Bryson Apartment Hotel
Encyclopedia
Bryson Apartment Hotel is an historic 110000 square feet (10,219.3 m²) ten-story apartment building on Wilshire Boulevard
in the MacArthur Park section of Los Angeles, California
. Built in 1913 in the Beaux Arts style, it was one of the most luxurious residential buildings in Los Angeles for many years. The building is also closely associated with the city's film noir
history, having been featured in Raymond Chandler
's works and the 1990 neo-noir
The Grifters
. The building's stone lions and large rooftop "Bryson" sign have become Los Angeles landmarks. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1983 and designated a Historic Cultural Monument (HCM #653) by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission in 1998.
Bryson hired architects Frederick Noonan and Charles H. Kysor to design the building. The construction was undertaken by Bryson's own company, F.C. Engstrum & Co. and completed in only seven months between June and December 1912. The total cost, including land, construction, and furniture, was approximately $750,000.
The building combines Beaux Arts and Classical styles. The structure was built around a central court 26 feet (7.9 m) wide and 50 feet (15.2 m) deep. At the time of its opening, it had 320 rooms divided into 96 apartments, with a configuration allowing apartments to be connected to form suites with as many as 12 rooms. All four sides of the building "presented a finished appearance", each being "handsomely ornamented with vari-colored tiles and concrete moulding." The interior was finished with cut-glass chandeliers, Italian marble stairs and wainscotting, tile floors, and richly upholstered mahogany furniture. The tenth floor was dedicated to common use, with a ballroom, library, billiard-room and three enclosed loggias. Bryson reportedly spent $60,000 just for rugs, fine art, rare plants and furnishings for the top floor. Being located at an elevation, and being the only high-rise in the area, the building's top foors offered panoramic views. A 1920s brochure for The Bryson touted the view:
In its early years, The Bryson was reportedly a favorite location for the "beautiful people" of the day." It was the only high-rise and the dominant feature of Wilshire Boulevard for many years. It was not until 1921 that The Bryson was joined by the Ambassador Hotel, followed by The Gaylord in 1924, The Arcady in 1927 and Bullocks Wilshire in 1929.
added to The Bryson's landmark status when he featured it in his 1943 work The Lady in the Lake
. Owing to its connection with Chandler, The Bryson has been described as one of the city's "high-rises that were meant to house wealthy transplants from back East but became the faded palaces of L.A. noir." In the novel, detective Philip Marlowe
visited the Bryson Tower in pursuit of the title character. Chandler described the Bryson:
. In a 2007 article about Raymond Chandler's Los Angeles, one writer described the view of The Bryson, with "its enduring rooftop sign," as "a symbol of a cityscape that is rapidly disappearing" -- the city "as it looked to Philip Marlowe, heading toward the Bryson Apartment Hotel for another rendezvous."
The Bryson has also been featured in other noir stories and books, including Double Indemnity. Fittingly, when Stephen Frears
shot his 1990 neo-noir
, The Grifters
, he chose The Bryson Apartments as one of the principal locations—the home of John Cusack
's character, Roy Dillon, and the site of the bloody climax.
In 1944, actor Fred MacMurray
, who starred in the 1944 film noir
classic Double Indemnity (co-written by Chandler), purchased The Bryson for $600,000. MacMurray owned the building for approximately 30 years. By the late 1940s, as other parts of the city expanded, The Bryson began to lose some of its prestige. In 1949, MacMurray secured a reduction in the property's assessment to $100,000, arguing that high costs made the building unprofitable.
By the 1970s, as glitzier locations on the westside and in other areas became more popular, the shine was gone from The Bryson. In 1977, the Los Angeles Times reported that the 10th floor, formerly the building's showplace, had been stripped and was used only for storage.
In 1999, the building underwent a $5.5 million renovation. The project drew attention by dressing up the building landmark statues of the lions (pictured above) in hard hats and orange construction vests. The contractor noted: "It's become quite a conversation piece for people along Wilshire Boulevard."
in 1983 and designated a Historic Cultural Monument (HCM #653) by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission in 1998. It is one of several Registered Historic Places encircling Lafayette Park, including the Granada Shoppes and Studios
, The Town House
, the Felipe De Neve Branch
and Bullocks Wilshire
one block to the west
Wilshire Boulevard
Wilshire Boulevard is one of the principal east-west arterial roads in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was named for Henry Gaylord Wilshire , an Ohio native who made and lost fortunes in real estate, farming, and gold mining. Henry Wilshire initiated what was to become Wilshire...
in the MacArthur Park section of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Built in 1913 in the Beaux Arts style, it was one of the most luxurious residential buildings in Los Angeles for many years. The building is also closely associated with the city's film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
history, having been featured in Raymond Chandler
Raymond Chandler
Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
's works and the 1990 neo-noir
Neo-noir
Neo-noir is a style often seen in modern motion pictures and other forms that prominently utilize elements of film noir, but with updated themes, content, style, visual elements or media that were absent in films noir of the 1940s and 1950s.-History:The term Film Noir was coined by...
