Flashback Friday # 10

I thought it would be fun to write about the best part of Hollywood...

#10 The Hollywood Sign

Hollywood has always been known as the "city of broken dreams", but it was given the name "Hollywood" by real estate developer H. J. Whitely in 1886. In 1923 the sign was put up; but initially, it read, "Hollywoodland".

The letters of the sign were 50ft high, and after the first initial film set in Hollywood in 1904, it became the staple landmark of the town.

In September 16th, 1932 struggling actress Peg Entwistle leapt to her death. The letter she chose to descend from? the H. 

In 1949 "land" from "Hollywoodland" was taken off, and the sign was completely rebuilt to be 45 ft high. However despite the rebuilding in 1949, it became very depilated in the 1970s. The third "O" fell down the hill, and arsonists lit the "L" on fire. In 1978, Hugh Hefner held a gala to restore the sign which several contributors, including Alice Cooper, spent $28,000 each to restore the sign.

Originally the sign was intended to last a year, however because of its memorable image, it became a historical landmark in 1973. 

Although fictional, the sign has been destroyed in several movies. 

The Hollywood sign might be a image of deceit and misery however it is an icon of hopes and dreams as well. By getting to Hollywood and seeing the sign, you become everything you hope to be. Hollywood is the yin and yang of hope. It is the two sided coin where you can either succeed, or you can fail miserably.

The sign represents all of that. It is the basis and image of our home. It is the one major part of Los Angeles that I will keep in my heart.

Flashback Friday # 8

Hi!

#8 Hollywood Forever Cemetery 

One of the most popular venues for Los Angeles is a cemetery. It is a summer hotspot for movies, and concerts alike. In 2011 The Flaming Lips had a two day gig, and every october or november there is a Day of the Dead celebration. 

I'll just make the assumption that a lot of people know there are some stars buried here. Most the events are on Douglas Fairbanks' grave. It is quite famous for the golden era, and a lot of documentaries are shot here.

After experiencing the wonderful cemetery tour with http://www.cemeterytour.com/, I discovered that this cemetery is rich with history. I wanted to share some information about the cemetery.

The cemetery was founded in 1899 and was called, "Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery" by the famous Issac Lankershim and son-in-law Issac Van Nuys. Developed 13 years after the reconstruction, it became a burial site for confederate veterans since many people in the south moved to California to find work.

One of the cemetery's first famous inhabitants was Page Peters. He died when he was 27 at Hermosa Beach. Afterwards other stars were buried here like Rudolph Valentino, Marion Davies, Tyrone Power, and others. 

In 1939, felon Jules Roth bought the cemetery. Using the money for personal luxuries, Roth allowed the cemetery to be put into the despair. In the 1970s many of the lakes around the crypts were so diseased that dead animals would be seen floating around. None of the tombstones were cleaned, and none of the overgrowth was cleared.

Roth was a massive bigot. When the famous actress Hattie McDaniel wanted to be buried at the cemetery, so she can be immortalized like the rest of her famous comrades, he refused to have her buried there. The only option she had was to be buried at a segregated cemetery. 

When a body was being cremated in July 1974, the cemetery was starting to fall down, literally. As it was being cremated, bricks were falling around its body.

During the 1980s many people began moving their families to other cemeteries. In 1994, after the earthquake, the cemetery was so rundown that it caused the cemetery to not make any money.

Roth THANKFULLY died soon after and the cemetery was bought in 1998 by  Tyler and Brent Cassity. They were children of funeral owners and managed to put the cemetery in full refurbishment and repair. Now the cemetery has become a hybrid of where people go to celebrate life, and morn those who have gone.

If you want to see more about the cemetery, schedule a tour with Karie Bible at http://www.cemeterytour.com/

Flashback Friday # 7

I am so sorry from my lack of posts. I really have no excuse. I got a job and I just felt so overwhelmed. However since this is a standard "bottom dweller" sort of job I am going to continue with posting so I don't feel like such a loser. Because, in reality, I feel like I'm better than that.

So here is my belated flashback friday #7

#7 Valentino

Valentino. 

Rudolph Valentino. 

Rudolph Grandmotherfucking Valentino.

Valentino was the first. 

He made everything possible. 

Before your Justin Timberlakes, before your Channing Tatums, before the concept of "The Sexiest Man Alive", there was Valentino.

He was the epitome of the "latin lover". He probably created it. He had the image of the sensual lover. He made ladies' panties wet, and he disgusted his male rivals, not because he was competition, but because he was a threat to the American male masculine ideal. He was effeminate. He was different. He wasn't American.

One of the biggest things that wasn't American was his personal life. Because of his previous "lavender" marriages, rumors of his homosexuality stayed with him after his death. His first wife married to run away from a lesbian triangle, and his girlfriend Pola Negri had lesbian rumors as well. 

