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Released by: Scorpion Releasing
Released on: January 24, 2012.
Director: Geoffrey Hayden
Cast: Ian Whitcomb
Year: 1976
The Movie:
This interesting documentary by filmmaker Geoffrey Hayden made in 1976 follows a thirtysomething British musician named Ian Whitcomb who had one hit during the British Invasion with the track 'You Turn Me On' which actually hit number eight on the Billboard Top 100 in 1965. Whitcomb travelled from England to Los Angeles to appear on television shows to promote the track and wound up touring with name acts like The Kinks and The Rolling Stones.
When he returned to Los Angeles again a few years later, it would be a permanent transition and it's basically here that the film catches up with Whitcomb and basically brings us along for the ride as it documents his life. Whitcomb shows us around Hollywood, the good and the bad side of Tinseltown, and we basically get to learn what it's like for this British ex-pat as he more or less starts over in the city of angels. Along the way we meet a few other British citizens living in L.A., as Whitcomb interviews such luminaries as General Thomas Ashton, former ambassador Sir Peter Ramsbottom, a record producer named Peter Asher and a girly mag photographer named Roy Dean.
Part travelogue of mid-seventies Los Angeles and part expose on the cultural differences that will probably always exist between the United States and England, L.A. Is My Home Town may not sound like a particularly interesting premise but it turns out to be quite interesting not just for its time capsule properties (though those are a big part of what makes it interesting at least on a visual level) but for its socio-political qualities as well. Little every day occurrences, like when Whitcomb needs some work done on his car at a local garage, which is run by an Englishman who will only work on English cars, make things interesting as do odd bits like when Whitcomb goes to play a game of Polo at the massive property once owned by none other than Roy Rogers.
So while this is very much a 'day in the life of' type piece, the film is more than just a look at Whitcomb's life, instead it casts a broader net as we basically see Whitcomb as a representative for all of the UK's immigrants trying to carve out a piece for themselves in sunny Southern California while adjusting to the differences in lifestyle and culture that they inevitably run up against. It's also interesting, towards the end of the film, to see Whitcomb hang out with Suze Randall of all people. Randall would move to L.A. and eventually make quite a name for herself first as a model, then as a photographer for Playboy and other men's magazines, and then eventually as a director of hardcore pornography - as one of the first female porno movie director's she's widely recognized as a bit of a trailblazer and she continues to be quite active in the industry to this day, despite the fact that she's now in her mid-sixties. Whitcomb visits her Los Angeles home where they discuss her reasons for leaving England before the whole thing ends on a rather odd note with some footage of a Disney parade. If the film doesn't always portray the Brits living in L.A. as the friendliest or tightest group, it still offers a rare glimpse into some interesting social situations in addition to showing us just how many pieces these guys had their fingers in at the time.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Scorpion's fullframe transfer appears to be the proper aspect ratio for the film as there are no obvious issues with cropping or framing. The pillarboxed picture shows some print damage here and there and occasional color fading but is otherwise perfectly acceptable, particularly once you take into account the obscurity of the film.
The sole audio option for the feature is an English language Dolby Digital Mono track and it sounds fine. Dialogue and music are both fairly clear despite periodic pops in the mix. No alternate language options or subtitle options are provided.
Aside from a static menu and a few trailers for other Scorpion properties, the main extra on this disc is an interesting commentary track with star Ian Whitcomb moderated by Katarina Leigh Waters (though this film is not part of the Katarina's Nightmare Theater line). This commentary is surprisingly strong, as Waters is actually able to relate to Whitcomb on a certain level in that they're both British born citizens who now call California home. They discuss the reaction from the British music scene when this film aired on the other side of the Atlantic and how it was not favorable at all, effectively earning Whitcomb the boot. Whitcomb also relays some interesting stories about working on the film and the locations that pop up in the picture. It's an interesting discussion well worth listening to.
The Final Word:
A surprisingly unique documentary, L.A. Is My Home Town serves not only as a great time capsule of mid-seventies Los Angeles but also offers up some insight into the strange spot that British immigrants found themselves in around the time the picture was made. Extras may seem a bit light but the quality of the commentary more than makes up for that - anyone with an interest in pop culture ought to seek this obscurity out, which shouldn't be too hard now that Scoprion has issued it on DVD.
