The San Diego El Cortez in 3D!

Today’s post features vintage images of the El Cortez Hotel in San Diego, circa November 1956. At the top of the hotel was the legendary Sky Room, which featured “…the world’s great inspirational, panoramic views” of downtown.



Two genuine FauxD© images from the hotel show what the postcard is bragging about:





The Plaza Hotel sign shown in the detailed view below still exists. From roadarch.com comes this info:

The Plaza Hotel was known as the New Plaza Hotel when it opened in the 1930s. The rooftop sign is probably from then.



The Plaza is permanently closed from what I can find. From a 2014 article on the San Diego Magazine website comes this brief history of El Cortez:

Completed on Thanksgiving Day in 1927. It was the tallest building in San Diego. Designed by Walker and Eisen Architects in Spanish Renaissance style, the $2 million project was built atop the site of Ulysses S. Grant, Jr.’s former home. In 1928, El Cortez had 85 apartment suites, available to rent for $100 per month, and 32 hotel rooms for $5 per day. Flashing atop Cortez Hill, the El Cortez neon sign was installed in 1937 to serve as a beacon for the U.S. Navy. The Sky Room was added to the 15th floor in 1940 and quickly became a hot spot on the San Diego social scene. During World War II the 12th floor was used as an anti-aircraft battery and radar station. Hotel entrepreneur Harry Handlery purchased El Cortez in 1951 and made numerous additions to attract more clientele. In 1956, he added the Starlight Express, the second exterior glass elevator in the world and the first in the U.S., transporting guests to the Starlight Room for cocktails above the city.



Circa 1958. notice the Sky Room sign letters on top of the El Cortez Hotel sign visible in the detailed view below:



In 1978, its allure faded, Handlery’s son Paul sold El Cortez for $7.5 million to Rev. Morris Cerullo, the head of World Evangelism Inc. Most of the hotel’s meeting and social spaces were gutted to accommodate ministry and evangelical training until 1981, when Cerullo sold it for more than $20 million. El Cortez was named a historic site by the City of San Diego’s Historical Resources Board in 1990, saving it from demolition. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. El Cortez was purchased by the historic preservation firm J. Peter Block Companies in 1997 and restored to residential status. A grand reopening gala was held in June 2000. Today, El Cortez is home to 85 condo units and 11 commercial units. As of December 2014, a 670-square-foot one-bedroom/one-bath condo was listed for sale at $299,000; a 2,000-square-foot two-bedroom/two-bath condo was more than double that, at $669,000. HOA fees top $620 per month.



See more San Diego El Cortez photos at my main website.

Hump Day at Disneyland, September 1968

A few gems from Disneyland today, circa September 1968, starting off with an exterior shot of the Tahitian Terrace Restaurant in Adventureland. How about that little cutie hanging over the Aloha sign?



In case you want to order something, here’s what’s on the menu situated outside the entrance:



This guest is vogue-ing for the camera in New Orleans Square:



I have no idea where these steps were/are located. I need to do a deep dive. And another “new” to me is this shot of Le Forgeron shop exterior, also in New Orleans Square:



Apparently from January 1966 to January 1974 the shop sold old-fashioned metal and leaded-glass objects for the home, as seen in the closeup below:



See more Disneyland photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Seein' Stars!

Frederic “Feg” Seymour Murray (May 15, 1894 – July 16, 1973) was best known as a cartoonist, but as I learned when digging around for this post, he was so much more! Edited from the Lambiek Comiclopedia website:

Frederic Seymour Murray was born in San Francisco. He signed many of his early drawings with “Feggo,”which inspired his nickname “Feg.” Murray trained as an athlete during his youth and became the U.S. National Champion in the 120 yard high hurdles and the 1915 and 1916 U.S. National Champion in the 220 yard low hurdles. He studied graphic arts at Stanford University, where he graduated in 1916. The same year he also became captain of the track team of his university. In 1917, the United States got involved in the First World War and Murray served his country. He did the same thing in peace time when he was selected for the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium. There he won an Olympic bronze medal in the 110 meter hurdles.



After his sports career, Murray became a sports cartoonist and columnist for The Los Angeles Times. On October 30, 1933, Murray's signature series ‘Seein’ Stars’ (1933-1951) made its debut. It was basically the equivalent of an illustrated news column with radio, movies and sports as the main focus. The cartoonist told the latest facts about certain celebrities of the day and illustrated this with realistically drawn portraits of these people. As a running gag, Murray often drew a tiny cartoon bear in each drawing, who commented on the information with use of a speech balloon. ‘Seein’ Stars’ was distributed by King Features Syndicate and ran for nearly two decades. The black-and-white version already ended in 1941, but the Sunday pages lasted another decade until 1951. Hollywood child star Shirley Temple owned a personal copy of a 1935 ‘Seein’ Stars’ episode featuring her, Otto Kruger and Maureen O'Sullivan.



