Preservation Update

By Robert W. Nudelman

ABC/Merv Griffin Studios. November 14 marked the opening of the first phase of Bond Capitol and and former NBA star Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund’s residential and retail project at the northwest corner of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street. With the retail stores now opening, the 300 plus residential units will start renting by March.

The key element of the development is the 1935 Streamline Moderne façade (the back of the building was burned out) of the old studio saved from demolition by the efforts of Hollywood Heritage. It is now incorporated on the Vine Street side as the entrance to the apartment complex and a group of retail tenants that will include a new Schwab’s Drugstore. The original framework on top that held neon signs for the tenant below is being recreated and will now have a large neon sign for the famous Schwab’s logo, not offsite advertising as had been originally planned (and opposed by Hollywood Heritage).

Pay a visit to Bed, Bath and Beyond, Verizon, Borders Books, and more in Hollywood, but notice the centerpiece of architecture is a 68-year-old building façade, saved only by Hollywood Heritage’s tenacity during a three-year battle.

Cinerama Dome Theater. As mentioned in our last newsletter, the Dome screened the original three-projector version of How The West Was Won and the re-premiere of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World. The latter celebrating the 40th anniversary of the film and the Dome, where Mad World premiered on November 7, 1963.

Despite the lack of advertising for the two-week run of West it was a success, with more people attending the second week than the first as word-of-mouth sold tickets. One of the excited visitors was Steven Spielberg who brought his family (how many films can you do that with today?) and paid a visit to the projection booth afterwards to see the equipment and thank the crew of four that it takes to project Cinerama.

Mad World returned in a brand new 70mm print, unseen that way since 1964. The opening night was hosted by Karen Kramer, widow of Director/Producer Stanley Kramer, who pushed for months to get the print made and make the program a reality. Introducing the evening was Honorary Mayor of Hollywood (and Hollywood Heritage member) Johnny Grant, who also co-hosted the 1963 opening and introduced stars from the movie; Sid Caesar, Edie Adams, Marvin Kaplan, and Stan Freeberg, as well as a number of special guests led by movie fan and multi-talented star Billy Bob Thornton and City Councilman Eric Garcetti (also a Hollywood Heritage member) who thanked Hollywood Heritage and Friends of Cinerama for saving the theater and making the special evening possible. Shown over just three more days with each day’s attendance much better as, again word-of-mouth brought in the audiences.
These events demonstrated the economic viability of the specialized formats such as Cinerama and 70mm when shown in the right theater. A benefit resulting from Hollywood Heritage’s two and a half year battle to save the theater building and its unique interior so that it could continue to show films as it was designed to do.

The Equitable Building. Principle ownership of the 1929 landmark building at the northeast corner of Hollywood and Vine has gone to Palladin Group, who bought out most of the ownership control of Tom Gilmore. Palladin is revising plans to best develop the 12 story structure, the upper floors remaining mostly vacant since its recent restoration.

Tentative plans now include keeping the second and third floors as office space while converting floors 4-12 to residential. The first floor will once again be home of the ’30s retro style Hollywood and Vine Diner which closed last January after financial debt from the construction. The ’50s retro lounge in the back, which never opened, should open in early 2004 with the diner opening by December 2003.

Hollywood Heritage thanks Tom Gilmore for the monumental task he performed in acquiring the building and the separately owned land, and then doing a great job in returning the faded landmark to its proper condition, under the architectural direction of M2A Architects. Palladin Group has assured Hollywood Heritage that the company will continue on with the same level of commitment and quality, and so far it looks like they will.

Hollywood and Vine Development. Additional information on this Legacy Partners/Metropolitan Transportation Agency (MTA) project will be available by our next newsletter, but here are the basics. The project would cover the block at the southeast corner of Hollywood and Vine, surrounding the 1923 Taft building and the 1928 Bernard Luggage Building. A small group of buildings from the late 1920s to 1948 at Vine Street and Selma Avenue would be removed. The entry portal to the MetroRail Station (the subway), would remain in front as part of a plaza.

What would emerge from this is a very dramatic, if not overpowering, development. It would include a 12-story 96 unit luxury condominium tower at he eastern side of the Taft, blocking about half of that structure’s east facing views. A nine-story, 300 room, W Hotel is planned to face along Argyle Avenue, running the length of half of the block. A five-story building with retail and 262 apartments above is planned to run along Selma Avenue and turn the corner up Vine Street, including the Bernard Luggage Building, right up to the Taft. Undergroung parking is planned for 982 cars.

