Historic Hollywood Art by Jim Van Schaack
Famous Landmarks of the 20th Century
Price Tower
Completed in 1956, Price Tower is Architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s only skyscraper that was ever built. This beautifully designed structure was Wright’s pioneer experiment of a multi use skyscraper, combining retail, business offices and apartments. It is located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
Digital Artist Jim Van Schaack has drawn Recollections of Long Beach including the Cunard Line’s RMS Queen Mary ocean liner that sailed the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967.
The RMS Queen Mary Long Beach
The RMS Queen Mary was a Cunard Line (then Cunard White Star Line) ocean liner that sailed the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967. Built by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland, she was designed to be the first of Cunard’s planned two-ship weekly express service from Southampton to New York, in answer to the mainland European superliners of the late twenties and early thirties. Queen Mary and her slightly larger and younger running mate RMS Queen Elizabeth commenced this two-ship service after their release from World War II troop transport duties and continued it for two decades until Queen Mary’s retirement in 1967.
Digital Artist Jim Van Schaack has drawings of landmarks of Los Angeles including The Brown Derby, The Casino Ballroom, Los Angeles City Hall and Pan Pacific Auditorium.
The Brown Derby Restaurant
The Brown Derby Restaurant in Los Angeles, California was located on Wilshire Boulevard, some distance from the center of Hollywood. The Brown Derby’s owner was Robert Cobb, creator of the Cobb Salad. His very popular restaurant was a must “hangout” for many Los Angeles and Hollywood celebrities. Sadly, the popular Brown Derby Restaurant was demolished several years ago.
The Casino Ballroom – Avalon, Catalina, California
For at least 7,000 years Catalina Island, just a few miles off the cost of Los Angeles, California, has been inhabited by various native American groups. Explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo visited the island in 1542, only 50 years after Columbus first sailed into the Western Hemisphere. In the late 1800’s Catalina Island became an integral part of Southern California. In 1925 the Casino building at Avalon harbor, pictured here, was constructed and has served as the social center of the island since that time. Catalina island today is the destination by sea and air for vacationers from around the world.
Los Angeles City Hall
Los Angeles City Hall, Dedicated in 1928 this classic building stood for nearly thirty years as Los Angeles’s tallest at 440 feet. Because of the earthquake problems in the area there was a maximum height restriction of 150 feet. City Hall was created By three architectural firms, John Parkinson, design, Albert C. Martin, structural and John C. Austin, working drawings. After all these years the building still remains the symbol of Los Angeles.
Pan Pacific Auditorium Los Angeles, California
Pan Pacific Auditorium, A Los Angeles structure, considered one of Americas finest examples of Streamline Modern Architecture, designed by architects Wurderman & Becket, opened on May 18, 1935 hosting over the years, The Ice Capades, The Globetrotters, hockey, basketball, music and political events. It was closed in 1972 when the Los Angeles Convention Center opened. Later it was used in the movie Xanadu starring Olivia Newton John and Gene Kelly. On May 24, 1989 the Queen of Streamline, burned to the ground in one of Los Angeles’ most spectacular fires.
The Getty Museum
The J. Paul Getty Museum, commonly referred to as The Getty, is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. The Getty was designed by Richard Meier for the J. Paul Getty Trust and was built in 1997.
Age took its toll on Hollywood, so Jim Van Schaack created his “Recollections of Hollywood” digital art series featuring famous landmarks of Hollywood including Capitol Records, The Charlie Chaplin Studio, Cinerama Dome Theatre and more.
The Capitol Records Building
Capitol Records is an unusual building, said to resemble a stack of records, was built in the mid1950s. Capitol Records was the home studio of Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, The Beach Boys, the Beatles, and Dave Koz to name a few of their top artists. The building is a favorite stop of many Hollywood tours as it is located near Hollywood and Vine.
The Charlie Chaplin Studio
The Charlie Chaplin Studio is just west of the center of Hollywood, located in the first block south of Sunset Boulevard, is the Charlie Chaplin Studio. This studio was built with its Tudor style buildings in 1919 by silent screen star Charlie Chaplin. Although quite small by current standards, this studio is still in operation. The buildings that surround the production lot still appear much as they did long ago. The Charlie Chaplin Studio is currently operated by the Jim Henson Company.
The Cinerama Dome Theatre
The Cinerama Dome Theatre is one of the newer structures in the Hollywood area. This distinctive domed building was the first wide-screen movie theater on the West Coast.
