noirish Los Angeles

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

NoirCityDame's post:

Thanks for all those interesting additions. I didn't know exactly what that boot shape was for! I love the "world's only outdoor escalator." Wow...really? Wonder what happened to it, though I can guess. Wish it was still there!

You sure know a lot about everything on Hollywood Blvd. -- do you happen to know of any photos showing the front of Coffee Dan's near Highland?

Also, in one of my directory searches they had a Coffee Dan's listed at 6405 Hollywood Blvd., which is near, or at, Cahuenga. I've never seen any photos at all of that location in Hollywood.

These addresses may have been from the 1956 directory, I didn't notate it.
1511 North Vine St. HO4-2290
6405 Hollywood Blvd. HO4-8449
6776 Hollywood Blvd. HO4-0667
_________

That Coffee Dan's at 6776! I have seen no good pictures showing the front. Nobody seems to have taken a picture of it on purpose! It was a 2-story building with offices above and retail on the ground floor, Dan's being in the space closest to Highland. It originally had a tile roof, but seems to have gotten a late moderne makeover. There were two fires there while it was Dan's, in April and July 1957 so maybe that had something to do with it. The space became a McDonald's in 1987. We've seen most of the intersection views of it already. I found a couple that may be repeats but I don't remember on NLA before, on that nice LA theater history site, https://sites.google.com/site/hollywoodtheatres/hollywood:

Color view, day with Dan's hiding next to the brown Bank of America building.

(Kenneth McIntyre) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=501499856595369&set=gm.600294813328643&type=1&theater

Similar view c. 1943 before Dan's. It's the white building, tile roof.

(Bobby Cole) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4624006992315&set=o.121097987946929&type=1&theater

Glimpse of its roof sign, and a closer view of the building 1957

http://hollywoodhistoricphotos.ipower.com/hhpstore/popup_image.php/pID/1846

I don't have any photos or info about Dan at 6405. All I know is that address housed the Hollywood ticket office for The Pacific Steamship Co., then it was Santa Fe Railroad's ticket office from 1930 until 1949 when they moved to 1551 Vine St (not far from the Vine St. Dan's), the space that once briefly housed La Conga nightblub, 1938-41. So Dan could've gone in to 6405 after that. I'm more or less a bonehead about 50s-60s Hollywood.

This is the building, anyway.
unknown

an earlier view c. 1937.

Herman Schultheis

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by sadykadie2

You da' MAN , Hoss

I agree! And E-R as well for posting all those wonderful color shots in the first place.

He shared a daytime view of this same intersection back in 2011, when he was still practically a child:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=5371906&postcount=4396

[tovangar2]

.

[BDiH]

Originally Posted by so-cal-bear

After his 1935 absence I guess Dr. Beauchamp came back! 1964 photo, The Owl drug store is now a jewelry store. The building is still there today, the drug/jewelry stores is now a Popeye's fried chicken.

from, https://www.facebook.com/VintageLosAngel...87946929/774259125964142/?type=1&theater

Macy's Jewelry Store was first class, with credit accounts kept on a Rolodex, not unlike William Stromberg across the street near Wilcox. The KFWB disc jockeys in the photo, and others (B. Mitchell Reed and Gary Owens) used to hang out at Coffee Dan's across the street and at Aldo's near by. The Coffee Dan's at Highland was a favorite of Hollywood High Students after 3:10 pm.

[John Maddox Roberts]

Originally Posted by BDiH

Macy's Jewelry Store was first class, with credit accounts kept on a Rolodex, not unlike William Stromberg across the street near Wilcox. The KFWB disc jockeys in the photo, and others (B. Mitchell Reed and Gary Owens) used to hang out at Coffee Dan's across the street and at Aldo's near by. The Coffee Dan's at Highland was a favorite of Hollywood High Students after 3:10 pm.

The man with the glasses in the light-colored shirt at back is Bill Ballance, a man with a noirish history. I started listening to KFWB when I first went to Pasadena in the summer of 1954. Back then there were the "Swingin' 7 DJs of KFWB." I wish I could remember all their names but Bill Ballance and B. Mitchell Reed were two of them. At some time in the later 50s all the neighborhood kids switched allegiance from KFWB to KRLA. I don't know why, but one summer I went there and nobody was listening to KFWB anymore.

[Hollywood Graham]

Originally Posted by John Maddox Roberts

The man with the glasses in the light-colored shirt at back is Bill Ballance, a man with a noirish history. I started listening to KFWB when I first went to Pasadena in the summer of 1954. Back then there were the "Swingin' 7 DJs of KFWB." I wish I could remember all their names but Bill Ballance and B. Mitchell Reed were two of them. At some time in the later 50s all the neighborhood kids switched allegiance from KFWB to KRLA. I don't know why, but one summer I went there and nobody was listening to KFWB anymore.

