"Hollywood the Unusual"

This ten minute 1927 film directed and photographed by William Taylor is a quirky exploration of themed architecture in the Hollywood era. Thanks to Marc Chevalier for spotting the footage.

 

We start with a view from the hills of the El Capitan Theatre building, the Hollywood Masonic Temple and the stage end of the just-opened Grauman's Chinese. The Hollywood Roosevel Hotel, on the right, had also just recently opened at the time of the shot. 

 

A view west toward Grauman's Egyptian, 6712 Hollywood Blvd.  The El Capitan and the Roosevelt are in the distance. 

 

People wandering the forecourt during the run of "Topsy and Eva," a film that opened June 16, 1927. Note the Bedouin patrolling the parapet. 

 

 

A closer look. No idea what kind of ballyhoo Sid was up to with the tent over on the right.  

 

The west wall mural.  

 

Ornament from "The Ten Commandments" atop the east wall.  

 

The shot pans down for a better look at this mysterious stone hut.  

After wandering the Egyptian, our auteur takes us on a tour of a terrific array of other Egyptian-themed houses, apartment buildings and commercial spaces. From that he segues into other exotic styles like witches cottages and Moroccan mini-palaces. On this programmatic architecture tour we visit the Zulu Hut, the Ambassador Hotel, the Brown Derby on Wilshire, and the Tam O'Shanter. Another place we hit is the Jail Cafe, 4212 Sunset Blvd.

 

This location once housed studio facilities where D.W. Griffith did his initial screenings of "The Clansman," the film soon retitled "The Birth of a Nation." Later this became the Gateway Theatre, among other names. It ended up as a restaurant called the El Cid. 

 

Perhaps taking a cue from Sid Grauman and his Bedouin on patrol, the Jail Cafe had a "prisoner" walking back and forth. 

 

 

Another shot of the guard tower.   

 

 

Near the end of the film we're back for a look at the front of the Chinese. It had opened May 17, 1927 with Cecil B. De Mille's King of Kings," a film that would run 24 weeks.  

 

 

A look to the west where what had been farm land got turned into a parking lot.  

 

 

Patrons going in for a 2:15 matinee of "King of Kings." 

 

 

 

Tourists admiring the hand and foot prints in the forecourt.   

See the pages on the El Capitan, Grauman's Chinese and the Egyptian Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site.   

The film can be seen on YouTube as a post from James Thatch. Stephen Worth shared it on Facebook .  

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