Rudolph Valentino Anniversary

Ninety-eight years ago today, Silent Screen actor Rudolph Valentino died in New York City at the age of thirty-one. While the TikTok crowd probably doesn’t know of him, approximately 100,000 fans lined the streets of Manhattan for his funeral at Campbell’s Funeral Home (also where Judy Garland’s service was held). An art deco statue titled “Aspiration” was erected in 1930 in DeLongpre Park, Hollywood.  Roger Noble Burnham, who also created USC’s mascot, The Trojan, was the sculptor. While the fans loved Valentino, City Commissioners required that the tribute honor but not resemble the dead matinee idol.



Still there today!



And this not-so-stellar bust of the actor is there, too.



For many years, a mysterious woman in black would arrive at the Hollywood Forever mausoleum where Valentino was buried, deliver a single red rose, and disappear. Others have taken over the duty as the years have gone by. When I went in 2014, Hollywood Forever Cemetery tour guide Karie Bible was filling in for that role.





See more of my caricatures at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: The Mural Fades

I recently acquired these June 1985 images of the mural in Hollywood known as “You are the Star.” The name is because all of the “stars” are sitting in the audience and from the vantage point, YOU are the one on the silver screen. Cute idea! Painted by Thomas Suriya in 1983, it shows a wide variety of actors from the silents to (at that time) the present. Edited from The Gainesville Sun:

“You Are the Star,” Suriya recalled, began, as so much does in this town, with a dream. In 1983, he said, he had “a vision of a movie theater but in reverse, with the stars looking out at the world which is a projection - the opposite of what we do when we go to the movies.” A few days later a friend invited him to brighten up the side of a family building at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue. “I came here cold - I had never painted a mural before, not even a portrait - but it grew into a wonderful thing,” Suriya said. He pored over film-history books to find top-tier actors from different eras - from sex symbols to action heroes. The mural’s audience includes 71 celebrities from silent films to the 1980s. “The heavy hitters are in the front row,” the 59-year-old painter said, pointing to Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. “All the tough guys are over there with John Wayne,'' he said. “There’s James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson. Then there's the science-fiction-fantasy section'' with Superman and R2-D2. Jack Lemmon, Bruce Lee and the Marx Brothers are his personal favorites, the self-trained artist said.…The painting, which became a bona fide tourist attraction that seems to transfix those gazing at the stars watching them, was the big break Suriya had dreamed about. Even with no pay. He stayed with a friend during the project and local businesses donated paint and scaffolding. Before he came to Los Angeles, Suriya was living in the northern California mountains with friends, including Michael Attie, whose parents owned the building and ran a lingerie store on the ground floor. “It was a leap of faith on his part and an adventure for me,” he said. “It was pretty intense.” He went on to paint other murals in the city and work as a special-effects designer. 

Front and center is little Shirley Temple, sitting in the lap of W.C. Fields with Lassie at their feet. How ironic since these two quotes have been attributed to Fields: “Anyone who hates children and animals can't be all bad,” and “Never work with children or animals.” I am assuming Suriya (or whoever consulted with him on the selection of Stars) knew of this and made it part of an inside joke.



Here is the photo of Shirley from “Little Miss Marker” that the artist used for inspiration. He was nice enough to fix the tear in her dress.



This alternate view from 1985 shows a wider view of the mural while still including the red Pontiac Fiero parked in front. Nothing screams eighties like a Fiero.



Front row has Marilyn, Charlie Chaplin, and James Dean on the other side of Fields and Temple. Second row has Katharine Hepburn, Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh (from “Gone with the Wind”), Mae West, and Sophia Loren. Third row has Paul Newman and Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, Woody Allen, Judy Garland Mickey Rooney, and Marlene Dietrich. Fourth row has Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, Gregory Peck (?), Laurel & Hardy, Richard Pryor, and Al Jolson in blackface. Sixth row is a lot tougher. Kirk Douglas, Richard Widmark, Woody Woodpecker, Barbara Stanwyck on a really bad day (?), Greta Garbo, Anthony Quinn, Cantinflas, Jane Russell, and Bruce Lee.

