I was born and raised in L.A. When the Ambassador closed in 1989 I lived a block away and used to use the Post Office located in the Ambassador. After it closed they had a fixture sale (not the auction you spoke of in the video) it would have been before 1993. I didn't care about the sale itself, a friend and I broke away and toured the entire structure ourselves for hours. Every door was opened. We went through nearly every room, stealing door knobs, stationery out of the drawers, room service menus etc. There were multiple rooms that had clearly not seen redecoration in decades, those were the most interesting to me. We went through the Cocoanut Grove, the Pantry, you name it we saw it. Were we wrong for doing it? Sure. Any regrets? Not a one.
Glad You were able to tour the place, see some of the original architecture, and save some memories from there. You preserved a bit of history and are good for doing so in my opinion.
In Laurel and Hardy's 1933 film "Twice Two", Hardy's wife mentions going to the Ambassador. "Let's go to the Ambassador, where we can get something GOOD to eat!"
I felt sick to my stomach watching those clips of the hotel being demolished. I know it was probably an albatross as you said, but can you imagine the business they would do today if they had stayed open? I know I would have stayed there for sure. I just realized something, Marilyn Monroe kind of began her career at The Ambassador, at the Blue Book Modeling Agency that you mentioned. That's really where her first notoriety happened and she began her trajectory. And Bobby Kennedy's career ended there. Interesting.
I love this, Scott. My parents took my brother and my twin sister to California in 1965. We went to the Cocoanut Grove for dinner. Buddy Rich was performing and called out to my twin and I. He said, “hey twins! Come on the stage and shake it up”. We didn’t and I regret that.
Thanks for covering this. Sad how fast California is erasing their own history. Nothing of old will be left behind except for your little salvages of these special places.
It is absolutely depressing . I grew up in Redondo in the early 70s. Luckily , the Rocket Ship park that we played at is still there. Although , the elementary school , Parkway is now gone. So much of Hollywood history is gone. I've always wondered what the Hollywood tourist industry is thinking. I guess they want to take people to a spot and say " this is where it used to be ".. I don't get it.
I was in the Coconut Grove in 1970 after Sammy Davis "remodeled" it. We saw Liza Minelli there. Bruce Dern was at the table next to us and my date was swooning. He was very handsome then and I could see why he was in movies. I still have a wrapped sugar cube from there. The wrapper is pink. Sad it was torn down. As site of the RFK assassination, it should have been saved. The LA Conservancy put up a big fight to save it but the powers that be wanted it gone.
Hi Scott, So often we go through the demolishing of history here in Los Angeles. It is depressing! In this situation, the hotel was crumbling and falling apart. My question is why and how did it come to this? Is it because the hotel closed for business and once there was no revenue, there were no upkeep? Who owned it? So much history in this place! I wish someone had cared enough to renovate it and reopen it before it fell into disrepair. I wish I could have gone inside to see it. I have such a love of old Hollywood, history and architecture. I can’t imagine coming to this town and not being in awe of the history from Hollywood Blvd to Santa Monica beach, and yet some developer comes along and decides to tear down a timeless piece of history and rebuild a mausoleum. It’s maddening. And it seems we who love the past are usually on the losing end of that debate. 😞 Thank you for sharing the photos of the interior of the hotel!
My Senior Prom in 1977 was held at the Ambassador Hotel. We were in the same ballroom. I was too young to know how close to history I was. I lived in the San Gabriel Valley where Sirhan Sirhan lived and he purchased the gun a few miles from my house. Bobby was in El Monte a day or so before he was killed (riding in a open top convertible). You did a story about James Ellroy’s mother and her murder. I walked every day to school right past where her body was discovered. It was also the same High School (Arroyo H.S.) that Steven Parent had just graduated from the June before he was murdered by Tex Watson. I was a classmate of his younger brother.
My parents home in Orange County was built in 1962 and it had the very same flooring in the kitchen as the Ambassador pantry. It was popular then and looked like a plastic terrazzo. Ours had a green tint to it which matched the forest green pile carpeting in the other rooms. Mid-century madness!
I stayed there in 1985 and they were filming a moonlighting episode [The Lady in the Iron Mask]. We were asked to be extras but sadly didn't make the final cut.
My grandfather was a cook at the Ambassador in the 70s. Such a shame they tore it down and changed the property. Such a rich history all gone today. Love The Aviator movie as well. I miss your little museum and the tours! I did a couple tours but never got to do the Manson tour.
I'll never forget the summer of 1984 when I spent two weekends going to the Ambassador to take the "EST" seminars. I would park my car across the street in the old Brown Derby parking lot, incredibly the hat shaped restaurant was torn down, but the floor and the brim of the hat still remained. I could see the entrance where many famous peopled walked, I still kick myself for not picking up some of the rubble before they cleared that area to build the strip mall that sets there now.
I was lucky enough to have dinner at the Brown Derby on Wilshire in 1986, and am still kicking myself for not venturing across the street to tour the Ambassador! Next time I returned to L.A. in 1994, it was too late… 😢
I watched his speech that night live on TV I was 8yrs old, it was summer so no school and was allowed to stay up and watch while the rest of the family went to bed, my first time ever viewing late night television I'll never forget.
I heard it live on my radio in my bedroom. I was 16 years old and probably headed to Vietnam. I was devastated. I never went to Nam since I went to college and had a deferment.
Great vid. Walked right in the front entrance in the early 90's. Told the lone security guard I was scouting locations. Spent two hours wandering around . The ballroom was creepy. I can still smell the cat piss. If anyplace was haunted it was The Ambassador Hotel. Was glad to get back outside.
Scott have you ever considered writing a book showcasing your collection of items, photos, new clippings and trivia of your deep well of knowledge on Hollywood and American history? It would be a great addition to anyone who enjoys reading all of that in a nice big book. You do great work and have a nice treasure trove of souvenirs. 🙂
Great video. Very informative. In 1976, I worked at the Equitable Building (located across the street from the Ambassador Hotel) at an advertising agency. The hotel was closed but a separate building of the hotel was open and had a restaurant. Occasionally we'd go there to have lunch (sandwiches, soups, salads). We'd also go to the Gaylord Hotel for lunch. They had a room where they served lunch specials. For celebrations or someone's first day on the job, we'd have lunch at the Brown Derby, located across the street.
