarkable person that I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing, all of whom have contributed to my better understanding of the world around me. I think the key is that I’m not going to find the answers in myself. People who have written about their philosophy have taken time to stop to form a philosophy. I’m still learning.

LA50: What about you, R.J.?

RJW: Being a parent and then a grandparent is one of the great joys of life.

I’ve been so fortunate, because I’ve had young love, I’ve had real love, and I’ve had children that I‘ve loved. And then when you have a grandchild, my God, that’s a whole different sense of feeling love. I feel that it is essential to have a sense of confidence and to believe in yourself. I’ve often told my daughters – two of whom are in the business – to remember that when they are rejected, that it is not about you, it’s about them. All of us are rejected at one time or another in our lives, and that is magnified in the entertainment business. It’s so important to have the ability to handle and overcome that kind of negative experience. I think that is a big part of the game of show business and a big part of the game of life. I’ve always told my girls that one of the most important things in life is to learn to love well. If that can happen to you, you’re a very fortunate person. To be able to love someone well – I’m talking about respect, friendship, passion, sexuality, gratitude and humility – that is the key to loving someone and enjoying every day.

The William Holden Wildlife Education Center spreads over 15 acres of land on the slopes of Mt. Kenya and includes a youth hostel, lecture hall, library, audiovisual facilities, llama compound, fish farm, tree nursery, bio-gas and solar energy installations. The foundation offers visiting students a unique opportunity to experience the outdoors in a rare communication with nature often unavailable to them in their own environment. For more information on the William Holden Wildlife Foundation click on www.whwf.org.

Newsday has called Robert Wagner’s latest book, “I Loved Her in the Movies: Memories of Hollywood’s Legendary Actresses” (Viking, 2016), “An affectionate new memoir . . . like a guided tour of vintage Hollywood.” In this memoir of the great women movie stars he has known, Wagner provides readers with a privileged look behind-the-scenes at some of the most fascinating and well-known women in show business, as well as an insightful look at the sexual and romantic attraction that created their magic. Among Wagner’s subjects are Hollywood legends Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Rosalind Russell, Barbara Stanwyck, Glenn Close, and the two actresses he ultimately married, Natalie Wood and Jill St. John.

February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 15

VENTURING OUT

For a Valentine

Are you single and looking for that special someone? Here are seven tips to make next Valentine’s Day very different from this one Special to Life After 50 by Cassie Zampa-Keim

V

alentine’s Day can be so exciting and fun, because let’s face it, it’s exciting and fun to celebrate romance and love. But every year, for some singles, it’s a challenging day that shines a glaring spotlight on their single status. With New Year’s Day just past and many singles entering 2017 with newly minted resolutions to find that special someone this year, I advise those folks to look to Valentine’s Day as the time to really get started on those resolutions.

I have been in the matchmaking industry for almost 30 years, providing dating and relationship strategies for women and men over 50. February is an exciting month for my clients, as I work with them to conquer their doubts about finding love and help them launch back into the world of dating. Most of my clients have been divorced or widowed, so it truly is a trip back to something they did years ago, when their lives, and the dating world, were very different.

It’s normal to feel insecure about trying something again after a couple of decades. You don’t look like you did back then (by the way, neither does anyone else you’ll be meeting); having gone through the loss of divorce or widowhood can make you hesitant to invest in love again; and online dating might feel like a big unknown ocean that you’d rather not dip your toe into.

Dating can look both daunting and like no fun at all.

The truth is – and I’ve seen it over and over again

16 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

with hundreds of clients – getting back into the dating world can not only be enjoyable and lifeaffirming, it can also expand your circle of friends and introduce you to that one special person.

Finding a relationship is also good for your health. There are numerous studies that show that people in serious relationships have fewer health problems and live longer. In my own work, I’ve found that those positive results start even before my clients have found a partner. Just by beginning the process of looking for a relationship and expressing their desire to make a connection with a partner, many of my clients start to get over their depression, fear, and sadness. While they start out feeling vulnerable, taking care of themselves and opening themselves to the possibility of finding love makes them healthier and happier.

Dr. George Vaillant, who led a longitudinal study that followed 268 Harvard graduates over 75 years, says that there are two pillars of happiness. “One is love,” says Dr. Vaillant. “The other is finding a way of coping with life that does not push love away.”

I emphasize to my clients how important it is to stay open to love, both while they are looking for it and once they’ve found it. But is finding love past the five-decade mark possible without the services of an expensive matchmaker?

Yes, absolutely! The following seven tips are excerpted from my book “Finding Love After

50” (Innovative Match Publishing, 2016), which I wrote to help those who cannot afford matchmaking services become their own matchmakers. The book is a roadmap for singles over 50 who wish to take charge of their dating lives – using tools and techniques of industry-leading matchmakers to achieve equal or better results – and ultimately find love without emptying their bank account.

1

EMBRACE A POSITIVE PERSPECTIVE

Creating the right mindset is so important to entering the dating world. Fear and doubt will affect your results, as will going into it with an open mind, confidence in who you are, a strong sense of what you are looking for, and patience.

A positive mindset will help you attract people you want to be with.

When you think and talk about dating, use words that build you up rather than defeat you before you’ve even started. For instance, instead of saying: “I’m old and men/women want to date people younger than me,” say: “I’m a beautiful person and would make a great partner.” Those words might not immediately change what happens externally, but they shift your perception of the experience and create a more positive atmosphere around you – which is always attractive.

2

IDENTIFY WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU WANT IN A PARTNER

Begin by answering a series of questions that clarify where you are in your life so that you can look for and attract the right person for who you are today. We don’t always recognize the ways in which we’ve changed over the years until we slow down and take an honest look at the answers to some basic questions, such as: Would I date myself?

Why, or why not? What are my best qualities? What would I like to change about myself? What kind of relationship am I looking for right now? What has worked for me in past relationships and what has not? Why? What can I learn from what past partners have said to me about our relationships?

Write down the answers to those questions and keep them somewhere where you can find them.

When you are feeling uncertain about how things are going in your dating process and why they are going the way they are, this list can be a helpful resource.

You may find that your answers will change over time. As you become more confident in the dating world, you will add positive traits to the list. The type of relationship you are looking for might change based on the people you meet. But use the list to remember who you are and what you want.

3

ENJOY THE PROCESS AND DON’T JUST FOCUS ON THE OUTCOME

It’s easy to get fixated on the outcome of any process, and dating is no exception. You want the joy of meeting that special someone, not necessarily the effort it takes to get there. But as with anything worth having in life, the process is critical and you might as well enjoy it, because much of it is actually a lot of fun.

What does enjoying the dating process look like?

Opening yourself to the self-growth that dating can offer. Getting excited about the people you might meet and would not meet if you weren’t doing this. Broadening your social circle (who doesn’t need that?). Learning about yourself and growing in unexpected ways. Exposing yourself to new worlds through the people you’ll meet. Letting go of the pressure to find “The One” or the feeling that you have no idea what you are doing. Convincing yourself that this will be fun.

4

GET ONLINE!

While technology is completely integrated into our daily lives, online dating can still seem strange and intimidating. As someone who began her career in traditional matchmaking and now works online with the majority of her clients, I can tell you that it is both totally manageable and very exciting.

With online dating, the pool of prospects that would be out there in traditional matchmaking or your daily life grows to an ocean, and the people on those sites are absolutely the type you want to meet.

Over the years, I have found many ways to optimize my clients’ experiences with online dating.

The keys are to post great photos and profiles; learn to read digital body language (i.e., don’t waste your time with people who are just cruising); always read the entire profile rather than just focusing on age, height, or income; and if in doubt, start out slowly.

You can subscribe to a smaller online site or a site geared towards a specific population, such as JDate.com, ChristianMingle. com or MeetMindful.com, if you are not Match. com-ready right away. You can also choose your visibility on most sites, from visible to private to hidden, giving you some flexibility if you are concerned about feeling too exposed.

Still not sure how you feel about going online?

I hear a lot of myths about online dating from my clients, and I want to dispel the most common ones.

The first myth is: “The type of person I want to meet is not on online dating sites.” Truth: I began researching online dating in 2008 as a way to help the clients I was working with then, and I can assure you that consistently over the years, there have been thousands of quality men and women over 50 on online dating sites. They go there for the same reasons you will: they are successful, motivated, and intelligent, and they realize that this is a fantastic way to meet people.

The second myth I hear is: “I’ll look desperate.”

Truth: being motivated and proactive is hardly desperate. I always ask my clients, when they are out with a friend and see someone attractive, do they hide? No. There’s no shame in desiring companionship.

The third myth from clients is that their professional reputation will be ruined if they are on online dating sites. If this feels like a legitimate concern for your particular profession or company, taking advantage of the ways to limit your visibility that I described above might be for you. You can also verify the legitimacy of people who express interest in you through the almost unlimited information available online. Remember, desiring companionship is natural, and online dating has become very accepted as a way to find relationships.

5

BE METHODICAL ABOUT THE DATING PROCESS

This probably sounds a little rigid – isn’t dating about the freedom of meeting people and having fun? Well, yes and no. Back in our earlier years, our relatively unfettered lives allowed us all sorts of opportunities to meet people: through friends, work, and shared activities. The possibilities seemed endless. But once we settled down, bought a house, had children, and established a career, our social circles often got smaller. If you look at the people you know today or are likely to meet in your everyday life, chances are that fewer of them are single than you’d like, if you’re laying odds for finding someone.

Establish a plan with defined steps along the way and change course when something isn’t working.

Being methodical doesn’t mean getting stuck – it just means providing yourself with a roadmap that keeps you from getting lost along the way.

6

MAINTAIN A MARATHON MINDSET: OPTIMISM AND RESILIENCE

Optimism is so important when you are dating, because things don’t happen in a linear way. You will meet people you are not interested in or who are not interested in you; sometimes it takes a while to find someone you want to see more than once; you will meet someone interesting and date for a while, but then it won’t work out. All normal! And those

times will alternate with times where you meet many interesting people, go out on fun date after fun date, get a lot of positive feedback, and eventually meet someone for the long-term.

The bottom line is that it won’t always be easy or predictable, but you can’t give up and you can’t let adversity keep you from trying again.

7

KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN BURNOUT SETS IN

Finding the right person can take time, and sometimes burnout will set in. If this happens, don’t give up. Try adjusting your expectations. For instance, if you are expecting to meet “The One” fairly quickly, why not give yourself a chance to go out on a few dates with people who sound interesting, even if they do not seem to be your ideal? You might be amazed to find out you like them more than you thought. And you’ll have more fun along the way.

Burnout is essentially disappointment, and we all experience that from time to time, so don’t be hard on yourself if you get there. Remind yourself of where you are in your life and keep focused on the right type of person for you. However, don’t narrow your focus so severely that you miss out on other possibilities around you, from meeting other people to trying new activities. Remember to enjoy the process. You can believe in a positive outcome without knowing specifically what that will mean for you.

You can also always take a break for a while.

Dating is not a speed contest, and taking the time to take care of yourself and having the patience to find the person who is right for you is the most important thing you can do.

I appreciate the fact that reentering the dating world is not easy. You are taking an emotional risk and putting yourself out there in a way that feels very vulnerable and exposed. But give yourself kudos for even considering it, and now that another Valentine’s Day is upon us, use this moment to begin an exciting new adventure (quite possibly your best yet) – the process of venturing out and finding a Valentine for next year.

MEET CASSIE ZAMPA-KEIM A renowned dating and relationship strategist, author, speaker, workshop leader, and coach, Cassie ZampaKeim is the founder and CEO of Innovative Match, a national relationship-services firm and the author of “Finding Love After 50” (Innovative Match Publishing, 2016), one of Amazon’s top rated books for dating over 50, and the syndicated Ask Cass blog. One of the industry’s leading experts on dating after 50, she launched Innovative Match to incorporate her dating strategies with a personalized coaching approach, to better help clients in the prime of their lives ride the wave of a new dating world.

She and her team develop a holistic view of each client to customize their experience, applying principles from her own nearly 30 years in the dating industry. Recognized as one of the World’s Top Dating Experts in 2016 by Older Dating UK, she holds a BA in communications and psychology and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Executive Entrepreneurship Program.

She has also studied at Cambridge University in England.

For more information on Cassie Zampa-Keim and her services, click on www.innovative-match.com.

February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 17

You Are What You Eat… At Heart!

Tips on what to eat and what to avoid in maintaining heart-health

By Dr. Steven Gundry

W

hile February is the month in which we think of our hearts a bit more than usual, due to the observances of Valentine’s Day and American Heart month, the health of our heart is something we should be aware of every day of the year. With over 2,200 Americans losing their lives to cardiovascular disease each day of the year, the leading cause of death in the U.S. is something that should be of paramount concern to all people, especially for those who are over 50, have a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure and stress levels, or less-than-ideal lifestyle habits.

Let’s look at that last factor – lifestyle habits – a bit more closely.

There are two societies, one in Italy and one in the South Pacific (Kitava), where smoking is very prevalent, and yet heart attacks and strokes are all but unheard of, and the people live into their late 90s and early 100s.

What’s up with that?

Well, while the extremely harmful damage of using tobacco products should not be diminished in any way, quite frankly, it’s what they eat and, more importantly, what they don’t eat that seems to account for their lack of heart disease. As for what they eat, it breaks down into four simple things: 18 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

• Tuberous starches such as sweet potatoes, taro root, millet, sorghum and yams.

• Lots of healthy fat, such as olive oil.

• Seafood instead of meat, particularly small fish such as sardines and anchovies.

• Powerful polyphenols from vegetables, herbs such as rosemary and sage, and occasional, seasonal, wild-grown fruits that are thought to stop gut bacteria from making heart-damaging compounds from animal protein called Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO).

Most low heart-disease societies eat mostly vegetables, only small amounts of fruits and lots of nuts, but not peanuts. They don’t eat whole wheat, oatmeal or corn, which makes sense, because the easiest way to produce heart disease in animals is to use wheat germ or peanut oil in their feed.

What does this information show us?

Diet plays a key role in preventing heart disease and people who want to stay heart-

healthy should adhere to a diet that’s heavy on vegetables and good fats. They should eat seafood rather than meat, and avoid commercially raised meat completely. As far as fruit goes, they should eat fruit that’s grown naturally: either heirloom varieties or wild-foraged fruits. And they should skip grains – even “healthy” things like whole wheat and oats that may be doing more damage than good.

What should you be doing right now to reduce the risk of heart disease?

1

Avoid foods high in lectins (a plant protein that wreaks havoc on the digestion and immune system). High-lectin foods to avoid include whole grains, oatmeal, non-pressure cooked beans, peanuts and cashews, chia seeds, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, pasta, cereals and nightshades such as potatoes and tomatoes.

2

Avoid factory-farmed meats and chicken (even free range). In recent studies conducted on both men and women worldwide, the increased consumption of protein, particularly from factoryfarmed meats, chicken and fish, contributed to

belly fat. These proteins are converted by our gut bacteria to artery-destroying compounds: TMAO.

3

Start supplementing with fish oil, polyphenolrich supplements such grape seed extract, pine bark extract and Resveratrol and vitamins B and C.

I make these recommendations based on my 12year study that was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. I conducted the study on 1,000 patients with known heart disease. After patients changed their diet and added supplements (as mentioned above), they saw a reversal in the narrowing of the coronary arteries and avoided heart attacks, strokes, and the need for stents.

It is also important to know that in spite of factual statistics to the contrary, many people still think of heart disease as something that affects men far more than woman. The fact is, heart disease is the number one killer of women in the U.S. In my research, I found that women who eat low-fat, high-grain based diets are most at risk. That may be because so many “low fat” diet foods are marketed toward women. By eating these foods, they shy away from good fats such as avocados and olive oil.

As for knowing the signs of heart problems in women, they are different from what men experience. The classic warning signs of heart

disease we all know – a sharp chest pain, jaw or left arm pain, or numbness in the limbs – often do not occur in women. Instead, they notice nausea, shortness of breath, or fatigue. And women who develop heart disease usually have weight deposited around their middle.

For women of every age, it is vital to start doing the following three things immediately: • Be aware of female-specific warning signs of a heart attack such as prolonged nausea, shortness of breath or fatigue.

• Include healthy fats in your diet, such as avocado and olive oil.

• Reduce grains and grain-rich food, even if they’re marketed as healthy – think granola, cereal bars, bread (even bread “thins”), rice, rice cakes, and even oatmeal.

I also recommend that both men and women go very lightly on beer or skip it altogether and opt for polyphenol-rich red wine instead. My other strong recommendations are to avoid vegetable oils and fried foods, eat plenty of olive oil, and pay attention to where you’re gaining weight – if the pounds start to accumulate, especially around the abdomen, it’s time to focus on weight loss right away.

MEET DR. STEVEN GUNDRY Dr. Steven Gundry is internationally recognized as a surgeon, inventor, researcher and author. His accomplishments in areas such as robotic-assisted heart surgery, congenital heart surgery, heart transplantation, cardioplegia catheters, minimally invasive valve surgery, mechanical support devices for the failing heart and reanimation of “dead” hearts have contributed greatly to advancements in cardiac care. He has served as the head of the division of cardiothoracic surgery, medical director of adult and pediatric cardiac surgical ICUs, and program director of the Cardiothoracic Residency Program at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He was also a founding board member of the Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery, the director of The International Heart and Lung Institute in Palm Springs, California, and the founder/director of The Center for Restorative Medicine in Palm Springs and Santa Barbara. His life-changing book “Dr. Gundry’s Diet Evolution” (Random House, 2008) which ranks on Amazon’s Top 20 Diet and Wellness list, has become a bible for people wanting to embrace healthy and smart eating. In April of this year, HarperCollins will be publishing his second book, “The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in ‘Healthy’ Foods That Can Cause Disease and Weight Gain.” Both of his books detail Dr. Gundry’s personal rise from struggling with his weight for years to changing his diet, losing 50 pounds, and keeping it off.

For more information on Dr. Gundry, his work and books, click on www.drgundry.com.

More beach walks.

Hoag’s nationally recognized cardiovascular program is the 2017 recipient of the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in the nation, for the second consecutive year.

There’s nothing like an important healthcare decision to remind you what’s important in life. Hoag’s innovative and compassionate cardiovascular team is one of the highest performing cardiac surgery programs in Southern California.

You can count on us to get you back to doing what makes your heart happy.

Hoag, making your life better by any measure.

*Awarded by Truven Health Analytics™

When you need the best in heart care, call Hoag at (844) 278-0972 or visit hoag.org/cardiac-care February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 19

T H H  M-K

By Steve Stoliar Illustration by Mark Hammermeister

R

V

Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Pierre Filiberto Guglielmi di Valentina d’Antonguella. That name, probably, doesn’t ring even part of a bell with anyone, however, say the name “Rudolph Valentino” to those even casually familiar with classic cinema and the phrases “Latin lover” and “The Sheik” come to mind. But, there was much more to Valentino than just a tall, dark, handsome man who is remembered for, cinematically, riding his horse through the Arabian desert.

