Fantastic photo!
I knew that there was a Hollywood USO on Cahuenga and I've looked for photos of it, but cannot seem to find one. I also have never located an exact address. Complicating matters is that before the Hollywood Canteen opened in October of 1942, the Hollywood USO was often referred to as the Hollywood Canteen. Complicating matters further is that people often assume that the Hollywood Canteen was a USO, but, in actuality, it was not affiliated with the USO. And, further complications arise because the Cahuenga USO moved locations after a years time. (One could further confuse the issue with the mention of the Hollywood Guild and Canteen located on Crescent Heights and Fountain.)
I have seen a broad map of Southern California with general positioning of USO locations (they used the word "sitings") as to where they were located in relation to the Hollywood Canteen in this time period. (The map is attributed to Andrew Gottsfield). He lists the two locations of the Hollywood USO with dots right next to each other, so I'm assuming they moved down the street, but I don't know that for a fact.
The Hollywood USO opened in February of 1942 until June of 1943 when it moved locations. The dot for the second Hollywood USO location is south of the original one, so I am inclined to think this photograph, above, is referring to the first USO location and was taken in between February of 1942 and June of 1943, since it is only one "door" south of Hollywood Blvd.
The Hollywood USO opened on February 2, 1942, which was eight months prior to the opening of the Hollywood Canteen, 1451 N. Cahuenga Blvd., just South of Sunset Blvd., and the Hollywood USO relocated eight months later, after the Canteen opened, to it's second location.
Re: Blackout rules
Thanks for the information on the blackout/dimout regulations. From a book about the Hollywood Canteen, called "Dance Floor Democracy" they have the following:
When the Hollywood USO opened up the street from the future site of the Canteen, on February 2, 1942, it also did so under pre-dimout conditions. Edward G. Robinson presided as starlet hostesses welcomed one thousand military guests in a "kleig-light ceremony and fanfare." (Footnotes indicate quoted info is from next days Los Angeles Times.)
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This is a Bruce Torrence photo of the corner of Hollyood Blvd. and Cahuenga, dated 1943.
Notice the woman in the wheelchair. Even if we assume the date (year) is correct, the U.S.O. Club could have moved by the time the photo was taken (June) as indicated above, but I wonder where the entrance "one door south" would have put it; upstairs maybe? I didn't notice the owl in the color photograph like it is in this one, so I looked again. It's hidden behind the lamp post.
I was trying to read the words above the five "sections" of the newsstand. I believe the first says "Home Town Papers" and then "Photoplay". The third looks like "True Glory" (?) with a clock in the middle of it. I can't make out the next one. The fifth is "Liberty" magazine. Besides the dentists, the blade signs to the right are not legible to me, except "restaurant" of course, nor the store signs.
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Ava Gardner on the (Santa Monica?) beach showing her patriotic spirit during World War II.
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