Monday 20 May 2019

LEWIS BEACH MARVIN III AND MOONFIRE


Needless to say, 1960s California was full of weird and wonderful individuals. One such was the late Lewis Beach Marvin III.

Wealthy and well-connected, he was espousing hippie values (in particular vegetarianism) well ahead of the curve, and as of 1957 he occupied a peculiar temple / menagerie / home named Moonfire (the moon apparently being a symbol of death and fire of life) high up in Tuna Canyon, where he hosted numerous 'happenings' as of the mid-60s.

In 1966 he published a manifesto called Moonfire: Ancient Life & Death Symbols, which outlined his passionately held 'live and let live' philosophy.

He was featured in the Mondo Hollywood documentary (from which the image above is taken) the following year, and made a documentary himself in 1968, entitled Moonfire, which was released that June; he screened it inside a tent on Sunset Boulevard, with the Common People performing before and after.

He was a familiar figure at rock festivals, protest marches and other counter-cultural gatherings in the late 60s, typically holding a placard bearing slogans such as 'LOVE YOUR ANIMAL FRIENDS, DON'T EAT THEM' (that one was at Woodstock); he also handed a lamb to Jim Morrison backstage in Miami in 1969 (there's a well-known photo of Morrison holding it).

He was intermittently covered in the local media, but little is known of him as of the mid-70s.

Here's what I have found.


Los Angeles Times, Sunday September 19th 1965


Los Angeles Times, Sunday June 12th 1966


Mondo Hollywood review, Los Angeles Times, Sunday October 1st 1967

Los Angeles Free Press, June 14th 1968


Los Angeles Free Press, June 14th 1968


Los Angeles Free Press, June 21st 1968


World Countdown, July 1968


The Los Angeles Times, Thursday June 27th 1968


Los Angeles Free Press, July 12th 1968


The Province (Montreal), Monday October 7th 1968


The Miami News, Saturday October 4th 1969


The Independent, Friday July 23rd 1971


Los Angeles Times, Sunday June 24th 1973 (i)


Los Angeles Times, Sunday June 24th 1973 (ii)


Los Angeles Times, Sunday October 28th 1973 


The Delta Democrat Times, Thursday November 1st 1973




Los Angeles Times, Friday November 9th 1973 


Los Angeles Times, Monday January 24th 1977


Los Angeles Times, Thursday October 15th 1992