Historic Walking Tour of Old Hollywood

Recently I took a fascinating and informative stroll through Hollywood with the fashionable April Brooks Clemmer. April developed a passion of Hollywood from reading biographies of her favorite movie stars. After graduating from the University of Georgia, she moved to Hollywood and became a member of the Hollywood Heritage Preservation Committee. Her extensive research of Tinseltown landed her a consultant job on the web series “Hollywood Trades.”

The Historic Tour of Old Hollywood covers the years 1886-1960, starting with when Hollywood was a sleepy little town of orange groves and wealthy retirees, to later becoming the center of the world’s entertainment industry.

Highlights of the tour included the history of the oldest restaurant in Hollywood - Musso & Frank Grill. Opened in 1919 (before the Hollywood sign was built) when Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks would race on horseback to dine and hang out with others after a long day of filming. We learned there was a special room just for writers that included F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway to write their classic American novels.

Just down the street from Musso & Frank Grill is the Snow White Cafe. After the tour, go back to this dining spot on Hollywood Blvd., to see the historical murals painted by the Disney animators who brought the first full-length animated film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" up on a nearby big movie theater screen.

April took us to the oldest remaining residence on the Boulevard, and the first tourist attraction in Hollywood. We stood in front of Hollywood's first and most famous movie theaters to hear fun tales about movie stars.

Along the way, April shared how Hollywood is still unfolding as modern-day artists and creative people continue to reinvent the iconic neighborhood while honoring its storied past.

A new stop on the tour is the Hollywood in Miniature. Inside a store front are detailed street scenes of Hollywood back in the 1930s. Crafted by Joe Pellkofer and his master craftsmen during the Depression, it's a historical re-creation of Hollywood's landmark theatres, churches, billboards, businesses and neighborhoods. Discovered recently, sculpture and architectural conservator Donna Williams offered to clean and restore this one-of-a-kind historical model. The Hollywood Miniature is made from wood, paper, plastic and plaster with faux finishes. Williams recently completed a miniature of Paramount Studios on display, as it looked circa 1937-1938.

April leads these tours frequently on Fridays or Saturdays at 10 a.m. starting at the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance. Her next tour is Saturday, June 9 at 10 a.m. Other upcoming tours are the last Friday of the month from 10-11:30 a.m. She is offering one on June 29, July 27 and August 10. Additional dates and times can be scheduled by request. Tickets are $25 and reservations are kindly required in advance. Call (323)463-6767 or go to www.OldHollywoodTour.Com. Hollywood Property Owners Alliance is located at 6562 Hollywood Blvd.