The world will be inundated with images of George Clooney and Brad Pitt this week as their "Ocean's 13" film prepares to debut on Friday. But these two forty-something hearthrobs won't just be on movie posters with co-stars Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Ellen Barkin and Andy Garcia. TMZ.com reports this morning that Clooney and Pitt are the focus of an ad purchased by a group trying to save Laguna's famed Boom Boom Room bar which is for sale. The ad, running in Monday's Variety, seeks to persuade Brad and George to "buy our 60-year-old landmark before it is converted into a boutique hotel."
The bar and the adjacent Coast Inn was sold to a Beverly Hills billionaire two years ago for over $12 million. In 2005, Pitt & Clooney were incorrectly labeled as co-investors in the bar so that is where their names were originally linked to the Boom. The billionaire had big plans on turn the property into an upscale oceanfront hotel but he has since scrapped those plans and the place is back on the market. It is scheduled to stay open at least until Labor Day and grassroots group Save the Boom! wants to make sure it never closes.
I'm sure this will succeed in at least getting a lot of attention...which it no doubt was designed to do.
Fred Karger’s “Save the Boom!” campaign got under way last Memorial Day to protest the nightspot’s imminent closure. Last August, the Beverly Hills businessman agreed to forestall closure of the property he acquired in fall of 2005 for another year while preparing plans but has grown frustrated by the levels of approval necessary to proceed.
“The Gay Community of Laguna Beach is being thrown out into the Pacific Ocean and we are looking for some help from our friends,” said Bob Gentry, former Laguna Beach Mayor and City Councilman and Co-Chair of SAVE the BOOM!!!!   “We have been talking to lots of potential buyers over the past several months and we thought we would try this bold approach to appeal to these thoughtful and caring stars.”
Added Karger:“When we first found out that our landmark bar was about to close, we got organized and decided to fight its closure,” said Fred Karger, founder of SAVE the BOOM!!!.  “The landmark Boom Boom Room was set to close last Labor Day (2006), but Mr. Udvar-Hazy was very helpful and gave us a one year reprieve.  With Labor Day 2007 rapidly approaching, we figured we’d see if these great stars would come help the gay community down here in Laguna.”
 

Karger, a retired Republican political consultant, brought a wheelbarrow full of petitions with 6,000 signatures to City Council. “I think an outpouring like the petition drive was more than the building owner bargained for,” Karger told a local newspaper.
The asking price in Laguna Beach is about $19 million.