Performer Jaime Burst Perez told stories about his years in show business in both the United States and Mexico at the USC Trojan Affiliates’ Year End Celebration.
The 89-year-old delighted the audience on Thursday, May 5 at Nordstrom Department Store in Arcadia as he spoke about seeing a young Elizabeth Taylor at a Hollywood restaurant, spending time at a friend’s apartment with Marilyn Monroe and being asked to teach James Dean how to dance.
Perez grew up in Los Angeles during the late 1920s and has been involved with the arts for the past seven decades. He’s been an actor, dancer, singer and producer.
“As a young boy, he was discovered at the local St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Parish in downtown Los Angeles by Roger Wagner, founder of the Roger Wagner Master Chorale,” said Jacqueline Goodman, USC Trojan Affiliates vice president of programs. “Mr. Perez sang in numerous city-wide concerts and performances, and made numerous cameo appearances in both English- and Spanish-language movies.”
The most well known movie that Perez appeared in was “Wizard of Oz” as child in the scene with munchkins. He said the actors playing the munchkins would often have many parties and anger director Victor Fleming by showing up late to the set.
“Mr. Fleming would be very upset and he would curse,” Perez said.
He reminisced about traveling to MGM Studios in a huge Cadillac with Wagner and getting a chocolate ice cream sundae at the famed MGM Commissary that used to be in Hollywood.
Perez said, “And who’s in the Commissary? The greatest stars in the history of Hollywood, starting with Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Kay Francis, Greer Garson, Elizabeth Taylor as a little girl, Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. You just look around. At that time, you don’t know how impressive a setting is.”
He said that no one knew how historic “Wizard of Oz” would be and noted how wonderful Garland was.
“She was incredible,” Perez said. “To this day, I consider her one of the greatest talents.”
Perez was in the U.S. Army during 1945-46 and then attended UCLA, participating in many of its drama productions.
“Every summer I’d go to Mexico because I wanted to continue with my Spanish dancing,” he said. “Mexico had become the refuge for all the Spanish artists who had suffered the Civil War of ’36. Their top leading acts moved to Mexico.”
Perez appeared as a Spanish dancer in the 1954 movie “Vera Cruz” with Burt Lancaster and Spanish actress Sara (Saritisima) Montiel.
“I had a second job to teach English to Saritisima Montiel,” he said.
Perez also met many famous people, such as actress Hedy Lamarr, at a nightclub he worked at in Acapulco. He said after World War II, Europe was devastated, causing many rich and famous people to go to Acapulco.
During his time performing at UCLA, Perez said Monroe was attending literature classes there because she wanted a role in a more serious film called “The Brothers Karamazov.” He said his roommate worked with Monroe in the movie, “Let’s Make Love” and invited her back to their apartment for Mexican food, which Perez said that Monroe loved.
“Here she comes without any makeup in a sweater and slacks,” he said.
Perez said to this day, he considers her death suspicious.
He also encountered Dean at UCLA, when the late actor was studying drama there. Perez said he was rehearsing the mambo and Dean happened to be watching him.
“He finally came up to me and said, ‘Do you teach body movement?’” Perez explained. “I looked at him and I said, ‘No. I’m just dancing.’ He said, ‘The energy you generate on stage. I want to know how you do it.’ I said, ‘It just comes from within.’ That was it.”
Perez said Audrey Hepburn was his favorite actress.
“The films that she is associated with are icons,” he said.
After his retirement from show business, Perez has dedicated his time to many performance and Mexican culture organizations, such as the Joffrey Ballet, Proherencia Cultural Mexicana, Para Los Ninos and the LA Conservancy.
Nordstrom Department Store catered the event, which also featured a cosmetic demonstration by the department store.
