Life as Satanist Propelled Rocketeer - Lisa McPherson Memorial Page

LOS ANGELES TIMES L.A. Then and Now I 

/ Cecilia Mmussen / SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2000 

Hearst Newspaper colledion Kirk Meyera collection 

John "Jack" Parsons, left, died in a mysterious explosion in this mansion In 1952. Some say the rocket scientist was murdered. 

Life as Satanist Propelled Rocketeer 

I height (gel Don Quixote, I live on peyote, 

marijuana, morphine and cocaine. 

I never knew sadness, but only a madness that 

burns at the heart and the brain. 

John WhitesIde Parsons 

He 

was an unorthodox genius, a poet i 

and rocket scientist who helped give 

birth to an institution that would 

become mankind's window on the 

universe. 

He was also a devotee of the black arts, a 

sci-fi junkie and host of backyard orgies on 

Pasadena's stately Millionaires' Row. 

John "Jack" Whiteside Parsons, a founder 

of the legendary Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

' and a maverick visionary honored with a moon 

crater bearing his name, gave no early hint of 

, the inner stirrings that propelled him to 

worship the devil and lead an extraordinary 

double life: respected scientist by day, 

dedicated occultist by night. 

Over a little more than a decade, the tall and 

vainly handsome Parsons skillfully twinned 1 

his two existences as rocketeer and antichrist 

leader of the occult Ordo Templi Orientis. 

His mysterious death in an explosion in 

1952 left many wondering whether Parsons 

was a victim of murder or suicideor simply 1 

of an accident at his own momentarily careless I 

hands. 

Born Marvel Whiteside Parsons in 1914, he I 

was a mama's boy who hated authority and I 

detested social mores. He was reared by his 

aging, wealthy grandparents and his mother, ' 

Ruth. Embittered by her adulterous husband, ' 

also named Marvel, who abandoned his family, 

Ruth began calling her son John. 

Young John found his companions in 

poetry, which he read the way other boys read 

comic books. He also gulped down the space 

built. Fueled with a brew of gaseous oxygen 

and methyl alcohol, the motor burned for 

three seconds. 

This inauspicious beginning marked the 

start of rocketry in California at a time when 

America still saw space exploration as pulp 

fiction. The test site in the Arroyo Seco later 

became JPL. 

Von Karman allocated campus lab space to 

the rocketry project. But after two lab 

explosions, the groupby then dubbed the 

"Suicide Squad"was kicked off campus and 

headed back to the Arroyo Seco. 

Parsons' new fame as Caltech's best 

explosives expert took him to the courtroom 

as an expert witness. In 1938, he testified 

against Los Angeles Police Department Lt. 

Earl Kynette, a mayoral crony accused iri the 

car bombing of an ex-LAPD detectiveturned-private 

eye. 

Parsons earned his bread and butter 

working on a jet-assisted takeoff unit that 

developed into a solid-fuel rocket that would 

help win World War II. 

Early in the war, in 1942, Parsons and his 

wife, Helen, moved into an aging Pasadena 

mansion. The house on South Orange Grove 

Boulevard was next door to the former estate 

of beer baron Adolphus Busch with its famous 

gardens. 

But Millionaires' Row had never seen 

anything like Parsons and his friends. 

Parsons converted the rooms into 19 

apartments, and invited in an odd mix of 

Bohemian artists, writers, scientists and 

occultists. The residents mockingly named the 

place "the Parsonage," for it was anything 

but. 

Before dropping out of USC, the 

poetry-loving Parsons had cultivated an 

interest in the writings of Aleister Crowley, 

and sci-fi fantasies of Jules Verne. He and his the English sorcerer and Satanist who called 

childhood pal, the mechanically gifted Ed himself "Beast 666" and "the wickedest man 

Forman, tinkered with black-powder rockets in the world." 

and pocked their backyards with craters. Soon the house on South Orange Grove was 

Parsons was at USC when word of Caitech a laboratory of another sortfor black magic. 

, 

graduate student Frank Malina's project on In 1944, Parsons resigned from JPL in favor 

rocket propulsion and high-altitude rockets 

reached him and Forman. The young duo 

of whizzing through time and space via 

peyote, mescaline, marijuana, opiates and 

brazenly offered to help. Even though neither hallucinogens. 

youth had a degree, Theodore von Karman, 

the director of Caitech's Guggenheim 

Aeronautical Laboratory and one of the 

world's leading scientists, took them up on 

their offer. 

Soon, the marriage began to unravel. Helen 

became pregnant by another member of the 

Parsonage circle, and Parsons took up with 

Helen's beautiful 18-year-old sister, Sara 

Northrup, before divorcing Helen. 

Unencumbered by academic knowledge, Mutual curiosity about the mind's power led 

Parsons was a cookbook chemist obsessed Parsons into a friendship in 1946 with L. Ron 

with things that go bang, while Forman Hubbard, the future founder of Scientology. 

helped turn designs into hardware. On Hubbard moved into the house and later 

Halloween 1936, the rocketeers dug trenches married Sara, Parsons' lover and sister-in-law, 

and piled up sandbags in the Arroyo Seco and before divorcing his first wife, 

attempted to test a rocket motor theY had According to "Sex and Rockets: The Occult 

To learn about PDF Compression and OCR visit ThePaperlessOffice.org 

World of Jack Parsons," a new book by John 

Carter (a pseudonym), Hubbard chanted 

incantations while Parsons and his new lover, 

Marjorie Cameron, tried to produce a "moon , 

Child," a "magical child" with superior 

intellect and powers whose birth would occur 

on the astral plane, not the physical one. 