While the elements of the development are interesting, the massing and architectural style seen thus far, are not. The massive wall created by the combined visual impact of the 3 structures will totally dominate Hollywood and Vine as one approaches it from the east (where the 101 freeway is) or from the south coming up Vine. And we are told that the architectural style for the project will be “modern.” The original presentation drawings (since withdrawn) for the project resembled early ’60s Miami, which may look fine in Marina del Rey, but had no visual connection to Hollywood in appearance or scale. The three 12-story buildings now at Hollywood and Vine are different, but are on three different corners, not next door to one another. The fourth is the 1956 Capitol Records Building ½ block north on Vine Street, a modern landmark, but separate from the 1929 Art Deco Equitable Building (and Capitol is a great example of “Modern”).

This spacing affects the appearance of the massing, as the condo tower goes right up against the Taft Building. Additionally, the frontage of the condos on Hollywood Boulevard will include balconies, which invariable become full of clutter—boxes, laundry, bikes, planters, etc., yet another impact on the view.

At least the 1928 Bernard Luggage Building will be kept and included in the project (it was created at the same time and by the same architect, C.J. Weyl, as the Brown Derby, which sat mid-block, and looked similar in appearance). This was the result of Hollywood Heritage pointing out that all previous plans demolished the structure (it is part of the National Register Historic District and would have triggered a legal battle over its demolition). By maintaining this building, a buffer space will also be provided between the Taft and the new construction on Vine Street.
There is additional concern for parking as the new project maintains only a small surface lot behind for Taft Building parking. This is not enough if that landmark is to remain economically viable. A parking plan for the Taft must be included with any approvals.

Another concern is the southwest corner of the block, where a 1948 bank building now stands, used by the State’s DMV. The building is not significant in its design (Cecil B. DeMille was a founder of that bank) but in the early ’60s Bob Keane opened Mustang Records and Studios there in the basement (Keane’s major discoveries included Richie Valens). He recorded a number of bands there including The Bobby Fuller Four’s classic I Fought the Law in 1966. Other studios took over there where the banks’ vaults produced an echo effect that was a popular attraction. Jimmy Page used it for Led Zeppelin’s classic Whole Lotta Love in 1969 for echo and sound effects recording.
We have asked about preserving the (now vacant) underground studio space, if not as a studio, then for some other adaptive use. It’s connection to ’60s and ’70s music would make it a natural for a specialized retail or restaurant tenant.

The condo towers massing needs to be set back above the second floor (a previous building sat there to that height) so as to reveal the Taft Building and not block out its offices views. The design style of the entire project needs to be rethought. “Modern” is not appropriate for this location (witness any structure built in the past 40 years in Hollywood—would any of them be worth saving today?). Modern can just as easily be Streamline Moderne, such as was done with the NBC Studios at adjoining Sunset and Vine, or the now preserved and highly praised ABC Studio façade on Vine Street across from here.

Glass and metal boxes with stucco “detailing” are wrong here. Hollywood Heritage expects and will demand something better, we don’t need to repeat the architectural mistakes between Highland and LaBrea Avenues down at this end of the Boulevard. Perhaps a look at the original plans to build a 12-story building on top of the Pantages Theater in 1930 should be reviewed. The plans exist and feature style, not signage.

Between the developers, architects (to which Hollywood Heritage board member Bill Roschen was recently added to help relate the project to its historic context and other potential issues), the MTA (which owns most of the land) and the CRA (which oversees the design) a project worthy of Hollywood’s creative past must emerge. HollywoodHeritage will be watching this closely so that this project adds to Hollywood and Vine and not merely uses its name.

Hollywood Palace / Avalon Hollywood. Another 1927 landmark legitimate theater with a star-studded past has, since August, undergone a significant $3+ million renovation. The new tenants operate similar type theater / concert facilities in Boston and New York (all named Avalon) and chose the Palace here as their first west coast venue.

Avalon, under the direction of John Lyons and Steve Adelman has cleaned up the theater (and the social problems around it), repainted it, removed the 1980’s disco era decorative elements and restored the originals, upgraded the backstage facilities, and remodeled the upstairs spaces into a Moorish/Moroccan style private club. This area, which was void of any décor, is now a lavish visual treat that blends right in with the theater’s Spanish motif, utilizing tiles, wood, faux paint finishes, lighting and furnishings to create an atmosphere that fits 1927, or today.

The auditorium and lobby, while already having had extensive work done, is still being worked on and future plans include reopening the covered up storefronts with a new restaurant. The progress is encouraging, on this welcome rehabilitation / restoration of an important Hollywood landmark. For now, a dynamic concert schedule and a variety of special events are keeping the former home of television’s The Hollywood Palace as well as The Frank Sinatra Show, This is Your Life, and The Jerry Lewis Show, going strong.

Combined with the improvements planned for the James Doolittle / Ricardo Montalban and the on-going restoration / renovation of the Henry Fonda / Music Box theaters, these three landmark 1927 theaters and their new operators are bringing back concerts, plays, and prestigious events to the Hollywood and Vine area not seen there in many years. Hollywood Heritage will continue to work with all three to help them restore and add to Hollywood’s history.