You Can't Eat the Sunshine   /     YCES in Quarantine Episode #135: Hollywood’s Historic Preservation Heroes & Villains

Yucca Apts

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You Can’t Eat the Sunshine returns with an all-new Quarantine format, inviting folks who are passionate about Los Angeles history and historic preservation to join us for a conversation about the places that matter more than ever, as much of Los Angeles shelters in place under Mayor Eric Garcetti’s “Safer At Home” directive.

Our special guest on May 5, 2020 is the preservation juggernaut John Girodo, who recently stepped down from his post on the board of Hollywood Heritage to spearhead the landmarking activities of the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles. The episode is a wide ranging ramble through the history of historic preservation in Hollywood, highlighting notable activists, lamenting public corruption, sharing redevelopment horror stories and the addressing the challenges facing quarantined Angelenos who love the history and landmark buildings of this threatened community.

On the agenda:

• Thoughts about the GoFundMe campaigns of the scrappy Larry Edmunds Bookshop and Arena Cinelounge and the well-heeled Amoeba Music, and the late lamented Aron’s Records.

• LeFrak’s project proposed to surround the Art Deco Attie Building (Playmates) and its beloved “You Are The Star” mural.

• The campaign for transparency around the American Cinematheque nonprofit’s efforts to sell the landmark Egyptian Theatre to Netflix.

• Proposed restoration of the Earl Carroll Theatre’s jaw dropping neon facade.

• How the CitizenM Hotel and Hollywood Center (formerly Hollywood Millennium). mega project stand to overwhelm the Capitol Records building and concerns about fast tracked permitting during the pandemic.

• John Girodo’s dream to turn the overgrown ruins of the Little Community Church of Hollywood (HCM #567) into a pocket park and the mysterious disappearance of essential pages in the landmarking file.

• The threatened garden court apartment buildings at 6220 Yucca, the incredible work done in his second floor apartment by performance art citizen activist John Walsh, life and death Metro Red Line whistleblowing, how history is whitewashed when free weeklies disappear from the internet and the literal collapse of Hollywood Boulevard.

• The abiding influence of Hollywood Heritage’s one-man un-wrecking crew Robert Nudelman.

• And what we all learned while helping to clean out John Walsh’s apartment after his death.

It’s a long, candid conversation, and one you won’t want to miss if you love Hollywood and care about keeping this unique corner of Los Angeles cool and culturally vibrant, despite the relentless efforts of international development, chain retail and our corrupt City Hall.

Links to learn more about our guest, the episode’s topics, and us:

John Girodo’s efforts ensured the landmarking of Musician’s Union Local 47 and the Earl Carroll Theatre, both designed by L.A. Times architect Gordon B. Kaufmann. He previously joined us for Episode #127: Fighting For the Soul of Los Angeles. Have a Hollywood preservation problem and need to talk to John? We’ll pass a message along.

Esotouric is our historic Los Angeles tour company, presently not operating due to the pandemic. We have a newsletter, a YouTube channel, and can be followed onTwitter, Facebook and Instagram.

As the American Cinematheque nonprofit seeks to sell the public resource Egyptian Theatre to Netflix; we seek transparency. Related: Oscars eligibility rules are changing in the face of coronavirus crisis.

Attie Building’s You Are The Star mural (Thomas Suriya, 1983)

Susan Goldsmith’s 1998 New Times feature about John Walsh’s work rooting out corruption in the Los Angeles subway project, “The Freak Who Stopped The Subway.”

Kim’s big score from John Walsh’s record collection: The Dream World of Dion McGregor, He Talks in His Sleep (background, hear it.)

Earl Carroll Theatre restoration project.

John Girodo’s efforts ensured the landmarking of Musician’s Union Local 47 and the Earl Carroll Theatre, both designed by L.A. Times architect Gordon B. Kaufmann. He previously joined us for Episode #127: Fighting For the Soul of Los Angeles. Have a Hollywood preservation problem and need to talk to John? We’ll pass a message along.

Esotouric is our historic Los Angeles tour company, presentlynot operating due to the pandemic. We have anewsletter, a YouTube channel, and can be followed onTwitter,Facebook andInstagram.

As the American Cinematheque nonprofit seeks to sell the public resource Egyptian Theatre to Netflix; we seek transparency. Related: Oscars eligibility rules are changing in the face of coronavirus crisis.

Attie Building’s You Are The Star mural (Thomas Suriya, 1983)

Susan Goldsmith’s 1998 New Times feature about John Walsh’s work rooting out corruption in the Los Angeles subway project, “The Freak Who Stopped The Subway.”

Kim’s big score from John Walsh’s record collection: The Dream World of Dion McGregor, He Talks in His Sleep (background, hear it.)

Earl Carroll Theatre restoration project.