Harrison Held's SceneAroundTown... A Fond Farewell To Legendary Hollywood Gentleman A.C. Lyles.... Paramount Theatre

A.C. Lyles at his Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony in 1987

10 year old A.C. Lyles working as a greeter for the Paramount Theater in Jacksonville, Florida ...Courtesy Paramount Pictures

The Great A.C. Lyles

Martha Lyles

Angela Ramos - A.C.'s friend & caregiver

Paramount COO Frederick Huntsberry

A.M.P.A.S. President Cheryl Boone Isaacs

Assistant Pamela Gibson

Former Paramount President of Operations Earl Lestz

Writer/Director David Milch

Friend/UCLA Urologist Jacob Rajfer

Family friend Ben Wheeler & Martha Lyles

Guests arriving for A.C. Lyles' Celebration of Life at the Paramount Theatre

Friends signing the guest book at A.C. Lyles Celebration of Life

A.C. Lyles famous collection of photos adorn the wall

On the right are photos of A.C. Lyles with best friend Ronald Reagan & George Bush

Hundreds of friends came to celebrate the life of A.C. Lyles

The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg greets Mickey Rooney

Jane Withers

Terry Moore & Guest

Leonard Maltin

Diana Herbert Marks Levitt, Ed Lozzi & Kathleen Hughes

Marc Wannamaker

Tom LaBonge

Anne Jeffreys, James Pappas (far right) & Guests

Commander Chuck Street, Jeanne DeVivier Brown & Ewing M. Brown

Jeanne DeVivier Brown, Ewing M. Brown & Chuck Southcott

Kathleen Hughes & Scott Feinberg - Kathleen's husband 96 year old veteran producer Stanley Rubin started with A.C. Lyles in the mailroom at Paramount. 

The Hollywood Times' Bee Beyer (right) & Guests

Friends enjoying the reception following A.C. Lyles Celebration of Life

From the A.C. Lyles Collection

From the A.C. Lyles Collection

From the A.C. Lyles Collection

A.C. Lyles with his boss & mentor Adolph Zukor

From the A.C. Lyles Collection

Following the memorial I went back into the theater & A.C.'s image was still on the screen.  I took a few pictures... I was still sad but remembered A.C.'s friend Marilyn Monroe once said in a movie "Cheers not tears"...  I met A.C. originally many years ago when he came to the home of Marilyn Remembered president Greg Schreiner to share his memories of her.   

A "Selfie'  with the legendary A.C. Lyles March 2012...  At this event someone asked A.C. who I was... he patted my arm & said "He's my brother".  What a wonderful warm memory to have... Below is a short interview I did with A.C. a few years ago when he attended a party for Debbie Reynolds at The Paley Center For Media in Beverly Hills.

Fun Times, Happy Memories....  A.C. Lyles, Rip Taylor, Hugh McChord & Harrison Held... Photo by Laura Tsu :)

Friends, fans, colleagues & loved ones gathered to celebrate the life of the extraordinary A.C. Lyles earlier today at the Paramount Theatre in Hollywood.  A.C. Lyles was a wonderful warm caring intelligent wise & talented person and probably known as the best dressed man in Hollywood.  As his boss & mentor Paramount Studios founder Adolph Zukor told him when he was very young "Think Yiddish but dress British".  A.C. was born in Jacksonville Florida & began working for the local Paramount Theatre when he was 10 years old!  Young A.C. was smitten by the movies & wrote studio head Adolph Zukor every Sunday expressing his desire to work in the film industry. Mr. Zukor met the likable & ambitious young boy on a visit to Jacksonville & told him to save his money so he could come to Hollywood when he was older.  A.C did just that & came to California as soon as he could.  He arrived at the studio & told the guards Mr. Zukor had a job for him. Mr. Zukor met with him & gave him a job in the mail room starting at $18 a week.  He was then invited to work personally for him & sit in on meetings as Mr. Zukor ran the studio and the rest as they say is Hollywood history.  At the celebration of A.C.'s life warm tributes were given by Frederick Huntsberry, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Pamela Gibson, Earl Lestz, David Milch, Jacob Rajfer, Martha Lyles & Ben Wheeler which was followed by the wonderful film "Paramount Stories as Told by A.C. Lyles".   Guests then gathered for a beautiful reception sharing their memories of the extraordinary beloved man also affectionately known as Mr. Paramount.   Rest in peace A.C. - you are loved by so many & will always be fondly remembered.  HH