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LMGI COMPASS
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Fall 2023
2005
Creating Last Looks
It was the site of the fabled Cocoanut
Grove nightclub and the kitchen where
RFK was gunned down in 1968. When the
iconic Ambassador Hotel was shuttered
in 1989, it became a favorite Los Angeles
filming location until purchased by the
Los Angeles Unified School District. With
the blessing of the Kennedy family, a new
school would rise on the infamous site.
Lisa Blok-Linson: It was discussed at a Board
meeting back in 2004 that the Ambassador was going to
be torn down and that got Kristi's creative juices flow-
ing. As I recall, it was Kristi's idea to create a project that
would also involve students.
Kristi Frankenheimer: I was intrigued by the idea
that we could give back to our community while shin-
ing a spotlight on the things we do by documenting the
last days of the Ambassador Hotel, an historic location
featured in so many films. Together with Lisa Blok-Linson
and Diane Friedman, we helped create the first major
event that the Guild would present.
Orin Kennedy: I had read an article in the L.A.
Times about an endangered arts program at Jeffer-
son High School and reached out to the teacher, Steve
Bacharach, to invite his class to be a part of our project.
He agreed.
Steve Bacharach: I realized that Orin was a poet.
He had made this association between a building that
the district didn't want and
a program that the district
didn't want. And that was a
powerful thing.
Bob Craft: My closest
friend from college worked
at FujiFilm. She thought what
we were doing was a great
idea and also an opportunity
for Fuji to support the stu-
dents and also promote their
disposable cameras. She
sent us several boxfuls.
MARCH
2005 March 20
Last Looks: THE AMBASSADOR HOTEL
Two-day photo event with location scouts/
managers and Jefferson High School students
Photo by Stephanie
Castillo, student
Bill Bowling with Jefferson HS students. Photo by Beth Tate
Steve Bacharach, teacher
Photo by Daniel Maldonado, student
Photo by Dennis Morley
Photos by Diane Friedman, except where noted.