I got in there for a shoot (Leprechaun 3). The doors to the big hall where RFK spoke were chained, but I managed to peek in a little. The pantry was open, and on the spot where Kennedy bled a big 'X' had been carved into the floor. There's a similar marking (paint, I think) in the middle lane at Dealey Plaza, on the key spot. The Grove was where the shoot was going on; it was really cool, and the lobby and lounge from"The Graduate" (I which it was the "Taft") seemed pretty unchanged.
Absolutely great story Scott. I can hear the compassion in your voice as you tell how the destruction of this landmark was a total travisty in our history. I was a sophomore in highschool staying up late doing homework when Bobby was killed. They announced the next day he had died. Such a terrible time for America. Thank you Scott for an excellent job in telling this story.
@@Elainerulesutube the powers to be was responsible for this tragic destruction of this historic landmark. Not to mention the crime scene which was so controversial then as well as now. But I'm not the least bit surprised. The government is corrupt. Enough said.
I understand you. When I am standing on such an historical spot I just get this feeling from my soul. When I touch walls of old buildings or antiques I get that feeling as well. I understand why you like to take with you a small piece of something/anything and just hold onto. I would have taken more artifacts and pictures too. My grandpa is buried at Calvary in ELA it’s a beautiful place I love to wonder. Example: I found Jelly Roll Morton a jazz musician who passed in Los Angeles in 1941. Then I dug up how he was such a horrible human no one, NO ONE went to his burial 🪦 Hearing his jazz music and standing at his grave, reading his headstone is such a great experience to me. Thank you
enjoyed the history of this story. I watched a movie of Bobby Kennedy, toward the end after the speech he made. I noticed he was walking in a different direction, till someone said no let's go this way which was toward the pantry ( wow ) that's where he got assassinated. up to this day makes me wonder if he kept walking the first direction he'd still be alive. am I wrong. came across the movie on TH-cam. What a beautiful hotel it was back in the glorious days. thanks Scott. have a safe Merry Christmas and Troy too
Great to have you as a custodian of those historical pieces. If they could talk. As usual, you present with such a respectful and historian demeanor. Thank you Scott. Happy Holidays to you and Troy.
@@DearlyDepartedToursnothing special but better in your hands than mine. Like I said, you are a great keeper of the “STUFF” that keeps us Death Hags entertained. Merry Christmas Scott.
I used to live right by there. I was new to California and moved into a studio apartment in Korea town. I was literally right next to it on Mariposa street back in 1997. I always was fascinated by the beauty of this huge complex and always wondered about the history.
Los Angeles Magazine did an excellent story and exquisite pictorial of the remains inside The Ambassador Hotel in the 1990's. I wish I'd have saved issue.
Thank you for information and pictures, Scott. The Ambassador was always so fascinating to me. Unfortunately, I never got to see it. But I did get to go on your incredible Dearly Departed tour. Which was very fortunate! I sat up front with you on the tour bus and looked through your morbid pictures album. Which of course, I had to take pictures of your pictures. It was the best four I've ever been on. That was in 2006.
A friend of mines band filmed a video in there right before it was demolished. One of them took some tiles from the kitchen floor. When my Dad was young , he had , or I guess I did too.... a relative that lived across the street from the Ambassador. He used to go swimming there sometime around the mid 40s.
I love this episode! When I was a little girl, my Dad and Stepmom had an apartment in LA that was walking distance from the Ambassador Hotel. My Stepmom worked in bookkeeping for a specialty clothing shop (men’s suits if memory serves) called G B Harb & Son. It was right across the street from the Ambassador Hotel there on Wilshire Blvd. I remember my Dad and I going for walks to meet my Stepmom for lunch and/or to get ice-cream at a Thrifty drug store just up the street on Wilshire and we’d always make a point to go look at the hotel. I don’t recall if we ever went in, but I think it was closed at that point (late 80’s). I remember thinking it was so beautiful. We’d eat ice-cream and my Dad would tell me stories about the Ambassador and celebrities, the death of RFK, etc. So many memories. I was sad to see it go because it will always remind me of my father and my childhood memories of living in Los Angeles. Thank you so much! I’m so glad you have some keepsakes from the hotel. 🌹
My Uncle Bob knew Sirhan Sirhan. He used to pick him up in his Lime Gold 1967 Mustang and take him to church at the First Church of the Nazarene in Pasadena. Uncle Bob was trying to take the young 24 year-old Palestinian kid under his wing. Sirhan was raised Palestinian Christian. I rode in that same Mustang to see the Queen Mary come into port in Long Beach a few months earlier.
It’s very sad when they demolish history . For me, the destruction of the Viper Room is terrible . I visited LA in the early 1990’s, and went there one night. So many memories ! I noticed they didn’t implode the Ambassador . They ripped it down instead . Was there a reason for that ? I bet that place was full of asbestos ?
@@DearlyDepartedTours hopefully there are others working to get it saved . Up here in Calgary, they’re ripping down many historic buildings, homes . To put in high density housing .
I drove by the shell of the building many times in the 2000s and was always sad that i'd never get to see the inside. Thank you for finally making it happen! Great work (as always)!
Great video, Scott! Marilyn Monroe had an event there at the Cocoanut Grove inside the Ambassador Hotel, March 8, 1960, for the 17th Golden Globe Awards. She won as Best Actress for Some Like It Hot.
I often think about places I wish I'd seen before they were closed or demolished and The Ambassador is definitely on that list, along with Barker Ranch and 100050 Cielo Drive. But at least I got to stay at the Alta Cienega Motel and see the Jim Morrison Room and watch Birds of Prey at the Arclight Cinerama Dome on Sunset. Both places were closed shortly after my visits.
Thank you Scott, I love the film Bobbie, I was gutted when the Ambassador was demolished although I never have been to The States. I defo would have come on a Dearly Departed Tour had I been able. You are a hero of mine. I have met you, the best day. x
I just found your channel. New Sub here. Broke my heart to see this historic hotel get demolished. Too bad they couldn't save it. I stay and film in many historic hotels. Thank you for sharing this.
