noirish Los Angeles

[AlvaroLegido]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

The once trendy Sky Room. Burbank Airport, 1940. Below we have dining al fresco on the tarmac...enjoy prop-wash, the roar of the engines and a lovely salad.



Restaurant history

Thanks! CityBoy. This one has the vigour and intensity of an Alfred Hitchcock's movie. It could be "North by Northwest". I guess that comes from the three spaces view (like in the Renaissance masters paintings) : background : the mountains ; middleground : the airstrip ; foreground : the room.

[soleri]

Originally Posted by fhammon

Not to mention almost the entire cast of The Wzard of OZ. Billie Burke - an American actress (spent time in England), Jack Haley, Ray Bolger (it's the real reason Buddy Ebsen didn't get the gig ), Frank Morgan.... they all copped that "Transatlantic" stage-speak affectation. I do believe is was practically if not definitely required... and that's what I find a little endearing but a little more annoying about it. It seemed to be really important not to portray people as common even if they were just scarecrows, tin men or charlatans, except for Bert Lahr's NY accent. I suppose that was part of the escapism of the times. Once you spoke that way in a film - typecast, you were probably stuck with it for the rest of your career. If you listen you can hear traces of it right into the early sixties and beyond. It's a wonder how many good actors from that period avoided it. As you said though for Katharine Hepburn it was almost her trademark but still an accepted New England upper-class affectation. The other Connecticut Yankees don't sound anything like that.

Check out this Billie Burke rant. The accent fits the character:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqv9eReYfm8

Anglophilia was partly a way of improving one's life position in a very class-conscious society. I'm old enough to remember how many American worshipped the British royal family well into the 1970s (and even later if you count the Diana cult). There's the seeming paradox of Hollywood Jews like Louis Mayer or Jack Warner manufacturing a celluloid fairy tale of upper middle-class Americana which belied their own roots and struggles. By the 1960s, the cracks in this upscale messaging were becoming apparent but we still adore the archetype, which even a Madonna self-consciously tries to leverage. PBS helps millions of middlebrow Americans feel a little bit elevated for watching BBC fare. We adore an actor like Maggie Smith for her Lady Bracknell poses on Downton Abbey. As pop culture blurs regional accents to extinction, it's one way to experience a burst of color in our homogenizing nation. Will people someday look back on us and feel a similar kind of nostalgia? I wouldn't be surprised.

[HossC]

I found this picture of 4th and Hill on eBay a couple of nights ago, but I decided to edit out the watermark and even out the blemishes in the sky before I posted it. A smaller version (along with many other images and much information about this block) was previously posted by ProphetM in post #16025. The seller dates the picture at circa 1920, but it must be about a decade earlier because otherwise we'd be looking straight at the base of the Black Building.

For fun, I thought I'd do a quick round-up of the buildings and signage, so I searched the 1909 and 1911 City Directories. I'll start with the fruit stand on the corner which the 1909 CD lists as a grocery business belonging to H M Wisler at 361 S Hill. I'm not sure whether the house behind it is on Hill or 4th, but it might be Lizzie M Warner's furnished rooms at 357 S Hill. On the left is the Hotel Antlers at 421 W 4th Street. There appear to be two or three buildings below the hotel, but all I could find was Mrs Leocadie Diemer's hair goods at 413 W 4th Street and Thomas M Wood's The Wood furnished rooms at 417 W 4th Street, both in the 1911 CD. To the right of the Antlers are the Wales Apartments at 344 S Olive. Continuing right, the small writing at the top says Holtzclaw-Stubbs-Shriner Co. Their listing in the 1911 CD places them at 347 S Hill Street, although it notes that the company has been succeeded by Shriner & Allen Co. The company is listed as Holtzclaw Allen & Co in the 1909 CD where their business is described as decorators and antique furniture. The Delmonico Italian restaurant advertised on the wall below can be seen on the right of the picture, although it isn't in the City Directories (the 1909 and 1911 CDs both list a restaurant owned by Aurelio Garau at 351 S Hill, with the latter also naming him as the owner of furnished rooms at 355 S Hill). The other wall sign is for Earl V. Lewis' Kodak Store at 226 W 4th Street - we covered it back in post #18648.


eBay

The roof which can be seen on the far right of the picture above belongs to the old University Club at 349 South Hill. GaylordWilshire previously posted the picture below, but the image is currently missing, so here it is again.


USC Digital Library

For reference, here's an up-to-date view of 4th and Hill from roughly the same position as the first.


GSV


A couple of previous posts about 4th and Hill:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=6229242&postcount=16062

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=6242079&postcount=16253

[ethereal_reality]

Mingus Auto Delivery Co. (I love the kid in his little racing cart)

ebay

I believe this photograph was taken in front of 621 Towne Avenue.