The Grifters
The Grifters (film)
The Grifters is a 1990 neo-noir film directed by Stephen Frears and produced by Martin Scorsese. It stars John Cusack, Anjelica Huston and Annette Bening and is based upon The Grifters, a pulp novel by Jim Thompson.-Plot:...
. The building's stone lions and large rooftop "Bryson" sign have become Los Angeles landmarks. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1983 and designated a Historic Cultural Monument (HCM #653) by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission in 1998.
Construction and architecture
The Bryson was built in 1913 by real estate developer, Hugh W. Bryson, along a stretch of Wilshire Boulevard that was considered to be the "West Side" and which was then principally a residential area. Bryson acquired the property in 1911, purchasing and razing four houses that occupied the space. He had originally intended to construct a six-story building flush with the sidewalks along Wilshire Boulevard and Rampart Street. When neighbors complained about his plans, Bryson chose instead to build a taller structure, but one set back 100 feet (30.5 m) from the center Wilshire Boulevard and Rampart Street. In March 1912, Bryson announced his revised plans: "It is my intention to make this apartment house in a class by itself on this coast and finer than any other west of New York City. To that end, I shall spare no expense."Bryson hired architects Frederick Noonan and Charles H. Kysor to design the building. The construction was undertaken by Bryson's own company, F.C. Engstrum & Co. and completed in only seven months between June and December 1912. The total cost, including land, construction, and furniture, was approximately $750,000.
The building combines Beaux Arts and Classical styles. The structure was built around a central court 26 feet (7.9 m) wide and 50 feet (15.2 m) deep. At the time of its opening, it had 320 rooms divided into 96 apartments, with a configuration allowing apartments to be connected to form suites with as many as 12 rooms. All four sides of the building "presented a finished appearance", each being "handsomely ornamented with vari-colored tiles and concrete moulding." The interior was finished with cut-glass chandeliers, Italian marble stairs and wainscotting, tile floors, and richly upholstered mahogany furniture. The tenth floor was dedicated to common use, with a ballroom, library, billiard-room and three enclosed loggias. Bryson reportedly spent $60,000 just for rugs, fine art, rare plants and furnishings for the top floor. Being located at an elevation, and being the only high-rise in the area, the building's top foors offered panoramic views. A 1920s brochure for The Bryson touted the view:
"It has three large loggias from which one can see the Pacific Ocean, Catalina Island 67 miles (107.8 km) away, on a clear day; green foothills, orange groves and snow-capped mountains."Because of its 100 feet (30.5 m) setback, The Bryson was also able to make room for tennis courts and a wide lawn and gardens. One writer in the buildings early days noted: "The landscaping of the place constitutes one of its principal charms."
Early success
When the new building opened in January 1913, it was met with glowing praise. The Los Angeles Times called it "magnificent" and opined that it "is probably the finest apartment-house west of New York City, comparing favorably with the splendid apartment-houses and apartment-hotels in the Riverside drive district of Manhattan." When Bryson had announced his plans, some thought Los Angeles was too small to support "an institution of this character," but the building proved to be a success. In fact, the building was fully occupied within two days of its opening. And in 1915, the building was sold for $1,250,000 -- $500,000 more than it had cost to build three years earlier.In its early years, The Bryson was reportedly a favorite location for the "beautiful people" of the day." It was the only high-rise and the dominant feature of Wilshire Boulevard for many years. It was not until 1921 that The Bryson was joined by the Ambassador Hotel, followed by The Gaylord in 1924, The Arcady in 1927 and Bullocks Wilshire in 1929.
Association with Raymond Chandler and film noir
Novelist Raymond ChandlerRaymond Chandler
Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
added to The Bryson's landmark status when he featured it in his 1943 work The Lady in the Lake
The Lady in the Lake
The Lady in the Lake is a 1943 detective novel by Raymond Chandler featuring, as do all his major works, the Los Angeles private investigator Philip Marlowe.-Introduction:...