Four books claimed that Valentino was gay. One of the books, Hollywood Babylon, claimed that he was in a heated romatic relationship with Roman Novarro. Writer Kenneth Angers stated that Valentino made an art deco cast of his penis for Novarro that Novarro asked to be shoved down his throat at his funeral. However many have come out against those claims saying that that art deco piece never existed. 

Despite the scrutiny with his personal life, when Valentino died in August 1926, the whole western world stopped. What was once a healthy young sex symbol, was now dead. Upon hearing about his death, several of his fans committed suicide. The gates at paramount studios became known as the "weeping gates" because of all the fans that came to pay their respects. 

When he died, his friend gave him a plot at the Hollywood Forever cemetery. From 1926 to now, a mysterious woman in black came to pay her respects. What was initially revealed to be a publicity stunt later morphed into a tradition. The lady in black was the symbol of the love between the fan towards the actor. For someone that have never known the actor personally, she became the image of dedication and devotion to his image. 

Valentino might not have anything horribly scandalous, but he opened the doors for stars to become heroes. Because of Valentino, obsessed fans became the normal image for western civilization. 

Flashback Friday #6 ON A WEDNESDAY!

Sorry I have been silent for a while. I've been trying to get a job.

I haven't gotten one yet.

# 6 Mae West

I've known about Mae West for a long time. Watching older Looney Toons cartoons I was familiarized with the characterized big tit woman with the sensual voice saying famous phrases like, "What's happening Big Boy?"

I used to watch these old toons and thought they were funny, but I didn't know why they were funny. I knew what these people looked like, but I didn't know who they were based after. Mae West is an example of one of those people. 

Truthfully, I have never seen a Mae West Film. I really should take an initiative to see one, but I am just too ADDish right now. 

For those that don't know anything about Mae West, I will do a brief bio. Mae West was born August 17, 1893 in Brooklin, New York. In 1907 Mae West was performing in Vaudeville under the stage name Baby Mae. Overall West became quite popular and an overall big name in the preforming arts. Being a "controversial" artist, Mae West began writing her own plays. She wrote a play called "Sex" but she got arrested on "moral charges" and was sent to jail for ten days for "corrupting the moral youth". Despite being close to 40, movies started offering her roles in 1932. She stared in 11 films and sang in so much more. In 1959, she wrote an autobiography that became a huge success.  She passed away in November 22, 1980.

Mae West wasn't anything special to me until I found out how amazing she was.  Writing about things during a time where you would go to jail, West gave the finger to the prim and proper. Mae West was a big advocate for homosexual rights as well as women's rights. 

She lived most of her time in her penthouse at the Ravenswood apartment building. She had several boyfriends while living there. One of her boyfriends was William Jones, a famous boxer. One of my favorite stories was that the former owner of the apartment building banned her boyfriend William Jones because of his African American heritage so Ms. West gave him the "fuck you you racist bastard" remark by buying the building and lifting that ban. 

Mae West became also well known for her fights against censorship. Some of West's movies had to be heavily edited, and most of West's lines had to change into obvious sexual innuendoes. However that censorship became her image. In response to censorship, West said, "I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it."

I find Mae West amazing not because she was an actress but because she was a star that stuck to her morals. When she knew something was wrong she wouldn't stand by it even if it gave her a bad reputation. She was an innovator and a free thinker who saw gems in what was considered immoral shit. 

Going to Murphy's Ranch

I have successfully done one of the things I wanted to do this summer/ year.

I went to Murphy's Ranch!

I wanted to find some older photos of the area but I couldn't find them, but this is my experience to the wreck.

For those that haven't read the THOUSANDS of blog posts based on the history of Murphy's Ranch, nor seen the thousands of television segments based on the site, I will give you a small rundown.

Murphy's Ranch was built in 1930 in Rustic Canyon. It was owned by Winona and Norman Stephens, who were Nazi sympathizers. It was designed to be a base for the Nazi regime but it was raided on December 7th 1941 after Pearl Harbor. Afterwards, it was occupied by various other groups, hippies, homeless, whatever, and eventually it became abandoned in 1990. 

I've read about this, and I've seen a lot of the segments, but I never knew it was so easy to get to. I literally put it on my Apple maps and I found it. 

One of the first things I found was an abandoned car at the bottom of the cliff.

The initial journey starts off with a long hiking pathway. Being in Los Angeles hiking is a main component of life, so generally going to Murphy's Ranch wasn't a solo journey. 

Then, after a short walk, I found a gate with an opening. I went through the opening and walked down the stairs. 

Truthfully, the stairs were the best part about Murphy's Ranch. I found the stairs had so much to tell.

The stairs were our history. They were the path to evil comfortably placed in the center of nature. These stairs were covered completely with graffiti. The mixture of the urban and natural environments make a strong contrast that have to be seen. Walking down those stairs and seeing the last remnants of man made construction, you can see how weak we truly are compared to our planet. 

