noirish Los Angeles

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

I've eaten horse meat but I'd avoid it now.

First it was liver pate', and now horse meat. What haven't you eaten CBD?

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[bighen]

Originally Posted by Ed Workman

Try LATL on a North-South street, down around Exposition Blvd- Looks like that is the Pacific Electric Air Line, now being reborn as the Expo Line

There was a Bekins storage building near the old on ramp of the 110 North at Exposition with railroad tracks nearby. I think the building was gone by the early 1970's.

[HenryHuntington]

Originally Posted by bighen

There was a Bekins storage building near the old on ramp of the 110 North at Exposition with railroad tracks nearby. I think the building was gone by the early 1970's.

The LARy car is operating on the F Line, so this location would be Grand Ave. crossing PE's Santa Monica Air Line as Ed Workman has pointed out above. I remember the Bekins building being in the neighborhood here, but I was hazy on the exact location.

[ethereal_reality]

fyi: Here's the photo again.


eBay

So this is down by Exposition near an exit off the 110?

-note the prominent hillside to the right of the church 'tower' in the distance. -where is/was this located?
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[HenryHuntington]

Yes, the Air Line crossed Grand Ave. about where Exposition Blvd. would have been if it had continued eastward. Or from the east, the photo is about where 36th St. would've been if it had continued westward from Hill St. I hope that makes sense.

[Tourmaline]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Thanks for pointing that out Tetsu. -quite interesting.


You might be wondering why I'm posting this rather ho-hum gsv view.


gsv




Well, it's because I found the same view, taken back in 1960. (the year I was born )


http://www.ebay.com/itm/1960s-SLIDE-...item23500915a4

Back then, the 76 Station was a Signal Station, selling something called 'UPTANE' gasoline.
And the mid-century building across the street (Santa Monica Blvd.) was home to W.J. German Inc., Eastman Professional Motion Picture Films.



Today, the building sits empty.

gsv


gsv

I've never heard of W.J. German Inc. Is anyone familiar with it?

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Sorry, no familiarity with W.J. German, but I certainly remember Union Ice due east of the empty structure at 6665 Santa Monica Blvd. Bbbrrrrrrr.

That neighborhood, aka "film stock central" has been discussed peripherally on NLA. Movielab used to be located at Highland and Santa Monica Blvd. http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=11782 Technicolor was around the corner on Romaine http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=10130 Kodak (6700 Santa Monica Blvd.) was just west of the 76 gas station. http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=11692 And due south of the 76 Station on Las Palmas, was Hollywood Studios Inc., aka The Metropolitan Studios, aka General Service Studios aka Hollywood Center Studios. (6642 Santa Monica and 1040 N. Las Palmas) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Center_Studios http://www.cobbles.com/simpp_archive...er_history.htm

http://apavlik0.tripod.com/blog/041406_kodak.jpg



1919 - Santa Monica Blvd. and Las Palmas Hollywood Studios Inc. construction (6642 Santa Monica Blvd.)
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics08/00013502.jpg


1920 - Hollywood Studios Inc. - Santa Monica Blvd. and Las Palmas
[URL="http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics08/00013507.jpg"]



1920 - Hollywood Studios Inc. lot (Or is it, given the proximity of Union Ice Co. in the background?
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics08/00013508.jpg



1920 - Hollywood Studios Inc. entrance (1040 Las Palmas)
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics08/00013504.jpg



1937 - General Service Studios (1040 N. Las Palmas)
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics08/00013546.jpg


1937 - General Service Studios
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics32/00065860.jpg

[bighen]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

fyi: Here's the photo again.


eBay

So this is down by Exposition near an exit off the 110?

-note the prominent hillside to the right of the church 'tower' in the distance. -where is/was this located?
__

I agree with HenryHuntington with the location of the Bekins storage building that I used to see just east of the 110 Freeway and Exposition. Perhaps the "hillside" that you see is the mound of dirt that was to be the 110 Fwy?

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by bighen

I agree with HenryHuntington with the location of the Bekins storage building that I used to see just east of the 110 Freeway and Exposition.
Perhaps the "hillside" that you see is the mound of dirt that was to be the 110 Fwy?

bighen, is this the Bekins Storage building you're talking about?


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...id/21532/rec/1



below: A closer look.


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...id/21532/rec/1

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[haiku99]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

Just a thought about MacMurray's ring in Double Indemnity: Perhaps the insurance boys would wear them to discourage the women they dealt with? Though, why would they and it didn't work in this case anyway. Heh!
___

As for James M. Cain novels, does anyone have any opinion of them? I do.
I've read three of them: Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice
and Mildred Pierce. Cain has a lot of good ideas, but I feel his writing leaves
a lot to be desired. ALL of the films based on his books are way better than
slogging through his pulp prose.