By 1938, Murray became a star himself. For one season, he was the host of the popular radio variety show “The Baker’s Broadcast” (1933-1938) on NBC Radio, which starred comedians Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Hilliard, better known as ‘Ozzie & Harriet.’ Up until Murray's arrival, the radio show had been broadcast in New York City, but now it relocated to Hollywood. As a tribute, the show was sometimes referred to as “Seein’ Stars in Hollywood,” to tie in with his cartoon feature. On March 13, 1938, his guests were Boris Karloff and Béla Lugosi. As a huge horror fan, this was a highlight in Murray’s life. Unfortunately ratings were low and the show was canceled within the same year. In 1939, Murray appeared in a Hollywood movie: the musical comedy “That's Right, You’re Wrong” (1939), built around the popularity of the big band leader Kay Kyser. The picture also stars Adolphe Menjou, columnist Hedda Hopper and a still-unknown Lucille Ball. Murray's role however is nothing more than a small cameo. Feg Murray passed away in 1973 at the age of 79. A posthumous book, Holly-Would (1974) by John Milton Hagen with illustrations by Murray was published by Arlington House a year later.

The first photo in this post came with the following caption:


SHIRLEY TEMPLE PALS WITH CARTOONIST

Little Shirley Temple pauses to chat with her cartoonist friend, Feg Murray, creator of the “Seein' Stars” feature, during the making of her latest picture - “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.” Shirley, whose hobby is drawing pictures with pencil and crayon, is shown her admiring one of Feg’s cartoons.

Below is a closeup of the art that Feg and Shirley are looking at:



Below is a caricature that Murray did of Shirley that came up for auction after Shirley’s passing:



From the auction catalog:

31" x 22" Shirley image. Thick ink drawing on paper is a caricature of young Shirley Temple in tap dancing pose, her dimples and curls well expressed. Pencil signed at the bottom is “To Shirley Love From Feg Murray (see you in the funny papers).” Murray (1907-1962) studied art at Stanford University and became known as an artist, writer, and syndicated columnist. This sketch was a personal tribute to the young star who appeared in his columns over and over again. Early 1930s.

Below is a shot of Fred Stone (the scarecrow in the stage version of “The Wizard of Oz”), Jane Withers, and Feg Murray;



From the caption:

Jane Withers, juvenile actress, and Fred Stone, actor (left), were two enthusiastic admirers at Feg Murray’s exhibit of some of his original cartoons at the Assistance League. Murray (right) displays cartoon to his ardent “fans.” 11-3-1937

Below is family-man Murray reading to his sons, circa 1937:



A few samples of Murray’s Seein’ Stars column featuring Shirley and other top stars of the day:



Shirley wearing her title production number outfit from “Little Miss Broadway”:



Even as a teen, Shirley was featured by Murray:



Below is a clip from the above mentioned Feg Murray cameo from “That's Right, You’re Wrong” (1939), with Hedda Hopper, Lucille Ball, and Adolphe Menjou.



See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Music Box Monday

“The Music Box” (1932) is a Laurel and Hardy MGM comedy that won the first Academy Award for Best Live Action Short (Comedy). In 1997, it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, as it is probably one of the most popular shorts that the team made. The premise is that the two are attempting to move a piano up a large flight of stairs into the home of the woman who purchased it as a birthday surprise for her husband. Below, Oliver points to the long flight of steps that they must climb WITH the piano.



How that flight of stairs looks today. Yes, they are still around!



There’s even have a sign denoting their historic landmark status:



Another view of the steps from the 1932 film:



A badly worn plaque is embedded into the steps:



As you can imagine, the boys struggle with the crated piano. Multiple times they manage to get about halfway up, and then the crate slides back down to the bottom.




One of these comedy bits involves Lilyan Irene, who plays a nursemaid. Needing the boys to get out of her, of course this causes them to lose the piano, once again. Irene mainly had a career of uncredited roles  in movies such as “Mutiny on the Bounty” (1935), “The Little Princess” (1939), “Journey for Margaret” (1942), “Till the Clouds Roll By” (1946), and her final film, “Million Dollar Mermaid” (1952.



At the bottom of the stairs, things get nasty between the three, involving a kick in the nurse’s behind, a slap to Laurel…



and a bottom of milk over Hardy’s head. Don’t mess with the babysitter!



In another bit, you can see poor Hardy getting steamrolled by the crate as it soars back down to ground zero:



The classic Hardy stare:



How the view down the steps looks today:



The matching down view from the movie:



The boys do finally reach the top, where we see this side shot of Laurel:



…followed by a cut to a set built on a soundstage.



While the top of the stairs doesn’t have the ornate home from the movie, it does have some vintage-styled lamp posts:



A sign exists at the top of the stairs as well:



And yes, I climbed up all 133 steps, but did not make Willis do so. He stayed behind for this one.

