Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Fundraiser host Wink Martindale introduces the crowd to Kathy Kohner-Zuckerman, the real-life "Gidget." Photo by Paul M. J. Suchecki

Several former and current members of the entertainment industry attending a Malibu Republican Women, Federated fundraiser speak about the difficulties of being a Republican in the Democratically dominated Hollywood.

By Paul M. J. Suchecki
Special to The Malibu Times

As the building vibrated like a guitar string from the heavy surf below, the Malibu Republican Women, Federated held a fundraiser at Duke's Malibu last Thursday. Hawaiian music, traditional dancing and a sumptuous sea food luau helped the group raise $10,000 to establish a storefront Republican Party headquarters in town prior to November's mid-term election.

Club President Saundra McFadden thanked all the attendees for their financial support, singling out Alice Starr for her efforts. Her husband, Kenneth Starr, the former Whitewater prosecutor and Dean of Pepperdine University's School of Law, beamed at the remarks.

McFadden introduced Dick Mountjoy, who is running for U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein's seat. Mountjoy stressed that one of the prime reasons he deserved the club's support was that he was a good Christian.

"It's the year of Republicans," Mountjoy said. "The war in Iraq is turning our way. Democrats are whistling past the graveyard."

Kathy Kohner-Zuckerman, who works as a host at Duke's, was honored as the original Gidget. Her story was made famous by her screenwriting father, who launched half a dozen film and television incarnations-from Sandra Dee to Sally Fields. "Gidget" regaled the crowd with tales of surfing up and down the Malibu coast. She smiled about her lack of political involvement as a surfer. When she showed a group shot from Life magazine of her with her beach buddies, she explained, "We never talked about politics in the water." Back in the '50s, "about as far as it got was, 'I like Ike.'"

Balladeer Jerry Robinson welcomed the group with a song about most of the movers in the crowd. When he spoke, he said that he voted for the first time in his life for the president, because "George W. Bush is saying the truth. He's really for America."

Host Wink Martindale, greeted the crowd by saying that he saw "a few new faces, especially on some of the old faces." He dusted off an old Hawaiian proverb, which he translated to, "Right wing of the seagull soars majestically. Left wing never stops flapping."

Martindale said he was there because his wife Sandy was an active member of the club. When asked why he was a Republican he said, "With a name like Winston Conrad Martindale, wouldn't you be a Republican?" In scanning the dozens of people who gathered he observed, "No Republicans must be working in Malibu today. They are all here in this room."

Actress Morgan Brittany, best known for her work on "Dallas," addressed the crowd, explaining that although she had been a young Democrat working for Robert Kennedy, and had grown up in the movie industry surrounded by liberal Democrats, she had come to realize that her values and morals were different. For years she had stayed in the closet about her true feelings, "When I had heard a Republican president or legislation get bashed, I realized that I'd better not say anything because I'd lose my job or wouldn't get hired. I stayed very, very quiet as a Republican."

Brittany continued, "If you talk about God, or moral values, or religion, it makes them very, very, very uncomfortable, so a lot of people in Hollywood don't want you around."

Now 54, Brittany has taken a step back from the business. She accused Hollywood of losing its patriotism. "Everything with the military is evil. Everything with religion is evil... Hollywood and the media have such control over our children and what they see... They are saying that homosexuality is OK. I don't know where Hollywood is going. I don't know how far it's going to go before people stand up and say, 'that's enough.'"

Brittany turned her observation into a call to back Republican candidates and movies to which people can take their children, "Great stuff, like Mel Gibson movies."

Zuckerman jumped in to remind everybody, that "Hollywood is remaking the 'Gidget' movies." She offered them as good family entertainment.

Martindale concurred that he had also been reticent about admitting his Republican orientation and said that he had only come out of the closet about 10 years ago. "I'm so sorry now that I didn't do it long ago... Everybody who can convey the Republican message should do so."

He introduced actor Rick Schroder, famous for his roles in "Silver Spoons" and "NYPD Blue." In contrast, Schroder said that he had never made any secret of his fondness "for guns, hunting, fishing and voting Republican." If there were a Republican closet, he was not in it.

The event concluded with a silent auction.