V

alentino was born on May 6, 1895 in Apulia, Italy to a French mother – Marie Barbin Gabrielle – and Giovanni Antonio Giuseppe Fedele Guglielmi de Valentina d’Antonguella, an Italian veterinarian. His siblings included an older brother, Alberto, an older sister, Beatrice – who died in infancy – and a younger sister, Maria.

Even as a child, young Rodolfo was thought to be exceptionally good looking as well as very playful. In a dynamic common to many in his situation, his mother pampered him while his father disapproved of him. This conflict ended with his father’s death from malaria when Valentino was 11-years-old.

A poor student in grammar school, he eventually graduated from an agricultural school in Genoa and moved to Paris when he was 17. Unable to find work in Paris, he moved back to Italy, but encountered the same difficulty, so he set his sights on America, the land of opportunity, arriving at Ellis Island in December of 1913 at the age of 18.

Unfortunately, New York didn’t prove to be the promised magic ticket to prosperity. Valentino picked up work wherever he could find it, including bussing tables at restaurants and gardening.

He eventually ended up at Maxim’s Restaurant and Cabaret as a taxi dancer, picking up money by leading wealthy women around the dance floor. One of those women was Chilean heiress, Bianca de Saulles. When she and her husband,

prominent businessman John de Saulles, found themselves in divorce court shortly thereafter, Valentino testified to John’s numerous infidelities. As a result, John used his political clout to have Valentino arrested on vice charges in connection with a notorious madam known as “Mrs. Thyme.”

Valentino’s trial attracted more than a bit of notoriety and, as a result, he once again had great difficulty finding work. This was compounded when, not long after the trial, Bianca de Saulles shot and killed her ex-husband during a custody dispute over their son.

Not wanting to be dragged into testifying in yet another infamous trial, Valentino gave up on New York and, in 1917, joined a traveling operetta company that made it all the way to Utah before disbanding. From there, he joined the road company of Al Jolson’s “Robinson Crusoe, Jr.,” which brought him to Los Angeles.

In the fall of 1917, Valentino landed a bit part in the San Francisco production of “Nobody Home,” starring Norman Kerry (who was eight years away from playing the handsome hero in Lon Chaney Sr.’s “The Phantom of the Opera”).

Valentino and Kerry became roommates and, when they returned to Los Angeles, Kerry convinced his roomie that he just might have a career in the growing field of motion pictures.

Rudolfo Valentino, as he was then known, rented a room on Sunset Boulevard

This feature is intended for you to clip and give to your children or grandchildren because…they must-know!

20 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

and began trying to find work in films. At first, he was only able to find bit parts, usually as a gangster. At the time, male leads were light-complected, all-American types – not dark-skinned, exotic-looking men.

In September of 1919, Valentino met actress Jean Acker at a party.

At the time, Acker was involved in a lesbian love triangle with actresses Grace Diamond and Alla Nazimova. After dating for a few weeks, they impulsively married on November 6, although Acker had immediate second thoughts, locking Valentino out of their room on their wedding night.

Apparently, the marriage was never consummated, but they remained married for several more years.

Although he was getting fairly steady work in films, Valentino was unhappy playing bad guys in small roles. On location in Florida, while playing yet another villain in 1920’s “Stolen Moments,” he read the popular novel “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” by Vicente Blasco Ibanez. Scouring the Hollywood trade papers, Valentino discovered that the book had been purchased

by Metro Pictures (not yet partnered with Goldwyn-Mayer). Valentino knew he was perfect for the lead, but how was he going to get that coveted role?

As luck would have it, screenwriter June Mathis had been thinking of Valentino to play the lead, after noticing him a year earlier in “Eyes of Youth,” and so he was cast as Julio Desnoyers, the French tango dancer.

Valentino earned $350 a week for his work on the picture.

Released in 1921, “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” was one of the first films to earn a million dollars at the box office, but Metro wasn’t convinced they had a new star on their hands, so they gave him only a bit part in “Uncharted Seas,” which had sets and costumes designed by Natacha Rambova.

Next up was the silent version of “Camille,” starring Nazimova, with costumes and sets again done by Rambova. Valentino was cast as Nazimova’s character’s lover, Armand. Unfortunately, the film didn’t do well with either critics or the public.

Valentino did one more film for Metro – “The Conquering Power” – then left the studio for Famous Players-Lasky, which eventually became Paramount. His first film, 1921’s “The Sheik,” caused a sensation and would become the film most often associated with Valentino who became known as the archetype of the romantic Latin lover.

Other films Valentino made at Paramount included “Moran of the Lady Letty” and “Beyond the Rocks,” opposite screen legend Gloria Swanson, before starring in another hit written by his friend, Mathis – “Blood and Sand” – in which he played a dashing Spanish bullfighter. After the filming of “Blood and Sand” was complete, Valentino married Rambova, but since he was technically still married to Acker, the marriage was annulled. They would remarry in 1923, but divorced two years later.

After going on strike and briefly leaving Paramount over a contract dispute, Valentino returned to the studio – at $7,500 a week – and made “Monsieur Beaucaire,” a comedy set in 18th century France. Audiences didn’t go for Valentino’s foppish character and the film flopped. He made only one more film for Paramount – “A Sainted Devil” – which did better initially, but was ultimately considered to be a failure.

In the mid 1920s, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin approached Valentino about coming over to their United Artists Studios, which he did. His first film was 1925’s “The Eagle,” in which he played a dashing lieutenant in the imperial Russian army.

The film performed only moderately at the box office.

His next film for U.A. was a sequel – 1926’s “The Son of the Sheik.” Valentino was initially reluctant to return to the role that he felt had stereotyped him, but he acquiesced. It turned out to be both a critical and financial hit, and is one of the rare sequels in film history that is superior to the original.

Unfortunately, “The Son of the Sheik” would turn out to be Valentino’s final film. On August 15, 1926, Valentino collapsed at a hotel in New York and was taken to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with appendicitis and gastric ulcers. Despite emergency surgery, he developed peritonitis. After initially encouraging reports from the doctors, Valentino’s condition worsened and he developed pleuritis in his left lung. On August 23, he awakened, chatted briefly about his prognosis with his doctors – who had kept the severity of his condition from him – and fell into a coma, dying several hours later at the age of 31.

Valentino’s sudden and tragic death stunned the nation and caused hysteria. Over 100,000 people lined the streets of

New York City to pay their respects to the late actor at the famous Frank Campbell Funeral Home. Many people fainted including actress Pola Negri, who claimed to be Valentino’s fiancée, and even some suicides were reported. Windows were smashed and mounted police were called in to restore order.

Valentino had two funeral masses – one at St. Malachy’s Catholic Church in New York City and the other, after his body was transported by train to Los Angeles, at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. Since he was so young and his death was unexpected, Valentino had made no burial arrangements, so his longtime friend, Mathis, offered up a crypt she had purchased for her husband, from whom she was divorced. That crypt – located in the legendary Hollywood Forever Cemetery – is where thousands of fans and admirers have continued to pay their respects to the iconic star to this day.

LEARN MORE •

“Dark Lover: The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino”

by Emily W. Leider (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003) • “Rudolph Valentino: The Untold Story”

by Wayne Vincent Hatford (Whitley Heights Publishing, 2014) • “Rudolph Valentino: A Wife’s Memories of an Icon” by Natacha Rambova (PVG Publishing, 2015)

• “The Valentino Mystique: The Death and Afterlife of the Silent Film Idol” by Allen Ellenberger (McFarland, 2005)

Mark Hammermeister is an award-winning artist. His work is available for purchase at www.markdraws.com February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 21

Loretta Swit Best known for her portrayal of Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on “M*A*S*H,” the actress, animal activist and artist reflects on the legendary show and shares her theory that age is irrelevant

Story and photos by David Laurell

I

n 1968, Americans were first introduced to a group of fictional medical personnel serving in a U.S. Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War in the Richard Hooker novel “MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors” (William Morrow Paperbacks, 1968).

Two years later, film director Robert Altman brought a loose adaptation of Hooker’s story to the big screen in “M*A*S*H,” which was nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award and became one of the biggest box office successes of the early 1970s for 20th Century-Fox. Another two years would pass and television producer Larry Gelbart brought Americans yet a third version of “M*A*S*H” – a CBS television series produced by 20th Century-Fox Television that chronicled the lives of a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Uijeongbu, South Korea, which included Captain Hawkeye Pierce, Corporal Max Klinger, Father John Mulcahy, Captain “Trapper John” McIntyre, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake, Major Frank Burns, Corporal Radar O’Reilly, Captain B. J. Hunnicutt. Colonel Sherman Potter, Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, and the only principal female character, Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan, who served as the surgical unit’s statuesque and stern head nurse.

Debuting in the fall of 1972, “M*A*S*H,” would run for 11 seasons earning over 100 Emmy Award

22 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

nominations and 14 wins. The series has since been honored by the Writers Guild of America as the fifth best-written television series of all time, and ranked as the eighth greatest television show of all time by TV Guide in 2013. Loretta Swit, who played the role of Houlihan, won two Emmy Awards for her portrayal of the no-nonsense, army-brat-turned-solider who, along with her lover Burns, vocally disapproved of the shenanigans and tomfoolery of their colleagues.

Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Swit studied drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and also with legendary theatrical teacher Gene Frankel, who is credited with establishing New York’s off-Broadway scene.

Garnering roles in numerous stage productions throughout her 20s, she came to Hollywood in 1969, where she appeared in many popular television series of the 1970s including “Hawaii Five-O, “Gunsmoke,” “Mission: Impossible” and “Mannix.”

Tapped to play the role of Houlihan, which was deftly handled by Sally Kellerman in the feature film, Swit would go on to be one of only four “M*A*S*H” cast members to appear in all 11 seasons of the show, the others being Alan Alda, Jamie Farr and William Christopher.

While Swit continued to work on both the stage and screen after “M*A*S*H” wrapped production, she has also passionately devoted herself to many

animal-related causes and organizations and has become renowned worldwide for her work as a tireless advocate for animals and animal rights. In September of last year, she was awarded the Global Wildlife Conservation Champion Award by the GES Africa Conservation Fund for her support of animal conservation efforts, kindness, compassion and generosity, and in December, Actors and Others for Animals, an organization for which she once served as president, presented her with their highest honor – The Betty White Award – for all she has done to protect and care for animals.

An accomplished watercolor artist, Swit’s work has been chronicled in the just-released book “SwitHeart: The Watercolor Artistry and Animal Activism of Loretta Swit” (Ultimate Symbol, 2017)

by Mies Hora. The book presents her art work along with descriptive anecdotes about each animal and her extensive philanthropic work on their behalf.

Swit, who will turn 80 this fall, recently sat down with Life After 50 to reflect on her passions, the show she is best known for, and her feelings on the passing of years. We began our visit by asking where her love of animals stemmed from.

Loretta Swit (LS): Loving animals and caring for them – their well-being – has always been as natural to me as breathing. When I was a child, it never occurred to me that everyone didn’t feel the way I do about animals.

Life After 50 (LA50): You have been such a passionate advocate for animals over the years, do you believe the education and awareness programs of organizations like Actors and Others for Animals have made a difference?

LS: Absolutely! There have been, and are, so many good organizations who have instituted wonderful educational programs to teach people about spaying, neutering, and the responsible care of animals. And because of those programs, we have absolutely seen tremendous progress. We are now seeing people being fined and even imprisoned for cruelty and neglect of animals. Is it perfect? No. It’s a daily struggle and battle. But just look around. We’re a society that is lacking in respect for one another and killing one another, so it’s a continuous battle for us to instill love and respect for all living things.

LA50: Having a companion pet can be so important for people as they get older, especially for those who may be otherwise isolated and lonely.

LS: It has been dramatically proven, and accepted by the AMA [American Medical Association], that people who have pets live longer. I remember when my mother was at the Motion Picture Home during the last two years of her life and I would see the working dogs come in a couple times a week.

You could see such a change – a true joy – on the people’s faces when those animals came to visit.

I experience that same joy personally every day with my Yorkie, Munchkin, and my two cats, Anubis and Sahara.

LA50: Your book was just released last month. Tell us about it.

for the part of Margaret. I don’t think they were looking to copy what Sally [Kellerman] brought to the role in the film. I don’t think they tried to replicate the look of any of the actors from the movie, but of course, they had a type in mind.

I fit the type and, by that time in my career, I had done a lot of work in CBS shows, so I was high on their list.

LA50: With all due respect to Sally Kellerman, Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould and Robert Duvall, who played the principal roles in the film, it was you and your castmates from the television series that made those characters iconic. When we think of Hawkeye Pierce, we think of Alan Alda. When we think of “Hot Lips” Houlihan, we think of you.

LS: There’s a very good reason for that. The actors who played the roles in the film had less than two hours on the big screen in theatres. We, on the other hand, were in people’s homes for 11 years. We became part of people’s extended families. Since it debuted, “M*A*SH” has never been off the air.

It went into syndication while we were still in first run – during season three – and it has been on ever since, so generations of people have watched the show – grown up with it – and we never let them down. Because we were in production for 11 years, we had the time to really develop the portrayal of our characters and make them real people. The show was really based more on the book than the film was, and the characters in the book, while fictional, were based on real people.

There was a great adherence to integrity in the way “M*A*S*H” was produced, and many of the stories came from things that really happened to real people during the Korean War.

LA50: You were the only female in an allmale ensemble cast. Did you ever feel like an outsider in the all-boys club?

LS: Never, because I’m a scrapper. Also, I was blessed with an ensemble of men who were feminists and humanists, men who treated me respectfully and as an equal. Once, when we were all accepting an award as a group, I thanked the guys for always treating me as an equal, and Harry Morgan interrupted me and said that he never treated me as an equal, but rather as a superior [laughs], which got a big laugh.

LA50: Having created one of television’s most iconic characters, what are your personal feelings about Margaret Houlihan?

LS: I admired her. She wasn’t always the most tactful person, but she was efficient and ambitious.

She was also very lonely. She had been neglected as a child. Her father, who had been a general, wanted a son to follow in his footsteps, so there was always this great pressure on her to not just become a solider, but to become one that was as good, if not better, than had she been a boy. She was very serious about being the best she could be – as a soldier, as a nurse. She was also very resilient, like the actual women who volunteered to serve in Korea. Those woman weren’t drafted.

They volunteered to go to a country that is known to have the coldest winters and the hottest summers.

They served very close to the front in horrific conditions. The character of Margaret also inspired a lot of women to pursue a career in nursing.

Over the years, I heard from so many women who told me they became nurses because of watching “M*A*S*H.” Illustration by Bernie Fuchs

LS: It’s a chronicle of my life as an animal activist as told through my paintings, which I’ve been doing for years and selling to raise funds for the humane organizations I support who do rescuing, rehabbing, placing, educating and so forth. It is the meeting of my two loves – my love for the arts and my love for the animals of the world.

LA50: Speaking of love, let’s talk about that show you did that people have loved since the early 1970s. Had you seen the film “M*A*S*H” when it first came out?

LS: No, and this may be surprising, but I have never seen it. I have seen various clips from it, but I have never seen the full film.

LA50: How did “M*A*S*H” come into your life?

LS: When the talks began about doing it as a television series, I was in Hawaii doing “Hawaii Five-O” with Jack Lord. When I got back from Hawaii, I was told by my agent that I had an appointment to meet Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds [the producers]. It wasn’t really an audition or a reading for the part; it was more of a “look-see and meet.” I later found out they had met with over 200 actresses they were considering

February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 23

LA50: You still keep up a hectic schedule with both work and the organizations you are involved with. Any secret you would like to share as to where your energy comes from?

LS: I eat right. I’m a vegan for many reasons.

Animals are my friends, not my food. I also believe that eating animal fat and protein is not healthy for our bodies. I have tons of energy. I exercise every day – Pilates, yoga stretches, some weights. It is a regimen that has evolved over time from working

“SwitHeart: The Watercolour Artistry and Animal Activism of Loretta Swit” (Ultimate Symbol, 2017) by Mies Hora presents a collection of Loretta Swit’s animal portraits along with anecdotes about her philanthropic work. “I’m thrilled to see my passion for animals and my passion for art merge in a book that will help benefit and protect the animals on our planet,” says Swit of the book that includes 65 of her paintings and drawings. “I am also pleased that the proceeds from this book will be donated to various charities and programs that are dedicated to ending animal suffering and cruelty.”

24 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

with various trainers over the years – one I have worked out for myself that works for me. And I also walk a lot.

LA50: As the years have gone by, have you adopted any sort of philosophy about aging?

LS: I think aging is a myth. Age is just a number that I ignore completely. I just keep living my life without giving my age, or anyone else’s, any thought at all. One of my favorite films is “Lost

If you are in the Los Angeles area and would like to meet Swit and have her sign a copy of her book for you, you will have two chances: On February 13 she will do a signing at the Santa Monica Library located at 601 Santa Monica Boulevard at 6 p.m. She will also be singing on February 15 at 7 p.m. at Vroman’s Bookstore located at 695 E. Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.

You can also order signed copies of her book by clicking on www.switheart.com.

Horizon.” There’s a scene in that film, when they take the trip to Shangri-La and Ronald Colman’s character has a problem accepting the fact that no one in Shangri-La is aging, and the character Chang tells him: “Age is a limit we impose upon ourselves. You know, each time you Westerners celebrate your birthday, you build another fence around your minds.”

I agree with Chang. I think we do that – we allow ourselves to become bound by society’s version or perception of what various ages are supposed to look life. My mother, who lived to be 106, had that same mindset as Chang. She never let her age limit her in any way. I think our minds control so much of how we live our lives.

I hate that phrase: “at your age.” At your age you can’t wear this or do that or whatever. No one should be hampered by what anyone else, or what society, deems to be appropriate for someone just because they have lived a certain amount of years. As for a philosophy: I believe in the bumble bee theory, which I apply to everything I do in my life. According to the laws of aerodynamics, science says it is impossible for the bumble bee to fly. The bumble bee, however, does not know or care about aerodynamics, so it just flies. When I started painting, I began with watercolors and people would say to me: “Why are you starting with watercolors? That is so difficult!” Well I did it because I didn’t know it was difficult, so I just jumped in and did it. You also have to have passions in your life. I love my work – both my theatrical work and with the humane organizations I work with. So I just get up and go out and attack whatever it is I have to get done during each day, with passion and no thought about age.

