In this delightful color photo, we’re looking east along Hollywood Blvd. It looks like it was shot from the front seat of a car about to pass the American Airlines office on the northeast corner of Vine Street. Further down the street we can see the Pantages Theatre back when it was a movie house. On its western wall we can see a poster for “The Great Race,” which had its LA on July 1, 1965. Playing at the Pantages was Rod Steiger in “The Pawnbroker” whose LA premiere was April 20, 1965.
This is how that view looked in August 2022. The American Airlines building is still there – and in very good condition – as is the Pantages Theatre, which is now presents live shows and is one of the most gorgeous theaters in California.
I didn’t realize that the Hollywood and Vine neon sign was on the corner of the American Airlines building now. Is that where it always was?
I agree that the Pantages is one of the “most gorgeous theaters.” A friend of mine was just there attending a production and he sent me photos he took all around the lobby and such. It made me wonder, with all the movie premieres held there and all the performers who’ve performed there since it became a “legitimate” (heh!) theatre and with a decade of the Academy Awards held there, not to mention some things that were filmed there…is the Pantages location the place where the most celebrities have ever appeared?!
I attended a show at the Pantages somewhat shortly after it had been restored. It really was gorgeous. You couldn’t stop yourself from gawking.
For once I have to say that the more current photo looks better than the old one. Thank god they removed that hideous American Airlines sign. They should remove much more of the crap that destroys the beautiful designs of the buildings in LA and other cities as well.
No doubt it would not age well, but back then this canted lettering for Fly American Airlines was part of the then ultra-modern design look that promoted the new go go—>> “jet age”. With the 707 coming in in 1958, people who had never flown before began to travel and they put time and money into clothing, luggage, and booking tickets through travel agencies. (No home computers.) So these places went in for the Madison Avenue look to bring those people to the door. This one in fact had all those large models of the latest planes and the artistic travel posters to promote the destinations. It was a sleek appearance for an otherwise empty room, even if largely a deception. An old building wasn’t gonna get ‘em in. Times change. People began to look back at what was being lost behind the facade. All in all, it’s still just a Plasticville building set without a decent model railroad to make it all the more interesting.
Thank you all fot these delightful images of the 60’s America. As a little boy I greamed of one day living in the United States-syill do. But this site is just WOW!