noirish Los Angeles

[kznyc2k]

The first time I've ever seen 1950s boxes look even the slightest bit noirish...



1958 Century City model, USC.

Also, lots more (daytime) images of this model can be seen in the LAPL's collection.

[kznyc2k]

Originally Posted by Los Angeles Past

Hi you guys.

I'm still sorry about what happened back at New Years. I just felt like I'd ruined everything and I had to go away.

I'm also sorry about the deletions. I can restore my old postings if you'd like. I archived everything before I left, from page 1 on. Some of my picture links may be broken, but those can be fixed, too, in time. The photos I posted are all still on my hosting. I didn't delete any of those.

If 3940dxer would like to have the first 287 complete original html pages for his own archive, I'd be happy to give them to him. I hope that will help to make amends.

-Scott

Scott, I just want to thank you for being so considerate to take the time restoring what was lost back then. I love this thread so much that I'm currently re-reading it through for a second time (on page 175 at the moment) and I was so disheartened to see all your early posts mysteriously "last edited by Los Angeles Past; Jan 01, 2012" and leaving nothing in your wake; like someone else mentioned, it too made me realize how fragile (and important) this resource is and how action must be taken to maintain it. Seeing you acknowledge so much puts a big ol' smile on my face

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by 213

Thanks!

Given the sheer volume of archived photos at LAPL and USC, one could pretty much make a 20-page thread of it. If I had more time, better camera skills and maybe a federal grant...

Now slowly re-reading the thread for the third time, thanks in no small part to Scott's recent gracious rearrangement of the furniture, I especially enjoy(ed) the entirely reasonable innocence of this post from page 5.

[Oviatt Building Fan]

.
I’m crossing my fingers that the “Noirish” community can help me to identify the PLACE where this photo (see below) was taken.


A quick background: I’m an amateur historian whose focus is on one building in downtown Los Angeles-- the James Oviatt Building. In 2008, I researched, wrote and produced a feature-length documentary about the Oviatt Building’s history. (Predictably, it’s titled “The Oviatt Building”.) At present, I am researching / writing a biography of James Oviatt.

The photo below was taken in January 1933 for an unnamed newspaper or magazine. In the foreground, it shows Albert (“Al”) Kaufman, Paramount Pictures’ production head; actor Maurice Chevalier; and James Oviatt. I’ve tried and failed to identify the building where they are. A studio commissary? The interior does not match those of any ‘30s commissaries I’ve seen. A restaurant / nightclub in Hollywood? I think so, but again … no dice finding corresponding photos. Do the Deco murals on the wall ring a bell for anyone?

This picture’s original 1933 caption gives two clues: it says that the location was in Hollywood, and that a “stag party” was being held there that night. Any help would be greatly appreciated!




(Corbis Images)

[Moxie]

I can't help any with the location, but I find the expressions on some of the men to be quite interesting. Kaufman and the man two heads to the right of him are both looking quite intently at something/someone (considering it's a stag party, we can guess whom that might be, can't we?) and the guy in between them seems to not want to see whatever it is...or to not be caught on camera looking.

[Oviatt Building Fan]

.
True! Meanwhile, Maurice Chevalier seems to be more into James Oviatt, and Oviatt is chuckling at Kaufman's 'concentration'.

But ... where are they?

[MichaelRyerson]

Duh.

[Oviatt Building Fan]

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

Duh.

You know where it is, Michael?

[MichaelRyerson]

Wha...? No, no, no. My 'Duh' was self directed. I'd too-quickly posted and ended up saying something you had both already alluded to. As for location, I was thinking perhaps the Masquer's Club or the Friars?

[Oviatt Building Fan]

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

Wha...? No, no, no. My 'Duh' was self directed. I'd too-quickly posted and ended up saying something you had both already alluded to. As for location, I was thinking perhaps the Masquer's Club or the Friars?

Oh, sorry about that! I understand now. I checked some 1932 photos of the Masquers Club's interiors, but they don't match with my picture. Could be the Friars Club ... I haven't been able to find any vintage interior images.

[so-cal-bear]

.

