noirish Los Angeles v2.0 - Page 8

ethereal_reality · #**141** Posted **Feb 7, 2026, 12:20 PM**

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The SKILLET..A mystery location.

"Slide 1968 - The Skillet - Restaurant Los Angeles 056a"

eBay

Get crackin'.

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ethereal_reality · #**142** Posted **Feb 7, 2026, 12:47 PM**

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Ken Crane's MAGNAVOX CITY..A mystery location.

"Original slide 1968 Magnavox City Los Angeles department store"

eBay

WAIT! There's more.

The store also had two HUGE aerial signs hovering over the store. (and the top one appears to be rotating!)

eBay

I think Ken spent every bit of his loan.

STAY TUNED.

ethereal_reality · #**143** Posted **Feb 7, 2026, 1:00 PM**

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Robinson's..A mystery location.

VINTAGE 35mm Slide 1970s Los Angeles Robinson's Department Store 750a

eBay

It appears to be the store with the dangling balls bells. (but I don't remember which store that is.

Note the two fashion plates posing out front.

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MartinTurnbull · #**144** Posted **Feb 7, 2026, 3:03 PM**

Recently, I was lucky enough to be invited to join a small-group tour of CBS Television City, the studios on the southeast corner of Fairfax Ave and Beverly Blvd. This is a photograph I recently took of a photograph hanging on one of their walls. The very nice facility manager said he found it in their archives, so I doubt we've seen this one before. That circular building on far left was Herbert’s Drive-in restaurant. I have no date for this photograph, but I think Herbert’s was demolished sometime in the very early 1950s, so I’m calling this simply “circa 1940s.” If anybody can narrow down the date, I would love to hear from you. In the far background, we can see Gilmore Field baseball park, which was home to the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League and stood from 1939 to 1957.

Alkapone · #**145** Posted **Feb 7, 2026, 4:49 PM**

Guessing you meant far right there. Notice Herbert’s is now actually sporting a DOLORES signage in the image.That might narrow the dating. The action seems to be centering on Gilmore Stadium where the stands are sparsely filled. The cop on the corner might be on standby for traffic control and that No Left Turn sign is available to him for carrying into the intersection. Did they ever host high school football games in there? If so, maybe this is a Friday night in Fall.

[email protected] · #**146** Posted **Feb 7, 2026, 5:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MartinTurnbull

Recently, I was lucky enough to be invited to join a small-group tour of CBS Television City, the studios on the southeast corner of Fairfax Ave and Beverly Blvd. This is a photograph I recently took of a photograph hanging on one of their walls. The very nice facility manager said he found it in their archives, so I doubt we've seen this one before. That circular building on far left was Herbert’s Drive-in restaurant. I have no date for this photograph, but I think Herbert’s was demolished sometime in the very early 1950s, so I’m calling this simply “circa 1940s.” If anybody can narrow down the date, I would love to hear from you. In the far background, we can see Gilmore Field baseball park, which was home to the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League and stood from 1939 to 1957.

Newest cars in traffic are Chev. and Merc. 1949 or 1950. Ford in drive in same years, hard to pin it down as unable to see minor differences that pin it down to exact years.

Alkapone · #**147** Posted **Feb 7, 2026, 6:08 PM**

Stadium closed in 1950. Midget racing continued to the end but attendance had dropped to half filled, which might explain this weak crowd? I see one race was held on Thursday night..but was that regular for them? Loyola played college ball there but no mention of high school games. Nothing found mentioning Dolores taking over. Looks like 1949 or 1950 is the best guess given the auto dating info..

August-Marathon · #**148** Posted **Feb 7, 2026, 6:41 PM**

Appears to be (or was) the Robinson's at Fashion Island, Newport Beach, CA.

There is a nice photo on flickr by D-Room222 taken circa 1967.

Martin Pal · #**149** Posted **Feb 7, 2026, 6:46 PM**

The building to the left of Dolores/Herbert's seems to be another restaurant that I'm not familiar having known about. I believe it says "Dining" on the right side wall, but the neon sign in front isn't legible to me. Nice photo!

Martin Pal · #**150** Posted **Feb 7, 2026, 6:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HossC

I'm seeing a 2-story house with a single story extension at the front which has a chimney on the gable end. The image is available to buy from various sources (and at widely differing prices), but pamono.eu lists the location as Bedford Drive, Beverly Hills. I've used Google to look up and down Bedford Drive from street level and above, but didn't find any matches. Even if I'm looking in the right place, a lot of the houses have been replaced since the picture was taken.
_______________________________________________________________

Thank you, HossC!

ethereal_reality · #**151** Posted **Feb 7, 2026, 7:05 PM**

From a couple of days ago.