I love your segment on the Ambassador Hotel I used to be a bellboyy there in 1983 how was a young kid I was only 22 years old but I was there for a few years I have a lot of stuff that belongs to the Ambassador I have the mirror that was in the suite that Kennedy was in before his assassination also a wooden box that was in one of the shops in the basement level I still got my Ambassador ID dinner plates that were very famous The story that went around is that the coconut Grove took a dive Sammy Davis Junior contracted to revise the Coconut Grove in the 70s and that's why there was such a change it never worked and it took a dive It was the best job I've had I met so many people there from all over the world I met the side and film star actresses that were so old that used to live at the Gaylord hotel that will come over and dress like they were still from the 1920s I was Dr Welby from the doctor Welby show if I'm pronouncing it right I was his bellboy that's would meet him every day at 3:00 in the front of the main entrance Under the Clock I would greet him and carry his bags to his room and he would tip me $1 I'm 63 now but I used to roam that hotel at night when I had to work nights The Operators will actually use the original switchboards from back in the days to connect people to their rooms it was amazing
Scott - just watching this. Did you notice in one of the THAT THING YOU DO exterior clips it appears there is a mural sized version of one of the LA CAVE PIGALLO matchbooks (upper left). Also my daughter worked there for LA unified school district- she sent me pix from inside - says they did preserve the coconut grove and some other stuff.
This was so interesting! I worked for several years on Wilshire Blvd., about 3 blocks from the Ambassador Hotel. I used to take a walk several times per week during my lunch break and always passed the hotel. It hadn’t been demolished yet, but was very run down and falling apart. It used to make me sad to look at it and think about its rich history, and what had happened to RFK that terrible day. The last thing I remember before our office moved, is the demolition of everything except the Coconut Grove. After that, I didn’t see it very often. Thanks so much for the tour, Scott. You have some great collectibles!
I remember that during the demo work at the hotel they came across what would have been an apartment that was created specifically for Sammy Davis Jr. It seemed to be from the 70's and as they tore the wall out it revealed some awesome 70's mirrored wallpaper.
What an Amazing tribute of yours to the historic Ambassador Hotel and Bobby Kennedy. I have a silver looking pitcher size Coffee urn from the kitchen and a black cigarette ash tray from the Coconut Grove.
Thank you for another fantastic video! Always such cool content✨ Btw, I love your background, light blue wall & the awesome retro looking painting. Love it😊✨
Thank you for sharing all this never new or got to see this LA hotel Was very interesting and depressing But I am glad you preserved so much for us to view. Always love your videos you know so much history of LA love it!
Great video. Not much for sale on eBay but post cards and matchbooks. A brick is pretty cool. L.A. Unified failure to keep Cocoanut Grove sucks. They didn't bargain in good faith, they lied. Such a great example for the kids.
So sad so many old buildings are destroyed and especially ones of history. I live in a town of about 70 thousand and not near the popularity of this but they destroyed so many of our beautiful old buildings in something they called urban renewal back in the mid to late seventies. The Robidoux Hotel was our beautiful hotel that was demolished actually by blowing it up. 😢 my mother actually cried that day she stated so many memories and it’s just gone. So sad!!😢😢
VERY SAD THAT THEY LET THIS GRAND OLD BUILDING GO!!! THERE ARE MANY OLD HOTEL LEFT TO THIS DAY,... THIS HOTEL IS HISTORY,, SAD AT THE AUCTION SEEING ALL THE HOTEL'S OLD BELONGINGS ALL BEING SOLD ,THIS HOTEL WAS BEING RAPED FROM HER PAST AND FUTURE TO BE IF PEOPLE CARED.. THANKS FOR MOST OF THE INFO,,..
I went there after they closed it and went into the Coconut Grove and in some cabinets, there were some old 12x14 photographs and I think I still have them somewhere, one is a photo cubby and his band from The Mouseketeers and a picture of Leif Garrett with his mom.. why these things were in a nondescript cabinet I don't know.. just forgotten things from the past we also went up to the top floor and then security spotted us and we were asked to leave, I'm guessing this was around 1989/90.
This is brilliant have Aviator on DVD sorry no my mum has it loves it, I bought for her few Christmas's ago, going to try watch again didn't realise it was the ambassador hotel coconut grove wow way cool, Martin Scorsese has such an eye for recreating historical places❤
It has taken me 2 months to steel myself and watch this heartbreaking video. I stayed at the Ambassador in September of 1986 when on holiday from England I was heartbroken and astonished that somewhere with so much iconic history was destroyed. Sadly it often seems the way. I have an amazing book on its history that used to be on sale at the hotel. It has a beautiful gold cover and is full of remarkable photos of famous people from the last century who stayed and played there. Thank you so much for all your videos Scott, although this one was very bittersweet.❤
Thanks so much for this great tribute to an iconic landmark that is now sadly a thing of the past. I was born and raised in Los Angeles and was deeply affected by the assassination of RFK (I was 14 years old in 1968). I was however much more interested in the JFK assassination and have visited Dealey Plaza four times. I only wish i had taken the time to visit the Ambassador when it was still around... Your videos always provide great education and entertainment but this one might just be my favorite. Well done!
It's sad that landmark gets torn down but there are reasons mainly financial that these landmarks close down in the first place. After being vacant for so long they become dangerous, and no-one can expect tax payers to foot the millions it would take for renovation and upkeep of an insolvent building. The memory will live on and that is enough. 😊 If the entrance tower still stands it possibly could be updated with a plaque that explains " on this site stood the Ambassador Hotel where in 1968 Bobby Kennedy lost his life" as a monument of him and the hotel.🤔
Sadly all of history in this country is under attack and is being erased. We have a few generations nowadays that don’t care about anything past 2010. Strange.
definitely a huge loss for that hotel to go. I'm sure there were many opportunities for it to be saved, but (for reasons I haven't researched) it wasn't. I'm a history nerd, so I'm glad you put together a vlog about your experience at the Ambassador because that building/property was super vital to the fabric of American culture and history. also, I'm slightly jealous of your brick and piece of floor from the pantry. so, don't think you don't have as much as you could've gotten from the property because almost none of us have even one item. thanks for what you do, Scott 🤙
It was a colossal battle between the LA Conservancy and the City of Los Angeles School District. I followed it for years and it was just devastating they could not have found a solution without destroying the place entirely. Some proposals were to keep the room RFK last spoke as a room in the high school but they couldn't even leave that. I am sure the powers that be simply wanted the place gone so nobody could prove the government killed RFK.
@@incog99skd11 your last point is what I'm leaning towards, too. RFK was probably actually going to do some transformational work for the people as president, and that's obviously a no-go for the "powers that be".
Can you imagine if someone's wife had just gotten pregnant at the beginning of the Manson trial and they were serving on the jury, they could have been away from their partner virtually for the whole time? Wow.
