By Samantha Penna

George Clooney (People Magazine’s Sexiest Man, 2006), visited much of the day, December 5, with Lebec’s award winning author, Dennis Penna, who wrote the book Russ Columbo and the Crooner Mystique.

Clooney is interested in acquiring film rights to Russ Columbo’s story. Columbo was the celebrated 1930’s crooner and uncle of John Russel “Russ” Columbo of Lake of the Woods.

According to Clooney, Russ Columbo was killed at the height of his fame at a house owned by Clooney’s aunt, 1950’s pop vocalist Rosemary Clooney.

Clooney also told Dennis that he would like to try making “new genre” films while the window of his celebrity will allow him to be banked for almost any production.

Clooney said “the window is only open (to even the hottest stars) only a short time, then they are at home with a script in hand, wondering how to get it done.”

Clooney drove with Penna, in Penna’s prized 1954 Oldsmobile, to Penna’s Neenach ranch on Highway 138.

Jack McGibbon took the photo [page 1] with The Mountain Enterprise, and Clooney looked over Penna’s classic car collection.

At the ranch, there are a dozen or more 1954 Oldsmobiles, a half dozen Studebakers, dozens of 1950’s and ‘60’s Chevys, Buicks, and a 1933 Graham scattered over the acreage. A large building houses Dennis’ 1964 Avanti and a shiny red and white ‘54 Olds named “Holly.”

In the 1940’s, the building housed forty employees who packaged onions and potatoes.

The two also went looking for Russ Columbo, key to the production of any Russ Columbo film.

This is part of the January 12, 2007 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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