The ceremony was tO span 12 consecutive 

nights. But when rituals called for a naked 

pregnant woman to jump nine times through 

fire to ensure a safe delivery, the neighbors 

began protesting. The police looked into the 

matter, but nothing came of their 

investigation. 

Parsons and Hubbard, who had united to 

take on Christianity, fell out over more trivial 

matters. Carter writes that the two argued 

over a sailboat venture that ended in a court 

dispute. 

Disillusioned with Hubbard, Parsons 

resigned from the Ordo Templi Orientis, 

married Cameron and began exploring the 

unknown on his own. After one reputed 

out-of-body experience, he acquired the name 

"Belarion Armiluss Al Dajjal, antichrist." 

But even the antichrist had to eat. Low on 

funds, he worked for various local aviation 

companies, including Hughes Aircraft, and 

bootlegged nitroglycerin. 

It was after he left the mansion and moved 

with his wife Into a rented room over the 

garage at the Crulkshank Estate on South 

Orange Grove that life began to unravel. 

The FBI was investigating him on suspicion 

of espionage, consorting with communists, 

including some allegedly at.Caltech, and cult 

activities; the scrutiny cost Parsons his 

government security clearance. 

In June 1952, while his wife shopped for, 

groceries for a planned vacation to Mexico, 

Parsons mixed chemicals from his arsenal of 

illegal explosives. 

Police reports say the explosives expert 

dropped the concoction of fulminate of 

mercury, A deadly blast that could be felt a 

mile away ripped through Parsons' garage lab, 

blowing off his right arm, breaking his other 

arm and both legs, and leaving a gaping hole 

in his Jaw. 

He died 45 minutes later. When his mother 

heard the news, she joined him in death, 

gulping down a bottle of sleeping pills. 

Authorities concluded that his death was a 

drug-induced accident or suicide. His wife and 

others believed hi was killed by the recently 

paroled Kynette, whom Parsons had helped 

put in prison. 

To this day, there's a joke in the aerospace 

community that JPL stands for "Jack 

Parsons' Laboratory'', or "Jack Parsons 

Lives." The Crater Parsons, named In his 

honor, happens to be bn the moon's dark side.

oleo Criimeo 

TUESDAY: FEBRUARY 29, 2000 

Repott Ut.ges..DisKilittion.of ScientolOgy 

..Chu.Nh in Fra* 

Europ0: Panel calls classification of Scientology and sembly of the Council of Europe, an 

172 other groups as sects by a organization of .41 countries that 

group a danger to the French parliamentary comthittee proniotes European cooperation, 

iniblic and a threat to 

four years ago contributed to "an retommended formation of a conti- 

'atmosphere of intolerance and bias nentwide ageney to Watch over 

. national security. 

against minority religions." fringe "rellgiotai, esoteric or §pirit- 

"We are in a Climate of terror and nal grouper and faCilitate the exbyJOHN-THORDAIILBURG 

witch hunts," said Daniele Gotinord , change of Information. 

, 

:rIMES STAFF WRITER 

spokeswoman for the Paris Chinch In beceber, the French Sen- 

. 

of Scientology, She noted that the ;atewith gclentologY as one Of the 

PARISScientology, the L05 

panel's report Is short on epeCifiCii to r potential, ttirgetti In mindUnani- 

Angeles-based religion treated 

buttress its charges and said Scienmotisly. approved a bill that Would 

: ;with stispicion and hostility by sevtologists were never asked to give einpower the government to dip-., 

eral Western. European govern- their side of the story: 

solve religiOUs tects if theY disturh 

'nients, is now tinder siege in "France is dealing with ni the public order O? ptesent "major 

' France, where an official report has exact same way the Chinese deal peril" for theirinembers. The lower 

%: 

called for disbanding church op- with the Falun Gang," she said, re- house, of 1,'atIli4nent hi exPe'eted to 

eration§ here. 

ferring to a religious mokretnent examine slinilk 

A blue-ribbon government panel banned by leaders in Beijing. Paris.AW Jean giber! MO 

;studying what French officials d& However, in the view of the gov- called forj, ben On reeruitment ef- 

fine as "sects' ha§ concluded that ernment Panelwhich me' chaired forts by fleets near OchOoli, retire- 

lite faith, fotinded by the late U.S. by Alain Vivien, a former .member inenatoniee, dritg-treatment Ceti- , 

)3cience fiCtkin writer L: Ron Hub- of ParliamentScientology COnsti- tereliiiii other locales where; he 

;bard, Is a "vast enterprise of trans-. bites a clear and present danger to said, soCiety',11 "Most vulnerable el:. 

'national diameter" with its own "public order" and the "dignity of emerite ate targeted. 

!private police force run clandes- the human person." 

. , . 

