Talking Old Hollywood: John Bengtson, Silent Filming Locations Historian

Author and Historian, John Bengtson

I'm back with another installment of Talking Old Hollywood and this time I had the chance to ask silent filming locations expert and historian John Bengtson a few questions. John has written three expertly researched books chronicling the filming locations of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd. He blogs about these and other silent filming locations at his website Silent Locations. John's detective work uncovering many long gone or deeply hidden locations is impressive. I'm honored to have him share a little about his research, interest in silent films, and which of the three silent film comedian greats he would choose to spend the day with. 

How and when did you first become interested in silent films?

I grew up watching silent movies on Public Television, and seeing the Robert Youngson compilations.  The good silent comedians were so talented and clever that they immediately hooked me.

When did that interest evolve into hunting down silent film locations?

I�ve always enjoyed looking at old photographs, and how they draw you into real-world environments from the past.  But my interest in the location work began as a fluke.  When Buster Keaton�s films first became available on home video in 1995, I was surprised to notice that a chase scene from Day Dreams (1922) was clearly filmed in North Beach in San Francisco, near where I once used to live.  So I set my camera up on a tripod, took photos of the scenes off of my television set, and after getting the photos back from the drug store (this was all pre-digital!), I walked around North Beach armed with my snapshots and quickly found all five spots.  It was a very odd sensation to stand in a spot where many elements were exactly the same as when Buster had filmed there, and contemplating all of the history over the decades these buildings had silently witnessed.  I never set out to do a series of books, but what started as a simple curiosity kept expanding, and triggering amazing coincidences and lucky breaks, until it reached the point where I just gave in to it, to see where it would lead.  That process continues expanding even today.

What are your methods for finding locations and how might they have changed over time?

My first approach is to look for street signs and business signs in the background. Sometimes you get lucky and can find things this way quite easily using the old city directories. In one movie Keaton actually covered up a street sign with a paper bag, but I still figured out where it was filmed!  I also look for trolley tracks, �T� intersections, and special use buildings like churches and schools.  The ridge lines in the background are also good markers.

Apart from the city directories, I like to use vintage maps and aerial photographs.  The Sanborn Fire Insurance Company maintained large scale maps, covering just a block or two at a time, detailing the precise footprint and construction materials of nearly every building in Los Angeles.  The Baist Atlases were drawn with a broader view, showing all of the buildings within a several block radius.  The US Geological Survey�s topographic maps from the early 1900s also show streets and neighborhoods as they once looked. 

My favorite tools are low elevation oblique vintage aerial photographs, with views like you would see from a helicopter.  These photos are true time machines, placing everything in context to everything else.  What did this corner look like, what was across the street, what was nearby?  A good aerial photo provides all of the answers, and often reveals how related shots were staged adjacent to each other.  

The Internet has made everything so much easier.  I once had to travel to Los Angeles in person to study research materials, and drive around looking for clues.  Today the city directories, the maps, even the old Los Angeles Times newspapers, are all available for searching online.  Likewise, with Google Street View and Bing Bird�s Eye View, I can zoom to any spot in Los Angeles to verify matches, and to confirm whether buildings are still standing, without leaving my computer at home. 

  

What is the most satisfying silent film location you discovered and why?

I found a block on Bronson and Olympic appearing during a tracking shot in Keaton�s Seven Chances (1924) as Buster is chased by a hoard of angry brides across a commercial street and one-by-one past a series of bungalow homes.  Ninety years later, the commercial buildings, and five consecutive bungalows are all still standing. 

The only clue was a blurry bank sign in the background for a branch with a short name and a longer name.  Checking the city directory for short name-longer name combinations, none of the possible branch locations, such as the Pico & Alvarado branch, matched the setting.  I was confused by this for over two years until I somehow realized that the longer name �Tenth� used in the city directory could be spelled as a short name �10^th� on a sign, and thus checked the setting for the Tenth and Bronson branch, which turned out to be the correct spot.  (Tenth Street was later re-named Olympic to promote Los Angeles hosting the 1932 Olympic Games.)  

I don�t know if taking two years to associate Tenth and 10^th means I am clever or slow, but it had bothered me for such a long time, so when I finally figured it out, and saw in person that the buildings were all still standing, it was incredibly satisfying.  (This was all long before the instant gratification of checking on Google Street View.  I have to laugh, because back then I had to wait months for my next trip to Los Angeles before learning whether the street was still unchanged.)

