noirish Los Angeles

[HossC]

The whole Buster Keaton movie 'College' is on YouTube:

• Video Link

Here's the title card mentioned by Blaster...



... and here's the downpour.



When Keaton's character goes to college, he gets off at this station.



This is the college.



There's a long scene at the Coliseum.



This building looks familiar. Could it be on the USC campus?



There's also a rowing scene near the end of the movie.

[odinthor]

Originally Posted by Lomara

Holy smokes odinthor and sopas_ej, thanks for that. I've been digging at this for years, and that info dump just made my day.

There's this open area where the 5 crosses the Rio Hondo flood channel (Next to Veteran's Memorial Park) that is allegedly a battle site that's haunted, but i can't find the website that told me that originally. But it would be on the Upper route you've laid out, so maybe there's some truth to that battle site story after all.

ETA: Wikipedia has the skinny on the battle and its location: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Hondo_(California)

"The river passes through the location of the Battle of Rio San Gabriel, fought on January 8, 1847, and which resulted in a U.S. victory. Although the battle was actually fought on west bank of the present-day Rio Hondo near where it is crossed by Washington Blvd,[6] the battle is named after the San Gabriel, which at that time flowed along these banks. A flood in 1867 caused the San Gabriel to change course, which it retains at present. The old San Gabriel was renamed the Rio Hondo after this flood. In Downey, California, the Rio Hondo was once known as the "Old River", because it was the old course of the San Gabriel River. The Old River School was named for it, and Old River School Road was named for the school. The "New River" is the present course of the San Gabriel River."

Glad I could help! This is a very interesting battle. The Californios, despite having had to scramble, as I mentioned before, actually came within a whisker of crushing the American force as they tried to ford the river. Stockton had pulled out his big white handkerchief and was about to wave it to surrender when, for some unknown reason, one of the Californio commanders, Diego Sepulveda, got rattled, called out HALT! as the caballeros were charging down from the heights onto the Americans, throwing the Californian side into confusion, which the Yankees saw, prompting them to take advantage of the situation, turning the fortune of the battle around. I've often pondered what would have happened had the Californios won. (Likely answer: They would have held Stockton and his force captive for bargaining purposes at the end of the war.)

[HossC]

Originally Posted by HossC

This is the college.

There are plenty of pictures of this building at LAPL.

"Millspaugh Hall, an ivy-covered Beaux-Arts style building with a flared polygonal dome, was the Administration building of the University of California, Southern Branch, located at 855 N. Vermont Ave. The cornerstone for this structure was laid on November 18, 1913; in September 1914, the school began its sessions in the new building. Millspaugh Hall was the center of student and administrative activity and occasionally an outdoor assembly area. The University of California, Southern Branch would eventually come to be known as the University of California, Los Angeles - or UCLA for short. "


LAPL

[Blaster]

Yes, UCLA needed more room, cleared out and moved West. The LA Board of Education bought the Vermont campus in 1929, called it Los Angeles Junior College, then later renamed it Los Angeles City College. So when Buster was making COLLEGE in 1926 or '27 it wasn't LA City College yet. (But didn't the original structures seen in the film all get torn down and rebuilt at some point?)

[ProphetM]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' building in movie location.

Buster Keaton in 'College', 1927.

....

one last look...


Giphy.com

I think that's the big 'URBAN' sign atop the Urban Military Academy that Tourmaline posted yesterday.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=37619

Originally Posted by Tourmaline

1920s "Horse Play?"
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics43/00071336.jpg


http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics12/00025984.jpg

So then Buster Keaton would be walking north on Wilcox.

[Blaster]

Northern extension of Wilshire Country Club golf course in lower left frame.

So Buster would have been walking north on Wilcox just above Melrose.

(Don't tell anybody but Wilcox is my secret street that takes me from Windsor Square into the heart of Hollywood --

And wasn't it Mrs. Wilcox who named our fair little community "Hollywood?")

[CityBoyDoug]

USC is a private college near downtown Los Angeles. The famed Coliseum is nearby.
https://www.usc.edu/
43,000 Students

*********************************
UCLA is a State of California public university in Westwood.
The late John Wooden was their outstanding basketball coach
for many years.
http://www.ucla.edu/
48,000 Students

People get these two confused all the time.
Here are their approx. locations.

[Blaster]

That's true today. But it wasn't always that way...

Some confusion comes from the fact that what became UCLA was once located on Vermont Avenue. When it outgrew that location and moved to Westwood, the Vermont location eventually became LA City College.

[BillinGlendaleCA]

Hi, I've been reading though this forum for the past couple of weeks(I'm up to page 411) and wanted to join in the discussion. I've lived in LA(I'm a native) most of my life, but grew up in the burbs so I didn't see many of the sights that I've run across.

Also, a friend told me about an event happening this Saturday and I thought that those here in LA might be interested. The Society of Architechural Historians, Southern CA chapter are doing a lecture/tour of the Grand Central Airport terminal building. Here's a link to their site:

Ready for Take Off! Grand Central Air Terminal, Glendale Saturday, November 05,2016, 01:00 PM.

[BillinGlendaleCA]

.

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by ProphetM

I think that's the big 'URBAN' sign atop the Urban Military Academy that Tourmaline posted yesterday.

So then Buster Keaton would be walking north on Wilcox.

ProphetM, I almost fell outta' my chair! That was a total coincidence.

What a night! The CUBS win 9 to 2....and this.