Mnely from the United States.: Some o mer c en o og s s 

"They' hate a clear strategy, f, agree. "I wad turned into a lobot," rretich 'Are Pntting 

:intiltrating and of trying to inthi . said Mona Vasquei, a 40-year-old 

ence the state,, and the Will to do., 

Frenchwoman who epent !seven a keligiOn on 

:it," said Denis Barthelemy, h eareer 

years in the organization, '!TheY 

;inagistrate ierving a§ seeretary 

French offiai "are phtting a 

- made me leave my attidlei, inY boy- religion On 

'general of the panel, the InterMin 

charged Bill 

friend, my family.", ' 

aliterial Mission on Cornhatin 

Welsh, a Wailtingttin attorney 

g , France is far from the only Euro- 

;Sects. "This goes beyond being a 

who represente the Chnich ot Scipeen 

country where Scientology, 

'ordinary pressure grotip: For th 

entology International. "They are 

which was founded in 1954 and 

:internal security? of the state, 

saying Scientology is ti criminal en- 

we 

claims 8 million members World- 

;are afraid." 

terprise and shotild be banned and 

wide, faces official pressure. In eel- 

, ; 

shut down." 

; , glum, police in October raided the, French anthoritiee, howeyer, 

local church headquarters end 24 

Panel AlsO Targets 

maintain that theY are het attacIdng 

;. other locations, including affiliated 

religious beliefi, Which are Protected 

Cidt Tied to Suicides ibusinesses. Thousands of docu- IV law, but illegal conduct. In No- 

: .menta were carted away in that vember, a Marseilles coUrt found 

In the report to Prime Ministet, 

'country's largest investigation of five current or former Members of 

:Lionel JosPin published thi g ,Scientology's operations to date. the church guilty of swindling. In 

'month, the panel Contends that Sci... 

In Germany, where the govern- 1996, a Lyons court found the for- 

;entology Is, in fact, a moneymaking' 

ment,has denounced Scientologre mer local Scientology director guilty 

;venture. The report goes to the 'totalitarian structure and of awindling and InvolUntary man- 

length of proposing methods" as h threat to demoeracy, 

slaughter in the death of a man who 

iextraórdinary the dissolution here of Scientology church activities are being probed committed suicide after his wife was , 

;and another 'religious grobP, ,the by the Office for the Protection of pressured by the church official tO 

prder of the Solar Temple,. which the Constittition. In the sotithern take out a loan to finance $8,000 of 

'lost members to murder-iulcides state of Bavaria, applicants for civil church teachings for him. 

:in France, Switzerland and Canada ' revice Jobs are required to disclose France air appears to be the 

:between 1994 and 1997. ; 

any ties. to SCientology. According only country to have convicted the 

It is the latest controVerly tO eni- to the Gerrnan Embassy in Wash- creator Of Scientology of a criminal 

'broil Scientology In EuroPe, where ifigton, no applications have been offense. In 1978, Hubbard was 

,the actions of courts and goVein '.rejected on those grounds so far. found guilty In absentia of swin- 

:mente threaten to ptit some Coun- ; 'What's happening in Europe is dling and sentenced to four years in 

:tries On,a collision course with the ;that more and more countries are prison. The author, who never 

'Clinton adMinistration. A 1998 U.S. eitpressing concern about the pro- came to France, died in 1988. 

:law makee ensuring freedom of re- liferation of groups commonly Leaders of France's Scientolo- 

:ligion a priority. In foreign Policy,' khown as cults and doing more to gists indignantly deny the charges 

:and the State DepartMent'e protect their citizens," said Ian against theft They plan to issue a 

'wide stirieY of human rights prac- HaWorth, secretary-general of the detailed rebUttal. 

;tices released FridaY criticized South London-based Cult Informa- "These are total hate cam- 

:some French conduct. 

tion Center, Among Critics of Conpaigns," Gounord said. "We are 

Tax claims brought against some troversial religions, Haworth said, people who obey the law." . 

cientalogy churches in France in there is broad consensus that Sci- Accordihg tO the spokeswoman, 

:1994-95 kneed them into bankentology Is the "worst grouP, the the organization's members in 

bitiPtcy, the State Department said. most sinister." 

Irrance7-she otit their, number at 

:The survey also found that the In June, the parliamentM'y ae- 50,000afe su t to iricteasing of- 


..,

pagorimoromigNINIIIIIIIMiammargazu=s41...atOtAtm 

_ 

Mk_ 

.1 

..411111 

11 the hot gossip directfrom Hollywood 

I 

me hot wheels! 

atheine Zeta-Jones is in 

for a happy surprise. Her 

fiance Michael Douglas 

bought her a new 

111111. $130,000 black BMW 

' .750IL with an elaborate securi- 

t the L.A. blues club 

know what to 

Dseanne appeared 

bur Thursday night 

le didn't disappoint . 

d through just five 

e admitted she did- 

)rds and quit. Just 

trons left during 

Rosey's entourage 

ty to cheer wildly, 

ning out the awfid 

stage. 

ty system. He had the car 

delivered to his L.A. 

penthouse so it's ready 

to go when they return to 

town. Incidentally, Catherine 

hasn't driven for 

years and she's never 

even owned a new car. * 

sprinkles it on her fbod to keep 

f'rom overeating! Oprah learned 

about this diet trick from a staffer 

who lost 20 pounds. After enjoying 

a few bites of her favorite treat, 

Oprah sprinkles on the red pepper 

and can barely stomach another 

bite. She's hoping to spice herself I 

down a few dress sizes. 

