In the wake of actor and director Robert Redford’s death this week at age 89, a story emerged about how he helped save the decaying Santa Monica Pier from being torn down in the early 1970s.
It’s hard to believe now, but the pier was so dilapidated, the Santa Monica City Council voted to demolish it. Route 66 News posted a story about it a couple of years ago during the 50th anniversary of the grassroots effort to save the landmark.
Forgotten Los Angeles tells the Redford angle in a Facebook post:
More Route 66-related content: A young Redford appeared in a 1961 episode of “Route 66” television drama, titled “First-Class Mouliak.” Redford originally auditioned for the part of Tod Stiles in the series but was beaten out by Martin Milner.
The pier is the home of the oft-photographed “Route 66 – End of the Trail” sign that serves as a traditional if not actual endpoint for many westbound Route 66 travelers. The sign, shepherded by 66-to-Cali owner Dan Rice, was installed in 2009.
The actual western endpoint of Route 66 is a few blocks east at Olympic and Lincoln boulevards. It once was a boring intersection, but that has markedly improved with the addition of a Mel’s Drive-In restaurant.
(Image of the Santa Monica Pier by cultivar413 via Flickr)