The biggest DJ for KFWB was Al Jarvis, another was Joe Yoakum and the only other one I remember was Gene Weed. I was in Jr. High at that time. Bill Balance and BMR were my favorites.

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

Jinx Falkenburg celebrates July 4th...

...and what exactly is she sitting on?

Looks like a hassock/ottoman/poof with a backrest (?)



Speaking of odd things to sit on, do you happen to recall "genuine Contour Chairs"?

Made by the Contour Chair Lounge Company of St Louis from the late 1940s until production ended in the 80s.

There was a time when owning one of these (+ maybe an aluminum Christmas tree) firmly announced one's post-war sensibilities:


flickr / life magazine 9/25/50

Did the "Tiger" one actually come with a tail? I never saw an example of that version IRL:

contour chair madness

50s icons:

shorpy

[Earl Boebert]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

Looks like a hassock/ottoman/poof with a backrest (?)



Speaking of odd things to sit on, do you happen to recall "genuine Contour Chairs"?

Made by the Contour Chair Lounge Company of St Louis from circa 1950 until production ended in the 80s.

[Snip]

First piece of furniture we bought after we bought our first house. Huge, heavy and ugly (although ours, a Danish Modern model, was less ugly than most). Loved it, it was perfect for holding the babies at bottle time. Always regretted getting rid of it.

Cheers,

Earl

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by so-cal-bear

After his 1935 absence I guess Dr. Beauchamp came back! 1964 photo, The Owl drug store is now a jewelry store. The building is still there today, the drug/jewelry stores is now a Popeye's fried chicken.

from, https://www.facebook.com/VintageLosAngel...87946929/774259125964142/?type=1&theater

Originally Posted by John Maddox Roberts

The man with the glasses in the light-colored shirt at back is Bill Ballance, a man with a noirish history. I started listening to KFWB when I first went to Pasadena in the summer of 1954. Back then there were the "Swingin' 7 DJs of KFWB." I wish I could remember all their names but Bill Ballance and B. Mitchell Reed were two of them. At some time in the later 50s all the neighborhood kids switched allegiance from KFWB to KRLA. I don't know why, but one summer I went there and nobody was listening to KFWB anymore.

Could the guy at far right be disc jockey/game show host Wink Martindale? I believe he was at KFWB from 1962-67.


Whomever -- http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gsJ4_q7X7PE/hqdefault.jpg

See: http://www.laradio.com/wherem.htm

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by Earl Boebert

First piece of furniture we bought after we bought our first house. Huge, heavy and ugly (although ours, a Danish Modern model, was less ugly than most). Loved it, it was perfect for holding the babies at bottle time. Always regretted getting rid of it.

Cheers,

Earl

I owned a Contour Chair for about half an hour in the 80s. I found a almost-pristine example of a 50s "Original" model in chartreuse at a yard sale for ten bucks. I dropped it off with Jim Heimann on my way home b/c I knew he'd love it.


pinterest

They were heaven to sit in. I don't know why we didn't get one back in the day. My sister and I used to make a beeline for them in the furniture stores.

Are they ugly? I can't tell anymore. These days they just look iconic to me:


pinterest

[Earl Boebert]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

I owned a Contour Chair for about half an hour in the 80s. I found a almost-pristine example of a 50s "Original" model in chartreuse at a yard sale for ten bucks. I dropped it off with Jim Heimann on my way home b/c I knew he'd love it.

[Snip]

They were heaven to sit in. I don't know why we didn't get one back in the day. My sister and I used to make a beeline for them in the furniture stores.

Are they ugly? I can't tell anymore. These days they just look iconic to me:

[Snip]

http://massagechairplus.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/contoru1006512.jpg

This is the model we had. Ours was black, with dark gunmetal in the pleated section. The arms folded down.

I think we should quit now, before they throw us off the forum :-)

Cheers,

Earl

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by Earl Boebert

I think we should quit now, before they throw us off the forum :-)

Cheers,

Earl

No, we like your posts Earl and besides that, that chair is so kinky & noir.

[John Maddox Roberts]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

No, we like your posts Earl and besides that, that chair is so kinky & noir.

I remember attempting certain,---er---, intimacies with a young lady on one of those. It was sadly unsympathetic to our exertions. Sorry, guys, but it seemed sort of noirish at the time.

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

Speaking of odd things to sit on, do you happen to recall "genuine Contour Chairs"?