 

Front row: Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, Rudolph Valentino. Second row: Henry Fonda, Marlon Brando, Brigitte Bardot; Third Row: Dietrich, Jane Fonda, Dustin Hoffman, Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds in “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” (1982). Fourth row: Theda Bara, Mary Pickford, Elvis Presley, Diana Ross (?). Behind Theda Bara are the Marx Brothers (Chico, Harpo, and Groucho). I believe Jack Lemmon is the one behind Chico.



Front row: James Cagney, Lauren Bocall and Humphrey Bogart next to Marilyn. Second row: Jean Harlow (?), Edward G. Robinson, John Wayne, Cary Grant, and Hepburn. Third row: Burt Lancaster, Toshiro Mifune, Errol Flynn, Spencer Tracy, Newman and Redford. Fourth row: Anne Bancroft (?), Ingrid Bergman, Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood, Joan and Bette. Fifth row: Godzilla, R2D2, King Kong and Boris Karloff as Frankenstein (with Bela Lugosi as Dracula behind them), Christopher Reeve as Superman, and Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire dancing over the aisle. Phew!



Melissa (aka “The Colonel”) visited LA in August 2006. According to the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles website, the mural was “restored” in 1995. I would imagine direct sunlight, cars, and people could take quite a toll on a piece of public art. Here is Melissa with daughter:



Despite the restoration, it was still looking a bit rough in 2006:



Melissa’s daughter was ready for her closeup:



Of course they had to have a photo near Shirley’s portion of the mural.



UPDATE: Daveland frequent reader Fifthrider pointed out this gem (after alerting me to a few others):

Until now I never noticed the open doorway at the dark back of the theater. Inside the yellow rectangle you can see E.T. trying to use the payphone.

Apparently, Suriya returned in 2007 for another restoration, according to The Gainsville Sun:

Thomas Suriya is back, with his brushes, paint and scaffolding, to restore the luster that 24 years of sun, smog and anti-graffiti coating have stolen from the 20- by 30-foot mural of a fantasy Tinseltown mash-up.…The star of his favorite movie - Harrison Ford in "Blade Runner'' - didn't make his cut in 1983. If Suriya (pronounced SIR-ee-uh) were doing the mural today, he said, Julia Roberts, Johnny Depp and Jack Nicholson would also get a seat. “Now I look at (the mural) and it looks so rough,” he said, pointing to James Dean's hand. “I was so ambitious.” This time, Suriya is getting paid for his work through a grant from the Hollywood Arts Council. Suriya said he was reluctant to return to Los Angeles because of the working conditions: Heat, car exhaust and a narrow sidewalk on a sketchy corner. But he’s been surprised.“People trudge along with their shopping carts and they look up and say, ‘Nice job,’” he said. Luxury lofts and chain stores have been built a few blocks away, but redevelopment hasn’t touched this stretch of Hollywood Blvd. “The spirit is different now,” he said. “In the early ’80s the economy wasn't that good, but the vibe was better.” The Attie family sold the building last month to an East Coast investment group, said Steve Tronson, a commercial real-estate broker. The new owners plan to preserve the mural and the exterior of the elegant 1931 Art Deco building, Tronson said. Suriya hopes the restored mural will last another quarter century. His first work has been photographed by thousands of movie buffs and tourists and has played bit parts in commercials, music videos and movies, including “The Player,” “S.W.A.T.” and a David Bowie video.

Flash forward to 2016 when the mural was featured in “La La Land” with Emma Stone (at right) and Ryan Gosling. 



Once again, the mural was looking rough.



From Google views comes this truly disheartening image. The mural is fading quickly and the Stars are barely recognizable any more. The homeless man with his back turned to the mural is an unintentional commentary on how this piece of art has been treated.



Suriya, come back!!

See more photos at my main website.

