Another One Bites the Dust - UA Four Star Theater on Wilshire Boulvard in LA

The UA Four Star Theater was built circa 1930 and was home to many notable Hollywood movie premieres, including "Lost Horizon" and "The Grapes of Wrath".  It was even the place where critics got their first exclusive viewing of "Gone With the Wind" before it was released to the public.  In the 1950s and 60s, it was capable of screening films in 70mm and "The Sound of Music" played here in the Todd-AO format.  In the 1970s, the theater served as a revival house for classic films.

In December of 2014, the theater was demolished to make room for a deluxe apartment building.  I took the following photos as it was being torn down.  

Hal Roach Studios - Now and Then & Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle's PlantationCafe - Now & Then

Here we have the Hal Roach movie studio, known as the "Laugh Factory to the World".  The Little Rascals, Harold Lloyd and Laurel & Hardy, among others, created movie classics here.  Opened in 1919, it survived until 1963, when the studio buildings were razed.  Above photo and below from internet.

In a small park, near the corner of Washington Boulevard and National, a plaque marks the site of the studio. (Goodrich/2014)

Here us what the site looks like today.  The aforementioned plaque can be seen toward the left-center of the frame. (Goodrich/August 2014)

In the view above, which was taken years ago (Culver City Now website), the railroad track, which was used to haul cameras, sets, costumes, etc. from one part of the studio to another, can be seen.  Hal Roach's office stood to the right of these tracks.  In the photo below, take a look at a 2014 view of this site...the tracks are gone and we now have overpasses easily visible.

August 2014 view of this site (Goodrich/2014)

Internet photo: Fatty Arbuckle's Plantation Cafe - located in the 11700 block of Washington Boulevard in Culver City, CA.  This establishment was amazingly successful and Roscoe performed himself here often after the Rappe scandal.  Celebrities were here every night until the Depression caused the Plantation Cafe to close in 1929

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This is what the Plantation Cafe site looks like today...(Goodrich/2014)

This theater, unbelievably, opened in 1908 in Owego, NY.  My father went to serialized westerns as a kid at this theater and my grandfather served as a projectionist!  It survived the transition from film to digital projection and is still thrilling audiences in upstate NY! (F. Goodrich/2012)

Current 2014 site of the Cinedome Theaters - oh, how things change! (Goodrich/2014)

Here are the former Cinedome Theaters in Orange, CA.  These theaters featured all the latest technologies when they opened in 1969 - 70mm wide-screen projection, 6 track stereophonic sound and curved screens.  In 1992, the year we arrived in CA, they were enlarged to 11 screens and I saw many movies here.  This was one of my favorite theaters.  It closed in 1999 and was demolished the following year. (Source: internet)

The Cinedome Theaters in Orange, CA