Christmas in LA

 Just a few Los Angeles area homes decked out for the holidays.

Motor City

Artist Chris Burden's "Metropolis II" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art .

An enormous kinetic sculpture of 1,100 miniature cars racing through a stylized cityscape. 

Had I seen this as a little kid I probably would have passed out from frustration at not being able to play in it.

IT SPEAKS VOLUMES

 The Los Angeles Public Library building in downtown Los Angeles. Built in 1926

Neptune Society

Neptune Fountain in Malaga Cove, Palos Verdes, CA.

Standing in the center of the Malaga Cove Plaza, This white marble fountain is a copy of a bronze original in Bologna, Italy. 

 

Happy Chef

Image of self-satisfied, vaguely smug chef of indeterminate sex adorning a downtown Los Angeles eatery

Majestic

1981  Majestic Car Wash and Joe's Big Burger on Third Street near Crescent Heights in Hollywood, Ca.
Fave: Billboard for the forgotten (and kind of terrible) Bruce Dern film, Tattoo.

Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancin' In A Hurry

An Arthur Murray dance studio in Glendale, Ca. 2012. The first one was opened in 1921, surviving and teaching more dance crazes than I can name.

The novelty song "Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancin' In A Hurry" (by Victor Schertzinger and Johnny Mercer) was performed by Betty Hutton in the 1942 film "The Fleet's In"

Walt Disney Meets Clark Kent

The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown Los Angeles
Deconstructivist architecture bu Frank Gehry

Los Angeles City Hall in Downtown Los Angeles
Exterior used as the Daily Planet on the Superman TV show (in all but the first season)

Angels Flight

Angels Flight Railway in the Bunker Hill District of Downtown Los Angeles

View of the tracks from inside the car as it climbs the hill towards Olive Street

  

Let a Smile Be Your Brolly

The Brolly Hut     Umbrella themed architecture in Inglewood, Ca.     

The Lady in the Tutti-Frutti Hat

Dedicated in 1998, Carmen Miranda Square is located at the intersection of Hollywood Blvd. and Orange Dr. in Hollywood (across the street from Grauman's Chinese Theater).

IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT

Neon sculpture by Glenn Ligon

My Darling Clementine

Buddha's Finger Citron and Clementine Orange

Lei-Away Plan

Exotical Hawaiian Apparel in Downey, CA.

  

It's Been A Pleasure to Serve You

The Pleasure Chest (Toys for Big Girls & Boys) in West Hollywood, Ca. celebrates it's 40th Anniversary

Hooray For Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Originally known as the Hollywood Memorial park Cemetery, Hollywood Forever Cemetery was built in 1899 and is located at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood, near Vine Street.
Known for being the final resting place for more stars than anywhere in the world, if you visit the cemetery with young ones or teens (as you should, it's beautiful and historic) be prepared for a day full of "Who's that?" and "I've never heard of any of these people!"

Hattie McDaniel- American actress. Academy Award winner for Gone With The Wind

Rudolph Valentino- Silent screen heartthrob. The Brad Pitt of his time

Toto- The Wizard of Oz co-star and hard-to-live-up-to icon of cuteness for canines everywhere

Don Adams- Comic TV actor of the 60s and the best physical comedian ever

Jayne Mansfield- 50s sex symbol and underrated actress

Peter Finch- Actor and Academy Award winning star of Network

John Huston- Legendary film director

Vampira- 50 TV horror movie hostess. The original Elvira, if you will

Mel Blanc- legendary voice-over artist. Mr. Bugs Bunny

Yma Sumac-Exotic 50s singer

Darren McGavin- American TV actor known for the TV series "The Night Stalker" 

Cecil B. De Mille aka (Cecil Blount De Mille) - Legendary film director

Tyrone Power- American leading man

Douglas Fairbanks- Silent movie swashbuckler, married to Mary Pickford and founding member of United Artists

Adrian- Famed Hollywood costume designer not only hid his Jewish ancestry behind a single moniker (Adrian Adolph Greenburg), but hid his homosexuality behind a marriage to actress Janet Gaynor.  

Mr. Blackwell- Noted costume designer and creator of the ten best /worst dressed list

Fay Wray- Actress famous for sitting in King Kong's paw

Nelson Eddy- Operatic singer and  leading man of the movies, often co-starred with Jeanette MacDonald

Harry Cohn- President of Columbia Pictures and alleged chaser of Rita Hayworth and  Kim Novak

Johnny Ramone- Stage name of John Cummings, one of the founding member of the punk rock band, The Ramones,   

A couple of year-round residents of Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Peacocks also grace the cemetery grounds