noirish Los Angeles

[Lomara]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

Oh gawd. My irregular stepfather took me on this rollercoaster when I was about 7 years old. I had never heard of it or what it was. It was 1 minute 43 seconds, 50 mph and 3,700 feet of sheer hell. I hated it.

I too just had a flashback to a visit to this coaster. I was about 10, and was with my neighbor (who Mom hired to babysit me during the summer), and her granddaughters. I refused to ride it. They rode it, and from my 10yr old child's perspective, I thought they were lucky it didn't fling them to their deaths. It was a rickety noisy rattling thing.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by Lomara

I too just had a flashback to a visit to this coaster. I was about 10, and was with my neighbor (who Mom hired to babysit me during the summer), and her granddaughters. I refused to ride it. They rode it, and from my 10yr old child's perspective, I thought they were lucky it didn't fling them to their deaths. It was a rickety noisy rattling thing.

Over the years several people were killed on that contraption. Yes, it was an old creaking ramshackle 4 car coaster-train with well-worn red leather upholstery.

My dodgy stepfather thought that taking me on it was amusing. In my Navy days I went to that Long Beach venue several times but not anywhere near that death ride. No thanks.

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

July 8, 1980, Los Angeles Times:

Of the 4 massage locations, including Circus Maximus, mentioned in this article that challenged the ban on nighttime massages, I managed to find a photo of one of them:

West L.A. Massage, 7756 Santa Monica Blvd. (about 3 blocks east of Fairfax Ave.)
Taken December 16, 1977.

LAPL

It's not an expansive view of the location, but in the window reflection you can discern a hardware and liquor store among the buildings across the street.

Currently at this address is Langer's Luggage & Shoe Repair, but right next door is a massage place.

7754 Santa Monica Blvd.: New York Deli
7756 Santa Monica Blvd.: Langer's Luggage & Shoe Repair
7758 Santa Monica Blvd.: Smile Massage

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by unihikid

CBD you caught my attention. My dad was a part of the Robins during the start of his career. He joined them when he was around 15 years old (supposedly he was found singing on the corner of western and adams while selling eggs, which might be a myth..)and was quickly trained by the group as a replacement lead, and a la Frankie Lymon as bringing a younger sound to the group.


The Robins stayed on Arvee for about two years, then they kinda disbanded, some of them went to their parent group (The Coasters), the Richard's went to the family business of running Spaulding Mortuary off of LaBrea, but from time to time rejoin the surviving Robins for speacial occasions such as the Rhythm and Blues Foundation or R and R Hall of Fame ceremonies.

Back to the Olympics... I knew of two of them. One of them was named Charles, he lived close by and would always tour with dad. I want to say he passed away in the mid 90's but i really don't remember.


This photo was taken prior to 1986, which was the year that Bobby Nunn passed away. L.A. was filled with great musicians who all worked together and knew each other, which I've always been fascinated with. Its crazy to think that most of the men in the photo above, could go to Arvee Records, record a tune, then walk down the street to Imperial and do the same, then go across the hall to Sar and do the same and so on and on...

Wow, thanks Unihi for the info. Handsome father and slim too. Yes, those days were lots of fun and with real music .

[tovangar2]

Is anyone else a reader of the Central City Crime Report? It's so weirdly dry it's almost lulling, while, at the same time, leaving one with an Edward Gorey-ish sense of creeping unease:



"DTLA - In the Central City Crime Report, we survey the recent week in public safety. All information is provided by the LAPD’s Central Division.


On the morning of June 10, a person was sleeping on a bench on Hope Street. Someone approached and grabbed the individual’s luggage.

Someone smashed the passenger-side window of a car parked on North Broadway on the morning of June 10. The thief took clothes and a radio.

At some point between June 10-15, unidentified individuals got past a fence at a Little Tokyo temple on Third Street. A door was pried open and unspecified items were taken.

At mid-day on June 10, two people got into an argument at Sixth Street and Stanford Avenue. One person hit the other with a flashlight.

A women entered a store on Colyton Street on the afternoon of June 10. She picked up a hat, put it on and then left without paying. She fled on a scooter.

A woman attempted to cut in line for a restroom at a nightclub on the evening of June 10. Another woman told her to wait her turn.
The first woman began kicking and punching the person, knocking her out.

At mid-day on June 10, a man armed with scissors approached someone on San Pedro Street, raised the scissors and threatened, “I’m going to stab you.”

An apartment resident answered a knock at the door on June 11. When the door opened, a person on the other side pepper sprayed the inhabitant,
then punched the person in the eye and demanded money.

While on a Metrolink train at Union Station on June 12, a man got up to use the restroom. When he returned, his bag was gone.

