noirish Los Angeles

[rick m]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

This c. 1928 photo (which I've lightened a bit) shows a home on a corner on Bunker Hill. Does the house look familiar to anyone?

UCLA -- http://lit250v.library.ucla.edu/isla...bartlett%3A495

Excellent find !! Years since I poked through UCLA materials-- This was the domicile of newlywed brother of Lewis Bradbury-- John Bradbury - address 247 N. Bunker Hill Ave ( or 620 Temple) during it's shortish existence--at Temple Street- My only image is by Chas. Puck-- from the Huntington Library --print #674 in that collection- Puck a protégé of C. C.Pierce- Most costly home in the city when it went up. Spotted also in early aerials by Spence--

[Martin Pal]

Evocative Shulman post today HossC, thanks!

Originally Posted by HossC

It's "Job 2203: City at Night (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1956". The light trails from the cars in some of these shots are wonderful.

This shot is from a slightly different angle when the sky was a little darker. Just to the left of the foreground tree is the tower of the Richfield Building. To the right of the tree, the illuminated street must be part of the Arroyo Seco Parkway.

We had some rain last night, finally...city looked like this...nice...

P.S.: Speaking of the city, I saw the new Terence Malick film Knight of Cups. I'm afraid Malick's films have become like "the emperor's new clothes." People say they like or admire them, but they're really red underwear.

In any case, if you watch it, except briefly, the film is shot all over Los Angeles, as Jerry Dunphy would say, from the desert to the sea, and there are amazing, fascinating, exciting images photographed by the guy who won the last three Oscars for cinematography, Emmanuel Lubezki.

For example, there's a shot of the Los Angeles Theatre downtown at dusk, taken from a roof across the street. There's a Hollywood party at an amazing mansion you have to see to believe. My favorite is a shot of a car with headlights on coming down a sloping hilly road while fog is rolling in. In a great film noir this shot would mean something. In this film none of the shots seem in context of any intelligible story so it becomes maddening and ultimately somewhat angering to sit through it. If you ever do, put a dvd of it on at home, turn of the sound and listen to some music while it's on. Speed it up if you get bored. Rewind for a shot that you like, but don't let yourself be conned into believing that, as a movie, it's art.

[Martin Pal]

"I've always liked Los Angeles right after a rain...it's been so thirsty it comes alive with gratitude.
Like a pussycat being stroked. Like Christmas morning. Like the sweet fulfillment you feel after
Thanksgiving dinner. It's like winning the lottery. Suddenly it's time to dance. Come out to play!
Other cities feel this when comes the spring. When the sun reappears. Not L.A. ...in L.A. it's the
rain.....the rain.....the rain that might never stop."

[Slauson Slim]

City at Night was a television program on KTLA in the '50s. A slice of life/cinema verite type of program sponsored by Richfield, if I remember correctly.

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by HossC

Sorry to correct you again, jumbo0, but if we're looking west on Marchessault Street in the vintage shot, we're looking up the hill towards the Plaza, so the now shot should be facing away from Union Station.


GSV

Good work on all the others.

His 'Marchessault' shot is actually Ferguson Alley.

[CityBoyDoug]

LA at night ...24 seconds B/W. This is one I have not seen before....very noirish. Link:

http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xd/586...7C5022FB410D56


gimg

[senorlargo]

Originally Posted by AlvaroLegido

I guess the vintage shot is Ferguson Alley not Marchessault which was broader. And to pinpoint it exactly today, the alley was a little further south, approximately where the entrance to the 101 Highway is.

That's Ferguson Alley looking west from Alameda. Apablaza street was the main entrance to old Chinatown.

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

LA at night ...24 seconds B/W. This is one I have not seen before....very noirish. Link:

http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xd/586...7C5022FB410D56


gimg

This is very 'noirish' indeed CBD.

What's the hotel that appears at the end?

__

[HossC]

If you mean this one, it's the El Rey Hotel, as seen in GW's post from yesterday.

