Neon Jungle

Examples of Los Angeles Neon from the 1980s

Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace, located on the corners of Santa Monica Blvd & La Cienega Blvd. in West Hollywood, CA. was briefly the real-life embodiment of the kind of roller skating nightclub immortalized in the 1980 film "Xanadu". This photo was taken in 1980, not long before it closed in 1981, making way for an ESPIRIT clothing store. Today it is the site of a drug store.

Hot Neon

The Starwood Night Club in West Hollywood, Ca. around 1980 when it was a showcase for punk bands. It closed down after a fire in 1981. Currently an ugly little corner mall on Santa Monica Blvd.

Sign that used to adorn the Jim Morris Gym in West Hollywood, Ca. Photo taken in 1981. Was located right next to the former home of FLIPPER'S ROLLER BOOGIE PALACE on Santa Monica Blvd.

Sign for The Pleasure Chest adult fetish superstore on Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood, CA.  1981

In 1981 Melrose Avenue was flooded in neon, and one of the more animated signs was this active one for FLIP used clothing store.

The Tropicana Motel was a popular motel for rock bands, tourists, and burn-outs - located on Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood, Ca. Photo is from 1981. It was torn down in 1988. Currently the site of one of the ugliest hotels ever built. Dukes coffee shop, which was next door to the motel, had the best chocolate cake in town.

Another example of Los Angeles Neon 1981

Sign for the Gold Cost bar in West Hollwood, Ca., taken in 1981. Bar has been there as long as I've been in Los Angeles (since 1978) and I suspect it will still be there long after I'm gone.

Sign says it all. 1981, Los Angeles Ca.

Memories, Light The Corners of My Mind...

The Castro Movie Theater, Castro Street, San Francisco, CA

The Castro Theater is a 2000-seat movie palace built in 1922. Designed by architect Timothy L. Pfueger in the Spanish Baroque style, it was declared a landmark in 1976.
This was my neighborhood theater growing up in San Francisco during the late 60's. It was at the Castro that I first saw Rosemary's Baby, Barbarella, Bonnie & Clyde, and Midnight Cowboy in their original theatrical release.

The Alhambra Theater on Polk Street in San Francisco, CA. circa 1983 (the 1,625-seat theater had been split into 2 theaters by this time. The marquee above shows that one theater is playing the Burt Reynolds film, "Stroker Ace." 

While working as an usher at the theater in the 70's, the manager (a Mr. Lloyd, if I'm not mistatken) allowed me to climb up into that minaret pictured above. The view of the city from that height was spectacular, but the climb back down was terrifying.

The Alhambra movie theater on Polk Street is another San Francisco movie palace designed by the same architect who built the Castro Theater (Timothy L. Pfueger). The Alhambra Theater was inspired by the Alhambra Palace in Grenada, Spain, and is built in what is called the Moorish Revival style.
The Alhambra was declared a landmark in 1996 (after closing in 1998) and is currently the home of a CRUNCH gym.
Working as an usher at the Alhambra was my first job ever. I opened my first bank account at the Bank of America that was once across the street, and my first adolescent crush was on the handsome owner of the hair salon next door to the theater; a place called "As You Like It."
The movies that had their Bay Area premieres at the theater while I worked there were: The Stepford Wives (1975), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), Return of the Pink Panther (1975), The Wild Party (1975), and Night Moves (1975). Most memorably, "Jaws" had its San Francisco sneak preview there in 1975. I can still remember standing in the lobby and hearing the screams.

A Life In The Theater

The Cinerama Dome, Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, Ca.  circa 1980 "The Blue Lagoon" opened there that summer.

Mann's Chinese Theater, Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, Ca. Formally Grauman's Chinese Theater and built in 1927, it was purchased by the Mann Theaters chain in 1973 and maintained the "Mann's" title until 2001 when it returned to the Grauman's name and eventually lost its forecourt box-office.

Lines form in 1981 for the opening of "Raiders of the Lost Ark"

John Huston's "Annie" opened at Mann's Chinese in 1982

A 1981 photo of The HOLLYWOOD THEATER Located on Hollywood Blvd. near Highland in Los Angeles, Ca. It was built in 1938 but was converted to The Guinness World of Records Museum in 1994. Showing movies like "Dragonslayer" certainly couldn't have helped.

"And Now, Here's Something We Hope You Really Like!"

1981 photo of the 15-foot Rocky and Bullwinkle Statue on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles across the street from the Chateau Marmont Hotel.
In a traffic-stopping ceremony featuring actress Jayne Mansfield, the statue was unveiled in 1961 to promote "The Bullwinkle Show." Situated in front of what was then The Jay Ward Studios, the statue rotated on its base and was a witty take-off of the famous billboard of the rotating cowgirl advertising the Las Vegas Sahara Hotel. Located across the street from the Bullwinkle statue, the billboard and its iconic showgirl figurehead served as the cover and chief advertising image both for Gore Vidal's novel "Myra Breckinridge" and the notorious 1970 Raquel Welch film.

Image courtesy of rathausprojects.com

Although not visible in the photo posted below for "Can't Stop The Music," the Bullwinkle statue is located just a few feet beyond the billboard, not far from the Jay Ward store, "The Dudley Do-Right Emporium" which sits in the forefront of the photo. The statue still exists today, although both Jay Ward's studio and the Emporium are gone.

You Actually CAN Stop The Music

Billboard on Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles, CA promoting the film, "Can't Stop The Music" 1980

This billboard, promoting the Village People disco-musical "Can't Stop the Music" graced Sunset Blvd near the corner of Laurel Canyon. The billboard itself actually had a traffic-stopping, star-studded, red-carpet, unveiling ceremony on  "Can't Stop The Music Day" (Thank you, mayor Tom Bradley). The red carpet extended from the billboard all the way to the door of the famous Schwab's drugstore.
Long after the movie  - a monumental flop -  had disappeared from theaters, this billboard was still up.
For more info on the making of this memorably bad film, check out the book "Party Animals: A Hollywood Tale of Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll Starring the Fabulous Allan Carr" by Robert Hofler

...From Beautiful Downtown Burbank

The Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Built (or at least opened) in 1928.
The 110-acre backlot makes use of its expansive soundstage walls to promote upcoming releases.

Barham Avenue view of Warners Studio shows the entrance gate that was used in the finale of Mel Brook's "Blazing Saddles"

All photos taken in 1981