All good things must come to an end, and that goes for the Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, CA.
*sniff*
A landmark tourist attraction since 1962, attendance has waned in recent years due to increased competition from the ever expanding Land of Disney, next door neighbor Knott's Berry Farm, etc. The museum permanently closes its doors for business tomorrow night, and the property will be redeveloped into yet another *yawn* shopping mall and eatery type facility. The figures will either be sent to the Movieland Wax Museum in San Francisco or auctioned off. *Wondering how Jean Harlow would look in my livingroom*
Granted, I have no room to bellyache about people not supporting the struggling legend. I've lived in SoCal since 1988 and have always *wanted* and *intended* to visit, particularly to see Miss Jean, but never did until today. At the 11th hour I made my first, last and only pilgrimage down the I-5 freeway to bid adieu to the once popular monument to waxy star build-up. So glad I did!
Sign of the times gone by
I met up with a group of Hollywood Underground friends at 11am and the line was understandably long, and it kept getting longer as the hours progressed. While waiting to buy my $5 going-out-of-business discount-priced ticket I spoke with a mix of newbies, oldbies and I haven't been here for yearsbies who all felt the same way I did - resigned to the loss and determined to make a pleasant day of it.
The museum boasts over 300 wax likenesses of stars from the past and present. It's oddly creepy to see lifesized wax imposters of so many of the stars I've only seen on film, or their headstones at cemeteries. And a few who I did see in person over the years, like George Burns and Sammy Davis Jr. That was bizarre, mainly because they were done so well.
My favorites are the classic stars, of course! Humphrey Bogart, Kate Hepburn, Tyrone Power, Gary Cooper, Charles Laughton and Mary Pickford to name a few who I thought were very authentic looking. Many however left me wondering who the artist had in mind while creating them. For example, Marilyn Monroe resembled Cameron Diaz in my eyes. I only recognized Norma Shearer from her dress from "Marie Antoinette" and that goes double for John Gilbert and Greta Garbo from "Queen Christina." Wax beauty, like everything else I suppose, is in the eye of the beholder.
My girl Jean Harlow, *the* star of the museum as far as I'm concerned, did not disappoint! *squee* I've seen photos of her display online and have collected vintage postcards of it off Ebay over the years but it was particularly thrilling to see her in person, er, wax. To me she looked exactly as she does on film, and resembled what I've always imagined her to have been like done up in make-up and wardrobe in real life.
The Platinum Blond Bombshell in all her glory as Kitty Packard in "Dinner at Eight"
Lounging and laughing in Buena Park for over 30 years
View My Wax Museum Photo Album Here.
Read more about the history of the museum and its closing in this October 19, 2005 Los Angeles Times article. It mentions that the nearby Ripley's Believe It or Not might also be mothballed, and since publication it's demise has been officially announced.
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