The roadside sign for "El Trovatore" a brick structure stands on a hill above the motel, with a red and white sign jutting from the brick reading "El Trovatore Motel" An old rusted car sits out front.

The Star-Studded El Trovatore Motel

September 10, 2019, 1 Comment

Patrick and I just returned from a mini road trip to Arizona, and boy are y’all in for a slew of posts! But let’s start off with the first place we stopped for the night, the El Trovatore. El Trovatore is not only right along Route 66, but it is perched right on the edge…

Cut out images of James Dean and Vampira set against a yellow and red background.

The Mysterious Horror Hostess that Reportedly Cursed James Dean

October 18, 2018, 5 Comments

The inside of a “dingy frame house” on Larrabee Street in West Hollywood looked more akin to a “witch-doctor’s shack in the wilds of Haiti.” Scattered were “objects of the kind associated with Black Magic” and stuck to the wall by a small golden dagger were cut-outs of James Dean’s eyes and ears. On the…

Warner Brothers Studio Tour

September 28, 2015, 1 Comment

Warner Brothers Studio is the powerhouse behind some of the greatest classic films of all time. Casablanca being at the top. But they also produced James Dean’s three major motion pictures, East of Eden, Rebel without a Cause, and Giant, along with some wonderful television series. And today the Warner Brothers continues to make great and…

The Isolated Spot Where James Dean Took His Last Breath

August 11, 2014, 4 Comments

On the side of the road just outside of Cholame there is a lonely stretch a road that winds between sun drenched hills there is an intersection that is the location, on a September 30th, one of the brightest stars in Hollywood was snuffed out. James Dean. I had been to the crash site of…

California in 120

November 18, 2012, 4 Comments

The last time Janey and I went to California we took along an old Kodak Dualflex II and shot a few rolls of 120 film (You can see those photos here). This time we did it again, and since we drove we got to see the sights a little more. When we got into LA…

Observing James Dean

November 7, 2012, 13 Comments

Here I am! Coming to you from California! We made it in to see family today, however earlier in the day we visited the Griffith Observatory. Not only is it a beautiful art deco building, but it is also the site of the famous fight scene and ultimate climax of one of my favorite films,…