Fantastic! I have never seen footage of the auction before. Does anyone know what the 2 "watch towers" on the roof were used for? Greetings from New Zealand :)
Scott - Another amazing video. Mesmerising in parts. I wasn't lucky enough to see the Ambassador before it was demolished, but I've visited the site a few times since (and the Gaylord & HMS Bounty opposite). Its one of those places where you can feel the history permeating through you as you stand at the location....(Well as close as you can from the street) I adore American history, and the Kennedy's are an important part of that for me, so this video really resonated. Keep up the great work Scott, and thank you. You'll always have my complete support. Jamie (Dead Souls Social Club)
Such a beautiful hotel back in its day.The attention to detail is amazing they sure don’t make anything like that anymore.If we could go back in it’s hay day.
That mortar swipe on the brick at end you are holding, just think about the worker who applied that mortar to that very brick that was part of the building for so long. I'm weird, I think about such things and wonder about those persons.
Thank you Scott for showing us your memories of the Ambassador and it’s impact on our national consciousness and culture. I have always wondered how authentic the spaces and feel of the hotel was in the various shows and movies. This hotel was indeed a treasure and it’s a shame indeed that it deteriorated to the point that it was demolished. Thank you for doing the wonderful stories that you do. I love your work and appreciate that you share your passion with all of us. God bless you and Merry Christmas!
another great video, Scott! Enjoy your content so much. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and Troy! look forward to many more great videos in 2024!
"political assassinations" What great stories. My first job in Los Angeles 1978 to 1981 was at 3550 Wilshire Blvd, just three long blocks from the Ambassador. It was like its own city with the Beauty Shop, Barber, clothes shops, restaurants and full Post Office. Lunched in the coffee shop on paydays and now that I think about it, we may have had a Christmas party there too. Another movie which featured a glimpse of the Ambassador is The Unfaithful with Ann Sheridan/Zachery Scott. They drive down that long driveway and I believe you can see the Brown Derby hat restaurant in the background. Decades later went with a theatrical agent friend to watch his client, a little person, perform a fire stunt for the movie Leprechaun 3. By this time, maybe early or mid 1990s the hotel had been empty for quite some time and there was no electricity so it was quite spooky. The stunt was being filmed in the Coconut Grove and I remember walking up that stairway to the entrance. I seem to remember there were some long, ornate windows because I could see the full moon. While the stunt was being rehearsed I wandered around the dark hotel, checking drawers of course. Everything was pretty much gone, but I did take a couple of drawer pulls from the Palm Bar which was just off the lobby. Tried to get into the kitchen area but it was boarded up. Wish I would have known about that entrance from the coconut grove. Wish I would have taken more from there too. It was a wonderful place, that Olympic size swimming pool and the bungalows. So alive and exciting. I'll never forget that place. And that fire stunt scared the heck out of me, but that's another story.
Too bad you couldn’t have gotten all the kitchen pantry items (sink-counters-cabinets) in order to preserve it & eventually do a remake of it for people to see. Anyway, love all your content friend, Happy Christmas to you & Troy.
I like all your videos and I am a Patreon. You said something about Dearly Departed Documentary Part 1. Are these documentaries online somewhere to watch?
They're on his TH-cam channel; the very one you're presently viewing.* *Tap the circular image of Scott. Or, you could otherwise, go to your TH-cam spyglass, and type in his name and The Ambassador Hotel. 🕯.
I worked a two film shoots in and on the Ambassador grounds. Got to see the pantry. We made the Coconut grove into a Casino by adding slot machines etc. I’ve always been a Kennedy History fan. So on the 50th Anniversary of his death I went to the Kennedy School to the Large Memorial on the School Grounds right at the street…. I was pissed off!.. This School named in Kennedys honor, where history had been made, on the 50th Anniversary?!!!.. was Covered with trash, smelled of Urine, and was painted over with graffiti and the whole display had been allowed to entirely fall into disrepair. I’m sorry. Blame a school or city budget or what ever you like…. But in my day, the Students themselves would at the very least not have allowed this to happen to Their School!…. They would have had the pride to at least have had a volunteer clean up effort. …. I couldn’t believe the condition of the memorial… on the 50th Anniversary of his Death… Frankly I lost tons of respect and pride for living in LA that day.
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I was born and raised in L.A. When the Ambassador closed in 1989 I lived a block away and used to use the Post Office located in the Ambassador. After it closed they had a fixture sale (not the auction you spoke of in the video) it would have been before 1993. I didn't care about the sale itself, a friend and I broke away and toured the entire structure ourselves for hours. Every door was opened. We went through nearly every room, stealing door knobs, stationery out of the drawers, room service menus etc. There were multiple rooms that had clearly not seen redecoration in decades, those were the most interesting to me. We went through the Cocoanut Grove, the Pantry, you name it we saw it. Were we wrong for doing it? Sure. Any regrets? Not a one.
This is the greatest. I'm so glad for you (and a bit envious too)!
? Did you say what happened to the clock? It’s a very cool design!
No, you were, umm, preserving a piece of history. Yep, that's it preserving.
Glad You were able to tour the place, see some of the original architecture, and save some memories from there. You preserved a bit of history and are good for doing so in my opinion.
Did you poop in any of the beds?
My wife and I and some friends snuck in the Ambassador in the late 90's one night. We got into the pantry and there was an x where RFK fell.
In Laurel and Hardy's 1933 film "Twice Two", Hardy's wife mentions going to the Ambassador. "Let's go to the Ambassador, where we can get something GOOD to eat!"
I felt sick to my stomach watching those clips of the hotel being demolished. I know it was probably an albatross as you said, but can you imagine the business they would do today if they had stayed open? I know I would have stayed there for sure. I just realized something, Marilyn Monroe kind of began her career at The Ambassador, at the Blue Book Modeling Agency that you mentioned. That's really where her first notoriety happened and she began her trajectory. And Bobby Kennedy's career ended there. Interesting.
Thanks Scott ,I never knew the Manson jurors stayed at The Ambassador .I still can't believe they tore down this landmark
The sad thing is nothing is sacred anymore.
I love this, Scott. My parents took my brother and my twin sister to California in 1965. We went to the Cocoanut Grove for dinner. Buddy Rich was performing and called out to my twin and I. He said, “hey twins! Come on the stage and shake it up”. We didn’t and I regret that.
No kidding! Wow!
So cool!
Thanks for covering this. Sad how fast California is erasing their own history. Nothing of old will be left behind except for your little salvages of these special places.