Is there any location that you haven�t found yet that you continue to research?

I was stumped by one location for years until a helpful reader of my blog solved it for me!  Early in Lloyd�s Safety Last! (1923) Bill Stother, the real life Human Spider who plays Harold�s friend, climbs a four story building in order to escape a cop. The building stood facing south along an east-west trolley line, next to an alley and the �California Garage.�  Despite all of these clues I could never figure it out.  Thankfully a reader, following only hunches, was able to identify it as the former Dresden Apartments, still standing, although heavily remodeled, at 1919 W 7th Street.  You can read about his discovery here.

Have you met any interesting people or had any unusual experiences since starting this hobby?

Well, to start, I�ve been able to meet my hero, Kevin Brownlow, several times.  I also met Mrs. Eleanor Keaton, and had a fun afternoon driving her around on a tour of Buster�s filming locations.  She and Buster once lived very near Bronson and Olympic, where he had staged that tracking shot from Seven Chances, yet it never occurred to him to mention this to her.  I�m also honored to know Harold Lloyd�s grand-daughter Suzanne, and Chaplin�s biographer David Robinson.  Lastly, I have been able to meet so many wonderful authors, historians, and movie fans along the way � it�s really been a great experience.

You�ve written fabulous books on the filming locations of the three greatest silent film comedians: Keaton, Chaplin and Lloyd. If you could select one of them to spend the day with, who would it be and what would you guys do during that day?

I�d pick Keaton of the three, hands down.  Keaton always struck me as the most down to earth and least affected by fame.  It would be great just to hear him reminisce, and prompt him for stories.  Of course it would also be fun to take him on a tour, and hear what memories and associations revisiting these places would trigger.

There are many locations in these silent films that have been demolished and now only exist on film. If you could actually travel back in time what now lost location would you like to visit in person?

There are a number of amazing lost neighborhoods, including the original 1880s Chinatown, the old Venice amusement park piers, and Bunker Hill.  But if I could pick just one spot it would be Court Hill. 

The distinctive twin bore Hill Street Tunnel ran beneath Court Hill, the second of LA�s two incline railways, Court Flight, ran up and down Court Hill, and standing guard over it all was the unbelievably ornate Bradbury Mansion.  It was here, overlooking the Hill Street Tunnel, that so many high rise stunt climbing comedies such Harold Lloyd�s Never Weaken were filmed. The technique involved constructing a single story set above the tunnel overlook, and filming across the face of the set to capture the low-lying streets of LA in the background, while cutting off from view the bottom of the set resting on the ground.  The resulting illusion made it appear as if the set were many stories up in the air.  Further, Hill Street, which is relatively flat, was so-named because it originally lead straight to Court Hill, where it terminated before the tunnels were built. Today not a shred remains of the hill that gave Hill Street its name; it�s all been completely bulldozed.

Do you have a favorite film (silent, sound, or both) and what makes it so?

It�s difficult to answer.  Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd are all great, but I also enjoy Fields, the Marx Bros., Laurel & Hardy, pre-Code, noir, classics, and goofy cult films like The Big Lebowski and Napoleon Dynamite.  I especially enjoy Roman Polanski�s Chinatown.  Because of the movies, it�s difficult for me to imagine the 1920s and 30s in anything but black and white.  Whenever I try hard to image the 1930s in color, it always ends up looking like Chinatown.

What do you do when not tracking down filming locations?

Well, aside from watching old movies, I try to read lots of books, I enjoy hiking and bicycling near where I live, and I like playing the piano.

Do you have any special projects you are working on now or that are coming up?

My SilentLocations blog keeps me fairly busy.  I have ideas for some further books, but the researching and writing takes several years, like running a marathon, and so I don�t anticipate starting a new book for at least a couple of years.

If you made it reading this far, thank you so much, this was fun.  Thank you Robby.

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Thanks John. You can find John's books here and visit his blog here.

Talking Old Hollywood: Christina Rice, Ann Dvorak Biographer

Ann Dvorak biographer, Christina Rice

As much as I love stars like Cary Grant or Marilyn Monroe I am not on the edge of my seat waiting for the next biography to be written on their lives. Especially when there are so many well deserving classic Hollywood stars who have yet to receive a well written full length biography. That's why I'm so excited for the upcoming biography on the elegant and sometimes sultry, pre-Code actress, Ann Dvorak. Thankfully for all of us classic Hollywood geeks, librarian and Ann Dvorak collector turned biographer, Christina Rice, has taken it upon herself to write the first full length biography on this forgotten actress. The book, aptly titled Ann Dvorak: Hollywood's Forgotten Rebel, will be released on November 4, 2013.

