IMAGES OF VINTAGE BURBANK

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

Overtime your Museum has begun to acquire a collection of photographs, postcards, books and supportive materials about the San Fernando Valley's premier city of Burbank. While vintage postcards generally give only glowing images of any location, they provide important overviews of a community. When postcards, such as the Lockheed Aircraft Factory School, contain messages they become evidence of a bigger picture, in this case World War II. 

Army Chapel - Lockheed Aircraft Factory School, Burbank, California - historic postcard- Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014 (click on images to enlarge them.)
Note:  The information on this card reveals the Lockheed Aircraft factory in Burbank, likely to have been considered sensitive war-related prior to its mailing on February 23, 1945. It was mailed from PFC Justin O. Ranger (BK21-72$ 19127377 /  3715 AAFBU (class 30 -45) Lockheed Factory School, Burbank, California.
To: Mrs. Linn B. Ranger  775 North Town Avenue, Pomona, California.
It reads:  Dear Mom, This may get home Saturday, before I do, as I found a quicker way to send it off. Today, I feel much up to par, and pretty well out of my cold. I had a haircut tonight, and waited out (in) a line for an hour. I'll be home later, as I won't get through school and calestehjnics till five and will leave post about six. I was warmer this morning. Love Justin."  (postage free - North Hollywood)

 NBC Company postcard

 Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014

Warner Brothers Studios, postcard- Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014

HUNTZ HALL WORLD FAMOUS VALLEY CHARACTER ACTOR

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY                2013

Henry Richard Hall used the stage name Huntz Hall. He was born in New York City, and lived and died in North Hollywood. He was, in vaudeville terms, a "real trooper: Hall began as a radio actor at the age of four, and performed regularly as he grew to adulthood in New York. His first major comedy role was as "Dipper" in Sidney Kingsley's play "Dead End." Huntz Hall never missed a performance in 85 weeks. His first Hollywood "gig" was for Samuel Goldwyn in the film "Dead Enders".

Huntz Hall worked in the San Fernando Valley at Warner Brothers in Burbank, and Universal Pictures. America loved him and made him a household name in the "Bowrey Boys" film series.

Henry Richard "Huntz" Hall  1920 to 1999.

THE GREAT FILM CASABLANCA WAS MADE IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY           2013

Casablanca, was a very important, anti-fascist film made during the Second World War. It's theme song "As Time Goes By" has become the credits theme for today's Warner Brothers films.

 

Arthur "Dooley" Wilson played the role of "Sam" the piano player in the great classic film "Casablanca" made in 1942 in the San Fernando Valley. Stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman made the film for Warner Brothers in Burbank. The exterior air port scenes were filmed at the historic Van Nuys Airport.  - ps ........ No one ever said, "play it again Sam."

Dooley Wilson was a long time friend of Ralph Muzzillo Sr, from whose collection this photograph was borrowed, courtesy of Ralph Muzzillo Jr. 

This entry is part of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley's effort to preserve and present the history and culture of our region of Southern California. If you have artifacts or photos to share with The Museum's collection of Film and Television - Entertainment Industry History, contact your Museum today.

Donate tax-deductible memorabilia to your Museum today.

The Museum of the San Fernando Valley

Acquisitions Committee
21031 Ventura Blvd., Suite 419
Woodland Hills, CA 91364-2230

THE MUSEUM’S TELEPHONE
1 (818) 347-9665

THE MUSEUM'S EMAILS
gerald.fecht@TheMuseumSFV.org
info@TheMuseumSFV.org

THE MUSEUM’S BLOG

www.museumsanfernandovalley.blogspot.com/

THE MUSEUM’S WEBSITE

www.TheMuseumSFV.org

MUSEUM IN NEED OF A LARGE IMAGE SCANNER.

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY           2013

This great music score for the 1942 motion picture "Now Voyager" is a great example of why The Museum could really use the donation of a scanner that can do large images. The film produced by Hal Wallace was his first in Hollywood. Starring life-long Toluca Lake resident, the great Bette Davis, it featured the music of Valley composer Max Steiner for Warner Brothers headquartered in Burbank. Ms. Davis' tomb is at the top of a hill in Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills. From her grave one can see the sprawling Warner Brothers studios below.

Sheet music for "It Can't Be Wrong" with lyrics by Kim Cannon for the motion picture "Now Voyager".  1942 - Gift to the Entertainment Industry of the San Fernando Valley collection of the Library of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley - from Gary Fredburg 2013.  (click on image to enlarge it.)

HOW MANY KNOW WHERE THIS MOTION PICTURE STUDIO IS TODAY?

DISCOVERING OUR VALLEY   2011

Burbank is 100 Years Old

When Gary Fredburg first donated this postcard, I assumed it was a duplicate of a vintage card of Warner Brothers Studios in The Museum's archives. Something seemed odd about the card, so I checked our Burbank files, made a comparison discovery that narrows the year of the postcard and reveals a little evidence of San Fernando Valley history............ Can you guess what it is?

You guessed right!  The card is of First National Studios in Burbank. These studios were absorbed by Warner Brothers in July of 1936.