It is absolutely depressing . I grew up in Redondo in the early 70s. Luckily , the Rocket Ship park that we played at is still there. Although , the elementary school , Parkway is now gone. So much of Hollywood history is gone. I've always wondered what the Hollywood tourist industry is thinking. I guess they want to take people to a spot and say " this is where it used to be ".. I don't get it.
So sad that these beautiful historical buildings are just knocked down 😢
I was in the Coconut Grove in 1970 after Sammy Davis "remodeled" it. We saw Liza Minelli there. Bruce Dern was at the table next to us and my date was swooning. He was very handsome then and I could see why he was in movies. I still have a wrapped sugar cube from there. The wrapper is pink. Sad it was torn down. As site of the RFK assassination, it should have been saved. The LA Conservancy put up a big fight to save it but the powers that be wanted it gone.
We saw RFK give a speech at the Foreign Mall in Sacramento weeks before he died. Very sad time for our country.
Hi Scott,
So often we go through the demolishing of history here in Los Angeles. It is depressing! In this situation, the hotel was crumbling and falling apart. My question is why and how did it come to this? Is it because the hotel closed for business and once there was no revenue, there were no upkeep? Who owned it? So much history in this place! I wish someone had cared enough to renovate it and reopen it before it fell into disrepair. I wish I could have gone inside to see it.
I have such a love of old Hollywood, history and architecture. I can’t imagine coming to this town and not being in awe of the history from Hollywood Blvd to Santa Monica beach, and yet some developer comes along and decides to tear down a timeless piece of history and rebuild a mausoleum. It’s maddening. And it seems we who love the past are usually on the losing end of that debate. 😞
Thank you for sharing the photos of the interior of the hotel!
Scott I love your work, I have a very small youtube channel.
My Senior Prom in 1977 was held at the Ambassador Hotel. We were in the same ballroom. I was too young to know how close to history I was. I lived in the San Gabriel Valley where Sirhan Sirhan lived and he purchased the gun a few miles from my house. Bobby was in El Monte a day or so before he was killed (riding in a open top convertible). You did a story about James Ellroy’s mother and her murder. I walked every day to school right past where her body was discovered. It was also the same High School (Arroyo H.S.) that Steven Parent had just graduated from the June before he was murdered by Tex Watson. I was a classmate of his younger brother.
Hi from the UK, amazing stories, thanks for sharing.
@@themerchantofengland Thank you! You’re very kind😊
How do you know Sirhan killed Bobby? You believe the government? Don't be so naive friend!
The SGV especially the city of El Monte and South El Monte has a lot of history and things of interest I think people would love to learn about.
My parents home in Orange County was built in 1962 and it had the very same flooring in the kitchen as the Ambassador pantry. It was popular then and looked like a plastic terrazzo. Ours had a green tint to it which matched the forest green pile carpeting in the other rooms. Mid-century madness!
I stayed there in 1985 and they were filming a moonlighting episode [The Lady in the Iron Mask]. We were asked to be extras but sadly didn't make the final cut.
Cool
My grandfather was a cook at the Ambassador in the 70s. Such a shame they tore it down and changed the property. Such a rich history all gone today. Love The Aviator movie as well. I miss your little museum and the tours! I did a couple tours but never got to do the Manson tour.
I'll never forget the summer of 1984 when I spent two weekends going to the Ambassador to take the "EST" seminars. I would park my car across the street in the old Brown Derby parking lot, incredibly the hat shaped restaurant was torn down, but the floor and the brim of the hat still remained. I could see the entrance where many famous peopled walked, I still kick myself for not picking up some of the rubble before they cleared that area to build the strip mall that sets there now.
Why did they tear down the Brown Derby?
I was lucky enough to have dinner at the Brown Derby on Wilshire in 1986, and am still kicking myself for not venturing across the street to tour the Ambassador!
Next time I returned to L.A. in 1994, it was too late… 😢
I watched his speech that night live on TV I was 8yrs old, it was summer so no school and was allowed to stay up and watch while the rest of the family went to bed, my first time ever viewing late night television I'll never forget.
I heard it live on my radio in my bedroom. I was 16 years old and probably headed to Vietnam. I was devastated. I never went to Nam since I went to college and had a deferment.
@@incog99skd11 Thank God You didn't go.
9 effing months on lockdown in a Hotel for jury duty...i wouldve been climbing the walls
I'm grateful they used it so well in films like Bobby and That Thing You Do so it forever lives on film.
It was truly a spectacular structure
When I worked for the Getty Oil Company we had our X-mas party at the Ambassador Hotel. Glad I was able experience it years before it's end
Great vid. Walked right in the front entrance in the early 90's. Told the lone security guard I was scouting locations. Spent two hours wandering around . The ballroom was creepy. I can still smell the cat piss. If anyplace was haunted it was The Ambassador Hotel. Was glad to get back outside.
Scott have you ever considered writing a book showcasing your collection of items, photos, new clippings and trivia of your deep well of knowledge on Hollywood and American history?
It would be a great addition to anyone who enjoys reading all of that in a nice big book. You do great work and have a nice treasure trove of souvenirs. 🙂
A real shame that it couldn’t be saved and turned into a museum with different floors exhibiting different eras in LA.
Great video. Very informative. In 1976, I worked at the Equitable Building (located across the street from the Ambassador Hotel) at an advertising agency. The hotel was closed but a separate building of the hotel was open and had a restaurant. Occasionally we'd go there to have lunch (sandwiches, soups, salads). We'd also go to the Gaylord Hotel for lunch. They had a room where they served lunch specials. For celebrations or someone's first day on the job, we'd have lunch at the Brown Derby, located across the street.
God bless you Scott for not following the rules to give us something to see! You got heart!!!
I got in there for a shoot (Leprechaun 3). The doors to the big hall where RFK spoke were chained, but I managed to peek in a little. The pantry was open, and on the spot where Kennedy bled a big 'X' had been carved into the floor. There's a similar marking (paint, I think) in the middle lane at Dealey Plaza, on the key spot. The Grove was where the shoot was going on; it was really cool, and the lobby and lounge from"The Graduate" (I which it was the "Taft") seemed pretty unchanged.
Absolutely great story Scott. I can hear the compassion in your voice as you tell how the destruction of this landmark was a total travisty in our history. I was a sophomore in highschool staying up late doing homework when Bobby was killed. They announced the next day he had died. Such a terrible time for America. Thank you Scott for an excellent job in telling this story.
They should never have demolished this hotel. It should've been declared an historic site.