Earl Carroll Theatre
The Earl Carroll Theatre was open in 1938, on Sunset Boulevard by New York Impresario Earl Carroll. This dazzling night club and theatre who’s facade held two of Hollywood’s most renowned landmarks: the 20 foot high neon painting of Beryl Wallace, one of Carroll’s “most beautiful girls in the world” and the “Wall of Fame” presenting in cement the personal inscriptions to Earl Carroll of more than 150 of Hollywood’s most glamorous stars.
The 60-foot wide double revolving turntable on the 80-foot main stage, the three swings which lowered from the auditorium ceiling, the elevator, revolving staircase and rain machine were part of a stage machinery complex not duplicated in any other theatre in America.
Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre
Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre Yesterday & Today This famous theatre is located on Hollywood Boulevard in the heart of old Hollywood. Built in 1922 by showman Sid Grauman with an Egyptian theme, it was the site of Hollywood’s first movie premiere.
Recently renovated, this theatre is now operated by the American Cinematheque and shows movies on a regular schedule.
Grauman’s Chinese Theatre
Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, one of the most famous sites in Hollywood has changed completely since its opening in 1927, with the gala premiere of Cecil B. DeMille’s King of Kings. This spectacular Chinese themed theatre is possibly the most visited Hollywood landmark. It was the creation of Hollywood showman Sid Grauman.
Much of the theatre’s attraction stems from the many glamorous premieres held here, with media, search lights, limousines, movie stars galore and screaming crowds. Another reason for the thousands of visitors is the theatre’s patio or forecourt with its signatures and hand and footprints imbedded in the concrete pavement of Hollywood’s most famous.
The Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is located only a few blocks north of Hollywood Boulevard. The site had been the home of a small band of Gabrielino Indians. In the 1920s the area had been a chicken ranch. Because the site was a perfect amphitheater shape the Hollywood Bowl was built in 1926.
On warm summer evenings up to 18,000 viewers gather to picnic, often in high style, under the stars to listen to classical, country, pop, jazz and rock music. The Bowl has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since the 1920s. Most popular concerts include the Easter Sunrise Service, the July 4th program, and the Tchaikovsky Spectacular with cannons, a military band and fireworks.
The Hollywood Palladium
The Hollywood Palladium, Opened in 1940, the nightclub, ballroom has consistently presented top notch musical events. With it’s 11,000 square foot oval dance floor it can accommodate over 6000. In the early days The Palladium was Hollywood’s Flagship for fun where all of the name big bands entertained, Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Woody Herman to name a few. On any evening, you might have seen familiar faces like Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Tyrone Power or Betty Grable.
Musso and Franks Grill
Musso and Franks Grill is Hollywood’s oldest restaurant, having opened in 1919. While the building has been modernized, the restaurant continues to attract Hollywood luminaries and visitors from around the world.
Paramount Pictures Studio
Paramount Pictures Studio is the gateway to one of Hollywood’s most famous studios. Blockbuster films produced at Paramount Studios include: The Ten Commandments, The Godfather, Forest Gump, Top Gun, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. The founder of Paramount Pictures was Adolph Zukor. Celebrities included actors Rudolph Valentino, Marlene Dietrich, the Marx Brothers, Carole Lombard, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, Tom Hanks, Eddie Murphy and Tom Cruise have all worked here.
Universal Studios
Universal Studios, founded in 1912 by film pioneer Carl Lemmle. In 1915 the company launched Universal City a 230 – acre municipality. Universal is an attraction for visitors from around the world where they visit an operating studie and see how pictures are made behind the scenes. Director/Producer Steven Spielberg has brought Universal numerous successes, including Back to the future, Jurassic Park and ET.
Digital Artist Jim Van Schaack has drawings of landmarks including Beverly Hills including the Beverly Hills Hotel and Gucci Beverly Hills.
The Beverly Hills Hotel
The Beverly Hills Hotel is located on Sunset Boulevard, just a few miles west of Hollywood. It was originally built in 1912 to attract people to Beverly Hills. Along with the main building were 21 secluded bungalows that set in 12 acres of landscaped gardens. This romantic hideaway became famous because movie stars including Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Humphrey Bogart and friends hung out at the hotels popular Polo Lounge and Polo Grill, the places to see and be seen. The Beverly Hills Hotel for many years was the center of Hollywood business and social life. However, later the hotel fell on hard times until the recent $100 million dollar renovation. The legendary Beverly Hills Hotel with its cabanas, pool, Polo Lounge and Polo Grill are once more at the center of Hollywood deal-making, reviving the style of Hollywood’s hayday.
Gucci Beverly Hills
Gucci Beverly Hills, One of the worlds most famous manufacturers and retailers of high quality high fashion merchandise, located on a street in Beverly Hills like few others in the world, Rodeo Drive.
