LOS ANGELES.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 December 1924, Page 4

LOS ANGELES.

HOLLYWOOD AND CTJ.VKIL (By (lortriide Alack). As no visit to J.os Angeles is complete without seeing the City ol the “.Movies,” we went one morning to Hollywood. We drove first through Culver City also a big “movie” centre, for it is there Thomas luce has his immense studio, where 28 companies are at work at the same time. We passed his very charming private home at Alt. \ onion, and might he called “The House with the* lireon Shutters.” Culver City is only in its infancy; real estate- agents confront one at every turn; hut it intends to he a big rival to Hollywood owing to the advantage of being directly on the way to Venice, the “Coney Island of the West,” a doubtfully attractive resemblance, with all tin- ear-splitting noises of a popular seaside resort. T had stifl'oi'ed from that form of entertainment a few days previously at the much-talked of “Long Bc-aeli.” Oh. the noise! the crowds! Long piers with merry-go-rounds and wliirlyj'igs ;iiul Motor csirs, wore hanging and crashing, dozens of stalls with good eats, where “hot dogs.” and ice-cream were in demand all day long. A ‘‘lmt dog.” I may here mention, is not so alarming as it .sounds, for it is 1 nothing else hut a very savoury hot sausage, between a bread roll, well • plastered with mustard. I had tried to escape from the racket by going on to the licue-h and sitting as near to the water as was safely dry. hut even then 1 heard the touts of taxis and gramoj phones church out the inevitable jazz. The approach to Hollywood struck j nu* as responsel’nl ill comparison, and f j began to notice houses that looked like homes, fn Los Angeles one rarely sees a home . There arc* dozens and dozens of hotels, apartments and yet again. 1 apartments, thousands of these enormous white buildings, some like verit- ! able palaces, with rental suitable to tin; purse of a duke or a A\ rigle.V. lie. by tin* way. has a magnificent bungalow at l’ass’adena. in Alillionaire’s Row. • lust imagine a street being able to | have* the distinction of such a title*. | Such amazingly small things lioin '.which some of those millions have accumulated. cliocolate-c-oateil ice creams for instance. In bleak contrast to the

apartments for the* wealthy, are “looms” the* notice hung crookedly in the window, a depressingly welcome -ight to those* with thin purses, who must save their dollars, a thing difficult to do in l.os Angeles, lor living is very expensive. One* always has the feeling there that everyone was feverishly out to make money; San Francisco seemed mature and settled by comparison. THE D END A LOWS. I’resent ly tin* bungalows so much written about in architectural literature*. became imticeahle. 'I In* red tiles are not nearly so general as they arc with us. grey or brown rools being chosen for most of the larger bungalows, hut in the bungalow courts, red is used and gives just the* right note of colour, beside the graver dignity ol tins larger homes. These* bungalow courts arc* very pleasing to the eye. in all their immaculate neatness. Lui the thought did strike me that to live in one would rather lie like* living in a glass house--a well filled life to those who thrive on small gossip, fur all one's comings and goings run tlu* gauntlet of eyes from a cloze'll bungalows. They are close

cue ugh for eon versa t lolls to In' carried ui, a. mss tin* central pathway, from window to window. Verandahs are conspicuous, by their absence. Sonic* ol the very huge* bungalows have them, ami of course sleeping-nut porc hes hut thev do not have the wide.* open verandahs so popular in Australia. The courts f saw wen* all kept in the most perfect order, not so much as a clead match cci- discarded tram tic ket to mar the trim neatness. The grass is I clipped to a velvety smoothness, the green centre strip showing tip against the while concrete paths. Around eac h bungalow arc* clumps of llnwering sill nils, and in front of eac h one is a cypres*, tree. All looking exactly like an estate agent’s advertisement. Nearly house has its garage. When it has licit the owner parks his car in the street all night the car. of course*, is locked, for even in a country viler** rvervom* cue a- a car there arc- alwav I |e* e wlm pi• P i c*tln-i lu-n' ■ c .11 to I heir eiw n. A handsome villa we passed was pointed out as the home of Jackie t'oogan. built entirely with Jackie's earnings, lie is one of the very wealthy picture idols, and is certainly a wonderfully clever child. W hen he and "l-’atly” Arhueklo. now reinstated, arrived simultaneously af the Palme ||i.tel in San I-raneiseo, the newspapers hardly knew which one to give the largest headings to. The newspapers aiv always very full of the doings ol picture artists (scandalous doings lor clioiee). unit'll of whic h no doubt is exaggerated for the sake of advertisement. for it is a sad tact that in every country that form of advertisement draws a crowd. (iloria Swanson’s beautiful bungalow has a charming garden, shady trees, and lawns open to the street, for fence's an* practically unknown around pi ivutc* gardens, or even orchards. I often saw the notice, “Please do not steal fruit." and evidently the request was respected, for trees wore laden with ripening fruit. One never saw a hastily vanishing group of small hoys. The absence of fences gives one the

