THE HOLLYWOOD CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS

I have thought for years and years about writing about Mr. McEwen and his school in Hollywood, California. I had always remembered the school as being esoteric. The historical building on Franklin and Highland Ave. that had once housed a model agency. The one I went to before he built a new, perfectly square, sparkly one on the edge of Franklin Ave. He and his philosophy were unique, his teachers colourful and the children, well, the children were professional or children of the professionals.

I entered the school at age 11 after spending a year at Hollywood Professional School. I believe Hollywood Professional school was located on Sunset Blvd. at that time in 1960. Compared to Hollywood Professional school, Mr. McEwen's school was, nose to the grindstone, grueling. In McEwen's mind, we children were there for one or two purposes. Either get through with elementary and high school and get ourselves into college, the real place of learning or come to his school when we were not on set or traveling around the world, like Glenn Dictrow, competing for America with his violin.

As far as I was concerned, four hours of straight academic study was too much. Outline the chapter, then the unit. Do the vocabulary, take all chapter, unit and final book test, also the vocabularies, then-out of seventh grade level and into the eighth grade level. A kid could be in three different grades in three different subjects during the same year. The first year I took typing and shorthand which I enjoyed from Mrs. Hatton, who drank hot water with lemon and honey every morning for breakfast. She was a tall, thin, woman with dyed blond shoulder length hair. But old, old very old. And the languages: I found the languages difficult beyond the first year, so I switched from Latin to French to Italian to German. Never taking Spanish until my senior year because standing up and actually communicating around Mrs. Cellars desk made me feel sick. I listened.

After four hours which included one half hour for lunch and two ten minute breaks on either side of the lunch, school was out and everyone went home-or where ever.

At Hollywood Professional School all the teachers were old too. And the building. And the desks. And the books. But I went in to my fourth grade year and came out ready to enter the sixth grade the following year! I sat next to the little girl that played child Ruth in the Story of Ruth. She had a flaw in the story so she wasn't sacrificed to the god but grew up to be Ruth, ancestor of the messiah!

We did dancing in Hollywood Professional School. That was where I lived. We did a performance. We were one too many children in the dance company so I was one of three that danced together during performance the other groups where of two. It was tap and that was something.

We did diction at about ten or eleven in the mornings: She sells sea shells
by the sea shore

Peter Piper picks a peck of
pickled peppers-how many
pickled peppers did peter
piper pick?

It was lots of fun!
Then Mr. McEwen's school.

At twelve I was in children's theator taught by a Cosmo at a community center located behind Hollywood High School where my dad had served til' retirement age when I turned eight. Stage name? Wendy Martin. I would stand behind scenes watching the children and their mothers fool with stage make-up, wondering what I was doing there. My mom put me on some diet pills that her nurse gave her. The nurse that she worked with. (Mom was an x-ray tech in downtown L.A.)
Eventually I became anorexic and addicted to diet pills. Mom took me to my grandfather's and he got me to eat again.

He lived in Palm Springs, California at the time in a mobile home. As I walked down the hall from the livingroom to the kitchen his wife Laura said, 'Harry, you know that she has always been crazy!' I wonder to this day-was she talking about mom or me?

© 2009 Wendy G. Martin


photo in a yearbook
and/or someone who
remembers them

BETTY GRABLE
Actor

GLORIA DeHAVEN
Actor

JOAN DAVIS
Actor

DONALD O'CONNOR 1943
Singer, Dancer, Actor

JULIE LONDON 1944
Singer, Actor

LARRY KERT 1948
Singer, Actor

WALLY GEORGE 1948
Radio Personality

DONNA ATWOOD
Amateur Champion;
Star, Ice Capades

JIMMY BOYD
Actor, Singer

DEBRA PAGET (Debralee Griffin)
Actor

PIPER LAURIE (Rosetta Jacobs)
Actor

KAREN SHARPE
Actor

BOBBY DRISCOLL 1955
Actor

TONY BUTALA 1955
Singer (The Lettermen)

LISA GAYE
Actor

JILL ST. JOHN 1954
Actor

MOLLY BEE 1957
Singer

THE ADDRISI BROTHERS
DON ADDRISI 1958
DICK ADDRISI 1959
Singers, Composers

TOMMY COLE 1959
Actor, Singer, Make-up Designer

THE COLLINS KIDS
LORRY COLLINS 1959
LARRY COLLINS 1960
Singers

SHERRY JACKSON 1959
Actor

THE STEINER BROTHERS
ROY STEINER 1959
RONALD STEINER 1960
ROBERT STEINER 1961
Singers, Dancers, Acrobats

MARLENE WILLIS 1959
Model

TOMMY KIRK 1960
Actor

RYAN O'NEAL 1960
Actor

MARTA KRISTEN 1960
Actor

DICK FOSTER 1961
Actor, Singer, Dancer, Producer

TUESDAY WELD 1961
Actor

BARRY GORDON
Actor

KEVIN O'NEAL 1963
Actor

BRENDA LEE 1963
Singer

CARL WILSON 1964
Singer

PEGGY LIPTON
Actor

PEGGY FLEMMING 1966
World and Olympic champion
Sports Commentator

CLINT MILLER 1967
Singer

MELODY PATTERSON 1967
Actor

MELANIE GRIFFITH 1974
Actor











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HISTORY

The Hollywood Conservatory of Music and Arts opened its doors at 5400 Hollywood Boulevard at Serrano Avenue with a recital on November 17, 1925. The newspapers were impressed with the professional credentials of the faculty performing, including violinist Mme. Lizette Kalova, actor Arthur Kachel, pianists Phillip Tronitz, Alexander Kosloff and Frances Mae Martin.

