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IN-TOWN TOURISTS

WELCOME.

The Youngest Paparazzi

Celebrities were his fascination.

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Special to the Jewish News

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22

June 14 • 2012

iN

ver since 84-year-old Marvin
Slof was a teenager his dream
was to become a professional
photographer. Although it wasn't in the
cards for him to fulfill his dream exactly
as he planned, photography did become
one of his lifelong hobbies.
It all began in 1941 when Slof's dad
gave him a camera for Chanukah. This
new camera sparked his interest, and
before he knew it, he wasn't just tak-
ing your run-of the-mill photos; he
was snapping pictures of a long list of
famous Hollywood celebrities.
In the early 1940s, Slof attended
Central High School in Detroit, where he
worked for the school newspaper. "When
I would hear that a celebrity was coming
to town, I would make sure that I was
the one who got to do the interviewing”
said Slof, who always had a fascination
with celebrities.
"I just loved meeting famous people.
I once interviewed Gail Storm and also
Walter Pidgeon:'
During high school, Slof would spend
his summer vacations in New York visit-
ing relatives. "My cousin and I would go
down to the Waldorf Astoria and wait
for the movie stars to come out so we
could take their pictures:' said Slof, who
always found the celebrities to be very
courteous.
"In those days, celebrities loved get-
ting their pictures taken. There weren't
all those mean paparazzi around like
nowadays. In fact, you might say that I
was probably the first and only 15-year-
old Jewish paparazzi!
"I took pictures of many of the stars
such as Bob Hope, Irving Berlin, Judy
Garland, Milton Berle, Kate Smith,
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and even more
stars than I can remember. My cousin
sometimes took pictures of me standing
next to the celebrities, too. My favorites
are the pictures I have of myself with the
Three Stoogies and Jackie Gleason."
Right out of high school in 1945, Slof
moved to California and got a job as a
busboy at the famed Cafe de Paris in
Hollywood. "After two months and the
right connections, I got my dream job','
he remembers fondly. "I worked in the
film loading department at 20th Century
Fox Studios where I was on the sets
every day watching all the movies being
filmed:'
After working a couple of years, Slof
missed his family and moved back to
Detroit. He worked as an ice cream man
up until 1950,when he was drafted

Marvin Slof with a shot of Buddy Ebsen

into the Korean War. He served in the
U.S. Army for 11/2 years. Upon getting a
medical discharge from the service, Slof
resumed his job as an ice cream man
for several more years until becoming a
salesman selling promotional advertis-
ing, which he still does now
In 1960, he married his wife, Barbara,
who sadly passed away four years ago.
Barbara was a holistic doctor who trav-
eled quite often to various medical semi-
nars around the world. "I accompanied
my wife on many of her trips," he recalls.
"We traveled to Russia, Indonesia
and Europe. We also went on safaris
throughout Africa. We had a lot of won-
derful adventures.
"When we were first married,
Barbara and I also did some traveling
to California, stopping to visit at 20th
Century Fox. I was welcomed back from
my early days of working at the studio,
where we were introduced to many
celebrities including Eva Gabor, Eddie
Albert, Burgess Meredith and Buddy
Ebsen."
In 1967, Slof moved to Southfield
where he still resides. His only son,
Randy, and his daughter in-law, Paula,
would like for him to sell his house and
move in with them.
"When the time is right, I will put
my house up for sale said Slof."First, I
need to decide what to do with my wife's
extensive collection of Chinese items
that I have throughout my house."
It's a sure bet that the items Slof won't
be parting with are, of course, his trea-
sured photographs of all the celebrities
he has met throughout his life. ❑

Know a senior (80 or older) in the
community who has an interesting
adventure or story to share about their life?

Contact Sue Pearl at susanpearlwrites@

gmail.com.