| very delightful impression of driving I through beautifully kept private csi tales, and speaks well for the public spirit of the people. SNOW AND FLOWERS. Although it was mid-winter by the calendar, and there was snow in tin 1 distant mountains, the gardens were a blaze of dowel's; roses and carnations and brilliant geraniums. I never saw •geraniums make a better showing than they do in California, and it gives a very happy feeling to see the flowing mass of colour, a striking contrast, lie side the sombre, hut beautiful Monterev eyprus trees, which are planted in every garden. As we drove along I noticed the well-known names ol William Mart. Charlie Chaplin and other stars of the picture world, painted in lug letters on the tin roofs of (lie studios, and I knew it was there the great ones worked. We were fortunate enough to get

a peep into a studio enclosure very jealously guarded from the curious visitor, and there saw a picturesque Russian village. with a handsome church as the centre of action, all looking mellow with age and dirt. Thai was the front. The hack was weatherboard scaffolding, a hollow mockery

indeed. There is not much in the wonderful scenes of far distant countries. which is not built in a I lollywool studio, ft is truly amazing, if rather disillusioning. A gr nip ol •Russians” sat talking together in very good American, the men with big boards and tunics, and the women in flowing white skirt's and shawls around their shoulders. After we left the studio wo walked along the street looking for Ciranmann’s 1.000.000 dollar Kgyptian Theatre. There was plenty to interest ns. An amusing novelty to me was to see the people in fancy dress walking in the street in broad daylight for some of the minor performers dress in their own homes and come to the studio all prepared for the camera. A very attractive looking Dutch family clattered towards us. big faded blue pantaloon, wooden shoes, and all the children particularly charming with their square cut hair and caps. Close behind came some women in mid-Vic-torian dross, with hustles and pork pie hats, and these people were “atmos- I phere.” I was told, just moved about in the pictures, hut did not play a distinct part. It was interesting to notice the different way of walking of each group, a walk suitable to the type represented, and T was ‘‘tickled to death” to see two rosters “mooching” along .the man with “pearlies, and the girl with inevitable “fewer” in her bat. both with hands on hips, and evidently enjoying each other immensely.

The Kgyptian Theatre had just been opened with the first showing of “The Ten Commandments.” so we guessed that where the machines stood thickest was where we wanted to go, and we were right. \Ve paid about seven-nnd-sixpence for good seats. The fhea-

tre itself, was indeed, most beautiful, and the picture spectacular, fairly interesting. Inti it always seemed to hie rather deplorable that such fine artistic surroundings should not he used for something more elevating than ninny of tlu* pictures which are shown. When we got hack to J.os Angeles the evening crowds were filling the streets. The shops aud ofliees were closing or changing shifts and everyone seemed to be hurrying oIF to some interesting appointment. The restaurants were packed, people standing in lung ipieiies in the cafeterias, waiting till those in front filled up their trays ; crowds were coming out from flic* “movies” only to make room for those waiting to go in. And so life lushes along in that city of the peaceful name, the only peaceful thing about it. Later T found my place of dreams, but it was a hundred miles from Los Angeles.