The Smiley Smile Message Board

I remember reading, some time ago I might add, Steven Gaines' book 'Heroes and Villains' and was intrigued to read about how Marilyn's mother would rustle up a meal for Brian and his friends, no matter what time of night or early morning he cared to turn up. Brian apparently found the warm and loving family environment of the Rovell's so diffferent form his own personal family life at home. So much so that he found their home more as a refuge and therefore spent so much time there. Dennis, it says in the book, at a time when The Beach Boys were, shall we say financially loaded, was bragging to Marilyn's father Irving about how much money the Beach Boys were making and how little it all meant to him. To make his point Dennis tore up a dollar bill. Apparently, after he had left, Irving then picked up the pieces, and taped them together. The book says that he keeps the dollar book in his wallet to this day.

Now, I know this is an old book but I just happened to wonder what happened to May and Irving Rovell. I tried to google some information with no success. I doubt whether they are still alive but can anyone here give me any further information?

Irving Eric Rovell was born in Chicago, May 12th 1913. His mother's name was given as Rovelski on the birth certificate. Mae Gassman was born October 20th 1920, also in Chicago (the surname was originally Gaussman).

Irving died on New Years Day 1995 in Los Angeles, surviving Mae by not quite three years: she died January 5th 1992.

Thank you Andrew. I just knew that I'd get the answer here.

Small update: not 100% certain - maybe 95% - but Irving Eric Rovell seems to have been born Erwin Roweslki in Germany 5/12/1913, not Chicago as I stated previously.

Roweslki or Rowelski? Typo?

The former Googles up nada while the latter produces mucho.

Phooey. Like you said, typo.

I wanna know what happened to the taped-up dollar. Who has you now?

Gotta' tell you, to know May & Irv was to love them - and be loved by them!  It wasn't hard to understand why Brian 'adopted' them...

I found it most interesting that Brian would make time in his hectic-bizarre-surreal-fun schedule during the Smile era (however you want to view it...) to go bowling regularly with the Rovells. It puts a more human light on the whole scene, which a lot of people have bacchanalian impressions of from years of storytelling.

It's hard to imagine Brian - smack-dab in the middle of Smile and the Sunset Strip scene and all the hipness and innovation - being seen at a bowling alley with "civilians". ;D I wonder if he ever dragged Van Dyke along for a few frames.

Stan Shapiro tells a great story about bowling with Brian around this time, when Brian obtained those infamous bowling shoes - (which I believe eventually came into Peter Reum's possession).  Seems Brian had never found a pair of shoes as comfortable as the bowling shoe rentals, so he simply left his shoes, and walked out in the rentals!

Wonder if he ever suddenly fancied going bowling at 3am and found he had to buy a bowling alley to do so!

These people sounded awesome.

Update - Irving was indeed born in Germany, 5/12/1913. Emigrated to the US in 1933, arriving in NYC August 11th. He became a naturalized US citizen on 8/14/40.

Man, he got out of there just in time.