Planet Scientology 

Travolta has come up 

with a scheme to save the 

John troubled Planet Hollywood 

restaurant chain he wants to 

turn it into Planet Scientology! 

He'd like to change the show biz 

theme and concentrate on sci-fi 

memorabilia. Prominently featured 

would be books and items from the 

science-fiction writing career of the 

founder of Scientology, L. Ron 

Hubbard. John feels this would be 

an ideal way to introduce the principles 

of Scientology to the masses, 

but so far the restaurant chain's 

celebrity backers aren't so sure. 

Big game (show) 

hunter 

Springer's been bitten by 

the game show bug and he 

Jerry won't 

rest until he 

has one of 

his own. 

Right now, 

Jerry's negotiating 

a 

multimilliondollar 

deal 

that will have 

him hosting 

a syndicated, 

alter-hours 

show with a 

mature edge 

this won't Jerry Springer 

)e family wants to bag a 

fare. game show. 

nummiummeammiummummesmimusimmila 

"I didn't have the whole blond flipped 

hair or the curves. I was skinny with a 


14e1 knell h"11411W/"..11114 mm Rik ;pi., .4.! .4 .

"Master Zen-Dao Meow,, The Great Amefican Comic Strip Koan 

Quacky 

Ambition: 

"Cis_gacken-Moyvely! 

u, master tne 

ways of the mystic, 

Just like Zen-Dao 

and Master fru!" 

iffNires. 

Hollis 

Ambition: 

Master. IVIo 

Bruno 

Ambition: 

Ambition: 11 11. 

"mut! 

'I've dedicated my life 'lb bench 0109 

to figthting crime by nextr.oar. 

6 Injustice -- and you 

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each have certain gifts 

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Find yours and (et 

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Wendy 

Ambition: 

"Zen-bac end the 

st are rwiys 

chstru) after this, 

t en that -- never 

appreciating whot's 

righ.t In front of them. 

tillt does anyone 

listen to me 

F111 they seeis 

another pretty ace. 

INhat do 

you see?" 

Waldo 

Ambition: 

"Ambition?! Yeti aslt inu 

about ambition? Look, I'm a dog 

living Inside a cat's dream. 

And It's become depressingfccfear 

that this world was hot tan cfrad 

with my interest In min . ' 

r ; a weekly online comic for 

i 

Elroa- 

Ambition: 

Ambition 

Zen-Dao Meow 

nrobtdon: 

OW" 

Aiatichla 

imbrtroti, 

"Oh, ljust 

Want jvaryorle 

\ to fee peacf hit 

an safe. 

fsokker) 

"Porget Fey ambition! 

It'smoar dmb(tIon I'm 

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Want wealth? Happiness? 

Success? Furijeis Pitch, 

hlterdimenstonal Sates fox 

"-istit your service! 

Pigharri 

Ambition: 

diar friehriS, do not 

rhind that you laugh - 

the tr trary -- 

Wire:Wage rri reh. rrealize 

, ttquite at I tray look at and foolish, 

but I shairtell you one thing that 

you will Hever Forget. There are, 

Indeed, Items of magic power 

out there and those who run 

the machines do hot want 

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obtain them all." 

the mystically Inclined www.MasterZDM.ccm 

I ,4 IA MIMI MCEMIIIM ii, Irmfl JANUAR,/ C. 2000 

:i2.1111LI '7a4,5,114' 

. ;iij.1,1iT2zi-pi,:;,iir, 


SOve=lii 

AMbItton: 

'I have ho personal 

ambitions. I am a 

warrior whose sword 

shall not waver 

in service 

to my master." 

"V143utdo't yoy 

tileo to know! 

But The Dancing Yin 

, does hot reyeal 

her naked ambition 

toJust anyone." 

;

* * * 

STR 

© 1000 Dow Jones & ComPany, Inc. /111 Rights R;Serveast 

FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2000 

VIP Treatment 

Mr. Costner', Would 

youLike a Film IDoal 

With That Maitiui? 

Owner of Hip L.A. Nightclubs 

Mines Celebrity Patrons, 

Launching Movie Career 

Hype at the Dry Cleanets 

' 

. 

' 

By BRUCE 

Staff Rej3orter Of TOE WALL STREEt JOURNAL 

LOS, ANGELESAi Elie Samaria navigates 

through his packed Hollywood cluh, 

the Stinset Room, he takes careful note of 

the athenities he offers a celebrity clientele: 

Private entrances, VIP rooms, enclosed 

:Cabanas on the patio. And then 

there are the extras: throngs of gorgeouS 

women in tight pants and tummy-baring 

tank tops, who tonight make up about tw - 

thirds ef a group of 1,100 that also include3 

Stars such as Kevin Costner. 

"There's some candy here tonight, 

baby," Mr. Samaha says with a satisfied 

smile. After two decades in the dub busi 

ness, Mr. Samaha knows that perks and a 

hip crowd are just elaborate gimmicks tb 

- 

appeal to a stellar inest list,o.But," he 

adds, 'Ì give them what they Want." 

