Wednesday, May 03, 2017

Poolside at the Garden of Allah



This vintage publicity still shows starlet Martha O'Driscoll posing at the Garden of Allah Hotel on Sunset Boulevard, circa 1937. From the blurb on the back:

ROMANTIC MOVIE STORIES

Charming Martha O'Driscoll, another rising star on the Universal lot is pictured at the sparkling Grden of Allah Hotel pool in her adorable playsuit of gay printed creton designed especially for her by the Saba Corporation, Los Angeles. An enchanting frame for her tiny golden curls is a little bonnet of the same material bowed gracefully under the chin. Appearing in "When Love Is Young."

Here is the uncropped shot:



This is what replaced the lovely hotel. Irony of ironies, there is an outcry to save this piece of poo which is in danger of being replaced by a Frank Gehry structure (which is an even bigger piece of poo):



More vintage Garden of Allah photos at my main website.
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4 comments:

  1. Mark H. Besotted7:09 AM

    One of the lowkey delights at Universal Orlando for me has always been their recreation of The Gardens of Allah. Here's a decent roundup of their sights and history.
    http://www.aliciastella.com/blog/2015/02/17/theme-parks-the-history-and-future-of-the-garden-of-allah-at-universal-studios-florida-with-construction-update/

    I don't comment often, but thanks for all the old Hollywood love, Dave.

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  2. Fifthrider8:28 AM

    Very cool info on the original Garden of Allah as well as the Orlando replica. Mark's pics definitely give the rest of us a feel for what it may have been like, thank you.

    It's sad to see a great vintage location demolished but just outright confusing to later see a younger generation protest the demolishing of the thing that took it's place, especially when that thing is by no means greater. Over time things get worse, and yet people have stronger feelings about them? Go figure. Thanks again, both Dave and Mark, for the education about some great lost history.

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  3. Daveland6:28 AM

    Hi Mark - Thanks for the link. Looks like even the replica is not immune to the passage of time and the bulldozer.

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  4. JG10:14 AM

    Fun post, Dave.

    Sad to read about the demolition of the hotel, sadder to see what replaced it, saddest of all to hear another Gehry trainwreck is coming.

    Architects should be ashamed.

    JG

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