It seems like I am reading a history book... one about me... Gary Casteel

I was involved in motion pictures, modeling, stage productions, radio and TV shows. My parents and I quickly learned that attending a private (or public) school with its rigid schedule and inflexible attendance requirements, did not match the time I had to spend on a set, in rehearsal, in photo shoots, or wardrobe fittings. It is important to note that at no time did my parents force or even encourage me to be as involved as I was in acting. It was always my choice. To me it was fun. Thinking back, if they had pressed a little, I might have continued in the entertainment industry as an adult profession. Instead, my childhood interests drifted into other areas.

I had fun in most of my professional activities. When shooting "Royal Wedding" with Fred Astair and Keenan Wynn in 1951, I remember spending many hours with Mr. Wynn, laughing and playing. He was as much a child as I was. During the Centennial celebration for the state of California, dancing the Mexican Hat Dance on the stage of the Hollywood Bowl in front of a full house was a thrill. These were intense events, working hard and performing once or twice then moving to another project. However, when I was involved in the weekly TV show, "Sandys Dreams," it became a grind. (Lonnie Burr of the original Mouseketeers was also on this show. He is now in New York, active in the business, and we still keep in touch.) Off on Sunday and Monday, we worked from 2 pm until about 8 or 9 Tuesday thru Friday. We came in at 8 am on Saturday and worked until we performed live at seven that evening. I was able to go home about nine or ten. We worked about ten months straight. That was before the days of working six months and having six months off.

Two of my greatest professional disappointments involved motion pictures. I had auditioned for the role of Kirk Douglas as a child in the 1950 movie, "Young Man with a Horn." It was down to a couple of us and I was sent to take trumpet lessons at a music studio on Hollywood Blvd. I thought I had it, but another boy (also a student at HPS) was selected. Looking at the movie, I was amazed to see how much we looked alike at that age. The event that really caused the greatest disappointment was when after trying out for six months for the continuing role of the "child side-kick" to Jimmy Wakely in a planned series of western movies, the films were cancelled. I had been selected and was waiting to start the first film. Mr. Wakely discovered on a musical tour that he could make more money singing than acting, so the series was dropped. I never wanted to audition again.

I do not regret those years. It was an experience I am thankful for, participating in many movies, TV shows, and stage productions and meeting many interesting people. One day while working on a film at MGM, my mother and I went into the dining room to eat lunch. Sitting at a long table, you can imagine our surprise when four people sat across form us. One of them was Elizabeth Taylor. I can still remember those violet eyes. Not an experience a young boy forgets. Also, while attending a dance, I was dancing with a girl when the band stopped playing. An announcer told the boys to get their mothers and the girls to get their fathers and bring them back on the dance floor. They were to dance and act as an ice-breaker for the adults. You can imagine the shock my mother experienced when she "had to" dance with Fred Astair!

I also liked the days spent modeling for several ad agencies. In 1951, I was awarded the prize for being the "Most Photogenic Child," in the United States. However, at the top of my list were the classes I took in Drama. Studying the many methods of acting and having to perform many roles was a wonderful experience. However, learning to cry on cue was not an easy task for a ten year old boy. In addition to standard Drama classes and plays, at HPS we had what we called, "Aud (audition) Calls." These entailed having to perform extemporaneously what ever the instructor requested. Sometimes we sang, sometimes danced and other times acted a role. Both participating and being in the audience observing and learning from many students that would go on to stardom was a great learning experience. Many teenage boys would have loved to be in my place watching Debra Paget, Lugene Sanders, Kay Sharpe, Beverly Wills, Lezlie Griffin, Daria Massey and June Lyden performing on our small stage for an Aud Call. They were all at HPS while I was attending.

That is where Hollywood Professional School (HPS) comes in... The story I heard was that in 1935, Louis Mayer of MGM had a young star that faced the same situational conflict of school requirements and professional work. They asked a Mrs. Bertha Mann to open a school for "Young Professionals" in many fields, primarily the performing arts, to attend K-12 grades in a non structured, flexible environment. They could start at 7:30 am, attend five hard core classes in a row, then be finished at 12:30 pm. That would leave the full afternoon for their "jobs." Rather than study hall, home room, PE, home economics, or other "soft" class, they concentrated on English, Science, Math, Spanish or French, history, geography (is that still being taught?) art, music and of course drama. It was located right in Hollywood, at 5400 Hollywood Boulevard, just a few blocks east of Vine Street. The two-story building was located on the east end of Hollywood Boulevard, about a mile northeast of Paramount Studios, and even closer to the Gower Gulch area of Sunset, which formerly housed such studios as Warner Bros and Columbia.

That first young star was Judy Garland. Along with her came Mickey Rooney. In later years Mickey's children attended HPS. (Along with the Mouseketeers. Sorry. I couldn't resist that play on words.) Actually, Mickey Rooney Jr was a Mouseketeer at one time.

The school even had a scandal to call their own, back in the 50's, when superstar Errol Flynn took up with a 14-year-old freshman at HPS named Beverly Aadland.

Our curriculum concentrated on the academic essentials. and class size was small, so students tended to develop a sense of camaraderie. Each student's course of study was planned according to his interests, talents and objectives. An emphasis was also placed on teaching social skills, to enable the student to function socially in a polite, genteel environment.

HPS was flexible in working with the "on-lot classes." Most movie productions hired a teacher and constructed a tent near the shooting location. We would go to the "classroom" during our breaks. The teacher would have our lessons from HPS and would help us with our studies. When it was time to shoot again, we went back to the production site. This would last as long as the filming was taking place then we would return to HPS for our regular classes. This nearly one-on-one, student to teacher, really helped us understand the materials and complete our requirements.

After 50 years of service, Hollywood Professional School closed in June of 1985, following the death of its Director and owner, Mrs. Mann (at age 85).

After the school closed, the property exchanged hands a number of times; its final owner was actor/writer/director Robert Townsend ("The Parent Hood"). The building itself was finally torn down summer of 1994. Sadly, all you'll find today at the corner of Hollywood & Serrano is an empty lot.

The school is no longer there, but it will always stand on that corner in the hearts and minds of its many alumni. Fifteen years after its closing, we had a school reunion on June 19, 2000 (at the Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City), and more than 350 HPS alums showed up. I can varify, a good time was had by all. Connie Stevens was as beautiful as ever, and three of the Original Mouseketeers led us in singing their theme song. Yes...you know the one.

Yes, this me me when I attended HPS.

The stated objective of the HPS program was: "The Hollywood Professional School is an accredited college preparatory school which has been established for the purpose of offering a strong academic foundation to professional students actively engaged in motion picture or radio work." It was opened a few years prior to the advent of television.

They went on to say, "Significant among the many contributing factors to the realization of this objective is the guidance program. Each student's course of study is planned according to his interests, talents, and objectives. By developing those qualities and skills which will enable him to find gainful employment and to become a desirable member of the community, he is prepared for economic independence. Aesthetic and cultural subjects are considered essential as preparation for leisure time. As a result of this integrating program and personal instruction, graduates have been able, not only to bring credit to themselves and to the school, but to keep pace with an ever changing world."

Another, unwritten objective was to enable the student to function socially in a polite, and gentile environment. We were taught to treat each other as ladies and gentlemen and were expected to act accordingly. The basic social skills I believe are so lacking in todays society were integrated in our every activity, in Mr. Thompson's dancing class, a class party or any other school activity be it social or academic.