These days, Mr. Sardaha (pronounced 

SAH-ma-ha) is applying some of his nightclub 

gimmicks to the 

movie businessand 

makidg an unlikely 

run for glory by ex-1 

ploiting a big shift in 

HollyWood. Battered,: 

by the high risks of 

' 

-.. 

film PtOduction, theI; i 4 

major 'studios ' have:',: ., 

lost much of their ap-1.1 

petite tor financing 

the mdvies that are 

_ - 

their lifeblood. As: 

studios increasingly 

evolve into distribu- 

.' 

tion and marketing; 

, 

Elie Sainaha 

machines, Hollywood'S door is more open 

than ever for putsiders, flush with foreign 

I finaneing;I to thsh in and take their shot ai 

producers. '1 1 

, 1 

' FeW are making inOre of th s opPortunity 

than Mr: Samaha. A p-year-old 

Lebanese imthigrant, he is a foriner Studio ' 

54 boudcer who went on to own a aniall mil- 

13ire of nightclUbs, dry cleanere and com- . I 

mercial real eState in L.A. 

' 

I 

fie 1.4 finW4ive yea.m4.04, 4 11r.14.10,rer. 

' 

I.Cat himself as a fridkilitriidalL til bill irecentlY 

Mr. Samaha Was still be ter known 

, for his marriage to "Wayne's World" attress 

Via Carrere thin for the low-budget 

films ',he prodUced. In one of his ow,d 

II movie4,4"20 Dates," he allowed his profane 

: 1 

tirade§ at the direct& to be recorded add . 

used in the Mtn, resulting in a satirical portrait 

that matched how 11311ywood actilally 

saw himas a loud. small-time hack. 

' 


, 

'11 , 

Aar iniage; is, iii, traniition.41 ar- , 

' OI:' has ended in dlviite,041) I 11 r 

4110.'s prinotse PictureS Wi t r re- - 

l Se filins atarting -Syliester,',,S Winne, 

SleY'' Snipes ',i mr. COstner . and, Ci hbri1-:- ' 

nYlbf *,hom have tiairtiiiiied.bit rittpular 

'MOW Franchise_ PI,OttiroS,P tn thick 

. 

i , . 

. 

4 8apiaha .is tnajor0 tiotn6r *Itil. Ati-- 

1 

' 

d 0.i,Stc,vens and Gerard 1;tiext is aled be- 

hihd the'redent Brute Will ':CCnnetlyThe 

hdid,,Nitle ViirdWI a: suit.ride lilt plat 0*- 

n4100ed the bok'nffiee. '' III !, ,,,; .. 

s;iii! hie ,eltibk Mr: 'Onittahii,givoi the... 

Ii's ,*hethey444:114110-fietInieFi.b01 : 

adtipta, that actora Ihaire !Med uttable tO get 

1 a tlididg td elakei theh ptitS,the4 into 

p1ductioii ai Isi.; bypeSSing e*penStit; 

hripti.dingreWriteri. . 

1 

p-4 lains..oiba GopdingJri: ,0 the Araci- . 

y... Watikvinning.attOr,;', i," Mid ides to 

pi it= enteilOinerg, , like i Bybee, Wift; 

' ' A'' i ',, j, . 

',' ' ' ;.. 

ves er Stalletieand shialler entertain- ' 

er ' like ,myselfand says1 Whatif)Yent , 

Op ,Prdjecter, Then It4.s0tf:', '0,1

AlO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL FRIDAY, MARdH24, 2000 H 

VIP Treatment: Mr. trnahä!sSIjpt t, 

,k,llTW9prY.:t 

He migrated to L.A. in 1982. arid after 

H 

in the, mitJ-1990s after the MM suik 

teadIng an artick listing "the five nrnst bought tie him rights to "Btt1iII 

succesfu1 businesses to he In he opened Earth"'frnm AiithorServlces Inc, Lbs 

his first dry-cleaning stoic In West 110113'- Angeles firm that I1cnses all of M. Hubwood. 

Showing IiI skill for hype, he b:ircrs written work. A couple of ybrs 

dubbed the placo Cèb'brltv CleAners and lali'r, the project wa dropped ' MQTVi, 

rounded up autograihed phntO from actor bitt picked up by News Corp. 's 20111 Century 

friends whether they had use1 the biislhëss Fox unit only to be cfrbpped agaiu hi 198. 

or nol i.1 till liriId a 5(Y: Interest In six 

The Hubbard Connection , 

- -- -_____________ dry-c1ening stoi "s. 

L Mr. lwes hnd others say that he Hb- 

Continued From First i'oqe 

Tue Late 1980s drewhim ack into cItiug, 

baid tie Is the maui feason "Battlefield" 

y.ou and tr' and persuade you flfl(i be nega- 

York, Mr. Sarnalia opened the knxbury on as never een mac As e i e e e1es 

tive about it." 

Sunset Strip The niace exnlodéd into a that the Hubbard connectIon plcu exta 

Franchise got It rhade by using a forplavgrnund 

for I A's p'irtviowd 'Bv- ht1u In . the flIrn'4 w. Mr. Travolta 

mula usually reserved fortiny independent 

er1' Hills 90210" stnt Shannen Doherty gnt says. "Il1 never knour' He adds that, 'If It 

films. Imperial Bank In Los Angeles pro- Into a ballyhooed fight there on flight. She were an Issue secietlto someone, 

vided loans to pay the production costs, 

wasn't the only one Mr. 'amtulin hOt he politically eorr ct to voice It. 

