Posted by Dismuke (66.141.119.39) on November 15, 2002 at 18:03:51:
I have just posted a tribute and appeal to save the Ambassador as part of my weekly "Hit of the Week" update on my 1920s & 1930s music site. This week's update is about the Gus Arnheim Orchestra which played at the Cocoanut Grove from 1927-1932. The update can be seen at http://dismuke.org/how until November 14 and will be archived afterwards at http://dismuke.org/how/prev11-02.html If you enjoy 1920s & 1930s music, you might also enjoy my 24 hour Internet radio station at http://dismuke.org/radio devoted exclusively to music from 1925-1935.
I have never visited LA - but I hope to someday and get a chance to see the Ambassador in person. I think with the passage of time, the historical and cultural significance of the Ambassador will become more and more obvious. Many people are beginning to realize that, in terms of architecture, entertainment and music, the early decades of the 20th century were a sort of cultural "Golden Age" in America. I think as we slowly recover from the aesthetic and cultural meltdown of the 1960s and 1970s, there will be increasing interest in the decades that preceded it. Transforming the Ambassador into a school sounds like a great way of keeping it intact until it becomes once again viable for it to return as a hotel and entertainment showplace. I hope something can be worked out.