The other great thing that has to be seen is the graffiti art. Everywhere you look there is something awesome.

It is quite easy to break into the gates that are blocking the structures. However I didn't really want to see it. It didn't really bother me. I was more focused on the stairs.

Sometimes the clearest things are right in front of you. Los Angeles is a land of things that might seem boring, but with a deeper look, there is so much fun to do. I managed to do Murphy's Ranch in the morning and I really enjoyed it. Maybe next time I will check more inside the compound.

Flashback Fridays # 5

Ok.

Ok.

stop.

I know. 

I know I fucked up. 

Look I know I needed to write last week and I didn't. Truthfully I fell under the demons of boredom. Nothing inspired me last week, so I didn't write shit. However I know it is my fault. I am the reason I don't get inspired because I don't do anything. I have all this free time and all I do is just sit and watch tv.

So I think next week I'll try to be more assertive.

But for right now I'll do a much needed Flashback Friday



#5 Lupe Vélez

Oh Lupe, Lupe, Lupe, how I adore you. I adore everything about you. I love that you were a civil rights protestor, I love that you didn't give a shit what others thought about you, and I love that the rumors about your death became a notorious and compelling story that explains why hollywood is utterly fascinating.

Lupe was pre marilyn, pre Rita, and she was one of the major stars that made a successful transition from silent to talkie. She was one of the major stars that worked with the best directors, and she began to create the temperamental and explosive Latina role that seems to be re-ignited with the character "Gloria" from Modern Family. She became a big success with some of her most memorable films, Lady of the Pavements (1928), The Wolf Song (1929), Palooka (1933), Laughing Boy (1934), Hollywood Party (1934) and the series, Mexican Spitfire, from the early 1940s.

However that was not the fame that stuck with her. When you talk about Lupe, a toilet is usually what comes to mind. The rumors of the porcelain statue becoming the ultimate demise for the starlet has continued to this day. 

She had an affair with Harold Maresch, that's for sure. She became pregnant and she wanted him marry her so they could have a family. He said no. He was a struggling actor that didn't need the bad publicity. His girlfriend even sued him saying that he would marry her. Lupe gave everything up for him, and he took it and ran.

Having nothing, she felt ending it all wouldn't be a loss. She wrote,

To Harald: May God forgive you and forgive me, too; but I prefer to take my life away and our baby's, before I bring him with shame, or killin' him.

Lupe.

She had one last dinner with her friends then overdosed on 500 Seconal pills. She expected it to be it, but stories made that her death would last a lifetime.

There are so many rumors on how she was found. One was that she woke up vomiting non-stop and slipped on her own vomit and smacked her head on the toilet. Another is that she bashed her head on the toilet. A newspaper of that time said she was found in her bed filled with flowers.

Huffington Post recently shared this police photo of the deceased star saying she was found on the floor. While this logically makes sense there is one issue that Huff Post didn't acknowledge.

During that time, the LAPD was EXTREMELY corrupt. There is a reason that there are murder/death mysteries from the Golden Era. It was because the LAPD was faker than the "news" on fox news. When celebrities died in an scandalous way, many studios fixed that issue. If a celebrity died, the studios would get to the body first and throw away the incriminating items they owned. In order to keep quiet and to not investigate that issue, the LAPD was usually paid off by the studios.

Lupe was probably moved. Whatever happened to her she was moved in a way to look like she was lying comfortably in her bed. If you overdosed, you would probably be sprung on the floor, not looking like you took a nap. 

Whatever happened is still a mystery to me. I really don't think it's "solved". However I don't want it to be solved. Lupe's story is the epitome of Hollywood, and is what I love about LA. She deserves it all, and that's why she is #5. 

read more about her death here

Flashback Fridays #4

Growing up in this city there is one major thing that has never lost its fervor. Murals have always fascinated me and have always grabbed my interest. They were paintings for the common man; something that was for everyone to enjoy. 

Murals are around all of LA. They all have different meanings. Some are preserved, some are not. While we all cherish the newly found graffiti street art, I thought it might be interesting to appreciate an older street art form, a famous mural.

#4 América Tropical

América Tropical is pretty spectacular, and, better yet, it has been recently restored. It was once criticized because its realistic approach clashed with the idealized look of Olvera Street, something considered an idealized image of latino people. Painted in October 9, 1932, the América Tropical was painted using spray paint, which was a renowned during that time. 

What David Alfaro Siqueiros did was depict the torturing of the indigenous latino right in the center of the empire.  The racial prejudice was quite high, and a lot a resentment was being held by both parties. During this time (Zoot Suit Riot) many latinos were being deported and attacked. With the mural, artist David Alfaro Siqueiros pointed the middle finger to the nonchalant approach of politics during that time.

