Route 66, which ran along Colorado, Figueroa and Eagle Rock Boulevards, was authorized in November 1926. This November, Vidiots and the Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society hosted a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the highway, which ran from Santa Monica to Chicago.
Vidiots hosted special screenings of “The Grapes of Wrath” and “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” Nov. 7, and the Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce held a party featuring live music, a raffle and food Nov. 8. The events were sponsored by the Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce.
According to Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society preservation chair Frank Parello, Route 66 has facilitated economic expansion and westward migration since its establishment.
“The idea [of Route 66] was to be able to move things between locations and the people [and] farmers along the way and to promote the cities. It was very effective in helping cities grow,” Parello said. “The first thing it [accomplished] was commerce, and then a big migration route, not only during the Depression, but before and after, there was a lot of movement on from the East [and] Midwest to the West Coast.”
Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society president David Dellinger said understanding Eagle Rock’s connection to Route 66 is central to celebrating the anniversary.
“We recently found out that Route 66 went through Eagle Rock in three different places,” Dellinger said. “We always knew it went on Figueroa, but we found out [it] went along Colorado and Eagle Rock Boulevard, through the core part of Eagle Rock.”
Vidiots director of programming Amanda Salazar said Vidiots has been around for almost 95 years and now operates as a historic venue.
“We’re so proud of the fact that [Vidiots] is a historic movie theater, and it turns out, happened to be right in and on Route 66,” Salazar said.
According to Parello, local organizations with the same goal of preserving Eagle Rock’s history on Route 66 came together to organize the anniversary celebration. Salazar said the celebration was an exciting opportunity to partner with the Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society.
“Working with the Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society is a perfect opportunity for partnership, because we also operate as a historic art house, and use film to connect people with this history that they might not know otherwise,” Salazar said.
Salazar said Vidiots aimed to connect viewers with Route 66’s history by screening two films that offer different perspectives on the historical highway.
“Our celebration is looking at [Route 66] through the lens of cinema, where the Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society will be on-site to do special introductions,” Salazar said. “Then [viewers] will see it in a different way. A movie that they’ve seen many times, they’re gonna get a different read of it, which is always exciting.”
According to Salazar, Vidiots chose these movies to appeal to multiple audiences.
“Both align with the general celebration that we’re offering,” Salazar said. “Both are classics, but for different reasons [and] for different generations. We’re showing a film from 1940 in black and white, classic cinema, which is ‘The Grapes of Wrath,’ and the film ‘Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure’ allows a younger audience to come.”
Parello said another reason for choosing “The Grapes of Wrath” was author John Steinbeck’s association with Eagle Rock. “Grapes of Wrath” was adapted into a film in 1940, which Vidiots screened Nov. 7.
“John Steinbeck lived in Eagle Rock in the late 1920s to early 1930s,” Parello said. “He lived on Colorado Boulevard. He was visiting a friend of his, Carlton Sheffield, who was a professor at Occidental.”
Madison Hopkins, a public relations professional who was at the event, said the Nov. 8 party was an intimate gathering and that she appreciated the opportunity to meet new people from the Eagle Rock community.
“I didn’t realize how intricate of an event it is and how personal it is to so many people,” Hopkins said. “I’m seeing faces I’ve never seen before. Everybody’s very local. It’s awesome.”
Another attendee, Lucy Cole, said both the party and screenings provided an opportunity to interact with community members, but she wishes more people attended.
“It’s a good way to meet neighbors,” Cole said. “ [But] it would have need[ed] to be more promoted to engage with the whole community.”
Dellinger said the event aimed to preserve history as a community.
“[The celebration was] a way of remembering where things came from, and how we [can] move forward together,” Dellinger said.
Contact Irene Jung at ijung@oxy.edu
