Lynxwiler on September 11, 2011, at 01:43AM – #1

An historic neon sign being removed after dark on a Saturday night? Sounds very, very suspicious. I mean really suspiscious as such things simply don't happen -- legally.

What will happen to this Jesus Saves sign and what's the fate of its sister sign? This historic icon of downtown LA history shouldn't be stolen in the middle of the night, and yet that's exactly what happened to it.

William Crandell on September 11, 2011, at 12:01PM – #2

Take one of the signs and install it across the street from Michael Milken's office. And take the other and put it across the street from the owner of that other basketball team that plays at Staples Center. You know, the guy who's always hawking those schlok highrise Wilshire condominiums on the westside.

If those two locations wouldn't be feasible, then mount the signs on opposite sides of Moneo's cathedral. The outside of that building could use a little pizzazz. But also: put on some electronic control unit, so that the sign facing towards the County Hall of Administration blinks on and off every four seconds. That would drive Antonovich nuts.

South Park Dweller on September 11, 2011, at 12:40PM – #3

Eric, thanks for going over there- great pictures. I got a few from my window as well. I called Melissa Scott's number and got no information either. Lynxwiler, my thoughts exactly- I've lived in and loved LA for long enough to know that something's up when cranes show up at 5:30 on a Saturday to remove something beloved and historic. Theyy haven't been lit for a long time now- my first thought is that they might be moving to the church's Glendale property, but who knows. Now I'm afraid to take my eyes off the the remaining sign for fear they'll come and take it while I'm not looking? Who knows if or when they'll come for the other one- maybe tonight? To add to the mystery, the whole episode was being filmed by someone, presumably from the University Cathedral.

Tony Hoover on September 11, 2011, at 01:30PM – #4

Assuming that these signs were removed permanently, I don't know enough about the law to know how this may pan out legally. Are they protected in some way? If they are not protected then why haven't they been?

What I do know is that its amazing to me that people think they can get away with (and often do) robbing the city of its [historic] treasures in the middle of the night. The community will eventually find out who did this and in due time the community will hold these people accountable for thier actions because that is what communities do.

Take, for example, the robbing of the Bullocks Wilshire interior. Thank God the mayor and the community demanded the return of those items and thank God most of them were returned as a result (even though they were private property). Thank God people like Eric are out there and vigilant enough to keep watch over these things.

Even if one may not appeciate the significance of these signs you must appreciate how important it is for the community to come together. One day something might also be important to you that others might not appreciate and YOU may need the community to back you up ... because that is what communities do.

Viva LA!

Hillsman Wright on September 11, 2011, at 02:27PM – #5

Prior to the demolition of the Church of the Open Door the signs were removed and junked. My recollection is that Dr. Scott rescued the "Jesus Saves" signs from a junk yard and had them refurbished.The LA Historic Theatre Foundation had landmarked the UA prior to its life as the University Cathedral. Dr. Scott met with the LAHTF to seek approval to place the signs on the back of the auditorium, though he wasn't required to do so. Other institutions and individuals were also contacted. I am unsure if the signs were ever designated as landmarks on their own. Based on 20+ years experience with Dr. Scott and Pastor Melissa Scott's ministries, I believe that the signs are on their way to a new and appropriate setting in anticipation of the eventual sale of the UA. As the church moves on, it marks the end of an era on Broadway. Dr. Scott moved his Sunday morning services to Broadway when many had written the street off. The church did some restoration and many upgrades to the theatre and showed the building to a worldwide TV audience. Had the church not moved into the UA, it may very well have stayed vacant - never a good thing - or suffered a brutal conversion into retail space - the fate of the Globe/Morosco. Here's hoping that Pastor Scott's search for a buyer who will respect the building's historic pedigree writes a new chapter for the theatre on a revitalized Broadway.

Zyr on September 11, 2011, at 02:50PM – #6

Looks like Jesus doesn't save after all.

M Chas Bouffant () on September 11, 2011, at 03:04PM – #7

Jesus saves, Moses invests.

William Crandell on September 11, 2011, at 06:53PM – #8

Yes. Absolutely. Moses Invests, in Israeli war bonds, courtesy of U.S. taxpayers and then proceeds to laugh all the way past the cashier's booth. But such things must not be spoken of.

Dixon on September 11, 2011, at 09:10PM – #9

At least we still have that Dream Center guy dragging the wooden cross through skid row. That takes up some of the Jesus slack caused by the missing sign.

on September 11, 2011, at 10:30PM – #10

If anything, a licensed contractor needs a permit from the city to remove the sign. Electrical.

J-M on September 11, 2011, at 10:40PM – #11

Used to see the signs from our old place and had a soft spot in my heart for them, although they'll always spell out "Jesus Shaves" to me. Would have taken some more photos if I'd known they were going to be removed. Feels like another piece of Los Angeles history vanished overnight.

DenOfLosAngeles on September 12, 2011, at 09:26AM – #13

Gene Scott must be turning in his grave. He really loved those signs.

on September 12, 2011, at 10:53AM – #14

this sucks.

Greg L on September 12, 2011, at 01:58PM – #15

Whilst rather historic I always found those signs a bit creepy. I will miss them though they were a part of DTLA history.