The new school building was described by the Los Angeles Times as: "equipped with a good-sized recital hall, lecture halls, and ten studio rooms tastefully finished in grayish blue and ivory. [Now we know why we had such a great auditorium with a properly high stage for our Aud Calls!] Of interest also, in connection with the opening of the studios, was the display of work by Harold Swartz, sculptor, this exhibit being arranged by Lee O'Neill who is a teacher of painting at the school. Gladys T. Littell is the director of the conservatory."





The school was thriving by 1930. Mrs. Littell had assembled a stellar roster of instructors, most of whom gave frequent recitals. The rehearsal halls were just that and the auditorium was fine for concerts by students, but the more advanced and their instructors performed at larger venues. The Conservatory presented a recital of "advanced students from the various departments" on August 9, 1930 including Cyrus N. Robinson III, who performed "I Love Thee" by Edvard Grieg and "By the Bend of the River" by Edwards. Tudor Williams, Mr. Robinson's instructor, hailed from Wales and was a soloist at the Pasadena Presbyterian church, the B'nai B'rith Temple, performed at the Hollywood Bowl as a soloist with both the Bowl orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He also sang in films for MGM, Paramount, First National and Paramount.





As you can see above, the original school sign was lit with neon. The holes for the tubes remained until the end, despite the sign being repainted to read "Hollywood Professional School."

Mrs. Littell served as secretary of the California Music Teachers' association, Los Angeles branch. On September 5, 1930, she presented a concert of Russian music at the Conservatory's auditorium. "Mme. Elizabeth Ivanova, formerly of the Imperial Opera in St. Petersburg, was joined by Feodore Gontzoff, baritone of the Russian Opera in Moscow, and Alexander Kosloff, Russian pianist and Alexander Borisoff, cellist." The emsemble performed works by Russian composers in the Russian language.



An undated brochure lists the Conservatory at 5444 Hollywood Boulevard (Near Western Avenue) and a page is devoted to "Gladys T. Littell, Founder and Director--The ideal of the founder has been to provide not only opportunity for thorough training and development of every branch of music and art, but whose instruction and influence would be such as to inspire the student with the highest motives, developing a love and appreciation for all that is beautiful. The remarkable success of the school is due largely to its recognition of music as an important factor in the development of American ideals.

The school offered the following courses of study: "A musical education consists of more than mere proficiency in performing. A thorough knowledge of the theoretic and historic branches of music study is essential. Courses have been planned for the artist, teacher or amateur student. A definite course of study, carefully selected from the entire realm of music and literature insures a standard of excellence in every department. These courses are designed to develop interpretation and artistry rather than mere technique."



No previous study was required for the applied courses. Prerequisite courses were required for classes in Harmony, Composition, Counterpoint, Ear Training, or Music Appreciation. Recitals were a continuing part of the courses. The school year was divided into four terms of ten weeks each. A Publicity Department was available to issue releases to newspapers and magazines and set up recital programs for "clubs, lyceums and chautauquas." Tuition varied on the choice of course of study and the faculty involved.

Faculty included Norwegian concert pianist Phillip Tronitz, head of the Piano Department. Russian concert violinist Lizeta Kalova was head of the Violin Department. Hugo Kirchhofer came from Hollywood High, where he was head of the music department for a decade, and he was head of the Vocal Department. Arthur B. Kachel was head of the Dramatic Department. Russian symphony conductor Modest Altschuler was head of the Ensemble Department, which put together students of all musical instruments. German music and art historian Bruno David Ussher provided Musically Illustrated Lectures. Francis Kendig, Music Critic of the Los Angeles Times taught Music Appreciation, Harmony, Pipe Organ and Piano. Hazel C. Penny taught Expression and Public Speaking.

The brochure makes it sound as if the school also taught college preparatory courses and encouraged its students to go on to higher education, but the teachers or classes offered are not listed in the brochure. The style and manner of dress in the photos (see Gladys Littell photo above) seem to indicate this brochure dated from the 1920s. Also, the use of the 5444 address would seem to predate the founding of the Conservatory in the building later used for the school. It is also probable that the academic section of the school headed by Viola Lawlor was the source of the academic side of things. Also, the 5444 Hollywood Blvd. address is the one Mrs. Littell used for her early instruction in music, and it predates the construction of what would become the main school building. A mortuary was located at 5440, but moved in 1930.