Marmont Monday: The Harlow Suite

In my previous post about Jean Harlow’s stay at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, I covered room 33. Now I can say that I’ve also stayed in the other portion of the two-room suite where the recently wedded couple resided. The above September 1933 photo shows Jean and husband Harold Rosson; standing behind them are Jean’s mother and stepfather, Marino Bello. This photo is often miscaptioned as having been shot at the Chateau Marmont, when in actuality it’s from Harlow’s Beverly Glen residence. In the book Life at the Marmont (1987) by former owner Raymond Sarlot and Fred Basten, the caption reads, “The Harold Rossons and Marino Bellos in a rare snapshot taken the day Hal and his bride, Jean Harlow, checked into Chateau Marmont.” While it may have been taken the day they checked in, it was not shot at 8221 Sunset Boulevard. Thanks to some digging from Melissa (aka “The Colonel), I was able to have access to an article written by John C. Moffitt, a reporter who had the pleasure of being served breakfast by Harlow herself. From the Kansas City, Star, Sunday, November 19, 1933:

Jean Harlow, Tired of Being a Vamp, Settles Down in a Cozy Apartment With a New Husband



The caption for the above photo reads: Jean Harlow has one of the prettiest new houses in Hollywood, but she lives in a 4-room kitchenette with her new husband, Hal Rosson.

The 4-room kitchenette refers to rooms 32-33, aka “The Harlow Suite.” The article continues on:

Hal, who has a house of his own, doesn’t like the idea of living in his wife’s house, and he just won’t do it. At present the new place is occupied by Jean’s mother and stepfather, Mr. and Mrs. Marino Bello.…His solution was that they should go to the servantless apartment where he had lived as a bachelor. It was there that we repaired after making “the spots” that night.…Jean’s a perfect hostess. She insisted that I take one of the beds in the lone bedroom, while she and Hal slept in the acrobatic bed that spends most of its time standing on its hind legs behind French doors in the living room.

From my April 2018 stay, you can see the room (part of 33) that Harlow and Rosson moved to so that the reporter could have the main bedroom (32).



The “acrobatic bed” referred to is what is commonly known as a Murphy Bed, which folds up into the wall and provides more space during the day.

Back to the article:

In the morning there was the usual two hours of silent stalling as hosts and guests tried to keep from awakening each other, but eventually there was a clatter in the kitchen and the voice of Jean yelling: “How do you like your tomato juice?” Everyone wanted it straight, so it was not long before she was busy with coffee and scrambled eggs while Hal and I took turns shaving with his razor. As the later spattered and the eggs sizzled they kept up a running fire of chatter telling all about their romance and how it came about.…“I’m not a handsome guy,” he explained as he stuck out his chin to demolish a stubborn bit of whisker. “You are a handsome guy,” shouted his spouse as she unmercifully smacked a sputtering skillet with a brisk fork, “and besides I hate handsome guys—the kind that are in the movies.”

What about the bedroom where Jean and Harold normally slept? You can find a photo of it in Life at the Marmont.



From the Sarlot book:

As manager [Ann] Little remembered: “Mrs. Rosson acted more than pleased with her accommodations. She went from room to room, commenting, ‘This is perfect—just perfect.’ The remark seemed quite natural at the time.” The Bellos, she said, exchanged disapproving glances, but for the most part, kept silent. “They appeared to be biting their tongues.” The only negative comment came from Jean’s mother. Stepping into the master bedroom, she gasped, “Twin beds! Wait until some nosey reporter gets ahold of that!” A call to the switchboard brought a strapping young man on the run, who removed the small dividing bedstand and secured the two bed frames snugly together. The result was one bed of mammoth proportions, a playground worthy of a sex siren. Suite 3BC [as it was referred to at the time] was actually two adjoining suites, connected by a long central hall. It contained a foyer, a large high-ceilinged living room (with a hidden Murphy bed and a flickering antique faux fireplace, through French doors), kitchen, master bedroom, and two full “his and her baths, each with its own dressing room.

Most likely this recessed area is where the faux fireplace was once located:



French windows throughout opened to sweeping views: the city to the south, the ocean to the west. The suite was elegantly furnished with period pieces of the Chippendale style, upholstered in muted tones of blue and beige. Contrary to legend, nothings was “Harlow white, not even the walls, which were painted a soft sand to match the draperies and carpeting. The layout was especially appealing to honeymooners, as the master bedroom, located at the far end of the central hallway, was completely isolated form the rest of the suite. It even had its own private entrance leading to the outside corridor.

Below you can see the entrance door to the master bedroom (room 32); at the end of the hallway on the same wall is the entrance to 33.



33’s entry door on the right:



How 32 looks now (Willis is substituting for Jean):



The furnishings are obviously different, but the bones of the room have stayed the same. Room 33 is the larger of the two, containing a living room:



bedroom:



kitchen (where Jean made those eggs):



…and bathroom.





