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Ray Bradbury’s 90th birthday celebration begins

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Ray Bradbury doesn’t officially turn 90 until Aug. 22, but a series of Bradbury celebrations kicked off Sunday with a tribute party at the Mystery and Imagination Bookstore.

On Friday, fans and friends will ask the Los Angeles City Council to officially declare Aug, 22-28 Ray Bradbury Week. Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Ill., in 1920; his family moved to Los Angeles in 1934, and the city has been his home base ever since.

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Bradbury is, of course, the author of classic works of science fiction, among them “Something Wicked this Way Comes,” “The Martian Chronicles,” “Dandelion Wine” and “Fahrenheit 451.” Bradbury’s affable personality has helped make him one of our most popular futurists: he has received both the National Medal of the Arts and a star on the Hollywood walk of fame.

Bradbury is credited as a writer on 75 film projects; while some are adaptations of his novels and short stories, he was also a screenwriter, famously penning the 1956 screenplay for John Huston’s “Moby Dick.” The Writers Guild is celebrating Bradbury with a profile in the summer issue of the guild magazine, “WrittenBy,” which also includes a previously unpublished story, “The Dog in the Red Bandana.” At its Shavelson-Webb Library, open to the public Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (until 8 p.m. Thursdays), it has mounted a small exhibit of Bradbury materials from its collection.

One sure to be star-studded Bradbury event bridges his writing and film work: on Tuesday, Aug. 24, there will be a screening of the film “Fahrenheit 451” at the Writers Guild Theater, presented by the Playboy Foundation. The event will include a discussion between Bradbury and Hugh Hefner, moderated by the L.A. Times’ Geoff Boucher.

Not to be outdone, the Central Library will host a screening of “The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit” with stars Joe Mantegna and Clifton Collins Jr. in attendance -- as well as the Coolhaus ice cream truck.

A list of Bradbury celebration events is on Facebook.

-- Carolyn Kellogg


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