noirish Los Angeles

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by HossC

Julius Shulman's 1952 tour of Bank of America branches, here's one near Roscoe Boulevard on Van Nuys Boulevard. This is "Job 1385: Bank of America (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1952".



When I first parked the Googlemobile on Van Nuys Boulevard, I didn't think there was much left from the scenes above. Then I spotted a Bank of America sign and went to investigate. It's lost its pylon over the years, but looks virtually unchanged apart from that.


GSV

It's really too bad the bank building lost the brick pylon that matched and fit so perfectly with the building's design.




I came across the following two photograph while searching for additional images of the BofA with it's original brick pylon.
The photo below show three of the buildings HossC spoke of in his earlier post....The Thrifty....the Panorama Market (now a Food Giant)....and the Bank of America

and KKK members.


http://digital-library.csun.edu/cdm/.../id/2531/rec/5






Here are the complete photographs. (both are dated Sept. 15, 1966)



http://digital-library.csun.edu/cdm/.../id/2531/rec/5



http://digital-library.csun.edu/cdm/.../id/2531/rec/5

note the business man throwing some sort of liquid at the racists in the bed of the pickup truck.
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detail / Panorama Market (with the huge pylon under construction)....or perhaps being refitted into the less graceful Food Giant sign/pylon (see below)

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=30534


...and as a Food Giant Supermarket. (viewed from the opposite direction)


eBay

HossC's earlier post is here:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=30534

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[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Here are the complete photographs. (both are dated Sept. 15, 1966)


http://digital-library.csun.edu/cdm/.../id/2531/rec/5



http://digital-library.csun.edu/cdm/.../id/2531/rec/5

note the business man throwing some sort of liquid (hot coffee I hope) at the racists in the bed of the pickup truck.

There's never a sousaphone player around when you need one .

For anyone who missed the recent viral video, you can see it here. Ironically, the YouTube viewing code for this video contains three Ks together!

[ethereal_reality]

I didn't know what you meant until I watched the video.

What a perfect response to their rally! -the incidental music made them look like lumbering idiots.
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[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

Thank you. I hadn't remembered those extraordinary, branching flues at all.

Apparently they were not original:

historic hotels of los angeles and hollywood, page 34

...but, they're in all the 1950s pix:

huntington dl (detail from a selection of 8 color images)

The branching flues were not original, but they were installed early in the building's existence. Here is an ad that appeared in the June 1895 Land of Sunshine:

Hathitrust -- http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?i...iew=1up;seq=80

[unihikid]

Originally Posted by Slauson Slim

The Wrecking Crew is a great doc, an incredible take on LA culture and music industry history. The breadth and depth of sessions the LA musicians played on is amazing. Pop, surf, movies, Rn'B, Motown, country, big band, etc. Wichita Lineman by Glen Campbell is a perfect example of the beauty, sensitivity, and quality these folks could put out on a daily basis.

Unihikid, cool that your father was in the Robins. Great Rn'B and Doo-Wop came out of LA.

And Johnny Otis - producer, performer, singer, club owner, band leader, pianist, drummer, vibes player, raconteur, television show host, radio DJ...one of my heroes. The hippest Greek ever. He had an unbroken stream of Rn'B hits in the early '50s. Unique use of vibes, his trademark, as texture on records. I watched his LA television show - and remember The Mixtures, a mixed race band. My parents went to Otis's Club Alabam and Barrelhouse - in the good times after WWII and before I was born....

Thanks Slauson!
I knew Johnny or "Unca John" as he told me to call him. Its funny how so many of the LA musicians were connected in some way or another. One of my best childhood memories is riding my bike and hearing a neighbor from down the street saying "Charles you better get home,your dad is lookin for you" ..so i rush home, and we had a slight slope to our drive and i would skid in around the corner..well this time i skidded in and almost hit these two 1954 Mercedes Benz! I was thinking to my 12 year old self who the hell would park these old cars in my way...Well i go upstairs and sitting in our living room is Etta James and James Ingram..Etta acted like she knew me (she had known my dad since the 50s) and i got a big wet kiss from her, James was my dad piano player and he was over all the time so it wasnt a big to do..but the reason why my dad was looking for me was to show me the cars..both had been restored and Etta and James were just comparing each car...I got to sit in them both. But i never forgave them for almost making me scratch their cars!

