Introduction: We continue with part four of the series by Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board member Rudy Martinez on Russian Molokans from the Flats and their use as extras in the Hollywood film industry. – Paul R Spitzzeri On March 21, 1928, the day of a melee outside its gates, Paramount Studios arranged to…
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The Russians of the Flats of Boyle Heights Go to the Movies, Part Three
Introduction: This third part of the series by Rudy Martinez on Russians in Boyle Heights and their role in early Hollywood looks at some of the films in which so-called Molokans and fictional representations of the community appeared. – Paul R. Spitzzeri. In the summer of 1915, Majestic Studios released the first film to acknowledge…
The Russians of the Flats of Boyle Heights Go to the Movies, Part Two
Introduction: This the second in a series of posts about the Russian (known commonly as Molokans) immigrant community that settled in the Flats area of Boyle Heights and often served as extras in the Hollywood film industry. Author Rudy Martinez, Advisory Board member of the Boyle Heights Historical Societies, gives an excellent overview of the…
The Russians of the Flats of Boyle Heights Go to the Movies, Part One
Introduction: Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board member Rudy Martinez continues his series of posts on early Boyle Heights history, including its ethnic and racial diversity, with this remarkable multi-part post on the “Russian colony” of the Flats area of the community. Check back weekly for further installments and enjoy! – Paul R. Spitzzeri Angry…
The First Lady of Modern Music: Boyle Heights’ Hadda Brooks, Part 4
Introduction: This concludes the four-part post on pianist/singer Hadda Brooks by Rudy Martinez, a member of the advisory board for the Boyle Heights Historical Society. Rudy did a great deal of research and put together an interesting and informative history of a significant local musical figure. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this history of a…
The First Lady of Modern Music: Boyle Heights’ Hadda Brooks, Part 3
Introduction: Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board member Rudy Martinez is the author of this fascinating multi-part post on pianist/singer Hadda Brooks, who lived in Boyle Heights much of her life. We pick up the story with Hadda becoming a recognized local performer on the new Modern Music record label. – Paul R. Spitzzeri Hadda…
The First Lady of Modern Music: Boyle Heights’ Hadda Brooks, Part 2
Introduction: Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board member Rudy Martinez is the author of this fascinating multi-part post on pianist/singer Hadda Brooks, who lived in Boyle Heights much of her life. We pick up the story with Hadda completing her education and embarking on her budding musical career. – Paul R. Spitzzeri Hadda Brooks, who…
The First Lady of Modern Music: Boyle Heights’ Hadda Brooks, Part 1
Introduction: Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board member Rudy Martinez returns with another great post on the history of the community–this one relating to the pianist Hadda Brooks. The post will be presented in several parts, starting with an introduction to Brooks’ early life in Boyle Heights. – Paul R. Spitzzeri In April 1945 the…
Lotus Blossom: The First Chinese-American Film and Made in Boyle Heights, Part Three
This is the third and final post on the remarkable story of the making of Lotus Blossom, the first theatrically-screened movie by Chinese Americans and which was filmed in Boyle Heights. Researched and written by Rudy Martinez, Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board member, this post reveals a previously little-known aspect of the history of…
Lotus Blossom: The First Chinese-American Film and Made in Boyle Heights, Part Two
This is the second part of Boyle Heights Historical Society Advisory Board member Rudy Martinez’s post on the filming of the first Chinese-American movie, Lotus Blossom, right here in Boyle Heights. – Paul R. Spitzzeri On the evening of July 14, 1921, as production on Lotus Blossom was nearing completion, a “Motion Picture Electrical Pageant”…