Hollywood Heritage is a non- profit organization dedicated to preservation of the historic built environment in Hollywood and to education about the early film industry and the role its pioneers played in shaping Winter/Spring 2007 www.hollywoodheritage.org Volume 26, Number 1 Hollywood’s history. Wattles Turns 100 WELCOME! CPF Conference Hollywood Heritage May 3-6! Files Suit Over Historic Demolitions Chinese Theater Marquee Saved at Last Minute Part 2 of Allan Ellenberger’s Biography of Gurdon Wattles Museum Gets Major Donation Evenings @ The Barn Updates President’s Message Committee System Reactivated www.hollywoodheritage.org by Marc Wanamaker success and will expand with BOARD OF DIRECTORS he beginning of 2007 for interesting and informative Marc Wanamaker Tthe officers and members programs all related to Holly- President Fran Offenhauser of Hollywood Heritage has wood’s heritage. Vice President been an ever growing set of The committees have already Valerie Yaros challenges re- started or are continuing vari- Secretary lated to the Keith Anderson ous projects for outreach into Treasurer organiza- the community, one such be- Robert Birchard tion as a ing committee chair George Nick Beck whole and Kiel’s walking tours. We are Aaron Epstein its goals approaching summer and time Marian Gibbons Rebecca Goodman for the new is of the essence. Everyone on David Greim year. Wattles the Board, the committees and Randy Haberkamp is constant- members are looking forward George Kiel ly being to making an effort to meet Christy Johnson McAvoy Jeffrey Rouze main- the challenges of this Richard Rownak coming year and I Andrew Schwartz am hopeful that we Sue Slutzky Thaddeus Smith all will accomplish Stan Taffel many of the goals we Gina Zamparelli tained and the 107 year-old have established. Robert W. Nudelman barn continues to upgrade its If you’re interested in serv- Preservation Issues Director exhibits and physical infra- ing on a committee or helping Stephen Sylvester structure. Committees have Executive Director Jualita/Wattles Mansion in any other way, we’re always The Wattles Mansion been set up to take on some looking for active members. 1824 N. Curson Ave., Hollywood, CA 90046 of these challenges which Please write to: webmaster@ Randy Haberkamp Silent Society Director includes vigilence when it hollywoodheritage.org and comes to preservation issues in Mary Sullivan we’ll be happy to “sign you Director of Membership Development Hollywood. up.” John Clifford This President and the com- In May Hollywood Heritage Newsletter and Web Site Editor mittees related to the barn and is proud to be a co-sponsor Kay Tornborg its museum operations will and co-host of the 2007 Cali- Special Projects Director continue to improve the facili- Web site donated and maintained by Aptara fornia Preservation Founda- www.aptara.com ties there and will be slowly re- tion Conference. On behalf of configuring the exhibit spaces Printed by Layton Printing all of Hollywood Heritage, I’d La Verne, California and creating a proper book and like to take this opportunity Hollywood Heritage Newsletter is published souvenir store. The programs by Hollywood Heritage, Inc., to welcome them to our home, P.O. Box 2586, Hollywood, CA 90078 have already started with great HOLLY­WOOD! (323) 874-4005. 2 Hollywood Heritage Newsletter | Winter/Spring 2007 On the Cover Table of Contents 4 Chinese Dragons Saved From 1958 to 2001 the dragon marquees at the Chinese Theater stood sentinel. Learn how close they came to being scrap 5 Heritage Files Suit Hollywood Heritage, facing the reality of Hollywood’s over development and lack of planning resulting in demolition of historic buildings and threatening the National Register Historic District, files suit 8 Wattles at 100 Years It was 100 years ago that Gurdon Wattles created his fabulous home and gardens. 5 Join Hollywood Heritage in celebrating this important milestone Hollywood Heritage member Ted Otis captured the demolition of the historic properties at 1810 Whitley Avenue on January 9, 2007 15 State Preservation Meeting photo by Ted Otis Comes To Hollywood Historic image of Wattles Mansion Hollywood Heritage Museum archive This year the state California Preservation 25 Foundation Conference will take place in Hollywood. Hollywood Heritage is a co-sponsor of the conference. 16 Gurdon Wattles: A Biography The second part of Allan Ellenberger’s biography of the Omaha banker whose early investment in Hollywood became the Wattles Mansion and Gardens. 