noirish Los Angeles - Page 1413

ethereal_reality · #**28241** Posted **May 6, 2015, 4:43 PM**

Welcome to 'noirish Los Angeles' Matt! -your SMOKETOWN project sounds very interesting.

ethereal_reality · #**28242** Posted **May 6, 2015, 5:27 PM**

Street view along Vernon Avenue in 1954.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1954-NOSTALG...item3f4ad10e3c

I've tried to find the church for a comparison photo of the street corner, but I haven't had much luck yet in locating it.

I just spotted another clue. While trying to figure out the image on top of the Chop Suey sign (I thought it was a bee with huge eyes. lol),
I see at the bottom of the sign it says Owl Café.

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ethereal_reality · #**28243** Posted **May 6, 2015, 5:50 PM**

eBay

and today

gsv

Hmmmm...or maybe she was on the other side of P.C.H.
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Beaudry · #**28244** Posted **May 6, 2015, 6:22 PM**

Hullo folks,

Perhaps you remember my recent shout out to the Central Library's ongoing exhibition about noirish mainstay Bunker Hill. There, I mentioned that at the upcoming opening shindig on the 13th, you could buy the accompanying book—

—well, just a quick note to let you know, the book is available on Amazon now, for those of you so inclined. (If you like that sort of thing, it's the sort of thing you'll like!)

MichaelRyerson · #**28245** Posted **May 6, 2015, 6:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

eBay

Mrs. Sheldon Cooper.

and today

gsv

Hmmmm...or maybe she was on the other side of P.C.H.
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'Beware the woman in comfortable shoes'

ethereal_reality · #**28246** Posted **May 6, 2015, 6:35 PM**

...or dressed to the nines.

eBay

Los Angeles 1960s, Kodachrome slide.
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HossC · #**28247** Posted **May 6, 2015, 7:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Street view along Vernon Avenue in 1954.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1954-NOSTALG...item3f4ad10e3c

I've tried to find the church for a comparison photo of the street corner, but I haven't had much luck yet in locating it.

I just spotted another clue. While trying to figure out the image on top of the Chop Suey sign (I thought it was a bee with huge eyes. lol),
I see at the bottom of the sign it says Owl Café.

The 1956 CD lists the Owl Cafe No 1 at 1060 E Vernon Avenue. The sign behind the Owl Cafe sign appears to say "JEWELRY", which could be Parry Jewelry, and the dentist whose sign is in the shadows on the left could be Dr William J Gay. Additionally, Capitol Radio and TV could well be the owners of the "RADIO" sign on the right.

LAPL

If I sound a little unsure about the location, it's just that E Vernon now looks like this, and I can't match a single building. Looking at Historic Aerials, the stores on the left, and the church on the right, seem to disappear between 1964 and 1972, but the earlier images are too blurry to be certain.

GSV

Matt Maxwell · #**28248** Posted **May 6, 2015, 7:42 PM**

Not noir at this point, but more a crumbling reminder. Shameful that Frank Lloyd Wright's work would be allowed into this kind of disrepair:

DSCF1687.JPG by maxwellm, on Flickr

Taken in 2004. Shudder to think what it looks like now.

MichaelRyerson · #**28249** Posted **May 6, 2015, 7:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Maxwell

Not noir at this point, but more a crumbling reminder. Shameful that Frank Lloyd Wright's work would be allowed into this kind of disrepair:

DSCF1687.JPG by maxwellm, on Flickr

Taken in 2004. Shudder to think what it looks like now.

Stop shuddering...

Ennis House restoration

Wikimedia.org

still an ugly 'house'

ethereal_reality · #**28250** Posted **May 6, 2015, 7:48 PM**

1956 city directory

I see that it says the Owl Cafe' on Vernon is No.#1, so I take it there were numerous Owl Cafes.
I was thinking something noirish had happened at one of the locations, but then realized I was thinking about the fictional Nite Owl Café in L.A. Confidential.

The Nite Owl Café was filmed at 119 E. 6th Street, downtown.

http://www.iamnotastalker.com/2010/0...-confidential/

http://www.iamnotastalker.com/2010/0...-confidential/

J & J Sandwich Shop, 119 E. 6th Street

gsv

It's directly across the street from Coles.

gsv

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Matt Maxwell · #**28251** Posted **May 6, 2015, 9:15 PM**

Thanks for the Ennis House update! I'll have to stop by again for some before and after action.

Also, Cole's is pretty good if you want a French Dip (specially after shopping at the Last Bookstore) but I really dig Phillippe's more when I'm in the neighborhood.

Miss living close to LA. I really do.

tovangar2 · #**28252** Posted **May 6, 2015, 9:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I recently came across this 'foreboding' apartment building on the southeast corner of 9th & Gramercy Place.

google street view

below: I lightened this image to see what is carved above the entrance but the damn utility pole was in the way.

google street view.

My guess is that it says 'Chateau Du-Val' but nothing came up when I googled that name.

Wouldn't you absolutely love to rummage through the basement of this place? It sends my imagination soaring!

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I really like William B David's Chateau Du-Val, 3748 W 9th,. It looks like the little tomboy sister of Leland Bryant's 1930 La Fontaine at Fountain and Crescent Heights.. Tougher, smaller and less elegant. To enter the La Fountaine one must mount rather grand stairs to a raised terrace and wend one's way through the landscaping before passing a fountain-graced reflecting pool to arrive at the front door. To get into the Du-Val, one just walks in off the street.