@@Elainerulesutube the powers to be was responsible for this tragic destruction of this historic landmark. Not to mention the crime scene which was so controversial then as well as now. But I'm not the least bit surprised. The government is corrupt. Enough said.
I understand you. When I am standing on such an historical spot I just get this feeling from my soul. When I touch walls of old buildings or antiques I get that feeling as well. I understand why you like to take with you a small piece of something/anything and just hold onto.
I would have taken more artifacts and pictures too. My grandpa is buried at Calvary in ELA it’s a beautiful place I love to wonder. Example: I found Jelly Roll Morton a jazz musician who passed in Los Angeles in 1941. Then I dug up how he was such a horrible human no one,
NO ONE went to his burial 🪦
Hearing his jazz music and standing at his grave, reading his headstone is such a great experience to me. Thank you
enjoyed the history of this story. I watched a movie of Bobby Kennedy, toward the end after the speech he made. I noticed he was walking in a different direction, till someone said no let's go this way which was toward the pantry ( wow ) that's where he got assassinated. up to this day makes me wonder if he kept walking the first direction he'd still be alive. am I wrong. came across the movie on TH-cam. What a beautiful hotel it was back in the glorious days. thanks Scott. have a safe Merry Christmas and Troy too
Great to have you as a custodian of those historical pieces. If they could talk. As usual, you present with such a respectful and historian demeanor. Thank you Scott. Happy Holidays to you and Troy.
Thanks, Donny. Unboxing on Christmas Eve! Looking forward to it x
@@DearlyDepartedToursnothing special but better in your hands than mine. Like I said, you are a great keeper of the “STUFF” that keeps us Death Hags entertained. Merry Christmas Scott.
Very sad ending to a a huge piece of Hollywood history!!😔
I used to live right by there. I was new to California and moved into a studio apartment in Korea town. I was literally right next to it on Mariposa street back in 1997. I always was fascinated by the beauty of this huge complex and always wondered about the history.
Los Angeles Magazine did an excellent story and exquisite pictorial of the remains inside The Ambassador Hotel in the 1990's. I wish I'd have saved issue.
Thank you for information and pictures, Scott. The Ambassador was always so fascinating to me. Unfortunately, I never got to see it. But I did get to go on your incredible Dearly Departed tour. Which was very fortunate! I sat up front with you on the tour bus and looked through your morbid pictures album. Which of course, I had to take pictures of your pictures. It was the best four I've ever been on. That was in 2006.
A friend of mines band filmed a video in there right before it was demolished. One of them took some tiles from the kitchen floor. When my Dad was young , he had , or I guess I did too.... a relative that lived across the street from the Ambassador. He used to go swimming there sometime around the mid 40s.
I would drive by during pre-demolition to look at it. I'd take a drive around the perimeter.
It just makes me sad.
I love this episode! When I was a little girl, my Dad and Stepmom had an apartment in LA that was walking distance from the Ambassador Hotel. My Stepmom worked in bookkeeping for a specialty clothing shop (men’s suits if memory serves) called G B Harb & Son. It was right across the street from the Ambassador Hotel there on Wilshire Blvd. I remember my Dad and I going for walks to meet my Stepmom for lunch and/or to get ice-cream at a Thrifty drug store just up the street on Wilshire and we’d always make a point to go look at the hotel. I don’t recall if we ever went in, but I think it was closed at that point (late 80’s). I remember thinking it was so beautiful. We’d eat ice-cream and my Dad would tell me stories about the Ambassador and celebrities, the death of RFK, etc. So many memories. I was sad to see it go because it will always remind me of my father and my childhood memories of living in Los Angeles.
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you have some keepsakes from the hotel.
🌹
My Uncle Bob knew Sirhan Sirhan. He used to pick him up in his Lime Gold 1967 Mustang and take him to church at the First Church of the Nazarene in Pasadena. Uncle Bob was trying to take the young 24 year-old Palestinian kid under his wing. Sirhan was raised Palestinian Christian. I rode in that same Mustang to see the Queen Mary come into port in Long Beach a few months earlier.
Cool and sad history. Another great video ❤ if only we had a time machine!!! 😊
It’s very sad when they demolish history . For me, the destruction of the Viper Room is terrible . I visited LA in the early 1990’s, and went there one night. So many memories !
I noticed they didn’t implode the Ambassador . They ripped it down instead . Was there a reason for that ? I bet that place was full of asbestos ?
Viper got a reprieve for now. It will 100% be demolished in the near future, but it is still open. I'm surprised by that.
@@DearlyDepartedTours hopefully there are others working to get it saved . Up here in Calgary, they’re ripping down many historic buildings, homes . To put in high density housing .
@SHERRY0010 - I was thinking the same thing about asbestos when Scott picked up that piece of ceiling to show it. Yikes!
It was a goal of mine to see The Ambassador. Unfortunately, I never made it. I very much appreciate this video. Thank you.
I drove by the shell of the building many times in the 2000s and was always sad that i'd never get to see the inside. Thank you for finally making it happen! Great work (as always)!
Great video, Scott! Marilyn Monroe had an event there at the Cocoanut Grove inside the Ambassador Hotel, March 8, 1960, for the 17th Golden Globe Awards.
She won as Best Actress for Some Like It Hot.
I often think about places I wish I'd seen before they were closed or demolished and The Ambassador is definitely on that list, along with Barker Ranch and 100050 Cielo Drive. But at least I got to stay at the Alta Cienega Motel and see the Jim Morrison Room and watch Birds of Prey at the Arclight Cinerama Dome on Sunset. Both places were closed shortly after my visits.
Thank you Scott, I love the film Bobbie, I was gutted when the Ambassador was demolished although I never have been to The States. I defo would have come on a Dearly Departed Tour had I been able. You are a hero of mine. I have met you, the best day. x
Aw, thanks Carolyn!
Offering a tour and then being told that you can’t photograph where the most infamous event took place seems a bit like bait and switch to me.
I just found your channel. New Sub here. Broke my heart to see this historic hotel get demolished. Too bad they couldn't save it. I stay and film in many historic hotels. Thank you for sharing this.