In this installment of Talking Old Hollywood, Rice discusses her process for putting the biography together, Ann Dvorak related Los Angeles locations and how she would spend a day with Ann Dvorak.

DOH: What turned you on to Ann Dvorak as a subject for a biography?

CR: I first discovered Ann when I was an undergrad in the mid-1990s after I checked out a VHS copy of Three on a Match from my local library. I had never heard of Ann at the time and was blindsided by her performance.  I subsequently stumbled upon her in Scarface and G Men and wanted to know why this beautiful and talented actress had not been a major star. It didn't take long for me to realize that she was a not a likely subject to be tackled by anyone else, so at some point I figured - why not me? 

DOH: At what point did you go from Ann Dvorak collector to pursuing writing Ann�s biography?

CR: Another part of Ann's allure for me was that no one was collecting on her. I have been a compulsive collector since birth and always thought it would be cool to own theater-used movie posters. When I found out that I could actually afford gorgeous 1930s posters from Ann's films, I was sunk. 

Immediately after I started collecting, which was around 2 1/2 years after that first viewing of Three on a Match, I decided I would write the book on Ann. However, that is easier said than done. My first five years as Ann Dvorak's biographer mainly consisted of hitting the poster shops, paper shows, and scouring the Internet for memorabilia. I was finding lots of ephemera which sometimes contained information about her, but it wasn't real research. 

When I started grad school in 2001 to get my Master's of Library & Information Science, I started to get a better grasp on the research I was going to need to do in order to tell the story of this actress who retired relatively early, had no children, no siblings, was fairly reclusive, and did not donate personal papers to an institution. 

Once I got serious about the project, I visited the University of Southern California (USC) who has the Warner Bros. production and legal files. Handling these primary source documents relating to Ann, which painted a very vivid portrait of her struggles with the studio was exhilarating and a shot in the arm. After that, I launched the website (www.anndvorak.com) and forged ahead with the research. Of course I was doing this while working full time and in grad school, so it was never a quick process. 

DOH: As a mother and someone who has a full time job, did this impact your ability to research and write the book? How did you find the time?! Did you have a specific research and writing strategy?

CR: My daughter was born in June 2010, and by that time I had been doing the heavy research for around eight years and was mostly done with everything but the actual writing. 

The birth of my daughter actually proved to be a major catalyst to finish it. I had started the writing in late 2008 and two years later had only completed around five chapters. I admit to dragging my feet and finding excuses NOT to write, and one of my main problems is that I was trying to make the first draft a final draft, which was foolish. I was spending so much time fact-checking and looking for citations that it would take an hour to write a paragraph and that lack of progress was discouraging. 

Once I returned to work from maternity leave, I was struck with the brutal realization that I literally had no time to write and that I had previously wasted so much time! I knew I either had to go on the Ann Dvorak website and make a formal announcement that the book was indefinitely on hold, or figure out a way to write it without sacrificing time with my family. 

I take the subway to work from North Hollywood, so I started writing on the train which gave me around 40 minutes of undisturbed time roundtrip, along with another hour on my lunch break. I stopped trying to write a final draft and just started writing. I knew Ann so well by then that there was no reason I could not knock out the bare bones of her story. I made so much progress in a couple of months that it really fueled me to keep going. At this point, my complete lack of time has trained me to be able to start writing on a moment's notice and make the most of every spare minute. The second that kid goes down for a nap, I am typing away! 

My other motivation was that I wanted something tangible for my daughter to be proud of. My husband is a full-time writer who already has a substantial body of published works, but I wanted my daughter to one-day realize that Mom is pretty cool too. In all honesty, without that kid appearing in my life, I don't think the book would be anywhere near completion. 

DOH: Did you find working at the Los Angeles Central Library gave you some advantages in researching Ann�s life?

CR: Oh absolutely! During the first six months I worked at Central, I spent my lunch break everyday sitting on the microfilm readers pouring over all the old Los Angeles newspapers, most of which have not yet been digitized. The book collection at Central Library is so vast that I would sometimes go to the section of film biographies and just browse the shelves looking for memoirs written by her costars. Additionally, I always have access to certain resources like the digitized Los Angeles Times or Ancestry.com, so whenever a hot new lead sprung up, I was able to act on it immediately. 

