Old Towne Mall- Sign Then and Now

Here's a before and after shot of the famous Old Towne Mall. This photo shows roughly the same location of where the old sign stood. Not to complain, but the old sign sure was more interesting than the bland Torrance Promenade sign that stands there now.

Another view of the old sign, The entrance on the far right has changed only a little from how it was when this picture was taken. The glass window that goes up the wall is now still there as the front facade of Linens and Things. They added some more stucco, but compared to the rest of the mall, it's the closest to the original structure.

This photo has been slightly altered to match the previous picture better. Lets say some trees are here that block the view of the building, but they were removed from the photo. You can see the glass wall behind the facade. A little work, and some imagination, and the old entrance could be back to what it once was. The reason that they kept this one section so close to the original mall design, was because they tried to have that section as one last remaining area of the mall. The old Mann theater was where Linens and Things is now, and a food court with an arcade and Carousel remained for a short time after they closed Old Towne.

Tags: Old Towne Mall Torrance California Promenade

Movieland- High Noon

In my first post in a while, I'm sharing yet another scene from the Movieland Wax Museum. This time we see Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly in a scene from the classic western High Noon. The Figures are excellent, and the set, while simple, fits the mood rather well.

A close up of Gary Cooper as Marshall Kane.

Grace Kelly as Mrs. Kane.

A clapboard sign of the movie.

More information on Cooper and his career.

The figures moved to the World Wax Museum in Korea after the museum closed, and the set sold at auction for $600. The figures probably would have sold for a high price because of the status of the two stars.

Tags: Movieland Wax Museum Wax Figure Wax High Noon Gary Cooper Grace Kelly

Jenny Rose Restaurant

35555 Ghost Town Rd Yermo, CA 92398

You gotta love roadside signs, and the architecture of the buildings they advertise. In Yermo California, on the way to Calico Ghost Town, is the Jenny Rose Restaurant. The place is typical of the coffee shop/dinner that once ran along California's highways. Long before all of the big chains took over, these places fed hungry travellers on their way to places like Calico. This sign is a great example of the few independent restaurants that are left.

The restaurant itself. That banner seems to have out used its usefulness. I'm not a big fan of banners on the side of restaurants. They detract from the beauty of the classic architecture.

In case you didn't understand that the Jenny Rose served food, this sign shows the international symbol for "grub served here".

A close up of the sign shows the damage that time has done to to it. It's sad really.

Tags: Jenny Rose Restaurant Yermo California Roadside Signage Calico

Movieland- Kevin Costner

Here's a small set, that like many historical wax museums, shows a single figure in a simple tableau. Kevin Costner is John Dunbar in his 1990 Academy Award winning film Dances With Wolves. Most of the set is that backdrop that seems more grand with the lighting effects. Without it, the set is little more than dirt and rocks. The figure is fairly realistic, but for some reason doesn't seem to do the film, or actor justice.

An up close look at the Costner figure. It's actually a pretty decent figure. The detail is rich and it looks like him, but for some reason there's just something missing in my opinion.

The sign in front of the dirt and rocks (and tumbleweeds).

The figure ended up in Korea, at the World Wax Museum exhibit. It wasn't sold at the auction.

View more Movieland Wax Museum figures, and many others at my other blog, Houses of Wax.

Tags: Movieland Wax Museum Wax Figure Wax Dances With Wolves Kevin Costner