noirish Los Angeles v2.0 - Page 43

Engineeral · #**841** Posted **Apr 21, 2026, 5:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

If I remember correctly- due to heavy rains Reservoir #5 burst wiping out a bunch of cars that were parked at a roadhouse!
-We touched on it in the early years of the thread over a decade ago. .
and YES, there are photographs (well, at least one, which I am unable to find)

I'm hoping someone will remember the earlier post & find the photograph.
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Perhaps this is what you are recalling?
https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8210007&postcount=47272

ethereal_reality · #**842** Posted **Apr 21, 2026, 5:22 PM**

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YES! That's it.

Thanks, Engineeral.

odinthor · #**843** Posted **Apr 21, 2026, 5:59 PM**

LA Times, 10/26/1935

Alkapone · #**844** Posted **Apr 21, 2026, 8:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Engineeral

Perhaps this is what you are recalling?
https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8210007&postcount=47272

Going back through all of that material, one of the aerial images(1938) totally threw me. The PERy line seem to transition from two tracks to four right alongside the area approaching the alleged reservoir face. I thought the area known as Indian Village, where the 4-Tracks district began, may have been a bit further north above Broadway. But then seeing the mention of an “Indian” witness in the 1912 lawsuit over the reservoir lands ownership makes me wonder if this is actually the old Indian Village site. Since their are later photos where the four rails began, it seems possible that the lone signal above the car camp was then replaced by the bridge-type signal structure. (The earlier aerial from 1927 is harder to read and makes it look like this was all 2-rail territory.)

As to where the water came from to fill Reservoir #5, the ditch lines noted on the 1880’s maps seem to be what was called East Lake Ditch that carried water all the way from the L.A. River over to East Lake Reservoir (aka R. #5). Is that all correct? Tender Mulholland must have really had his work cut out for him if he had to shovel out a ditch that long!

riichkay · #**845** Posted **Apr 21, 2026, 9:27 PM**

Caption: "L.A. downtown, Nov. 1953"....image is out of a Flickr album.

I ran "Mu Bros" in the '53 Central area phone directory, no luck.

....detail....

The gentleman appears to be reading The Mirror, the afternoon tabloid published 1948-'62....

Alkapone · #**846** Posted **Apr 21, 2026, 9:30 PM**

And E.S.H.S. has a photo looking down at “Indian Village” along Soto (reportedly at about Multnomah?) in which we see the signal bridge, the stub track, and the reservoir site in later years: https://elserenohistoricalsociety.org/pacific-electric-railway

Indian Village on Pacific Electric Ry. :

source: E.S.H.S. as above.

Alkapone · #**847** Posted **Apr 21, 2026, 10:32 PM**

Re: Indian Village station stop..

See image #343 at bottom right for an amazing Alan Weeks image looking north next to the old Reservoir #5 site: https://www.pacificelectric.org/collecti...orthern-southern-districts-1950s-part-2/

They seem to have pushed dirt (from the headwall?) up into mounds by the ‘50’s. The station is a shelter-type. The next station south was supposed to be Ascot.

ethereal_reality · #**848** Posted **Apr 22, 2026, 12:56 AM**

Amateur aerial of Universal Studios 1968 with mystery mound.

eBay

I am specifically intrigued by the mystery mound in the upper right corner of the photograph.

THIS.

If the mound was out in the desert somewhere I'd say they are waiting for an UFO to land!

What movies were in production in 1966 - 67? Did any of them involve a volcano? / or a Mayan pyramid?..

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ethereal_reality · #**849** Posted **Apr 22, 2026, 1:11 AM**

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There wasn't much information with this slide. (that I found on eBay last week.

OLD BASEMENT - LOS ANGELES

ebay

Here's a closer look.

I have an idea where this might be. .

but it depends on whether or not PICO HOUSE has a basement.

Does it?