I work in the History & Genealogy Department, so the nature of the job helped me understand how to effectively research real estate, court documents, and vital records, all of which I used for Ann. 

Finally, I was able to benefit from the knowledge of my colleagues. At Central Library, there are multiple subject departments and the librarians are well versed in their areas. So, whenever I hit a brick wall, I would usually be able to tap into their expertise. 

DOH: Was there any resource you discovered that was particularly helpful in providing information on Ann�s life? A manuscript? A specific person?

CR: As I mentioned before, the Warner Bros documents at USC revealed a lot about Ann's attitude towards the studio and vice versa. 

Fortunately, I acquired some collections of letters written by Ann and her mother in the 1960s. These were especially insightful about the difficulties Ann had in an abusive marriage. More recently, I purchased Ann's journal which only has a lone entry from 1977, but she sums up her feelings about her life, career, and decisions, which are insights I never thought I would have access to. 

DOH: I�m sure with each passing year that it is more and more difficult to find people that would have known Ann and could provide information on her life. Were you able to interview anyone that might have known Ann?

CR: Oy! Finding people who knew Ann was the single hardest aspect of researching this book. As I mentioned before, Ann did not have any children or siblings, outlived all three husbands, and was very private. I'm not sure there is anyone still out there who knew her well enough to really comment on her. Plus, she retired fairly early. I contacted a handful of costars, but they did not have much to say, primarily because they worked with Ann for a very short period of time on insignificant films over 50 years ago. 

I found a handful of people who encountered her and one fellow who hung out with her towards the end of her life, so I do have some firsthand recollections though they do not give the insight that a child or close friend would have. 

I was very insecure about the minimal people I interviewed, but I ended up acquiring so many primary source documents with Ann speaking for herself that I ultimately think those are more powerful than anyone I could have interviewed. 

DOH: Are there any questions you wish you could ask Ann directly to fill in some blanks in her life story?

CR: I would ask if walking out on her Warner Bros. contract to go on a honeymoon was worth it. 

DOH: What was the most interesting or surprising thing you learned about Ann?

CR: Even though Ann's formal education was limited, she was a very cultured and educated person who was multilingual and very interested in history and science. In the 1960s, she wrote an 18 volume history of the world and made an audio book out of it! 

I was also very taken with her time spent in Europe during World War II. From early on, I was aware that she followed her British-born husband to England in 1940 after he enlisted in the Royal Navy, but I never really stopped to consider what that really meant. Her war-time experiences were so fascinating that I ended up devoting two chapters to that time period. 

DOH: Are there any myths about Ann you found to by false?

CR: Oh, there are a handful of "facts" that frequently get tossed around that are inaccurate. First off, she was born in 1911 not 1912. I'm under the impression that Ann thought she was born in 1912 and eventually discovered otherwise - I think the inaccuracy can be attributed to her mother, Anna Lehr, who so frequently lied about her own age that she probably got confused about Ann's at some point. 

Ann's 1932 walk out is frequently attributed to her finding out that the child actor who played her son in Three on a Match was paid as much as she was. I'm sure she was riled by this, but there were many other prevailing factors that played into that decision, which I spend a lot of time covering in the book. 

Ann sometimes is described as having served out her Warner Bros. contract on suspension, which also isn't true. She was on a long term suspension, but after she lost her court case against them, she did make two more films before being released from her contract. 

Finally, Ann was not one of the original Goldwyn Girls. 

DOH: What was the most difficult part in putting together the biography? Is there anything you would do differently?

CR: First off, I would pick someone with personal papers or living relatives! Ann left so little of herself behind that her story proved to be a massive jigsaw puzzle. 

When I first started on this quest, it was the early days of the Internet, so information had to be found using "old school" methods which I wasn't necessarily well versed in. Now, we're in a golden age of researching where even if something isn't digitized, it's much easier to figure out what institutions might have particular items. So, starting a book now instead of 1998 is a huge advantage. 

With Ann, the book turned out just as I wanted it to, and it was an amazing journey so I would not change any of it. At the same time, I would never undertake a project as difficult as this again!

Ann Dvorak

DOH: If someone is unfamiliar with Ann Dvorak, which of her films do you recommend they watch first?

