Gary Meyer Meyer

Profile Updated: November 26, 2023
Gary Meyer
Gary Meyer

Then

Gary Meyer

Now

Gary Meyer

Yearbook

Yes! Attending Reunion
Residing In: Oakland, CA USA
Spouse/Partner: Cathy; married April 4, 1971;Major Giftsfor non-profits. Interests: Travel, gardening, cooking, reading, politics, singing in choir, theater, music
Homepage: www.EatDrinkFilms.com
Occupation: Founder of EatDrinkFilms- an online magazine and film feastival
Children: Greg is the running the Dancing Seeds FArm on San Juan Island and freelance landscaping. He graduated More…from Western Washington University in Environmental studies. Other main interests: cooking, photography, skateboarding, foraging, travel, environmental politics.

Older sister Emily graduated from UCLA in Psychology. Moved to NYC and spent 4 years in sponsorship marketing at the National Football League and 2 years in marketing for National Cinemedia. In July 2011 she married Adam Steinberg and they moved to the bay area while Emily got an MBA and MS at Stanford. The brains must have come from her mother. They have moved back to Brooklyn where Emily is Director of Business Development for the solar-focused Skylight Financial LLC. Their sons are Max Wesley, born Feb. 21, 2015 and Levi Jacob on March 12, 2017 .

Her interests include movies, cycling, choir, cooking, travel, non-profit volunteering, political and environmental activism.

The bad news is that our offspring are far away and the good news is that we love to travel to visit them.
Comments:

-San Francisco State University degree in Film Production; minor in Journalism 1966-71
Programmed many film societies, the Times Theatre and wrote newspaper column during these years as well as Distribution Manager for SFSU Media Center.
-Married in 1971 to Cathy Allen; Went to Europe and bought an old van to travel and live in for 53 weeks and 21 countries.

-Got a job as a film booker at United Artists Theatres in fall 1972 when there were no production jobs in San Francisco. It was like graduate school and I realized I may not have what it takes to go through years trying to get a movie made and find out opening night that it is more often than not a flop, no matter how good it is. But I was in a position to show the movies made by those who did have the perseverance. I moved up the ladder. In 1975 co-worker Steve Gilula and I wanted to make a dream come true---to start a cinema showing a different double feature every day, On April 1, 1976 the dream became a reality when we (April foolishly?) reopened the 1917 U.C. Theatre in Berkeley. From that came a circuit of art cinemas called Landmark Theatres which we operated for 25 years, growing it into the first national art house chain. We sold it to obtain expansion capital which we successfully did for the new owners who then sold it again and again. We left to pursue other new challenges that have included for me consulting on numerous projects (including the Empress in Vallejo, Uptown in Napa, Sundance Cinemas, Virgin, BAM Rose Cinemas in Brooklyn, etc.).

- In 2001 I saved a 1926 neighborhood theater, the Balboa in San Francisco, from closing and turned it into a successful and popular neighborhood theater. I found a passionate couple who love the theater and I turned it over to them. Jaimi and Adam have been doing a great job since 2012.
www.BalboaMovies.com

-In 1998 I was asked to become part of the programming team for the Telluride Film Festival and in 2007 I became Co-Director. The festival's program is kept a secret until opening day and we had a great time coming up with lots of surprises every year.
www.TellurideFilmFestival.org

In 2015 I decided it was time to get back the six months a year that were often a 20-hour day and left the Festival to start a new venture, EatDrinkFilms with an online magazine (shades of Nort) and food film feastivals. We also have more time to travel and do the things we want to do. I am also a consultant for various film festivals, art cinemas, continue on a variety of Boards and volunteer for various organizations such as the East Bay College Fund and the East Bay Community Foundation. And we did door-to-door canvassing for several aspiring young Congressional candidates.

School Story:

Nort returns? New Blood? Phruntt?

The first issue of Nort, an open-to-all students magazine sold out 200 copies before school started at 10cents a copy. The next morning Principal Ken Casanega called me into his office. He was furious. Holding up the magazine he ask, "Are you responsible for this filth?"
GM: "I am one of the people who published it. Isn't it great that Napa High finally has a literary magazine?"
KC: "We have been getting phone calls all morning from irate parents upset that their children are bringing home home something with this disgusting four-letter word on the cover. I won;\'t even say it out loud."
GM: "Do you know what NORT means? It is a four letter word for 'frangipate."
Shocked silence.
GM: "We made both words up and thank you for participating in a social experiment to make a non-word into what you think is a 'dirty four-letter word'. "
KC: "You are suspended for three days."

We attended the next School Board meeting to present the state laws that say all sides of issues should be discussed in schools but that many were presented from only one point of view. We argued that the magazine was created at no expense to the school and could help fill this gap but we would agree to not sell in on or near campus. Future issues became more popular as both a place for student authors and artists to present their work and readership grew to the frustration of others.
We offered to Mr. Casanega an alternative. How about an official school literary magazine with faculty oversight and then there would be no need for NORT.
But the story of BACCHUS is for another time.