I love your segment on the Ambassador Hotel I used to be a bellboyy there in 1983 how was a young kid I was only 22 years old but I was there for a few years I have a lot of stuff that belongs to the Ambassador I have the mirror that was in the suite that Kennedy was in before his assassination also a wooden box that was in one of the shops in the basement level I still got my Ambassador ID dinner plates that were very famous
The story that went around is that the coconut Grove took a dive Sammy Davis Junior contracted to revise the Coconut Grove in the 70s and that's why there was such a change it never worked and it took a dive
It was the best job I've had I met so many people there from all over the world I met the side and film star actresses that were so old that used to live at the Gaylord hotel that will come over and dress like they were still from the 1920s I was Dr Welby from the doctor Welby show if I'm pronouncing it right I was his bellboy that's would meet him every day at 3:00 in the front of the main entrance Under the Clock I would greet him and carry his bags to his room and he would tip me $1
I'm 63 now but I used to roam that hotel at night when I had to work nights The Operators will actually use the original switchboards from back in the days to connect people to their rooms it was amazing
Bellboy
Fascinating!!! Thank you for sharing that.
Scott - just watching this. Did you notice in one of the THAT THING YOU DO exterior clips it appears there is a mural sized version of one of the LA CAVE PIGALLO matchbooks (upper left).
Also my daughter worked there for LA unified school district- she sent me pix from inside - says they did preserve the coconut grove and some other stuff.
I looked at that billboard and noticed the pattern similar to the matchbook but I will definitely look again! THanks for the tip!
Just sad that those buildings of history has to be torn down. Again thanks for sharing so interesting.
Scott, I love your stories! Thank you!😘
Awesome blog on the place,too much history to let it go unforgotten
This was so interesting! I worked for several years on Wilshire Blvd., about 3 blocks from the Ambassador Hotel. I used to take a walk several times per week during my lunch break and always passed the hotel. It hadn’t been demolished yet, but was very run down and falling apart. It used to make me sad to look at it and think about its rich history, and what had happened to RFK that terrible day. The last thing I remember before our office moved, is the demolition of everything except the Coconut Grove. After that, I didn’t see it very often.
Thanks so much for the tour, Scott. You have some great collectibles!
I remember that during the demo work at the hotel they came across what would have been an apartment that was created specifically for Sammy Davis Jr. It seemed to be from the 70's and as they tore the wall out it revealed some awesome 70's mirrored wallpaper.
This was so interesting. I'm so glad I recently discovered your channel ☺
Thank You for this...very informative and sad to see the ruin of this impressive hotel.
Love the movie clips you added in .wow .brilliant.
The very first Academy Awards were held in the Grove in 1929.
Actually that was the Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard. The Oscars were held there from 1927-33
sad The Ambassador is gone, was jaw-dropping gorgeous place in its day, awesome narrative Scott I luv these stories
Shortly after it closed, Guns N' Roses filmed the video for "Patience" inside the hotel. You can see the hallway and the lobby
Wow, didn't know that! That's cool.
Great story. I love all the memorabilia and the depth of knowledge.
What an Amazing tribute of yours to the historic Ambassador Hotel and Bobby Kennedy. I have a silver looking pitcher size Coffee urn from the kitchen and a black cigarette ash tray from the Coconut Grove.
Thank you for another fantastic video! Always such cool content✨
Btw, I love your background, light blue wall & the awesome retro looking painting.
Love it😊✨
What a massive building to demolish. So much concrete. Incredible history Scott. Thank you for sharing your footage and photos.
Great work sir! You are a true historian. Tom H.
Thank you for sharing all this never new or got to see this LA hotel
Was very interesting and depressing
But I am glad you preserved so much for us to view. Always love your videos you know so much history of LA love it!
Scott, you never cease to amaze me. I hope you continue to do so. I'm always in awe of the things you share with us.
I appreciate it.
Hey Scott. Thanks for sharing this, your passion for history is palpable, love what you do x.
Great video. Not much for sale on eBay but post cards and matchbooks. A brick is pretty cool. L.A. Unified failure to keep Cocoanut Grove sucks. They didn't bargain in good faith, they lied. Such a great example for the kids.
So sad so many old buildings are destroyed and especially ones of history. I live in a town of about 70 thousand and not near the popularity of this but they destroyed so many of our beautiful old buildings in something they called urban renewal back in the mid to late seventies. The Robidoux Hotel was our beautiful hotel that was demolished actually by blowing it up. 😢 my mother actually cried that day she stated so many memories and it’s just gone. So sad!!😢😢
VERY SAD THAT THEY LET THIS GRAND OLD BUILDING GO!!! THERE ARE MANY OLD HOTEL LEFT TO THIS DAY,... THIS HOTEL IS HISTORY,, SAD AT THE AUCTION SEEING ALL THE HOTEL'S OLD BELONGINGS ALL BEING SOLD ,THIS HOTEL WAS BEING RAPED FROM HER PAST AND FUTURE TO BE IF PEOPLE CARED.. THANKS FOR MOST OF THE INFO,,..
Thank you for covering this. Ive been wondering what happened to this historical hotel. Love your programs Scott
I went there after they closed it and went into the Coconut Grove and in some cabinets, there were some old 12x14 photographs and I think I still have them somewhere, one is a photo cubby and his band from The Mouseketeers and a picture of Leif Garrett with his mom.. why these things were in a nondescript cabinet I don't know.. just forgotten things from the past we also went up to the top floor and then security spotted us and we were asked to leave, I'm guessing this was around 1989/90.
This is brilliant have Aviator on DVD sorry no my mum has it loves it, I bought for her few Christmas's ago, going to try watch again didn't realise it was the ambassador hotel coconut grove wow way cool, Martin Scorsese has such an eye for recreating historical places❤
Did you ever do a program from The Biltmore? I stayed there twice. Another old Hollywood historic place.
Why didn’t they save the hotel and make it into a museum just like the 6th floor museum
i love these kinds of posts...what an awesome look at history
Absolutely fascinating. Thanks, Scott! More 6 degrees of Helter Skelter!
Really enjoyed the history of this fabulous place I never knew about!
It has taken me 2 months to steel myself and watch this heartbreaking video. I stayed at the Ambassador in September of 1986 when on holiday from England I was heartbroken and astonished that somewhere with so much iconic history was destroyed. Sadly it often seems the way. I have an amazing book on its history that used to be on sale at the hotel. It has a beautiful gold cover and is full of remarkable photos of famous people from the last century who stayed and played there. Thank you so much for all your videos Scott, although this one was very bittersweet.❤
I have some Kennedy autographs. Another fascinating video Scott!
