by Gil Haimson, soc (}'f"/ - j/f/ g
have lost a grand lady! An honorary member of the Society of Operating Cameramen! An active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the past 55 years. And a script supervisor for over fifty years for 20th Century Fox. ROSE STEINBERG WAPNER died unexpectedly at age 85, from a fall resulting in a stroke on the first of February. Here's a little background on this special lady few of us really knew. Rose's father, who spoke 5 languages fluentl y, suddenly went blind when she was a young teen. This compelled her,
Rose and freinds. along with her brother, Abe, and sister, Betty Steinberg, to quit school and seek work. All three became extras in the business and were eventually in C. B. de Mille's 1923 version of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. Abe later became Assistant Head of Production at 20th and Betty was a film editor. Rose worked as a film cutter, lab technician and dialogue coach, before finding her niche as a script supervisor. She worked on some of the biggest 20th Century Fox Productions. In fact she made plot suggestions that were heeded by Darrell Zanuck. page 30
In 1942, Rose found that the City of Hope was in need of funds. She went to the studio heads who gave her carte blanche. She got scenic artists to design the backings, construction crews to build them, electricians to light the ballroom and the property department to fill the Ice Palace on Van Ness with floral arrangements. Then she called on some of the biggest names in Hollywood to perform for this gala event. Danny Kaye was the headliner. They raised just over $150,000 which was a great deal for that era. She met her husband Patty Wapner, Judge Wapner's Uncle, in th e 20's. It took persistent Patty over three years to lasso the wild Rose. They lived together almost 50 years until h e passed away in 1976. Though they didn't have children, She devoted her later years to their welfare. Rose was loved by the Wapner family as one of their own. In 1983 she was honored by our Society Of Operating Cameramen at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, for a Lifetime Achievement Award. When she found that the SOC's adopted charity was the Eye Care Clinic at the Los Angeles Childrens Hospital, she spent the next ten years calling, lett er writing to friends, bu si ness acq u aintances and family, who, year after year wou ld donate to her most worthy causes, the deprived and needy children. We estimate that Rose has raised over $40,000 for the Eye Care Clinic. Four years ago Rose was made an honorary member of the Society of Operating Cameramen. Three years ago at the Childrens Miracle Telethon, Rose, representing the SOC, heard abo ut an extraordinary 5 year old child at the hospital that Dr. Linn Murphrey had been treating for cancer. Though she was dying, little Katy Sleeman would wheel herself into the children's wards, bringing her cheerfulness, a smile and love to the afflicted, staff, nurses and doctors. Through the media little Katy Sleeman received world wide attention. President Reagan even paid her a visit. Rose, through the SOC, raised over $3,500. for the clinic. An eye-catching lucite plaque, embedding a beautiful butterfly inside, with donors names inscribed, now hangs in the Eye Care Clinic in memory of little Katy Sleeman. Over the years, Rose has crocheted dozens of afghan bed spreads, which she has sold to raise funds for deprived and ill children. Society of Operating Cameramen
Spring 1993