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That's what runs through my head every time I see the DCA entrance. One of my guilty pleasures is the movie "Xanadu" with Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelley (his last movie) and songs by Electric Light Orchestra, especially "All Around the World".
What do you think of when you see a DLR icon?
Me too! I thought i was the only person that did. No one seems to know what I'm talking about!Quote:
Originally Posted by Not My Real Name
Thank you!
For those of you that don't know, the Pan-Pacific Auditorium is featured promently in the movie and that's what DCA's entrance is modelled after.
So THAT's what it is! When we were there last week I kept thinking "Why does this look so familiar to me, where have I seen this before?" when I saw the entrance. I thought I was imagining it since I'd not been to DCA since it was redone.
On a side note, speaking of old L A; I sent my mom (born in 1922) a picture I had taken of Buena Vista St w/the Red Car Trolley. I took it thru the gate before opening so it was pretty empty. She really got a kick out of it, having frequently travelled to L A (& elsewhere) on the 'original' PE cars in the 30s - 40s. She said it 'really brings back memories'.
My mom used to take the 2 "street cars" from Alhambra to LA City college every day after she graduated from Alhambra High School in 1948.
She should have gone to Pasadena City College as it was closer to her house, but that would have required her to catch a car ride there with one of the local boys, and my grandma absolutely did not let her do that.
My mom is now 82. I just asked her about all of this. She still swears it would have been safer for her to hitch a ride with one of the boys "I would never have let them do anything"! than the 2 streetcars she was forced to take through the relatively less desirable areas of Los Angeles. (if there ever was such a place in 1948).
I can not help but sing that everytime , others must thinks I am a loon!
Xanadu is one of my all-time favorite guilty pleasures (tied with Parent Trap II). I think of it every time I see the new DCA entrance. It would be awesome if someone dressed like Kira for one of the Halloween parties and then posed for photos in front of DCA. :D
Money by Pink FloydQuote:
Originally Posted by Not My Real Name
I was a huge fan of Olivia Newton John in my younger days, and am still a fan. I have to admit, I like to picture her roller skating past DCA's entrance when I'm there! Back when Xanadu first came out, I was really taken with the fantabulous building. I didn't know that it was an actual building, much less where it was. After I moved to SoCal from Texas, I asked a Universal Studios tram driver where the building from Xanadu was and he told me that it was the Pan Pacific Auditorium. I was able to go see it before it burned down, thankfully.Quote:
Originally Posted by Not My Real Name
I saw "Xanadu" in its theatrical release and owned the (vinyl) soundtrack, but did not connect that with DCA. Until now, probably.
I just had to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qCRoqDWf5k
For those that have never seen the Pan Pacific:
Attachment 23962
The Pan Pacific is also where Elvis first performed in California, if I'm not mistaken. The original building is gone, and in it's place, this rec center has been built..
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3057/...c47abc3652.jpg
Also, and I'm surprised this didn't come up yet, but that new DCA entrance is also sort of modeled off of the entrance to DHS (formerly Disney/MGM).
Attachment 23963
It's been there since '89, 12 years before the opening of DCA, about 23 years before the current DCA entrance was fully operational.
One of the early animation projects that the Florida animation crew worked on was "Roller Coaster Rabbit", which showed in theatres before "Dick Tracy". This of course, was when the working animation studio was still there, at least as an animation studio, rather than the "gallery/interactive" thing that's there now. Watch the beginning of "RRR" and take a really close look at the "State Fair" sign, which appears about :25 in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOKqHN7Y-wI(I hope the link works)
BTW, produceguy,I doubt that 5 minutes goes by without someone recognizing the DCA/DHS entrances and thinking of Xanadu, the original "Pan Pacific", or the reciprocal park on the other coast with the same style entrance.