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

AmeriCar the Beautiful

[HossC]

A couple of weeks ago, in post #33828, my Julius Shulman post included a long shot of the Pan-Pacific Theatre. Now I've found some better pictures, including a look inside. This is "Job 043: Wurdeman & Becket, Pan-Pacific Theatre (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1942".



The marquee is different on this lighter shot.



This is the view from Beverly Boulevard.



I think the display cases at the far left have posters in them.



The final two pictures show the auditorium.





All from Getty Research Institute

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by rick m

Excellent find !! Years since I poked through UCLA materials-- This was the domicile of newlywed brother of Lewis Bradbury-- John Bradbury - address 247 N. Bunker Hill Ave ( or 620 Temple) during it's shortish existence--at Temple Street- My only image is by Chas. Puck-- from the Huntington Library --print #674 in that collection- Puck a protégé of C. C.Pierce- Most costly home in the city when it went up. Spotted also in early aerials by Spence--

Thanks so much for identifying the house, rick m!

Here again is 620 W. Temple, between Bunker Hill and Hope:


And here it is on the 1894 Sanborn Map in the upper left corner:

Los Angeles Public Library

In my limited searching, I could not find a Bradbury connection to 620 W. Temple [See UPDATE at bottom].
The house first appears in the 1892 LA City Directory as the home of Walter B. Cline, who was president of the
Los Angeles Lighting Company. Here is the 1893 LACD, which is a little easier to read:

fold3.com

In the 1891 LACD Walter Cline is at 830 Pearl. However, the notice of his father William Cline's death says he
died at his home on Temple Street, so perhaps 620 Temple was his home before his son Walter moved in?:

Oct 21, 1891 LA Herald @ CDNC -- http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=q...-txIN--------1

In any event, the demo permit for 620 W. Temple is dated February 1, 1933. It was eventually replaced by an
office building with the address of 250 N. Hope, which opened in 1949. Here is the 1950 Sanborn Map:

Los Angeles Public Library

This is a c. 1955 photo of that building. The north side of the roof (facing Temple) appears to be higher than
the unseen south side of the roof:

00091461 @ Los Angeles Public Library

In 1956, that office building was moved to 1557 Beverly Blvd:

LADBS

And it's still there! At first I thought remodeling was responsible for the building's changed appearance.
But if you look at the far right edge of the building, it looks like the higher, glassy north side of the building
is still there, it's just that now we can't really see it because the building is on the other side of the street:

GSV March 2015

UPDATE on 245/247 N. Bunker Hill aka 620 W. Temple:

May 29, 1904, Los Angeles Times @ LAPL

[HenryHuntington]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

LA at night ...24 seconds B/W. This is one I have not seen before....very noirish. Link:

http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xd/586...7C5022FB410D56


gimg

Without looking it up, I think that the City of L.A. initiated its downtown one-way street plan in August or September of 1947. The video begins with the cars traveling eastbound on E. 6th St., and we can make out (barely) an LATL trolley coach on the 3 Line between the two cars. LATL brought the trolley coaches in a rerouting of some lines in part to adjust to the newly-one-way streets.

After the camera turns the corner onto S. San Pedro St., we pass the entrance to the PE elevated tracks. The rails and overhead wire to/from northbound San Pedro St. appear to be in service, which means this footage likely was shot before October of 1951.

You really hit this one out of the park, CBD! Perfect era and neighborhood for Peak Noir!

[HossC]

I found this Julius Shulman picture of the Ambassador Hotel's swimming pool just over a week ago, but kept it to one side because it was on its own. This is "Job 2798: Burke, Dowling, Adams, Ambassador Hotel (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1959". In the background, just left of center, are the Windsor Apartments at 7th and Catalina. See tovangar2's post #27688 for more info and pictures of them.


Getty Research Institute

I decided to post the picture above when I found this earlier Julius Shulman set of the Ambassador's cottages. This is "Job 621: Myron Hunt, Ambassador Hotel, Cottages (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1949".











