Bruin Affiliates: Bruin Affiliates Luncheon
Wed 4/15 • 11:30AM PDT
James West Alumni Center •
Hollywood Architecture in the Golden Age (1920-1940)
The Golden Age of Hollywood—when the major studios dominated filmmaking—also shaped a distinctive architectural landscape. Movie studios, theaters, and hotels adopted dramatic, glamorous styles meant to embody the excitement of cinema. The architecture blended fantasy and luxury, mirroring the movies themselves.
Predictable weather, diverse scenery, Bohemian emigrees and new wealth fueled a growing city where film fantasy and gritty reality overlapped. The studio system, sound stages and set design flourished. Technicolor introduced vibrant color schemes and celluloid Modernism was projected into theatrical movie palaces. Rural backlots continued into the TV-era, while Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Homes of the Stars become world famous tourist attractions.
Dr. Kane, a specialist in 19th and 20th century American architecture and urban planning, has taught Western and American art and architectural history and planning to both professional and general interest audiences for over 35 years. Institutions include the NewSchool of Architecture & Design, Design Institute of San Diego, San Diego State University, Cal Poly Pomona, UC San Diego, and UCLA Extension. Diane received her BA in Art History from UCLA, an MA in Art History from Cal, and her Ph.D. in Architectural History from UCSB. Retired since 2007, she has travelled the world, visiting all 50 states and over 110 countries. This has sparked an interest in non-Western architecture and cross-cultural transference and innovation through lectures at Osher Institute of Lifelong Learning.