Personally, despite being a big film noir fan I like the books much better, especially "Postman", he told quite a story in 98 pages...more than most writers can do in 300. BTW a lesser known title of his that is excellent is "Serenade", set in Mexico, southern Calif., and NYC....maybe his best book and definitely noir.

[bighen]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Is this the Bekins Storage building you're talking about bighen?


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...id/21532/rec/1

I've never noticed that oil well before. (far right, southeast of the Bekins building)

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Yes, that is the Bekins building I am talking about.

[tovangar2]

Outstanding post Tormaline. The 1919 construction shot was a knockout.

I think Union Ice is right where it should be in relation to the studio:

Originally Posted by Tourmaline

1920 - Hollywood Studios Inc. lot (Or is it, given the proximity of Union Ice Co. in the background?
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics08/00013508.jpg

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by haiku99

Personally, despite being a big film noir fan, I like James M. Cain books much better, especially "Postman",
he told quite a story in 98 pages...more than most writers can do in 300.

BTW a lesser known title of his that is excellent is "Serenade", set in Mexico, southern Calif., and NYC
....maybe his best book and definitely noir.

1937

http://www.mysteryfile.com/Cain/Birthday.html

'Serenade' sounds very interesting haiku99. I'll have to check it out.

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[ProphetM]

Originally Posted by bighen

Yes, that is the Bekins building I am talking about.

Well then, that building is still there (with an added elevator shaft, it seems). As is the single-story building with the 45-degree corner which is under construction in the old pic, and the building on the right:




GSV

There are still tracks in the sidewalk on both sides of the street. The potential church tower in the distance is the tower of the 1929 Mudd Hall of Philosophy at USC.

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I wish I had come across this amazing business card several weeks ago, when we were discussing the 'mystery' car in the 1950 video.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-Print-19...item2c869fe5ac

1950 film /

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JO5izL_3Jo




5250 Hollywood Boulevard today. (former site of Hollywood Tucker Inc.)


gsv



...and from above.


google_earth
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I thought of Tucker immediately when the screen cap was posted, but I thought it extremely unlikely - only 51 Tuckers were ever made.

[GaylordWilshire]

From post 9736




From post 9737

[transitfan]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

bighen, is this the Bekins Storage building you're talking about?


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...id/21532/rec/1



below: A closer look.


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...id/21532/rec/1

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Incidentally, the building to the east and slightly north of the Bekins building was the Lyon Moving and Storage warehouse, which was eventually purchased by my alma mater USC for use as a Central Receiving facility. I worked at the USC Bookstore starting in June 1977, and the bookstore had storage facilities on part of the first and 8th floors. I'm not sure when the university purchased the building, but older employees were referring to it as the "Lyons building" back then, so it may have not been that much earlier than 1977.

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

bighen, is this the Bekins Storage building you're talking about?


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...id/21532/rec/1



below: A closer look.


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...id/21532/rec/1

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Interestingly, the PE right-of-way east of the 110 still exists as a series of parking lots.

PE's right-of-way east of the 110

[HossC]

Metro Library and Archive have this image labeled "Santa Monica Air Line, now the Exposition Line", and say it was taken circa 1940. It shows another side of the Bekins building, as well as the Lyon building mentioned by transitfan.


Metro Library and Archive

Here's a current view, taken from just east of the Harbor Freeway.


GSV

[ethereal_reality]

I've been trying to find where the oil well once stood. -but I haven't had much luck yet.


detail / usc



google_earth

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I've been trying to find where the oil well once stood. -but I haven't had much luck yet.


detail / usc



google_earth

Looks like it would be one block east and one block south which would put it approximately on the SW corner of Hill and W. 37th Street. No visual evidence of it appears to have survived.

[Matt Maxwell]

Hey folks. New guy here. Like the name says, you can call me Matt.

Finding this thread an unbelievable resource, so many thanks to everyone who's contributed. Currently I'm working on a series of comics called SMOKETOWN, which is set in San Angelo (a fictional analog of LA, also used by Chandler in some of his earlier stories) and have been deep-diving here (though I'm really only up to page 75 -- so much good stuff.) Oh yeah, SMOKETOWN will be a sort of dark fantasy/horror/detective thing. Think HELLRAISER crossed with ROCKFORD FILES. There's going to be a related story called MY WINGS ARE BLACK, which will be set more in the thirties, kind of an Old Testament noir piece. Trying to stay true to the spirit of the place rather than be 100% historically accurate, but the flavor I'm finding in this thread reminds me that real life is often way weirder than any fiction.

Real quick, since I'm supposed to be on the clock here. Wanted to do more than just drop in and chatter. Here's a photo of the LA TIMES building taken in 2012 (where my dad worked from 1982-1985).

[IMG]L1000875.JPG by maxwellm, on Flickr[/IMG]

I'll try to be back around but have a lot of catching up to do.

EDIT - Hmm. Ugly code on this. Will have to figure it out later.