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Happy 100th anniversary to the Biltmore Hotel! It opened 100 years ago on October 1, 1923 opposite Pershing Square in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, where it still stands today. Nicknamed ‘the Host of the Coast’ it was the most lavish hotel west of the Mississippi and marked LA’s emergence as a city of note. It did not, however, have a fittingly grand ballroom. This situation was remedied in 1928 when the hotel opened the cavernous, two-story Sala de Oro, which was later renamed the Biltmore Bowl. This photo was taken on February 17, 1940, when the Bowl hosted the sixth annual dinner dance of the Warner Club, which was the social club associated with the Warner Bros. movie studios. Good luck finding space on that dance floor!
This woman doesn’t look like she was having a whale of a time.
There’s a cut-up in every crowd, this guy was it that night.
Do you recognize anyone? I wonder how the photographer got everyone’s attention? Nearly everyone is looking toward the camera, even in the far back of the room.
No I don’t recognize anyone. The Warner Club was more of a social club geared toward the rank-and-file employees so I would have been surprised if any of the major stars would have been there. My guess is that the photographer would have been on a ladder and some work went into stopping the proceedings so that group picture could be taken.
I thought the gentleman making the funny face looked like Edward G. Robinson. But on closer inspection, I do not think it was him!
The TV series The Amazing Race began it’s season (last Wednesday) at the 100 year old Hollywood Sign and then went to the 100 year old Biltmore Hotel (!) where they had to tightrope across the roof section! (Filmed June 14th of this year.)
Every time I see a photo like this the only thing that my mind jumps to is the movie “The shining”
Thanks for the link to see the whole pic which I expanded using my computer’s touch screen. I thought the band leader looked like Artie Shaw and since I understand he had “close relations” with many Hollywood actresses, its seems logical he would play the gig. He had recently released his signature tune Begin the Begine, which was a big hit.
My wife and spent a weekend at the Biltmore a few years ago. We went to a basketball game at Staples Center and got up early to take a cab to the Pantry for breakfast. A really good downtown Los Angeles experience.