“If God had invented a hotel for rock bands, it probably would look like the Sunset Marquis.”
—Dave Marsh, Rolling Stone Magazine, 1978.
There are hotels, and then there’s the Sunset Marquis. For more than 60 years, this secluded West Hollywood hideaway has been a home away from home for rock stars, musicians, actors, and assorted beautiful troublemakers. The documentary “If These Walls Could Rock,” co-directed by Tyler Measom and Craig A. Williams, gets inside that history and, thankfully, doesn’t sanitize it. This one is an absolute treat for fans of fame and general debauchery.
This is the story of sex, drugs, rock ’n’ roll, one very unusual hotel, and its notorious guests. What I didn’t expect is that it’s also a surprisingly touching story about family, creativity, and the importance of having a place where outsiders can feel like they belong.
Measom and Williams do a great job bringing the past to life. The archival footage and photography are terrific, while the retro style animation adds a playful visual touch without taking away from the stories. It’s a smart way to fill in some of the gaps when the memories and history go back decades, and it’s rendered so well.
The documentary has an absurd lineup of famous musicians telling stories about the Marquis, including Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, Slash, Cyndi Lauper, Morrissey, Sheryl Crow, Dave Grohl, and plenty more. Listening to these legendary artists reminisce about the hotel’s wildest days is a lot of fun. There are stories of outrageous parties, trashed rooms, romance, all grades of excess, and the kind of rock star behavior that probably wouldn’t survive a modern hotel’s security cameras.
And then there’s Billy Bob Thornton (the unofficial mayor of the Sunset Marquis), who serves as a terrific guide through the place. He’s a fantastic narrator, and considering Thornton lived there on and off for years, his affection for the hotel gives the film a nice sense of continuity. Watching him wander through its hallways, staircases, rooms, and pathways while recalling its history makes the Marquis feel less like a building and more like the central character of the story (which it is).
What makes the film more than just a collection of juicy rock ’n’ roll anecdotes is the story of George Rosenthal and his son Mark, who opened and managed the hotel. George was a dreamer who found his way to West Hollywood and eventually helped Hugh Hefner build the Playboy Club on the Sunset Strip. He realized that all those entertainers and musicians needed somewhere to stay, so he created the Sunset Marquis.
The hotel quickly became a refuge for artists and misfits, evolving along with the music around it. Folk gave way to singers and songwriters, disco, punk, metal, the MTV video age, hip-hop, and eventually the digital age. Through it all, the Marquis remained a place where musicians could escape the machinery of fame and simply hang out, create, party, and occasionally (or more likely, often) get themselves into trouble.
But the excess eventually took its toll. The hotel fell into disrepair, George was in danger of losing it, and his relationship with Mark had deteriorated. Mark ultimately returned to help save the hotel and in the process, began repairing his relationship with his father. Beneath all the stories about rock stars behaving badly is a much quieter story about a father and son trying to find their way back to each other. It’s bittersweet, and it gives everything happening around the hotel a little more meaning.
“If These Walls Could Rock” is clearly made for music fans, and they’re going to have a blast with it. You don’t need to know every Sunset Strip legend to enjoy it, though. The movie is funny, nostalgic, and genuinely affectionate toward the strange little community that grew around this hotel.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 