Curator: Tony Friscia
The L.A. Screenings Veteran luncheon is held annually at the traditional InterContinental Hotel (formerly Park Hyatt).
The luncheon was started in 2005 as an informal event among the late Jim Marrinan, then a TV consultant; Gary Marenzi (who had just left Paramount) and VideoAge’s Dom Serafini. The following year it included Tony Friscia, who just had left Warner Bros. In subsequent years, Friscia coordinated the participation (and started keeping tabs), which at one point reached over 25 veteran TV executives.
Below is the year-by year photoplay report:
2021
Those we loved don’t go away
They walk beside us every day
Unseen, unheard but always near
Still loved, still missed & very dear
(By Richard Milnes)
The 17th annual Veterans Luncheon, like last year’s 16th edition, was celebrated virtually. Let us all hope that we will be able to resume the in-person event in May 2022, so that we can celebrate the “new” L.A. Screenings and honor our dearly departed Veterans with the in-person toasts they so richly deserve. Twenty-seven Veterans participated in last year’s virtual get-together. This year 33 Veterans raised a glass in their honor.
Participants of the virtual 17th Annual Veterans Luncheon included (from l. to r. for each row).
Top row: Dom Serafini, Michael J. Solomon, Seth Willenson, Ettore Botta, Todd Leavitt, Len Grossi, Harris Tulchin.
Second row: Gavin Reardon, Brian McGrath, Gary Marenzi, Farrell Meisel, Vered Kollek-Meisel, Tony, Jaxon, Ryan Friscia, Hendrik van Daalen, John Laing.
Third row: David Armstrong, Howard Lipson, Chicca Pancaldi, Maurizio Zuccarini, Sheila Morris, Archie Purvis, John Cuddihy, Lynda Cope, Mark Cutten.
Fourth row: David Simon, James Hannafin, Irv Holender, Larry Marotta, Anita First, Wayne Broun, Stefania Leodori, Richard Milnes.
2020
Traditional Veterans’ Luncheon Kept Alive Virtually
The coronavirus did not spare the traditional Veterans’ Lunch at the canceled L.A. Screenings, so the veterans decided to stage a virtual 16th annual event in order to raise a glass to departed friends and lunch veterans, including Russ Kagan, Jim Marrinan, and industry veterans Larry Gershman, Justin Bodle, and Tetsu Uemura.
Participants of the virtual 16th Annual Veterans’ Luncheon included
Top row, from l. to r.: Dom Serafini, Gary Marenzi, John Laing, Anita First, Bernard Majani d’Inguimbert, Ryan Friscia &Tony Friscia.
Second row, from l. to r.: Richard Milnes, Michael J. Solomon, Sheila Morris, Irv Holender, Stefania Leodori, Howard Lipson.
Third row, from l. to. r.: David Armstrong, Jim Hannafin, Farrell Meisel & Vered Kollek-Meisel, Seth Willenson, David Simon, Todd Leavitt.
Bottom row, from l. to r.: Mark Cutten, Len Grossi, Archie Purvis, Ettore Botta, Brian McGrath, Jim Landis, Hendrik Van Daalen
And now a few words from Tony Friscia…
For 15 uninterrupted years, a group of industry colleagues have gathered together to meet with old friends, make new ones, and casually and informally chitchat about family, life, business triumphs, and in the very rare instance, business failures. This lunch has been memorialized in a year-by-year photoplay report.
The lunch began in 2005 with three attendees, and had grown to 26 in 2019. Unfortunately, as the years rolled on, some of our old friends and colleagues left us.
As the unthinkable became reality, it became the tradition to commence each lunch with a toast to those who were no longer with us.
Regrettably, in 2020, the world was hit with a catastrophic event that upended life as we knew it. The Veterans Lunch was not immune to such a tragic episode.
However, that tragedy would not discourage nor deter the Veterans from paying homage to their friends. The Veterans decided to “raise a glass” and hold a virtual toast.