32 is a bedroom



…and bathroom.



While 32 is smaller overall, the bathroom has both a tub AND shower, which makes sense since it was closest to what would be considered the master bedroom.



See more Chateau Marmont room photos at my main website.

Daveland & Liberty Ranch Go To Universal Studios, Part 1

When one visits Hollywood, taking the Universal Studios Tram Tour has always been a must! One of the few studios that still has a backlot, Universal saw the value early on in collecting tourist revenue by allowing them to see where the magic is made…all in a controlled manner, of course. Recently, I had the honor of doing the design for the book Stack’s Liberty Ranch Volume 3, which covers Universal Studios and three other nearby theme parks that I had never heard of: Lion Country Safari, Buffalo Ranch, and Jungleland. Anybody interested in the history of theme parks needs to acquire this library! Head over to the Stack’s Liberty Ranch website to get your copy NOW!

Today’s post features images from my collection that a guest took in September 1969, documenting (in chronological order, natch!) their visit to the famed movie studio. Apologies for the blur/low quality of some of these images. Like anything vintage, equipment and skill were not necessarily all that important as these images were just meant to share with loved ones, not be posted on the web or published in a book. I am guessing that the tour started with this presentation by a Guide. I immediately noticed something familiar in the pictures behind the guide.



Looks like a matte painting of Bodega Bay from Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” (1963), released by Universal.



Sure enough, it’s a match!



How the painting was combined with live action footage for the final film:



Afterwards, the tour proceeded with what was probably a movie/TV set:



A soundstage where guests could see/experience how rear projection works:



A setup that shows how miniatures are used in movies; much more economical than building things full-scale!



Now we reach the tram part of the tour. The person on the right in the large-brimmed hat is the bane of my 1969 existence. Get that hat off and quit blocking the photos!!!



A tour of the backlot:



Anyone know what production featured the Crawford Buttonhole Co., or Joe’s Bar?



Although it doesn’t have the clock tower circa 1969, this building should look very familiar to fans of “Back to the Future.”



It’s the courthouse! Keep in mind, these buildings are used over and over in again in many productions. Some undergo extensive changes to look different to suit the use of the film or show that they are being used in.



Stay tuned for more September 1969 images of Universal Studios!

And don’t forget to pick up your copy of Stack’s Liberty Ranch Volume 3 at the Stack’s Liberty Ranch website.

Monday at the Observatory

When Melissa (aka “The Colonel”) came west, she wanted to visit the Observatory at Griffith Park. We were short on time the day that we picked to go there, so I had to be a master at efficiency. This is known as “chop, chop!” However, the first order of business was breakfast at the Chateau Marmont. Bacon was back on the menu, and this was a cause to celebrate! SJR (on the right) enjoyed her first piece this trip.



Even before opening, the parking lot at Griffith fills up fast, which means you have to find the nearest available spot on the long windy road up to the Observatory. The walk up the hill was good cardio! The shot above is a beautiful view of the city. Below is me trying not to look winded.



First order of business was to visit the James Dean sculpture by the late Kenneth Kendall, an artist who was commissioned by the actor shortly before his death.



No dear readers, that’s not Natalie Wood from “Rebel” on the left; that’s the Colonel, ready for her photo shoot at the location(s) where that movie was filmed.



Normally, I would have said, “Hey Colonel, get the hell out of my photo!” But the COVID screening fence already ruined the shot anyway. Yes, even to walk around on the grounds you had to show proof that you’d been vaccinated or had a negative test. Fresh air can be dangerous, folks!



Finally made it to the Observatory, that supreme example of architecture that opened back in 1935.



The inside is no less impressive. If it weren’t for the crowds of people, the murals, flooring, and other details would have you believe you had walked into a time warp. The rotunda ceiling:





Mesmerizing. I could stare at this pendulum all day long. Well…maybe not that long, but you get the idea.







Indoors, Melissa enjoyed her Emma Stone moment.





And then it was back to “Rebel Without a Cause.”





Although I had to run back to the car to make it to our next destination (read about it tomorrow!), there’s always time to get what I perceived to be a unique shot – the Astronomers Monument with the Hollywood Sign in the background.



Next time I need/want to spend more time there!

See more Griffith Observatory photos at my main website.