Hollywood Chase, Part Deux

Yikes! How could I let this slip? Fortunately it's only 11pm in Los Angeles and I have the pictures....

These mosaics are mounted on the back end of the Hollywood Chase Bank, the former Home Savings and Loan. I showed a portion of the front last week. The bank actually sits diagonally to the corner, leaving a big triangle of land for public art on the corner. There's a fountain there with a bronze figure of Europa--a fountain that needs lots of regular maintenance. Since the fountain was drained when I showed up to take photos, I didn't bother shooting it. To fill that void, here is a link to a lovely picture on the YouAreHere website.

This, however, is the back of the bank--probably the loveliest bank derriere you will ever see.

There are four figures in back--larger than those in front. Remember, this was designed and built in 1968, so the choice of icons should not be a surprise. Charles Laughton in The Private Life of Henry VIII--a classic, made in 1933, for which Laughton won an Oscar. Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday--again, she won the Oscar for that role, and I think that's why she's not portrayed as Holly Golightly (Breakfast at Tiffany's, for which she was nominated, but didn't win) or Eliza Doolittle (My Fair Lady).

On the right as you face the back entrance, we have Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins--an Oscar winner, of course, but more importantly, my role model. I jumped off the roof with an umbrella many times after seeing that movie--but, as I hadn't read The Secrect in 1964, I did not manage to fly. (I did, however, not break my leg, and that's something.)

The last figure, on the left in this picture, is William S. Hart.

You might expect that one out of four might slip out of public memory in 42 years, and so William S. Hart has. He was the original cowboy star (I had to look him up--he was born during the Civil War and became a movie star. Amazing, huh?) He never won an Oscr because his last movie was made in 1925.

Of course, just because I didn't recognize Hart doesn't mean he's forgotten. But I suspect most folks, like me, need a nudge.

The black marble is inscribed with the names of other Hollywood greats, just like on the front of the bank. Inside, there's a stained glass window depicting chase scenes--as well as The Squaw Man mural, which I think I mentioned last week. And now it is officially Tuesday; I've had two glasses of wine and am probably no longer an authority on anything.