Thank God for GPS. Without it I would never have
found the tiny little park tucked up in the Hollywood Hills that marks the
beginning of the trail to the Hollywood sign. Like I said in the earlier
email, the Hollywood sign is a 3 hour hike, however, just a 1/3 of a mile away
is something just as interesting. At the turn of the century motion pictures
started taking off and Hollywood began ramping up construction. In 1903, the Union Rock Company founded a quarry,
originally named Brush Canyon (now Hollywood Hills) for excavation of crushed
rock used in the construction of city streets. The quarry ceased operation in
the late 1920s (probably when it dawned on them that the rocks were worth a lot
more right where they were – try looking at property prices in the Hollywood
Hills on Zillow.com). They left the caves behind. The caves became known as the
Bronson Caves after a nearby street name. They aren’t named after this guy
Rather it’s the other way around. Charles Dennis
Buchinsky picked Bronson as his stage name (in 1954 at the suggestion of his
agent who feared having an eastern European name would catch the eye of the
House Un-American Activities Committee). While that may seem a little hard to
believe he reportedly took his inspiration from the Bronson Gate at Paramount
Studios, situated on the corner of Melrose Avenue and Bronson Street. By the
way, Charlie died in 2003 and if you’re into trivia, his roommate in NYC while
trying to break into Broadway plays was Jack Klugman.
So what about the cave? Look familiar?
No? Does this help?
The Bronson Cave is most famous for being the Bat cave in
the 1960’s TV series Batman. The funny thing is – it isn’t a cave. It’s a
tunnel.
If you reply back and say “Oh look, a picture of Robin” I
will delete you from my address book. When I walked through the cave I followed
a group of 4 foreigners (I could tell because I couldn’t understand a word they
were saying). In the middle of the cave, I couldn’t resist and I sang “Na na na
na na na na na na na” and then stopped. Right on cue all 4 of them sang
out “Bat-a-man”, where upon we all collapsed in laughter. Turns out they were
from the Ukraine and I bet that story gets told many times about the nutcase
American they ran into in the Bat cave.
If you think the Bat cave had all this stuff in it
I would suggest you immediately see your doctor and have
your dosage adjusted (either up or down). The cave walls are stark (and free of
graffiti fortunately)
The Bronson Cave has a long and rich history. The TV
series Batman is only one of a few times this location has been used (starting
in 1919).
Films (feel free to hit the page down key)
Amazing isn’t it?
Next up Pinniped varmints overrun California.