Countour Chairs on the Sunset Strip?
"The Television Chair" of "Duran (All Plastic) Leather..."


LAT 12-9-1947

Marie the "Designer" will appear in person to demo the chair
LAT 3-11-1948

Now at 8512 Sunset
LAT 4-3-1949

It's hard to find a postwar ad for a household product aimed at men/husbands that doesn't involve a pipe & slippers.

"There's only one Contour Chair..."
Does it move? Yes
Endorsed by Dr. Fink, authority on nervous disorders.
How about one for the pool?
LAT 2-7-50

[Krell58]

I ordered a documentary from Amazon called Los Angeles Plays Itself, about the film industry vs real life. here's the trailer.
• Video Link

and a six minute clip.
• Video Link

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by John Maddox Roberts

I remember attempting certain,---er---, intimacies with a young lady on one of those. It was sadly unsympathetic to our exertions. Sorry, guys, but it seemed sort of noirish at the time.

I went to a dentist two weeks ago. I swear to you, he had a dental chair exactly like that one.

[Tetsu]

Originally Posted by Beaudry

I think I can add something to the conversation. Here's an image that I pulled of the 'net years ago, so, no idea about its proper attribution. But it shows the relative placement of everyone. Left to right, there's the rasty empty lot, there's 135, with 131 hidden behind. Then 129 and her (pretty close) "twin" 125. 121 sticks out in back, far right.



Sanborn snippet:



Interestingly, there was another set of "twins" just down on the next block at 215-217 S Olive:

getty-nadel/cra/olive

Which also have a large Grand Ave apartment backside towering over them, in this case, the Frontenac.

Wow, had no idea that there was actually a little cottage sitting between 129 & 135. Figured they were next door neighbors. From the photos I posted, it did seem like 135 had a wider facade, but I figured that was just the extreme perspective of the photos playing tricks on the eyes. Thanks for sharing.

Love that shot of 215 & 217 as well. Guess that must be the Baer residence next door then? I need to quit procrastinating and go through all of those Getty-Nadel shots.

And, happy belated birthday to you, e_r!!!

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by Krell58

I ordered a documentary from Amazon called Los Angeles Plays Itself, about the film industry vs real life.

Thx Krell. "Los Angeles Plays Itself" (2003) is on netflix too. It's made by a Chicagoan who lives here now.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally Posted by Earl Boebert

...Ours was black, with dark gunmetal in the pleated section. The arms folded down...

Ohhh, you had a later restyled electric version. One could order them in two-tone in the 50s too. People got them to match their cars.

[HenryHuntington]

Originally Posted by John Maddox Roberts

The man with the glasses in the light-colored shirt at back is Bill Ballance, a man with a noirish history. I started listening to KFWB when I first went to Pasadena in the summer of 1954. Back then there were the "Swingin' 7 DJs of KFWB." I wish I could remember all their names but Bill Ballance and B. Mitchell Reed were two of them. At some time in the later 50s all the neighborhood kids switched allegiance from KFWB to KRLA. I don't know why, but one summer I went there and nobody was listening to KFWB anymore.

The original Seven Swingin' Gentlemen (in order of appearance, beginning with morning drive):Bruce Hayes, Al Jarvis (Your Make-believe Ballroom), Joe Yokum, Elliot Field (and his Cast of Thousands), B. Mitchell Reed, Bill Ballance, and Ted Quillan.

Elliott Field is the last of them remaining with us. You can find his autobiography on Amazon, ditto Chuck Blore's (the Program Director behind the Color Radio format). I'm presently working through Dave Hull's (from rival KRLA).

FWIW, Blore asserts that the AFTRA strike at KFWB in 1962 began the station's terminal decline as a top-40 station.

[John Maddox Roberts]

Originally Posted by HenryHuntington

The original Seven Swingin' Gentlemen (in order of appearance, beginning with morning drive):Bruce Hayes, Al Jarvis (Your Make-believe Ballroom), Joe Yokum, Elliot Field (and his Cast of Thousands), B. Mitchell Reed, Bill Ballance, and Ted Quillan.

Elliott Field is the last of them remaining with us. You can find his autobiography on Amazon, ditto Chuck Blore's (the Program Director behind the Color Radio format). I'm presently working through Dave Hull's (from rival KRLA).

FWIW, Blore asserts that the AFTRA strike at KFWB in 1962 began the station's terminal decline as a top-40 station.

Wow, thanks for that. The format I used was from a jingle they used between commercials: "It's the swingin' seven DJs of KFWB
Live it up lively round the clock
With these musical MCs"
Yeah, pretty lame, but KFWB was a pioneer in the early days of top 40 radio and they couldn't all be gems.