Hollywood Heritage Museum

It's been a little over a year since I moved back to the East Coast from Los Angeles and forgot I had these photos from my last visit to the Hollywood Heritage Museum, so I thought I would share them! If you are ever in the area, make sure you check it out as it's absolutely fascinating. They have the best Old Hollywood events and tours of the city. The museum is located at the foot of the Hollywood Hills above the Walk of Fame in an unassuming barn. The Hollywood Heritage Museum is "Hollywood's First Major Film Company Studio".

I worked on a number of films while living there and I certainly hold the process of film making in high regard; long hours and a lot of hard work. To show respect and recognition of the pioneers in film is not to be missed! This is one of the main reasons why I love Old Hollywood~ the creation of art in motion picture. The behind the scenes are just as interesting as the fantasy born in front of the camera. Make sure you check out the museum website at the end for more information and history! Click the photos for a better view!

I bought 9 books in the gift shop!

Pictures detailing the barn and the movie studio's illustrious history.

Here, Louise Brooks is seen joining in on the fun for the celebration of the barn's second location on Melrose & Vine where the current Paramount studios is located.
This address is for the studio's first location in 1913, at Sunset & Vine. 13 years later, the barn moved 1.5 miles north to it's second location.

Cecil B. DeMille's office

This giant megaphone was often used to bark directions for cast and crew. No need for this now, thanks to walkies and willing production assistants! If DeMille looked out the window hard enough, he could see the bumper of my red car. :)
DeMille took a break from screaming at someone to have his portrait taken.

Anyone working on the lot was usually there sometimes 12, 13, 14 hours a day, so many amenities were provided on the grounds.

This bell was used by the sound department for Foley artists and sound technicians. A Foley artist is a member of the crew who recreates natural sounds using many different objects. A little primitive, but they are still used today.

Part of the prop department. This wire rigged Douglas Fairbanks' flying carpet in 1924's The Thief of Bagdad!

Standard cosmetics of the hair and makeup department. Grease paint and powder.

Beautiful stills from some of Paramount's greatest films. The large photo on the left is from the 1923 epic The Ten Commandments. "The City of the Pharaoh" as it was called, was so large that it was impossible to disassemble, so it was easiest to bury it in the sand. (When the Hollywood & Highland Complex was being remodeled, the inspiration came from this historic set.) For more information, check out DeMille's Lost City.

3-20-09 CORRECTION Reader Missy pointed out my mixup; the large photo below is not of The Ten Commandments, but D.W. Griffith's 1916 Intolerance. This is the set that was used as inspiration for the Hollywood & Highland Complex.

DeMille's The Ten Commandments monstrous set, "The City of the Pharaoh" was buried in the sand outside of Los Angeles and excavation for this priceless treasure still continues today. See link posted above for more details.

Funny, the movie cameras have changed, but the Klieg lights still look the same!

Wall to wall artifacts!

The museum is in a quaint Hollywood neighborhood called Whitley Heights. This is also where Valentino bought his first home, Falcon Lair.

The museum has a large collection of memorabilia from the best restaurants, nightclubs and hotels from Hollywood's Golden Age, including The Brown Derby and The Ambassador.

Silent film star Pola Negri's on set stool.

http://hollywoodheritage.com/