All from Getty Research Institute

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by HossC

A couple of weeks ago, in post #33828, my Julius Shulman post included a long shot of the Pan-Pacific Theatre. Now I've found some better pictures, including a look inside. This is "Job 043: Wurdeman & Becket, Pan-Pacific Theatre (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1942".

HossC, best photos yet of this theater, thank you!

I love the second photo where you can see the girl sitting inside the box office.

The theater interior is rather mundane, but that's okay, you don't need fancy for seeing films.

I recently saw this film for the first time: Hold Back the Dawn.

Originally Posted by HossC

This is the view from Beverly Boulevard.

It's a 1941 film that has the current topic (always current?) of illegal aliens trying to cross the border from Mexico to the U.S. to gain citizenship. In this case it's Charles Boyer playing a Romanian in Tijuana trying to marry anyone of U.S. citizenship, so he pursues a young teacher (Olivia DeHavilland) who has, a bit inexplicably to me, driven a bus full of children (her students) to enjoy the sights of Tijuana. (?) Boyer has extra time to pursue her because the bus needs repairing and they have to stay overnight. Paulette Goddard, also trying to marry anyone, is wise to Boyer's scheme and tries to warn Olivia. Of course, they fall in love amid the complications.

The really interesting wrap around to this film is the beginning when Boyer runs in to Paramount Studios to see the director Mitchell Leisen, who directed this film, as Boyer wants to tell him his story before the police find him because he thinks it would make a great film. When he gains access to the soundstage where Leisen is, Leisen is filming a scene from "I Wanted Wings" (which he also directed) with Veronica Lake and Richard Webb. This scene was actually filmed during the production of "I Wanted Wings". Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder wrote the screenplay.

It's a decent film, the pursuing of DeHavilland storyline is a bit hokey to modern audiences; Goddard is better, in my opinion, but DeHavilland was Oscar nominated for this. The film was also nominated for Art Direction, Cinematography, Score, Screenplay and Best Picture!

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by HossC

I found this Julius Shulman picture of the Ambassador Hotel's swimming pool just over a week ago, but kept it to one side because it was on its own. This is "Job 2798: Burke, Dowling, Adams, Ambassador Hotel (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1959". In the background, just left of center, are the Windsor Apartments at 7th and Catalina. See tovangar2's post #27688 for more info and pictures of them.


Getty Research Institute

Do you think that shadow of a man holding something is Julius and his camera?

[HossC]

It could be the outline of Mr Shulman and his camera - I was so busy looking at the background that I missed the interesting shadow in the foreground. I also missed the girl in the box office. Here she is at the original resolution.



I love the way that two people can look at the same picture and see different things .

[HossC]

Here are five photographs of Tiny Naylors taken by Julius Shulman in 1954. There's no other information, and it doesn't match the pictures of Tiny Naylors we've seen previously on NLA, so does anyone recognize it. This is "Job 1750: Jones and Emmons, Tiny Naylors Restaurant (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1954".







Notice the masks at the back. It looks like there's a large flat screen TV on the wall next to them, but that's unlikely in 1954, so my second guess would be a mirror to show the pianist behind the bar (I think I see part of a keyboard in the reflection).





All from Getty Research Institute

[Tommygun]

Would anyone have any pictures of the A. E. Nugent Chevrolet dealership at the 400 block of La Brea? I have been trying to find any images.
The Chevrolet sign is just visible on the final scene of the 3 Stooges episode "False Alarms". It can be seen on the left side (east) on the scene where the truck on fire goes south on La Brea.
Thanks for any help you can provide!

[HossC]

I found this picture with the title "Front of A.E. Nugent Chevrolet Dealership in Los Angeles, CA", and dated 1934-1936. The 428 number would put on the right block, but I haven't actually seen any reference to A E Nugent being at that exact address on La Brea.


Hagley Digital Library

[GaylordWilshire]

There have been a number of posts regarding Nugent Chevrolet--including my own--although I see that pictures are missing. I'll see if I can resurrect some.