The Deco Building from “Hollywood”

Ryan Murphy’s latest Netflix series, Hollywood, is worth a watch for a slew of reasons, not the least of which is its locations.  The Los Angeles featured in the 1940s-set show is nothing short of jaw-dropping!  Even the seemingly mundane spots like the bank Jack Costello (David Corenswet) and his wife, Henrietta (Maude Apatow), briefly visit in episode 1 are drool-inducing!  So I, of course, set out to ID it!  Countless Zigzag Moderne elements were visible dotted around the striking space, leading me to do a Google search for “Art Deco,” “bank,” and “Los Angeles.”  One of the first results kicked back was this L.A. Conservancy page detailing The Deco Building at 5209 Wilshire Boulevard in Hancock Park.  I had never heard of the place, but headed right over to Google Images and was floored at what I saw – a pristine Art Deco time capsule hidden away on a busy L.A. street.  Despite its stunning exterior, I had driven by countless times without even realizing it was there!  I decided to promptly amend that by doing some socially-distant stalking of it just a few days later.

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The Deco Building was originally constructed as the Security-First National Bank in 1929.  You can check out a photo of it from its early days here.

Designed by the Morgan, Walls and Clements architecture firm, the exterior is clad in stunning black and gold terracotta tile.

Sadly, it is one of the only black and gold Art Deco structures still standing in the city.

The Deco Building operated as a bank until 1970 and subsequently went through several different incarnations including a gold and silver wholesale dealership, a Persian rug showroom, and a cabaret/private club known as Zephyr.  Following a restoration in 1999, the site was transformed into upscale office space.

Though the exterior is spectacular, it is the inside that is the real stunner.

The two-story space, which is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, features high ceilings, a mezzanine, gilded skylights, and intricate chandeliers.  The vault, visible at the back of my photos above and below, even remains intact!

Considering its gorgeously preserved architecture, it is no surprise that the property wound up in a production like the historically-set Hollywood.

In the premiere episode, titled “Hooray for Hollywood,” Jack and Henrietta head to the bank building hoping to secure a $20,000 loan to buy a home, but they are unsuccessful.

Though brief, the scene is pivotal as the loan denial pushes Jack to agree to work as an escort at Golden Tip Gasoline, thereby setting off the series’ main storyline.

The short segment also gives us fabulous glimpses of The Deco Building’s interior and all of its grand detailing.

Hollywood is not the site’s only small-screen foray.

The Deco Building portrays the headquarters for Governor Charles Brooks’ (Richard Burgi) re-election campaign in the Season 2 episode of Lie to Me titled “Bullet Bump,” which aired in 2010.

And J (Issa Rae) has a job interview there in the Season 2 episode of The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl titled “The Call,” which aired in 2013.

The Deco Building also boasts a Disney connection!  A portion of the Mickey’s of Hollywood store at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios was modeled after the structure.  You can check out an image of it here.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine, and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 

Stalk It: The Deco Building, aka the bank from the “Hooray for Hollywood” episode of Hollywood, is located at 5209 Wilshire Boulevard in Hancock Park.