Weekend at the Waldorf

The historic Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York opened on October 1, 1931. NINETY-FIVE YEARS AGO and still ticking! This image of the entrance to the hotel was taken for research at Columbia Pictures in 1944. I’m not sure what movie it was used for, but MGM released, “Weekend at the Waldorf” one year later in 1945. Interiors for that film were recreated on a soundstage, but most of the exteriors were shot on location. Back from my digression, I present an image I shot in 2016 when I stayed at the Waldorf, showing very little change to the exterior, other than the newer canopy that engulfs all three sections of doors.



These cool little frames on the exterior tell us that Michael Zarin and his orchestra were performing at the Lounge Restaurant:



The frame on the right gives the lineup for the Starlight Roof, along with a scowl from the doorman:



Zooming in we see it includes the Nat Brandwynne Orchestra, Nicolas Alexander and something Williams Trio, and the rest I have no idea other than the mention of Sunday dinner. Just look at the pretty pictures, please.



As of 2016, it would appear that the very same frames were still being used:



Another exterior view from 2016:



In 2017, the hotel closed for renovations after a Chinese Company, Anabang Insurance Group, bought the property for $1.95 billion. That’s a lot of smackers! After much back and forth and shifting of schedules, the hotel portion reopened again in July 2025. Apparently by February 2026, Anabang was planning to sell the hotel. I’ll take tax write-offs for $500, Alex!

See more Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in NYC photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Fun and Games

Theatergoers often don’t realize the amount of work that goes into making a movie. Many actors reveal that the worst part is the amount of time BETWEEN filming scenes. It can get pretty boring; just look at Shirley Temple during the filming of “Kathleen,” her one and only MGM production. Above, she yawns between costars Laraine Day and Herbert Marshall. What do stars do between takes? Below, Shirley keeps herself occupied with crafting:



Making fashions for her mini-mannequin:



Here, Shirley reads her script, brushing up on her lines and any possible last minute revisions while the camera gets set-up:



I wish I had more info on this one; it would appear that Shirley is rehearsing a song for the film. In the final movie though, the only musical number has Shirley dubbed. Maybe originally Shirley was slated to sing, but the studio decided against it in the end.



The director, Harold S. Bucquet, goes over a scene with Felix Bressart and Shirley:



Shirley and Herbert wait patiently for the lighting to be fixed:



A game of chess between takes for Shirley:



This poodle can dance AND balance the script!



Below, Shirley plays Chinese Checkers with her stand-in, Mary Lou Isleib:



I found this board on eBay, which appears to be the same design as the one Shirley was using. Made by Pressman, it was popularized in the U.S. in 1928 by Bill and Jack Pressman and originally marketed under the name Hop Ching Checkers before becoming widely known as Chinese Checkers.



Marshall and Day playing a game of cards; apparently they weren’t into Chinese Checkers.



Even a beautiful young teen like Shirley needs a touch-up from the makeup artist between takes.



And there you have it; life on the set between takes of “Kathleen”!
 
See more teenage Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Bunny in the Bungalow

This recent Shirley Temple photo acquisition sparked another rabbit hole…literally! Taken inside her 20th Century-Fox Bungalow, Shirley is opening a rather large box. Most people would initially wonder what was in the box; not me. I wanted to know if the sheet of paper on the end table could be read! I zoomed in, but to no avail. It doesn’t appear to be a script, so who knows.



The great Rita D., Shirley expert supreme, was able to fill in the rest of the story that this series of publicity shots was about. The image below shows Shirley at the front door of the bungalow (love that decorative Hand of Fatima door knocker!) receiving the package.



The back of the image is date stamped January 1938, which lets us know that the photo is no more recent than that period, but possibly a month or more older. Before the lightning fast internet and digital photos, timed layouts had to be planned and executed way in advance to meet publishing deadlines.



Another image from Rita shows Shirley playing with some kind of custom-made wooden logs. The story behind this set is still unknown.



In searching to find out if this was what Lincoln Logs looked like back in the day, I learned that the original Lincoln Logs were designed/created by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son, John Lloyd. That’s some provenance! From the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office FB page:

Lincoln Logs were more than a toy; they were a patented invention that inspired generations of young builders. John Lloyd Wright, the second son of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, received U.S. Patent No. 1,351,086 in 1930 for a “Toy-Cabin Construction.” His design used notched wooden logs that could be stacked to form interlocking walls for miniature structures— without glue or nails. Inspired by his father’s earthquake-resistant construction techniques, Wright used architecture engineering principles to create a toy that was both educational and imaginative, helping children learn about construction while building realistic log cabins.



According to the Modern San Diego website, John Lloyd Wright designed many homes and commercial structures here in San Diego. I’m going to need to do some exploring, Lucy! Back to the originally scheduled program (oh those rabbit hole digressions). Rita dug up this clipping with the text that accompanied it showing Shirley’s wonderment at the bunny. I wonder how many times she had to show that face for the photographer?

When this big box came, Shirley thought someone had sent her flowers. She could hardly wait to see whether they were roses or daffodils, acacia—or what! Imagine her surprise when she opened the lid, and there was a white bunny that looked almost as real as a real Easter bunny!



Melissa (ala “The Colonel”) dug up this download from her web archive which shows more of the image:



This previously posted image from my collection has artist Feg Murray visiting Shirley between takes of “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,” being filmed in 1937. Same dress, and the curls match, so there’s a good chance it was the same day.



Artist Feg Murray visits Shirley Temple between takes of “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,” 1937. According to the AFI website, the production dates for that film were early October through November 1937. And there you have today’s trip down the bunny path.

See more Shirley Temple Fox bungalow and trailer photos at my main website.