noirish Los Angeles

[Noir_Noir]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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Before we get too far removed from Samarkand/The Freezer posts I wanted to point out another unknown location.


It appears in a short film from 1927 titled Hollywood the Unusual. (which we have seen earlier in the year)

I thought we might be able to figure out this particular location because of the various clues.

Here's a screengrab.

Here's a picture of what looks like the same Freezer location.

You can see some of what's on the other side of the intersection, it stood close to.



facebook.com - bizarrelosangeles

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by Sakhal Nakhash

I'm going to presume that they may have limited their presentation to locations that were in what is generally considered Hollywood.
IF that's the case, I'm going to just assume that it may have been the 7435 Sunset location.
I tried to find more information about "Barry's Battery and Ignition", if I'm reading that sign correctly, however in my admittedly breif search I wasn't able to find anything.
(I'm at work, and didn't bring my laptop with me, and trying to do that level of searching on my phone is somewhat more tedious than I have the patience for at this moment.)

Could the " B" be an "H"-- "Harry's Battery..."? The sign is blurry.

[odinthor]

I've been looking at a sign in our Samarkand picture . . . but not the Battery & Ignition one. Here's a detail from the pic:



The sign at center, at too great an angle for us to read, appears to be some standard roadside sign giving information for motorists to heed. This may yield a clue to location. Does anyone more familiar than I with the signs which motorists in that era might have encountered have an idea what message such a sign would have?

[Noir_Noir]

Originally Posted by HossC

I checked the CDs and found that in 1929, The Freezer had ice cream shops at 3641 W Pico, 7435 Sunset Boulevard, 3801 W Washington Boulevard, 402 S Western Avenue and 1124 Vine Street. The last address is just north of Santa Monica Boulevard. A year later, they were listed as Freezer Sweet Shops at 751 S Alvarado, 3475 Beverly Boulevard, 1881 Colorado Boulevard, 6244 Pasadena Avenue, 3641 W Pico, 7435 Sunset Boulevard, 3801 W Washington Boulevard, 402 S Western Avenue and 1124 N Vine.

I had a look at some old aerials for the Freezer locations that HossC found in the city directories.


The one that fits with the screengrab from the movie is 751½ South Alvarado Street.


This is how it lines up on a 1928 aerial. The Freezer stand as we see in the screengrab was essentially plonked in the front lawn of 751.


mil.library.ucsb.edu


The "Harry's Battery & Ignition" service in the screengrab is this one.


rescarta.lapl.org


Here's 751 somewhat clearer three years later with where the Freezer would have stood dotted red.



mil.library.ucsb.edu

[ethereal_reality]

Excellent team work everyone!

We're whittling down the locations one by one.




Now how about the location of The Freezer in the Our Gang short? I imagine it would be somewhere near one of the studios. (I can't remember which studio/production company owned the Our Gang series)

Originally Posted by nealberke

The Little Rascals buy ice creme at the Samarkand Ice Creme "Bucket" shaped like an ice creme churn. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv0oivhUJYs

For those of you who skipped the video (I did at first) you should watch it. (it's only 53 seconds long) And get this; the handle on the ice cream freezer actually TURNS! It's really cool.


• Video Link






Here are a couple of screengrabs from the video.

#1 As you can see, there is a street lined with trees leading to a one-story courtyard(?) apartment.









#2 Here's a better look at those apartments. They appears to be about a 1/2 block away.




There is a rather large floodlight (above my RED ARROW) that appears to be aimed at the rotating handle.



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[Handsome Stranger]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Now how about the location of The Freezer in the Our Gang short? I imagine it would be somewhere near one of the studios. (I can't remember which studio/production company owned the Our Gang series)

Hal Roach owned Little Rascals/Our Gang until he sold the unit and all rights to MGM in 1938. The Hal Roach Studios were located at 8822 Washington Blvd in Culver City.

[Martin Pal]

Hal Roach Studios:

CulverCityHistoricalSociety

The studio went bankrupt in 1959 under the management of Hal Roach’s son, and was demolished in 1963.

In relation to the other studios in Culver City:

[Lorendoc]

No date or location for this SPNB Collection photo, although the presence of the Cahuenga cross and the absence of the Hollywood Sign pin the date down to 1923. Are those houses in the foreground still there?


via Calisphere.org


Google Earth Pro

[mrfredmertz]

In response to the question asked about the "Isn't Hollywood Unusual?" Film, William Desmond Taylor was killed in 1922. Graumans Opened in 1927, so the director must be another William Taylor. Similarly, The Crossroads of the World opened in 1936, so it can't be in the film either. I know this because the widow of the man who LA District Attorney Dave Clark murdered took his insurance money and built The Crossroads. I know this because that case was the original story we were going to tell in "Perry Mason" on HBO.

