| Author/Narrator Stephen Schochet researched | | | | you today about OJ's house." "Well today my |
| Hollywood and Disney stories and lore for 10 | | | | people are from Romania. They are here for the |
| years while giving tours of Hollywood. He had the | | | | World Cup. I don't think they care about OJ." "Well |
| unique idea the stories could be told anywhere | | | | will you be adding OJ's house to the tour?" |
| and that's what led him to create the critically | | | | "Probably not because he lives west of the 405. |
| acclaimed audiobooks "Fascinating Walt Disney" | | | | We go east of the 405 and we are so pressed |
| and "Tales Of Hollywood". Here he shares some | | | | for time. I wouldn't be surprised if we have some |
| stories that happened while he was actually giving | | | | guys who point at any old house and claim that |
| tours:On one tour I pointed out the Fox Plaza, the | | | | it's OJ's!" I was kidding but the reporter took me |
| building that was blown up in the movie Die Hard. | | | | quite seriously. "So tour guides do that do they? |
| A tourist asked me "How did they put that | | | | What tour company do you work for?" I thought, |
| building back together so fast?"* On the tour we | | | | who does this guy think he is, Mike Wallace? I |
| stop at Rodeo Drive. The people were returning | | | | pointed at one of the buses owned by a rival tour |
| to the bus after their visit and Steve Garvey | | | | company.* When I first started training as a tour |
| came walking by. A life long Dodger fan I said," Hi | | | | bus driver I rode with other guides to see how |
| Steve." Happy for the recognition, he came over | | | | they did it. One guy, unfortunately did not endear |
| to meet the people on the bus. Unfortunately, the | | | | himself to the customers with a patter of stale |
| entire group was from England and Germany and | | | | and sometimes sexist jokes. At one point he |
| not a single person knew who he was.* The day | | | | showed the Hollywood Sign, and told the tragic |
| after OJ Simpson was arrested, I was doing a | | | | story of actress Peg Entwistle, who unable to |
| tour where we stopped in front of the Chinese | | | | succeed in the transition from stage to screen, |
| Theater. My customers were looking at the | | | | jumped fifty feet to her death from the top of |
| handprints and footprints, while I stretched my | | | | the letter H. He finished the tale with the |
| legs near a row of parked tour buses. Two men, | | | | tagline,"Of course the last person to jump was a |
| one with a filming camera approached me. "Hi | | | | tour guide who didn't get tipped." There was a |
| We're from CNN. Are you a tour guide? We | | | | pause and then an Australian customer from the |
| would like to interview you about OJ." "Sure." | | | | back of the bus shouted out," Oh yeah? Well |
| "Great. Roll the camera. We're talking to a | | | | there'll be another one tomorrow! |
| Hollywood tour guide. So did your customers ask | | | | |