The CULVER HOTEL.
...where Faraday was shot, and where Cliffy was bonked on the head by Afton's ex-.
We talked earlier in the thread about the hotel, which sits about 6 blocks from the studio, now Sony Studios. I was a great find by johnmmil10. I found a little more info on it.
Built back in 1924, just nine years after
Culver Studios (where DALLAS was later filmed) opened, it was a luxury hotel in those days, attracting stars like
Clark Gable,
Ronald Reagan,
Buster Keaton and
Joan Crawford as part-time residents. At one time, it was even owned by
John Wayne for a few years, before the Duke donated the building to the YMCA. Over the years, the hotel fell into disrepair, almost deserted.
But this Hollywood story has a happy ending. In 1997, a new owner bought the property and invested in a major renovation of the historic hotel, adding antique furniture to the rooms and a patio restaurant out front. Once again, the Culver Hotel is back in business and ready for its close-up.
Also, in 1997, almost 60 years after the making of "Oz," the Culver Hotel was the scene of a three-day reunion of the 14 surviving "Munchkins." (Most of the "Munchkins" stayed at the hotel during filming). It was a public event (the city issued a proclamation declaring it "Munchkin Week") including autograph signing, costume party, and the sale of memorabilia.
Other movies have been shot at this unusual-looking landmark as well, including several
Laurel & Hardy silents, and some of the "
Our Gang" comedies. More recently, the hotel was seen in the
Arnold Schwarzenegger movie "
The Last Action Hero" and in the TV series "
Party of Five."
A tall, oddly-shaped, triangular building, the Culver Hotel sits right in the middle of Culver Boulevard, an old-fashioned brick tower standing alone like some urban island.
