Muggs

Besa publishes book on Madrid

besa_signingCo-founder of Simesite, Peter Besas, has just published a book in Spain called “Hidden Madrid”, an offbeat walking guide to the country’s capital, delving into many little-known aspects of the city, its history, and anecdotes about some of its odd historical characters.

Peter co-authored the book with his son, Mark, who took most of the 150 photos that illustrate the 361-page volume. An adapted translation of the work into Spanish, called “Madrid Oculto”, was simultaneously released by the Madrid-based publisher, Ediciones La Libreria. For the time being, the book is only on sale in bookshops and museums in Madrid, though efforts are underway for the book to “go international”.

Shown in the photo are Peter and Mark signing copies on June 7 at the big Madrid Bookfair held in the city’s Retiro Park, where 50 copies were sold during the one-hour signing session.

For more information on the book, please see www.madridoculto.es

Whitney Williams’ last TV review for the Daily

by MIKE MALAK

The following contribution was sent to us by Daily Variety’s former ad manager, Mike Malak. No one else we contacted seemed to know much about Williams, when exactly he was hired, when he passed away nor anything else about him. He is mentioned in relatiion to an anecdote on three of the pages of “Inside Variety” and was a member of the staff at the Daily during the editorship of Arthur Ungar, the first editor-in-chief of the Daily who was appointed by Sime in 1933.

Mike has promised to submit a number of other “portraits” of some of the muggs at the old Daily on Cahuenga Blvd. We look forward to seeing these, especially since the emphasis so far on Simesite has tended to be the New York and overseas operations of the paper, partly because few, with the notable exception of Morrie Gelman, have sent contributions to us. So Mike’s forthcoming copy will somewhat offset that lack.
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