Product Details

• Actors: Narrated by Cheech Marin
• Directors: Jordan Mechner
• Format: Full Screen, NTSC
• Region: All Regions
• Number of discs: 1
• Studio: Bullfrog Films
• DVD Release Date: May 1, 2005
• Run Time: 24 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001P90EQ0
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #116,509 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

In 1949, photographer Don Normark stumbled on Chávez Ravine, a closely-knit Mexican-American village on a hill overlooking downtown Los Angeles. Enchanted, he stayed for a year and took hundreds of photographs, never knowing he was capturing on film the last images of a place that was about to disappear.

The following year, the city of L.A. evicted the 300 families of Chávez Ravine to make way for a low-income public housing project. The land was cleared, homes, schools, and church razed to the ground. But the real estate lobby, sensing a great opportunity, accused the LA Housing Authority's Frank Wilkinson of being a communist agent. The city folded and instead of building the promised housing, it sold the land to baseball owner Walter O'Malley, who built Dodger Stadium on the site.

Fifty years later, Normark's haunting black-and-white photographs reclaim and celebrate a lost village from a simpler time.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chavez Ravine and what really Happened!, March 18, 2011

By 

Barbara S. Albin (Roseville, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chavez Ravine (DVD)

Growing up in Los Angeles I always knew the story of Chavez Ravine, I knew that the home owners were displaced for the Dodgers and that was the "general story". I never heard the story about what happened to Mr. Wilkerson of the Housing Authority and and that land had first been dedicated for low cost housing. What the City of Los Angeles did to Mr. Wilkerson can never be forgiven. This is a story that should be watched by everyone who lives in Los Angeles, or anywhere to see what can happen to you, even in a free country. Unfortunately this was the time of Senator McCarthy and no one was free. A wonderful movie, interviews and the pictures of the 1940's Los Angeles are outstanding.

5.0 out of 5 stars Must see, October 15, 2009

By 

Richard J. Perez (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chavez Ravine (DVD)

Originally from Los Angeles, I first purchased the book of photographs almost 10 years ago while living in New York.
Don Normark's images are really wonderful - historical, documentary, and beautiful all at the same time. It's also an incredible story, one many Angelenos don't know.
While there are so many famous images of New York, taken throughout it's history, there are fewer well-know photographs of L.A. from the early to mid-20th Century.
The documentary film, while fairly brief, is filled with a great deal of information.
The interviews of former Chavez Ravine residents, along with Normark's images takes the story to another level.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Documentary and Photojournalism, September 12, 2009

By 

Mike Rodriguez Jr. - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chavez Ravine (DVD)

I bought this book solely on it's photographic merits. As a photographer, I was interested in the real life recording of a time period in our history. Although I live in Texas and the book is based on events that happened in California, the book brought back many memories of my own childhood.
The story reveals the true events that led to the demolishment of neighborhoods and the forceful displacements of many poor families just for the benefit ($$$) of a few greedy politicians.
I also recommend the DVD which adds additional empathy for the poor residents who were victimized by the greedy politicians of the era. The residents were given no recourse or support in this quest of 'eminent domain' in the name of 'progress'.
This documentary is not just a story of or for Spanish speakers. It affected not only residents of Spanish ancestry, but also Anglos and African Americans as well.
I highly recommend this book as well as the DVD. For those who understand Spanish, I also recommend the music CD. I bought several of each to give to family members.