Welcome to After 68. After years of hard work, we are excited to announce the launch of our fundraising campaign through Kickstarter and proud to have the opportunity to raise awareness about the value of Historic Preservation worldwide by telling the remarkable story of the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles.

The Challenge, Time Constraints & Why Kickstarter

The greatest challenge we face as documentarians on this project is the high potential for losing the oral histories of the many surviving guests and older people involved with the hotel. We have already missed at least four opportunities and every day that passes makes the chance of capturing these important stories more difficult. We currently have older interviewees prioritized so as soon as we are able to secure financing they will be the first we interview.

We have decided to embark on a Kickstarter fundraising campaign so that we can obtain the needed funds to capture these invaluable stories from those who lived it. We hope that you please consider a pledge of support at a level of your comfort. We have a bunch of unique rewards for becoming involved in the journey and telling the story of the most famous hotel in the world. 

Your pledge is invaluable to reviving the memory and raising awareness of preservation in all other places around the world. We cannot do this without your support...

After 68 is a feature length documentary film that examines historic preservation through the lens of the 15-year struggle to save the famed Ambassador Hotel from demolition. This film will recount the monumental history of the Ambassador and investigate the importance of historic preservation within contemporary urban landscapes.

By exploring the history of the Ambassador Hotel and its demolition we hope to challenge audiences to examine the value of historic preservation and the effect it can have in their own communities.

Once a shining star among the glowing city lights of Los Angeles, the Ambassador Hotel was a treasured landmark and an iconic symbol for both the city and the nation. While many associate the Ambassador Hotel with the assassination of Robert Kennedy in 1968, the Ambassador’s role in history was much more pervasive. Considered at one time to be "the most famous hotel in the world”, the Ambassador is unmatched for its impact on local and national history.

The Ambassador’s story marks the irrecoverable loss of an important piece of human and social history. As filmmakers we want to educate the public about the value of protecting our past, and thereby ensure that the other Ambassadors of the world may be saved.

In cities across the globe, aging structures and historic buildings meet their end as wrecking balls tear them down, erasing the rich stories that reside behind their walls. In a constantly evolving urban landscape historic preservation and urban renewal both share an important stake in defining civic identity.

In the contentious debate surrounding the hotel’s fate, people failed to embrace a cohesive understanding of historic preservation as a symbiotic process in urban development. By pitting education against preservation, they lost sight of the fundamental role such a site plays in the construction and maintenance of civic identity. 

After 68 will uncover the rich history of the hotel and demonstrate that the hotel was much more than just a Hollywood hangout for the rich and famous. It was a touchstone for our nation that played a pivotal role in the development of arts, culture, politics, and architecture in our country.

In documenting the Ambassador’s history, we show how its contributions were shared among a broad section of the Los Angeles community. The hotel’s history informs our understanding of cultural memory: who was here, how they got here, and why things are the way they are today. This knowledge can be used to shape future generations’ understanding of their community and the role the surrounding landscape plays in it. 

Historic buildings can be real-world history lessons that give us a sense of connection to the past. By restoring that connection, we also restore the culture that originally erected it. Historic preservation advances an experiential sense of community by cultivating pride and belonging, thereby furthering a community’s personal stake in their neighborhoods and cities.

The Most Famous Hotel In The World: The Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles

The Crown Jewel Of Wilshire Boulevard

The Ambassador’s story undoubtedly marks a rich reflection of the most critical eras that defined both U.S. and California's history. Most people only remember the hotel as either a playground for the stars or as the site of the assassination of Robert Kennedy, but the Ambassador’s influence on history was much more ubiquitous.

When the Ambassador Hotel opened on New Year's Day 1921 - among the barley fields of central Los Angeles - it was considered the “Crown Jewel of Wilshire Boulevard.” For decades the hotel, designed by famed architect Myron Hunt, breathed life into the surrounding community. In the 1920's, as Los Angeles grew into a world-class metropolitan center, the Ambassador was instrumental in fostering the city’s westward expansion. During its sixty-eight years of service, the Ambassador hosted a myriad of dignitaries and royalty from across the globe, ranging from Europe to China, Ethiopia and even the Middle East. 

