Tuesday, May 27, 2008 – Detailing Hollywood

Using the telephoto lens, some views of the Security Pacific Bank Building, 1921, John and Donald B. Parkinson, 6381 Hollywood Boulevard, at Raymond Chandler Square – the model for the Cahuenga Building, where Chandler's cynical but observant detective, Philip Marlowe, leased an office on the sixth floor. Think of Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep.

It's next to the bus station –

There are Art Deco birds across the street.

And just west of the Security Pacific Bank Building, at 6433 Hollywood Boulevard, there's the Warner Pacific Theater – 1926, G. Albert Lansburgh – with its history:

The Jazz Singer opened in New York on October 6, 1927 to excited crowds and wonderful reviews. Unfortunately though, none of the Warner brothers were able to attend. Just 24 hours before the premiere, Sam Warner suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died in Los Angeles. His brothers hurried home from New York before the film ever opened.

The Warner Pacific Theatre opened six months later with a forgotten film called The Glorious Betsy with Conrad Nagel. In spite of this, Al Jolson emceed the night and a ceremony was held for Sam in which a plaque was placed in the lobby in his honor. It has been said that while Sam Warner was not physically present that night... he was undoubtedly there in spirit. A man like Sam Warner would never leave this world with his work unfinished!

Since that night in April 1928, random sightings of Sam Warner have taken place at the theater and in the administration offices above. People who live nearby report seeing him in the lobby, walking back and forth and looking frustrated and tired.

It is bit spooky.

If you wish to use any of these photos for commercial purposes I assume you'll discuss that with me. And should you choose to download any of these images and use them invoking the "fair use" provisions of the Copyright Act of 1976, please provide credit, and, on the web, a link back this site. 

Technical Note:

Photographs after March 3, 2008, were taken with a Nikon D200 – or a Nikon D70 when noted. All previous photographs were taken with the D70. The lenses used are (1) AF-S Nikkor 18-70 mm 1:35-4.5G ED, or (2) AF Nikkor 70-300 mm telephoto, or (3) AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 55-200 mm f/4-5.6G ED. Photography here is modified for web posting using Adobe Photoshop 7.0.  The earliest photography in the archives was done with a Sony Mavica digital still camera (MVC-FD-88) with built-in digital zoom.

All text and photos, unless otherwise noted, Copyright © 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 - Alan M. Pavlik