CR: I would say Scarface is a must because it's arguably her best and most important film. Three on a Match is one of her most memorable films and performances. I have a personal preference for Heat Lightning, even though she has a relatively small role in it. The Strange Love of Molly Louvain is not the strongest pre-Code, but it's one of Ann's few starring roles and it's also the film where she fell in love with co-star Leslie Fenton, who she subsequently married, which makes their scenes together quite meaningful. From her later career, I personally like Private Affairs of Bel Ami, and I recommend watching the 10 or so minutes of screen time Ann has in A Life of Her Own, though the rest of the film is a bit hard to get through. 

DOH: You had mentioned that you were involved with Last Remaining Seats, the Los Angeles Conservancy�s classic movie screenings in historic downtown theatres. Would you organize a screening around Ann? What film and what theatre would you choose?

CR: Back before I became a mom, I was an active volunteer with the Conservancy and helped plan the Last Remaing Seats, including film selection. In 2007, we actually did screen Scarface at the Alex Theater in Glendale. It was a wonderful evening and a bunch of friends showed up, so Ann had a whole cheering section. At that time, there were at least 30 volunteers involved with the film selection and most of them were movie buffs with strong opinions about what to screen, so successfully pitching Scarface was a major accomplishment! As I mentioned before, Scarface is Ann's most notable film and the best candidate to fill a movie palace, so it's probably the only time one of her films will be shown as part of LRS. 

But, if I had my way, I would screen a Three on a Match/Heat Lightning pre-Code double feature at the Palace Theatre, where Ann's mom performed in 1914 when it was an Orpheum Theatre.  

DOH: Did you say you were also a docent for the LA Conservancy? So you did some of the downtown LA tours? What was a Christina tour like?

CR: Yes, I used to give tours of the historic theatres on Broadway in downtown and it definitely was infused with as much Ann Dvorak as possible! Included on my tour was; the Cameo Thetare, built by William H. Clune who produced the 1916 version of Ramona which was where Ann made her film debut at age four, I already mentioned the Palace/Orpheum theatre where her mom performed on a vaudeville tour, I would also point out that Ann possibly performed onstage at the State Theatre when she was an MGM chorus girl (yeah, that was a stretch), and the tours would end at the Warner Downtown which is where Ann's Warner films would have played in the 1930s. Ending the tour here allowed me to plug my website. One fellow took my tour and later contacted me through the Ann-D website, and we're still very close friends. 

DOH: I�ve been enjoying your Ann�s Los Angeles series on your blog where you�ve been highlighting LA locations significant to Ann�s life. Are there any Ann landmarks that still exist that you get particularly excited about?

CR: Most of Ann's residences are still around, so it's always a kick to be able to drive by them. The most significant Ann-D landmark is the ranch house she built in 1934 with Leslie Fenton. She lived there until 1944, which was by far, the longest she ever lived anywhere. I have a lot of photos of Ann on this property, so it was a huge relief when I realized it was still standing.  

DOH: While we�re on the subject of landmarks, you wrote on your blog that you were married at one of Ann�s former homes. How did you make that happen?

CR: Yes, I was able to hold my wedding and reception at the ranch house I mentioned above. The property was originally a large walnut ranch, which Ann subdivided after she and Leslie Fenton separated. What remains is two acres with all the structures of the property intact, including the main house, garage with servants quarters, pool and pool house, greenhouse, and cow stables. It's all set off from the street and not visible, so for years I assumed the house had been demolished. 

When I finally figured out that the house was still there, I sent an email to the owner asking if I could visit. As it turned out, the man who owned the place bought it in 1959 and had corresponded with Ann in the 1960s. When I first visited, he gave me all the letters. He loved the property and was thrilled to spend time with someone who loved it as much as him. 

When I got engaged a few months later, I asked if we could have the wedding there, and he readily agreed. Obviously, it was a dream come true and there was no where else in the world I would have rather spent that day. 

DOH: Clearly your husband understood your Ann obsession from the beginning?

CR: Oh yes! There was never any question that he would have to share me with Ann. I have been collecting on Ann for over 15 years and have hundreds of movie posters, many of which are hanging up in our home. At one point I was dating a guy who commented that if we ever lived together, I would need to limit the amount of Ann-D posters on display. The relationship ended soon after that! Josh always appreciated the posters from the get-go, so I knew he was a keeper. At this point though, I'm sure he's pretty happy that the book is finally written.   

