Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1151081
42 CINEMONTAGE / Q3 2019 Yet Weber himself is a member of a prized constituency at Musso's: post-production professionals. For the majority of its existence, the establishment has been a hangout spot and lunch-break destination for many members of the Motion Picture Editors Guild — and its predecessor, the Society of Motion Picture Film Editors (1937-1944) — especially editors like Weber. "We at Musso's have got an appreciation for that behind-the- scenes talent," says Mark Echeverria, the present proprietor of the restaurant that turns 100 years old this September. "The line we give is: 'We treat regulars like celebrities, and celebrities like regulars.' When you come to Musso's, everyone is sort of that star." Of course, those who consider themselves Musso's regulars would contend that the place itself is the featured attraction. With its hearty menu of steak and potatoes, as well as its oodles of ambience, Musso's has long been a desired location for movies and shows seeking to evoke the elegance of Hollywood's Golden Age. Scenes in Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven (2001), the AMC series Mad Men (2007-2015) and Quentin Tarantino's new Once Upon a Time in Hollywood have been shot in, or in front of, the restaurant. "In the spirit of the Ocean's movies, and the interest in a certain kind of Hollywood movie- star glamour, having a scene at Musso & Frank was a no-brainer," Soderbergh (who in his capacity as a picture editor is also a member of the Editors Guild) told The Hollywood Reporter last year. "Obviously, filming there was a great opportunity to memorialize my good feelings about Musso & Frank." In years past, Los Angeles was home to other iconic restaurants where Guild members dined, drank and gabbed. Picture editor Michael Tronick, ACE, points to the now- defunct Nickodell Restaurant and Oblath's as favorites of sound editors and re-recording mixers — but even then, few had the cachet of Musso's. "Going to Musso's was always a feeling of being deeply in a part of the whole business," comments picture editor and former Guild President (1991-2002) Donn Cambern, ACE. "I remember walking in and looking at the menu that they used to have up from the 1920s, where a filet mignon was like 25 cents or something like that. It always gave you a wonderful feeling." The Guild itself maintains a longstanding relationship with Musso's, too. For example, following the American Cinema Editors' yearly Invisible Art/Visible Artists event, a panel discussion featuring the Oscar-nominated picture editors at the Egyptian Theatre less than a block away, the nominees and members of ACE and the Guild are invited to attend a luncheon at the restaurant. "We have sponsored the post-IA/VA luncheon for the past several years," says Adriana Iglesias-Dietl, the Guild's Special Events Manager. "It's a chance for us to celebrate our Academy Award-nominated editors' outstanding achievement and, with Michael Tronick. Photo by Deverill Weekes Editors Stephen Rivkin, left, Hank Corwin and Tina Hirsch at the post- IA/VA luncheon at Musso's in 2016. Photo by Gregory Schwartz Courtesy of Marc Wanamaker/Bison Archives