Queen of Angels Hospital

The Queen of Angels Hospital was a private hospital complex located at 2301 Bellevue Avenue in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The 404-bed hospital[1] was founded in 1926 by the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart and built by architect Albert C. Martin, Sr.. The hospital served the local community and ran a nursing school. After its closure, the hospital served as a film set for the local film and television industry. The property was eventually sold to the Assembly of God church and is now known as the Dream Center.[2]

Queen of Angels Hospital
Queen of Angels Hospital
Geography
Location2301 Bellevue Avenue
Los Angeles, California, United States
Coordinates34°04′28″N 118°16′11″W
Organization
Care systemPrivate
TypeTeaching
Affiliated universityFranciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart
Services
Beds404
History
Opened1926
Closed1989
Links
ListsHospitals in California

Location

The hospital consisted of a number of buildings, but the iconic main building is known because it looms over the Hollywood Freeway. The hilltop site was chosen for the hospital because it was close to both Sunset Boulevard and Temple Street, and because it was outside Downtown Los Angeles.[1]

History

Seeing a need for quality care in the city, the Franciscan Sisters went as far as begging door to door to accrue money for the hospital.[1] Once built, the hospital kept growing in size by adding wings and new buildings, topping out at 14 stories in height.[2] Due to excess capacity, the operations of the Queen of Angels Hospital were merged with the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in 1989,[1] becoming known as the Queen of Angels – Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center.

Due to its proximity to Hollywood, several notable people were born ( Michael Reagan,[3] Bob Beemer, Harry Crosby,[4] Marcia Reed,[5] Madeleine Stowe,[6] Mike Thaler,[7] Victoria Vetri[8]) or died (Esther Dale,[9] John Harvey Gahan,[10] Linda Loredo,[11] Robert Asa Todd[12] ) there.

Kathryn Crosby is among the alumnae of the nursing school.[13] Sakaye Shigekawa was a past president of the hospital.[14] Tirso del Junco was once the medical chief of staff. During its heyday, the hospital was a "centerpiece" of the city's hospital community.[1]

Filming site

In 1951, the exterior was used as the setting for the fictitious Mercy General Hospital in the Adventures of Superman television series.[15] After its closure, the main building, a Spanish-style hospital complex, was used primarily as a film set.[2] It appeared in a number of productions,[2] including Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers,[16] Men Don't Tell, Snapdragon, The Invaders, and The Innocent.[17]

References
  1. Ford, Andrea (1989-01-27). "For Health Reasons ... : Queen of Angels Closes Its Doors, Moves In With a Partner". Los Angeles Times.
  2. Mozingo, Joe (1997-09-06). "Queen of Angels Undergoes Conversion". Los Angeles Times.
  3. Reagan, Michael; Denney, James D.; Denney, Jim (2004). Twice Adopted. B&H Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-8054-3144-5.
  4. West, Richard; Thackrey, Jr., Ted (1977-10-15). "From the Archives: Bing Crosby Dies at 73 on Golf Course". Los Angeles Times.
  5. "Marcia Reed". Operating Cameraman. Society of Operating Camermen. 10 (1): 14. 2001.
  6. "Madeleine Stowe". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  7. Thaler, Mike. "Biography". mikethaler.com. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  8. Lisanti, Tom (2007). Glamour Girls of Sixties Hollywood: Seventy-Five Profiles. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0786431724.
  9. "Esther Dale, Actress, Dies in Hospital". Independent. California, Long Beach. Associated Press. July 24, 1961. p. 10. Retrieved 2017-03-29 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Oscar Gahan". Old Corral. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  11. Lord Heath, David. "Linda Loredo". Another Fine Mess. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
  12. "Robert A. Todd, Ex-Official, Dies". Los Angeles Times. 1943-03-05. p. A-10. ProQuest 165432009.
  13. "1963 Press Photo Kathryn Crosby wife Bing Crosby nurse cap Queen Angels School". Historic Images.
  14. "Pioneering Nisei Doctor Sakaye Shigekawa Dies at 100". Rafu Shimpo. 2013-10-28. Retrieved 2015-09-04.
  15. "Celebrating Our Lady Queen of the Angels | Angelus News". August 16, 2017.
  16. Patterson, Robert (2013-10-12). "Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)". Set-Jetter & Movie Locations and More. Retrieved 2014-08-16.
  17. Smith, Leon (2015-09-03). Movie and Television Locations: 113 Famous Filming Sites in Los Angeles and San Diego. McFarland. p. 97. ISBN 978-0786440825.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.