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Let’s Get OUt A Preview of Upcoming Events for February/March By Claire Yezbak Fadden

eNteRtAINMeNt WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15 KRAPP’S LAST TAPE Samuel Beckett’s theatrical poem is one of his most personal works, infused with his history, emotion and abiding sense of irony. An elderly man, a writer, sits at his desk and prepares to listen to audiotape diaries he made 30y years earlier. Life has dwindled for Krapp into aches, stomach ailments and regrets. The biggest regret involves his parting with a woman who offered a “chance of happiness,” one his ambition as a writer and personal limitations didn’t allow him to seize. With ruthless economy, Beckett captures the weight of what wasn’t to be. Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. Dates vary through Feb. 26. $30-$35. (310) 477-2055 x2. odysseytheatre.com.

their dream and perform the show after all – although it’s 60-plus years later. Singing in close harmony, squabbling over the smallest intonations and executing their charmingly outlandish choreography with over-zealous precision, the “Plaids” perform some of the great pop hits of the ‘50s. International City Theatre, Long Beach Performing Arts Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. $35-$49.

Thurs.-Sun. through March 5. (562) 436-4610. internationalcitytheatre.org.

FUTURE SEX, INC. The mysterious conglomerate Monocorp fabricates an epidemic condemning intimacy to profit from its “safe” new pseudosex product called the Love Light. At an underground “intimacy” speakeasy called

“The Siamese Sex Show,” four fallen popstars gather in collusion to plan their revenge against Monocorp’s devious CEO. The show humorously explores the importance of connecting and potential loss of intimacy in an increasingly technological world. The Lounge Theatre, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. Through Feb. 19. $30. (323) 9607738. plays411.com/future.

CUISINE AND CONFESSIONS Life happens in the kitchen. Late night confessionals over tisane and a pot of Nutella.

Elaborately choreographed family meals.

Lessons learned, secrets exchanged, bonds forged, by our most visceral of senses. A remarkable collaboration of circus, avantgarde dance, spoken word, theater, and cooking show comedy awaits you. The Broad Stage, 1310 11th St. Santa Monica. Prices vary. Through Feb. 19. (310) 434-3200. thebroadstage.com.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

WATER WALK Join Rich Atwater and Rachel Young for special guided walk. Atwater and Young bring extensive knowledge about water resources and conservation efforts and will explore the big picture of water in the Los Angeles area, water wise practices at Descanso, and water conservation efforts to make in your own garden. Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. $24-plus. (818) 9494200. descansogardens.org.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17 THE FOUND DOG RIBBON DANCE Professional cuddler Norma’s quest to return a lost dog to its rightful owner leads her to encounter a slew of oddballs, and maybe even discover a second chance at love. A bittersweet romantic comedy about loneliness, oxytocin and the healing power of Whitney Houston. The Echo Theater Company @ Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave, Atwater Village. Fri.-Mon. through Feb. 26. $30. (310) 307-3753. echotheatercompany.com.

26 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

this intergenerational work about aging, unexplored desires and looking forward to an uncertain future. A moderated discussion follows the performance. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles.

Also Feb. 18. Prices vary. (310) 440-4500. skirball.org.

SHAOLIN WARRIORS With mesmerizing skill, stunning movements and spectacular imagery, the martial-arts masters showcase various forms of Shaolin kung fu in a fully choreographed production that offers insight into the warriors’ daily life and Zen philosophy. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. $45-$65. (562) 467-8818. cerritoscenter.com.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16

FOREVER PLAID Miraculously revived from the dead, four young singers killed in a car crash on the way to their first-ever big concert get to fulfill

February/March

SPLIT BRITCHES— UNEXPLODED ORDNANCES Inspired by the unexploded Civil War ammunition buried in New York Harbor, Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, and interviews with elder women, this performance invites the audience into “The Situation Room” to contribute to

GLENDALE NOON CONCERTS Sanctuary of Glendale City Church, 610 E. California Ave., Glendale, Glendale.

Free. (818) 242-2113. glendalenoonconcerts. blogspot.com.

SHARK LAGOON NIGHTS Get up close with the ocean’s ultimate predators and touch bonnethead and bamboo sharks. See large sharks like the sand tiger and zebra sharks. The Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach. Select Fridays through June 9. Free. (562) 590-3100. aquariumofpacific.org.

LA/Ventura

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19 WESTERN MUSIC ASSOCIATION SHOWCASE Musicians and cowboy poets perform stories and songs of the romantic days of the Old West, contemporary music of the American West and songs of the open range and the American cowboy. The Autry National Center, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park, Los Angeles. $6-$10. (323) 667-2000. theautry.org

REAL AMERICAN PLACES

Edward Weston and Leaves of Grass. This exhibition considers a rich dialogue between two iconic figures in American culture: the renowned photographer Edward Weston (1886–1958) and poet Walt Whitman (1819–1892). The 25 photographs included in the exhibit illuminate an understudied chapter of Weston’s career. In 1941, the Limited Editions Book Club approached Weston to collaborate on a deluxe edition of Whitman’s poetry collection, “Leaves of Grass.” Huntington Library, Art Collection and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, West Hall, San Marino. Prices vary. Through March 20. (626) 405-2100. huntington.org.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22 FOR PIANO AND HARPO Oscar Levant, the brilliant, witty, pill-popping concert pianist, wakes up to find himself in the Psych Ward of Mt. Sinai Hospital. His past collides with his present, as he grapples with his demons to save his marriage and his sanity. It’s a nightmarish, and sometimes hilarious journey, from addiction to redemption, as he verbally jousts with Jack Paar, is haunted by the genius of

CALeNDAR

February/March LA/Ventura

MARCH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 GLENDALE NOON CONCERTS Sanctuary of Glendale City Church, 610 E. California Ave., Glendale, Glendale.

Free. (818) 242-2113. glendalenoonconcerts. blogspot.com.

THURSDAY, MARCH 2

replaced, itself a kind of religion — just as rigid, just as resistant to change. The Complex, 6476 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. FriSun. though April 9. $25. (323) 960-4420. plays411.com/disinherit.

SATURDAY, MARCH 4 GEORGE BENSON Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. $58-$98. (888) 645-5006. sabantheatre.org.

SUNDAY, MARCH 5 FREE FIRST SUNDAY Free admission to the Museum of Ventura County including its galleries and any special events. Museum of Ventura County, 100 East Main St., Ventura. First Sunday of each month.

(805) 653-0323. venturamuseum.org.

FRIDAY, MARCH 10

SATURDAY, FERUARY 18

THE LAST VIG

Burt Young stars as aging mob boss Big Joe — the last of a dying breed. Times are changing. Can Joe stay in the game with the help of his young, hip-hip loving assistant, Bocce, and his old friend, Jimmy “The Fixer” D? Or will the juice on the $100K he owes be his last vig? Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles.

Through Feb. 20. $40. (323) 960-7712. plays411.com/lastvig.

George Gershwin, and moves in with his only friend, Harpo Marx. Falcon Theatre, 4252 Riverside Dr., Burbank. Dates vary through March 5. Prices vary. (818) 955-8101. falcontheatre.com.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 LIONEL POPKIN— INFLATABLE TRIO Performed on and around an inflatable plastic living room set, the story centers on the ways we orient ourselves within everchanging domestic, social and environmental landscapes. As the elements of a family room are repeatedly deflated, dismantled and re-formed, three dancers persist, react and cope. Each in turn upends—and is upended by—the objects, people, and situations that surround them in this domestic drama expanded beyond walls. A moderated discussion follows the performance. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. Also Feb. 24-25. Prices vary. (310) 440-4500. skirball.org.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24 ONCE ON THIS ISLAND A theatrical Caribbean adaptation of the fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” shares a story of romance, tragedy, redemptions and rebirth.

Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. Dates vary through March 5. $40-$85. (562) 467-8818. cerritoscenter.com.

BAROQUE CONVERSATIONS 4 Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Stephen Stubbs, conductor, Lucie Horsch, recorder.

Zipper Concert Hall, 200 South Grand Ave., Los Angeles. $58. (213) 622-7001. laco.org.

FRIDAY, MARCH 3

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25 BONSAI-A-THON Southern California bonsai masters share their passion for the art form in this event that includes exhibits, demonstrations, prize drawings, a “bonsai bazaar,” and a live auction. Huntington Library, Brody Botanical Center, 1151 Oxford Road, West Hall, San Marino. Prices vary. Also Feb. 26. (626) 4052100. huntington.org.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN FESTIVAL Celebrate the rich diversity of AfricanAmerican and African cultures. The festival features live entertainment, arts and crafts and ethnic food. Festival performers include Mardi Gras second line dancers, hip hop and break dancers, tap dancers, jazz musicians, interactive drum circles, West African dancers and storytellers. The Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach.

Also Feb. 26. Prices vary. (562) 590-3100. aquariumofpacific.org.

DON MCLEAN Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. $48-$78. (888) 645-5006. sabantheatre.org.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 VENTURA BLUEGRASS JAMS Milano’s Italian Restaurant, Patio, Ventura Harbor Village, 1559 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura.

(805) 658-0388. milanositalianrestaurant.com.

COLIN MOCHRIE AND BRAD SHERWOOD The funnymen of the hit show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” perform an evening of improvisational comedy. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. $45-$75. (562) 467-8818. cerritoscenter.com.

SUNDAY, MARCH 12

PARADISE LOST: RECLAIMING DESTINY Whether you are familiar with the story of “Paradise Lost” from the book of Genesis, or Milton’s text, or not at all, this retelling will clearly show what befell the first man and woman in the Garden of Eden, but with a modern feminist twist. Greenway Court Theatre, 544 North Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles. Through April 2. Prices vary.

(323) 673-0544. greenwaycourttheatre.org/ paradiselost/ THE SPINNERS The Canyon, 28912 Roadside Dr., Agoura Hills. $34-$64. (818) 879-5016. wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com.

DISINHERIT THE WIND In this riveting courtroom drama, a renowned neurobiologist sues a prominent university for the right to teach theories of evolution that challenge the scientific status quo, His argument: neo-Darwinian materialist thought has become, like the Biblical orthodoxy it once

TRIBUTE TO BENNY GOODMAN AT CARNEGIE HALL The lineup includes bandleader Terry Myers, vocalist Nancy Osborne and The Ink Spots.

Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos. $40-$65.

(562) 467-8818. cerritoscenter.com.

DANCE SUNDAYS WITH DEBBIE ALLEN AND FRIENDS Tango on the Terrace. Grab a partner and come explore the beautiful and dramatic style of Tango. Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Promenade Terrace, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd. Beverly Hills. Free. thewallis.org.

SECOND SUNDAY CONCERT Pasadena Central Library, 285 E Walnut, Pasadena. Free. (626) 398-0658.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 14 VENTURA BLUEGRASS JAMS Milano’s Italian Restaurant, Patio, Ventura Harbor Village, 1559 Spinnaker

February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 27

CALeNDAR

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eXHIBItIONs SUNDAY, MARCH 5

GUSTAVE BAUMANN IN CALIFORNIA The first focused investigation of Gustave Baumann’s (1881-1971) influential presence in California, this exhibition emphasizes the artist’s affinity for the natural landscape of the United States as well as the intricate elements of his unique approach to printmaking. This display features approximately 35 works, including graphite, tempera, and gouache studies, woodcuts and progressive proofs as well as Baumann’s chosen printing press, the Midget Reliance. Pasadena Museum of Art, Back Gallery, 490 East Union Street, Pasadena.

Through Aug.6. $5-$7. Wed.-Sun. (626) 5683665. pmcaonline.org.

instincts, the installation of more than 50 works features works by some 25 artists. This exhibition offers an array of lenses through which to view the human experience, some scientifically based and others drawing inspiration from cultural representations of how living things change over time. The Broad, First Floor Gallery, 221 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

Through March 19. Dark Mondays. Free. thebroad.org.

A SKY IN THE PALM OF A HAND This exhibition pairs Lloyd Hamrol’s site-specific, industrial felt sculptures and Joan Perlman’s abstract paintings and prints, creating an immersive, multimedia environment that provides a platform to consider the related ideas and sharp distinctions between two artists’ investigations of materials, processes, impermanence, and landscape. Though Hamrol and Perlman have an ongoing, collegial dialogue, the two Los Angelesbased artists have never exhibited together. Pasadena Museum of Art, Back Gallery, 490 East Union Street, Pasadena.

Through Feb. 19. $5-$7. Wed.-Sun. (626) 568-3665. pmcaonline.org.

HORSES AND DRAGONS While Pegasus is a mythical creature, did you know that winged horses really do exist in the ocean? Or, that male seadragons carry eggs until they hatch, and that seahorses can change color? Explore the mysterious realm of dragons and horses that dwell under the sea through these new exhibits, featuring about a dozen species of seahorses and seadragons and their relatives. See and learn more about the unusual animals in the Syngnathid group, which includes the sea moth (also known as Pegasus), seahorses, seadragons, pipefish and razorfish through exhibit displays. The Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach. Through March 31. (562) 5903100. aquariumofpacific.org.

POP FOR THE PEOPLE Roy Lichtenstein in L.A. This exhibition features prints from Lichtenstein’s Bull Profile and Surrealist series, as well as the iconic Sunrise and Shipboard Girl. Additional works on display range from political subject matter to paper plates, clothing and shopping bags. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. Through March 12. Prices vary. (310) 440-4500. skirball.org.

SHINING LIKE A NATIONAL GUITAR The 1920s were an exciting time for breakthroughs in entertainment technology, with the prominence of radio and talking movies. However, electric amplification of musical instruments was still rare and unreliable. Guitarists struggled to play a melody over the sound of other instruments. This was the challenge that George Beauchamp, a vaudeville Hawaiian guitarist, presented to John Dopyera, a musical instrument designer and repairman in Los Angeles. Following a few failed attempts, Dopyera developed a unique acoustic resonator instrument using a spun aluminum cone instead of a wooden top to amplify the vibrating strings, resulting in a louder, sweeter sounding instrument. The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live, Fourth Floor, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. Through Spring 2017. $12-$13. (213) 765-6803. grammymuseum.org.

Get the Word Out. E-mail your announcements to Claire Fadden, cfadden@lifeafter50.com 60 days prior (or even earlier) to your event. Include a brief description, location, date, time, cost, phone and website. Submission does not guarantee publication.

JOLI! A FANCY MASQUERADE FROM SIERRA LEONE This exhibition features a rare group of 11 headdresses worn in masquerades held in Sierra Leone’s capital city of Freetown during the 1970s. These complex headdresses, composed of an elaborate armature made of bent and twisted wire, which was padded with polyurethane foam and then covered with textiles, brocades, velvets, netting, Christmas tinsel, fringe, lace and mirrors creating a fancy superstructure, reflect the blending of cultural influences and peoples in the port city. Fowler Museum, 308 Charles E. Young Dr. N., Los Angeles. Wed.-Sun. through July 16. (310) 825-4361. fowler.ucla.edu.

LEGENDS OF MOTOWN: CELEBRATING THE MIRACLES This exhibit uncovers the remarkable career of The Miracles, Motown’s first successful recording act, through artifacts from the personal collection of Claudette Robinson, the first female artist to ink a record deal with Motown, making her the “First Lady of Motown.” This display offers an intimate look into the group’s early career and their later rise as Smokey Robinson and The Miracles.

The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live, Third Floor Mike Curb Gallery, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. Through Summer 2017. $12-$13.

(213) 765-6803. grammymuseum.org.

CREATURE From slick avatars and popular icons to images rooted in mythology and animal

28 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

SATURDAY, MARCH 4

CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

Welcome spring with this two-weekend celebration featuring Japanese cuisine, origami, a cherry tree sale, discovery stations and other activities. June Kuramoto performs on the koto, the national instrument of Japan. Minyo Station presents a jazzy style of Japanese folk music blending traditional Japanese music, Minyo, with various genres of Western music. Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. Also March 5, 11, 12. $6-$9. (818) 949-4200. descansogardens.org.

“Fantastical…takes your breath away” — THE NEW YORK TIMES

FEBRUARY 22 – MARCH 19, 2017

By Tony Kushner Directed by David Ellenstein Legendary playwright Tony Kushner (Angels in America) displays his brilliance in this wildly inventive tour de force, which celebrates the magic and illusory nature of theatre. Using crackling, contemporary language and sheer artistry, Kushner creates his most joyfully theatrical play: a wildly entertaining tale of passion, regret, love and magic. THE ILLUSION transports you on a wondrous journey filled with laughter and a few tears along the way.

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Rick Steves’ Travels Revel in the Romance of Europe

By Rick Steves

RICK ST EVES’ T RAVELS

I

love it when, through my travel books, PBS television show or columns in Life After 50, I convince people to really engage with Europe. But when I hear from those who have romantically engaged with one another while in Europe, I love it even more.

Recently I heard from a reader who took his girlfriend on one of my recommended hikes near Mürren, Switzerland: “I convinced Emily to get one last photo of the view together before it got dark, even though we were both tired and hungry – and she very much wanted to relax and have a nice meal.” He wrote. “I set up my tripod and when she thought we were just going to pose for a photo, I got on one knee and proposed. She said ‘yes!’ ” Love is in bloom all over Europe every month of the year. Couples embrace while walking the banks of the Seine River in Paris or meet along the Via dell’Amore (Pathway of Love) in Italy’s Cinque Terre. At romantic spots in St. Petersburg, you’ll see newlyweds with their photographers. After the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom are practically obligated to drop by a dozen or so picturesque locations for wedding pictures. They’ll occasionally make a traditional toast with Champagne, then break their glasses to proclaim their love.

When people ask me for romantic destinations in Europe, I steer them away from traditional spots such as Venice, Paris, or the

30 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

Greek Islands. For true romance, I like to suggest getaways that are slightly off the radar screen, such as Hallstatt, Varenna, Gimmelwald and Beilstein.

For a cozy hideaway, look for the offbeat areas where locals walk gingerly on creaky floorboards and where each balcony sports a flowerbox. The tiny town of Hallstatt, positioned picture-perfectly on the shore of Lake Hallstatt in Austria, is just such a place. It’s a gentle land – idyllic and majestic – where lakes and mountains are shuffled sloppily together...the perfect place to commune with nature, and one another, Austrian-style.

On Italy’s Lake Como, Varenna whispers luna di miele (honeymoon). This village oozes romance.

Easily accessible by train, on the less-visited side of the lake, Varenna has a romantic promenade, a tiny harbor, and narrow lanes. You’ll pass wisteria-drenched villas, evocative vistas, and lakeside lovers embracing the moment. It’s just the right place to savor a cappuccino or aperitivo.

There’s wonderfully little to do here and it’s very quiet at night. It is places such as this where I really feel the romance of Europe.

In Switzerland’s tiny mountain hamlet of Gimmelwald, you’ll find a traffic-free village that hangs nonchalantly on the edge of a cliff high above the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Swiss Alps.

At the dawn of Switzerland’s age of big-time tourism, the farmers inhabiting this tumble of rough-hewn log farmhouses voted against modern development. While other cliffhanging villages became soulless resorts, Gimmelwald survives as

a traditional Swiss mountain community. Its two 700-year-old streets, a zig and a zag, are decorated by drying laundry, hand-me-down tricycles, and hollowed stumps bursting proudly with geraniums.