Says 

which were slashed to a planned $50 ml!that, 

lathe micl-l99Os the club paid mpte By the time Battlefield Earth cthe to 

lion, but about 80% of that was to be cov than $200,000 to settle a diSpute after he Mr. Samaila, it had takeh so long viat Mr. 

ered by the presale of foreign distributiop 

was accused of assaulting a club patron. 

Tr,olta had In shiLt froni playing the 

rights. For "Battlefield Earth," that has Mr. Sñiaha says he and other emØloyees film s trapp1ng young hero, Jonnie Goodcreated 

a notable irony The biggest single were simply trying tcl 1'restraln" the man. boy' Tr? tots 1ien villain Tei l Me5rs. 

financier, besides Franchise itself, Is a Roxbury, and several other clubs that Tavo11 flflu 11is manaer;, .onau.n 

German public company called Intertain- followed it, gave Mr. Samaha what he most K ane, iiati neu er hear o aamaiia, 

mentAG . 

k d 

w1io uUrflg tiiP iil5i P1iOIIP conversa1on 

Franchise also has a so-called rent-a- access to eopIe hi the busin from ml- 

system deal that allows It to distribute C SI shosts to ero 

: rirn- celebrities o megastar. Indeed, the flS 0 a 

inhlo 

films, for a fee, through a major studioin stars Seem comfortable hanging out with Sqnihi ci to work ersuaci- 

this case, Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Mr. Samaha. Oii a recent Friday night at fi firhnclers to a for mst of fhe 

Bros. Reflecting the mood of major studios the Sunset Room. Mr. Gooding--nodding t The SciioIont üestion 

today, Warner Bros. President Alan Horn to a dazllng array of young' women rals d ümerom times aId bat d 

says the studio's risk on "Battlefield , 1, nearbyjokedthat hewasjiisttelllngafe- 

an ha who sa S he would 

Earth" is "essentially zero," and adds: porter'abouttiioprostltition rh3lgyouuse b ar k . "Tb S;Wlfl tth,emov e i ab 0 t . It's 

Myfeel1ngisthat1fheputsupthemony to lnaflCeyourfilms. 

vit. !iou're either iii or you're the f 

for the movies, we'll dlstnbute them. - yjp PasSes , I . I 

Some out." ' - . 

. In Hollywood believe Mr. . Ratherthan recall, Mr. Samaha riffed One lnancier that came to the table 

Samaha s cheap-and-dirty approach to . 

production can result only in mediocre 

for 'a While on ho.v much an evening with was lnldrtainment, whIch buys the tight to 

filmsand unlike a 1eep-pocketed studio, some of the women might cost. He later ex- distribute films in European countries. In- 

Franchise can scarcely 

plained that the women at hI 

afford many 

parties are terthlnnient President Ban-v Baeres hays 

money-losing bombs. Its upside Is also 

actually rounded up from modeling and that, given the rontrdversy over Scientol- 

somewhat limited, given the high percentcastlnj 

agencies, Where the club hgnds out ogy In Gmahy, "at first sight, you would 

VIP passe. . ' age of the films' take that is doled out to 

sa ni 1i it." But he succumbed to Mr. 

In1995, Mr. Samaha begàn't convert Samaha's insistence that 'BHitIeflld 

stars and distributors. Yet since most of his star relationships Into small movie pro- Earth", was Scientolo'-free, 

f M S m ha's films is gen Jects$2 million to $5 million films that hd '. Theè is still much risk in using indeerall 

raised from overeás sources his made in partnership With other production pendent financing formulas for films as 

work as long as the production compahies. A number of the films starred large aS 2'attIefield Earth,' especially 

a: 

budgets don t go Wiiuiy oii-course. 

Ms. Carrere whom Mr. Samaha tharried since th final financing hiten doesn't ar- 

The Gamble 

in 1992. Despite lhlr friendshIps with him, nyc until the last minute. Mr. rvolta 

however, many in Hollywood were suspi- says that, even as Mr. Samaha got his 

But the $50 million budget for "Battle- clous of Mr. Samaha's nightclub roots and thoney together, he lmploi-ed Mr Krne to 

field Earth" has crept past $70 million, and financing formulas. When Mr. Samaha have a backup plan: "I said, 'Jonäthàh, I 

if the film doesn't play o'erseas, foreign first tried to persuade Bruce Willis to sign really don't Want to miss this opportunity 

nanciers could balk at future Work with on for "The Whole Nine Yards," Mr. in time. P1ease I don't want to sthrt over 

Franchise. His gamble could cost him li Samaha says that the actor told hlrii: "Lis- again.' " 

other ways, too: If his run of Star-vehicle ten man, I'm doing your movie. But people ' With the production costs creepMg umovies 

this year doen't produce hits or don't think you've got the money to finance ward, the stakes are higher for evei4yone. 

results in,big lOsses for his backers, the in- .. it," . Mr. Travolta has contributed sonic of its 

,dustry Will return to ignoring him, . Mr. Samaha ot a break when he own moneymome tiian $5 million, acor- 

Mr, Samaha is open, if' a. bit rueful, hooked up with Casslan ElweS, an agent at Ing to Mr. Samaha. Yet Mr. Samaha hIniabOut 

his days as a Hollywood nohody. William Morris who specializes In packag- self seems unfazed; he claims that his rik 

