On a brisk February evening in 2006, about a hundred people gathered at historic Koreatown HMS Bounty to pay tribute to Los Angeles' historic Ambassador Hotel. Despite all efforts Los Angeles ConservancyThe Ambassador was demolished – and among the speakers decrying the fate of the legendary institution that evening was Diane Keaton.
Keaton, who died on Saturday at 79, of course, is known around the world for her screen roles, from Annie Hall to The Godfather, Father of the Bride and many more. But in Los Angeles she was also known for her passionate work preserving the city's history. Keaton spent nearly two decades on the board of directors of the Los Angeles Conservancy and lent her voice to the organization in countless campaigns to save some of the city's historic and culturally significant homes and buildings.
“The more I got to know her, the more I understood where that passion came from,” said former LA Conservancy President Linda Dishman, who will retire after 31 years with the organization in 2023. “A lot of it came from her family and growing up in Los Angeles. She really had a connection to the stories and places that make Los Angeles the city it is. She had a very genuine passion for preserving historical heritage, not just buildings or cultural landscapes, but what they mean. people and what they will mean in the future. She definitely understands how we do this for future generations.”
Keaton first became interested in historic houses, one of which, built by famed architect Lloyd Wright, she called her own. Her involvement with the group began when she became interested in learning about a Spanish home owned by one of the Conservative organization's board members, but she soon became deeply involved with the organization, speaking at one of its events and then joining its board.
“She was absolutely charming and it was great to be with her because we shared a passion for historical places,” Dishman said. “Houses were her first interest, and she would buy historic houses and restore them, like Lloyd Wright. But she was very concerned with the whole architectural landscape, and so the battle she was probably most preoccupied with, because it took so long, was the Ambassador Hotel.”
The Ambassador Hotel, designed by architect Myron Hunt, opened in 1921 – back when this part of mid-Wilshire was the outskirts of the city – and soon became a glamorous playground for the rich and famous. Later, architect Paul Williams added his own touch, including the famous coffee shop, and then the Cocoanut Grove nightclub really put the place on the map. Every president from Hoover to Nixon visited the hotel, but then it was the site of the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. From this point on, the hotel fell into disrepair and finally closed in 1989. After this, it became a regular filming location for films and television shows; The Los Angeles Unified School District bought the site in 2001, and after a lengthy battle with the Conservancy, which hoped to see the existing structure adapted for a school, LAUSD was allowed to demolish it in 2005. (The site is now home to the Robert F. Kennedy Public Schools.)
“The Ambassador told so many stories in Los Angeles about the history of Hollywood that she was just passionate about them,” Dishman said. “Not just about its history, but what it could become – because that was a big part of the Conservatory's work. Trying to show the school district that the building could be a really great educational facility. She really thought it would be a great solution.”
At the 2006 wake, Keaton expressed disappointment (see Here): “I wanted to join everyone at the Conservatory in expressing my sincere regret that our efforts to save the Ambassador Hotel were lost to a confused public who could do nothing but shrug their shoulders apathetically,” she said. “Looking at the shadow of our once magnificent Ambassador Hotel, it was as if I was losing a lover, and I felt the familiar pounding heartbeat running through my body, and I felt the loneliness of her last fight. I heard an echo, an echo, and maybe it was the echo of an ambassador calling me. It was almost as if she was telling me, she was saying, “Goodbye, Diana, hold on.” me in your heart, and try next time.” Stronger.”
At the Conservatory, Keaton continued to work hard: Dishman noted that the star always allowed the organization to use her name to get in the door. “It's Los Angeles, and sometimes it can be hard to get a meeting with an elected official, but I say I call instead of a meeting, 'Diane Keaton would like to meet with your boss,' or something like that, and people always said yes. Even if they didn't agree with us. Everyone wanted to meet with Diane, and even at the end of the meeting they might not have changed their position. I think she opened the door, and it may not have saved the ambassador, but hopefully it changed their minds about saving on another issue. She was very open with me about “use my name.” If you want a meeting, call and make an appointment, and I will be there.” She was willing to put in the extra effort rather than just do the easy things.
“She had a way of talking to people about conservation,” Dishman added. “She wasn't pompous. She was just very direct and had so much passion that everyone wanted to go with her.”
Among other projects, Keaton also noted the preservation and restoration of works by Frank Lloyd Wright. Ennis Housewhich she liked bore some resemblance to her Lloyd Wright house.
“She was always there for us,” Dishman said. “She liked success stories, like how this building was threatened but was saved.” She loved the Preservation Awards. She also became involved with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She was on their board for three years. Just seeing how people reacted to her, like they did at the New Orleans airport, was really a testament to who she was and how much people loved her.”
A few years after the ambassador's awakening, a fired-up Keaton wrote more about it—and the lessons she learned from that disappointment—in Los Angeles Times editorial: “We treated old buildings the same way we once treated plastic shopping bags – we didn't reuse them, and when we were done with them, we threw them away. This has to stop. Preservation needs to stand alongside conservation as an equal force in the sustainability game. Older and historic buildings should be protected from demolition, not just because it affects our wallets, but more than that important because it threatens our environment. Let's face it, our free ride at the expense of the planet is over… When we tear down a building, we destroy lessons for the future. If we think about it this way, we begin to understand the emotional consequences of wasting the energy and resources used to create it.”