In Germany, cozy Beilstein is story-bookland – touristy but tranquil, except for its territorial swans swimming on the Mosel River.

This “Sleeping Beauty of the Mosel” was only accessible by boat until about 1900 and it still seems lost in time. It’s what some visitors hope a Rhine River hamlet might be – a peaceful, romantic village slipped between impossibly steep vineyards and the river. Above the town are castle ruins with a postcard panorama – there’s even better views at the top of the lone surviving tower.

Wherever American couples go in Europe, they usually fall under a magical spell and, with February being the month that Cupid is at his most active, it is the perfect time to plan a romantic European getaway.

Rick Steves writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and radio. You can e-mail him at rick@ricksteves.com and visit his website at www.ricksteves.com.

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February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 33

And Finally...

The Bookworm’s Best A Life After 50 book review

by Terri “The Bookworm” Schlichenmeyer

Television: A Biography

By David Thomson

TV (The Book): Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time

By Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz

T

here’s nothing like a little relaxation time, and winter is a great season for reading or watching the returning television shows as well as those you may have recorded but haven’t gotten to watching… but where do you start? How about with two books: “Television: A Biography” by David Thomson and “TV (The Book)” by Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz?

In “Television: A Biography,” Thomson looks at the different kinds of fare with which we’ve entertained ourselves through the decades. Movie serials gave us the cliffhanger, for example, but television refined the “until-next-week” craze with shows such as “The Fugitive” and, later, with “Dallas” and its spin-offs.

Here, we read about how many of Hollywood’s biggest stars made their transition to the small screen, how talk shows became so popular, how innovators changed the way we watch television, and why crime shows will never go away.

This book, remember, is a biography. Yes, you’ll find a bit of history inside “Television: A Biography,” and a few opinions, but it’s really nothing like you might expect. It’s actually better.

If, however, you want a book about the shows themselves, one that takes on the argument of what the best television show ever was, you’ll love “TV (The Book).”

Under a wide group of genre umbrellas, Sepinwall and Seitz debate which series top their lists, based on a points system that takes innovation, performance, consistency, influence, and storytelling into account.

They considered U.S. shows only and looked at “narrative fiction,” rather than reality shows, children’s programming, or talk shows. And aside from a few obvious programs that should be on every “Best Of” list (“The Honeymooners” and “The Twilight Zone,” for example), they mostly focused on television from the 1980s.

What’s most interesting about this book is that the authors dissect the programs as only fans can: there are quotes flung about in each chapter, along with serious examinations of why we can put “The Simpsons” in front of “The Sopranos” (or not); why we so loved a show with a “black comic heart” and “shallow” characters; how the popularity of “M*A*S*H” saw it last longer than the war it was about; and why “South Park” got more points than “Taxi.”

If you’re a fan of television – past or present – these two books will prove to be a ratings hit with you.

“Television: A Biography” by David Thomson, 2016, Thames & Hudson, $34.95, 304 pages.

“TV (The Book): Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time” by Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz, 2016, Grand Central Publishing, $19.99, 432 pages.

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer who lives on a hill with two dogs and more than 12,000 books. You can read more of her book reviews at www.lifeafter50.com. Just click on “Entertainment” and then “Book Reviews.”

A Look Back

34 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

Photo courtesy of General Motors, Inc.

F

ifty years ago this month, American car consumers were first offered the Pontiac Firebird, a vehicle that would go on to become one of the auto world’s legendary “pony cars,” an affordable, compact, highlystyled car with a sporty or performanceoriented image that had been inspired by the Ford Mustang in 1964. The Firebird was introduced on February 23, 1967, the same year Pontiac’s parent company, General Motors, put out the platformsharing Chevrolet Camaro and the Ford Motor Company released another “pony car,” the Mercury Cougar. The name “Firebird” had been previously used for the General Motors Firebird 1950s and early-1960s concept cars. The first generation Firebirds had a characteristic “Coke bottle” styling and, unlike its cousin, the Chevrolet Camaro, the Firebird’s bumpers were integrated into the design of the front end with rear “slit” taillights inspired by the Pontiac GTO. Both a two-door hardtop and a convertible were offered from 1967 through the 1969 model year. Originally, the car was a “consolation prize” for Pontiac, which had wanted to produce a two-seat sports car of its own design, based on the original Banshee concept car. However, GM feared such a vehicle would directly compete with their Chevrolet Corvette. The Firebird remained a popular choice with Americans through its final year of production in 2002.

Just A Thought Before We Go

“Love doesn’t make the world go round.

Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.”

– Franklin P. Jones

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ORANGE COUNTY FEBRUARY 2017

southern california

lifeafter50.com

VENTURING FOR

A VALENTINE?

A matchmaking master offers tips

EATING RIGHT

to maintain heart-health

THE PASSIONS OF

“ M*A*S*H*S’ ”

Loretta Swit

ROBERT WAGNER STEFANIE POWERS

AND

A “Hart to Hart” conversation with one of television’s most romantic couples

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Contents

February 2017

10

16

22

Cover Profile

Departments

10 Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers

6 50-Plus: What You Need to Know

A “Hart to Hart” conversation with one of television’s most romantic couples.

A quick look at things 50-plusers should be aware of.

Features

Looking to get out and about? Our February/March calendar has some great suggestions.

16 Venturing Out For a Valentine

Tips on finding that special someone from a matchmaking master.

18 You Are What You Eat…At Heart!

What you should and shouldn’t be eating to maintain heart-health.

20 The Hallowed Hall Of Must-Knowtables – Rudolph Valentino

30

26 Let’s Get Out

30 Rick Steves’ Travels

Reveling in European romance.

34 And Finally…The Bookworm’s Best, A Look Back and Just A Thought Before We Go

A book suggestion, memory, and a little something to leave you with.

Legendary notables that everyone, of every age, should know.

22 The Look Of Life After 50 – Loretta Swit

Her “M*A*S*H” memories, pet passions and theory on aging.

Cover photo by Keith Munyan / www.keithmunyan.com.

All material published within this issue of Life After 50 and on www.lifeafter50.com is strictly for informational and educational purposes only. No individual, advice, product or service is in any way endorsed by Life After 50 or Southland Publishing, Inc. or provided as a substitute for the reader’s seeking of individualized professional advice or instruction. Readers should seek the advice of qualified professionals on any matter regarding an individual, advice, recommendations, services or products covered within this issue. All information and material is provided to readers with the understanding that it comes from various sources from which there is no warranty or responsibility by Life After 50 or Southland Publishing, Inc. as to its or their legality, completeness or technical accuracy.

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Editor’s Note...

Pages of Passionate Provisions

O

nce again, we turn the calendar page to February, the month we celebrate Valentine’s Day and turn our fancies to affairs of the heart: the memories of those we have loved and lost, the longing for the ones we have not yet found, and, for the lucky, the ones we have and hold dear.

As a magazine editor, this month always has me fancying something else: filling pages with those who make for a good story of passion and romance.

Without the bow-and-arrow-toting cherubic son of Venus being available, I’m always left to search about for others whom those of us over 50 associate with passion and romance.

A few months ago, as I began thinking about this month’s issue, three television characters popped into my head that I thought would fit the bill: Jonathan and Jennifer Hart from the ABC series “Hart to Hart,” and Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan of the legendary CBS series “M*A*S*H.” I knew, of course, that this trio would be as impossible to get as the aforementioned Cupid, since the romantic, crime-solving, wealthy couple who led a glamorous, jet-set lifestyle, and the army-brat-turned-solider who passionately pined for a fellow major she served with in a Korean Mobile Army Surgical Hospital were simply creative creations. So we did the next best thing: turned to the actor and two actresses who gave us those iconic characters: Robert “R.J.” Wagner, Stefanie Powers and Loretta Swit.

For those of us who grew up in the 1970s and ‘80s, the characters from “Hart to Hart” and “M*A*S*H,” as with so many other popular television shows, became like friends, some whom we admired, related to, learned from, and even liked better than some of the real people in our lives.

In this issue, you’ll get the chance to spend a little time with Wagner, Powers and Swit, who offer up some unique insights only they could provide on both the shows and characters they are most-associated with, along with their real-life passions.

By reading D.B. Galliano’s cover feature, you’ll learn of Wagner’s passion for nature, family and the farmers of America, and Powers’ love for wildlife conservation. In my piece on Swit, you will discover that the spark which incites her passion is the care and respect of animals both wild and domestic.

You’ll also get an inkling of how these renowned thespians view the passing of years: Powers’ embrace of each new day and person she meets as a learning experience, Wagner’s gratitude for the blessings he has received, most notably, the gift of giving love and being loved, and Swit’s staunch refusal to be bound by society’s version or perception of what various ages are supposed to look life.

It is always my hope that within each issue of this magazine, we provide you with stories that are entertaining and enlightening. In the case of this particular issue, I also hope you’ll find something more: the inspiration to renew and reignite your passion for the causes and people that are dear to your heart, as well as for life itself.

David Laurell, Editor-in-Chief

4 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

Publisher Valarie Anderson

Account Executives: San Diego County/Orange County Phil Mendelson Phil@LifeAfter50.com

Editor-in-Chief David Laurell Associate Editors Steve Stoliar Claire Yezbak Fadden Art Director Michael Kraxenberger

Travel/Los Angeles James Thomopoulos James@LifeAfter50.com For advertising/distribution inquiries contact: Valarie Anderson (310) 822-1629 x 121, Valarie@LifeAfter50.com

Editorial Assistant Max Andrews Controller Kacie Cobian Human Resources Andrea E. Baker Business Manager Linda Lam Billing Supervisor David Garcia VP Of Operations David Comden

To contact our editorial department: (818) 563-1007

5301 Beethoven St., Suite 183 LA CA 90066 Valarie Anderson Valarie@LifeAfter50.com 310 822-1629 x 121

Follow us on facebook @Life_After50

©2017 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved

A February Thought

“Love is friendship set on fire.”

— Jeremy Taylor

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50

The Will To Box It Up For Good

PLUS

What You Need To Know

By Claire Yezbak Fadden and Max Andrews

A Winning Formula For Finding Love Over 50

A

s we celebrate this month of love and romance, no one knows better than Lisa Copeland those highly desired commodities can be difficult to attain as we get older, especially for women.

An internationally recognized expert and dating coach for women over 50, Copeland is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and numerous websites and newspapers. In her book, “The Winning Dating Formula For Women Over 50: 7 Steps To Attracting Quality Men” (Amazon Digital Services LLC, 2013), which is now out in a second edition, you’ll discover the littleknown secrets to finding a quality partner. “Forget everything you think you know about dating,” says Copeland. “The things that worked 30 years ago don’t work today, especially in the 50-plus dating scene.” Whether your dream is finding marriage or companionship, Copland’s book is a pragmatic blueprint for attracting and keeping a quality partner. In her entertaining and informative tome, you’ll find a step-by-step guide for finding love after 50 that explains how Copeland went from single and lonely to finding the love of her life after 50. You’ll also get insight on how to flirt, write a successful dating profile, use your feminine powers in the most effective way, and speak the language men respond to, including four magic words that will have men telling you: “You’re the best date I’ve ever had!”

Fifty Candles

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ifty years ago this month, the United States federal minimum wage increased from $1.25 to $1.40 an hour. Aretha Franklin recorded “Respect.” The United States launched the Lunar Orbiter 3 spacecraft. CBS premiered the “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.” After going 15 rounds, Muhammad Ali won the World Heavyweight boxing title with a unanimous decision over Ernie Terrell.

Bolivia adopted its new constitution. The sling-shot goal post and a six-foot-wide border around the field became standard in the National Football League. Mario Andretti won the ninth Daytona 500. The 25th amendment to the Constitution dealing with presidential succession was adopted, and The Beatles released a double A-sided single record featuring “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Notables born in February 1967 who are celebrating their 50th birthday this month include actors Benicio Del Toro, Michael Easton and Bentley Mitchum; actresses Laura Dern, Lili Taylor and Sherie Rene Scott; author Meg Cabot; singers Chante Moore and Gigi D’Alessio; screenwriter Vince Gilligan; chef Gary Mehigan; fashion designer Ozwald Boateng; golfer Steve Stricker; and guitarist Michael Ward.

6 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

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o you have clothing you no longer wear or household items that you don’t use? Sounds like you are ready to make a donation. To help make this easy, Amazon offers a free shipping service for any items you wish to donate. By using a free Amazon-provided shipping label and empty Amazon (or other) box, your donations will go directly to your nearest participating Goodwill organization. Goodwill then sells your donated goods, and the revenues help support local area employment placement, job training and other community-based services. For more information, click on www.amazon.com or www.givebackbox. com.

Rolling Out Rock’s Class Of 2017

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he Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame has unveiled its 2017 Inductees list: Joan Baez, Electric Light Orchestra, Journey, Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur and Yes, all of whom are being honored in the performer category. They have also announced their Award for Musical Excellence will go to Nile Rodgers, a record producer, songwriter, musician, composer and arranger who was the lead guitarist and founding member of the band Chic.

The 32nd Annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on April 7 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York followed by a special exhibition featuring the 2017 Inductees, which will open at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on March 30. Artists are eligible for inclusion in the Hall of Fame 25 years after the release of their first recording. This year’s inductees were chosen by more than 900 voters of the organization’s foundation, as well as the aggregate results of an online fan vote. The top five artists from the fan vote comprised the fans’ ballot that was tallied along with the other ballots to determine the 2017 Inductees.

A Little More You Need To Know

Where You Need To Go The Love Boat – Sail Into Romance Italian-Style, Right Here In SoCal

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magine spending Valentine’s Day gliding along Venice, Italy’s Grand Canal, under a romantic moon aboard a gondola.

The traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, gently propelled by a gondolier, provides all the ingredients for a romantic evening with your sweetheart. If travelling to Italy isn’t in your budget for this Valentine’s Day, you can still enjoy the experience right here in Southern California. The following is a sampling of local companies that offer a variety of ways to recreate the Italian magic under the California Sun. •

• • • • •

Gondola Getaways: Authentic Venetian gondolas gently cruise the enchanting canals and waterways of Naples Island, near the resort area of Belmont Shore in Long Beach. (562) 433-9595. www.gondolagetawayinc.com.

Gondolas D’Amore: Your gondolier takes you on a slow excursion around Marina del Rey, one of the world’s largest man-made marinas. (310) 736-7301. www.gondolasdamore.com.

Sunset Gondola: Cruise the Canals and Islands of Huntington Harbour and Sunset Beach. (562) 592-3295. www.sunsetgondola.com.

The Gondola Company: A relaxing, romantic cruise through the canals and waterways of the Coronado Cays. (619) 429-6317. www.gondolacompany.com.

Gondola Company of Newport: Gondoliers navigate around the canals of Newport Harbor in Newport Beach. (949) 675-1212. www.gondolas.com.

Gondola Paradiso: Your gondola trip winds around Coral Island through the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard. (805) 612-4475. www.gondolaparadiso.com.

New Words You might not find all of these words in a dictionary yet, but they’re a part of the everyday American vocabulary. Here’s what they mean.

The Most Important Thing To Know This Month

The Signs And Symptoms Of A Female Heart Attack

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his month, we celebrate affairs of the heart, both romantically and physiologically. While women were once thought to develop coronary disease five to 10 years later than men, younger women, in their 50s, are now known to be equally at risk. Many physicians, however, have yet to catch up: even with over eight million women globally dying each year from heart disease, some doctors still see stress rather than heart disease in their younger, female patients. So what should women be doing to help themselves? First, all women should realize their potential risk, even those who are relatively young and have heart-healthy lifestyle habits: non-smokers who exercise regularly, drink modestly, eat nutritiously and control their weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and stress levels. Second, all women should be aware of the vague and sometimes silent symptoms of heart attack in their gender, so they can rapidly seek appropriate help.

The symptoms are these: • Most common is discomfort or pain anywhere in the chest. While it can feel truly unpleasant like a tightening vise, the sensation of squeezing or fullness is more ambiguous than the excruciating pain experienced by men on the chest’s left side.

• Women experience pain in their arms, back, neck or jaw more commonly than men – gradual or sudden pain that can come and go before growing intense.

• Abdominal pain or pressure (like an elephant sitting on your chest) is another signal, one often confused with heartburn, flu or stomach ulcer.

• Difficulty breathing, nausea or lightheadedness when inactive can indicate a heart attack is underway.

• Sweating – a cold sweat that feels stress-related, rather than one that comes from heat, exercise or hot flashes.

• Fatigue, even when sitting still. The kind of fatigue that would make even a walk to the bathroom a huge challenge.

Not everyone experiences all these symptoms, but if a woman has discomfort in her chest, and especially if she has any of the other indications, she should get herself to an emergency room, ideally in an ambulance, as fast as possible.

Filter bubble: Social media algorithms that provide feeds that agree with your ideological direction, limiting information from others who think differently or who hold the opposite viewpoint.

New collar job: High-skilled careers that may require new and highly specialized vocational training instead of a traditional college degree.

Damn Gina!: An expression of total approval or appreciation, most often used as a term of positive endearment for something someone has done, says or is wearing. The expression was first used in the Fox sitcom “Martin,” in exchanges between Martin Lawrence’s character and his partner, Gina.

February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 7

Living with

Macular Degeneration?

For many patients with Macular Degeneration, the world has literally disappeared before their eyes. They have lost the ability to see and do many of the things they love, like being able to recognize the faces and facial expressions of friends and relatives, watch TV, cook, sightsee and read. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Macular Degeneration. However, if you suffer with the disease, there is hope. Thanks to low vision technology, Dr. Richard Shuldiner and Dr. Harold Ashcraft are helping patients reconnect to the things in life they love to see and do.

“The first step toward determining if a person would

benefit from a low vision evaluation is to speak to them personally” says Dr. Shuldiner, Optometrist, Clinical Director.

“If we determine the person may benefit from care, a low vision evaluation will be scheduled,” says Dr. Shuldiner.

“In California, low vision drivers can use Bioptic Telescope Glasses to read street and road signs and see traffic lights faster and easier”, says Dr. Ashcraft.

“This can allow some with conditions like macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy to continue driving”.

Call today to see if you could benefit from low vision technology.

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February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 9

CovEr ProfiLE

ROBERT WAGNER STEFANIE POWERS

AND

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“Hart to Hart” conversation with one of television’s most romantic couples

Story by D.B. Galliano Photos by Keith Munyan www.keithmunyan.com

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hen it comes to great screen romances, few couples have captured viewers’ embrace like Jonathan and Jennifer Hart in the ABC series “Hart to Hart,” which premiered in August of 1979 and ran for five seasons.