"The happiest day of thy life," he says, ing independent film projects. After some is so low that he will come out all right even 

came last summer, when Warner Bros. . modest successes, Mr. Elwes Wanted to ap- if the film pel-forms bnly modestly In tlie 

Chairmen 'and Co-Chief Executives Bob ply itidie financIng formulas to bigger pro U.S. "Báttleflelci Earth" is "going to make 

Daly 'and Terry Semel left the studio. jects. "What I necied was to make some people in Hollrvood take notice of Elie 

"They didn't know whO the f I was! he . films happen that tb one eise ! town Samaha,' he hays. "FIn not going to be the 

says. "They were on ahbther planet." : wanted to make," Mtt. El*es ys. . laughingstock anymor," 

Elie Samaha's path to the verge of Holly- His first meeting vIth MSanhhmi; he ., As ME'. amaha wIts to see hoW the 

wood Success began when he moved to New remembers, "literally 'alniokcame 1o.., market reacts, he ha alsd been rnhitIn 

Vork in' hi late teens. A competftive dck .'' blows".' as Mr. Samnaha ChM.id h .dêt tip his effort link )1 ,flbvie at 

boxer in his youthwho today bears a pass Piands. P,ut Mn! Elwes' tcfmed :Mr;.. climb bubifles Whethe and his 

ing resemblance to his friend Mr. Stallone . Samalla's Moxie in "trying t6flke thihg Opened tJ1 t Rotiril iat year 

Mr. Samaha worked in security at several , happen when maybe there wtioh1ng be' lowed about p agnt film el 

clubs. "If you're working the rope to the,Vll hind him." 4. . ! and Hollywc awyts 'to buy a 

area, you call the shots about who gets in," ' Near the end of th98; Mr. Flwbffèred the a&on. Sar4baJias 

he says. That taste for controlling the scene Mr. Saniaha a rral 'at financing hne of smalleE' fa the ie* club lo 

led him to begin promoting his own clubs. ' WillIam Morris's biggest and most trouble the film usI Andb"tore 'Tf 

iome orphan projects, Mr? Trvoltá'S Nine Yards' ned,' he put posi 

beloved "PntfipFtld Ji"rfh "iLb''l','n,,ntin ......:..,.h,..a, 

,. I;VuLa IILUUJ ithe bathroom at 

had been keen to. pi4l the projqc since set Room. lie also aiT.nged for an LA. 

the mid-1980s, wheh he first lent his nanle din-tatioñ giveaway, .vfth prizes thai 

to screenplay adattttOhs 

of tile 1,050-page - eluded free dr cleaning. 

L. Ron Hubbard novel 

And then there's Heaven, an ups 

Mr. Tra'olta systte 

film has nothIng spa he plans one da to open on Sw 

to do vith, Scieniplogy and ftgurs (hose Snip prOperty he own. Mr. Samah5 It 

early efforts falt4ted becatts' 

the scripts ready brngglng that idvili outdo eveFy 

weren't that good. riroject 

Inst niomen- in HoIIy*ood and help him further sec 

turn for a time, as d4 Mr. Travulta's en- connections 'with the tight penple ," 

reer, but both seeme4 bj 

get back on track 


pretty sure they will aIj be there."

^.""r^^11*-±,^^, 

-L. B14 TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2000 / F LOS ANGELES TIMES 

LETIERSt TO THE TIMES 

TAYLOR JONES, Augusta, Ga. 

President Mohammad KhataMi 

Iran Policy 

The report on Iran by Robin 

Wright (Opinion, Feb. 27) was fine, 

but she only txrid passing reference 

to the third force, the "guardians of 

the revolution," ostensibly under 

orders of the conservative clergy. 

The problem With them Can succinctly 

be explained by an analogy 

in the sequel to Orwell's "Animal 

Farm," where the guardian dogs 

terrorize both the ruling and servant 

animals. 

The collective "guardians of the 

revolution"Basij, Pasdaran and 

Hezbollahare out of controli and 

followers of both liberal [President 

Mohammad] Khatami and conseivative 

[Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei 

fear them, even for their lives. An 

understanding of this danger will 

aid us in formulating policY toward 

Iran. 

RICHARD N. FRYE 

Emeritus Prof, of Iranian 

Harvard University 

Lbs Angeles 

, 

With the result of the recent national 

election in Iran ovOrwhelmingly 

defeating the hard-line clerics, 

this would be the perfect opportunity 

for the U.S. governthent to attempt 

to norinalize relations with 

Iran for several reasonsthe large 

numbers of Iranians lKting in the 

U.S., particularly California, and 

also to blunt any further aggression 

by Saddam Hussein of Iraq. 

GARY TRAXLER 

Oxnard 


Scientologists 

in France 

So the French want to disband 

the Churth of. Scientology (Feb. 

29). Which of the other 172 "sects" 

on the French list will be next? The 

French action is a blatant human 

rightS violation that is opposed by 

many religiOus and human rights 

groups. The French government 

claims the right to dissolve religious 

organizations that have never 

been charged With a crime and 

never provided With due process of 

law. Apparenq the' French want 

the governinent tri Protect theni 

from "false" and "dangerous" religion. 

, 

I Used to think that Europeani 

were cynical abont politics and 

would not trtit, their politicians to 

tell them *filch religions were good 

or bad for them': Maybe times have 

changed. t. 

