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Hollywood’s first 50 years, until the freeway paved paradise in 1954


The House That Jack McDermott Built (1923-1962)
It was cobbled together using discarded movie sets and prop pieces from some of Hollywood’s most famous pictures.
Jul 24, 2025


Disney’s Hollywood Hills Campus That Never Was
In 1964, Walt Disney imagined an enchanting 26-acre Hollywood campus for CalArts in the hills near the Hollywood Bowl.
Nov 30, 2023


Franciscan Motor Hotel
The Hollywood motel opened in 1949 on Highland Avenue.
Jul 27, 2023


The Curse of Cahuenga Pass
Could there be buried treasure at the Hollywood Bowl? More so, did its curse kill at least 10 men? The Hollywood Bowl and its famous parking lot in 1929 (Huntington Library) The lore of the loot dates back to 1864 amid the second French intervention in Mexico. To defend against a monarchical government (Emperor Maximilian I, former Austrian archduke), the resistance crowd-sourced $200,000 worth of gold coins, diamonds, jewelry, and watches to buy armaments in San Francisco. F
Feb 25, 2023


Newly-Discovered Whitley Heights Home
Among the dozens of Whitley Heights homes lost to the Hollywood Freeway was 6785 Whitley Terrace, which has remained a mystery — until the discovery of this photograph! 6785 Whitley Terrace in 1924 (Bison Archives) Built in 1922, it was located at the fork in the road that led either down to Wedgewood Place (pictured above, foreground) or continuing along the Whitley Terrace loop.
Dec 16, 2022
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