noirish Los Angeles

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

I suppose the people in the back seat are eating hamburgers.

The car is a '32 Ford--first year of the famous flathead V8

Some genius at Ford should make a complete replica of that car (but modern on the inside). Would sell like hotcakes. Not talking PT cruiser--but a real replica. Bonnie & Clyde's fave car--the V8 flathead. Tired of these wimpy modern cars. 1920s & early '30s (pre-streamline)...When cars were cars etc. Who wouldn't want a car like that?

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

He was probably quoted accurately-- if that bust is any indication of the quality of her other work, I can see why Evelyn would have wanted it to stay in the studio. It's terrible.

I recall watching a bad but somewhat entertaining film about the Nesbit/Thaw/White murder-love triangle scandal. "Girl on the Red Velvet Swing". A young & lovely Joan Collins played "Gibson Girl" Nesbit, her nutty husband Thaw was played by Farley Granger, and doomed playboy architect Sanford "Sanny" White was played by Ray Milland, who always seemed slightly drunk. Apparently White pushed a nude Nesbit on a velvet swing in his secret love nest lair in the White-designed old Madison Square Garden (where he was also shot by Thaw at a banquet on the roof garden). Was the swing story made up by Nesbit to get her rich husband acquitted in his trial? Apparently there really was a red velvet swing. The rotating statue of the huntress/goddess Diana on top of Madison Square Garden campenile was rumored to have been posed by a nude Evelyn Nesbit, so this added to the hoopoolah of the trial. Before O.J., this was the "trial of the century".

Always thought Milland was somewhat overrated as an actor. Was well cast in the "Lost Weekend" though as a drunk. One of Milland's last films, "The Man With the X-Ray Eyes" is a hoot. Also has insult comedian Don Rickles in a bit part. Mad scientist Milland discovers eye drops that allows him to see through clothing. Of course he was always watching pretty ladies, when not drunk. The potboiler ends with some preacher shouting "if thine eyes offend thee, pluck them out!" & Milland does exactly that. The End.

The Nesbit/Thaw/White murder triangle was also covered in the book & film "Ragtime", of course. Enjoyable watching old trooper Jimmy Cagney play the police commissioner in that film.

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

______


In a return to it's history as "a forum for public speakers", I will be there at 9 a.m.
on Saturday, January 21st, for the Los Angeles offshoot of the Women's March on
Washington, followed at 10 a.m. by a march from Pershing Square to Los Angeles
City Hall.

For one near you: (men very much welcome, in case you were wondering)
https://www.womensmarch.com/sisters

Good luck on your march Martin. Sounds like a good place to pick up chicks.

[GaylordWilshire]

Where's the blood? These come up as the post-hacking bedrooms of Carrie and Robert Payne....






The items below are from insomnia...

Originally Posted by CaliNative

.... Apparently White pushed a nude Nesbit on a velvet swing in his secret love nest lair in the White-designed old Madison Square Garden (where he was also shot by Thaw at a banquet on the roof garden).

While we're stretching NLA to NYC for a bit-- Stanford White's "love nest" was not at MSG but rather across the park at 22 West 24th St-- it collapsed from neglect (if not from structural stresses in the White era) a few years ago. (The lot is now used as a parking lot.)

Originally Posted by tovangar2

I'm the last to know what's what, but you'd think if Harry wanted to plausibly deny paternity, he would have refused to participate in the conjugal visits with his wife (they were not divorced until 1916), not sent $3,650 per year in support or attempt to reconcile as late as 1926.

Nesbit tried to get the Thaw family to accept Russell, but they loathed and disapproved of her and wanted no permanent connection. For her part, Nesbit said, "A working girl could not fight the Thaw millions." Evelyn gave up trying to convince the terrifying "Mother Shaw", but continued to receive support payments from Harry. Nesbit's grandchildren, however, refer to Thaw as their grandfather.
.

The research varies-- the conjugal visits are not verifiable, of course...if they did occur, it is not "inconceivable" that Evelyn deliberately got herself knocked up to extort money from the Thaw family. She clearly wasn't playing with a full deck herself, or was simply and not implausibly looking for money, if she thought it was a good idea to even keep in touch with an obviously insane husband, a cold-blooded murder, who in 1916 was arrested for beating--and diddling--a 19-year-old boy. (As for his family's side--while no paragons themselves, their disapproval is understandable, since she had nothing if not a trashy past. Any money given by them to Evelyn was probably to keep the little grubber quiet.) Sad story all around. Evelyn never really had a chance, exploited by a grotesque pimp of a mother and then everyone else.

Originally Posted by CaliNative

Some genius at Ford should make a complete replica of that car (but modern on the inside). Would sell like hotcakes. Not talking PT cruiser--but a real replica. Bonnie & Clyde's fave car--the V8 flathead. Tired of these wimpy modern cars. 1920s & early '30s (pre-streamline)...When cars were cars etc. Who wouldn't want a car like that?

Ford would likely fire anyone who came up with such an unworkable, non-volume idea. If you want a stock-appearing '32 Ford with a modern drivetrain, I'm sure there are some for sale in Hemming's.

