The Hollywood Lighthouse Shines the Spotlight on Stars We Love By Kim Castrobran
The Hollywood Lighthouse Shines the Spotlight on Stars We Love
By Kim Castrobran
If there is one thing that lighthouses are sure to conjure up it is nostalgia. It’s no wonder, whether it’s a music video or a war movie, why lighthouses have been the prime locale to bring both television and motion pictures to life.
Point Vicente Lighthouse is a classic lighthouse. Consisting of a cylindrical-shaped, five-story, sixty-eight-foot-high tower and was constructed using plaster and reinforced concrete. The entire light station consists of an approximate thirteen acre area. The lighthouse, building and keepers quarters were constructed in 1926.
Lana Turner
Photo Credit: Linda Cherney
In 1941, movie actress Lana Turner visited the lighthouse grounds and requested to pose with Lighthouse Keeper Anton Trittinger. Lana had just completed a series of movies and was professionally photographed at the lighthouse as she was promoting her movies and was generating publicity. The photo is Courtesy of Linda Cherney, (Mr. Trittinger’s granddaughter) and MGM. It was a great privilege and surprise for the keeper and was a great talking point for visitors following her visit.
Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman
In the 1970’s Lynda Carter was the original Wonder Woman. Lynda is seen in the photo prepping to film the episode “The Bermuda Triangle Crisis” season 2, episode 4 at Point Vicente Lighthouse, which was referred to as Paradise Island in the episode. The dozens of mature palm trees definitely gave the episode the paradise vibe. It was reported that Lynda Carter and the crew were delighted to film at the lighthouse during that time.
Olivia Newton John
In 1998, Olivia Newton John filmed a music video at the lighthouse. It was a re-recording of her iconic song from the 1970 “I Honestly Love You.” The museum was transformed into a living room setting for one scene, and Olivia sang as she climbed the lighthouse stairs, circled around the lens and walked outside onto the catwalk. As the sunlight dimmed, she was surrounded by the illuminating light and the feeling of nostalgia for her lost love.
In 2001, the movie Pearl Harbor, starring Ben Affleck and Kate Beckinsale and directed by Jerry Bruckheimer, was also filmed at the lighthouse. The movie depicted the surprise Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor. The hospital scene was filmed in the lighthouse museum, and other scenes were shot on the lighthouse grounds.
Most recently the movie Dunkirk was filmed at the lighthouse. Dunkirk is the story of the World War II evacuation of Allied soldiers in Dunkirk, France who are surrounded by German troops and forced onto the beach at Dunkirk, hoping to escape back to England. The British spitfire aircraft (a mock-up) was positioned on the south-western edge of the lighthouse grounds with no view of structures to mimic the cliffs of Dover, England.
There have also been numerous television shows filmed from NCIS, CSI, The Amazing Race and Storage Wars to name a few that also filmed at the lighthouse.
For more information on the Point Vicente Lighthouse please visit Point Vicente Lighthouse (palosverdes.com)
Bio
Kim Castrobran has been a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary for over 15 years and has also served as a Petty Officer in the California State Military Reserve (Cal Guard) Maritime Command for over 2 years.
Kim was trained by the Coast Guard’s Aids to Navigation Team Los Angeles/Long Beach as a Minor Aids Technician and has worked on lighthouses along the Southern California coast. Kim was instrumental in opening up the Point Hueneme Lighthouse in Ventura County to the public in 2002 and helped to create exhibits and displays, educating visitors on lighthouse and Coast Guard history. Kim has also been involved with tours and public outreach at Point Vicente Lighthouse in Rancho Palos Verdes as well as giving talks and presentations on lighthouses of Southern California.