David McBane on September 12, 2011, at 06:13PM – #16

Wow, a ton of you sound like conspiracy theorists. The signs are owned by the church and are moving to their Glendale campus.

The work is done at night because the cranes need a lot of space and the less people around, the safer the operation.

The signs themselves are not protected - just the building itself.

From what I know of moving neon signs - not a whole lot - but they usually have be recharged when moving so that could explain why the glass tubing isn't important. It is all going to be replaced anyway.

As Hillsman Wright points out, the church saved the signs from the trash heap so before you guys freak out thinking that the church is doing something illegal, remember that the church is moving their own property in the safest way possible.

on September 12, 2011, at 07:23PM – #17

I hope it wasn't these guys...

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_h3fhB_Ujfoo/So-UoBTRFLI/AAAAAAAAAKk/1reI7ACKISo/s1600-h/broadway_082109.JPG

Nathan Marsak on September 12, 2011, at 10:40PM – #18

David -- forgive everyone if they sound like conspiracy theorists, but, given the history of needlessly losing important and irreplaceable parts of downtown to the whims and bottom lines of factions without a permanent stake there...'tis a thorn in the collective side.

Now, you make the supposition this company moved their cranes in at night, on a weekend, for "public safety". I agree, that makes perfect sense; how could one argue?

Buuut...remember (as one of a hundred examples) the "owner" of Johnie's Broiler (1958 Downey Googie drive-in, up for inclusion on the State Register of Historical Places) who illegally snuck bulldozers in on a Sunday morning and demolished it?

If statistics speak, sir, then the point is that when a beloved monument is removed from us, it is at our detriment, and without our involvement: David McBane, on that very simple premise, if you can state differently, I would heed that my premise is flawed : my God, sir, AGAIN, I would love to be proven wrong.

Broken neon tubing? I saw it all pulled off and preserved from the Bekins rooftop signage (same size) on Fair Oaks in Pasadena. It can be done. If the church someday manages to retube/relight, then, I will not only "chalk one up for your side" but owe you and your table a round of drinks.

But mistake me not: I am a BIG fan of property rights and building ownership. (Also known to tote guns and wave flags, dammit.) But with historic property ownership, esp. downtown, comes enormous responsibility, and if you aren't going to play by the rules, get out before there's trouble: these signs have not been in the same place since 1935, true. But they HAVE been downtown landmarks since 1935; I think removing them without public review or public comment (or, in fact, removing them at all) reveals a base moral turpitude.

Jesus would not like that.

(OK, that was a cheap shot. But you see my point.)

Robert Fiore on September 13, 2011, at 12:07AM – #19

The JESUS SAVES signs belong right in the middle of downtown where everybody can see them, Goddammit! I always thought of them as L.A.'s way of saying, "Welcome to Gomorrah!"

DenOfLosAngeles on September 13, 2011, at 07:07AM – #20

Once in a while I come across vintage Los Angeles postcards showing the signs in the background lit up at night when they were on the Church of the Open Door.

David McBane on September 14, 2011, at 04:38PM – #22

Eric - I've hired a number of crane companies over the years and the operators don't care what they are moving - it's just a job for them. Someone tells them to crane-up new A/C units to a roof, they crane-up new A/C units to a roof. Someone tells them to take down a sign, they take down a sign. Plus, most of the time, the crane company only operates the crane so in this particular case, their knowledge of where the signs are going ends once they put the signs on the truck. The truck driver should know where they are going but he probably just has an address of where to go. Again, it's just a job for him so don't take these guys' non-answers as evidence for some illegal action.

on September 14, 2011, at 06:57PM – #23

So it seems the signs are still going with the church, after all -- this time to Glendale. The link to this article was posted on the LA Historic Theater Foundation's FB page.

jeffrey B. Samudio on September 15, 2011, at 10:45AM – #25

Can you say, Historic-Cultural Monument Resource?

on September 15, 2011, at 11:22AM – #26

Jesus Saves no more.

The dude abides on September 17, 2011, at 09:10PM – #27

Jesus gave up when AEG moved into downtown.

Dan Garcia on September 19, 2011, at 05:39PM – #28

How about we start a fund to recreate one of the signs and relocate it somewhere in downtown that could use a little light and color. And just so we don't run afoul of any intellectual property rights, we could change it to Jesus Shaves... (@J-M...)

David Westphal () on October 01, 2011, at 08:06AM – #29

The Jesus Saves sign on United Artists building was back on last night.

BobbyD on January 06, 2012, at 07:35PM – #31

Back in the sixties a guy had me go up there and plug in some wires and then come back downstairs to turn on the lights- all in the dark so that enough attention would be gotten to keep the new owners from taking the signs down, me doing it because the police probably would not do anything to me if I got caught. That was about 50 years ago.

Morthos on January 25, 2012, at 09:33PM – #32

Its still there...sadly.

Erickson909 () on July 20, 2012, at 09:59AM – #33

Que Malo estan sacando a DIOS de todos Lados! Que sera mas en el futuro? Persecucion? Matar a todos Los cristianos y creyentes de DIOS viviente ? DIOS de la alturas dales una revelacion de tulla!