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Photography

Wednesday, June 11, 2008 – Hollywood Skyscraper

Forget Hollywood's Golden Age – all those stars of yesterday and the old movie palaces, now so carefully restored.  And forget whatever the current glamorous glitz is, and the empty-headed Paris Hilton crowd, and the clubs and studios and bus tours offering a glimpse of the stars' homes hidden in the hills. Hollywood is now urban, even if it will never be urbane.  Some of it will remind you of Manhattan – tall buildings and sidewalks, as they say.

But urban Hollywood is Manhattan with an odd twist – add palm trees, and an overlay of movie madness.  This is Sunset and Vine.
Palm trees and skyscraper, northwest corner of Sunset and Argyle, Hollywood
Cranes in Hollywood

The Sunset-Vine Tower on the southeast corner of Sunset and Vine – 1964, Honnold, Reibsamen and Rex – late International style, the office skyscraper in the 1975 film "Earthquake" – now gutted and being rebuilt as condos.  The studios still find it useful.

The Sunset-Vine Tower on the southeast corner of Sunset and Vine - 1964, Honnold, Reibsamen and Rex - late International style, the office skyscraper in the 1975 film "Earthquake" - now gutted and being rebuilt as condos. The studios still find it useful.
The Sunset-Vine Tower on the southeast corner of Sunset and Vine - 1964, Honnold, Reibsamen and Rex - late International style, the office skyscraper in the 1975 film "Earthquake" - now gutted and being rebuilt as condos. The studios still find it useful.
The Sunset-Vine Tower on the southeast corner of Sunset and Vine - 1964, Honnold, Reibsamen and Rex - late International style, the office skyscraper in the 1975 film "Earthquake" - now gutted and being rebuilt as condos. The studios still find it useful.
The Sunset-Vine Tower on the southeast corner of Sunset and Vine - 1964, Honnold, Reibsamen and Rex - late International style, the office skyscraper in the 1975 film "Earthquake" - now gutted and being rebuilt as condos. The studios still find it useful.
The Sunset-Vine Tower on the southeast corner of Sunset and Vine - 1964, Honnold, Reibsamen and Rex - late International style, the office skyscraper in the 1975 film "Earthquake" - now gutted and being rebuilt as condos. The studios still find it useful.

The new Hollywood urban man, on a poster at the base of the tower –

Hollywood poster - businessman on red background
Hollywood poster - businessman on red background

Get your bearings –

Sunset and Vine

Schwab's Drug Store – where Harold Arlen wrote "Over the Rainbow" under its neon sign, where Lana Turner was not discovered while she sipped a soda at the counter in her tight sweater, where F. Scott Fitzgerald had his fatal heart attack – was actually on the southwest corner Sunset and North Laurel Avenue.  But they built a new one at Sunset and Vine.  It went under.
Schwab's Drug Store - where Harold Arlen wrote "Over the Rainbow" under its neon sign, where Lana Turner was not discovered while she sipped a soda at the counter in her tight sweater, where F. Scott Fitzgerald had his fatal heart attack - was actually on the southwest corner Sunset and North Laurel Avenue. But they built a new one at Sunset and Vine. It went under.

Sunset and Vine is just an odd place.

Unattributed bronze statue, Great Western Plaza, Sunset and Vine, Hollywood

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.
[Hollywood Skyscraper]

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