Attie Building Explained

Attie Building
Nocat:yes
Nrhp Type:cp
Partof:Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District
Partof Refnum:85000704
Coordinates:34.1012°N -118.3305°W
Built:1931
Architect:Henry A. Minton
Architecture:Art Deco
Designated Nrhp Type:April 4, 1985

The Attie Building, also known as the Playmates of Hollywood Building, is a historic two-story building located at 6436 W. Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. The building is notable for its second-floor art deco exterior[1] as well as the 'You Are the Star' mural painted on its western-facing first floor exterior.[2] [3]

History

The Attie Building was built as a retail location by Henry A. Minton in 1931.[3] It features an elaborate second-story art deco design, with notable elements that include orange panels carved with flora and fauna designs, decorative tiles set off from the first story and roofline, and a series of piers that project above the roofline, with three sash windows recessed between each pier.[1]

In 1984, the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with Attie Building listed as a contributing property in the district.[1]

In 2006, the Attie Building was sold to an investment group.[4] In 2019, the LeFrak Organization announced plans to preserve and restore the building as part of a larger construction project located beside it.[2] [5] [6]

In 2022, the building was sold for $1.3 million.[7]

'You Are the Star' mural

The Attie building is famous for the 'You Are the Star' mural located on its western-facing first floor exterior. The mural, painted by Thomas Suriya in 1983, is twenty feet tall by thirty feet wide and depicts a movie theater in reverse, with famous actors including Richard Pryor, Laurel and Hardy, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Woody Allen, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, W.C. Fields, John Wayne, James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, Jack Lemmon, Bruce Lee, the Marx Brothers, and more, as well as characters such as Errol Flynn's Robin Hood, Charlie Chaplin's Tramp, Superman, Woody Woodpecker, Elizabeth Taylor's Cleopatra, Richard Burton's Marc Anthony, King Kong, Frankenstein, R2-D2, and more, all sitting in a theater, watching the viewer on screen.[2] [4] [6] [8]

Filming location

The Attie Building and its 'You Are the Star' mural have been featured in several films, including The Player, S.W.A.T., and La La Land.[2] [4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form - Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District . United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service . April 4, 1985 . en-US.
  2. Web site: Hollywood development to restore historic building . Beverly Press Park Labrea News . Cameron Kiszla . March 25, 2020 . en-US.
  3. Web site: An Art Deco Treasure, a Famous Mural, and a New Development . The Hollywood Partnership . Richard Bence . October 12, 2018 . en-US.
  4. News: Hollywood mural gets touchup 24 years later . The Gainesville Sun . July 14, 2007 . en-US.
  5. Web site: New Look for 15-Story Hollywood Wilcox Development . Urbanize Los Angeles . Steven Sharp . August 3, 2018 . en-US.
  6. Web site: Hollywood and Wilcox Project . Los Angeles City Planning . July 15, 2024 . en-US.
  7. Web site: 6436 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028 . Property Shark . July 16, 2024 . en-US.
  8. Web site: You Are the Star . Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles . July 15, 2024 . en-US.