Comments from Bil Egan

Showing 6 comments

Bil Egan
Bil Egan commented about Florence Mills Theatre on Mar 3, 2009 at 7:17 pm

He outlived four wives, the last one being Dr Gertrude Curtis, New York’s first Black dentist, and also the widow of Cecil Mack (R.C. McPherson), joint songwriter of The Charleston, Just a Cousin of Mine, That’s Why They Call me Shine and many others. Florence Mills' husband ended up owning a share of the royalties from the Charleston, enough to make anyone wealthy
Bill Egan

Bil Egan
Bil Egan commented about Florence Mills Theatre on Mar 3, 2009 at 7:07 pm

No, I only photographed it from outside.
By the way, another Florence Mills theatrical link with LA is the old downtown Pantages theatre, long closed and now an electronics goods store or similar, but the name Pantages can still be seen over the entrance. See:
View link

Florence Mills played there in 1920 as one of the Panama Trio
Bill Egan
http://www.florencemills.com

Bil Egan
Bil Egan commented about Florence Mills Theatre on Mar 3, 2009 at 6:00 pm

Thanks for posting those, Ken. I have been trying for ages to get some info on whether the planned recdevelopment was happening but neither 20th Century Housing nor Dunbar EDC respond to messages. It’s clear from your pics that nothing has happened. The financial crisis is the likely explanation as Fannie Mae had a role in the financing. Presumably the public funding assigned still exists so perhaps things may still happen when the crisis eventually blows over.
I can tell from your last pic that Florence Mills' name is still legible on the gable end.
Best wishes
Bill Egan
http://www.florencemills.com

Bil Egan
Bil Egan commented about Florence Mills Theatre on Mar 5, 2008 at 1:07 pm

Interesting that the 1950 Florence Mills was featuring “Covan’s Stars of the future” on stage, as Willie Covan had been a close friend of Florence Mills in the 1920s and her husband had later helped finance his West Coast dance school. Another performer of that era, still performing on the West Coast today , was Herb Jeffries, whose black westerns were featured at the Florence Mills in the Thirties (before he found fame as Duke Ellington’s vocalist – main hit Flamingo).

Bil Egan
Bil Egan commented about Florence Mills Theatre on Mar 4, 2008 at 3:48 pm

I presume it’s William Gabel, the originator of this thread, you’re addressing but if you want to contact me at wegan[at]pcug.org.au we can see whether there is anything useful I can share,
Best wishes

Bill Egan
http://www.florencemills.com

Bil Egan
Bil Egan commented about Florence Mills Theatre on Sep 8, 2005 at 2:14 pm

It’s being redeveloped by Dunbar Economic Development Corporation:
“To invigorate Dr. Bunche’s legacy in Los Angeles, Dunbar EDC is
acquiring the former Florence Mills Theater at 3100 South
Central. "We are doing an adaptive reuse / preservation project to
transform the building into a 200-seat theater, a rooftop restaurant
and the Dr. Ralph J. Bunche Leadership Academy Charter High
School,” Wilson adds. [From http://www.kmt-1.com/ralph_bunch.htm ]
An opportunity for “before and after” pix? I can provide “before"
Bill Egan (Author:"Florence Mills Harlem Jazz Queen” Scarecrow Press)
.au
Florence Mills web site: http://www.tip.net.au/~wegan/