<p>As a young man in the Los Angeles of the late 1930s, my father had two exceptional places to take a date. One was the  Club Alabam on Central Avenue, where the chicken dinners and the shows were incomparable. The other was the  Avalon Casino ballroom on Catalina. Both places were special and called for only the best attire. Catalina, because of  its remote quality, was like another world: what Brian Wilson would later call &quot;the nearest faraway place.&quot; The water  taxi on the 26-mile trip was exciting and, in the dark with only the boat's running lights on, a little exotic. The Casino  was a magnificent art deco structure, a state-of-the-art ballroom with beautiful tile murals over the entrance. At the door  was an ex-fighter named Terry Mustin. &quot;Hiya, kid,&quot; Terry would always smile, as my father and his dates entered the  Casino. The former pug, with his shapeless nose, always extended special consideration to my father because he used  to date my father's aunt Mame. She must have made a good impression on him. A night spent dancing to one of the  great big bands at the Casino ballroom was a special night indeed. <br />
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Santa Catalina's isolation has also kept it out of the larger Southern California consciousness. Filmmaker Greg Reitman  has gone a long way to correct that. His documentary imparts a wonderful sense of place to this island paradise, taking  in the panoply of the island's history and lore. Using present-day footage, on-camera interviews and historic archival  films, Reitman tells the Catalina story. The island--so close yet also remote--served as Hollywood's playground, a site  for movie premieres, spring training grounds for the Chicago Cubs and a summer wonderland for residents and  visitors alike. While Catalina has an illustrious history, Reitman brings the story up-to-date. Oceanographer Jean-  Michel Cousteau speaks of the model ecological policies that have kept the island pristine, accompanied by breath-taking underwater scenes. Art Good's Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival is a much-anticipated yearly event and Richard  Keit painstakingly restored the Casino's tile murals. Maybe Catalina's in for another Golden Age. If it is, Reitman's  documentary is ahead of the curve. <br />
--Kirk Silsbee, contributor, L.A. CityBeat/ValleyBeat <br />
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&ldquo;A really strong documentary that reflects the legacy of Catalina, especially the baseball history on the island and the  various muscians who have visited and played on the magic venue.&quot; <br />
--Fred Shuster, contributor, Los Angeles Daily News</p>