Does anyone know if Paul Parla is still among the land off the living? If so, what is he doing these days? He got a lot of us "B movie Monsters" autograph seekers'collections going back in the early 1990's. I do not hear much about him these days...recently however, have seen some of his signed stuff showing up on ebay and other places. Haven't heard him even mentioned in at least 5 years now. Anyone know?
I googled him and didn't see anything of his current whereabouts. Perhaps Dennis Druktenis would know.
Brian K
Yeah, I remember reading his stuff in the pages of Scary Monsters. Some have said that he was a real pain in the neck to celebrities, palling up to them, getting them to sign photos personally to him, and then selling them for exorbitant amounts.
It's been awhile since I read those interviews, but I kind of recall at the time thinking the "Questions" asked weren't questions at all, and it was essentially the person telling their story, and the questions were just put in afterwards.
Those articles / interviews just rubbed me the wrong way. Just my take on it.
Perhaps he may have been as you suggest, but at least he gave these folks a chance to be remembered. Plus their autographs put in circulation for collectors. Prudence Hyman, Steven Ritch, Reg Paton, Tom Hennessy, Joe Becker, and countless others got a limelight when most had forgotten them, even then, as a result of his activities. :angel: :angel:
I'd have to check my back issues, but I'm pretty sure Tom Weaver wrote a letter to Scary Monsters saying that Parla was asked by him to interview some of these people, given a list of questions, etc, then used them as HIS questions, etc.
Quote from: michblk on May 31, 2023, 08:55:48 AM
I googled him and didn't see anything of his current whereabouts.
"Linked-In" called him a retired writer and interviewer. It had a link for contact, but you have to be a member for it to work. No telling how old the info is, either.
Quote from: Mike Scott on May 31, 2023, 04:21:19 PM
"Linked-In" called him a retired writer and interviewer. It had a link for contact, but you have to be a member for it to work. No telling how old the info is, either.
I have linked in and signed in, but he has no one attached to his account and I cannot send him a message.
Brian K
Quote from: michblk on May 31, 2023, 08:34:04 PM
. . but he has no one attached to his account and I cannot send him a message.
I have no idea how LI works.
I'm noticing a lot of his B movie monster autographs (some personalized to him specifically) have been popping up on Heritage Auctions and in other spots. Usually when something of that nature happens, someone has either died, got out of the hobby entirely, or is being cared for in an assisted living facility due to illness or age, and assets are liquidated. I only knew him by phone, but he helped me get a lot of cool monster actors autographs. Just found myself thinking a lot about the past recently.
Quote from: michblk on May 31, 2023, 08:55:48 AMPerhaps Dennis Druktenis would know.
Has Dennis ever posted here on UMA?
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Paul and Donna Parla re / were listed as living in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
https://cdapress.com/news/2018/oct/31/monster-memories-5/
I found the Scary Monsters magazine letter by Tom Weaver concerning Paul Parla (issue #24). This was in response to a letter from someone talking about a Sci-Fi Entertainment review of one of Tom's books, and this guy kind of poo-pooed it, then went on to Praise Parla to the hilt. Tom apparently contacted the guy, who told him that Parla asked him to write the letter, and to give him big shout outs for tracking down these long unknown monster actors and interviewing them.
Tom then went on to say how he and Parla would exchange addresses of these actors, and in 4 cases Tom gave Parla a list of questions to ask them to people that Parla would not share the addresses of (Ben Chapman, Tom Hennessy, Turhan Bey and George Wallace) that Parla had indeed tracked down. So Parla did the interviews with Tom's questions, then wanted his name as a co-interviewer. Tom went on to say how Parla would say that he uncovered the info as to who, in addition to Ricou Browning, played the Creature in the first 2 films, and Tom pointed out that many magazines, dating back to the making of those films, had said who played the creature in the films. So Tom was saying that Parla would make claims that weren't true and take credit for things he shouldn't have.
Quote from: Anton Phibes on May 30, 2023, 10:08:32 PMDoes anyone know if Paula Parla is still among the land off the living?
You have two different spellings for Mr. Parla's name but MonsterBaker666 is implying that it's Paul Parla. Corrections are needed somewhere.
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Quote from: Hepcat on June 07, 2023, 10:04:17 AM
You have two different spellings for Mr. Parla's name but MonsterBaker666 is implying that it's Paul Parla. Corrections are needed somewhere.
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It's a typo, Hep. I guess you've never made them. I make mistakes. I am a human being. 8)
Come on! I make many! In fact I rarely peck in a post without a mistake. But I absolutely hate leaving them uncorrected. I therefore reread my posts and I'm angry with myself whenever any kind of error slips by me.
C:)
I will blame it on side effects of some medication I am discontinuing, or a poorly aging brain. :angel:
Yeah, typos happen. Most of the stuff in Scary Monsters mentioned Paul Parla and his wife Donna. Some of the celebrity photos they sold were autographed to one or both of them. And the photos of them with the celebrities would be of one or the other as well. Altho I think the articles were copyrighted just to Paul Parla.
Quote from: MonsterBaker666 on June 07, 2023, 05:05:28 PM
Some of the celebrity photos they sold were autographed to one or both of them.
I'm not an autograph collector, but if I was, I don't think I'd want one that was signed to somebody else. Except in the case where it's so rare that you take what you can get. Like Geo. Washington.
Anyone know if there was ever an interview with Alix Talton (The Deadly Mantis)?