noirish Los Angeles - Page 181

gsjansen · #**3601** Posted **Apr 18, 2011, 7:03 PM**

all righty then! i just received the outsider dvd's, and quickly popped the disc containing the episode through the looking glass into the ol' comp...........wow!

an added plus that i noticed while fast forwarding to the bunker hill scenes, is that the original commercials from 1969 are included.

i am looking forward to spending a few evenings watching this program, (i do not recall the show whilst growing up).....(yes,,,,,i'm that old........i was born while ike was still liked), to hopefully report back on some other los angeles, on locale shooting that might have been done for the series

GaylordWilshire · #**3602** Posted **Apr 18, 2011, 9:07 PM**

Mechanix Illustrated/Hemmings

The text accompanying this shot:

"If you’ve ever lived in an apartment, or in some other arrangement where you didn’t have access to a space to work on your car, you’ve likely had the same idea that Ray Woolley had: a self-service garage, where the garage owner provides the space and tools for rent, while you provide the labor. Woolley discussed his idea rather in depth for an article in the November 1951 issue of Mechanix Illustrated.

"Would an idea like this work today? Of course not. You’d have lawyers swarming on you in an instant, and if you managed to fend them off, you’d have insurance rates through the roof. I would like to know, though, how long Woolley made a go at his idea. However long Ray Woolley’s Self-Service Garage did make it, we know that it doesn’t exist today: a Mercado Garibaldi occupies the building today at 1051 W. Washington Blvd. in Los Angeles."

Google Street View
The vintage lamp standard and semaphore are gone, but the stack between the two buildings is still there, leaning just
a little more more 60 years later....

ethereal_reality · #**3603** Posted **Apr 18, 2011, 10:38 PM**

^^^What is that crap they use to cover older buildings?
Do they honestly think that by covering the brick they're creating something better???

MikeD · #**3604** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 12:19 AM**

All this talk about gas tanks got me to remembering the first chapter of the Republic Pictures 1943 serial, 'The Masked Marvel'. The end of this chapter has the Marvel duking it out with Japanese agent Sakima's hired thugs (what these thugs thought was going to happen to them if Japan won the war is anybody's guess). Somehow, I don't remember how but a thug may have tossed a wrench at him, the Marvel gets knocked off the top of the gas tank to end the chapter. On the way down, the dummy representing the Marvel gets its arm caught in the rigging and it is clearly RIPPED OFF the dummy! I won't spoil the cliffhanger, but I will say that when chapter two ends, the Marvel has both arms attached.

GaylordWilshire · #**3605** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 1:53 AM**

As seen on several blogs, new street signs are appearing downtown, starting at ground zero of Los Angeles addresses:

forums.signaltraffic.com

forums.signaltraffic.com
Time flies: I didn't realize that the current blue trapezoidal sign was first used in 1985, but I do remember on its introduction lamenting the loss of what
to me are the iconic "shotguns", which I've also seen referred to as "pistols". (Once upon a time, both NYC and LA seemed to have great continuity in
municipal signage--now it seems to be a race to see who can have the greatest variety of street signs.) Perhaps the new signs with the city seal will
remain confined to downtown, but it still seems a little odd to introduce yet another design, especially with so many shotguns still in place--NOT that
I'm complaining about that! Anyway, it seems I needn't really have worried about the passing of the 'guns, since a casual cruise around town, from
Boyle Heights to Pacific Palisades, reveals that, 26 years later, plenty of them, for whatever reason, are still in place--often, oddly, with newer signs
on the same corner:

Google Street View

forums.signaltraffic.com

laobserved.com

sopas ej · #**3606** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 2:16 AM**

I've always loved the shotguns. I don't see why they don't just continue making them. if there's now some kind of reflective sign law, then just make the letters reflective white, then.

I'm not sure if I like the new street signs that are popping up downtown, I noticed them about a year ago or so (maybe 2?). They at first popped up near City Hall and the new LAPD headquarters, and then some months ago I noticed a few in Little Tokyo and in the Arts District-- but none outside of downtown (not yet, anyway). To me they look like they're trying to emulate an older shape, but the material used (thin, chintzy, reflective)-- I'm somehow not feeling it.

