‘Old Hollywood’ walk brings Wilshire Blvd. history to life

| September 28, 2012 | 0 Comments

TALMADGE APARTMENT BUILDING, opened 1922 at 3278 Wilshire Blvd. It was built by movie producer Joseph Schenck for his wife, actress Norma Talmadge. Architects were Alan Curlett and Claud Beelman.

Marlene Dietrich shopped here, Gloria Swanson dined here and John Barrymore rode his horse through the Ambassador Hotel.
The landmarks where Hollywood celebrities hung out in the 1930s and 40s will be on the first of the monthly “Old Hollywood Art and Architecture Walks” in Wilshire Center starting Thurs., Oct. 25 from 2 p.m. to midnight.
Join the self-guided walk which begins at Spanish Fly Gastropub, 3800 Wilshire Blvd., to pick up maps and schedules featuring landmark buildings, art galleries, art stops and food/drink crawls. Guest speakers are scheduled at 4 and 10 p.m. Unwind at Spanish Fly Gastropub’s after-party with a local artist meet-n-greet, round table discussion, and late night happy hour starting at 10 pm.
“Wilshire Center is one of Los Angeles’ oldest neighborhoods, steeped in old Hollywood splendor, dotted with historic architecture, modern skyscrapers and bustling with ethnic and socio-economic diversity,” says Michael Russell, operations director of the Wilshire Center Business Improvement District. “Wilshire Center was once called the Upper East Side of the West Coast, because of tony department stores like Bullocks Wilshire, and New York-style apartments built for movie stars, when the area was popular with old Hollywood.
“There are still about 70 of these apartment structures here which are enjoying a revival of sorts, with developers renovating them to their former glory.”
Organizer Susan Park, said “Virtually every major style of 20th century architecture is represented on Wilshire Boulevard. Wilshire Center is where the boulevard began when Henry Gaylord Wilshire cleared a path in his 35-acre barley field.”  For more information call 213-412-2992.

LOBBY OF THE Wiltern Theater, 3780 Wilshire Blvd., was site of movie premiere in 1929. Morgan, Walls & Clements. The Wiltern was designed by Art Deco architect Stiles Clements.

 

 

Tags: , , , ,

Category: Real Estate

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *