If you stand feet splayed on the northeast corner of Hollywood and Vine looking toward the Pacific Ocean your right foot will be on Edward R. Murrow’s Walk of Fame Star and your left foot will be Jimmy Stewart’s, the round Capitol Records building will be northward up the hill and The Pantages Theatre will be to your back. Between that corner and the corner occuppied by the Hotel Roosevelt a short seven blocks to the west resides everything that Los Angeles has to offer with the exception of a beach. On the night that I make the trek from 6300 Hollywood Boulevard to El Capitan Theatre at 6838 Hollywood Boulevard to see the 11:40 showing of “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” any number of homeless will be wedged into closed shop fronts along the street, teenage hookers will sell themselves in front of the McDonald’s near the corner of Hollywood and Highland and a couple of hours before daylight Lindsay Lohan will be photographed passed out in her car after partying ‘til dawn in Teddy’s the current hotspot located inside the Roosevelt Hotel.
Whenever home folks come from Tennessee to visit my son or me - now long time residents of the Left Coast - they always want to see Hollywood Boulevard, home to Grauman's Theatre, the Oscars and so many landmarks that, to those who have never been here, scream, "Star!" I have to admit, the first time we visited LA, we too made the trek and stood amongst the gawkers looking at the handprints in front of Grauman's, wondering if we could score tickets to "Wheel of Fortune" or "Price is Right" from the ticket hawkers down the block so our Nana would think our visit had been worthwhile; but if you've been there more than once, you quickly realize that Hollywood and Highland has more in common with Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee than it does with glamour and high life, just change the words on the tacky t-shirts and give the girls a little more tease to their hair and you're in Tennessee - think Britney Spears in cut offs with chewing gum and you have the essense of Hollywood meets Dollywood. In fact, Pigeon Forge's slightly more upscale sister tourist town to the north, Gatlinburg, even has a Ripley's Believe It or Not (I've always loved that they don't claim anything inside is true - believe it or not!) and a Guinness Book of Records Museum (albeit not one with Arnold Schwarzenegger's Walk of Fame Star in front of the box office).
Still, I can spend hours wandering the Boulevard with its roll up metal store doors painted with portraits of Old Hollywood stars, its numerous movie palaces in various states of glorious renovation or dismal disrepair and its clothes stores full of hooker chic. At least twice a year my son and I pay the highest movie ticket prices in town to sit in cramped reserved balcony seats and watch the latest Disney family feature on the enormous screen at the restored El Capitan Theatre which Disney now owns. The El Capitan marquee alone is worth a trip to Hollywood Boulevard.
Marquee for El Capitan Theatre
smaller marquee to the left for the Disney Soda Fountain
From the third level of the I told you it was worth the trip.
Hollywood & Highland Mall I love that marquee.
A few blocks down the street next to the famed Pig 'n Whistle, now mostly a bar for industry up and comers eager to let everyone know they are up and comers and stray tourists who wander in because of the name, stands the Egyptian Theatre, a part of the American Cinematheque group; an equally reverent, if somewhat more restrained restoration, the Egyptian shows mainly classic films and low key pre-premiere showings often accompanied by question and answer sessions with the movies' stars, directors and writers.
Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Boulevard
next to Pig 'n Whistle
Not all theatres on the Boulevard have been so lucky, those without pedigree or historic buildings or just plain luck of location have become sad Norma Desmonds, waiting behind crumbling doors for a return to glory that will never come. The vacant Pacific Theatre still advertises gift certificates on its marquee, while another abandoned nameless theatre promises musical entertainment that will obviously never be heard. The Ritz - like so many former theatres throughout the country - has been born again as the
Iglesia Universal (Universal Church).
The Vine Theatre at 6321 Hollywood Boulevard has managed to remain a full time operating second run movie house (it shows movies after they've left the major screens) largely due to the relentless efforts of its owner Jim "Jamshid" Barmaan who lists himself on his business card as Exhibitor, Promoter, Real Estate; and, trust me, he has to be very good at all three to keep the Vine going. Just a few stores up from the mythic intersection of Hollywood and Vine, the movie house shows true double features - a rarity these days, you get to see both pictures for one price - at $7.00 for adults and $6.00 for children and senior citizens. The auditorium itself has kind of a shotgun feel to it, long with a small screen at the end but the film I saw was clear, unlined and had good sound. The restrooms - upstairs - were clean and the concession stand had a full line of candy, fresh popcorn and sweet, sweet Coke, all at prices remarkably reasonable for a movie theatre. I've paid twice as much for tickets at a major first run house and then feasted on over priced melted Dibs, cold popcorn, been offered only Pepsi to drink and had the house lights come up during the last reel of the movie and stay up for about six minutes.
Vine Theatre
on Memorial Day weekend
Although I wouldn't hesitate to take a child into the well maintained theatre, it is - obviously - only one store removed from a triple threat adult store. Le Sex Shoppe offers adult movies, adult toys and strippers, although hopefully the movies, toys and strippers aren't as old and faded as the displays in the store's window. I couldn't decide if the neon lit naked women with cherry nippled breasts were hilarious or sad, they sure weren't offensive. Other stores to the east of the theatre include a tattoo parlor, a head shop with some of the most impressive bongs I have ever seen and, incongrously plunked down in the midst of these businesses, a convenience store. Go to the corner of Hollywood and Vine, look up to the left and you'll find the aforementioned Capitol Records Building, on this night looking like a cinematic North Star in the Hollywood heavens.