Pasadena used to have total old school type of street signs, until about 2003 or 2004, when they switched to what I think are very generic-looking reflective green signs with white lettering, street signs I totally associate with suburban areas and Orange County; and for some reason, it seems to me that many cities in other states also use nondistinctive green rectangular street signs. Why, I wonder? I do know of one older Pasadena street sign that still exists; for some reason, their public works department left it alone; I think because it's on the border of South Pasadena; it's actually on the South Pasadena side of the border. If it were daytime right now I'd've taken a picture of it and the generic newer ones. Oh well.

sopas ej · #**3607** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 2:19 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsjansen

all righty then! i just received the outsider dvd's, and quickly popped the disc containing the episode through the looking glass into the ol' comp...........wow!

an added plus that i noticed while fast forwarding to the bunker hill scenes, is that the original commercials from 1969 are included.

i am looking forward to spending a few evenings watching this program, (i do not recall the show whilst growing up).....(yes,,,,,i'm that old........i was born while ike was still liked), to hopefully report back on some other los angeles, on locale shooting that might have been done for the series

These are like really amazing.

I could be wrong, but recall seeing a Disney movie in a theater when I was about 8, called "Return to Witch Mountain," and I want to say that they used a nearly leveled Bunker Hill in some scenes. I could be wrong. It just hit me that Bette Davis was also in that movie. Hmm, Bette Davis, a nearly leveled Bunker Hill... almost like a "Dead Ringer" of revisit of sorts for her, I suppose.

sopas ej · #**3608** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 2:48 AM**

Without her, there'd BE no Paramount Pictures!

From the book "Beverly Hills: 1930-2005."

I miss these Beverly Hills street signs. Again, they were old school; I really loved the font of the letters and numbers. These replaced the stenciled curb signs that Beverly Hills used to have.

from superstock.com

They existed up until 1990 or 1991, when the City of Beverly Hills replaced them with these, which are still in use:

from the chimes online

I used to not like them, but I've since gotten used to them.

Jeremyscareme · #**3609** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 5:05 AM**

Do any of you good folks have vintage photography of the Eastern Columbia building? I'd love to see any images that show off the entrance or the window displays. I'm also curious to see how the interior really looked. I live in that building and I plan on haunting it for years to come.

LAboomer52 · #**3610** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 5:50 AM**

This architectural rendering of the Art Deco office tower is by architect Claude Beelman.

lapl

Here she is in 1930, about half way built.

lapl

I love this view as seen here in the cal state library

What an entrance!

cal state

interiors from cal state images:

Building's new second-floor fashion center, which had grand opening in 1950

lapl

Eastern Noir, of course

cal state lib

Here is the clock in 2005

lapl

ethereal_reality · #**3611** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 6:08 AM**

Here are a couple more 'Jeremyscareme' / this one is dated 1951.

usc

below: Actress Monica Lewis gets ready to turn back the clock on Sept. 23, 1950.

lapl

I bet she was ready to kill her agent after this stunt.

ersatz01 · #**3612** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 6:13 AM**

Hello, I just needed to write a thank you to everyone participating in this incredible thread. I was going to wait until I caught up with you to the present (I'm still around April/May 2010, page 67), but I needed to say how much I am in awe about all the stuff that you've uncovered - many things that I've wondered about in L.A. The Beaudry House blows my mind. Since I live in the historic core (4th & Main), I'm overly obsessed about this stuff. I can't wait to contribute what I have when I do catch up (hopefully soon).

In the meantime, maybe you saw this new game that Rockstar (the makers of the Grand Theft Auto series) put out called "L.A. Noire". It's set in 1947 L.A. You play a detective in the LAPD, and just like the Grand Theft Auto series, you have the ability to explore the city, here 8 blocks of what is said to be a historically accurate downtown L.A. I didn't see this posted yet, so I'm sorry if it's here somewhere (doesn't look like it). I'm curious about how well this is put together - I was already impressed with the city layouts in the Grand Theft Auto series, and think this one could be really well done. Just wanted to let this forum know the game's existence. Here's the trailer for the game: http://www.rockstargames.com/lanoire/

ethereal_reality · #**3613** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 6:21 AM**

Welcome to the thread ersatz01!

It will be great to hear more from you. It isn't often that we hear from a person living in downtown Los Angeles
that is so enthusiastic about the past.

GaylordWilshire · #**3614** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 11:07 AM**

sopas:

I've gotten used to the new BH signs, too... but if I become mayor of the city, my first act will be to replace them all with the Swanson signs, if not the curb lettering....and damned th expense! And if I decide to be mayor of L.A. instead--it'll be back to shotguns everywhere. Only one type of street sign will be tolerated in Gaylord's Los Angeles. Got that?