. Owing to its connection with Chandler, The Bryson has been described as one of the city's "high-rises that were meant to house wealthy transplants from back East but became the faded palaces of L.A. noir." In the novel, detective Philip Marlowe
Philip Marlowe
Philip Marlowe is a fictional character created by Raymond Chandler in a series of novels including The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye. Marlowe first appeared under that name in The Big Sleep published in 1939...
visited the Bryson Tower in pursuit of the title character. Chandler described the Bryson:
"Twenty five minutes brought us to the Bryson Tower, a white stucco palace with fretted lanterns in the forecourt and tall date palms. The entrance was in an L, up marble steps, through a Moorish archway, and over a lobby that was too big and a carpet that was too blue. Blue Ali Baba oil jars were dotted around, big enough to keep tigers in. There was a desk and a night clerk with one of those moustaches that get stuck under your finger nail."The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce reports that thousands of Chandler fans travel to Los Angeles to see the locations of Chandler's works, including the Bryson and the Montecito Apartments
Montecito Apartments
Montecito Apartments is a large apartment building in Hollywood, California, USA. It was built in 1935 in the zig-zag Art Deco style and was the home for many Hollywood celebrities, including James Cagney, Mickey Rooney and Montgomery Clift. It was also Ronald Reagan’s first home when he moved to...
. In a 2007 article about Raymond Chandler's Los Angeles, one writer described the view of The Bryson, with "its enduring rooftop sign," as "a symbol of a cityscape that is rapidly disappearing" -- the city "as it looked to Philip Marlowe, heading toward the Bryson Apartment Hotel for another rendezvous."
The Bryson has also been featured in other noir stories and books, including Double Indemnity. Fittingly, when Stephen Frears
Stephen Frears
Stephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
shot his 1990 neo-noir
Neo-noir
Neo-noir is a style often seen in modern motion pictures and other forms that prominently utilize elements of film noir, but with updated themes, content, style, visual elements or media that were absent in films noir of the 1940s and 1950s.-History:The term Film Noir was coined by...
, The Grifters
The Grifters (film)
The Grifters is a 1990 neo-noir film directed by Stephen Frears and produced by Martin Scorsese. It stars John Cusack, Anjelica Huston and Annette Bening and is based upon The Grifters, a pulp novel by Jim Thompson.-Plot:...
, he chose The Bryson Apartments as one of the principal locations—the home of John Cusack
John Cusack
John Paul Cusack is an American film actor and screenwriter. He has appeared in more than 50 films, including The Journey of Natty Gann, Say Anything..., Grosse Point Blank, The Thin Red Line, Stand by Me, Con Air, Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity, Serendipity, Runaway Jury, The Ice Harvest,...
's character, Roy Dillon, and the site of the bloody climax.
Post-war years
Fred MacMurray
Frederick Martin "Fred" MacMurray was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 movies and a successful television series during a career that spanned nearly a half-century, from 1930 to the 1970s....
, who starred in the 1944 film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
classic Double Indemnity (co-written by Chandler), purchased The Bryson for $600,000. MacMurray owned the building for approximately 30 years. By the late 1940s, as other parts of the city expanded, The Bryson began to lose some of its prestige. In 1949, MacMurray secured a reduction in the property's assessment to $100,000, arguing that high costs made the building unprofitable.
By the 1970s, as glitzier locations on the westside and in other areas became more popular, the shine was gone from The Bryson. In 1977, the Los Angeles Times reported that the 10th floor, formerly the building's showplace, had been stripped and was used only for storage.
In 1999, the building underwent a $5.5 million renovation. The project drew attention by dressing up the building landmark statues of the lions (pictured above) in hard hats and orange construction vests. The contractor noted: "It's become quite a conversation piece for people along Wilshire Boulevard."
Historic designations
The Bryson was added to the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1983 and designated a Historic Cultural Monument (HCM #653) by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission in 1998. It is one of several Registered Historic Places encircling Lafayette Park, including the Granada Shoppes and Studios
Granada Shoppes and Studios
Granada Shoppes and Studios, also known as the Granada Buildings, is an imaginative, Mediterranean Revival and Spanish Colonial Revivall style block-long complex consisting of four courtyard-connected structures built in 1927 and located immediately to the southeast of Lafayette Park in Los...
, The Town House
The Town House
The Town House is a large hotel property built in 1929 on Wilshire Boulevard adjacent to Lafayette Park in Los Angeles, California.Designed by Norman W. Alpaugh, the building was once among the most luxurious hotels in Southern California. From the 1960s through the 1980s, the area around...
, the Felipe De Neve Branch
Felipe De Neve Branch
Felipe De Neve Branch is a branch library of the Los Angeles Public Library located in the Lafayette Park section of Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1929 based on a Mediterranean Revival-Classical Revival design by architect Austin Whittlesey. The branch was named after Felipe de Neve,...
and Bullocks Wilshire
Bullocks Wilshire
Bullocks Wilshire, located at 3050 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, is a 230,000-square foot Art Deco building.-Design:...
one block to the west
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Los Angeles
- List of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in the Wilshire and Westlake areas