[MichaelRyerson]

Hollywood Blvd from the roof of the Roosevelt Hotel, Dec, 1953

Looking down at intersection of Hollywood and Highland, Hotel Hollywood left/center, Graumann's out of frame left bottom. image from Metro Transportation Library and Archive

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by so-cal-bear

I looked for this photo here but didn't find it. Courtesy of www.shorpy.com here is a nice view of the Downtown LA skyline in 1899. The view is looking South East. The dirt road to the upper left side is First Street and about the same elevation to the right the old St. Vibiana's Cathedral is plainly visible at Second St and Main. The roundish structure a bit to the right of St. Vibiana's looks strange. I'm thinking it's a storage tank for water. *That's my best guess*

Fantastic, so-cal-bear--I love the size. I picked out Goldwater Bros, one of the famous family's stores. It was at 146 North Spring in 1899.

[GaylordWilshire]

From the great Beverly Hills Historic Preservation.

[rcarlton]

Let's throw a little color in 1899 LA:

[3940dxer]

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

And over there, across the freeway lanes, in the haze what do I see...wait could it be?...Monkey Island??

For some reason Monkey Island seems to have gripped the consciousness of some Noirish readers...I have to admit that I've had a "monkey" on my back about this place.

I've spent hours comparing this old photo to modern maps, and have driven the area, trying to ID the streets and buildings on Cahuenga Blvd. West, which is across the freeway in this shot.

Yes, I think Monkey Island was on that strip between the 101 and Cahuenga Blvd. West, or more precisely, a few hundred feet to the left. (Mind you, it was demolished long before this photo was taken.)

Some other reference points, FWIW:
The relatively new bridge over the 101 to the Universal theme park now crosses the freeway here and connects with the dirt road in the foreground. Today it would crash through the left side of the photo. In the upper section of the shot, just right of center, the small road heading up the hill is Broadlawn and the road that slopes up towards the upper right and then swings left is Multiview. The Oak-Crest Market, which we've seen on Noirish before, would be on Cahuenga West off frame to the left, and if it's old enough, it would have looked almost straight at Monkey Island for the few brief years of MI's existence.

I think I'm done with this topic but one question haunts me. When MI was demolished, in about 1941...what happened to those hundreds of monkeys???

(P.S. Loved the giant photo of DTLA.)

[Handsome Stranger]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

...the first thing I thought of was Strangers When We Meet. A sudsy 1960 movie with Novak and Kirk Douglas, who plays an architect who designs a house for Ernie Kovacs. It was a real house in Bel-Air, still standing but apparently much changed. I was sure we'd covered it here before, but I couldn't find it. Can anyone dredge it up?...I didn't do a thorough search online--there must be better stills somewhere, or at least better screenshots than the one I have here from youtube.

Challenge accepted! The house is built during the course of the movie. Here's Kim and Kirk traipsing through the empty lot before construction starts.


[source: dvd released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]

Mid construction:


[source: dvd released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]

The nearly complete house at the end of the movie. Not bad!


[source: dvd released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]


[source: dvd released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]


[source: dvd released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]

I was also fascinated with one scene shot at a restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Can't quite make out what that sign says. Does anyone recognize it?


[source: dvd released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]

Here's Kim Novak driving south on PCH away from the restaurant. I assume that mailbox on the far right gives us the restaurant's address.


[source: dvd released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]

One final frame grab looking north on Wilshire Blvd. at Santa Monica Blvd., with the Beverly Hilton looming in the background.


[source: dvd released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]

PS - On an unrelated note, I'm still drooling over those gorgeous photos of the Western Airlines offices. Why can't we have beautiful architecture like that any more?

[Graybeard]

What's with the cannon?

[fhammon]

Originally Posted by Handsome Stranger

Here's Kim Novak driving south on PCH away from the restaurant. I assume that mailbox on the far right gives us the restaurant's address.


[source: dvd released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]

I had nothing better to do. The Sea Lion restaurant is now Duke's Malibu. This is the best angle I could get.

[Los Angeles Past]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

http://www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu/

This has to rank with the Richfield Building as one of the most egregious architectural losses of 20th century Los Angeles. Who was the architect of this masterpiece? I'd wager Beaudry might know.

I also wonder who was responsible for its destruction. Was it the landlord, insisting that the space be restored to its original bare state? Could be. On the other hand, maybe it was Western Airlines itself, thinking that they couldn't leave such an eye-catching treasure for a competitor to use for their commercial advantage. If so, that's not quite as bad as what Atlantic-Richfield did to their architectural masterpiece, but it'd be close.

-Scott