As for Pasadena... I'll leave that up to you. Btw, the sun is up here in NY--show us some signs!

gsjansen · #**3615** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 3:55 PM**

some more The Outsider, Los Angeles on location filming....

looking towards civic center from the chandler pavillion

driving west on sunset boulevard past the largo and the villa nova at wetherly drive

driving west on sunset boulevard past gazzarri's, (formerly sherry's the site of the failed 1949 mob hit on mickey cohen)

looking west on 1st street in little tokyo from central avenue

looking north on la cienega towards santa monica boulevard past the losers club

walking south on olvera street from macy street

driving west on 5th street between hope and flower past the library with the richfield building in the background

Darren McGavin's office was in the Hudson Apartments Building at 6533 hollywood boulevard. he would park his car next door at the parking lot in front of the Janes Sisters house

more to follow.............................................i'm sure

GaylordWilshire · #**3616** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 4:36 PM**

LAPL

LAPL
1960: Not sure how long this form of supplemental street sign lasted...

Per the February 12, 1958, Examiner: "On the original tract map, the street name was shown as 'Viscount Street.' But, when eleven families moved into
their new homes they were surprised to find the sign on the corner post reading 'Discount Street.' Somebody pulled a booboo. So, Mrs. M.J. Balma of
3301 Discount, Alhambra--half of the street is in that community, the other in Los Angeles--circulated a petition to have the name changed. Yesterday,
the homeowners announced that Alhambra had approved the petition, but now they need action from Los Angeles. 'It just wouldn't do to have one
section as 'Viscount' and the other remain 'Discount','' one homeowner commented. 'Besides, we're getting tired of being dubbed '20 per cent Alley' by
our friends and neighbors.'"

It looks like the Long Beach Freeway did a number on the L.A. section of "Discount Street." (Btw, the Alhambra section is in or near the old Midwick
Country Club tract. One of the only harmonious notes for an L.A. nerd in the recent HBO Mildred Pierce was the young Veda's mention that Monty "plays
for Midwick." Right over the tops of the heads of most, who at the same time didn't mind the excruciating attempt to pass off NYC and environs as
SoCal....)

More on current and changing L.A. street signs--a few comments from the Militant Angeleno's entries on the subject, one alarming, one comforting:

Anonymous said...
"Actually, I did some research on this. This is a federal requirement and none of L.A.'s current street signs (other than the brand new ones) fit the bill. So over the next 5 years the city will be replacing *every* (or, supposedly, every) street sign in the city with the new Chevrolet-logo-shaped signs, with smaller versions (with no City logo) on side streets.... I'll miss the shotgun signs the most! And the City won't put them up for sale, either. They'll be recycled for scrap."

jamesinclair said...
"The rumors that the feds will force all the street signs to change is false....
The rules say that going forward, all the signs must meet the new font and reflective guidelines, and existing signs can live out their remaining life [itals mine]....
It's important to note that the oldest signs are all "illegal" because they do not meet the reflective guidelines. Usually signs fade after 20 years and must be replaced, but of course there's no such thing as a federal signage police."...

The estimable Militant Angeleno's recent street-sign posts are here:

http://militantangeleno.blogspot.com...-of-times.html

http://militantangeleno.blogspot.com...-of-times.html

GaylordWilshire · #**3617** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 9:39 PM**

USCDL

I know we've seen this shot, or a variation of it, before, but I post it now in recommending the HBO documentary His Way, the subject of which is producer Jerry Weintraub. It's not exactly noir, of course, but somehow there are reverberations of it--definitely show-biz, definitely Hollywood in the broader sense of time and that old Tinsletown razzle-dazzle. (I'm not sure why a blowup of the Miracle Mile scene above [plus a '53 Corvette] was chosen as the backdrop for a number of the interviewees, but it was.) His wife, singer Jane Morgan, figures prominently and adds to the effect of old Hollywood glamour.

ethereal_reality · #**3618** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 9:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsjansen

gasometer bites the dust in war of the worlds - 1954

LOL....this is great gsj!

__________________

I found a couple more gasometer pics that I had in my files.

below: An early photo of a gasometer as seen from East 1st St. & Rio St.

calisphere

below: gasometer noir.

I'm not sure.

gsjansen, your screen grabs from 'The Outside' are fantastic. I can't wait to see more.
I didn't realize the series only ran for one year (Sept. 1968-Sept. 1969)

GaylordWilshire · #**3619** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 9:58 PM**

dvisible.com

ethereal_reality · #**3620** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 11:30 PM**

Hmmm.....I think you're on to something GW.

questions:
Does the Bonaventure still have exterior elevators ala 'The Towering Inferno'?
Does the cocktail lounge at the top still revolve?