Culver Hotel

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Culver Hotel
Culver Hotel
Location 9400 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, California
Coordinates 34°01′26″N 118°23′39″W / 34.02385°N 118.39427°W / 34.02385; -118.39427Coordinates: 34°01′26″N 118°23′39″W / 34.02385°N 118.39427°W / 34.02385; -118.39427
Architect Claud Beelman and Aleck Curlett
NRHP Reference # 97000296
Added to NRHP April 14, 1997

Culver Hotel is a historical landmark situated in downtown Culver City, California. It was built on the site of Culver City's first movie theater on September 4, 1924, with local headlines announcing: "City packed with visitors for opening of Culver skyscraper." Originally named Hotel Hunt, and later known as Culver City Hotel, the six-story building contained the offices of Harry Culver, the founder of Culver City. It was designed by Los Angeles architect Claud Beelman.

The Culver Hotel has appeared in countless films and television programs throughout its history, including the Our Gang short Honkey Donkey,[1] Putting Pants on Philip[1] with Laurel and Hardy, The Wonder Years, Party of Five, 7th Heaven, Last Action Hero, Sledge Hammer!,[1] Stuart Little 2, Bones, Cougar Town and Touch.

The Culver Hotel is now a popular 4 star hotel has a its own restaurant, conference room, and 2 bars. There is nightly live Jazz and once weekly there is swing dancing. On busy weekend nights there is a second floor lounge bar, decorated in sultry style of the roaring 20s.

Owners

The hotel was originally built and named Hotel Hunt and soon after bought by Harry Culver, the founder of Culver City. Harry Culver's office was on the second floor in a room that he is still said to haunt. Many items in that room have been left just the way Mr. Culver left them.

Legend has it that Charlie Chaplin sold the hotel to John Wayne for a dollar during a poker game.

The Culver Hotel was owned by John Wayne for several years before he donated it to the YMCA. He did so after having been approached by the Black Panthers who wanted to purchase the hotel. They decided to move to San Francisco. There used to be a "John Wayne" presidential suite in the hotel.

The hotel is now privately owned.

Residents

Much of the cast of The Wizard of Oz (1939) stayed at the hotel during its filming. The 1981 film, Under the Rainbow, covered many of the wild antics and parties of the golden age of Hollywood and more specifically the 'Munchkin" take over of the hotel during the filming of The Wizard of Oz. The Hotel has a display in tribute of the film featuring antique figurines from the film.

The Flat-iron shaped hotel has housed many stars as guests, including Clark Gable, Mickey Rooney, Greta Garbo, Judy Garland, Joan Crawford, Lana Turner, Red Skelton, Buster Keaton, Dorothy Dandridge, Douglas Fairbanks, Frank Sinatra, all 4 members of the boy band 98 Degrees, Abby Lee Miller of Dance Moms, Ben Folds and Ronald Reagan.The nearby Jazz Bakery has been known to put up world renowned musicians at the Culver Hotel.

The hotel was bought by Wei [Abraham] Hu in mid-1997. Upon its reopen the hotel was added to the national registry of historic places. Subsequently, the hotel was sold due to costly legal fees and a slump in business.

Gallery

  • The front entrance at night

  • A full view of the Culver Hotel

  • View of the side of the building

  • Statue of the MGM Lion in a fountain outside of the hotel

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Smith, Leon (1988). Hollywood Goes on Location. Los Angeles: Pomegranate Press. p. 177. ISBN 0-938817-07-8. 

External links

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