DOH: If you and Ann were going to have a girls day/night out in Los Angeles, where would you go and what would you do?

CR: Ann was never one to dwell on her past, so I would not bother re-visting any of her old haunts. I would give her a tour of Central Library because I think she would have been interested in some of the collections, particularly the older volumes and manuscripts in the Rare Books department. I would imagine she could have spent a few hours in there! Ann was a fairly serious person, though I think she had a dry sense of humor, so I would take her for a pass through the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City. Finally, dinner somewhere in Malibu would be appropriate. She lived there for a number of years, and even though she'd probably be appalled by all the development, she was such a beach nut that I could not imagine not visiting the Pacific with Ann.  

DOH: When the book comes out in November, is there anything in particular you hope readers will learn about Ann?

CR:  hope they'll get a sense of what a dynamic person she was � much more than just a pretty face. Ann tended to be interested in so many different things that she never really focused on one, which is one of many reasons why her career suffered. I also hope she will get credit for battling Warner Bros. in court in 1936 and paving the way for James Cagney and Bette Davis who also filed suits that year, but after Ann. 

DOH: Thanks so much! I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy.

CR: Thank YOU for being such an advocate for this project over the years. The waiting is almost over! 

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On Tuesday, November 12, 2013, the Los Angeles Central Library will be hosting an Ann Dvorak: Hollywood's Forgotten Rebel release party. Food prepared from Ann Dvorak recipes will be served, Ann-D memorabilia will be on display, and Rice will be on hand to sign copies of her book. Visit the Los Angeles Public Library website for full details.

Visit Christina's website dedicated to Ann Dvorak here.

Previously covered on Dear Old Hollywood: Ann Dvorak filming locations for COLLEGE COACH (1933).

Talking Old Hollywood: Linda Dishman, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Conservancy

Linda Dishman, Executive Director of the L.A. Conservancy. 

Photo by Gary Leonard.

Talking Old Hollywood is a regular series on Dear Old Hollywood where writers, filmmakers, fellow bloggers, artists, historians, or pretty much anyone who is interested in classic movies will have a chance to highlight projects they are working on, share a little of their background and discuss their interest in old Hollywood and classic movies.

This week Linda Dishman, the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Conservancy, talks about everything from preservation, events organized by the L.A. Conservancy including classic movie screenings in historic theatres, to where you can have an old Hollywood style wedding.

Linda, what got you interested in preservation and how did you get involved with the Los Angeles Conservancy?

When I was young, we would visit my grandparents and aunts and uncles who lived about an hour away. On each trip, we would drive by the hospital where I was born. This sense of my parents celebrating something that was important to them (my birth) was meaningful and powerful, and it cemented for me the role that buildings have in telling stories.

I was familiar with the L.A. Conservancy when I lived and worked in Pasadena in the mid-1980s, and I even took several of the tours. I had worked in preservation at the local, state, and national levels of government, and I was ready to approach preservation from a different perspective when the Executive Director position was advertised. What I particularly liked about coming to the Conservancy was the combination of advocacy and educational efforts in saving the places that matter to Angelenos.

Are there any Los Angeles area buildings you are especially proud of that you were able to save?

I have to say that my favorite "win" is the former Cathedral of St. Vibiana (now known as Vibiana), which dates to 1876 and was designed by the first licensed architect in Los Angeles. It was one of our toughest, and ultimately most successful, preservation efforts. We didn't just prevent the building's demolition. We found a preservation-friendly buyer and brought in eleven architectural firms to create a new vision for the building so people could see the possibilities.

Saving Vibiana was a real turning point for the Conservancy. We were up against the entire power structure of the city,  including the Catholic Archdiocese who owned the building. In many ways it was a defining moment for us - a real "gut check" in terms of how hard we would fight to save an important building. Our work saving Vibiana also helped change people's attitudes toward the Conservancy and preservation, which is almost as important as saving the building itself. We stood up for this building, and people took notice.

Are there any Los Angeles buildings you wish could have been saved, but unfortunately lost the preservation battle?

