A devastating loss

I am in the Hollywood Heritage organization and yesterday I got the devastating news via e-mail that Robert Nudelman had passed away.  This man was instrumental in preserving Hollywood landmarks.  He had a vast knowledge of preservation, including the legal and political issues involved.  He loved film history and really cared so much about keeping the past alive.  Many years ago I lived in a rough area of East Hollywood and I was at a neighborhood crime watch meeting.  I was rather shocked to see Mr. Nudelman there.  I don’t think he even lived in the area.  He was there to see what was going on and what was going to be done.  He was THAT hands on and concerned about everything.  One of our members said that Mr. Nudelman should have been the replacement for Johnny Grant because NOBODY cared about Hollywood as much as he did!  I agree.


This is a terribly sad day for Hollywood and Robert Nudelman was irreplaceable. 


I only hope now that the rest of us in Hollywood Heritage will be able to keep up his fight to save our historic buildings.  It will be 10,000 times more difficult without his expertise, but we owe it to his memory to keep up the fight.  It is what he would have wanted.

3 Comments:

1. Karie—were we not lucky to have known, all too briefly, this magnificent human being? This brilliant, witty, silly, fearless, principled man.  This void can never be filled—thank you for the tribute.  Your grieving friend, Valerie.

   Posted by Valerie Yaros on 05/11 at 09:25 PM

2. I just got off the phone with you and decided to add a comment here on Robert Nudelman.  Back around 1998-9 or so, when the Hollywood Heritage reopened I spent a couple of weekends volunteering and a good part of the time Robert and I were the only ones there.
   He truly loved old time Hollywood and had a passion for Cecil B. DeMille, the producer-director who the Hollywood Heritage honors.  I saw him quite often at the Egyptian and generally acknowledged each other.
   He was a quiet man and a kind man.  I now wish I had gotten to know him better.

   Posted by James J Cremin on 05/15 at 01:05 PM

3. Thanks Karie for mentioning what I said at the Hal Roach Presentation about Robert being the one I’d nominate for the next Mayor of Hollywood.  I said it before the audience who seemed to agree with the thought.  Pity that it was only ten days before Robert died.  I’m grateful that he was there to hear it.  After the night concluded, he asked me why I said that about him.  When I told him that it needed to be said, he did smile.  That’s my last and favorite memory of him that I will cherish in my mind.  I’m glad he knew that he was loved.  The depth of that love is only beginning to surface as tributes continue to come in.

   His memorial will take place at The Music Box Theater in Hollywood and it will hopefully be sometime in the second week of June.  The HH website will be updated soon with the exact date.

   Posted by Stan Taffel on 05/15 at 03:28 PM