Every U.S. president from Herbert Hoover to Richard Nixon showed up at its doors; Nixon having written his famous 1952 “Checkers” speech while secluded in one of the hotel rooms. Over the years the Ambassador stood proud as almost every major 20th century icon stayed there including, Albert Einstein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Winston Churchill, Amelia Earhart, Salvador Dali, Buzz Aldrin, Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth, Frank Sinatra and Charlie Chaplin.

In addition to entertaining the emerging Hollywood elite, the hotel’s historic relevance was indisputably recognized in multiple arenas outside of entertainment. For example, in 1963 the Ambassador hosted the first Piatigorsky Cup, considered one of the strongest U.S. chess tournaments since New York 1927. Its $10,000 prize was the richest in chess history at the time and drew eight grandmasters, including the first Soviet world champion allowed to travel into the U.S.

In 1969, Nigerian superstar Fela Kuti met a woman at the hotel who introduced him to the black power movement, inspiring Kuti to pioneer a new genre of music - Afrobeat - and share it with the world. In 1971, the Charles Manson jury was sequestered at the hotel for a record-breaking 225 days, longer than any previous jury in U.S. history. The Ambassador was a “city within a city.” For decades it was the center of community and political life in a quickly expanding urban center. Serving the local community and guests with over 33 retail stores and services, the hotel became part of the fabric of daily life for Angelenos.

Hollywood and the world famous Cocoanut Grove

When it opened in 1921, the Cocoanut Grove instantly became a mecca for movie stars and star-gazers.

Considered the “Playground of the Stars,” the Ambassador was frequented by Hollywood celebrities, gossip columnists, and entertainment reporters for decades. The Ambassador made Hollywood history in 1922 by debuting the first 3D film shown to a paying audience and then later in 1927, when the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences was first proposed at a banquet in the hotel.

The Ambassador was introduced to the world stage through its famed nightclub, The Cocoanut Grove. The Moroccan style club featured full-sized palm trees reportedly salvaged from Rudolph Valentino’s “The Sheik” and a 1000 light "night sky" ceiling. Patron’s dined and danced to musical entertainment provided by a series of dance orchestras and their popular vocalists – many of whom would later go on to have huge careers in radio, recordings, and the film industry.

From the late 1920s to the 1960s, live broadcasts from the Cocoanut Grove were a popular feature of nighttime radio, allowing millions of people to enjoy and even dance to the music they would otherwise be unable to afford to hear in person. The broadcasts which aired live nightly for two full hours, increased the reputation of the Grove as “the place to be” when it came to Hollywood and entertainment. Performances led by famous bandleaders such as Abe Lyman and Gus Arnheim were broadcast around the globe and famous artists such Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby and The Supremes performed nightly.

The Cocoanut Grove also was home to six Academy Awards ceremonies, including the first ceremony to feature the Oscar statuette in 1930. In 1939 the Grove provided the stage for the historical ceremony in which the first African-American - Hattie McDaniel - won the award for Best Supporting Actress. Furthermore, the Ambassador was said to have launched the careers of Joan Crawford, Merv Griffin, and Barbara Streisand. Marilyn Monroe also signed her first modeling contract with the Blue Book Modeling Company at the hotel.

A Fall From Grace: Robert F. Kennedy

As the 1960's marked a transformative era in American history, it was also the decade that changed the Ambassador, making it infamous around the world. While the nation was coping with domestic and international turmoil Robert F. Kennedy emerged as a new hope with plans of taking the country in a new direction. On June 5, 1968 an event that shocked the American political landscape and forever changed history tragically unfolded in the pantry of the Ambassador Hotel kitchen. After winning the California Democratic presidential primary election, Senator Kennedy was shot by Palestinian immigrant, Sirhan Sirhan, as he was exiting the hotel's Embassy Ballroom. His death was a turning point for the nation and for the Ambassador Hotel. From that day on the hotel was never the same.