Attending Reunion

Yes

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Nov 26, 2023 at 6:19 PM
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Nov 28, 2023 at 2:25 PM

Posted on: Nov 26, 2023 at 6:14 PM

Shearer School on Elm Street was am imposing 2 story brick building tiern down in 1970 as unsafe.
https://napavalleyregister.com/photos-napas-shearer-school-then-and-now/collection_8944b81e-6737-584b-b185-11affa81b3a8.html#18
Quite different now.https://shearer.nvusd.org/

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Nov 27, 2023 at 6:34 PM

Posted on: Nov 26, 2023 at 6:07 PM

As I go through my boxes of past life I find things of interest. This is First Grade at Shearer School and mst of us made it through Napa High.

Gary Meyer Meyer has a birthday today. New comment added.
Apr
23
Apr 23, 2023 at 4:11 PM

Posted on: Apr 23, 2023 at 4:33 AM

Gary Meyer Meyer has a birthday today. New comment added.
Apr 23, 2022 at 1:28 PM

Posted on: Apr 23, 2022 at 4:33 AM

Gary Meyer Meyer has left an In Memory comment for his Profile.
Jun 29, 2021 at 11:55 AM

I can't rememeber when or friendship started but it spanned many years. What I most remember about Dennis is his calming influence  and wonderful sense of humor. I know his infectous laugh will be heard forever.

Gary Meyer Meyer has left an In Memory comment for Craig P Robison.
Jun 28, 2021 at 10:12 PM

I got a call from Connie Ramey with the sad news that Craig Robison passed away in his sleep Saturday night at home in Napa. I believe they were married for 39 years.
 
Craig was one of my best friends throughout high school and beyond. He was an essential part of Above-the-Ground, Nort and other arts and political activities. He was a wonderful rhythm guitarist and vocalist in several bands including The Warlachs.
 
We were college roommates at SFSU and he worked with me in the media center. Craig also was one of the lucky ones who worked at Arhoolie Records/Down Home Music where he could be close to the many kinds of music he loved. He has had health problems in recent years but we still could have long conversations about many things.
Sleep well sweet prince-- keep those tunes playing wherever you are.

Gary Meyer Meyer posted a message. New comment added.
Apr 24, 2022 at 1:46 PM

Posted on: Jun 28, 2021 at 2:09 AM

I got a call from Connie Ramey today with the sad news tonight that Craig Robison passed away in his sleep Saturday night at home in Napa.

Craig was one of my best friends throughout high school and beyond. He was an essential part of Above-the-Ground, Nort and other arts and political activities. He was a wonderful rhythm guitarist and vocalist in several bands including The Warlachs.

We were college roommates at SFSU and he worked with me in the media center. Craig also was one of the lucky ones who worked at Arhoolie Records/Down Home Music where he could be close to the many kinds of music he loved. He has had health problems in recent years but we still could have long conversations about many things.

Sleep well sweet prince and keep those tunes playing wherever you are.

Gary Meyer Meyer has a birthday today. New comment added.
Apr 23, 2021 at 9:49 PM

Posted on: Apr 23, 2021 at 4:33 AM

Gary Meyer Meyer has left an In Memory comment for his Profile.
Apr 16, 2021 at 4:26 PM

Melanie was a generous friend from Ridgeview through high school .She found the good in all those she met.

And I always remember her smile that could lighten up any day or night.  We are lucky to have known her and she will be greatly missed. 

Gary Meyer Meyer has a birthday today. New comment added.
Apr 23, 2020 at 2:20 PM

Posted on: Apr 23, 2020 at 4:36 AM

Gary Meyer Meyer has a birthday today.
Apr 23, 2019 at 4:33 AM
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Mar 22, 2019 at 3:46 PM
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Mar 22, 2019 at 3:48 PM

Posted on: Mar 11, 2019 at 3:10 PM

Prelinger Archives is scanning my family home movies (my grandparents' and parents'). Unfortunately most of my little comedies, monster movies and dramas were stolen during college but my movie of the Human Be-In made in 1967 survives and they did a stunning restoration that was shown at Lost Landscapes at the Castro Theater last December. Two sold out shows and it was pretty thrilling. Rick asked me to narrate it while it ran and they encourage the audience to yell out what they know about these home movies and found footage of San Francisco. Now it is best to be there in person but each show is recorded and available online. You can watch the most recent show. http://longnow.org/seminars/02018/dec/04/lost-landscapes-san-francisco-13/
My film starts at about 46:30. This was recorded the first night and I was there the second night where there was more response. Put on a little Grateful Dead music as it is silent.
Have fun.

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Mar 11, 2019 at 3:07 PM
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Jan 05, 2019 at 9:35 PM

Posted on: Dec 29, 2018 at 5:32 AM

Came across this in a family scrapbook. 1965 Officers

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Dec 20, 2018 at 12:20 PM
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