On the morning of June 12, a motorist accidentally struck a car’s window at Ninth Street and Grand Avenue. The other driver then tried to ram the motorist.

Three people approached a pedestrian at Olympic Boulevard and Olive Street on the afternoon of June 13. One grabbed the victim’s phone while the other pulled out a gun.
The third assailant hit the victim before all three fled."

[odinthor]

For your delectation, two maps of the Nu-Pike area in Long Beach (did anyone ever really call it "Nu-Pike" [as signs would have it] in conversation? To my family, it was always just "The Pike"):

1958:


https://longbeachhistory.wordpress.c...there-in-1958/, detail, much enlarged.

1970:


https://www.flickr.com/groups/thepike/

[MartinTurnbull]

A while ago I came across a photo of the Garden of Allah I hadn't seen before. It was taken from the north side of Sunset Blvd some time in the late 1940s. It was obviously a scan from a book but I didn't know what book. So I kept photo and paid some guy on Fiverr to clean it up for me. Then, this past week, I revealed the cover for the 9th and final book in my series of novel set in and around the Garden of Allah and Los Angeles in the late 1920s through late 1950s and to help launch it, I wanted a memorable image along with the cover art that I was revealing. So I threw another five bucks at Fiverr to colorize it for me. It's not quite the same as finding a nice, crisp Kodakchrome of the place (which would be my holy grail) but until I do, this'll have to suffice.

BEFORE:



AFTER:

[tovangar2]

Someone just asked me if I have any info on the theft of Hoosier Caroline A. Lloyd's 7' bronze of "Poise" (1946) from the Rose Garden at Exposition Park.

I can't even find a photo of it before it was lopped off at the ankles.

Anyone here have the story?


publicartinla

[ethereal_reality]

Prospect at Myra Avenues / Los Angeles, 1961


jericl cat on flickr

At first I was a bit baffled by this photograph, but luckily jericl cat included the location, "Prospect and Myra Avenue".

The woman is standing in the parking lot of Prospect Studios before the parking lot was enlarged to include that empty lot you see behind her in the 1961 pic.

Below: I placed a red dot where I believe the woman was standing when she posed for the photo.


GSV

History of Prospect Studios HERE
(as most of you know, it opened in 1915 as Vitagraph Studio)

[ethereal_reality]

re: Fee-Fi-Faux flowers in Virginia Hotel's Sunken Garden

Originally Posted by odinthor

Why, I think we've been hornswoggled, e_r, hornswoggled, I'm tellin' ya!

odinthor, do you mean to tell me that different color roses can't grow from the same bush?


california-looks-good-to-me-roses

[sopas ej]

Temple Street looking west from about Edgeware Road, Los Angeles, 1930.

USC Archive



A then and now...

The house at the end of Edgeware Road is at 1274 Court Street, Los Angeles. Circa 1901.

USC Archive

The same house, 2018. Picture taken by Laurie Avocado. I'm amazed the house has survived, nearly 120 years later.


My apologies if these pictures have already been posted!

[ethereal_reality]

WALK OF 1,000 LIGHTS

Originally Posted by odinthor

I'm curious about the 'Walk of 1,000 Lights'.




Below: Is this it?


Howard Gribble on flickr Early 1980s.

It seems to be in the right location according to odinthor's 1970 map.
____








To be totally honest the first photo that came up when I googled "Walk of 1,000 Lights' was this one with a sniper mid snipering.


disneywizard

But I don't see any lights, just flags.

The screengrabs are from the short lived television series, S.W.A.T. (1975-1976), Episode Sole Survivor


This screengrab tells us it's the same street as the top photograph.


disneywizard

So am I correct in saying this is the 'Walk of 1,000 Lights'?



_

[odinthor]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

re: Fee-Fi-Faux flowers in Virginia Hotel's Sunken Garden


odinthor, do you mean to tell me that different color roses can't grow from the same bush?


california-looks-good-to-me-roses

In truth, e_r, . . . I admit that could happen via a couple of routes. And, if NLA doesn't mind a little horticultural data: Route 1: Most roses are grafted onto a rootstock. Someone who wanted to have a little fun could graft two (or more) different scions (from different varieties) onto the same rootstock, so though it's all the same bush because it's all on the same roots, you could have red roses and yellow roses (or whatever) on the same bush this way (it's also done with fruit trees sometimes); it's kind of a silly novelty hardly ever done because it's grotesque (different varieties often grow in different ways, so the bush would look strange), but it is possible; Route 2: Some roses open one color, then mature to another color, so, if you have young blossoms and old blossoms together, there can be different colors of roses on the same bush; a person could also make a case for Route 3 (which is much like Route 2): Weather at a certain stage of development often affecting blossom color, if it's cold at said certain stage of one blossom, and hot at that same certain stage for another, the colors would potentially be somewhat different; Route 4 would be if a rose bush produces a different-colored sport on the bush. And of course there's Route 5: Edwin sneaks into the garden during the night and paints them different colors.