I would say that our most disappointing loss is the Ambassador Hotel, which we spent two decades trying to save, including filing several lawsuits. We tried hard to adapt the hotel into a school for a school district that wanted a new building. When adaptive reuse was no longer an option, we shifted our plans...several times. We showed them how to build classrooms around the hotel building, and then how to turn the hotel into affordable housing. A developer is all about the bottom line, and we can often work with that and find a middle ground, but in this case, the school district steadfastly maintained that their need to tear it down was more important. There was just no getting around that.

Volunteer docent Randy Henderson leads one of the Conservancy's popular walking tours. Photo by Deissy Flores.

The Los Angeles Conservancy puts on many events and tours that the public can participate in. Can you tell us about those events/tours?

We've always had a twofold mission of advocacy and education, because raising awareness of historic places is essential to building support for their preservation. We have a very popular series of eight regular walking tours that explore various aspects of architecture in and around downtown L.A.

Each spring and fall, we also hold a one-time-only special tour to spotlight a particular geographic area, architect, style, or other topic. We often pair those events with panel discussions or other public programs to delve a little deeper into a topic. We also have important fundraising events, such as our annual Preservation Awards Luncheon that honors outstanding achievement in the field, as well as benefits at spectacular private homes.

And of course, our Last Remaining Seats series of classic films in historic theatres draws over 10,000 people each summer into the wonderful historic movie palaces of Los Angeles.

Linda Dishman welcoming guests to the 1930 Saban Theatre for a 2012 Last Remaining Seats screening. Photo by Larry Underhill.

Last Remaining Seats is one of my favorite events. Is there any possibility of that becoming a year round program?

Perhaps if our mission focused on historic theatres, but we work to preserve all types of historic places throughout Los Angeles County, so we have lots of other things to do! Last Remaining Seats won't be a year-round Conservancy program. But we are thrilled to see more organizations start to program these venues with classic films or other entertainment. That was one of the main goals of starting the series back in 1987 - to prove the viability of these theatres in drawing audiences today, even though it may take creative new types of programming.

Now that I have a young daughter, I'm already thinking of opportunities to expose her to Los Angeles history. Does the L.A. Conservancy have any events/activities that are good for families?

Absolutely. We offer versions of our Historic Downtown and Union Station walking tours tailored specifically for youth and families, and our website has a number of downloadable guides and activities for youth and families that are perfect any time. And our annual matinee features a classic family-friendly film.

One of the regular features on Dear Old Hollywood are posts showing filming locations for classic movies. Is there a classic movie or are there a few classic movies you enjoy because of the way Los Angeles is portrayed as a location?

Great question. They really run the gamut, from downtown in the great silent films of the 1910s and 1920s to the 1970s depiction of 1930s Los Angeles in Chinatown. Every single time I drive by the Archer School for Girls in Brentwood I think of Chinatown.

If you could travel back in time to another era of Los Angeles for a dinner and a movie date night, which L.A. restaurant would you eat at and which theatre would you see your movie?

Hands down, opening night of the Los Angeles Theatre would be an amazing time travel experience - everyone dressed to the nines, watching the premiere of Charlie Chaplin's City Lights and experiencing the Los Angeles Theatre for the first time.

Do you have a favorite "old Hollywood" restaurant or bar that is still around?

I love Musso and Frank. Not only does it look historic but the staff is so old school that you feel as though you have stepped back in time.

One question I get asked a LOT from people who are getting married is where they can have an old Hollywood style wedding. Are there any Los Angeles locations with "Hollywood" history that are available for weddings?

Oh yes - from the King Gillette Ranch in Malibu to Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills to a yacht once owned by John Wayne. We have dozens on our online list of historic sites available for special events.

Who can get involved in the Los Angeles Conservancy and what do they need to do? What kind of opportunities are there?

Anyone! There are lots of ways to get involved with the Conservancy, from becoming a member, to volunteering, to hosting a special event, to sharing their great photos of historic places, and more. Just visit our website for more information.

The Orpheum's Mighty Wurlitzer organ, the last remaining theatre organ on Broadway. Photo by Gary Leonard.

What's coming up next for the Los Angeles Conservancy?

We'll wrap up this season of Last Remaining Seats in late June (with screenings of the silent Ben-Hur June 26 and Casablanca June 29). We're hard at work on a number of preservation issues, including preventing demolition of L.A.'s first large-scale garden apartment community. Our special spring/summer program, Curating the City: Modern Architecture in L.A., continues through July. And we're planning great new programs for the fall. Every day's a new adventure at the Conservancy!

Thanks Linda. That was fascinating!