ALAN J. REINACH, Director 

Seventh's:lay Adventist Church 

State Countil, Westlake Village 

As a Scientologist who left France 

10 years ago becauet of rnY country's 

totalitarian bent, I know that 

discrimination there against religiong 

such as Mine (hot to mention 

Jews, Baptisti," Mdrnions, Muslims 

and othera) is fOrnented primarily 

by an irresponitible Media. While I 

am fortunate:enough to have a loving 

(non-Scientology) family whom 

I visit every year, many of my Scientology 

friendi still living in 

France must Constantly reassure 

their families that they are OK after 

the latest:.wild stories and preposterous 

acCii*Iniis appear. And 

soMe, have ev4 leat their jobs simply 

because of their- religion. These 

are yeal peOpl6i=among the most 

decent I knochiiri this is real intolerance 

that i àffeCting every aspect 

of their lives. Religious clifsk 

crimination arid bigotry are alive 

and *ell in my Country. 

CORRINE SIMON-DUNEAU 

Los Angeleir

Ilos Angeles Mow * SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 2000 A3 

,-4ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT 

Is there a 

Washin ton 

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Are Palestinian and Israeli agents working together in Poland? 

Should former CIA director Deutch be disciplined? 

Did the west give Russia a free hand in Chechnya? 

Is Scientology a religion? 

Did Monica Lie? 

Is the Confederate flag solely an American racial IssUe? 

Are today's Internet hackers tomorrow's terrorists? 

is Freemasonry relevaiitio the modern world 

Has time Come for America to enforce gun controls 

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Will Jews be the 21st century's scapegoats? 

If you doubt, come and say it 

DOUBTCOME. 

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.1

" 

('' 

.1% , 

haikt1441mot ti".7 

TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 29,2000 

'Ch4011in..FtedOe 

Belal harassment, including tax private police, Stacy Brooks, 

audits, the closing of their'schools a for- lic affairs office.1' : ! 

mer member now working wi 

i,and Police pressure on other French 

th in 

anti-Scientology organizati 

Faced with the Mounting pres4 

not to do businem with them, 

on hi sure in Franee,'Scientologists said 

Clearwater, Fla., described 

,French officials reject accusa- the 

OSA as 

they will call On Othet cOuntrieS, hi'L: 

tfoni.of harassinent. Like 

a dirty-tricks squad 

Some of that eluding the 0.84 and international 

' thos,who have left Scieritology,t; targets the church's critics. 

, 

: 

, bodies tor help., Ori Thursday, they 

they paint an unsavory &hire "I know all about these peo 

of a ple," pian tO hold an littetnational cow 

globe-girdling organization. Brooks said. "They tried 

ob.-, 

to stear 

ference in Pada to ekamine HMO 

1-aessed With making, mon6y that., and harass me and my huaban d af- placed on relikimis freedom here. " 

tisek blackmail, ':,harassment and ter I left in 1989." 

douribta Bald the eourt eiies hoci . 

etheat ettnipaigne to keepiformer Karin Poinv, spokeswirnna0 

for" official criticigin !jive 

.'.'41emberapr o ponenta In 

Only ' In: 

line; :T the Church of ScientologY Interna- 

creased the Frenchirnembers' de: 

04' o the French Iii044,::tiontil, , called Brooks , "liar 

for 

hirel",,POuw, a 

termination. "Wa filivays 

member 

wth," MO 

oaf I .1 

the OSA; said. "Fn ScientOiOgY,'we believe 

e,; net° hi 

fir: p 

.S:alii*the 'office functions as a " pub- ,what we are dcihig9 ,7 : t;t.. 

fOeitted 

''' 

'',t. .11:,..1 

trOlh 

Iiiiireeiiter billilk.tiot oug4 

in Riverside tichritSp,',':.' 

.;,,,,..ÀitffiteciNet;Obrythind, we 

Ardered bY. ifilssionaries froni 

tliVtitiftki states," said Vasquez, 

the member. ''EVA.Y. Thurscla4We 

eiillected the money from all 

overtEtarOjie and sent It to the 

!United States. Copenhagen [site of 

BelentologYi European ; head7 

ipiarterei obejted; everything they 

did *as &cided by the Americans." 

Saithelemy, the government. 

panes Neeretary-general, said fdrmer 

Selentologisti ." have' , told 

French afithoritles that hiforrinaettoh 

eollected by, the Church,' 10eluding 

potentially eMbarraising or 

cOMpromiaing data gleaned from 

f, ipiestlorinalres and interviews with 

1 teMberd, is foiwarded to the U.S. 

. 

cai Animal ReVentie 

Sdid to Be $92 minjon 

in June, a French parliamentary 

commission investigating; the (I- 

I nances of religious groups claSii- 

: fled here at) Seets'estirriated ScienqolOgY'a 

animal revenue in' France 

af-Miire than $9.2 million, and 

worldwide at between $1.5 billion 

and $3 billIoni. 

'." Goimord, Scientology's Paris 

spokesivoman, Mid the only con- 

' nectlon the churches in France 

I haVe with Los Angeles is the train- 

! Ing of paators and auditors, who 

carry out question-and-answer 

Counseling sessions the church 

calls auditing. 

t. The French report makes special 

mention of Scientology's Office of 

Special Affairs, which it labels a 

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