ANGEL'S FLIGHT

Description:

Produced by Thor Lovoos and made by Bill Cartwright, Edmund Penney, and Sven Walnum, “Angels Flight” (c.1969) is a color film that offers insight into the lost Los Angeles neighborhood of Bunker Hill. This was a prominent hill that separated the Victorian-era Downtown from the western end of the city. In the late 20th century, the hill was lowered in elevation, and the entire area was redeveloped. The film is named after and prominently shows the operation of the antique Angel's Flight narrow gauge (2' 6") funicular railway with its two cars Sinai and Olivet, the so-called "shortest railway in the world". Originally built and first operated in 1901, the Angel's Flight transported local residents of Bunker Hill up the steep slope. This poetic film represented an effort to shed light on the tragic, and possibly needless, demolition of the historic area of Bunker HIll and its redevelopment. The film shows the last days of the original Angel's Flight. with its trackage along the side of Third Street Tunnel and connecting Hill Street and Olive Street. On Sunday, May 18, 1969, Sinai and Olivet took their last trips on their tracks at the Third Street Tunnel location. In 1996, the Angel's Flight was re-installed half a block south of the original location, mid-block between 3rd and 4th Streets, with tracks connecting Hill Street and California Plaza.

Film opens, montage various homes of Bunker Hill neighborhood Los Angeles i.e. 1880 Victorian Sam Lewis House (1425 Miramar St.), Minnewaska Hotel (201 S Grand Ave), residence (221 South Olive Street); Close-up details of Victorian-era homes i.e. wood molding, brick chimneys, stained glass windows (0:08). Window frames view of bright orange Angel's Flight funicular car, title appears (1:09). Different view of the two funicular cars Sinai and Olivet, POV car riding along track; Narrator details history of Angel's Flight (1:23). Passengers clamber into one of the cars, view interior of the car and profiles of the different passengers living on Bunker Hill (2:04). Shots of elderly male residents who walk up the hill (2:52). Angel's Flight operators or conductors: Man cleans windows of car, engineer and operator pulls various levers and cars make their way up and down track; Sounds of the cars in operation (3:22). Shot of two cars passing each other in opposite directions down track framed by residential building on either side of street (4:51). Sequence detailed, artful POV shots from inside car looking out onto neighborhood, streets below (5:03). View of concrete wrecking ball as it is raised into air by crane, shot changes to sign in front of Victorian home slotted for demolition by Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, other scenes of bulldozer moving pieces of wood (7:12). Road closure and construction signs on road contrasts view of Angels Flight car as it moves down track (7:52). Return to sequence of shots of wrecking ball flying into building, bulldozers clearing debris, and bright orange funicular car as it passes by the demolished properties (8:07-10:47). Somber music plays, shots of hollowed out frames of Victorian homes, demolished buildings emulating an eerie “ghost town” (10:49). Tight view of Angel's Flight cars passing each other before camera zooms out to reveal completely cleared land on either side of track where homes, buildings once stood (11:25). Closing credits (12:28). Film ends (12:50).