Los Angeles - March 24, 2003

Remington Steel

Vintage Typewriters

Is there anything worse than a blank computer screen?

You can almost hear it taunting you. “Big shot, are ya gonna write a whole screenplay? You and what army? Scam artist!”

Your problem? Too much technology. Forget Apple, Dell, Final Draft. Think Smith Corona, Remington, Underwood. That’s right: a vintage typewriter. Just the change of pace (literally — no touch-typing here) you need.

Sonrisa on Beverly sells beautifully restored ones. But at $350, they’re pricey — especially if you haven’t scored that three-picture deal yet. You can get one on eBay and bring it to a place like Continental Business Machines in Silver Lake, where they’ll spiff it up like new.

No guarantee that it’ll end your writer’s block, but it will definitely come in handy for filling out those unemployment forms.

And it won’t talk back.

Sonrisa, 7609 Beverly Boulevard, between Curson and Stanley Streets (323-935-8438); Continental Business Machines, 1629 Silver Lake Boulevard, between Berkeley and Essie Streets (323-661-3300).