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by JeffDiego

Adding my two cents to the fine-tuning of the MGM group photo from 1954.

The young woman #12 looks to me like Julie Newmar, who was one of the "Seven Brides" of the movie of that year. However she was very tall (the two men flanking here could be on risers), and was a minor starlet. It indeed could also be Doe Avedon, who was in the long-forgotten musical "Deep in My Heart," of which this photo is practically a publicity shot for, since so many of the people here were in that film. However, to my eyes, the young woman here doesn't resemble any of the photos of Doe Avedon at google images. I agree there is a slight resemblance to Lauren Bacall, but none of her dramatic demeanor or facial angularity.


No. 13 is indeed Jose Ferrer. Marge and Gower Champion are not in the photo.

No. 22 is indeed Tamara Toumanova, not Dolores Del Rio.

No. 24 is indeed Edmund (not Edward) Purdom, and not Donald Woods.

No. 38 is not Spring Byington. It is likely 55-year-old Wagnerian Opera star Helen Traubel, who had a prominent role in "Deep in my Heart." Since the photo is fuzzy, there is also a resemblance to character actress Isobel Elsom, the "epitome of the haughty British Dowager," who was also in the movie, although the hearty and darker-haired Traubel was the much bigger name at the time.


Other MGM group photos of the 1940's and early 1950's included starlets and lesser lights among the big names. The studio was on a downward trajectory when this picture was taken, and many of the people here, like Jane Powell and Esther Williams, to name just two, would soon be gone.

Your possible #12 as Julie Newmar? Julie is not listed as an MGM contract player, plus Deep In My Heart is not listed as one of her films.

The others you list are interesting candidates.

[ethereal_reality]

Since HossC's post on the Panorama City BofA on Van Nuys I've been driving the google-mobile around in area. I was just about to give up (on finding anything interesting)
when I came across this building a block south of the BofA, also on Van Nuys Blvd.




gsv



gsv


side view / facing Titus street

gsv

I've been trying to picture it painted mid-century white. It would look sooo much better.
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Using the street address I found out the building was designed by architect W.A. Sarmiento in an 'Organic Modern' style to house the Great Western Savings bank.
It was completed in 1957, to provide banking services to the Kaiser Community Homes' postwar Panorama City development.

"Sarmiento's design for the Panorama bank reflects his belief that art and architecture should be intertwined, looking as much like sculpture as a building.
Two gently arching beams criss-cross the top of the dome shaped building and return to anchor it to earth with low piers of scored concrete."

"Narrow vertical elements divide the large windows of one façade into columns of glass, while the other main façade (facing Van Nuys Blvd) is fully glazed.
An amazing stainless steel staircase curves through the building's interior, with floating steps cantilevered from a single main beam."

Note to self: find photograph of the interior.

https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/panorama-bank
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After numerous google searches, I finally found a vintage photograph of the building in 1957. (although the sign says Van Nuys Savings instead of Great Western Savings)


http://www.charlesphoenix.com/

Note the fantastical front entrance/awning and supports. They are missing now
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When I first came across Mr. Sarmiento's bank building my google-street-view was accidentally set on 2011.
Much to my dismay, in the more recent (2014) street view the building has been repainted with garish circus colors. aargh!


gsv


gsv

here's the back.

gsv



And finally, an aerial showing the criss-crossed beams.


google_earth




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[HossC]

The old bank was painted in the more pleasing white color scheme in 2002, as can be seen in this screengrab I found from a movie called Stealing Harvard. I've never seen the movie, so I don't know if the interior was featured.


filming.90210locations.info

[John Maddox Roberts]

A fabulous bit of mid-century modern architecture. Thanks. You never know what treasures are lying around the next corner.

[tovangar2]

LATblogs

Check out that porch awning. I wonder if it was actually built?

[ethereal_reality]

Which porch awning are you referring to t2?

Do you mean the area I've circled in red?