[riichkay]

LAPL/Herald Examiner collection


"A powerful bomb was exploded in the carport of a $200,000 home in Doheny Estates, igniting a fire that destroyed the entire interior of the home, the carport and two automobiles.

The bomb was attached to the floorboard of a late-model Cadillac, and blew a hole in the floor 2 feet square.

The occupants, Mr. and Mrs. John Coughlin, who were subleasing the single-story, 5,000-square-foot stucco house in the Hollywood Hills above Sunset Boulevard, were asleep when the bomb went off about 12:30 a.m. but escaped without injury." 

Photograph dated October 6, 1970.


No address provided for the destroyed home.

Considerable noirishness here....someone had the wherewithal to wire a ferocious explosive to the Caddy....were they targeting John Coughlin, his wife, or possibly both?....a cursory search yielded no additional details.

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by mrfredmertz

In response to the question asked about the "Isn't Hollywood Unusual?" Film, William Desmond Taylor was killed in 1922. Graumans Opened in 1927, so the director must be another William Taylor. Similarly, The Crossroads of the World opened in 1936, so it can't be in the film either. I know this because the widow of the man who LA District Attorney Dave Clark murdered took his insurance money and built The Crossroads. I know this because that case was the original story we were going to tell in "Perry Mason" on HBO.

You have a connection to the HBO Perry Mason show? Great show. Very noirish.

[UphillDonkey]

Originally Posted by Lorendoc

No date or location for this SPNB Collection photo, although the presence of the Cahuenga cross and the absence of the Hollywood Sign pin the date down to 1923. Are those houses in the foreground still there?


via Calisphere.org


Google Earth Pro

The furthest house still exists on Iris Circle in Whitley Heights. The two closer houses were demolished between 1948 and 1952 to make way for the Hollywood Freeway.

[mrfredmertz]

Replying to Calnative.
I am one of the producers of "Perry Mason" on HBO. And very proud of it.

[Lorendoc]

Originally Posted by UphillDonkey

The furthest house still exists on Iris Circle in Whitley Heights. The two closer houses were demolished between 1948 and 1952 to make way for the Hollywood Freeway.

Thanks for the suggestion, UphillDonkey, could you mark the surviving house, I'm not sure which one you meant - Thanks.

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by mrfredmertz

Replying to Calnative.
I am one of the producers of "Perry Mason" on HBO. And very proud of it.

Proud you should be...great show! Thanks! A favorite of most of the noirishers here no doubt including me.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by riichkay

LAPL/Herald Examiner collection


"A powerful bomb was exploded in the carport of a $200,000 home in Doheny Estates, igniting a fire that destroyed the entire interior of the home, the carport and two automobiles.

Mr. and Mrs. Coughlin were probably awakened by the noise. What a rude disturbance to their sleep.

[ethereal_reality]

Redwine Bldg. Los Angeles - 1975 - mystery location.



eBay

Any ideas where this might be?






The rear entrance to Musso & Franks in March 1975.



That's probably the chef's car. He's ready for a quick take off.


Does anyone know what the back of Musso & Frank's looks like today? (I hope they at least straightened that sign)




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[ethereal_reality]

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mystery location #2 (for April 6th)



When I first saw this snapshot I thought 'business man and assistant'. . .but know I'm thinking man and wife.



eBay

Boy, that is a lot of litter.




Here's a closer look at the buildings in the distance. (note the GIANT ANT on the roof of the May Co.)


detail








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[Sakhal Nakhash]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Redwine Bldg. Los Angeles - 1975 - mystery location.



eBay


Any ideas where this might be?






The rear entrance to Musso & Franks in March 1975.



That's probably the chef's car. He's ready for a quick take off.


Does anyone know what the back of Musso & Frank's looks like today? (I hope they at least straightened that sign)




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It's on Las Palmas between Hollywood and Selma. I've walked past it hundreds of times. Buster Keaton filmed a scene in front of the church at the intersection of Selma and Las Palmas. (Not the same building, the original church burned down as I recall, and it was rebuilt).
The back of Musso and Frank's was a private club called The Writer's room, or something like that. I seem to remember that it had something to do with Johnny Depp. Again, I'm going purely from memory, so I could be mistaken.
The back of the building had some painted caricatures and graffiti. From what I've seen on Google Maps they've built an apartment building in the parking lot behind there in the years since I was there.

[Sakhal Nakhash]

Well, speaking of Crossroads of the World, I just read that they're going to tear it down to build a high-rise.
That just ruined my day.