1918 L.A. Directory
LAPL

The houses are long gone...replaced by industrial buildings.
__

[ethereal_reality]

Vincent Photo Co.-early novelty postcard / advertisement


ebay

__

[Albany NY]

[ethereal_reality]

I came across this interesting slide earlier tonight on ebay.

Broadway and 7th, 1965



DR. NO on the marquee...very cool.
The Tower Theater is visible down the block...with the huge 'Newsreel' blade sign.

__

[ethereal_reality]

Performers from the nightclub Café de Paree, Los Angeles

ebay

by Cloud's Studio, L.A. (have we heard of this photographer's studio before?)



After a few google searches....I found this matchbook.


also ebay
__

[HossC]

I found a few pictures on eBay from around the harbor area, so I thought I'd post them together.

Here's a panorama of the harbor from August 9, 1919.


eBay

The seller also included this detail of the grain elevators.


eBay

Just over 75 years ago, Terminal Island was about to lose its "best know prisoner". A certain Al Capone had to pay $10,000 is tax liens to secure his release after serving 11 years in prison.


eBay

All the main buildings are still there, although there have been some additions.


Google Maps

Across the water and slightly north was this Mobilgas station in San Pedro. The Hotel Fern was at 230 W 7th Street. The gas station and hotel have since been replaced by the Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel.


eBay

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by HossC

I found a few pictures on eBay from around the harbor area, so I thought I'd post them together.


Across the water and slightly north was this Mobilgas station in San Pedro. The Hotel Fern was at 230 W 7th Street. The gas station and hotel have since been replaced by the Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel.


eBay

Crown Plaza hotel HossC refers to above.


GSV

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Performers from the nightclub Café de Paree, Los Angeles

ebay

by Cloud's Studio, L.A. (have we heard of this photographer's studio before?)

The 1956 CD lists Frank H Cloud's portrait studio at 2722 S Western Avenue. I also found F H Cloud listed as a photographer at 1126 E Vernon Avenue in the 1938 and 1939 CDs.


LAPL

While I was checking to see if the building at 2312 W 7th Street which once housed the Café de Paree was still standing (it isn't), I noticed 2228 W 7th Street. A quick search of NLA didn't show any previous mentions. Other than current rental prices and listings for the dentist/clinic seen in the picture below, there isn't much information online - I couldn't even find a build date.


GSV

This is the only vintage image I've found so far, although the building can be identified in several aerials of MacArthur Park. The title of the picture below says "Purchasing department banquet at Pollyanna tea room at 2228 West 7th Street, Los Angeles, CA, 1930".


USC Digital Library

The Pollyanna Tea Rooms get a brief mention on GW's Wilshire Boulevard Houses blog.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by HossC

USC Digital Library

The Pollyanna Tea Rooms get a brief mention on GW's Wilshire Boulevard Houses blog.

I really wondered who the heck are these strange looking people....even though its mentioned above...it was hard to believe.

Photograph of men and women in hats sitting around table, Los Angeles, CA, 1930. "Subject: purchasing department banquet at Pollyanna tea room at 2228 W[est] 7th St; Client: The Broadway Department Store,...Year: 1930;

Well...now I know.

[HossC]

Another eBay find - The Occidental Apartments in 1924. The seller has the picture incorrectly labeled "Occidental Hotel", which is a completely different building that has appeared many times on NLA.


eBay

A look through the CDs gives an address of 911 Diamond Street, a street which wasn't immediately familiar to me. It looks like I'm in good company, as the only other NLA mention of the Occidental Apartments I can find was in post #1429 when e_r posed the question "Where the hell was Diamond Street?" (he was answered by Los Angeles Past in the very next post). The 1921 Baist map below shows the Occidental Apartments roughly halfway between Fremont and Figueroa.


www.historicmapworks.com

The detail below is from a picture in the 1955 blimp series which I've used several times before. Diamond Street is at the bottom of picture, just right of center. The Occidental Apartments building is still there halfway up the left side of the street, although the 1956 CD suggests it had changed its name to the Rex Apartments. I've just compared this image to the map above, and it looks like the section or Court Street between Figueroa and Flower never existed as anything more than a steep pedestrian track.


Detail of picture in USC Digital Library

I'm surprised I'd never heard of Diamond Street because I've posted about the intersection of Figeuroa and First and the intersection of Figeuroa and Temple. The section of Diamond Street where the Occidental Apartments once stood appears to be the only part that survived the clearance of Bunker Hill and the building of the Harbor Freeway. I've tried to approximate the 1955 picture above using Google Earth. Diamond Street is again just right of center at the bottom, and is now lined with trees. I'm struggling to find much that survives from the original picture.