If so, it was built......but eventually discarded

(I thought you might have overlooked in the earlier post)
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[Beaudry]

Greetings y'all—

Have we ever seen a proper photo of the Tanner Gray Line at Third and Boylston? I seem to remember one but I've searched and searched to no avail. Specifically, I want to know what that neon says. It can be seen in the distance when Seymour and Leonora are at the benches in Little Shop of Horrors; it's seen again when Ben and Liz are at the benches in Angel's Flight: the top part of the neon is static, the bottom line of script blinks on and off. I'm thinking the first two words are "sightseeing" and "limousines" but who knows.

You know, this one:

from those 1955 blimp aerials at usc

youtube

[ethereal_reality]

This is a complete shot in the dark Beaudry, but could it be advertising their popular "Los Angeles Nite Club Tour"?


eBay


usc / detail

Off topic: Note the roof-top 'Huntley' sign. (u know I have a fetish for roof-top signs )
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[ethereal_reality]

Or could the flashing neon be spelling out something more vague, like "Seeing Los Angeles"?


eBay




"Seeing Los Angeles" pamphlet

eBay



I love this graphic.(so of course I had to see it humongous)



OK, I need to go re-watch "Little Shop Of Horrors" now , and leave y'all alone.
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[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by HossC

filming.90210locations.info

Thanks for this HossC.

I spent so much time looking at the whiteness of the building....I just now noticed all those handicapped parking spots.
I guess it has something to do with the "Homespital".


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[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Which porch awning are you referring to t2?

If so, it was built......but eventually discarded

(I thought you might have overlooked in the earlier post)
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You are so right Boss, I did overlook it. I actually like the drawing better. There's several changes between the drawing and the built version (no footings for the arches to begin with).

Thx

And thx for this too:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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[JeffDiego]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

Your possible #12 as Julie Newmar? Julie is not listed as an MGM contract player, plus Deep In My Heart is not listed as one of her films.

The others you list are interesting candidates.

Hi CityBoy:


Julie Newmar was indeed a minor starlet at MGM in 1954 when she made "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," although I wouldn't know what kind of contract she had with the studio. (She also danced in "The Bandwagon" at MGM in 1953). I'm just saying she would have been around the lot at the time the group photo was taken and looks similar - in my opinion - to "No. 12."


While the actors of "Deep in My Heart" somewhat dominate the photo, there are plenty of actors shown who were not in that movie and were making other pictures at the time. - Jeff Richards, Van Johnson, George Raft, Elizabeth Taylor, Esther Williams etc.

[ethereal_reality]

Julie Newmar-Kodachrome slide 1950s? or 60? / old file of mine
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[HossC]

Originally Posted by Beaudry

Have we ever seen a proper photo of the Tanner Gray Line at Third and Boylston? I seem to remember one but I've searched and searched to no avail. Specifically, I want to know what that neon says. It can be seen in the distance when Seymour and Leonora are at the benches in Little Shop of Horrors;

I have the DVD of the original (1960) version of 'Little Shop of Horrors', but the picture quality isn't great. I can't make out the Tanner Gray Line neon, but here are some other screengrabs.

Seymour's mother lived in the Rochester at 1012 West Temple Street. It was previously identified by rick m in a follow-up to westcork's pictures of the Rochester in post #10401.
NB. I had to merge two grabs to get this image.


RSS Pictures

Most of the external shots of store fronts were filmed on the 200 block of East 5th Street. Here's a quick montage. From the City Directories, these are some of the businesses that are visible.

211½ Doane Hotel
213 Natl Security Loan
237 Plantation Club
239 Earl Roy Hotel
243 Pioneer Cafe
243½ Good News Mission
257½ Double A Cafe


RSS Pictures

The top station of Angel's Flight makes a brief appearance. For comparison, e_r posted a 1960 picture of the station in post 1327. Post 1326 by GW has a link to a site which has collected appearances of Angel's Flight in movies, including a color still of the scene below.


RSS Pictures

Near the end of the movie, we see this higher view from a little further along East 5th Street. On the left is the Hotel Panama at 403 East 5th Street. You can read more about that in post 10224 by GW.


RSS Pictures

[ethereal_reality]

Excellent screen-grabs Hoss! Thanks for posting them.

-what building is the 'Skid Row Seminary' sign painted on?
I drove the google-mobile down 5th and couldn't located it. I guess the building is gone.

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