Portrayed by Robert “R.J.” Wagner and Stefanie Powers, the Harts were a wealthy couple who led a glamorous, jet-set lifestyle. The series, created by novelist and television writer Sidney Sheldon, told the story of Jonathan, the CEO of Hart Industries, a Los Angeles-based global conglomerate, and his wife, Jennifer, a beautiful freelance journalist who often found themselves involved in cases of smuggling, theft, corporate and international espionage and, most commonly, murder.

Today, 33 years after “Hart to Hart” wrapped production, the magical chemistry of Wagner and Powers together can still light up a room, a fact made evident when the duo recently sat down with Life After 50 to reflect on doing “Hart to Hart.”

Powers, who turned 74 late last year, is hard to keep up with. A dedicated conservationist, she divides her time between shepherding the William Holden Wildlife Foundation in Kenya, Africa, writing, traveling, producing and performing. As for Wagner, at 86 he still keeps up a rigorous work schedule, most notably in a recurring role on the CBS series “NCIS,” and is currently doing a nationwide book tour promoting his latest tome, “I Loved Her in the Movies: Memories of Hollywood’s Legendary Actresses” (Viking, 2016), in which he shares his recollections of working alongside and knowing some of the most iconic and beloved actresses of the 20th century.

Sitting next to one of those special women, his “Hart to Hart” co-star, Wagner said he wanted to do this book to share what he calls “a wonderful gift” he received: the opportunity to know and work with women who were so beautiful and professional.

Robert J. Wagner (RJW): The book is a tribute to all of the wonderful women I feel so fortunate to have known and worked with. I had such tremendous admiration for them all. Each one was a great original.

Life After 50 (LA50): Among those great originals you worked with was Debbie Reynolds, who we lost late last year.

RJW: I was very saddened by her passing. I had just spoken with her a few weeks before Carrie [Fisher] died. Debbie and I started out in the business at the same time. We were just kids. I went out with her in the early days and was her date for the premiere of “Singin’ in the Rain.” We always remained good friends and she was such an original. There’ll never be anyone like her again.

LA50: You also write about Susan Hayward, who starred in “A Song in My Heart,” which proved to be your breakout film.

RJW: I was under contract to Fox Studios and Darryl Zanuck put me in “A Song in My Heart.” That picture put me on the map. I remember saying to him: “I don’t have very much to do in this, Mr. Zanuck.” And he said: “If the picture is a hit, people are going to walk out of the theatre saying: ‘Who was that guy with the beaming smile?’ ” Well, the film came out, it was a hit and suddenly I was this bobby-sox idol, and on my way. Susan Hayward was absolutely marvelous to me during the making of that picture.

LA50: Let’s talk about another film icon you worked with, and whom you also had a romance with: Barbara Stanwyck.

RJW: I had such a strong connection with her, and a love for her. She helped me tremendously as a young actor – and as a young man venturing into this business. Barbara gave me so many insights and such confidence. I was so fortunate to have had a relationship with her. She was very, very good to me.

Barbara was so encouraging and gave me a tremendous amount of knowledge.

She helped me to be able to have the courage to stand up to the rejection one encounters in show business. It was a wonderful relationship that lasted nearly three years, and I loved her very much. I have been very blessed in this life in many ways, and she certainly was a major blessing to me.

LA50: You write about so many legendary actresses in your book: Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Lana Turner, but let’s turn to your thoughts on one very beautiful actresses who has meant a lot to you – the exquisite woman sitting next to you. It really is amazing that you and Stefanie both suffered the tragic loss of the most important people in your lives – your wife, Natalie Wood, and her longtime love, William Holden – while you were doing “Hart to Hart.” In an odd way, because you both suffered such a devastating and life-changing loss, you were uniquely qualified to help each other get through that time.

RJW: Nine days after Natalie died, we went back to work on “Hart to Hart.”

I had lost most of my emotional equilibrium by that time and, having lost Bill just a few weeks before, Stefanie was only in marginally better shape than I was. Yet, she shepherded me through that time and never let me out of her sight.

She’s truly a wonderful woman and has been a great friend.

Stefanie Powers (SP): Bill had died on November 12th, and then, only two weeks later, Natalie died. It was a “What are the chances of this happening?” situation for R.J. and me. Certainly we propped each other up. We were working together, spending a lot of time on the set, because we were in every shot, as we were every day for nearly six years. There was just an enormous amount of pressure on both of us during that time and those terrible losses.

LA50: Tell us about what it is like to work with R.J. SP: It was the happiest surprise. I remember Tom “Mank” Mankiewicz [writer/director and creative consultant on “Hart to Hart”] reflecting on the first day of filming. Mank was very instrumental in helping to get me into the part, and of course R.J. was my champion, because he wanted me to play that part.

There were other people that had been suggested that R.J. had worked with before, but he felt that we had some kind of special connection when we had worked together.

RJW: So we brought Stefanie in and made the pilot. It went on the air and became a big hit, because of the chemistry and the writing. That was the exciting part. It’s what film is all about – the magic. The thing about “Hart to February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 11

Hart” that was so exciting was that it had a “Thin Man” kind of feel to it. The first script was a little too slick, too modern, and it didn’t really work for me.

Then Tom came in and rewrote it to reflect that “Thin Man” kind of feeling, which I loved and made the characters richer so the audience could get more involved in their lives.

SP: Just because you’re friendly with someone and you know them on a social basis or maybe because you’ve worked together, there’s no way to predict that there is going to be that kind of immediacy – an action-reaction between two people. Of course, it was written into the script. And, as Mankiewicz always said: “I put it on the page, but I could never imagine it was going to explode on the set and on the screen.” The pilot was his first directorial job – I remember it vividly. There was a scene on the first day of filming where I was climbing in a window like a cat burglar and I had to unzip my jumpsuit and let it fall to the floor, and then climb into bed with Jonathan. That was the first scene we shot, and Natalie and Courtney [Wagner and Wood’s daughter] were on the set along with about 65 other people. It wasn’t exactly sequestered for an intimate scene, but it clicked and Mank said: “Oh boy, this is going to make my job really easy,” and we never looked back.

LA50: What do you think it was about the Harts that resonated with viewers?

RJW: That they truly loved each other and were always totally there for each other.

SP: Clearly it was designed, taking a sheet from the “Thin Man” series, which we were all great fans of – the stylishness and the sophistication of it. All of us having that background in not only the understanding, but the admiration of that wonderful rapport between Myrna Loy and William Powell – their devotion for one another. That was the watermark that we were hoping to achieve between the Harts, and we did that in our own way.

12 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

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RJW: Some of the executives at ABC suggested that the Harts should have a baby, and I asked them: “Exactly what are we going to do with a baby? The Harts could never do what they needed to do if there was a baby involved.”

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SP: All the qualities that were put into those characters were part and parcel of how we had envisioned those people, and how Mankiewicz had envisioned them –- so maintaining that was primary. And a big part of being able to do that was the fact that R.J. had so much clout with the studio and with the network, so that when they would come down with suggestions like the Harts should have an extramarital affair or something to spice it all up, R.J. would make it clear that these were not the spices we wanted to add as ingredients.

This wasn’t “And Baby Makes Three,” it was Jonathan and Jennifer Hart and this fictional world that these two people existed in – the kind of fantasy world that everybody hopes to have in their own relationship.

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RJW: The fact that “Hart to Hart” played in so many countries, and was so well-received by the pubic was astonishing. People loved our relationship.

That was the object of it and it all came together beautifully. When something like that happens in your life, my God, you have to be so grateful for that… and the fact that your instinct was correct and that it all worked. That’s what was so exciting.

LA50: from 1993 to 1996, almost a decade after “Hart to Hart” ended, you two reunited for a series of “Hart to Hart” made-for-television movies that were a great success. Would you ever consider teaming up to do another one?

SP: Certainly, if the story and the script were right. It would have to be the approach. I’d love to work with R.J. again.

RJW: Absolutely. I agree. It would depend on what it was about, and if all the elements were right for those characters.

LA50: Beyond your work relationship and personal friendship, you two also share a love of animals and horses.

RJW: I was very fortunate to be able to be around animals and horses when I was very young. After Natalie died, a doctor friend suggested I get back to the land, that it would be very good for me. It’s something I loved and have always been in tune with, so I bought an 80-acre ranch. It was very healing and it helped me a great deal living in that environment. We raised cutting horses there. It was so productive for me. Later in my life, Jill [Jill St, John, Wagner’s third wife] and I then developed that ranch together, and I felt so

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it needs to constantly adapt, but it is a very active contribution that it gives to the world of environmental and animal protection.

LA50: What is important for Life After 50 readers to know about the foundation?

much a part of the land there. All that beauty extends your life and extends your feelings for life – your thoughts about things. I live in Aspen, Colorado now and I love it there. Jill loves the outdoors as much as I do. Her garden is really beautiful. I feel so fortunate to be able to have that and to be so close to the wonder of nature. It’s been such a gift. I know that I’ve been incredibly blessed and I thank God every single day for my blessings.

LA50: Stefanie, you have melded your animal-loving nature with conservation issues. How did you come to establish the William Holden Wildlife foundation?

SP: At the time – 35 years ago – after Bill Holden died, I remember that we broke from “Hart to Hart” just before Christmas for a two-week hiatus period.

I went to Kenya during that period of time and it was there that the birth of the idea of forming the William Holden Wildlife Foundation happened as a kind of living memorial to Bill’s work in Africa, which he felt was one of his greatest accomplishments. He had wanted to build an education center and it seemed the right thing to do. It became the child we never had. It was unequivocally an opportunity to be able to place all of my energies and emotions into a tribute to him, and at the same time realize one of his dreams and to also contribute in my own way. So that was the germ of the idea, and it was very comforting to know that our relationship had a purpose. I suppose that’s what happens when people have children together. Our relationship spawned the William Holden Wildlife Foundation. It was our baby, and now it’s my baby. It continues to grow and change and morph and evolve according to not only the needs, but also the requirements and all of the changes that have occurred in society. In general, 14 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

SP: One of the main objectives of the William Holden Wildlife Foundation’s Education Center is to evoke an awareness and understanding of the balance of nature and the vital roles the animals play in the environmental network. It is essential to build respect and appreciation for the fundamental role that both flora and fauna play on the quality of life on this earth, and to gain important insight of their delicate balance. These essential teachings could well benefit education systems worldwide.

Nature is a renewable resource, but only if we assume responsibility for its protection. Learning the crucial role animals play in the food chain and in the environmental network at large is the only way that the natural world will survive. The foundation also offers specific wildlife management studies, such as captive breeding and alternatives to habitat destruction. We also conduct an outreach program in rural areas where we not only implement some of our methods of renewable resource farming, energy sources and alternative energy sources, but we also raise the level of education by constructing and supplying a library attached to primary and secondary schools and encourage the parents’ participation. We have served nearly a million people of all ages, and the message has gone out into communities that we are now seeing reflected back to us. I’m very proud of the work we continue to do there.

RJW: Stefanie has really made such an extraordinary contribution to conservation.

LA50: R.J., what’s on the upcoming agenda for you?

RJW: I have a few projects in various stages of production. I’m working on a poignant story dealing with Alzheimer’s disease that we will hopefully begin filming this year. It’s such an important topic in today’s world. I’m also a semiregular on “NCIS,” which has been a wonderful experience. I really enjoy working with Mark Harmon and everyone on that show. People ask me: “Are you still going to keep working?” and I say” “Why not?!” I love the business, and this is what I’ve always wanted to do. I’m very fortunate to be doing what I love and throughout my career the public’s been great to me – they’ve stayed with me all these years. I’ve been incredibly blessed.

LA50: And, like Stefanie, you have also given back by being an advocate for American farmers.

RJW: I’ve always had such admiration for our farmers. The people with the most freedom in the world were farmers who could self-sustain their land.

But, over the years, that has been taken away from them. Farming is all a conglomerate now. Today, there is not enough uninhibited flow of the land – of allowing the soil to reproduce naturally. They have to turn it over so quickly, there is no chance in essence for it to breathe. It’s kind of what’s happening to

all of us in today’s world. You don’t get a chance to really breathe with all the technology and social media and the pace of things – the state of farming is an elaborate metaphor for our society – turning things over too quickly and not stopping to breathe.

LA50: As we get older, we all start reflecting more and form certain philosophies about life. Do you two have any thoughts – your philosophy on living life after 50 – that you would like to share?

SP: I don’t know that I’ve defined everything down to one philosophy of life. I embrace all philosophies. I’m a voracious reader and learn as much as I can.

I feel grateful for every remarkable person that I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing, all of whom have contributed to my better understanding of the world around me. I think the key is that I’m not going to find the answers in myself. People who have written about their philosophy have taken time to stop to form a philosophy. I’m still learning.

LA50: What about you, R.J.?

RJW: Being a parent and then a grandparent is one of the great joys of life.

I’ve been so fortunate, because I’ve had young love, I’ve had real love, and I’ve had children that I‘ve loved. And then when you have a grandchild, my God, that’s a whole different sense of feeling love. I feel that it is essential to have a sense of confidence and to believe in yourself. I’ve often told my daughters – two of whom are in the business – to remember that when they are rejected, that it is not about you, it’s about them. All of us are rejected at one time or another in our lives, and that is magnified in the entertainment business. It’s so important to have the ability to handle and overcome that kind of negative experience. I think that is a big part of the game of show business and a big part of the game of life. I’ve always told my girls that one of the most important things in life is to learn to love well. If that can happen to you, you’re a very fortunate person. To be able to love someone well – I’m talking about respect, friendship, passion, sexuality, gratitude and humility – that is the key to loving someone and enjoying every day.

The William Holden Wildlife Education Center spreads over 15 acres of land on the slopes of Mt. Kenya and includes a youth hostel, lecture hall, library, audiovisual facilities, llama compound, fish farm, tree nursery, bio-gas and solar energy installations. The foundation offers visiting students a unique opportunity to experience the outdoors in a rare communication with nature often unavailable to them in their own environment. For more information on the William Holden Wildlife Foundation click on www.whwf.org.

Newsday has called Robert Wagner’s latest book, “I Loved Her in the Movies: Memories of Hollywood’s Legendary Actresses” (Viking, 2016), “An affectionate new memoir . . . like a guided tour of vintage Hollywood.” In this memoir of the great women movie stars he has known, Wagner provides readers with a privileged look behind-the-scenes at some of the most fascinating and well-known women in show business, as well as an insightful look at the sexual and romantic attraction that created their magic. Among Wagner’s subjects are Hollywood legends Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Rosalind Russell, Barbara Stanwyck, Glenn Close, and the two actresses he ultimately married, Natalie Wood and Jill St. John.

February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 15

VENTURING OUT

For a Valentine

Are you single and looking for that special someone? Here are seven tips to make next Valentine’s Day very different from this one Special to Life After 50 by Cassie Zampa-Keim

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alentine’s Day can be so exciting and fun, because let’s face it, it’s exciting and fun to celebrate romance and love. But every year, for some singles, it’s a challenging day that shines a glaring spotlight on their single status. With New Year’s Day just past and many singles entering 2017 with newly minted resolutions to find that special someone this year, I advise those folks to look to Valentine’s Day as the time to really get started on those resolutions.

I have been in the matchmaking industry for almost 30 years, providing dating and relationship strategies for women and men over 50. February is an exciting month for my clients, as I work with them to conquer their doubts about finding love and help them launch back into the world of dating. Most of my clients have been divorced or widowed, so it truly is a trip back to something they did years ago, when their lives, and the dating world, were very different.

It’s normal to feel insecure about trying something again after a couple of decades. You don’t look like you did back then (by the way, neither does anyone else you’ll be meeting); having gone through the loss of divorce or widowhood can make you hesitant to invest in love again; and online dating might feel like a big unknown ocean that you’d rather not dip your toe into.

Dating can look both daunting and like no fun at all.

The truth is – and I’ve seen it over and over again

16 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

with hundreds of clients – getting back into the dating world can not only be enjoyable and lifeaffirming, it can also expand your circle of friends and introduce you to that one special person.

Finding a relationship is also good for your health. There are numerous studies that show that people in serious relationships have fewer health problems and live longer. In my own work, I’ve found that those positive results start even before my clients have found a partner. Just by beginning the process of looking for a relationship and expressing their desire to make a connection with a partner, many of my clients start to get over their depression, fear, and sadness. While they start out feeling vulnerable, taking care of themselves and opening themselves to the possibility of finding love makes them healthier and happier.

Dr. George Vaillant, who led a longitudinal study that followed 268 Harvard graduates over 75 years, says that there are two pillars of happiness. “One is love,” says Dr. Vaillant. “The other is finding a way of coping with life that does not push love away.”

I emphasize to my clients how important it is to stay open to love, both while they are looking for it and once they’ve found it. But is finding love past the five-decade mark possible without the services of an expensive matchmaker?

Yes, absolutely! The following seven tips are excerpted from my book “Finding Love After

50” (Innovative Match Publishing, 2016), which I wrote to help those who cannot afford matchmaking services become their own matchmakers. The book is a roadmap for singles over 50 who wish to take charge of their dating lives – using tools and techniques of industry-leading matchmakers to achieve equal or better results – and ultimately find love without emptying their bank account.

1

EMBRACE A POSITIVE PERSPECTIVE

Creating the right mindset is so important to entering the dating world. Fear and doubt will affect your results, as will going into it with an open mind, confidence in who you are, a strong sense of what you are looking for, and patience.

A positive mindset will help you attract people you want to be with.

When you think and talk about dating, use words that build you up rather than defeat you before you’ve even started. For instance, instead of saying: “I’m old and men/women want to date people younger than me,” say: “I’m a beautiful person and would make a great partner.” Those words might not immediately change what happens externally, but they shift your perception of the experience and create a more positive atmosphere around you – which is always attractive.

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IDENTIFY WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU WANT IN A PARTNER

Begin by answering a series of questions that clarify where you are in your life so that you can look for and attract the right person for who you are today. We don’t always recognize the ways in which we’ve changed over the years until we slow down and take an honest look at the answers to some basic questions, such as: Would I date myself?

Why, or why not? What are my best qualities? What would I like to change about myself? What kind of relationship am I looking for right now? What has worked for me in past relationships and what has not? Why? What can I learn from what past partners have said to me about our relationships?

Write down the answers to those questions and keep them somewhere where you can find them.

When you are feeling uncertain about how things are going in your dating process and why they are going the way they are, this list can be a helpful resource.

You may find that your answers will change over time. As you become more confident in the dating world, you will add positive traits to the list. The type of relationship you are looking for might change based on the people you meet. But use the list to remember who you are and what you want.

3

ENJOY THE PROCESS AND DON’T JUST FOCUS ON THE OUTCOME

It’s easy to get fixated on the outcome of any process, and dating is no exception. You want the joy of meeting that special someone, not necessarily the effort it takes to get there. But as with anything worth having in life, the process is critical and you might as well enjoy it, because much of it is actually a lot of fun.

