Bridges to L.A. history

Randal Kleiser, director of the film “Grease,” descended Sunday into a dark tunnel underneath the Sixth Street Viaduct strewn with garbage and covered in graffiti. On the other end was a downtown section of the Los Angeles River he last visited 31 years ago to film the movie’s climatic drag-racing scene.

“This is very surreal,” Kleiser said, stepping on shards of glass. “It was clean and sparkly when we were here.”

As he exited the tunnel, Kleiser was struck with a rush of nostalgia.

“Olivia [Newton-John] was on that wall,” Kleiser said, pointing to the steep concrete slopes across the river just to the side of the viaduct. “This is definitely the place.”

The iconic scene in which John Travolta’s character wins an epic race against the film’s villain has helped make the L.A. River and its bridges some of the most recognizable locations in movies.

The vast concrete channel and its many ornate gray spans have appeared in hundreds of Hollywood films. As a collection, the bridges are a crucial symbol of Los Angeles lore that could one day aid the revitalization of the river, preservationists say.

It’s why Kleiser was asked to participate in a guided tour called “Spanning History: The Bridges of the Los Angeles River.” About 400 people attended the event sponsored by the Los Angeles Conservancy, which aims to boost recognition of the city’s 14 historic L.A. River bridges as an ensemble.

The event comes at a time when some of the structures face demolition and replacement. The bridges were built between 1909 and 1938 and have all been designated historic and cultural monuments by the city.

“We want to ensure that preservation is on equal footing with replacement,” said Michael Buhler, director of advocacy for the L.A. Conservancy, which cited water damage as one of the greatest threats to the structures.

Kleiser’s famous scene highlights a common irony in L.A.: The movie industry has made parts of the city world-famous, but they are often not recognized by name or even as belonging to L.A.

“People see these scenes and never know it’s L.A.,” said Harry Medved, coauthor of “Hollywood Escapes,” a guide to movie locations. “They represent your everyday urban area.”

Medved set up a laptop and a projector under the Fourth Street Viaduct to show visitors on the tour a sample of dozens of movies that feature scenes in the river. Films that have used the river and its bridges include “Chinatown,” “To Live and Die in L.A.,” “Them,” “Escape From L.A.” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”

The tour included four bridges -- at First , Fourth , Sixth and Seventh streets -- and offered a rare look at the city’s grimy riverbank. The Streamline Moderne, Gothic and Beaux-Arts designs of the spans stand out against the industrial landscape.

“People don’t appreciate them. They’re just something they drive over,” said Michelle Gerdes, 43, of Long Beach, who took the tour with her husband. “These are not your average plain bridges that they build now. They have character. They have a past.”

Moments later, Gerdes entered the forbidding-looking tunnel that Kleiser took to get to the river.

“I would never come down here myself,” she said. “It’s good we’re in a group.”

Sharon Hartmann of the L.A. Conservancy explained to a group of about a dozen visitors that the mossy green water was showing signs of improvement, with native fish sightings reported in some spots.

“It’s a view of the city you don’t often see,” Hartmann said. “We’ve all seen it in the movies now. I thought the L.A. River was always like this. But they didn’t finish building the channel until 1958. So it’s only recently that it’s become a concrete ditch.”

Stationed under the Fourth Street Viaduct was Merrill Butler III, grandson and namesake of the engineer behind almost all the bridges. The Long Beach developer and real estate financier came to share stories about his grandfather, who served during the city’s beautification movement.

“I remember driving to USC football games and my dad saying, ‘There’s one of your grandfather’s bridges,’ ” said Butler, 54. “But I’m thrilled now that people are starting to recognize the value of his work.”

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david.pierson@latimes.com