Vista Theater Celebration of Zelda's Life

The memorial is at the Vista Theater on May 15th at 10:30am, and is open to the public.

David Rosenbaum Remembers Zelda

These memorials seem to start out with the year one met Zelda and the bizarre location of said meeting (ie a bank robbery or a bullfight). For me, it was 12 years ago on a plane to San Francisco. At thirty thousand feet that little foul mouth told me so many dirty jokes I hoped the oxygen mask would deploy so I could catch my breath from laughter. As we stood to disembark, she peeped, “Well, you now know I’m a naughty little thing and judging by your laugh I now know you’re a big gay thing. We’ll be friends for years.” And from that day forward we joked on the phone or in person at least once a week.

Barbara Totschek Remembers Aunt Zelda

I'm Zelda's niece Barbara, partnered with nephew Paul, her brother's son.

My words get jumbled when I try to express my love and appreciation for Aunt Zelda.

I always called her Aunt Zelda which she and I loved. I got the "I like this girl" when there were a bunch of us at lunch and I said "gendershmender" about something. After that we were bonded. She would call every week to find out how her great nephew, Hayden, who is almost three, was doing. Every week we'd give her an update, she'd check up to see if his cold was better, how his talking was coming along, to just send loving over the phone.

When she came to town or we'd make the trek back to LA, she would hold my hand, look in my eyes and tell me how she adored me and of course, Hayden. She always made me feel strong and powerful even if I didn't feel like that before she smiled at me. I still feel the love of Aunt Zelda around me. She is with us all.

Davis Mikaels Remembers Zelda

I met Zelda working as a waiter (oh yeah... and actor... lol) at one of Zelda's favorite Los Angeles eateries ORSO (the now defunct and closed ORSO). I'm a newbie to Zelda's life... I've only known her for about 3 1/2 years as a dear friend as opposed to most everyone else that's been touched by ZB's glorious soul for a much longer time... and I'm jealous about not meeting her a lot sooner. Zelda sat in my section one night... and it changed my life forever... I wound up neglecting all my other tables because Zelda and I couldn't stop chit chatting and laughing. I don't even remember what we talked about... because it didn't matter... we were like a gaggle of girls just catching up on things. I remember I was kneeling for so long speaking with her that when it was time for me to stand up... both my legs were asleep. I didn't care... I had been touched by Zelda... and I was hooked. We were friends... there was no doubt about it...we were instant friends. I attended her birthday that year at El Cid's on Sunset Blvd... she opened up a whole new side of LA for me that I was missing out on. She introduced me to so many amazing people that I still consider good friends... including my long time agent. The reason I loved Zelda so much is because of her amazing heart... her big, no her GIGANTIC HEART. She always cared about other people... and she really did care. Case in point... we all know Zelda had her own health issues... but that didn't matter... whenever we spoke she made sure to ask me about my sick mother... and not just asking to be polite... REALLY asking about her... and I'll never forget that. I miss her smile, I miss her laugh... and I miss her dirty jokes... I miss you Zelda... I'll never forget you... I aspire to have a heart half as big as yours... one day we'll get Dim Sum together again.

Dale Reynolds Remembers Zelda

I had known Zelda for about three years when she got the role in POLTERGEIST. Of course we were all thrilled for her good fortune and I awaited stories on the filming, personalities, etc. So to my surprise, one day, I get a panicked call from ZR so full of fear that I barely recognized her voice. "Dale," she said, "I'm going to shoot tomorrow and I can't memorize my speech; I'm going to fail." "Whoa," sayeth I, "let me come over right now and work on this with you." So I dropped everything, drove over and spent two hours working with her. The first hour was just undoing the damage Steven Spielberg had done to her by a lovely conversation he had after casting her. "I wanted a Little Person in this role because I think there are too many talented folk out there not being given a fair chance. And this role will make you the most famous Little Person in America and will make you a star and give you a chance at an Academy Award," etc. The kind of bullshit that interferes with an actors' process. It's the work that counts, not the rewards. So we cleared up that bit of nonsense and then worked on her monologue, which she had down perfectly. She was just hung up on that Hollywood crap that drives careers, but interferes with the work. The next day she rang me in the afternoon to say she'd done her whole speech in one take and that they asked her if she could do another "for coverage." When I finally saw POLTERGEIST, a film I love for reasons far removed from our darling Zelda, I cried when that scene came up. Zelda was a talent and a gem and I was so proud of our work together.

Jay Fruchtman Remembers Zelda

The black and white shots are from the LA opening of Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding back in October - November of 1989 ... the first day I met Zelda! I was in full make-up as an old man and as you can see, Zelda was so very dear and kind to my character...and of course, we had an immediate connection!! We spoke Italian together, had a little dance and spent a large portion of the event with each other.


Then we had a chance to actually "meet" at the opening night party and our wonderful friendship began! It was great to see her reaction when I came to say hello to her out of make-up and all dressed up! Needless to say, and no surprise to you--I'm sure!, Zelda was thrilled to find a fairly nice-looking youngish guy under all that make-up!! (That's me on the right..) What a wonderful flirt she always was and what a ball we had together from that day forward!!

During my time in LA--just under a year--we saw each other quite a bit. That year the Tony 'n' Tina company was asked to host the LA Weekly awards and what a night it was!! Because of our friendship, we were asked if we might consider doing a skit together and we did!! We did "our" version of a scene from A STAR IS BORN. Zelda was accepting a fake "special" award and I came out from the audience drunk a la Judy Garland and James Mason...

Until people caught on to what we were doing, it was kind of shocking to many and then of course, a riot to all!! Because of Zelda's size--the moment when I accidentally am supposed to slap her in the face--I actually swung and went right over her head!! The audience went wild with laughter!! What a great lady and sport she was!!!

We were friends for the next 20 years--how lucky for me!!!! I loved her.

I was lucky enough to be in LA for her 70th birthday celebration and her 75th....and we saw each other whenever she was in NY. Even when I spoke to her last while she was in hospital--she still managed to make me laugh...and we had a great giggle together...

Hal Rubinstein Remembers Aunt Zelda

The last time I saw my Aunt Zelda was at my sister’s funeral in Tennessee in September. The image of her in a wheelchair, David by her side, tossing a handful of dirt into Ellen’s grave is still with me. And it speaks to who Zelda was.

Zelda was the youngest of three siblings. The health issues she faced throughout her life would not have led one to conclude that she would be the last of the three to go. But she did come from tough stock. Her family were great storytellers. I remember my father telling tales at the dinner table. Of the family back in the shtetls of Poland. Of their parents’ different but difficult journeys to this country and to an industrial steel town. Of their life as a family in the east end of Pittsburgh . Though the specifics have faded, the sense of it, the richness of the storytelling remains with me. It doesn’t surprise me that Zelda had the strength to seek out her future by leaving her hometown of Pittsburgh. To do that at a time when
people of shorter stature faced more difficulties than today. To travel extensively before settling in LA. And that storytelling became part of her journey.

It is evident that Zelda was keenly aware of a central truth in life. That truth is the longing within all of us for connection and love. And she obviously felt that to such an extent that she reached far beyond family and the smaller circle of friends many of us have. She collected a universe of people she cared for. I was fortunate to make two of her birthday parties that spoke richly of the results of this life of reaching out. People came from great distances to celebrate with her.

I will remember Zelda. Her continued invitations to come out, visit, even stay in California. Her calls on birthdays and in between just to see how things were. Her coming to the weddings of two of my sister’s children.

-Hal