What does enjoying the dating process look like?

Opening yourself to the self-growth that dating can offer. Getting excited about the people you might meet and would not meet if you weren’t doing this. Broadening your social circle (who doesn’t need that?). Learning about yourself and growing in unexpected ways. Exposing yourself to new worlds through the people you’ll meet. Letting go of the pressure to find “The One” or the feeling that you have no idea what you are doing. Convincing yourself that this will be fun.

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GET ONLINE!

While technology is completely integrated into our daily lives, online dating can still seem strange and intimidating. As someone who began her career in traditional matchmaking and now works online with the majority of her clients, I can tell you that it is both totally manageable and very exciting.

With online dating, the pool of prospects that would be out there in traditional matchmaking or your daily life grows to an ocean, and the people on those sites are absolutely the type you want to meet.

Over the years, I have found many ways to optimize my clients’ experiences with online dating.

The keys are to post great photos and profiles; learn to read digital body language (i.e., don’t waste your time with people who are just cruising); always read the entire profile rather than just focusing on age, height, or income; and if in doubt, start out slowly.

You can subscribe to a smaller online site or a site geared towards a specific population, such as JDate.com, ChristianMingle. com or MeetMindful.com, if you are not Match. com-ready right away. You can also choose your visibility on most sites, from visible to private to hidden, giving you some flexibility if you are concerned about feeling too exposed.

Still not sure how you feel about going online?

I hear a lot of myths about online dating from my clients, and I want to dispel the most common ones.

The first myth is: “The type of person I want to meet is not on online dating sites.” Truth: I began researching online dating in 2008 as a way to help the clients I was working with then, and I can assure you that consistently over the years, there have been thousands of quality men and women over 50 on online dating sites. They go there for the same reasons you will: they are successful, motivated, and intelligent, and they realize that this is a fantastic way to meet people.

The second myth I hear is: “I’ll look desperate.”

Truth: being motivated and proactive is hardly desperate. I always ask my clients, when they are out with a friend and see someone attractive, do they hide? No. There’s no shame in desiring companionship.

The third myth from clients is that their professional reputation will be ruined if they are on online dating sites. If this feels like a legitimate concern for your particular profession or company, taking advantage of the ways to limit your visibility that I described above might be for you. You can also verify the legitimacy of people who express interest in you through the almost unlimited information available online. Remember, desiring companionship is natural, and online dating has become very accepted as a way to find relationships.

5

BE METHODICAL ABOUT THE DATING PROCESS

This probably sounds a little rigid – isn’t dating about the freedom of meeting people and having fun? Well, yes and no. Back in our earlier years, our relatively unfettered lives allowed us all sorts of opportunities to meet people: through friends, work, and shared activities. The possibilities seemed endless. But once we settled down, bought a house, had children, and established a career, our social circles often got smaller. If you look at the people you know today or are likely to meet in your everyday life, chances are that fewer of them are single than you’d like, if you’re laying odds for finding someone.

Establish a plan with defined steps along the way and change course when something isn’t working.

Being methodical doesn’t mean getting stuck – it just means providing yourself with a roadmap that keeps you from getting lost along the way.

6

MAINTAIN A MARATHON MINDSET: OPTIMISM AND RESILIENCE

Optimism is so important when you are dating, because things don’t happen in a linear way. You will meet people you are not interested in or who are not interested in you; sometimes it takes a while to find someone you want to see more than once; you will meet someone interesting and date for a while, but then it won’t work out. All normal! And those

times will alternate with times where you meet many interesting people, go out on fun date after fun date, get a lot of positive feedback, and eventually meet someone for the long-term.

The bottom line is that it won’t always be easy or predictable, but you can’t give up and you can’t let adversity keep you from trying again.

7

KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN BURNOUT SETS IN

Finding the right person can take time, and sometimes burnout will set in. If this happens, don’t give up. Try adjusting your expectations. For instance, if you are expecting to meet “The One” fairly quickly, why not give yourself a chance to go out on a few dates with people who sound interesting, even if they do not seem to be your ideal? You might be amazed to find out you like them more than you thought. And you’ll have more fun along the way.

Burnout is essentially disappointment, and we all experience that from time to time, so don’t be hard on yourself if you get there. Remind yourself of where you are in your life and keep focused on the right type of person for you. However, don’t narrow your focus so severely that you miss out on other possibilities around you, from meeting other people to trying new activities. Remember to enjoy the process. You can believe in a positive outcome without knowing specifically what that will mean for you.

You can also always take a break for a while.

Dating is not a speed contest, and taking the time to take care of yourself and having the patience to find the person who is right for you is the most important thing you can do.

I appreciate the fact that reentering the dating world is not easy. You are taking an emotional risk and putting yourself out there in a way that feels very vulnerable and exposed. But give yourself kudos for even considering it, and now that another Valentine’s Day is upon us, use this moment to begin an exciting new adventure (quite possibly your best yet) – the process of venturing out and finding a Valentine for next year.

MEET CASSIE ZAMPA-KEIM A renowned dating and relationship strategist, author, speaker, workshop leader, and coach, Cassie ZampaKeim is the founder and CEO of Innovative Match, a national relationship-services firm and the author of “Finding Love After 50” (Innovative Match Publishing, 2016), one of Amazon’s top rated books for dating over 50, and the syndicated Ask Cass blog. One of the industry’s leading experts on dating after 50, she launched Innovative Match to incorporate her dating strategies with a personalized coaching approach, to better help clients in the prime of their lives ride the wave of a new dating world.

She and her team develop a holistic view of each client to customize their experience, applying principles from her own nearly 30 years in the dating industry. Recognized as one of the World’s Top Dating Experts in 2016 by Older Dating UK, she holds a BA in communications and psychology and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Executive Entrepreneurship Program.

She has also studied at Cambridge University in England.

For more information on Cassie Zampa-Keim and her services, click on www.innovative-match.com.

February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 17

You Are What You Eat… At Heart!

Tips on what to eat and what to avoid in maintaining heart-health

By Dr. Steven Gundry

W

hile February is the month in which we think of our hearts a bit more than usual, due to the observances of Valentine’s Day and American Heart month, the health of our heart is something we should be aware of every day of the year. With over 2,200 Americans losing their lives to cardiovascular disease each day of the year, the leading cause of death in the U.S. is something that should be of paramount concern to all people, especially for those who are over 50, have a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure and stress levels, or less-than-ideal lifestyle habits.

Let’s look at that last factor – lifestyle habits – a bit more closely.

There are two societies, one in Italy and one in the South Pacific (Kitava), where smoking is very prevalent, and yet heart attacks and strokes are all but unheard of, and the people live into their late 90s and early 100s.

What’s up with that?

Well, while the extremely harmful damage of using tobacco products should not be diminished in any way, quite frankly, it’s what they eat and, more importantly, what they don’t eat that seems to account for their lack of heart disease. As for what they eat, it breaks down into four simple things: 18 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

• Tuberous starches such as sweet potatoes, taro root, millet, sorghum and yams.

• Lots of healthy fat, such as olive oil.

• Seafood instead of meat, particularly small fish such as sardines and anchovies.

• Powerful polyphenols from vegetables, herbs such as rosemary and sage, and occasional, seasonal, wild-grown fruits that are thought to stop gut bacteria from making heart-damaging compounds from animal protein called Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO).

Most low heart-disease societies eat mostly vegetables, only small amounts of fruits and lots of nuts, but not peanuts. They don’t eat whole wheat, oatmeal or corn, which makes sense, because the easiest way to produce heart disease in animals is to use wheat germ or peanut oil in their feed.

What does this information show us?

Diet plays a key role in preventing heart disease and people who want to stay heart-

healthy should adhere to a diet that’s heavy on vegetables and good fats. They should eat seafood rather than meat, and avoid commercially raised meat completely. As far as fruit goes, they should eat fruit that’s grown naturally: either heirloom varieties or wild-foraged fruits. And they should skip grains – even “healthy” things like whole wheat and oats that may be doing more damage than good.

What should you be doing right now to reduce the risk of heart disease?

1

Avoid foods high in lectins (a plant protein that wreaks havoc on the digestion and immune system). High-lectin foods to avoid include whole grains, oatmeal, non-pressure cooked beans, peanuts and cashews, chia seeds, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, pasta, cereals and nightshades such as potatoes and tomatoes.

2

Avoid factory-farmed meats and chicken (even free range). In recent studies conducted on both men and women worldwide, the increased consumption of protein, particularly from factoryfarmed meats, chicken and fish, contributed to

belly fat. These proteins are converted by our gut bacteria to artery-destroying compounds: TMAO.

3

Start supplementing with fish oil, polyphenolrich supplements such grape seed extract, pine bark extract and Resveratrol and vitamins B and C.

I make these recommendations based on my 12year study that was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. I conducted the study on 1,000 patients with known heart disease. After patients changed their diet and added supplements (as mentioned above), they saw a reversal in the narrowing of the coronary arteries and avoided heart attacks, strokes, and the need for stents.

It is also important to know that in spite of factual statistics to the contrary, many people still think of heart disease as something that affects men far more than woman. The fact is, heart disease is the number one killer of women in the U.S. In my research, I found that women who eat low-fat, high-grain based diets are most at risk. That may be because so many “low fat” diet foods are marketed toward women. By eating these foods, they shy away from good fats such as avocados and olive oil.

As for knowing the signs of heart problems in women, they are different from what men experience. The classic warning signs of heart

disease we all know – a sharp chest pain, jaw or left arm pain, or numbness in the limbs – often do not occur in women. Instead, they notice nausea, shortness of breath, or fatigue. And women who develop heart disease usually have weight deposited around their middle.

For women of every age, it is vital to start doing the following three things immediately: • Be aware of female-specific warning signs of a heart attack such as prolonged nausea, shortness of breath or fatigue.

• Include healthy fats in your diet, such as avocado and olive oil.

• Reduce grains and grain-rich food, even if they’re marketed as healthy – think granola, cereal bars, bread (even bread “thins”), rice, rice cakes, and even oatmeal.

I also recommend that both men and women go very lightly on beer or skip it altogether and opt for polyphenol-rich red wine instead. My other strong recommendations are to avoid vegetable oils and fried foods, eat plenty of olive oil, and pay attention to where you’re gaining weight – if the pounds start to accumulate, especially around the abdomen, it’s time to focus on weight loss right away.

MEET DR. STEVEN GUNDRY Dr. Steven Gundry is internationally recognized as a surgeon, inventor, researcher and author. His accomplishments in areas such as robotic-assisted heart surgery, congenital heart surgery, heart transplantation, cardioplegia catheters, minimally invasive valve surgery, mechanical support devices for the failing heart and reanimation of “dead” hearts have contributed greatly to advancements in cardiac care. He has served as the head of the division of cardiothoracic surgery, medical director of adult and pediatric cardiac surgical ICUs, and program director of the Cardiothoracic Residency Program at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He was also a founding board member of the Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery, the director of The International Heart and Lung Institute in Palm Springs, California, and the founder/director of The Center for Restorative Medicine in Palm Springs and Santa Barbara. His life-changing book “Dr. Gundry’s Diet Evolution” (Random House, 2008) which ranks on Amazon’s Top 20 Diet and Wellness list, has become a bible for people wanting to embrace healthy and smart eating. In April of this year, HarperCollins will be publishing his second book, “The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in ‘Healthy’ Foods That Can Cause Disease and Weight Gain.” Both of his books detail Dr. Gundry’s personal rise from struggling with his weight for years to changing his diet, losing 50 pounds, and keeping it off.

For more information on Dr. Gundry, his work and books, click on www.drgundry.com.

More beach walks.

Hoag’s nationally recognized cardiovascular program is the 2017 recipient of the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in the nation, for the second consecutive year.

There’s nothing like an important healthcare decision to remind you what’s important in life. Hoag’s innovative and compassionate cardiovascular team is one of the highest performing cardiac surgery programs in Southern California.

You can count on us to get you back to doing what makes your heart happy.

Hoag, making your life better by any measure.

*Awarded by Truven Health Analytics™

When you need the best in heart care, call Hoag at (844) 278-0972 or visit hoag.org/cardiac-care February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 19

T H H  M-K

By Steve Stoliar Illustration by Mark Hammermeister

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Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Pierre Filiberto Guglielmi di Valentina d’Antonguella. That name, probably, doesn’t ring even part of a bell with anyone, however, say the name “Rudolph Valentino” to those even casually familiar with classic cinema and the phrases “Latin lover” and “The Sheik” come to mind. But, there was much more to Valentino than just a tall, dark, handsome man who is remembered for, cinematically, riding his horse through the Arabian desert.

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alentino was born on May 6, 1895 in Apulia, Italy to a French mother – Marie Barbin Gabrielle – and Giovanni Antonio Giuseppe Fedele Guglielmi de Valentina d’Antonguella, an Italian veterinarian. His siblings included an older brother, Alberto, an older sister, Beatrice – who died in infancy – and a younger sister, Maria.

Even as a child, young Rodolfo was thought to be exceptionally good looking as well as very playful. In a dynamic common to many in his situation, his mother pampered him while his father disapproved of him. This conflict ended with his father’s death from malaria when Valentino was 11-years-old.

A poor student in grammar school, he eventually graduated from an agricultural school in Genoa and moved to Paris when he was 17. Unable to find work in Paris, he moved back to Italy, but encountered the same difficulty, so he set his sights on America, the land of opportunity, arriving at Ellis Island in December of 1913 at the age of 18.

Unfortunately, New York didn’t prove to be the promised magic ticket to prosperity. Valentino picked up work wherever he could find it, including bussing tables at restaurants and gardening.

He eventually ended up at Maxim’s Restaurant and Cabaret as a taxi dancer, picking up money by leading wealthy women around the dance floor. One of those women was Chilean heiress, Bianca de Saulles. When she and her husband,

prominent businessman John de Saulles, found themselves in divorce court shortly thereafter, Valentino testified to John’s numerous infidelities. As a result, John used his political clout to have Valentino arrested on vice charges in connection with a notorious madam known as “Mrs. Thyme.”

Valentino’s trial attracted more than a bit of notoriety and, as a result, he once again had great difficulty finding work. This was compounded when, not long after the trial, Bianca de Saulles shot and killed her ex-husband during a custody dispute over their son.

Not wanting to be dragged into testifying in yet another infamous trial, Valentino gave up on New York and, in 1917, joined a traveling operetta company that made it all the way to Utah before disbanding. From there, he joined the road company of Al Jolson’s “Robinson Crusoe, Jr.,” which brought him to Los Angeles.

In the fall of 1917, Valentino landed a bit part in the San Francisco production of “Nobody Home,” starring Norman Kerry (who was eight years away from playing the handsome hero in Lon Chaney Sr.’s “The Phantom of the Opera”).

Valentino and Kerry became roommates and, when they returned to Los Angeles, Kerry convinced his roomie that he just might have a career in the growing field of motion pictures.

Rudolfo Valentino, as he was then known, rented a room on Sunset Boulevard

This feature is intended for you to clip and give to your children or grandchildren because…they must-know!

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and began trying to find work in films. At first, he was only able to find bit parts, usually as a gangster. At the time, male leads were light-complected, all-American types – not dark-skinned, exotic-looking men.

In September of 1919, Valentino met actress Jean Acker at a party.

At the time, Acker was involved in a lesbian love triangle with actresses Grace Diamond and Alla Nazimova. After dating for a few weeks, they impulsively married on November 6, although Acker had immediate second thoughts, locking Valentino out of their room on their wedding night.

Apparently, the marriage was never consummated, but they remained married for several more years.

Although he was getting fairly steady work in films, Valentino was unhappy playing bad guys in small roles. On location in Florida, while playing yet another villain in 1920’s “Stolen Moments,” he read the popular novel “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” by Vicente Blasco Ibanez. Scouring the Hollywood trade papers, Valentino discovered that the book had been purchased

by Metro Pictures (not yet partnered with Goldwyn-Mayer). Valentino knew he was perfect for the lead, but how was he going to get that coveted role?

As luck would have it, screenwriter June Mathis had been thinking of Valentino to play the lead, after noticing him a year earlier in “Eyes of Youth,” and so he was cast as Julio Desnoyers, the French tango dancer.

Valentino earned $350 a week for his work on the picture.

Released in 1921, “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” was one of the first films to earn a million dollars at the box office, but Metro wasn’t convinced they had a new star on their hands, so they gave him only a bit part in “Uncharted Seas,” which had sets and costumes designed by Natacha Rambova.

Next up was the silent version of “Camille,” starring Nazimova, with costumes and sets again done by Rambova. Valentino was cast as Nazimova’s character’s lover, Armand. Unfortunately, the film didn’t do well with either critics or the public.

Valentino did one more film for Metro – “The Conquering Power” – then left the studio for Famous Players-Lasky, which eventually became Paramount. His first film, 1921’s “The Sheik,” caused a sensation and would become the film most often associated with Valentino who became known as the archetype of the romantic Latin lover.

Other films Valentino made at Paramount included “Moran of the Lady Letty” and “Beyond the Rocks,” opposite screen legend Gloria Swanson, before starring in another hit written by his friend, Mathis – “Blood and Sand” – in which he played a dashing Spanish bullfighter. After the filming of “Blood and Sand” was complete, Valentino married Rambova, but since he was technically still married to Acker, the marriage was annulled. They would remarry in 1923, but divorced two years later.

After going on strike and briefly leaving Paramount over a contract dispute, Valentino returned to the studio – at $7,500 a week – and made “Monsieur Beaucaire,” a comedy set in 18th century France. Audiences didn’t go for Valentino’s foppish character and the film flopped. He made only one more film for Paramount – “A Sainted Devil” – which did better initially, but was ultimately considered to be a failure.

In the mid 1920s, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin approached Valentino about coming over to their United Artists Studios, which he did. His first film was 1925’s “The Eagle,” in which he played a dashing lieutenant in the imperial Russian army.

The film performed only moderately at the box office.

His next film for U.A. was a sequel – 1926’s “The Son of the Sheik.” Valentino was initially reluctant to return to the role that he felt had stereotyped him, but he acquiesced. It turned out to be both a critical and financial hit, and is one of the rare sequels in film history that is superior to the original.

Unfortunately, “The Son of the Sheik” would turn out to be Valentino’s final film. On August 15, 1926, Valentino collapsed at a hotel in New York and was taken to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with appendicitis and gastric ulcers. Despite emergency surgery, he developed peritonitis. After initially encouraging reports from the doctors, Valentino’s condition worsened and he developed pleuritis in his left lung. On August 23, he awakened, chatted briefly about his prognosis with his doctors – who had kept the severity of his condition from him – and fell into a coma, dying several hours later at the age of 31.

