THE ASC’s BEST FRIEND

Photo by Owen Roizman, ASC

            Unless you’re a true insider at the ASC – and likely something of an old-timer – you probably don’t know about one of the most important people in the organization’s history.  Ben Toguchi – Benny – wasn’t just the Clubhouse caretaker and jack-of-all-trades for fifty years.  He was a guide, confidant, historian and mentor to generations of members who passed through the door on North Orange Avenue.  Until his death in 2009, he was as much a part of the place as the gold-leafed logo affixed to the wall above the fireplace.

            I was thinking about how much I missed him the other day while on my way to a meeting there.  As you cut across the Clubhouse courtyard, you can’t help but notice the beautiful landscaping, much of it a remnant of the time when Benny began as the ASC’s gardener.  Memories came flooding back: His unflagging kindness to me when I was a young member, his love for his family, his dedication to the job, his ever-present cup of green tea.  Then, there was his sense of humor; he exercised it often because he always seemed to be in a great mood.  No one was immune to his sunny disposition.  He raised the spirits of every room he entered.

            Perhaps my best recollection of that gift occurred early one Saturday morning during my younger, somewhat wilder years.  Planning on a big night partying near the Clubhouse in Hollywood, I parked my car on the ASC’s property for convenience.  As things played out, I didn’t end up returning for it until the next morning, in the vicinity of 9 o’clock.  Some sort of event had been planned for that day, so Benny was there early, getting things ready.  At first, he was a bit puzzled as to why I was there.  When I told him about the mischief I’d been up to just a few hours earlier, his howls of laughter filled the building.  I can still hear it today.  It was so sincere and hearty that he made me laugh too – mostly at my own foolishness.

            Benny’s portrait, which you see above, hangs prominently in the Clubhouse kitchen, where he spent so much of his time.  It’s a shame that younger members will never have the chance to know him, but his legacy is present in many of the ASC’s traditions and practices.  It also lives on in the form of his loyal and equally dedicated successor, Alex Lopez.  Just like Benny, without him the entire tent would fold.

            Benny knew more intimate details about more cinematographers than anyone who ever lived.  Discreet and responsible man that he was, he took those secrets to the grave.  Apart from the tale about myself that I related here, that’s probably just as well.

            Continued good rest, my friend.  I look forward to seeing you again someday!

This flag stands next to the fireplace in the ASC Clubhouse.