Hollywood Heights: The High Tower

Thanks to an alert from Melissa (aka “The Colonel”), on Christmas morning Willis and I explored The High Tower. Unbeknownst to me, this hidden gem has been nestled in the Hollywood Heights neighborhood since 1922. How had I never heard of this before?



As in incentive to potential home buyers, the seven-story elevator tower was built to provide an easier alternative to the steep stairs that gave access to the homes on top. The vintage ad below is from April 1922.



A key is necessary to ride the elevator; this helps keep the riff-raff out, as well as little kids who would want to use the electric device as a toy. The 1939 article from the LA Times below gives a bit more about the background to The High Tower:



On my visit, the entryway was decorated for the holidays.



Red and green bulbs for the torch lamps, natch!





Willis I took the steps to the top.



Rather than just one set of steps, you need to take a few turns, which can provide rest stops for those not used to cardio!



Willis and I were up for the challenge! After all, we had some holiday treats to work off.



Just before you reach the top, there’s a little lookout area, complete with a bench. Willis enjoyed the view.



Almost there…



Although it may appear to be the entrance to the elevator, this particular door is for the inner workings of the contraption. Keep climbing - you’re not there yet!



A view of the street level where we began the journey:



The destination!



With no key, I had to make do with the satisfaction of seeing the tower, climbing the steps, and…



peeking through the glass for a view of the shaft:



What a great view of Hollywood!



The High Tower has been used in numerous movies, including “The Long Goodbye” (1973), “Dead Again” (1991), and an episode of “Naked City” (1961). Residents of the homes around the tower have included magician David Copperfield, author Michael Connelly, filmmaker Tim Burton, and musician Kurt Cobain.



Willis was ready for a nap by the time we got back to the car! See more Hollywood Heights High Tower photos at my main website.

Freaky Fridays @ The Haunted Mansion: There's Always My Way

There are certain photos to take at Disneyland that I get obsessed with; photos that are next to impossible to capture, and yet I try to think of creative ways to keep improving with every attempt. The hanging guy in the elevator of the Haunted Mansion is such a shot. It was for shots like this that I bought my new camera. I still feel I can do better, but these mark a vast improvement over what I have been able to shoot in the past. This is the point in the attraction that separates the little ones from the adults. If kids can make it past this point, they're home free.







See more Disneyland Haunted Mansion photos at my website.

Freaky Fridays @ The Haunted Mansion: Three Men in Quicksand, Zorro, & Swann Galleries

Here’s the 4th in a series of 4: the stretch-portraits (originals by Marc Davis) from the HM elevator.



And a recent set of photos I took at the mansion showing the unfurling of one of the elevator stretch portraits.







And a few more images from the Zorro Viewmaster set (see yesterday’s post for the first set!):

“Don Diego played his part — a studious dandy.”



“‘Help me!’ said Torres, ‘I am falsely charged with treason!”



“‘Your return is unexpected,’ sneered the Commandante.”



“I fear you return to a troubled land, my son.”



And as if this wasn’t enough, how about some very rare Disney art to kick off your weekend? On November 9, Swann Auction Galleries presents The James B. Parks Collection of Fine Prints tracing the history of Modern Art from the 1700s through the 20th Century. Parks was unusual in his regard for the artistry of Walt Disney and there are three Disney items in the auction, including an original production cel of Snow White and Bashful, circa 1937 ($4,000 to $6,000).

Lot 182: Snow White and Bashful, Walt Disney Studios. Original production cel, the cut-out figures on a watercolor background, circa 1937.



Lot 183: Walt Disney’s Three Caballeros, Walt Disney Studios. Color crayon and oil stick poster maquette on smooth, cream wove paper, circa 1944. (“Three Caballeros” was the seventh animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series.)



Lot 184: Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney Studios. Original production cel, late 1950s/early 1960s.



Lot 185: Two concept drawings: Mickey with Coins and Goofy Spitting Coins, Walt Disney Studios. Both pencil and yellow crayon on cream wove paper, 1940s/1950s.





To see more about the auction, visit their website. Thanks to Swann for sharing these AMAZING images with my readers!

See more Disneyland Haunted Mansion photos at my website.

Freaky Fridays @ The Haunted Mansion: Alexander Nitrokoff

Alexander Nitrokoff looks like he is getting ready to start a political career; however, once the portrait is unfurled, we can easily see that it is pretty much the end of one instead.







CONTEST TIME!



THE CONTEST HAS ENDED! Tim, from Vintage Disneyland Tickets was the fastest on the draw. Thanks for the many who also responded. There will be more contests in the future...stay tuned! I happen to have an extra unopened Blu-ray/DVD Diamond Edition 3-disc copy of “Snow White.” Want to win it? Just answer this question and be the first person to email me (dvdpicasso@aol.com) the correct answer:

At the entrance to Disneyland’s Snow White’s Scary Adventures attraction, what does the sign warn you to look out for? Can't remember? Most likely you'll find a photo of the sign on my Snow White attraction page.

See more Disneyland Haunted Mansion photos at my website.

Freaky Fridays @ The Haunted Mansion: The Tightrope Girl

Here’s the first in a series of 4: the stretch-portraits from the HM elevator, proving that things are not always what they appear to be. This set of photos was taken recently and shows the complete unfurling of the tightrope girl stretch portrait in the Haunted Mansion elevator:











It is probably no surprise that I love seeing the work that other creative types make; Dave Avanzino is one of my favorite Disney artists. The fact that his work is 3D makes it even cooler to me. Even though some of his work comes in open editions, each one still has the look of a one-of-a-kind crafted piece. Yup...I loves his stuff.



Dave was generous enough to offer some inside info on these fantastic pieces that are currently available and about to be released:

"How Jolly Our Christmas Will Be" Limited Edition: 15 + 1 Artist’s Proof Medium: Mixed Media Paper Sculpture including Archival Digital Prints, Mat Board, Hand-Painted Papers, Specialty Papers, Ink and Acrylic Paint

I really enjoy working with the Nightmare characters and especially Jack. In this artwork I made him the centerpiece (his head is the letter "O" in the word "Jolly") as he peeks up over the top of a tombstone. Resting at the bottom are some of the classic Christmas toys created by Jack’s Halloween Town friends. The artwork floats above a purple swirled background and its all framed in a custom spider web mat that I designed and printed especially for this piece.

"Haunted Mansion Icon Letter Shadowbox" This open edition piece is back in stores after production was switched to a new factory overseas. The new versions have some improvements including a removable back for repairs if necessary. The skeleton fingers on the corners of the box are also cast as part of the box now instead of separately so they won't break off. This box was one of my favorites to make since the Haunted Mansion is one of my favorite attractions. I was able to tour it and take reference pictures which was amazing. Unfortunately, later that day I realized that I failed to take a picture of myself in the Mansion. Dang! Despite that, I was very happy with the final product.

"Disneyland HalloweenTime Icon Letter Shadowbox" This is another open edition piece that is back in stores this year and has the new removable back. HalloweenTime at Disneyland has become a big part of the year for fans of the park. I had a lot of fun adapting the Disneyland shadowbox to this seasonal version. Knowing that I would also be creating a Christmas version I decided to keep 3 elements the same in each box: the Disneyland "D", the Mickey Mouse hat and the Matterhorn. They would, of course, have their own distinctive holiday theme but I wanted those icons in all 3 frames.

Thanks Dave! And keep up the great work!.

See more Disneyland Haunted Mansion photos at my website.