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigs

Eighth & Grand apartments, with the Whole Foods on the ground floor?

Does anyone know if craigs is correct. I've been trying to figuring it out & can't decide.

If only I have x-ray vision.

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HossC · #**152** Posted **Feb 7, 2026, 7:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Robinson's..A mystery location.

VINTAGE 35mm Slide 1970s Los Angeles Robinson's Department Store 750a

eBay

It appears to be the store with the dangling balls bells. (but I don't remember which store that is.

Note the two fashion plates posing out front.

Quote:

Originally Posted by August-Marathon

Appears to be the Robinson's at Fashion Island, Newport Beach, CA

August-Marathon beat me to it. There's a previous mention below. It's now a Macy's and the bells are still there - see here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

While we're in the Southland.

I happened upon this postcard of the mid-century Robinson's Department Store in Newport Beach.

ebay

The string(s) of vertical lights seems excessive. (they are lights aren't they?)

HossC · #**153** Posted **Feb 7, 2026, 7:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

The building to the left of Dolores/Herbert's seems to be another restaurant that I'm not familiar having known about. I believe it says "Dining" on the right side wall, but the neon sign in front isn't legible to me. Nice photo!

There was a restaurant called the Beverly Chateau at 7819 Beverly Boulevard. I haven't found any pictures yet to confirm if that's what we're looking at.

Alkapone · #**154** Posted **Feb 7, 2026, 9:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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GONE...

But I love the old 1940 aerial... Thank, Hoss.

Thanks, Alkapone.

P.S. I tried to find the linen postcard to no avail.
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On HipPostcard site. Looks like the Pacific Electric Westgate line may have cut off of San Vincente at or closeby this property up until the abandonment of 1940. Earlier (1914) aerial shot with the incline or funicular may be capturing the northern edge when it is still open ground with just a sidewalk imrovement.

Noir_Noir · #**155** Posted **Feb 8, 2026, 7:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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Ken Crane's MAGNAVOX CITY..A mystery location.

The store also had two HUGE aerial signs hovering over the store. (and the top one appears to be rotating!)

eBay

After an intensive sightseeing tour to the various old Magnavox City locations, I think this is the one that fits best.

15422 S. Hawthorne Blvd, Lawndale.

Google Earth

cdnc.ucr.edu - Southwest Wave, 4 December 1958

Edited for change of mind.

I just found this third picture of the Magnavox City that shows steps in front of the store.

ebay.com

Looks to be a shopping center location and not a street store like Hawthorne Blvd.

The two shopping center locations I found so far are Lakewood SC and Westminster Mall but they don't look right on present day configurations at any rate.

Back on the bus.

ethereal_reality · #**156** Posted **Feb 8, 2026, 4:47 PM**

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re: Am I seeing things or is the front of the store/glass facade zig-zagged?

Thanks for the tour, Noir Noir.

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ethereal_reality · #**157** Posted **Feb 8, 2026, 5:07 PM**

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JUST FOUND a 4th! photograph & it's a close-up of the aerial sign.

Take a close look at the elongated oval.

It appears that, not only did the top part rotate it also had traveling lights running through Ken Crane's name!

It took me awhile to realize that's what I was seeing within the letters of Ken's name.

Postscript:

Ken Crane's obituary Here
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Alkapone · #**158** Posted **Feb 8, 2026, 6:59 PM**

Note the white illuminated air holes to the sides. My gut on this is Ken’s name is a cutout in the front panel. Behind it is a red background. In between are neon tubes forming the letters, to be lit up only in the dark when the background lost visibility. Maybe the spin action only happened when the whole circuit was turned on.

Scott Charles · #**159** Posted **Feb 9, 2026, 1:36 AM**

Unknown location from Reddit

Quote:

Recently acquired this beauty from an estate sale! 1964 LA skyline.

I can see the Richfield building, but otherwise am completely confused. I can't get my bearing.

What are we looking at, fellow Noirishers? And from where are we looking?

You can see a MUCH LARGER version of this picture HERE.

ProphetM · #**160** Posted **Feb 9, 2026, 3:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Charles

Unknown location from Reddit

I can see the Richfield building, but otherwise am completely confused. I can't get my bearing.

What are we looking at, fellow Noirishers? And from where are we looking?

You can see a MUCH LARGER version of this picture HERE.

My guess is that we're looking south onto Sunset Blvd, just west of the 110. The left edge of the photograph has a cross-street (you can see the backside of a stop sign), that I'm thinking is Custer Ave., which dead-ends because of the 4-level interchange. We may be looking from approximately the corner of Beaudry Ave. and Bartlett St.