‘Iron Man’ has room for 2 stars

IREALIZE that ” ‘Iron Man’s’ Action Figure” [Geoff Boucher, Monday] was a story about director Jon Favreau, but I do think Favreau could have given more credit to the man who carried the movie … the star … Robert Downey Jr. I saw it, and he was fabulous, and yes, Jon directed a great movie. A true winner at any age. Keep ‘em coming, Hollywood.

Judy Pfleger

Marina del Rey

BACK IN ‘94, I was producing a behind-the-scenes piece on a Fox film called “PCU” and one of the actors was Jon Favreau. He played a rather unkempt slacker character aptly named “Gutter.” Jon was much heavier then and had dreadlocks for the role. Whenever he had the chance, he’d come over and talk about what I was doing, ask questions about the equipment we were using, about the camera, etc. It was obvious to me Jon was a very bright, perceptive, creative guy. As I was interviewing the actors (Jon included), he even used that old cliché, ”What I really want to do is direct.”

Congratulations, Jon. You done good!

Arlen Peters

Los Angeles

Sarvas’ heritage

IAM disturbed by Scott Timberg’s identification of Mark Sarvas as “raised by a Hungarian Jewish family” [“From the Web to Literary Hot Seat,” Monday]. Sarvas’ Jewish background plays no role in the rest of this “kiss-kiss” article. If the family were Catholic – most Hungarians are – he would not have identified it as “a Hungarian Catholic family.” Call me anti-Semitic, but this is another case of product placement, a charge that continues to be supported whether we like it or not. When, if ever, will we get around to being the single life-form that we are?

Perry Bezanis

San Pedro

Flatts and sharps

ILOVE the line “Rascal Flatts … was remarkably off pitch in several spots” [“A Powerful Chord,” by Randy Lewis, Monday]. Fact is, when Gary Le Vox hits a note on pitch and can sustain it, it is a cause for celebration. He has 12 notes to choose from, and sometimes he beats the odds.

Meanwhile, George Jones, whom I have always hated, made me, an Avenged Sevenfold fanatic, cry. I had tears in my eyes during “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” I was so embarrassed. At Stagecoach, the old guys were great and the new guys [stank].

Kevin Lamb

San Bernardino

Credit Cooder

THE ARTICLE about Ry Cooder producing Ersi Arvizu’s new album [“Finding Her Voz Again,” by Agustin Gurza, May 3] is very biased and vindictive. Why does Gurza find it relevant when he is writing about Ersi Arvizu’s new record to then put down Ry Cooder’s brilliant work on Buena Vista Social Club? He should thank Cooder for introducing us to another gifted artist from the past.

Gurza missed the most important issue here. Few people in the record business today seek out truly gifted musicians with the intention to cross over cultural lines. Cooder once again adds enrichment to all our lives by introducing something old that is new again.

Cathy Wood

Malibu