[Scott Charles]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

I remember there were widely held suspicions that less-than-wholesome activities occurred inside that house, but we had no
first-hand reports like yours.

I found no older references than the 1967 Billboard ad and the 1950 Sanborn. The house wasn't built in the City of Los Angeles,
so there are no LADBS construction permits for 1227 N. La Cienega.

There's another Circus Maximus ad here, as well as ads for similar establishments.

Thanks, FW.

[odinthor]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

WALK OF 1,000 LIGHTS


I'm curious about the 'Walk of 1,000 Lights'.




Below: Is this it?


Howard Gribble on flickr Early 1980s.

It seems to be in the right location according to odinthor's 1970 map.
____








To be totally honest: The first photo that came up when I googled "Walk of 1,000 Lights' was this one with a sniper mid snipering.


disneywizard

But I don't see any lights, just flags.

The screengrabs are from the short lived television series, S.W.A.T. (1975-1976), Episode Sole Survivor


This screengrab tells us it's the same street as the top photograph.


disneywizard

So am I correct in saying this is the 'Walk of 1,000 Lights'?



_

Quite so, e_r; but well past its heyday, when I guess they got tired of paying the electric bill for all the lights. I'm astounded that I can't find a picture of the midway showing why it was called the "Walk of 1,000 Lights"; so instead here's the Pike from the air in 1940:


pinterest

[Scott Charles]

Originally Posted by odinthor

Most roses are grafted onto a rootstock. Someone who wanted to have a little fun could graft two (or more) different scions (from different varieties) onto the same rootstock, so though it's all the same bush because it's all on the same roots, you could have red roses and yellow roses (or whatever) on the same bush this way (it's also done with fruit trees sometimes)

Odinthor, might I ask you a question?

I am re-doing my late father’s garden, and I was thinking about these single trees that can grow multiple citrus fruits. For example:

Citrus range include: Lemons, Limes, Mandarins, Oranges, Tangelos, Pomelos, Grapefruits, and Lemonades.

Of course, the idea of having such a tree is quite tempting!

Do you know if there are any downsides to having such a hybrid citrus tree? Do you know if they are perhaps hard to maintain, lacking in vigor, or anything else a potential planter should be aware of?

PS: I already have an orange tree and a lemon tree, and they both seem to be essentially maintenance free.

[odinthor]

Originally Posted by Scott Charles

Odinthor, might I ask you a question?

I am re-doing my late father’s garden, and I was thinking about these single trees that can grow multiple citrus fruits. For example:



Of course, the idea of having such a tree is quite tempting!

Do you know if there are any downsides to having such a hybrid citrus tree? Do you know if they are perhaps hard to maintain, lacking in vigor, or anything else a potential planter should be aware of?

PS: I already have an orange tree and a lemon tree, and they both seem to be essentially maintenance free.

The main problem is that different parts of the trees will potentially grow differently. Consequently, you'd have to mind your p's and q's to make sure that, say, the Orange portion of the tree didn't crowd out (and maybe kill) the Lemon portion of the tree, just because one grows faster and the other slower. But part of the fun of gardening is trying new things and seeing how it goes!

[odinthor]

The Pike in relation to the Virginia hotel (the large building in the distance):


odinthor collection/http://web.csulb.edu/~odinthor/socal20.html

If I'm not mistaken, the "Walk of 1,000 Lights" is not what we're seeing at center going diagonally across the card but rather would be the (unseen in image) parallel walk next over to the right (in other words, on the other side of the buildings we see to the right).

[Tourmaline]

Wynn Chevrolet. Showroom vehicles depicted appear to be from early '50s. Several sources place it on Colorado Blvd.

2/16/1933 - Wynn Chevrolet opens larger quarters at 2254 Colorado Blvd. http://eaglerockhistory.org/timeline/

1940 CD lists 2118 Colorado. 1960 CD lists 2030 Colorado Blvd. Other sources suggest it later morphed into "Citizens Chevrolet" at same 2030 Colorado Blvd. address. The image is familiar and may be a NLA repeat. Wonder if the seemingly ubiquitous corner structure with the arched windows exists.


https://fedora.digitalcommonwealth.o...ess800/content

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Tourmaline

The image is familiar and may be a NLA repeat. Wonder if the seemingly ubiquitous corner structure with the arched windows exists.

Yes it does:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/20....2119542?hl=en

It's is a block west from one of my favorite casual dining Mexican restaurants, Taco Spot.