See more Laurel and Hardy Music Box steps photos at my main website.

John Marshall High: From Wrecking Ball to Star

Whenever I get a chance to re-photograph an old shot from my 35mm point-and-shoot camera days, I am happy to do so. Back then, I used ALL the automatic settings and the flash for every shot, ensuring every detail was obliterated by that blinding light! I snapped the above shot of John Marshall High School from a tour bus back in 2005. Twenty years later, I drove back up to the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles and rectified my former lapses in photographic judgment.



Even though it’s a cool piece of historic architecture and a recognizable location for many famous films, it barely survived the wrecking ball. Edited from a 2017 feature from the LA Curbed website:

John Marshall High School’s Hollywood dream nearly died on February 9, 1971. The 6.6-magnitude Sylmar earthquake struck that day, just before dawn, killing 64 people. Among the casualties: A number of buildings at John Marshall High School, designed by George M. Lindsey in the Collegiate Gothic style. Several of the damaged structures were subsequently condemned, including the campus's eye-popping centerpiece: A five-story tower rising above Tracy Street in Los Feliz like a Tudor-brick cathedral. The threat of a wrecking ball loomed.



Today, John Marshall High is regarded as a treasured artifact. After pieces began falling from the famed tower in 2012, the school district approved $1.1 million in repairs to the historic structure. When the problem was found to be more serious than previously thought, more than 10 times that amount was allotted, and a temporary glass scaffolding was erected to protect students and faculty from falling debris. But, in 1971, John Marshall hadn’t yet transcended its status as an ingénue. It was already famous among locals for its use in Mr. Novak, the NBC TV series that followed an idealistic young teacher (James D. Franciscus) during his first year in the classroom.



But it had yet to rack up the A-list credits that would cement its stardom. “I guess film production ended up there, because it's so accessible,” says class of ’72 alumnus and music photographer Aaron Rapaport. “ABC was a half block away and all the studios." Geographic convenience aside, JMHS’s formal beauty was undeniably more important in attracting industry attention. Like the similarly photogenic Los Angeles High School located in Mid-Wilshire, the campus was an aesthetic jewel of the Los Angeles Unified School District and a popular draw with Hollywood location managers. Unlike the latter school, which also suffered damage in the 1971 quake, Marshall's dramatic edifice was spared demolition. “I was involved with the effort to retain and renovate the high school, not destroy it like they did to Los Angeles High School, where they turned a beautiful school into a cookie-cutter school,” says John Marshall alumnus (class of ’57) and former Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, who served in the California State Assembly from 1973 to 1978. “In the [Assembly] I put in legislation to stop that. And finally the school board backed down and renovated [it].”



The success of that campaign (spurred on by several neighborhood activists) was an undisputed win for Hollywood, a town well-known for its infatuation with physical beauty. “It's a gem,” says Marcia Hinds, a production designer who helped secure the campus for the 1998 teen comedy Can't Hardly Wait. “It's one of a kind.” Many LA-area high schools have extensive filmographies, but John Marshall is distinguished by the sheer number of iconic movies and TV shows that have used the campus as a backdrop. While I was unable to independently confirm several productions rumored to have shot there (Rebel Without a Cause allegedly shot interiors at the school, but I turned up no evidence of this), there are countless others whose use of the campus is well-documented.



Though Venice High School largely stood in for Rydell High in the classic 1978 musical “Grease,” John Marshall's athletic field provided the setting for the school carnival where John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John performed “You’re the One that I Want,” “We Go Together,” and then fly off in a hot rod.



Alumna Anne-Marie Johnson, who attended JMHS from 1975-78 before going on to star in such TV series as What Happens Now, In the Heat of the Night, and In Living Color, speaks enthusiastically about seeing the film’s cast milling around campus.“Those of us in the theater arts department were all very excited because Sid Caesar and Eve Arden and John Travolta and Olivia [Newton-John]—I mean, we were all just starstruck,” she says. “They were all on our campus for several days ... I just remember sitting in the bleachers watching them film the same scene over and over and over.” John Marshall High’s Grease connection runs even deeper: Annette Charles (née Annette Cardona), who played Cha Cha in the film, was an alumna. As noted by Joanna Erdos, a former student who taught at the school for over 30 years, the actress’s death in 2011 prompted the school to plant a tree in her honor.

Below is my 2005 shot of the field behind the school where the carnival sequence was filmed for “Grease”:



How it looks today:





Other films that used John Marshall include “Zapped” (1982), “Bachelor Party” (1984), Van Halen “Hot for Teacher” music video (1984), “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984), “Pretty In Pink” (1986), and the film version of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1992). If you can’t get to Los Feliz, the video below is your next best option!



See more Hollywood movie location photos at my main website.