Mourners remember Luft

Publish date: 2024-09-10

Sid Luft was remembered by family and friends Tuesday night at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. He died Sept.13 at age 89.

Among those who spoke at the farewell were daughter Lorna Luft and son Joe, stepdaughter Liza Minnelli and grandchildren Jesse and Vanessa Richards.

Longtime friend and business partner John Kimble delivered the eulogy and ex-wife and “beloved companion” Camille Luft also spoke along with longtime friends Donna Vassar, Monty Ormsby and Harry Caldwell. Longtime friend Barbara Sanders Joiner winged out from Atlanta to attend.

Melissa Flanigan sang “Amazing Grace.” John Kimble and Andrew Solt produced a video highlighting Luft’s colorful life. When the tape broke down, Mickey Rooney jumped into the fray and reminisced about times and movies with Judy Garland, Luft’s wife of 13 years whose career Luft revived. Liza Minnelli recalled Judy had urged her to call Luft “Poppa Sid.”

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Lorna, while allowing the differences between her and her father, admitted, “We are very much the same and maybe some day we’ll meet again and talk straight.”

At the party Mickey Rooney was congratted as he will celebrate his 85th birthday Friday, when he will be appearing with wife Jan at the Regent Theater in Arlington, Mass. in a program titled, “Let’s Put On A Show.” Rooney starred in the 1938 “Boys Town” pic which won Spencer Tracy an Oscar for his portrayal of Father Flanagan, and Rooney remains the lifetime honorary Mayor of Girls and Boys Town and Rooney says he “pitches for support of Girls and Boys Town at appearances all year long.” The Rooneys appear on PBS Oct. 30 from Milwaukee and have a Nov.4-11 stand at Boscov’s in Danville, Va. They have no plans to stop working.

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