The Chateau Du-Val was built in 1929 and I'm suspecting both it and the 1930 La Fontaine of being built of used brick, maybe City Hall's. The buildings are certainly the right era for it and there was plenty of brick to go around. The softly-worn bricks are a lovely rosy color.

The entrance has a terrific pair of lanterns and what looks like excellent stained glass in the transom and the windows either side of the door:

laurban

Flipping retro-fitting bolts. Now it says, "Chateau Du-Va":

pinterest

The NE corner:

gsv

The west wall:

gsv

West wall detail:

gsv

The SW corner:

gsv

The north front. There's three brick chimneys across the roof and a very picturesque vent coming out of the tower:

gsv

The upper facade. The basement is all yours e_r, I'd love to know what goes on in the attic. It's got operable windows:

gsv

Like the La Fountaine, the Chateau Du-Val's back faces south. They're missing a great opportunity not opening the back of the attic up for a penthouse with terrace as was done at the La Fountaine in the 60s:

Quote:

Originally Posted by tovangar2

lafontainewesthollywood.com

Interiors:

laurban

laurban

My favorite: metal-framed, multi-paned casement windows:

gsv

wikimedia

Don't miss GW's follow-up post

ethereal_reality · #**28253** Posted **May 6, 2015, 9:23 PM**

Excellent post on the Chateau Du-Val tovanger2.
The worn bricks certainly have a lot of character -so perhaps you're right about the 'used' bricks.
(and I still want to go down in the basement

)

GaylordWilshire · #**28254** Posted **May 6, 2015, 10:15 PM**

Times June 7, 1929

ethereal_reality · #**28255** Posted **May 6, 2015, 10:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Maxwell

DSCF1687.JPG by maxwellm, on Flickr

Matt, your photograph of the Ennis-Brown house has inspired me to post some screen-grabs I took a few months ago while watching the late, late, late show.
Pretty much everyone knows the house was used, most famously, in 'Blade Runner' (1982), and as the exterior façade of the 'House On Haunted Hill' (1959), among others,
but I had no idea it was used years before, in a Ruth Chatterton movie called 'Female' (1933).

'Female' (1933), Warner Bros.

warner bros.

a car zooms in.

warner bros.

After the above scenes it's a bit difficult to tell the real Ennis house from the Ennis inspired movie sets.

warner bros.

this definitely looks like a set.

warner bros.

One extravagant scene takes places around the pool. (the Ennis-Brown house does have a pool, but I'm pretty sure this is a movie set)

warner bros.

swan dive!

warner bros.

Joe Roig?

warner bros.

close-up of the edge of the pool. (note the art deco sculpture)

warner bros.

here's a better look. pretty impressive isn't it.

warner bros.

There's no trace of the Ennis house in the striking art deco interiors. Ennis is all blocks, squares and right-angles, so I doubt there would have been a curved staircase.

warner bros.

What's this?

warner bros.

A later scene shows a man sitting up there. It's a pipe-organ! Only in the movies!

warner bros.

How do you suppose the organist got up there? -a step-ladder? lol.
_____________

Here's an aerial of FLW's Ennis-Brown House showing the pool.

google_earth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ennis_House

Tourmaline · #**28256** Posted **May 6, 2015, 10:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

1925 - Wilshire and Catalina , 306 Catalina Dr. Orville J. Nordeen.

google

Unchopped - icon

All B&W images from USC Digital

Not all awnings have seen their last sunset.

3630 West Third Street (What was once "Sharps Drugs" is currently "#2 Fashion of Echo.")

http://s3-media1.fl.yelpassets.com/b...Q3emw/348s.jpg

When it comes to car polish and/or chrome, this car has likely - never enjoyed any.

ethereal_reality · #**28257** Posted **May 6, 2015, 11:50 PM**

re: The Wild Party (1956)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beaudry

Ray Luna's Near N' Far, 7823 Sta Monica Blvd

Here's the 'Near 'N Far' in 2014.

I meant to post this earlier.

gsv

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tovangar2 · #**28258** Posted **May 6, 2015, 11:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Times June 7, 1929

That's great. The attic is (or was) being used (I'm not sure how that works as there's only 4 small windows and they're all on the front). Maybe the squares grouped in the center of the roof are skylights(?), but that still doesn't seem like enough light:

google maps

The furnishings sound incredible. I wonder what happened to all that.

"The large rear yard will provide a 9-hole putting green and a beautifully landscaped and furnished garden for tea and bridge parties"

A pity that's no longer in place (if it ever actually happened):

"Sanitas walls"

Earl Boebert · #**28259** Posted **May 7, 2015, 12:09 AM**

There may have been excellent Owl Cafe's in LA, but those in the know, there is only one transcendental establishment by that name: The Owl Cafe in San Antonio, New Mexico, inventor of the green chile cheeseburger.

Just sayin'

Cheers,

Earl

tovangar2 · #**28260** Posted **May 7, 2015, 12:34 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

The worn bricks certainly have a lot of character -so perhaps you're right about the 'used' bricks.

I don't really know. Perhaps my propensity for speculation has gotten the better of me (again).

The La Fountaine

lafontainewesthollywood.com

The Chateau Du-Val

gsv

The beautifully laid bricks of the Heinsbergen Studio. The faces of the bricks stand proud of the mortar which gives texture and visual interest

gsv

Thx e_r for your post on Ennis House and Female (1933)