Google Earth

[HossC]

I don't remember seeing this picture of Pershing Square before. The seller dates it as 1967. I've decided to post it full size .


eBay

The photograph was taken outside Googie's in the corner of the San Carlos Hotel - part of the fascia can be seen in the top right corner.
For comparison, here's a picture of Googie's restaurant originally posted by CityBoyDoug in post #20764.

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

Smithsonian

I think the windows of the brown car on the left in the first picture are reflecting Googie's red neon sign.
The night shot below is from a season 1 (1974) episode of 'The Rockford Files'.


Universal TV

[oldstuff]

Originally Posted by HossC

I found a few pictures on eBay from around the harbor area, so I thought I'd post them together.

Here's a panorama of the harbor from August 9, 1919.


eBay

The seller also included this detail of the grain elevators.


eBay

Just over 75 years ago, Terminal Island was about to lose its "best know prisoner". A certain Al Capone had to pay $10,000 is tax liens to secure his release after serving 11 years in prison.


eBay

All the main buildings are still there, although there have been some additions.


Google Maps

Across the water and slightly north was this Mobilgas station in San Pedro. The Hotel Fern was at 230 W 7th Street. The gas station and hotel have since been replaced by the Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel.


eBay

The ship which is in the background of the close up shot of the grain elevators is the destroyer USS Anthony, commissioned at Mare Island in June of 1919. She would have been brand new at the time of this photo if the 1919 date is correct. She was active in the Pacific Fleet until she was decommissioned in 1922 after being converted to a minelayer. She was in "mothballs" until 1937 when she was sunk as a target off Southern California.

Are there any other close ups of the other ships in that row where the numbers are visible?

[HossC]

I should've looked harder to start with! I found this much larger version of the picture at the Library of Congress. The only other ship with a visible number seems to be 173.


www.loc.gov

[Godzilla]

Originally Posted by HossC

More locations of e_r's photographs:



#11 I initially didn't recognize the Brighton Hotel at 4th and Hill without its dome. For more images, see post #500 by Beaudry.


memoriastoica on tumblr

Another view of the Brighton.



1950 The Brighton
http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibris/aleph/a19_1/apache_media/KY1U5LC6EV8MB57IEVJ76651146BRM.jpg

[Godzilla]

Originally Posted by SoCalPaul

Hi everyone! I have been lurking & enjoying all the great pics for a few weeks now.

I have a couple of photos that I hope you can help me with. My grandfather owned a couple of flower shops, probably in the late 40's to early 50's. I don't know the streets they were on, but I have a few clues.


This one may be a little easier. Address looks like 10680. (WooHoo! I found an online LA phone directory from 1938 that lists the Nose Gay Flower Shop at 10660 W. Pico Blvd. Ardner g-4131)

Circa '40 - Roberts Markets - "Everywhere"
http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibris/aleph/a19_1/apache_media/7JX5KFP54KRIXDUX7XI95CVHDLC2D7.jpg

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by HossC

While I was checking to see if the building at 2312 W 7th Street which once housed the Café de Paree was still standing (it isn't), I noticed 2228 W 7th Street. A quick search of NLA didn't show any previous mentions. Other than current rental prices and listings for the dentist/clinic seen in the picture below, there isn't much information online - I couldn't even find a build date.


GSV

HossC, I came across this building a couple days ago (I saved photos to post....but you beat me to it.)

I was in the same area looking for possible locations for the Café Lafayette (shown below).

eBay

As you can see, the somewhat vague address listed on the postcard is "Seventh St. opp. Westlake Park" Los Angeles.

I was trying to imagine this impressive interior inside any of the surviving buildings (my first choice was the one you posted...2228 W. 7th Street).

My next choice was this building, a block west on 7th (and facing Westlake/MacArthur Park).


GSV


Here it is at an angle showing it's 'mansard' roof.


GSV

The red building to it's right is quite nice as well.

below: Here's another 7th street building, albeit smaller than the others, that also has some nice architectural ornament going on (and still facing the park)


GSV


I tried looking up "Café Lafayette" in the LAPL directories and it said 'no match'.
When I tried just 'Lafayette' there were hundreds of hits ( I didn't want to wade through them all.....I guess I'm a bit lazy after my Thanksgiving turkey)

__

[westcork]

Take a close look at the newer buildings in this picture. If you look closely, you will see the footprint of each building is a diamond shape.

Also, there is an active gang in this area called "Diamond St." I always thought it was a little ironic that there is almost nothing left of their namesake.

Originally Posted by HossC

Diamond Street is again just right of center at the bottom, and is now lined with trees. I'm struggling to find much that survives from the original picture.


Google Earth