20 Evenings @ The Barn A recap of the past season of special events presented by Hollywood Heritage in our landmark museum and at other locales 4 25 Palladium Renovation Hollywood’s landmark Palladium will be operated by Live Nation Concerts Departments President’s Message 2 Preservation Updates 6 Letters 6 Upcoming Events 22 Membership Update 28 This is a special color double issue of the Hollywood Heritage Newsletter commemorating Wattles 100 21 years and the CPF Conference in Hollywood Hollywood Heritage Newsletter | Winter/Spring 2007 Hours Before Recycling Chinese Theater “Dragon” Marquee Saved by Robert W. Nudelman tual joint display after restoration. I son who had done their repairs on n Friday, December 8, asked about the sign and was shown the sign for its last ten years (who OHollywood Heritage learned it in the back outdoor deck. had also removed and saved some by accident, that the historic, mar- Looking more chipped than chip- of the neon). Numerous cost esti- quees, neon dragons, canopy, and per after a couple of moves and the mates were made to move it ASAP, other items that were in the Chinese residency of several cats, this trea- and ideas were tossed around as to Theater courtyard from 1958 to sure had managed to survive. There where to put all of it. 2001 were to be salvaged as scrap were no plans at the time to do Hollywood Heritage member metal the next day from their stor- anything with it, but we reminded Todd Fisher, Debbie Reynolds’ son age area. Finding this out at 5:30 the studio of our interest, past and and director of her museum project, that evening, it took an hour to track present. Later that day, when sched- was coming into town with a 45’ down a Paramount Studio official uling a Saturday pickup time for the flatbed trailer over the New Y­ear’s who could stop the action and allow ships, we found out it would be fine holiday. With the help of his wife, for Hollywood Heritage to remove as the recycler was coming to Christy, their son James, and the items for preservation and associate Eugene Shlugleit, eventual display. we filled the trailer with the Step back to August canopy ceiling 2001 when the Chi- and supports on nese Theater restora- December 30 (the tion, based on a deal previous week negotiated by Hollywood Todd had brought Heritage as part of the an enclosed trail- Hollywood/Highland er to move the project, was commencing. The neon remove the signs. Asking for a clari- ships, one at a time). marquee and canopy were to be fication of what signs, I was told the Next came the question of where removed and Hollywood Heritage Chinese Theater’s as the space was to locate a 40’ long marquee (in two worked out an agreement to receive being rented out to another company 20-foot sections) and the rest of the all but one neon dragon, which was (the reason the ships were leaving as items. The neon dragons both went to go to the Museum of Neon Art well). to MONA to be eventually repaired. (MONA). At the last minute, that Luckily, someone that night knew The remainder went to the Holly- deal was cancelled and Paramount who Hollywood Heritage was and wood Heritage Museum, stored in Pictures (co-owners of Mann The- agreed to halt the removal until we different areas until repairs can be aters, operator and owner of the could talk to Mr. Armstrong (who done. It took two fully loaded 60’ building) decided that they wanted was unaware of any of this) to get flatbed trailers to bring all of it to the items and hauled them away to permission to save the signage, et the museum with a crew of six to storage in Burbank. al. The following Monday began a unload it. Unfortunately, one of the There they sat for over five years. process to get permission to get the marquees could not be saved as its When Paramount’s president of stu- signs to us. I contacted Kim Kogen, condition from removal and stor- dio operations, Charlie Armstrong director of the Museum of Neon age was so poor that it was beyond called to see if we were interested Art, that Friday (where I could reach repair. We were able to save every- in some miniature ships from the her because they were having their thing else. 1940s (12’ to 25’ long) that were to Christmas party that night) to get Needless to say, a lot of people be thrown out, Hollywood Heritage information on repairing and mov- helped to make this happen, espe- president Marc Wanamaker and I ing the signs and to see if they were cially occurring as it did, during the went to the storage site went. We still interested in one of them. holidays. Shawn Butler of Western agreed to move the seven ships out She was, and the next week began Studio Service went out of his way to Debbie Reynolds’ studio for even- contacting sign movers and the per- continued on page 29 Hollywood Heritage Newsletter | Winter/Spring 2007 Legal Update Another Landmark Demolished, Hollywood Heritage Files Suit by Robert W. Nudelman signed off on the demolition and building to build condos was sent fter over a year of discussions variances for the new condo project to the councilman’s office (he also Abetween Hollywood Heritage to be built there.