[SHERIFFPAUL]

This is North Santa Monica Beach in the 1880s, shortly after the Southern Pacific railroad reached the town.

[Ed Workman]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Good lookin' kid.....for a ax murderer.







Russell Thaw was also a test pilot


http://thetartanterror.blogspot.com/...1_archive.html

"He became a test pilot for Douglas Aircraft and participated in several programs.The first XB-43 took off on its maiden flight on May 17, 1946 , with test pilots Bob Brush and Russell Thaw.
He flew the first prototype XF3D-1 Skyknight on its initial flight on 23 March 1948."


this is a very cool pic.

http://thetartanterror.blogspot.com/...1_archive.html




ephemera



And get this, he was also the personal pilot for the Guggenheim family! (I wonder if he flew Peggy around)
__


Russell obviously made a good living, so why did Evelyn die pennyless? He could have helped her out financially.
(I wonder if he's in that funeral photograph I posted yesterday)

He died in 1984.

The airplane is the XB43 by Douglas. An article in the Los Angeles Times 18 May 1946 has a more head-on photo. It was said that the XB43 was 100 mph faster than the XB-42 also by Douglas but pushed by contra-rotating propellers The vertical tail fin looks a lot like that of an A-26

[Hollywood Graham]

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

Good luck on your march Martin. Sounds like a good place to pick up chicks.

Long a gathering place of everyone from Anarchist to just plain folk. Not as popular for "Soap Boxing" as in other times but it appears to be coming back to popularity. [IMG][/IMG] photo LAPL.

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by SHERIFFPAUL

This is North Santa Monica Beach in the 1880s, shortly after the Southern Pacific railroad reached the town.

Where'd you get the pic, deputy?

[HossC]

Here's the reverse of the Santa Monica picture.

E. G. Morrison, Photographer At Santa Monica, In Tent, On The Beach, Near Santa Monica Bath House.


Huntington Digital Library

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by HossC

Here's the reverse of the Santa Monica picture.

E. G. Morrison, Photographer At Santa Monica, In Tent, On The Beach, Near Santa Monica Bath House.


Huntington Digital Library

It's a really nice early image apparently predating the long wharf.

[HossC]

I thought I'd look for E. G. Morrison's tent. Instead, I found one which I think says "Coffee and Ice Cream Parlor" (on the flag), and another selling Fruits, Candies, Lemonade and Cigars.


Huntington Digital Library

[Blaster]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

I remember passing by that building when I was a kid in my parent's car on the Hollywood Freeway. I also remember the Richfield Tower in downtown L.A. I've been around and my memory is long.

A few years ago, the present owners of the American Storage Building painted some of its ornamentation ORANGE. I cringe every time I drive by.

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by HossC

I thought I'd look for E. G. Morrison's tent. Instead, I found one which I think says "Coffee and Ice Cream Parlor" (on the flag), and another selling Fruits, Candies, Lemonade and Cigars.


Huntington Digital Library

Ha! Did the exact same thing. Ran the zoom all the way up and scanned around looking for his photo tent. Did you see he died in 1888?

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by HossC

That's one of the details which makes me think that it's [the Carpenter's at] Sunset and Vine.

___________________________________________________________________

I'm recalling that we decided that there were briefly two Carpenter's for a time at Sunset and Vine, one on the Northeast corner and across the street on the Southeast corner, hence the two Sunset Blvd. addresses in the 1936 CD, the reason being the construction of NBC on the Northeast corner. I am guessing the Carpenter's that's being recently discussed is the one on the Northeast corner?

[HossC]

As luck would have it, today's Julius Shulman post also takes us to Santa Monica. It's "Job 3403: Allison and Rible, Rand Corporation (Santa Monica, Calif.), 1962". This is the only color image in the set. The black Thunderbird and red/white Chevy really stand out amongst the other drab colors.



Here's the other side of the building.



This close-up shows the entrance under the building. There are three other images in the set which just show similar angles, so I left them out.



All from Getty Research Institute

The building was white and gray in 2004.


www.californiacoastline.org

It was demolished not long after the picture above was taken, and the site is now Tongva Park. As you can see from the image below, the RAND Corporation has moved a couple of blocks south.


Google Maps

[Earl Boebert]

Brings back memories. Meeting with Willis Ware and the other pioneers of computer security there and at SDC. Followed by beer and burgers at the Oar House. [Dries tear, carries on :-)]

Cheers,

Earl

[SHERIFFPAUL]

Hollywoodland subdivision groundbreaking publicity photo includes a plow, mules and surveyors.

— thisweekincaliforniahistory.com

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Where's the blood?

GW, here's a pic of the ax murderer as he returns to the scene of the crime.


ebay

It took me a bit to find this. I had it stashed away in one of my old files.

__

[SHERIFFPAUL]

The XLNT tamale recipe that is still being used today dates back to 1906.
— articles.latimes.com

[SHERIFFPAUL]

1870
Old Plaza Church Los Angeles
Close-up view of the 'Old Plaza Church' (Mission Nuestra Senora Reina de Los Angeles) as it appeared in 1870. The three-story church features corner buttresses with spire-like tips.




— waterandpower.org