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August 23, 2023

Who says museums are stuffy? Not this one. It has Dorothy’s red shoes from the movie The Wizard of Oz, a life size replica of the great shark from the movie, Jaws. and a real Oscar statuette you can hold for photos.

Hollywood has been making movies for more than a century, but only recently could movie fans can get an inside look at how movies are made. It is all on display at the  Academy Museum of Motion Pictures located on Miracle Mile in Los Angeles, California, close to Beverly Hills. All the glitz and glamour of Hollywood invite visitors to get a back lot view of America’s movie making…then and now.

We stood mesmerized. Visitors oohed and ahhed at Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers.  There were gasps of delight at the sight of the original model cast of Jaws suspended from the ceiling…and authentic props like the sled from Citizen Kane.

It was movie magic at its finest.

Once a former department store, the museum, costing more than $400 million, honors the film industry and celebrates the art of filmmaking. The building has an eye-popping rooftop dome structure with sweeping views of Hollywood Hills–plus two theaters for public and private screenings.

The Academy Museum is a massive structure of concrete, steel and glass spread out over seven levels. Escalators transport people throughout. Our visit took more than four hours, and we didn’t see everything.  The enormous double-height Hurd Gallery was able to accommodate the huge scale of the Mount Rushmore backdrop from the Alfred Hitchcock movie North by Northwest. This is the real thing. You feel that you are on the actual movie set, viewing vintage movie cameras.

Costume design and production objects are on vivid display. The Wizard of Oz exhibit took up an entire room, with memorabilia and costumes worn by the characters.  Dorothy’s ruby slippers are enclosed in a glass case.

The Academy Awards History Gallery was a more intimate experience. It showed videos of famous past speeches, old photos, and Oscars fashion. The Gallery showcased the awards in a separate room, displaying 12 of the actual Oscars behind glass with description of the artist and film that won.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

Our favorite exhibit was the Oscars Experience Where else can you get to hold a real eight and a half pound Oscar? There is no audio, but visitors are given a video. The museum lets people “get into the act” and learn what a thrill it must be to win an Oscar. 

America’s movie history is a reflection on our society. It embodies the spirit of America in good times and bad.  The movies got us through the Great Depression with colorful MGM musical spectaculars.  The high kicking dancers along with favorites Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers took our minds off reality if only for a few moments.

The movies lifted sprits during World War II when top Hollywood stars sold war bonds and entertained the troops. Movies like The Best Years of Our Lives captured the mood of the home front and families waiting for loved ones to return.  Film Noir became part of the popular movie scene and still is in demand.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s pre-eminent movie-related organization with a mission to recognize, honor and uphold excellence in the motion picture arts and sciences. It achieves this mission through its Oscars ceremony, the world’s most prestigious entertainment event. 

But the Academy Museum is not about the Oscars themselves. It is a tribute to the past, present and future of motion pictures. It intends to be an in depth discovery that celebrates America’s cinematic excellence. 

The Academy has the largest film related collections in the world–13 million photographs and 140,000 film and video assets. These include personal collections of Alfred Hitchcock, Katherine Hepburn and Hattie McDaniel.  Recent acquisitions help to the telling of film history: the Spacesuit worn in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and the gown worn by Rita Moreno at the l962 and 2018 Academy Awards.

Founded in 1927, its 36 members were film luminaries of the time. Today, headquarters is at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard. 

The 300,000 square foot museum is a monument to film made out of concrete and steel balanced by the lightness of glass.  Visitors enter the Saban Building where they encounter cinema’s historic past, then cross a bridge into the inventive sphere building when they meet its future.  

Fanny’s, the museum’s restaurant and café is in a striking two story l0,000 square foot space. It is named after Fanny Brice, the legendary movie, vaudeville and radio star portrayed by Barbra Streisand in her Oscar-winning role in Funny Girl (1968].  The restaurant features an open kitchen and elegant service that nods to the style of a bygone era.

The museum store showcases a comprehensive array of film-related merchandise designed exclusively for the store, cinema books and catalogs.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures offers movie fans a chance to explore Hollywood’s legacy and imagine its future.  Please visit www.academymuseum.org for hours and admission details. PH: 1-323-930-3000.

BEVERLY HILLS LUXURY NEAR RODEO DRIVE

Two nearby renowned landmark hotels capture the razzle dazzle spirit of the world of entertainment.

Ever since opening her doors in l955, the Beverly Hilton Hotel has remained a legendary Tinseltown landmark where “anything is possible.” It has been a staple of Los Angeles hospitality and cinema history for decades.

The hotel has hosted the Golden Globes awards since l961 as well as other industry events. The hotel rolls out the red carpet—30,000 feet in all—that lines the driveway for arriving celebrities. We saw an HBO producer and crew tour the pool area.

The 569 room property is nicknamed the White House West as every president has stayed here.  Each room offers sweeping view of the Hollywood hills and the city skyline.

In a nod to nostalgia, this is where famed MGM star and competitive swimmer, Esther Williams, performed in the l950s.

The1928 era Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel at the corner of Wilshire and Rodeo Drive, is also in the heart of Beverly Hills, a premier location near the museum.  It has played a significant role in Hollywood history. It withstood major earthquakes and was called into service as an air raid shelter during World War II. 

The historically rich property added a Mediterranean designed pool modeled after Sofia  Loren’s private Italian villa in the l970s. The Beverly Wilshire is no stranger to fame as well known celebrities have stayed here, namely Elvis Presley, Steve McQueen and Warren Beatty.

Film fans gush over the white and yellow awnings throughout this grand and elegant hotel since it was the site of the l990 movie, Pretty Woman.  The hotel’s elegance and grandeur evoke a nostalgic feeling transporting one to an earlier time in Hollywood. This year the hotel introduced a new concept in entertainment which allows guests to act alongside a celebrity in a bespoke short film from Supergiant Studios.

The hotel’s ornate European façade features rounded awnings and rows of sculptured trees.  Named to the National Register of Historic Places in l987, the hotel today is the hot spot at its “see and be seen” THEBLVD Restaurant and Michelin recommended CUT steakhouse.

Rooms and suites designed by the iconic David Collins Studio offer hints of drama and old Hollywood glamour. Dressed in soft pastels, the rooms represent Rodeo drive luxury. 

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Marci and Melanie DeWolf

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