The numerous written remembrances and nostalgic recollections submitted by their fellow Veterans ran the gamut from the traditional religious and spiritual, to jousting over licensing terms. From inspiring us to do good deeds in their name and honor, to having us emulate their good deeds. From reminiscing about giving a first job to one, to receiving his first job from another, to having a long comradeship with a third. From a poem by a naval war hero to meeting at a club in the Elysian Fields to sip a rosé that had been well chilled. From keeping their memories alive, to keeping their memories as our blessing. From an “Alla salute!” in a foreign language to a simple “thank you.” From a son. Finally, as a fellow Veteran rightfully professed, soon we will all be together again, gathering around a lunch table celebrating those who left us a wee bit too early. Although they were all legends in our industry, they were most importantly our friends.
2019
Front Row – L to R: Jim Landis, Larry Marotta, Irv Holender, Michael Kagan, Vered Kollek-Meisel, Archie Purvis, Michael Solomon, David Armstrong. Second Row – L to R: Cory Mitchell, Gary Marenzi, Mark Cutten, Gene Lavelle, Joe Lucas, Len Grossi, John Laing, David Ellender. Top Row – L to R: Dom Serafini, Tony Friscia, Sheila Morris, Erica Di Bona, Farrell Meisel, Seth Willenson, Howard Lipson, Todd Leavitt, David Simon, Ettore Botta.
2018
14th Annual L.A. Screenings Veterans’ Luncheon Participants (from l. to r.): Dom Serafini, Farrell Meisel, Todd Leavitt, Vered Kollek-Meisel, Ettore Botta, Ryan Friscia, Gene Lavelle, Brian McGrath, Seth Willenson, Russ Kagan, Larry Marotta, Tony Friscia, Josh Elbaum, David Simon, Alice Donenfeld, Archie Purvis, David Armstrong
2017
At the 12th Annual L.A. Screenings Veteran’s Luncheon Celebration on May 25, 20017: From l. to r.: Ettore Botta, Irv Holender, Bob Jones, Russ Kagan, Seth Willenson, Mark Cutten, Todd Leavitt, David Simon, Tony Friscia, Larry Marotta, Jim Landis, Gene Lavelle, Dom Serafini
2016
Ryan Friscia, Gene Lavelle, Seth Willenson, Todd Leavitt, Tony Friscia, Michael Solomon, Stefania Leodori, Josh Elbaum, Ettore Botta, Gary Marenzi, Jim Hannafin, Rick Spalla, Sung Chae, Dom Serafini
BACK: Dom Serafini, Jim Hannafin, Rick Spalla, Josh Elbaum, Michael Solomon, Ryan Friscia, David Armstrong, Sung Chae, Gene Lavelle, Erica Di Bona
FRONT: Stefania Leodori, Ettore Botta, Tony Friscia, Seth Willenson, Todd Leavitt, Gary Marenzi
Dom Serafini, Gene Lavelle, Sung Chae, Ettore Botta, Tony Friscia, Todd Leavitt, Michael Solomon, Ryan Friscia, Stefania Leodori, Seth Willenson, Gary Marenzi, Josh Elbaum, Jim Hannafin, Rick Spalla
2015
David Armstrong, Colin Davis, Stephen Kerr, Yuki Akehi, Anita First, Sheila Morris, David Simon, Len Grossi, Irv Holender, Seth Willenson, Farrell Meisel, Vered Kollek Meisel, Ettore Botta, Tony Friscia, Bob Mott, Ryan Friscia, Peter Hughes, John Laing, John Ranelagh
Taking the photo: Dom Serafini
2014
