Bullwinkle Statue Removed!
Earlier today, the landmark Rocky & Bullwinkle statue was removed from its Sunset Blvd. location of over 50 years. The removal was caught on Instagram by Tristan James Butler:
The statue across from the Chateau Marmont on the Sunset Strip was removed earler today. LA Curbed was told “it had a severe crack in the statue that was too expensive for the landlord to repair,” according to a statement on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page:
“The Bulwinkle statue was removed today due to a severe crack in the statue that was too expensive for the landlord to repair. It has been taken by Dreamworks Studio and is being refurbished to preserve for future generations to enjoy”
The statue was unveild on September 24, 1961 in front of the former studios of Jay Ward Productions (Rocky and Bullwinkle, Peabody and Sherman, Dudley Do-Right, George of the Jungle, Super Chicken and Cap’n Crunch). It was a parody of the Sahara Hotel billboard across the way, on which “a scantily clad mechanized showgirl” spun on a silver dollar.
Jay Ward’s daughter, Tiffany, was well aware of the move. She told me, “I had sold the building years ago and the new owner let me keep the statue there until he needed it moved. He needed it moved so it was picked up by crane today (unharmed) and moved to Dreamworks Animation studio in Glendale where it will be completely refurbished and we will find it a permanent home.”
They are thinking of the TV Academy in North Hollywood. What do you think? Where would you like to see it relocated?
