American Notes LOS ANGELES

Old radicals never die. They just keep getting angrier. When residents of Sunset Hall, a retirement home for religious liberals in Los Angeles, learned it was to be closed and sold to a private developer, they did what comes naturally: organize, protest and stonewall. Founded in 1924 by the First Unitarian Church, Sunset Hall had housed such prominent figures as anti- McCarthy activist Rose Chernin and Waldemar Hille, accompanist to Paul Robeson. The remaining nine residents threatened to stage a noisy demonstration outside Sunset Hall on the day it closed.

Last week their efforts paid off: the administrator and ten of Sunset Hall's twelve board members resigned. The new board is pledged to keeping the home open by recruiting new residents and raising funds from the community. Already more than $15,000 in donations has come in -- and, since this is Hollywood, a movie about the victory is in the works.