This message was not taken so lightly. When the once Disneyland-esque Olvera Street displayed the controversial painting for all to see, it was whitewashed soon after.

However eighty years later, the Getty Conservation restored the mural and opened it up to the world on its 80th birthday. 

I have a small fascination with this mural because it is so essential LA. It was something hidden from the whole world filled to the brim with history. It is a stepping stone to who we are today, and we had no idea. Having the América Tropical back into our lives allows us to understand that LA isn't simply celebrities and botox, but a city filled with scandal and political upheaval.

If you want to see it, take a trip to Olvera Street and see what your city has to offer.

watch more here

Flashback Fridays #3

So here is another Flashback Friday, and this one will involve a very interesting item. It seems that I have written so far about a person, a place, and now I find it appropriate to write about a thing. Categorizing things by types of nouns is quite fun.

So here is the next historical fact...

#3 The Cobb Salad

The Brown Derby was a chain of restaurants that ruled Hollywood from the 1920s to the 1950s. Hollywood elite constructed and formed their major scandals and stories within these four restaurants. However I am not here to talk about that. What I am here for, are the Cobb salad stories.

The Brown Derby at Hollywood and Vine had a lot of historical rumors attached to it. It is supposedly where Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons ate at, and where Clark Gable proposed to Carole Lombard. It is also where the Cobb salad originated from.

I've read different stories based on how to Cobb came to be. The first one was that it was late and the restaurant was closing up. A regular, and a good friend of the owner Robert Cobb, walked in and asked for something to fill him up. There wasn't a lot of food left, since it was the end of the day and they were packing up, so the chef, Chuck Wilson, simply used what was left. When the friend asked what the salad was, the chef replied, "a Cobb salad".

Another story was that the famous Sid Grauman,  founder of the Pantages, Grauman's Chinese theater, as well as others, came in and asked for something that didn't require a lot of chewing due to the fact he had dental surgery.  The result was the Cobb Salad. 

It is disputed whether chef, Chuck Wilson, or owner, Robert Cobb were the founders or creators of the salad, but whatever the answer is, it came from the fantastic building. Sadly the building experienced fire damage in 1987, riot damage in 1992, and overall the complete wreckage in the late 2010s. The building is completely gone now, and all that is left is a parking lot (on the bottom of this article). The Cobb Salad is an item owned by Hollywood history, and, it takes its place as third flashback friday.

Flashback Fridays #2

I've already fucked up. 

I had this goal of having a blog that I would continuously connect with, and I already fucked up and missed a deadline. 

Even despite being out of school for two years I have resulted to my lazy procrastinated self. 

Last night, just as I was going to bed, I legitimately jolted out of bed yelling, "ahh fuck". However  I was already in bed, so my laziness won the battle. 

But if Chaplin is my witness, I will still do my Flashback Friday.

So here is #2

#2 The Knickerbocker Hotel

If I could have everything I wanted, The Knickerbocker would be open to the public. I would even settle for the small cafe connected to the hotel to be open to the public. If I had all the money in the world I would buy that place in a second and convert it into apartments or ANYTHING just to give this building back to the deserving world. But instead this place is now a russian retirement home. 

Putin wins this round.

However it's hard to blame Russians for the inaccessibility  of this fantastic building. Before the 1970s it was basically a decapitated shithole covered with the drugged up remains of whores and deadbeats. Hollywood did the right thing in converting it to a retirement home so they can clear out the mess.

Just like any dessert in LA, this place has a really short but rich history. When it was constructed in 1925 by E.M. Frasier, it became a regular hang out spot for Hollywood's elite.  

The Knickerbocker has been the place where Valentino, as well as Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, had their occasional drinks. It is where Harry Houdini's wife conducted her séances to contact her recently deceased husband, and it's also where Francis Farmer was carried out kicking and screaming after failing to meet with her probationary officer. 

Elvis stayed here when he was filming Love Me Tender and Laurel & Hardy were here on an episode of "This is your Life". 

However, some dark stuff happened here as well.  

D. W. Griffith was found unconscious in the lobby from a brain hemorrhage, ultimately dying of that later that night. Irene Lentz, also known as Irene, committed suicide by jumping out of her window and dying on the roof of the lobby. She was found a couple of days later. Also William Frawley, famously known as Fred Mertz from the famous I Love Lucy, suffered from a heart attack and was dragged to the Knickerbocker ultimately dying later at the hospital.  

See, this place is rich with both sides of history.

The question I always seem to get is, "why do you even care?" 

I care because this is a building with so many interesting facts. Not simply facts but facts that ignite interest and fascination. What is so fascinating about this city is that the city we live in is where our idols generated from. Those that we admire and worship reside and evolved in this town, and their residual effects are fascinating to the rest of the world today. The celebrity status is filled with weird and scandalous stories, and The Knickerbocker is the epitome of that, and that's why I love it so.