Thanks so much for this great tribute to an iconic landmark that is now sadly a thing of the past. I was born and raised in Los Angeles and was deeply affected by the assassination of RFK (I was 14 years old in 1968). I was however much more interested in the JFK assassination and have visited Dealey Plaza four times. I only wish i had taken the time to visit the Ambassador when it was still around... Your videos always provide great education and entertainment but this one might just be my favorite. Well done!
It's sad that landmark gets
torn down but there are reasons mainly financial that these landmarks close down in the first place. After being vacant for so long they become dangerous, and no-one can expect tax payers to foot the millions it would take for renovation and upkeep of an insolvent building. The memory will live on and that is enough. 😊
If the entrance tower still stands it possibly could be updated with a plaque that explains " on this site stood the Ambassador Hotel where in 1968 Bobby Kennedy lost his life" as a monument of him and the hotel.🤔
Sadly all of history in this country is under attack and is being erased. We have a few generations nowadays that don’t care about anything past 2010. Strange.
definitely a huge loss for that hotel to go. I'm sure there were many opportunities for it to be saved, but (for reasons I haven't researched) it wasn't.
I'm a history nerd, so I'm glad you put together a vlog about your experience at the Ambassador because that building/property was super vital to the fabric of American culture and history. also, I'm slightly jealous of your brick and piece of floor from the pantry. so, don't think you don't have as much as you could've gotten from the property because almost none of us have even one item.
thanks for what you do, Scott 🤙
It was a colossal battle between the LA Conservancy and the City of Los Angeles School District. I followed it for years and it was just devastating they could not have found a solution without destroying the place entirely. Some proposals were to keep the room RFK last spoke as a room in the high school but they couldn't even leave that. I am sure the powers that be simply wanted the place gone so nobody could prove the government killed RFK.
@@incog99skd11 your last point is what I'm leaning towards, too. RFK was probably actually going to do some transformational work for the people as president, and that's obviously a no-go for the "powers that be".
Can you imagine if someone's wife had just gotten pregnant at the beginning of the Manson trial and they were serving on the jury, they could have been away from their partner virtually for the whole time? Wow.
In 1980 John F Kennedy High School in Granada Hills held our prom there. It was so memorable
Did anyone poop their pants?
Fantastic! I have never seen footage of the auction before. Does anyone know what the 2 "watch towers" on the roof were used for? Greetings from New Zealand :)
Scott - Another amazing video. Mesmerising in parts.
I wasn't lucky enough to see the Ambassador before it was demolished, but I've visited the site a few times since (and the Gaylord & HMS Bounty opposite). Its one of those places where you can feel the history permeating through you as you stand at the location....(Well as close as you can from the street)
I adore American history, and the Kennedy's are an important part of that for me, so this video really resonated.
Keep up the great work Scott, and thank you. You'll always have my complete support.
Jamie
(Dead Souls Social Club)
Such a beautiful hotel back in its day.The attention to detail is amazing they sure don’t make anything like that anymore.If we could go back in it’s hay day.
That mortar swipe on the brick at end you are holding, just think about the worker who applied that mortar to that very brick that was part of the building for so long. I'm weird, I think about such things and wonder about those persons.
When will Dearly departed tours reopen? Would love to go on one when visiting LA!
Thank you Scott for showing us your memories of the Ambassador and it’s impact on our national consciousness and culture. I have always wondered how authentic the spaces and feel of the hotel was in the various shows and movies. This hotel was indeed a treasure and it’s a shame indeed that it deteriorated to the point that it was demolished. Thank you for doing the wonderful stories that you do. I love your work and appreciate that you share your passion with all of us. God bless you and Merry Christmas!
another great video, Scott! Enjoy your content so much. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and Troy! look forward to many more great videos in 2024!
On March 9, 1990 saw David Cassidy play “The Last Groove At The Grove”
"political assassinations" What great stories. My first job in Los Angeles 1978 to 1981 was at 3550 Wilshire Blvd, just three long blocks from the Ambassador. It was like its own city with the Beauty Shop, Barber, clothes shops, restaurants and full Post Office. Lunched in the coffee shop on paydays and now that I think about it, we may have had a Christmas party there too. Another movie which featured a glimpse of the Ambassador is The Unfaithful with Ann Sheridan/Zachery Scott. They drive down that long driveway and I believe you can see the Brown Derby hat restaurant in the background. Decades later went with a theatrical agent friend to watch his client, a little person, perform a fire stunt for the movie Leprechaun 3. By this time, maybe early or mid 1990s the hotel had been empty for quite some time and there was no electricity so it was quite spooky. The stunt was being filmed in the Coconut Grove and I remember walking up that stairway to the entrance. I seem to remember there were some long, ornate windows because I could see the full moon. While the stunt was being rehearsed I wandered around the dark hotel, checking drawers of course. Everything was pretty much gone, but I did take a couple of drawer pulls from the Palm Bar which was just off the lobby. Tried to get into the kitchen area but it was boarded up. Wish I would have known about that entrance from the coconut grove. Wish I would have taken more from there too. It was a wonderful place, that Olympic size swimming pool and the bungalows. So alive and exciting. I'll never forget that place. And that fire stunt scared the heck out of me, but that's another story.
Too bad you couldn’t have gotten all the kitchen pantry items (sink-counters-cabinets) in order to preserve it & eventually do a remake of it for people to see. Anyway, love all your content friend, Happy Christmas to you & Troy.
Great history and story.
I like all your videos and I am a Patreon. You said something about Dearly Departed Documentary Part 1. Are these documentaries online somewhere to watch?
They're on his TH-cam channel;
the very one you're presently viewing.*
*Tap the circular image of Scott.
Or, you could otherwise, go to your TH-cam spyglass, and type in his name and The Ambassador Hotel.
🕯.
I worked a two film shoots in and on the Ambassador grounds. Got to see the pantry. We made the Coconut grove into a Casino by adding slot machines etc. I’ve always been a Kennedy History fan. So on the 50th Anniversary of his death I went to the Kennedy School to the Large Memorial on the School Grounds right at the street…. I was pissed off!.. This School named in Kennedys honor, where history had been made, on the 50th Anniversary?!!!.. was Covered with trash, smelled of Urine, and was painted over with graffiti and the whole display had been allowed to entirely fall into disrepair. I’m sorry. Blame a school or city budget or what ever you like…. But in my day, the Students themselves would at the very least not have allowed this to happen to Their School!…. They would have had the pride to at least have had a volunteer clean up effort. …. I couldn’t believe the condition of the memorial… on the 50th Anniversary of his Death… Frankly I lost tons of respect and pride for living in LA that day.