Casablanca Hangar Moved to Safety
By Margaret Foster | Online Only | Feb. 6, 2008
The 1928 hangar was almost completely demolished in
December 2007; in January, its facade was moved to
a nearby hotel.
Of all the hangars in all the towns in all the world, they bulldozed this one.
But the facade of Hollywood's most famous hangar—if such a thing exists—was saved in December, when a hotel bought the 1928 structure that appeared in the final scene of Casablanca.
On Jan. 29, the hangar, which almost completely demolished last month to make way for development, was moved to another site at California's Van Nuys Airport.
"It's a twofer: It's a victory for preservation of the original hangar at Van Nuys Airport. And it's a tribute to the movie industry of Southern California," Airtel Plaza Hotel CEO Jim Dunn told the Daily News. Used for storage until Holga Metal went out of business last February, the building was listed for sale. In December, a wrecking crew began bulldozing the metal building.
Dunn plans to erect the hangar's concrete facade next to the hotel's pool, located near the runway. "When people land their planes," he said, "they'll be able to see this hangar, and it'll be the real deal, just like in Casablanca."
Watch the last scene of 1942's "Casablanca" >>
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