To see the real Los Angeles, visit its historic movie theaters
The 1926 El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood is one of many historic movie houses throughout Los Angeles that have been renovated. The Walt Disney Company-owned theater still has a working Wurlitzer organ, played during pre-shows. PHOTOGRAPH BY AARON P, BAUER-GRIFFIN/GETTY IMAGES
From National Geographic: The 96th Academy Awards saw the return of the red carpet in front of Hollywood’s high-tech Dolby Theatre. But while all eyes today were on the celebrities on that crimson runway, the original red carpet “night of nights” put the spotlight on the theater too.
Just down the street from the Dolby, the Egyptian Theatre was where the red carpet movie premiere was invented on October 18, 1922. With its hieroglyphics and faux limestone columns, showman Sid Grauman’s Hollywood Egyptian Theatre (as it was known then) was just as newsworthy as the silent screen stars attending the premiere of Robin Hood, Douglas Fairbanks’ stunt-filled, men-in-tights dramatization of the legendary bandit.
The Egyptian represents a golden age of cinema, when themed and elaborately decorated movie showplaces anchored Main Streets from coast to coast, promising far-off adventures for a couple dimes. With the influx of multiplexes and streaming, many have closed. But Los Angeles is seeing a revival.
Oliver’s Modern American will open in Scottsdale this May
Photo courtesy of Oliver’s Modern American.
From AZBigMedia: After months of anticipation, Clayton Companies is once again boosting South Scottsdale’s dining cred with the opening of Oliver’s Modern American. The new dinner restaurant and lounge is located at 3207 N. Hayden Road, next to sister restaurant, The Eleanor. Oliver’s will open in an iconic mid-century building that was saved, moved, and rebuilt. The grand opening is scheduled for later this spring.
The first thing guests will notice is the distinctive triangular roofline of the 1960s Polynesian-style building designed by noted architect Ralph Haver’s firm. Once the country’s only Polynesian Dairy Queen, the building was located three miles away at McDowell Road and 68th Street. Local real estate developer Tom Frenkel stepped in when the building’s owners were readying its demolition in 2019.
For years a Coca-Cola ad, now a new mural adorns historic downtown Greenville building
A highly visible Coca-Cola mural in Greenville’s West End was removed during renovations to the former Army Navy Store. By Conor Hughes
From The Greenville, SC, Post and Courier: Fluor Field. The Furman Bell Tower. Reedy River Falls.
Some of Greenville’s most-beloved landmarks are taking centerstage in a new piece of public art on a historic and high-profile downtown building.
Once the home of a prominent, vintage Coca-Cola ad, the side of the former Army-Navy store in the West End will now feature a vibrant mural highlighting the Upstate city’s past and present.
Historic Phoenix diner selling homemade pies to try and reopen
The owners of Macalpine’s say they were forced to close in 2020 because of the pandemic, but now they hope selling desserts can raise enough money to reopen.
From AZFamily.com: PHOENIX — One of Phoenix’s oldest diners and soda fountains is trying to reopen for the first time in four years.
The owners of MacAlpine’s say they were forced to close in 2020 because of the pandemic. Now, they’re hoping to sell some desserts in hopes of raising enough money to get back on their feet.
“We’ve been here since 1929 at this location so there’s lots of history so we’re just trying to get it reopened and save Phoenix history which is so amazing,” said MacAlpine’s Owner Monica Heizenrader.
Monica and her husband Carey bought the place in 2001 and have owned it since. In a 1950s-style diner, they served dinner and dessert. Shortly after they closed in 2020, Carey became ill and passed away. Monica said she lost her partner and the diner’s lead chef.
City of Sapulpa receives $2 million grant to establish Route 66-themed park
From Fox23: SAPULPA, Okla. — The City of Sapulpa has been talking about a Route 66 themed park for at least 10 years and now they are revealing its plans of the park to the community.
The City received a $2 million grant from the State of Oklahoma to establish the park, which will be located near the Rock Creek Bridge.
The plans of the park include benches, walking trails, a water tower and more.
Our Rich History: Frisch’s Big Boy plays major role in history of fast-food restaurants in NKY — and beyond
Firsch’s, 19th and Monmouth Streets, Newport, KY, 1950. (Courtesy of Northern Kentucky Views)
From the Northern Kentucky Tribune: When I was growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, our family ate at restaurants only very occasionally. Like many suburban middle-class mothers during those years, my mom (Mary, or Margie as she preferred) grew up poor during the Great Depression. In addition, women of that time period had few opportunities for higher education or for employment outside of traditional “socially acceptable” roles of teacher, secretary, nurse, or salesclerk.
Growing up as the last sibling in a large and poor family, Margie had little access to the kitchen of her mother (my grandmother). Instead, she had other assigned duties around the household. When she and my father, Harry, married in 1950, dad taught mom how to cook, just as his sister had instructed him after their mother had died. Mom’s delicious, home-cooked meals and dad’s often-overtime work schedule precluded our need to eat at restaurants.
On the few occasions when our family ate at restaurants, it was usually during short vacations from home, or sometimes simply to partake in some “fast food.” I especially liked Frisch’s Big Boy®. Dad would drive our 1965 Ford Custom coupe, or later our family’s metallic blue 1968 Ford XL fastback, to either the Covington (KY) or Ft. Mitchell (KY) Frisch’s. Before today’s drive-through windows, Frisch’s had a “carhop” service. You would park your car in a so-called open “stall” under a large canopy/awning (to protect against rain and sun). Then, you pressed a button on a callbox situated on a pole that had an attached menu under glass. You would order your food and drinks, and then carhops (servers) would bring your order to your car and place it on a contraption that attached to the driver’s rolled-down window.