Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar joined actor Edward James Olmos and a mural preservation group today to announce a $150,000 restoration project for a 70-foot mural of two-time Academy Award winner Anthony Quinn.
The mural, created in 1985 and titled “Pope of Broadway,” shows Quinn in his 1964 film role as “Zorba the Greek.” His outstretched arms are sometimes interpreted as a welcoming gesture to the homeless.
Quinn, who was born in 1915 in Chihuahua, Mexico, and raised in East L.A., got his start as an actor performing at the Million Dollar Theatre near the mural’s location at Third Street and Broadway.
The Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles will lead the restoration of the mural, which has suffered paint chipping, faded coloring, moisture damage and graffiti defacement.
Huizar said Quinn’s “rise from humble immigrant beginnings to worldwide recognition as one of the greatest artists of his day continues to inspire many here in the city of Los Angeles.”
He also described the mural is a “testament to the Latino community’s importance to the history and vitality of Broadway in the ’70s and ’80s.”
“I’m proud to assist in making this effort possible,” Huizar said.
The $150,000 secured by Huizar for the restoration project comes out of community benefit funds contributed by developer Greenland USA, which is building the Metropolis skyscraper project in downtown Los Angeles.
The campaign to restore the mural was started by Quinn’s son, Francesco, who died in 2011 at the age of 48. Quinn himself died in 2001 at age 86.
