The Los Angeles Conservancy is a great organization. It was started to preserve the historic Los Angeles library downtown, a library I haunted as a child and appreciated even then. But we went downtown to go to the Million Dollar Theater to see the 1947 movie It's A Wonderful Life. I don't get to do this very often, go see an old movie in a theater with an audience, but if you've never done it, you definitely should. I don't know how many hundreds of times I've seen this movie, but with a live audience, you get a whole new feel. There were even folks in the theatre who had never seen it. You could tell by their reactions. The funny lines were funnier, the pathos was sadder. But the only thing that didn't seem to hold up to the test of time was when Clarence the Angel declared that poor old Mary had ended up an old maid! And--horrors--was a LIBRARIAN to boot! That one got hoots of laughter. Probably a lot of librarians in the place.
But let me back up. There was a lot going on.
We arrived downtown on a sleepy Sunday. The Million Dollar Theater was built in 1918 with all the Spanish rococo flourishes expected from the era. It was, as they say, a movie palace! With a long arcing balcony and some 2345 seats originally, it was one of the largest theatres in the coountry built exclusively to show movies. L.A. is full of great old buildings like this, great little pockets of architecture. Behind is Bunker Hill, which used to be home to fabulous mansions in the late 1800's (and you can still see a few of them hauled lock, stock, and ornate barrel beside the Pasadena Freeway on your route to Pasadena) but is now bludgoened by the blight of a 1960's rambling apartment complex. Angel's Flight, a very short funicular railway, used to be the cheap way to get up and down the steep hill. Though the original railway was dismantled despite years of groups trying to preserve it, it was finallyy restored and rededicated in 1996, making a few flights up and down today.
Across from the Million Dollar Theater is the infamous Bradbury Building. Built in 1893, it's unique interior was inspired by a work of science fiction; how buildings would look in the year 2000! The interior is a gorgeous play of ironwork and skylight. Galleries, wood, terracotta friezes, two open ironwork elevators, marble--it's an amazing interior. And naturally enough, it's been used in the movies a fair few times, including Blade Runner, Double Indemnity, and D.O.A.
Broadway between 4th and 7th is now host to a mostly Hispanic population and the storefronts reflect that, as well as Grand Central Market, with it's fighting aromas of Mexican food and Asian cookery. We almost stopped there to eat but we got a 10% discount to eat at the historic Clifton's Cafeteria and that's another place I'd always heard of but never got a chance to go to.
Down the street we went. Built in 1931, this Cafeteria has seen five generations keep it alive. Inside, you are whisked to the Santa Cruz mountains with forest murals painted by L.A. muralist Einar Petersen; a brook running through with a waterfall; "redwood" tree pillars hold up the roof; a moose stands guard over diners from above, and diners sit up and around a forest chalet. Yup. It's all California!
After lunch, we strolled and shopped. One shop in particular caught my eye. It's window shelves were stocked with plastic and plaster saints and it could have been just another Catholic paraphenalia store...except for the statues of Death. In all sizes. Well, I had to go in there and get one. It's not everyday a person like me can buy death on the street.
As we look around, we begin to sense that this is not for Catholics much. Odd shaped candles for rituals, including a penis-shaped candle, and lots of stuff in the "pharmacy" area that looked suspicious. But I wanted my death statue, so the fellow behind the counter was friendly and most helpful. In fact, when I made my choice of the many little statues, he pulled back a red curtain and showed me a much bigger statue of Death with candles and a prie-dieu. If I felt like praying, I was free to do so. I didn't.
We just assumed we were in a Santeria shop, that blend of West African, Caribbean, and Catholic religion invlovling sacrificing chickens. But when I looked at the L.A. Times the next day, there just happened to be an article about this fellow--gal, really--Santa Muerte (Holy Death).
You can find anything in L.A. That's why I love it so much! It's a wonderful town.
More shots of downtown. Yeah, I was pretending to be a tourist.
A view of some of the great old architecture down Broadway.
If you had any doubts, the sign told you.
More old theaters per capita. Unfortunately, most are only husks of what they once were.