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ethereal_reality · #**850** Posted **Apr 22, 2026, 1:15 AM**

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I wasn't aware the SARDI'S in Hollywood had a 'Blue Room'.

ebay

The exotic graphic makes me think there were strippers involved - but that's something I wouldn't expect to see at fancy shmancy SARDI'S!

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odinthor · #**851** Posted **Apr 22, 2026, 4:15 AM**

First and last mention of Sardi's Blue Room in the LA Times:

LA Times, 6/24/1937

LA Times, 1/18/1939

Gene Austin, mentioned in the 1937 item, was an actor, singer, and songwriter ("When My Sugar Walks Down the Street").

Harry Lash was an actor who was in minor roles in a handful of films 1936-1940.

Flyingwedge · #**852** Posted **Apr 22, 2026, 7:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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There wasn't much information with this slide. (that I found on eBay last week.

OLD BASEMENT - LOS ANGELES

Here's a closer look.

I have an idea where this might be. .

but it depends on whether or not PICO HOUSE has a basement.

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Your hunch was 100% correct, e_r! This image of "the supporting wall for the Pico House" is from February 1980, 10 years before the ebay slide:

122-PH-0069n @ El Pueblo Photo Archive @ LAPL

Alkapone · #**853** Posted **Apr 22, 2026, 8:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Amateur aerial of Universal Studios 1968 with mystery mound.

eBay

I am specifically intrigued by the mystery mound in the upper right corner of the photograph.

THIS.

If the mound was out in the desert somewhere I'd say they are waiting for an UFO to land!

What movies were in production in 1966 - 67? Did any of them involve a volcano? / or a Mayan pyramid?..

.

Believe that’s where the early version of the Universal Ampitheater was sited, well before the music started. Maybe it’s still in the construction phase at that time?

ethereal_reality · #**854** Posted **Apr 23, 2026, 1:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

Your hunch was 100% correct, e_r! This image of "the supporting wall for the Pico House" is from February 1980, 10 years before the ebay slide:

122-PH-0069n @ El Pueblo Photo Archive @ LAPL

Thanks, Flyingwedge!

I found another photograph of the Pico House basement.

scarepop

All it needs is someone standing in the corner facing the wall.

(like in The Blair Witch Project)

ethereal_reality · #**855** Posted **Apr 23, 2026, 1:33 AM**

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Here's the most 'noirish' photograph of the Pico House I could find.

pbssocal / ucla

The year is 1956.

ethereal_reality · #**856** Posted **Apr 23, 2026, 1:51 AM**

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oops. . .maybe I spoke too soon.

This image from 1929, when it was operated as the National Hotel, is awfully 'noirish' as well.

pbssocal / ucla

. . . or you might even say downright seedy.

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Alkapone · #**857** Posted **Apr 23, 2026, 5:24 PM**

There’s more on Shadybrook Auto Camp and the entire gypsy thing here at Homestead Museum’s history blog including a 1924 photo showing their tents at Shadybrook: https://homesteadmuseum.blog/2020/10/14/...s-los-angeles-and-whittier-october-1924/

Here’s that photo (If I’m not mistaken, the vehicle at the bottom may be lodged in at the old headwall to the reservoir which later broke.):

E.S.H.S. has some great info on “New Ascot” Raceway (aka Ascot #2) including photos from the lower western side where this whole canyon area had extended to the City Park. There’s another camping place called Lincoln Park Tourist Camp next to Valley Blvd..

ethereal_reality · #**858** Posted **Apr 23, 2026, 6:18 PM**

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EXCELLENT find, Alkapone! ..Thanks so much.

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ethereal_reality · #**859** Posted **Apr 23, 2026, 6:22 PM**

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Here is a one-of-a-kind amateur slide, dated 1961.

eBay

The Globe Theater is located at 740 S. Broadway.

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ethereal_reality · #**860** Posted **Apr 23, 2026, 6:24 PM**

Same day and across the street.

eBay / 1961

Both slides are being sold together. (for a pittance) $8.00
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