Nancy Sinatra In Wax

Nancy Sinatra Wax , Buena Park, 1982 | © Robert Landau, all rights reserved worldwide.

My fascination with L.A. pop culture began accidentally with the daily exposure to the Sunset Strip rock ‘n’ roll billboards in my teens.

But growing up here –in the shadow of Hollywood- and constantly being bombarded by the latest trending thing in entertainment does get to be exhausting. It also gave me an early appreciation for the ephemeral nature of life by witnessing how quickly people in that arena are moved in and out.

I recall visiting the Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park in 1982 and being moved by this display featuring Nancy Sinatra from the 1966 film Wild Angels. Her record was a giant hit that year too.

I know she did many more things after 1966, but to me, standing there 16 years later, it appeared she had been prematurely relegated to a dark dungeon display adjacent to one featuring a similar diorama depicting actor Sam Jaffe from the Ben Casey television show. Kudos to both of them for leaving their mark.