__

[BillinGlendaleCA]

When Keaton's character goes to college, he gets off at this station.



That's the Glendale station.

[ethereal_reality]

Hey, thanks BillinGlendaleCA.

Appreciate the 'heads up' about the tour/lecture at the old Grand Central Air Terminal. (even though I'm 3,000 miles away )
If you go, takes some pictures.

Oh, and welcome to 'noirish Los Angeles'!

[ethereal_reality]

All you guys were great with the 'College' information and screenshots. I appreciate your help.


Here's another 'mystery' location for tonight.

It's an Original Slide from the 1940s. Yellow Car #3022 / Richfield Service Station.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Sli...cAAOSwal5YFUjS


I think we'll be able to figure out the location if someone recognizes the church tower that's visible in the distance over there on the right.





Here's a closer look.


detail

Good luck sleuths!
__

[ethereal_reality]

The seller also has this second slide on ebay.



No 'mystery' here.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Sli...3D371776388297

The slide is dated July 1953.

I especially like the view of the Ferguson Cafe and the handsome policeman wearing white gloves. (look how perfectly he's standing on that white line)


detail

I just noticed there's a second policeman on the left just coming into view.
__

Goodnight!

[HossC]

Originally Posted by HossC

"Millspaugh Hall, an ivy-covered Beaux-Arts style building with a flared polygonal dome, was the Administration building of the University of California, Southern Branch, located at 855 N. Vermont Ave."


LAPL

Originally Posted by Blaster

The LA Board of Education bought the Vermont campus in 1929, called it Los Angeles Junior College, then later renamed it Los Angeles City College. So when Buster was making COLLEGE in 1926 or '27 it wasn't LA City College yet. (But didn't the original structures seen in the film all get torn down and rebuilt at some point?)

Here's the block in 1952 and 1972. I think Millspaugh Hall is about 3/4 of the way down the left side in the 1952 view. It looks like it's missing in the 1964 image, but it's a bit blurry, so I've gone for the 1972 image which shows pretty much the current building layout.


Historic Aerials

[odinthor]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

The seller also has this second slide on ebay.



No 'mystery' here.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Sli...3D371776388297

The slide is dated July 1953.

I especially like the view of the Ferguson Cafe and the handsome policeman wearing white gloves. (look how perfectly he's standing on that white line)


detail

I just noticed there's a second policeman on the left just coming into view.
__

Goodnight!

The Ferguson in Ferguson Café attracted my attention. This surely is not just by chance: The Ferguson in question was presumably William Ferguson, the sometime City Councilman, who lived on this site by about 1880, who was opposed to Angels Flight enough that, in 1905, he was building himself a new home at 8th and Rampart, doubtless retaining ownership of his lot on Hill and using it for commercial purposes. He also is the Ferguson of the notorious Ferguson's Alley in Chinatown, being the owner/landlord of property in that area (it having become an embarrassment due to the vices of the alley, he sold out in 1892--indeed, to the city for $10). Having become rich in the gold diggings up north, he came to L.A. in 1868, started a livery stable on N. Main in '69, etc. etc. etc.

And: Go Cubs! (My father was from Chicago, and lived within walking distance of Wrigley Field.)

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Here's another 'mystery' location for tonight.

It's an Original Slide from the 1940s. Yellow Car #3022 / Richfield Service Station.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Sli...cAAOSwal5YFUjS

I think we'll be able to figure out the location if someone recognizes the church tower that's visible in the distance over there on the right.

The tower looks like Christ Church on the corner 12th and Flower Streets.

Originally Posted by kznyc2k

Circa 1900, USC Digital Collection

Satellite shots show this one being gone by 1994.

I think the streetcar is on the J line heading for Huntington Park, and that the sign at the intersection is for Grand Avenue. Looking around the area at Historic Aerials, I found a gas station at 11th and Grand.


Historic Aerials

There's virtually nothing left on these blocks to compare with the vintage image, so I haven't bothered with a "now" shot.

[Tourmaline]

Originally Posted by HossC

Just a simple night shot from Julius Shulman today. This is "Job 343: Allen G. Siple, London Shop (Beverly Hills, Calif.), 1948".



Getty Research Institute

There were several London Shops, besides the BH Rodeo Dr. location. Other listings: 7010 Hollywood Blvd., the Ambassador Hotel, (3400 Wilshire), 1045 Westwood Blvd and 6689 Sunset Blvd.

Notice building broadside ad on right.

Probably 1960.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SgkmGnIOhw...d_CA_1950s.jpg

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by Tourmaline

There were several London Shops, besides the BH Rodeo Dr. location. Other listings: 7010 Hollywood Blvd., the Ambassador Hotel, (3400 Wilshire), 1045 Westwood Blvd and 6689 Sunset Blvd.
____________________________________________________

NLA posts about the London Shops:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=25413
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=25417
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=25418
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=25421


These posts cover the London Shops at:

303 N. Rodeo Dr. (at Dayton Way, a block from the Beverly Wilshire Hotel)
7010 Hollywood Blvd. (next to the Roosevelt Hotel)
3359 Wilshire Blvd. (next to the Gaylord, across the street from the Ambassador Hotel which is your listing of 3400 Wilshire.)

I wonder if they had a small shop inside the Hotel itself?


We have not mentioned or covered the listings you have for London Shops at 1045 Westwood Blvd. nor 6689 Sunset Blvd., which would be near Las Palmas.