Valentino’s sudden and tragic death stunned the nation and caused hysteria. Over 100,000 people lined the streets of

New York City to pay their respects to the late actor at the famous Frank Campbell Funeral Home. Many people fainted including actress Pola Negri, who claimed to be Valentino’s fiancée, and even some suicides were reported. Windows were smashed and mounted police were called in to restore order.

Valentino had two funeral masses – one at St. Malachy’s Catholic Church in New York City and the other, after his body was transported by train to Los Angeles, at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. Since he was so young and his death was unexpected, Valentino had made no burial arrangements, so his longtime friend, Mathis, offered up a crypt she had purchased for her husband, from whom she was divorced. That crypt – located in the legendary Hollywood Forever Cemetery – is where thousands of fans and admirers have continued to pay their respects to the iconic star to this day.

LEARN MORE •

“Dark Lover: The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino”

by Emily W. Leider (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003) • “Rudolph Valentino: The Untold Story”

by Wayne Vincent Hatford (Whitley Heights Publishing, 2014) • “Rudolph Valentino: A Wife’s Memories of an Icon” by Natacha Rambova (PVG Publishing, 2015)

• “The Valentino Mystique: The Death and Afterlife of the Silent Film Idol” by Allen Ellenberger (McFarland, 2005)

Mark Hammermeister is an award-winning artist. His work is available for purchase at www.markdraws.com February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 21

Loretta Swit Best known for her portrayal of Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on “M*A*S*H,” the actress, animal activist and artist reflects on the legendary show and shares her theory that age is irrelevant

Story and photos by David Laurell

I

n 1968, Americans were first introduced to a group of fictional medical personnel serving in a U.S. Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War in the Richard Hooker novel “MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors” (William Morrow Paperbacks, 1968).

Two years later, film director Robert Altman brought a loose adaptation of Hooker’s story to the big screen in “M*A*S*H,” which was nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award and became one of the biggest box office successes of the early 1970s for 20th Century-Fox. Another two years would pass and television producer Larry Gelbart brought Americans yet a third version of “M*A*S*H” – a CBS television series produced by 20th Century-Fox Television that chronicled the lives of a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Uijeongbu, South Korea, which included Captain Hawkeye Pierce, Corporal Max Klinger, Father John Mulcahy, Captain “Trapper John” McIntyre, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake, Major Frank Burns, Corporal Radar O’Reilly, Captain B. J. Hunnicutt. Colonel Sherman Potter, Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, and the only principal female character, Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan, who served as the surgical unit’s statuesque and stern head nurse.

Debuting in the fall of 1972, “M*A*S*H,” would run for 11 seasons earning over 100 Emmy Award

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nominations and 14 wins. The series has since been honored by the Writers Guild of America as the fifth best-written television series of all time, and ranked as the eighth greatest television show of all time by TV Guide in 2013. Loretta Swit, who played the role of Houlihan, won two Emmy Awards for her portrayal of the no-nonsense, army-brat-turned-solider who, along with her lover Burns, vocally disapproved of the shenanigans and tomfoolery of their colleagues.

Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Swit studied drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and also with legendary theatrical teacher Gene Frankel, who is credited with establishing New York’s off-Broadway scene.

Garnering roles in numerous stage productions throughout her 20s, she came to Hollywood in 1969, where she appeared in many popular television series of the 1970s including “Hawaii Five-O, “Gunsmoke,” “Mission: Impossible” and “Mannix.”

Tapped to play the role of Houlihan, which was deftly handled by Sally Kellerman in the feature film, Swit would go on to be one of only four “M*A*S*H” cast members to appear in all 11 seasons of the show, the others being Alan Alda, Jamie Farr and William Christopher.

While Swit continued to work on both the stage and screen after “M*A*S*H” wrapped production, she has also passionately devoted herself to many

animal-related causes and organizations and has become renowned worldwide for her work as a tireless advocate for animals and animal rights. In September of last year, she was awarded the Global Wildlife Conservation Champion Award by the GES Africa Conservation Fund for her support of animal conservation efforts, kindness, compassion and generosity, and in December, Actors and Others for Animals, an organization for which she once served as president, presented her with their highest honor – The Betty White Award – for all she has done to protect and care for animals.

An accomplished watercolor artist, Swit’s work has been chronicled in the just-released book “SwitHeart: The Watercolor Artistry and Animal Activism of Loretta Swit” (Ultimate Symbol, 2017)

by Mies Hora. The book presents her art work along with descriptive anecdotes about each animal and her extensive philanthropic work on their behalf.

Swit, who will turn 80 this fall, recently sat down with Life After 50 to reflect on her passions, the show she is best known for, and her feelings on the passing of years. We began our visit by asking where her love of animals stemmed from.

Loretta Swit (LS): Loving animals and caring for them – their well-being – has always been as natural to me as breathing. When I was a child, it never occurred to me that everyone didn’t feel the way I do about animals.

Life After 50 (LA50): You have been such a passionate advocate for animals over the years, do you believe the education and awareness programs of organizations like Actors and Others for Animals have made a difference?

LS: Absolutely! There have been, and are, so many good organizations who have instituted wonderful educational programs to teach people about spaying, neutering, and the responsible care of animals. And because of those programs, we have absolutely seen tremendous progress. We are now seeing people being fined and even imprisoned for cruelty and neglect of animals. Is it perfect? No. It’s a daily struggle and battle. But just look around. We’re a society that is lacking in respect for one another and killing one another, so it’s a continuous battle for us to instill love and respect for all living things.

LA50: Having a companion pet can be so important for people as they get older, especially for those who may be otherwise isolated and lonely.

LS: It has been dramatically proven, and accepted by the AMA [American Medical Association], that people who have pets live longer. I remember when my mother was at the Motion Picture Home during the last two years of her life and I would see the working dogs come in a couple times a week.

You could see such a change – a true joy – on the people’s faces when those animals came to visit.

I experience that same joy personally every day with my Yorkie, Munchkin, and my two cats, Anubis and Sahara.

LA50: Your book was just released last month. Tell us about it.

for the part of Margaret. I don’t think they were looking to copy what Sally [Kellerman] brought to the role in the film. I don’t think they tried to replicate the look of any of the actors from the movie, but of course, they had a type in mind.

I fit the type and, by that time in my career, I had done a lot of work in CBS shows, so I was high on their list.

LA50: With all due respect to Sally Kellerman, Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould and Robert Duvall, who played the principal roles in the film, it was you and your castmates from the television series that made those characters iconic. When we think of Hawkeye Pierce, we think of Alan Alda. When we think of “Hot Lips” Houlihan, we think of you.

LS: There’s a very good reason for that. The actors who played the roles in the film had less than two hours on the big screen in theatres. We, on the other hand, were in people’s homes for 11 years. We became part of people’s extended families. Since it debuted, “M*A*SH” has never been off the air.

It went into syndication while we were still in first run – during season three – and it has been on ever since, so generations of people have watched the show – grown up with it – and we never let them down. Because we were in production for 11 years, we had the time to really develop the portrayal of our characters and make them real people. The show was really based more on the book than the film was, and the characters in the book, while fictional, were based on real people.

There was a great adherence to integrity in the way “M*A*S*H” was produced, and many of the stories came from things that really happened to real people during the Korean War.

LA50: You were the only female in an allmale ensemble cast. Did you ever feel like an outsider in the all-boys club?

LS: Never, because I’m a scrapper. Also, I was blessed with an ensemble of men who were feminists and humanists, men who treated me respectfully and as an equal. Once, when we were all accepting an award as a group, I thanked the guys for always treating me as an equal, and Harry Morgan interrupted me and said that he never treated me as an equal, but rather as a superior [laughs], which got a big laugh.

LA50: Having created one of television’s most iconic characters, what are your personal feelings about Margaret Houlihan?

LS: I admired her. She wasn’t always the most tactful person, but she was efficient and ambitious.

She was also very lonely. She had been neglected as a child. Her father, who had been a general, wanted a son to follow in his footsteps, so there was always this great pressure on her to not just become a solider, but to become one that was as good, if not better, than had she been a boy. She was very serious about being the best she could be – as a soldier, as a nurse. She was also very resilient, like the actual women who volunteered to serve in Korea. Those woman weren’t drafted.

They volunteered to go to a country that is known to have the coldest winters and the hottest summers.

They served very close to the front in horrific conditions. The character of Margaret also inspired a lot of women to pursue a career in nursing.

Over the years, I heard from so many women who told me they became nurses because of watching “M*A*S*H.” Illustration by Bernie Fuchs

LS: It’s a chronicle of my life as an animal activist as told through my paintings, which I’ve been doing for years and selling to raise funds for the humane organizations I support who do rescuing, rehabbing, placing, educating and so forth. It is the meeting of my two loves – my love for the arts and my love for the animals of the world.

LA50: Speaking of love, let’s talk about that show you did that people have loved since the early 1970s. Had you seen the film “M*A*S*H” when it first came out?

LS: No, and this may be surprising, but I have never seen it. I have seen various clips from it, but I have never seen the full film.

LA50: How did “M*A*S*H” come into your life?

LS: When the talks began about doing it as a television series, I was in Hawaii doing “Hawaii Five-O” with Jack Lord. When I got back from Hawaii, I was told by my agent that I had an appointment to meet Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds [the producers]. It wasn’t really an audition or a reading for the part; it was more of a “look-see and meet.” I later found out they had met with over 200 actresses they were considering

February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 23

LA50: You still keep up a hectic schedule with both work and the organizations you are involved with. Any secret you would like to share as to where your energy comes from?

LS: I eat right. I’m a vegan for many reasons.

Animals are my friends, not my food. I also believe that eating animal fat and protein is not healthy for our bodies. I have tons of energy. I exercise every day – Pilates, yoga stretches, some weights. It is a regimen that has evolved over time from working

“SwitHeart: The Watercolour Artistry and Animal Activism of Loretta Swit” (Ultimate Symbol, 2017) by Mies Hora presents a collection of Loretta Swit’s animal portraits along with anecdotes about her philanthropic work. “I’m thrilled to see my passion for animals and my passion for art merge in a book that will help benefit and protect the animals on our planet,” says Swit of the book that includes 65 of her paintings and drawings. “I am also pleased that the proceeds from this book will be donated to various charities and programs that are dedicated to ending animal suffering and cruelty.”

24 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

with various trainers over the years – one I have worked out for myself that works for me. And I also walk a lot.

LA50: As the years have gone by, have you adopted any sort of philosophy about aging?

LS: I think aging is a myth. Age is just a number that I ignore completely. I just keep living my life without giving my age, or anyone else’s, any thought at all. One of my favorite films is “Lost

If you are in the Los Angeles area and would like to meet Swit and have her sign a copy of her book for you, you will have two chances: On February 13 she will do a signing at the Santa Monica Library located at 601 Santa Monica Boulevard at 6 p.m. She will also be singing on February 15 at 7 p.m. at Vroman’s Bookstore located at 695 E. Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.

You can also order signed copies of her book by clicking on www.switheart.com.

Horizon.” There’s a scene in that film, when they take the trip to Shangri-La and Ronald Colman’s character has a problem accepting the fact that no one in Shangri-La is aging, and the character Chang tells him: “Age is a limit we impose upon ourselves. You know, each time you Westerners celebrate your birthday, you build another fence around your minds.”

I agree with Chang. I think we do that – we allow ourselves to become bound by society’s version or perception of what various ages are supposed to look life. My mother, who lived to be 106, had that same mindset as Chang. She never let her age limit her in any way. I think our minds control so much of how we live our lives.

I hate that phrase: “at your age.” At your age you can’t wear this or do that or whatever. No one should be hampered by what anyone else, or what society, deems to be appropriate for someone just because they have lived a certain amount of years. As for a philosophy: I believe in the bumble bee theory, which I apply to everything I do in my life. According to the laws of aerodynamics, science says it is impossible for the bumble bee to fly. The bumble bee, however, does not know or care about aerodynamics, so it just flies. When I started painting, I began with watercolors and people would say to me: “Why are you starting with watercolors? That is so difficult!” Well I did it because I didn’t know it was difficult, so I just jumped in and did it. You also have to have passions in your life. I love my work – both my theatrical work and with the humane organizations I work with. So I just get up and go out and attack whatever it is I have to get done during each day, with passion and no thought about age.

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Let’s Get OUt

San Diego/Orange County/Inland Empire

February/March

A Preview of Upcoming Events for February/March By Claire Yezbak Fadden

eNteRtAINMeNt WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15 PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE Paris, 1904: The Lapin Agile, beloved watering hole to struggling artists and would-be geniuses, welcomes two soon-to-be legends for one extraordinary night. Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein, whose egos are as big as their intellects, spar with the regulars and each other about art, science, inspiration, love, and the promise of the 20th century.

The Old Globe Theatre, Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage, Conrad Prebys Theatre Center 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park, San Diego. $29-plus. Through March 12. (619) 234-5623. theoldglobe.org.

MOBY DICK The power—and the poetry—of Melville’s colossal novel is transformed into a masterwork for the stage. Driven on by a self-destructive madman and larger-than-life characters who search for the white whale, they pit themselves against the Seven Seas with a fiery passion. South Coast Repertory, Segerstrom Stage, 655 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa. Through Feb. 19. Dark Mondays. Prices vary. (714) 708-5555. scr.org.

BEAU JEST Sarah’s parents are delighted she is engaged to a charming doctor. Only thing is, she’s not.

When they arrive in town for a dinner party, she hires an actor to keep the fiction alive.

Hilarity and romance ensue! Lamb’s Players Theatre, 1142 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed.Sun. through Feb. 20. $24-plus. (619) 4376000. lambsplayers.org.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16

Theatre, Mandell Weiss Theatre, 2910 La Jolla Village Dr., La Jolla. Through March 5. Prices vary. (858) 550-1010. lajollaplayhouse.org.

MY FAIR LADY Based on George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion,” this musical tells the story of Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle, who takes speech lessons from Professor Henry Higgins so that she may pass as a lady. Welk Resorts Theatre, 8860 Lawrence Welk Dr., Escondido.

Dates vary through April 2. $49-plus. (888) 802-7469. welktheatre.com.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

FREAKY FRIDAY An overworked mother and her teenage daughter magically swap bodies, and they now have just one day to put things right again before mom’s big wedding. La Jolla Playhouse, UCSD Campus, Sheila and Hughes Potiker

JOSE FELICIANO In his 50-year career, Feliciano has earned 45 gold and platinum records, bridged the gap between Latin and popular music and earned the distinction of being one of the world’s most widely respected guitarists. Poway Center for the Performing Arts Foundation, 15498 Espola Rd., Poway. $49-$69. (858) 748-0505. powayonstage.org.

DADA The Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. Prices vary. (949) 4968930. thecoachhouse.

COUNTRY LIVE! AT THE MERC Old Town Temecula Community Theater, The Merc, 42051 Main St., Temecula.

Saturdays. Prices vary. (866) 653-8696. temeculatheater.org.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19 LIVE JAZZ ON THE PATIO Joe Bigham and Friends. Bernardo Winery, Tasting Room Patio, 13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte, San Diego. Free. bernardowinery.com.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22 INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT The genre-bending group infuses the classical cello with an unforgettable modern twist, covering Radiohead, Taylor Swift, Kanye West, and more. California Center for the Arts, Escondido, Center Theater, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. Prices vary. (800) 988-4253. artcenter.org.

THE ILLUSION Using crackling, contemporary language and sheer artistry, Tony Kushner created a wildly entertaining tale of passion, regret, love and magic. North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Suite D, Solana Beach.

Dates vary through March 9. Prices vary. (858) 481-1055. northcoastrep.org.

WILD SCIENCE: HOW WE FIT INTO THE COSMOS Lecture by the physicist, string theorist and best-selling author Brian Greene. Soka Performing Arts Center, 1 University Dr., Aliso Viejo. Prices vary. (949) 480-4278. performingarts.soka.edu.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 VILLALOBOS BROTHERS Hailing from Veracruz, Mexico, the Villalobos Brothers are acclaimed as one of today’s leading contemporary Mexican ensembles.

The violin trio draws on many genres including San Jarocho, jazz, rock, and blues. These classically trained virtuosos deliver a signature style known as “Fast-Chatting Violin,” for a mesmerizing brew of brilliance, cadence and virtuosity. California Center for the Arts, Escondido, Center Theater, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. Prices vary. (800) 988-4253. artcenter.org.

JAZZ AT THE MERC Old Town Temecula Community Theater, The Merc, 42051 Main St., Temecula.

Thursdays. Prices vary. (866) 653-8696. temeculatheater.org.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

PETER PAN

Join Wendy and her brothers on an amazing tour of Neverland sparked by the irrepressible Peter Pan. With the help of unpredictable Tinkerbell, the mysterious Tiger Lily, the impish Lost Boys and the croc with a clock, Peter and Wendy lead a battle to thwart the evil plans of Captain Hook and his henchmen. LifeHouse Theater, 1135 N. Church St., Redlands. Thurs.-Sun. through March 26. $14-$18. (909) 335-3037 ext. 21. lifehousetheater.com.

26 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

SEX WITH STRANGERS Olivia is an attractive, talented and underappreciated mid-career writer just one big step away from success. Ethan is a hot young writer whose online journals about his sexcapades with strangers have become the buzz of the blogosphere. When these two are unexpectedly trapped in a secluded cabin during a winter storm, their literary futures become intimately intertwined. San Diego

CALeNDAR

February/March San Diego/Orange County/Inland Empire

Repertory Theatre at the Lyceum Space, 79 Horton Plaza, San Diego. Through March 19.

Prices vary. (619) 544-1000. sdrep.org.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24

BREADCRUMBS A reclusive fiction writer diagnosed with dementia must depend upon a troubled young caretaker to complete her autobiography. In a symbiotic battle of wills, they delve into the dark woods of the past, unearthing a tragedy that shatters their notions of language, loneliness and essential self. The La Jolla Commons Theatre, 1216 Cave Street, La Jolla. Thurs.-Sun. through March 12. $25-$30. fruitlessmoon.ticketleap. com, fruitlessmoontheatreworks.org.

SHADOWLANDS This play centers on one of the great love stories of the 20th century: the relationship between Christian theologian, writer and professor C.S. Lewis and American poet Joy Davidman. Lamb’s Players Theatre, 1142 Orange Ave., Coronado. Wed.-Sun. through April 9. $24-plus. (619) 437-6000. lambsplayers.org.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25 COUNTRY LIVE! AT THE MERC Old Town Temecula Community Theater, The Merc, 42051 Main St., Temecula.

Saturdays. Prices vary. (866) 653-8696. temeculatheater.org.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26 THE TEN TENORS Taking on the most dynamic songs in the world, the “Vocal Wonders from Down Under” will soar through classical arias and give rock anthems an exhilarating and unique sound for an electrifying night of world-class entertainment. California Center for the Arts, Escondido, Concert Hall, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. Prices vary. (800) 9884253. artcenter.org.