Ettore Botta, Gene Lavelle, Ryan Friscia, Keith Birkfeld, Stefania Leodori, Jim Landis, Colin Davis, Jim Hannafin, Tony Friscia, Peter Hughes, David Armstrong, Seth Willenson, Farrell Meisel, Todd Leavitt, Dom Serafini, Patrick McDonald-King, Vered Kollek Meisel
BACK BACK: Keith Birkfeld, Ryan Friscia, Colin Davis, Peter Hughes, Jim Hannafin
BACK: Dom Serafini, Stefania Leodori, Ettore Botta, Patrick McDonald-King, Jim Landis, Todd Leavitt
FRONT: Gene Lavelle, Tony Friscia, Vered Kollek Meisel, Farrell Meisel, David Armstrong, Seth Willenson
2013
BACK: Russell Kagan, Len Grossi, Jim Landis, Stephen Kerr, Anita First, Tony Friscia, Farrell Meisel, Gene Lavelle, Vered Kollek Meisel, Mark Cutten, David Armstrong
FRONT: Michael Solomon, Dom Serafini, David Simon, Neal Lloyd, Ettore Botta, Gavin Reardon, Chicca Pancaldi, Dorothy Crompton, Maurizio Zuccarini, Jim Hannafin
BACK BACK: Stephen Kerr, Russell Kagan, David Simon, David Armstrong, Maurizio Zuccarini
BACK: Dom Serafini, Gavin Reardon, Neal Lloyd, Farrell Meisel, Len Grossi
FRONT: Dorothy Crompton, Gene Lavelle, Jim Hannafin, Vered Kollek Meisel, Anita First, Michael Solomon, Tony Friscia, Chicca Pancaldi, Mark Cutten, Jim Landis
2012
Dom Serafini, Ettore Botta, Jim Landis, Len Grossi, Rick Feldman, Sheila Morris, Mark Cutten, David Armstrong, Stephen Kerr, Russell Kagan, John Laing, David Simon, Gary Marenzi, Robert Oswaks, Farrell Meisel, Vered Kollek Meisel, Gene Lavelle, Michael Solomon, Neal Lloyd, Anita First, Jim Hannafin, Tony Friscia
BACK: Dom Serafini, David Simon, Jim Hannafin, David Armstrong, Russell Kagan, Neal Lloyd, Ettore Botta, Anita First, Mark Cutten, Tony Friscia, Sheila Morris, Stephen Kerr, John Laing, Robert Oswaks
FRONT: Gene Lavelle, Gary Marenzi, Farrell Meisel, Michael Solomon, Len Grossi, Rick Feldman, Jim Landis, Vered Kollek Meisel
2011
Dom Serafini, Tony Friscia, Jim Hannafin, Ettore Botta, Jim Marrinan, Farrell Meisell, David Simon, Robert Oswaks, Garry Marenzi, Sheila Morris, Russell Kagan, John Laing, Hendrik Van Daalen, Vered Kollek Meisel
2010
Todd Leavitt, Neal Lloyd, Ryan Friscia, Sheila Morris, John Laing, Gavin Reardon, John Cuddihy, Wayne Broun, Jim Marrinan, Len Grossi, David Simon, Tony Friscia, Dom Serafini
Dom Serafini, Jim Marrinan, Gavin Reardon, Neal Lloyd, Len Grossi, Tony Friscia, John Laing, Sheila Morris, Ryan Friscia, David Simon, John Cuddihy, Wayne Broun
2009
BACK: Neal Lloyd, Gavin Reardon, Peter Hughes, Colin Davis, Todd Leavitt, Dom Serafini
FRONT: Bernard Majani, Lauren Friscia, Tony Friscia, Vanessa Van Petten, Anita First, Farrell Meisel, David Simon, Jim Marrinan
2008
Rosario Ponzio, Gary Marenzi, Anita First, John Laing, Jim Hannafin, Hendrik Van Daalen, Peter Hughes, Neal Lloyd, Tony Friscia, Jim Marrinan, Bérangère Terouanne, Dom Serafini, Bernard Majani
2007
Jim Hannafin, Tony Friscia, Peter Hughes, Neal Lloyd, Gary Marenzi, Dom Serafini, Anita First, John Laing, Jim Marrinan
Tony Friscia, Jim Marrinan, Gary Marenzi, Anita First, Hendrik Van Daalen, Rosario Ponzio, Peter Hughes, Neal Lloyd, Dom Serafini
2006
Peter Hughes, Jim Marrinan, Tony Friscia, Dom Serafini, Gary Marenzi, Hendrik Van Daalen