CHRISTMAS PRESENTED

Spotted in Chowchilla, CA

Nothing says Merry Christmas and Joy to the World like a safety vested snowman well-trained in firearms. The only way you'll get your hands on this smiling bundle of Christmas cheer's inflatable gun is to pry it from his cold, melted mittens. Watch out, Santa, he might be gunning for reindeer! And look out, Frosty, better not say Happy Holidays, otherwise this cool-head camouflage gun-lover here might claim snow-blindness and take you out! Snuggle up with that gun tonight, Mr. Snowman
...while visions of willfully misinterpreted 2nd Amendment rights dance through your head!

L.A. Eyeworks on Beverly Blvd. in Hollywood rings out the Christmas puns in this moo-ving Holiday window display.

ON A CAROUSEL

Located near the Griffith Park Zoo and said to have been Walt Disney's inspiration for building Disneyland, the Griffith Park merry-go-round was built in 1926 (it was originally located at the Mission Beach Amusement Center in San Diego, but was moved to Griffith Park in 1937). The ornate carousel has 68 horses and contains a Military Band Organ that plays more than 1,500 songs. 

FACE-LIFTED FACADES

These Hollywood buildings are still standing, just no longer as the business pictured here.

The Ivar Theater on Ivar St. between Hollywood and Sunset Blvd - photo 1980
Opened in 1951 as a legitimate theater. Turned to a burlesque house in the mid-'70s.
Adjacent to it on the right is the old Hollywood Branch Library, which was torn down in 1985. In 2002 the facade of the Ivar was renovated and space operated by the California Youth Theater.

Hollywood Blvd Chicken Delight 

Morgan Camera Shop on Sunset Blvd near Vine

WINGING IT

Giant paper airplanes in Downtown Los Angeles' Grand Park 

Mesh-fabric paper airplanes serve as a shade structure in the Olive Court area overlooking City Hall

The winning choice in a design competition, the 11 enormous paper airplanes are the work of 

Elenita Torres and Dean Sheriff, and were unveiled in the park in September of 2016

UP ON THE ROOF

On the occasion of the 88th Annual Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theater on Hollywood & Highland on February 28, 2016, the iconic dinosaur perched atop the roof of Ripley's Believe It Or Not Odditorium  donned a top hat and tie. Since 2014 the popular curiosity museum has been dressing the rooftop dinosaur in seasonal attire (surfboard and sunglasses for summer, Santa Suit, horns and pitchfork for Halloween).

The enormous marquee at the Highland/Hollywood complex housing the Dolby Theater. Chris Rock was the Oscar host that year

 This is what comes of taking photos and leaving them in your camera for six months.  A Hollywood restaurant whose name escapes me features a swordfish (shark?) crashed through its roof .

HOLLYWEIRD SCIENCE

Exterior of the Science Building at Hollywood High School on Sunset and Highland

THE LAST MOVIE HOUSE

The Sierra Theater, Chowchilla, Ca.
The Sierra Theater was the larger (474 seats) of two motion picture houses in the small town of Chowchilla. Built in 1941, the Sierra Theater closed in the mid to late '70s, but stood, abandoned until it was demolished in 2006. As you can see in the last B&W photo, there used to be an outdoor ticket booth.
The first three photos were taken by me in 1997. My partner was born and raised in Chowchilla, as was his father, who, as a teen, worked at the Sierra Theater.
The last to photos were found on the site Cinema Treasures

Rear view of the Sierra Theater

 

Cinema Treasures

THE MAGIC KINGDOM

I haven't visited in ages, but no blog devoted to California Koo Koo would be complete without a trip to Anaheim's primary attraction, Disneyland.

I SEE ME

Funny to see one's name stamped on everything in sight. It's enough to turn a person into a bloviating megalomaniac with a narcissistic personality disorder. 

Kenneth Village in Glendale is a shopping district located on Kenneth Road between Sonora and Grandview Avenues. The Kenneth emblazoned across everything is said to be the middle name of the son of one of the earliest homeowners in the area, a Mr. Walter Dow, who built a home there in 1896.

Ken Anderson's Bait Co. is actually painted on a building on Main Street in Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It's named for the late Ken B. Anderson, a longtime animator and art director for many Walt Disney films.

MORE SIGNS

The late and lamented Dan-Dee Shoe Repair on Vine St near Hollywood Blvd. A (suspicious) nearby fire in 2008 gutted neighboring businesses on this historic block eyed by land developers. After occupying this place for many decades (at least since the 50s) Dan-Dee was demolished. 

The Gardenia Restaurant and Lounge on Santa Monica Blvd in Hollywood

The Hollywood Downtowner Motel on Hollywood Blvd.

THE DOCTOR IS IN

Located in Brand Park in Glendale, Doctors House Museum and Gazebo is a Victorian house built in 1888 that was home to four different families of physicians. Originally located on Wilson Avenue, the house was moved in 1979 to Brand Park where it was renovated and opened as a museum in 1984. Tours are held, and the museum features displays of Victorian era artifacts. 

The house was the home of silent screen star Nell Shipman from 1970 to 1920