LIVE JAZZ ON THE PATIO Jimmy and Enrique. Bernardo Winery, Tasting Room Patio, 13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte, San Diego. Free. bernardowinery.com.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER This play shares the uproarious story of Monty Navarro, a distant heir to a family

fortune who sets out to jump the line of succession, by any means necessary. All the while, he’s got to juggle his mistress (she’s after more than just love), his fiancée (she’s his cousin but who’s keeping track?) and the constant threat of landing behind bars. Of course, it will all be worth it if he can slay his way to his inheritance…and be done in time for tea. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa. Through March 5. $29-plus.

(714) 556-2787. scfta.org.

MARCH THURSDAY, MARCH 2 JAZZ AT THE MERC Old Town Temecula Community Theater, The Merc, 42051 Main St., Temecula.

Thursdays. Prices vary. (866) 653-8696. temeculatheater.org.

FRIDAY, MARCH 3 MASTERS OF HAWAIIAN MUSIC Four-time Grammy Award winner and slack key guitar virtuoso George Kahumoko Jr. takes the stage with slack key guitarist Kawika Kahiapo and instrumentalist Nathan Aweau to perform a distinctly Hawaiian style of open tunings, along with stories and light-hearted entertainment. California Center for the Arts, Escondido, Center Theater, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. Prices vary. (800) 988-4253. artcenter.org.

THE BEACH BOYS In the pantheon of pop, few groups have enjoyed the success of The Beach Boys. Their close vocal harmonies and “good vibrations” conjure timeless memories of surf, sun and endless summers. Known for such irresistible chart-topping hits as “Surfin’,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “I Get Around,” “Kokomo,” “Help Me Rhonda” and “California Girls,” these Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famers have performed more concerts than any major rock band in history.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Concert Hall, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa. Also March 4. $35-plus. (714) 5562787. scfta.org.

SATURDAY, MARCH 4 Y AND T The Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. Also Feb. 4. Prices vary.

(949) 496-8930. thecoachhouse.

COUNTRY LIVE! AT THE MERC Old Town Temecula Community Theater, The Merc, 42051 Main St., Temecula.

Saturdays. Prices vary. (866) 653-8696. temeculatheater.org.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25

FRIDA KAHLO — HER PHOTOS

This exhibition offers an intimate glance into the life of one of the world’s most beloved artists. Throughout her life, Kahlo meticulously collected over 6,000 photographs of loved ones as well as scenes of Mexican culture, politics, art, history and nature. These photographs were taken by many renowned creatives of the time including Edward Weston, Tina Modotti, Lola and Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Martin Munkácsi, the artist herself and others. Discover some of the brightest and darkest times in the artist’s life while also experiencing a unique view of the tumultuous political and technological climate of the early to mid20th Century. Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana. Through June 25.

Prices vary. (714) 567-3679. bowers.org.

SUNDAY, MARCH 5 COMPOSTING WORKSHOP Learn how to use your yard clippings as a resource, naturally achieve a beautiful, health yard and garden and reduce your use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Living Coast Discovery Center, 100, Gunpowder Point Dr., Chula Vista. Shuttle to entrance from parking lot. $9-$14. Sundays. (619) 409-5900. thelivingcoast.org.

LIVE JAZZ ON THE PATIO Whitney Shay. Bernardo Winery, Tasting Room Patio, 13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte, San Diego. Free. bernardowinery.com.

COLBURN ORCHESTRA James Conlon, the celebrated director of the Los Angeles Opera, leads the Colburn Orchestra as it performs Prokofiev’s “Piano Concerto No. 2” and Stravinsky’s magical “Petrushka.” Additional music by Respighi.

Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange. Prices vary. (844) 626-8726. muscocenter.org.

THURSDAY, MARCH 9 THE IRISH ROVERS These international ambassadors of Irish music are recognized world-wide for their ability to deliver rollicking, rousing performances every time. With six Irishman and one Scotsman, the Rovers have released more than 40 albums in the United States.

Their 50th Anniversary Tour is hailed as their last before hanging up their jigs and reels. Poway Center for the Performing Arts Foundation, 15498 Espola Rd., Poway. $39$54. (858) 748-0505. powayonstage.org.

ON THE 20TH CENTURY Climb aboard a luxury train traveling from Chicago to New York City. Luck, love and mischief collide when the bankrupt theater

February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 27

CALeNDAR

February/March San Diego/Orange County/Inland Empire producer Oscar Jaffee embarks on a madcap mission to cajole glamorous Hollywood starlet Lily Garland into playing the lead in his new, non-existent epic drama. But is the train ride long enough to reignite the spark between these former lovers, create a play from scratch, and find the money to get it all the way to Broadway? Cygnet Theatre, 4040 Twiggs St., San Diego. Wed.-Sun. through April 30. Prices vary. (619) 337-1525. cygnettheatre.com.

ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET: MIXED REPERTOIRE With a pioneering spirit that rises from its dual home cities – nestled in the Rocky Mountains and Santa Fe – this spectacular ensemble dissolves the divide between ballet and modern dance and epitomizes the contemporary-classical genre. Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Dr., Irvine. Prices vary. (949) 854-4646. thebarclay.org.

CHARLES BUSCH: THE LADY AT THE MIC Busch enchants audiences in this intimate evening of songs and stories. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Samueli Theater, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa. Also March 10-11. $79.

(714) 556-2787. scfta.org.

SATURDAY, MARCH 11

LIVE JAZZ ON THE PATIO Chini and Camberos. Bernardo Winery, Tasting Room Patio, 13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte, San Diego. Free. bernardowinery.com.

RITA MORENO Moreno first won acclaim for her role as Anita in “West Side Story” and went on to become a bona fide national treasure. She’ll reminisce about her remarkable life on stage and screen

CLASSICS AT THE MERC Old Town Temecula Community Theater, The Merc, 42051 Main St., Temecula. Second and fourth Sundays. Prices vary. (866) 653-8696. temeculatheater.org.

and speak about her active career today in acclaimed television roles. Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange. Prices vary. (844) 626-8726. muscocenter.org.

SUNDAY, MARCH 12

eXHIBItIONs

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25 ULTIMATE DINOSAURS Meet new and exotic dinosaurs from the other side of the world. Prehistory takes on 21st century technology with this exhibition featuring 16 fully-articulated dinosaur specimens from locations in the Southern Hemisphere. From the tiny Eoraptor to the massive Giganotosaurus (T. Rex’s bigger, badder cousin), this exhibit offers a fascinating study of species you haven’t met before. San Diego Natural History Museum, 1788 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego. Prices vary. Through Sept. 4. (619) 232-3821. sdnhm.org.

DREAMS OF THE WEST This exhibition looks to the complex relationships between landscape and the body in the art of the American West and Mexico. With landscape as an active figure, the works on view communicate distinct stories about the desert, spirituality, Hollywood and cinema, and touch upon our own dreams about Western icons. Palm Springs Art Museum, Denney Western American Art Wing, 72567 Highway 111, Palm Desert. Tues.-Sun. through Sept. 2017 Free. (760) 346-5600. psmuseum.org.

KNOTTED FIBER JEWELRY Sandy Swirnoff creates intricately knotted fiber necklaces and other jewelry that incorporates fragments of Art Nouveau glass.

Working with nylon cord, beads and antique glass pieces from the famed companies of Peynaud, Daum, Gallé and Tiffany, she creates unique and wearable works of art that merge old and new. Her knotting process, a refined form of macramé, is delicate in approach yet substantial and often three dimensional.

THE ERIK GRONBORG EXPERIENCE Presents a full picture of this Danish-born American artist’s creative life over a span of 55 years. This exhibition brings together examples of Gronborg’s entire oeuvre, including sculpture in cast metal, carved wood, studio furniture, printmaking, and drawing, along with a comprehensive survey of his ceramics Mingei International Museum, Balboa Park, 1439 El Prado, San Diego.

Through March 12. Prices vary. (619) 2390003. mingei.org.

THE GOLDEN DECADE Between 1945 and 1955, a fortunate group of students at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco studied under a faculty that included some of the great photographers of the age—Ansel Adams, Minor White, Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham, Dorothea Lange, and Lisette Model. The exhibition showcases about 60 choice examples of the work of teachers and students active at the CSFA during this remarkable midcentury period. Laguna Art Museum, Upper Galleries, 307 Cliff Dr., Laguna Beach. Through May 29.

Closed Wednesdays. Prices vary. (949) 4948971. lagunaartmuseum.org.

KINKY BOOTS

With songs by Cyndi Lauper, this joyous musical celebration is about the friendships we discover and the belief you can change the world when you change your mind. Inspired by true events, the story unfolds in a gentlemen’s shoe factory in Northampton and ends up at the glamorous catwalks of Milan. San Diego Civic Theatre, Third Ave. and B St., 1100 Third Ave., downtown San Diego. Through March 12. Prices vary. (619) 570-1100. broadwaysd.com.

28 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

POP ART DESIGN This exhibition features some 50 works of art and 80 design objects from international museums that explore the inspirations and cross-references between art and design that continue to shape our society today.

Featuring works by artists including Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, Roy Lichtenstein, Ed Ruscha and Richard Hamilton, juxtaposed against works by designers such as Charles Eames, George Nelson, Achille Castiglioni and Ettore Sottsass. Orange County Museum of Art, 850 San Clemente Dr., Newport Beach.

Wed.-Sun. through April 2. $10. (949) 75911122. ocma.net.

ALONG EL CAMINO REAL This exhibit explores the history of the California missions. These outposts were connected by El Camino Real, which today approximates Highway 101. The earliest views of the California missions in this exhibition include a set of etchings by Henry Chapman Ford (1828-1894) published in 1883. The oldest paintings on display are the “Mission San Juan Capistrano” and “Chinatown, Los Angeles” both painted by Alexander Harmer (1856-1925) in 1886. Also on display are works by such noted California artists as Alson S. Clark (1876-1949), Alice Coutts (1879-1973), Edwin Deakin (18381923), William Lees Judson (1842-1928), Elmer Wachtel (1864-1929) and William Wendt (1865-1946). The Irvine Museum, 18881 Von Karman Ave., Irvine. Tues-Sat. through May 18. Free. (949) 476-2565. irvinemuseum.org.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19

FRIDAY, MARCH 10

Mingei International Museum, Balboa Park, 1439 El Prado, San Diego. Through June 4.

Prices vary. (619) 239-0003. mingei.org.

Get the Word Out. E-mail your announcements to Claire Fadden, cfadden@lifeafter50.com 60 days prior (or even earlier) to your event.

Include a brief description, location, date, time, cost, phone and website. Submission does not guarantee publication.

“Fantastical…takes your breath away” — THE NEW YORK TIMES

FEBRUARY 22 – MARCH 19, 2017

By Tony Kushner Directed by David Ellenstein Legendary playwright Tony Kushner (Angels in America) displays his brilliance in this wildly inventive tour de force, which celebrates the magic and illusory nature of theatre. Using crackling, contemporary language and sheer artistry, Kushner creates his most joyfully theatrical play: a wildly entertaining tale of passion, regret, love and magic. THE ILLUSION transports you on a wondrous journey filled with laughter and a few tears along the way.

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March 6 & 7, 7:30pm Laugh non-stop as Robert Dubac embarks on a quest to answer the age old question, “What do women want?” The New York Times says “Hilarious... a one man tour de force!” It is hands down one of the funniest solo shows you will ever see.

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March 20 & 21, 7:30pm If you are yearning for some satire that cuts with a clever intelligent edge; then buckle up for a hilarious joy ride over the pot-holed highways of cultural hypocrisy. It’s comedy on steroids.

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February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 29

Rick Steves’ Travels Revel in the Romance of Europe

By Rick Steves

RICK ST EVES’ T RAVELS

I

love it when, through my travel books, PBS television show or columns in Life After 50, I convince people to really engage with Europe. But when I hear from those who have romantically engaged with one another while in Europe, I love it even more.

Recently I heard from a reader who took his girlfriend on one of my recommended hikes near Mürren, Switzerland: “I convinced Emily to get one last photo of the view together before it got dark, even though we were both tired and hungry – and she very much wanted to relax and have a nice meal.” He wrote. “I set up my tripod and when she thought we were just going to pose for a photo, I got on one knee and proposed. She said ‘yes!’ ” Love is in bloom all over Europe every month of the year. Couples embrace while walking the banks of the Seine River in Paris or meet along the Via dell’Amore (Pathway of Love) in Italy’s Cinque Terre. At romantic spots in St. Petersburg, you’ll see newlyweds with their photographers. After the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom are practically obligated to drop by a dozen or so picturesque locations for wedding pictures. They’ll occasionally make a traditional toast with Champagne, then break their glasses to proclaim their love.

When people ask me for romantic destinations in Europe, I steer them away from traditional spots such as Venice, Paris, or the

30 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

Greek Islands. For true romance, I like to suggest getaways that are slightly off the radar screen, such as Hallstatt, Varenna, Gimmelwald and Beilstein.

For a cozy hideaway, look for the offbeat areas where locals walk gingerly on creaky floorboards and where each balcony sports a flowerbox. The tiny town of Hallstatt, positioned picture-perfectly on the shore of Lake Hallstatt in Austria, is just such a place. It’s a gentle land – idyllic and majestic – where lakes and mountains are shuffled sloppily together...the perfect place to commune with nature, and one another, Austrian-style.

On Italy’s Lake Como, Varenna whispers luna di miele (honeymoon). This village oozes romance.

Easily accessible by train, on the less-visited side of the lake, Varenna has a romantic promenade, a tiny harbor, and narrow lanes. You’ll pass wisteria-drenched villas, evocative vistas, and lakeside lovers embracing the moment. It’s just the right place to savor a cappuccino or aperitivo.

There’s wonderfully little to do here and it’s very quiet at night. It is places such as this where I really feel the romance of Europe.

In Switzerland’s tiny mountain hamlet of Gimmelwald, you’ll find a traffic-free village that hangs nonchalantly on the edge of a cliff high above the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Swiss Alps.

At the dawn of Switzerland’s age of big-time tourism, the farmers inhabiting this tumble of rough-hewn log farmhouses voted against modern development. While other cliffhanging villages became soulless resorts, Gimmelwald survives as

a traditional Swiss mountain community. Its two 700-year-old streets, a zig and a zag, are decorated by drying laundry, hand-me-down tricycles, and hollowed stumps bursting proudly with geraniums.

In Germany, cozy Beilstein is story-bookland – touristy but tranquil, except for its territorial swans swimming on the Mosel River.

This “Sleeping Beauty of the Mosel” was only accessible by boat until about 1900 and it still seems lost in time. It’s what some visitors hope a Rhine River hamlet might be – a peaceful, romantic village slipped between impossibly steep vineyards and the river. Above the town are castle ruins with a postcard panorama – there’s even better views at the top of the lone surviving tower.

Wherever American couples go in Europe, they usually fall under a magical spell and, with February being the month that Cupid is at his most active, it is the perfect time to plan a romantic European getaway.

Rick Steves writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and radio. You can e-mail him at rick@ricksteves.com and visit his website at www.ricksteves.com.

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proudly managed by: vacation resorts international 32 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

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February 2017 LIFEAFTER50.COM 33

And Finally...

The Bookworm’s Best A Life After 50 book review

by Terri “The Bookworm” Schlichenmeyer

Television: A Biography

By David Thomson

TV (The Book): Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time

By Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz

T

here’s nothing like a little relaxation time, and winter is a great season for reading or watching the returning television shows as well as those you may have recorded but haven’t gotten to watching… but where do you start? How about with two books: “Television: A Biography” by David Thomson and “TV (The Book)” by Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz?

In “Television: A Biography,” Thomson looks at the different kinds of fare with which we’ve entertained ourselves through the decades. Movie serials gave us the cliffhanger, for example, but television refined the “until-next-week” craze with shows such as “The Fugitive” and, later, with “Dallas” and its spin-offs.

Here, we read about how many of Hollywood’s biggest stars made their transition to the small screen, how talk shows became so popular, how innovators changed the way we watch television, and why crime shows will never go away.

This book, remember, is a biography. Yes, you’ll find a bit of history inside “Television: A Biography,” and a few opinions, but it’s really nothing like you might expect. It’s actually better.

If, however, you want a book about the shows themselves, one that takes on the argument of what the best television show ever was, you’ll love “TV (The Book).”

Under a wide group of genre umbrellas, Sepinwall and Seitz debate which series top their lists, based on a points system that takes innovation, performance, consistency, influence, and storytelling into account.

They considered U.S. shows only and looked at “narrative fiction,” rather than reality shows, children’s programming, or talk shows. And aside from a few obvious programs that should be on every “Best Of” list (“The Honeymooners” and “The Twilight Zone,” for example), they mostly focused on television from the 1980s.

What’s most interesting about this book is that the authors dissect the programs as only fans can: there are quotes flung about in each chapter, along with serious examinations of why we can put “The Simpsons” in front of “The Sopranos” (or not); why we so loved a show with a “black comic heart” and “shallow” characters; how the popularity of “M*A*S*H” saw it last longer than the war it was about; and why “South Park” got more points than “Taxi.”

If you’re a fan of television – past or present – these two books will prove to be a ratings hit with you.

“Television: A Biography” by David Thomson, 2016, Thames & Hudson, $34.95, 304 pages.

“TV (The Book): Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time” by Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz, 2016, Grand Central Publishing, $19.99, 432 pages.

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer who lives on a hill with two dogs and more than 12,000 books. You can read more of her book reviews at www.lifeafter50.com. Just click on “Entertainment” and then “Book Reviews.”

A Look Back

34 LIFEAFTER50.COM February 2017

Photo courtesy of General Motors, Inc.

F

ifty years ago this month, American car consumers were first offered the Pontiac Firebird, a vehicle that would go on to become one of the auto world’s legendary “pony cars,” an affordable, compact, highlystyled car with a sporty or performanceoriented image that had been inspired by the Ford Mustang in 1964. The Firebird was introduced on February 23, 1967, the same year Pontiac’s parent company, General Motors, put out the platformsharing Chevrolet Camaro and the Ford Motor Company released another “pony car,” the Mercury Cougar. The name “Firebird” had been previously used for the General Motors Firebird 1950s and early-1960s concept cars. The first generation Firebirds had a characteristic “Coke bottle” styling and, unlike its cousin, the Chevrolet Camaro, the Firebird’s bumpers were integrated into the design of the front end with rear “slit” taillights inspired by the Pontiac GTO. Both a two-door hardtop and a convertible were offered from 1967 through the 1969 model year. Originally, the car was a “consolation prize” for Pontiac, which had wanted to produce a two-seat sports car of its own design, based on the original Banshee concept car. However, GM feared such a vehicle would directly compete with their Chevrolet Corvette. The Firebird remained a popular choice with Americans through its final year of production in 2002.

Just A Thought Before We Go

“Love doesn’t make the world go round.

Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.”

– Franklin P. Jones

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