After '68

After 1968 the hotel’s image was tarnished and its popularity began to wane. This period also marked the tail end of a significant demographic shift in Los Angeles. By the 70's business at the hotel began to suffer as the surrounding neighborhood experienced a spike in crime and gang activity. In an attempt to bring the languishing nightclub back to life in the 1970's, Sammy Davis Jr. (who resided in an apartment on the top floor) remodeled the Cocoanut Grove into a Las Vegas-style showroom. Patrons weren’t sold on the new look of the Grove however and the rebranding was considered a failure. Owners of the hotel also neglected to repair and maintain the structure as they too were struggling financially. Consequently, after 68 years of service to the world, the hotel finally closed it's doors to the public in 1989.

Filming At The Ambassador Hotel

While the Ambassador Hotel remained a majestic edifice confined to retirement behind a chain link fence, Hollywood used the hotel as one of the most filmed locations in the film industry.The large building and 24-acre property gave filmmakers a wide range of locations and options to use as sets for their films.While the hotel was being demolished in 2005, Emilio Estevez’s Bobby was the last film to be shot at the hotel. Although the hotel was a popular site for filming hundreds of major Hollywood motion pictures, including Pretty Woman and Forrest Gump, many Angelenos barely noticed the desolate structure as they passed by.

From Glory To Dust

When the hotel closed, the current owner - Donald Trump - had plans to demolish the building to make way for the world's tallest tower; however, developers soon found themselves entangled in a web of deals and law suits with the school district, who was also interested in the property at the time. Meanwhile, education proponents and preservation advocates wrestled over the future of the property, although both parties agreed that building a school campus on the Ambassador site would be a valuable use of the space. The school district argued that they did not have enough money to restore the building, and furthermore that education was more important to the community than preservation. On the other side, the Conservancy and a coalition of over 70 organizations argued that it was possible to cost effectively repurpose the celebrated hotel, and create a unique learning environment for students in which curriculum could be infused with the hotel’s rich history - i.e. a win-win situation.

Finally, after years of debate the Ambassador's fate was sealed on October 12, 2004 when the school district voted to tear down the hotel. The Ambassador had made history yet again, becoming one of the most historically significant buildings ever to be demolished in the United States. By 2011, the cash‐strapped school district finished building the campus at a cost of $578 million making it the most expensive school campus ever built in the U.S. to date. Today, the new school is serving the community but the Ambassador remains only as a relic in our collective memories; a haunting symbol of yet another missed opportunity for historic preservation.

SHARE

The Ambassador Hotel touched the lives of countless people throughout its history. You can help support our film by sharing this project with your family and friends through social media like Facebook and Twitter. Many people remember the Ambassador, help us revive the legacy of the hotel by letting them know about this film. And for those who might not be familiar with this historic site, share our project with them and let them discover the magical history of this remarkable place.

FUND

In order to bring the Ambassador’s story back to life we need your help to complete the film. Your generous support will help us properly immortalize the Ambassador by providing funding for the following necessities:

Status

Between 2005-2007, we had the opportunity to shoot key interviews with a number of individuals who shared their stories about the Ambassador as well as get final footage of the hotel while it was being demolished. With new funding in place we are hoping we can capture interviews with a number of people who can speak about the role of historic preservation and the lessons learned from losing the Ambassador.  This will require us to upgrade our camera equipment to shoot the remaining interviews needed to finish the film.   We will also incur new travel expenses as well as equipment rental costs.  With a successful Kickstarter campaign we will be able to hire a crew and personnel to finish production on the film and begin post-production. 

Risks and Challenges

The greatest challenge we face as documentarians on this project is the high potential for losing the oral histories of the many surviving guests and older people involved with the hotel. We have already missed at least four opportunities and every day that passes makes the chance of capturing these important stories more difficult. We currently have older interviewees prioritized so as soon as we are able to secure financing they will be the first we interview.

Media Request 

Please direct all press inquires for interviews or features to Christopher M. Olenik at: http://agency20.com/contact-us/ 

To view and download our media kit, CLICK HERE