Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire (Post 4976884)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_zXN_GwdMYMo/TI...20017%20PM.jpgGoogle

On many trips to Los Angeles over the years, I've gone on architectural expeditions armed with various guides, always more interested in residential development than any other aspect of the built environment. I've always tried to conjure what the streetscape must have been like long ago, and there are literally dozens of guides and histories that do a good job of describing what seems to be an idyllic way of life (if politically a nightmare by modern, or at least my, standards). But even actually driving around old L.A. neighborhoods hour upon hour fails to give the feeling I sought--too many changes, modern cars, architectural gaps etc---and, of course, what I seek isn't really obtainable. Now that I've done some of the same "drives" using Google Maps, and employing Street View (which enables me find a shot of a street that excludes as much as possible cars, blue garbage bins etc), suddenly I've found that sense of L.A. past I've been seeking all along. I am going to post a link to a slideshow of such shots later--they're really much more effective when viewed in a series, full-screen--but want to start with this one above of 1631 S. Wilton Place (south of Venice Blvd.). Most of the pics I've put together have ordinary or at least unknown stories, but this house is where Marion Parker was living with her family at the time of her death in December 1927. The house, as sopas pointed out a year or so ago, seems eerily unchanged. The pic above is meant to evoke what it might have been like to walk by the house in 1927. (I hope all the shots you see after this will have the effect of looking as though they were taken many decades ago rather than literally just the other day.) Here is the same shot of the Parker house, but wider, to give the house some context:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-d...2520PM.bmp.jpgGoogle

An excellent summary of the sad case of Marion, including a link to a shot of the house in 1927: http://www.cemeteryguide.com/gotw-parker.html

And another site with the story: http://markgribben.com/?p=288

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality (Post 7132675)

Here's a fun snapshot.
"Shirley in Hollywood, 1943."

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality (Post 7132535)

3 couples out on the town....Saturday night, August 24th 1946.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/537/NLND1N.jpg
eBay


Signatures & Sentiments on the back
:previous: I twisted my neck trying to read all this. (from what I can tell, Betty seems to be very popular)

Originally Posted by gsjansen (Post 4843084)

This particularly repulsive aerial from 1970 captures the CRA's scorched earth policy in all it's horror

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3358/...20b182de_o.jpg
LAPL

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality (Post 7133157)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...673/JtzHyb.jpg
old file of mine / with numerous eBay finds

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Originally Posted by Flyingwedge (Post 7133718)

Thanks to JMR for identifying the film! John Garfield died in 1952, so that can't be him behind George Sanders, but isn't that Esther Williams
standing next to Sanders? Of course we also have Lionel Barrymore, who died in November 1954, so this has to be one of his last photos.

Just behind and to the left of Barrymore I think is George Raft. The woman between Raft and Walter Pidgeon might be Claire Trevor. The guy behind
and to the left of costumed Howard Keel is Paul Douglas.

Also in the back row, the guy wearing a suit and vest behind Stewart Granger looks like future California Senator George Murphy. And standing to
Murphy's left . . . is that Louis Calhern?

Originally Posted by Earl Boebert (Post 7133802)

OK, to make the guessing game a bit more efficient, I've numbered the folks

Cheers,

Earl

Originally Posted by tovangar2 (Post 7133839)

:previous:



8. Vic Damone (there's Kismet people in there)
32. Ann Miller (?)

(As usual, I'm terrible at this)

I cannot believe this shot isn't on the web decoded to a fare-thee-well

OMG, Liz looks great

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality (Post 7131738)

:previous: I like that bridge a lot. What's depicted in the medallions over the pedestrian arches?

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Originally Posted by Earl Boebert (Post 7133802)

Originally Posted by tovangar2 (Post 7134020)

Only 28 guesses re 41 peeps? I think I recorded them all (misspellings are my own). Please somebody finish/correct this:

01.
02.
03. Debbie Reynolds
04. Louis Calhern
05.George Murphy
06. Ava Gardner
07. Van Johnson
08. Vic Damone
09.Paul Douglas
10. Howard Keel
11. Ralph Meeker
12.
13.
14. Leslie Caron
15. Leslie Nielson
16. Gabor
17.
18. Ann Francis
19. Walter Pidgeon
20. Farley Granger
21. Claire Trevor/Hedda Hopper (?)
22.
23. Russ Tamblin
24.
25. Robert Taylor
26. Elizabeth Taylor
27.
28. George Raft
29.
30. Deborah Kerr
31.
32. Ann Miller
33. Lionel Barrymore
34. Donna Reed
35.
36.
37. Hugh O'Brian (?)
38.
39. Joan Fontaine
40. George Sanders
41. Esther Williams

Originally Posted by NoirNous (Post 7134082)

I believe that the gentleman in the patrolman's uniform (No. 1) is Steve Forrest.

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug (Post 7133436)

The year is 1953-4

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...psphn11nip.jpg
MGM studio

I don't think they took a class photo every year. Is there a photo for a later year? I couldn't find one.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Forrest_(actor)

Originally Posted by tovangar2 (Post 7134020)

Only 29 guesses re 41 peeps? I think I recorded them all (misspellings are my own). Please somebody finish/correct this
(MGM releases by date):

01. Steve Forrest
02.
03. Debbie Reynolds
04. Louis Calhern
05.George Murphy
06. Ava Gardner
07. Van Johnson
08. Vic Damone
09.Paul Douglas
10. Howard Keel
11. Ralph Meeker
12.
13.
14. Leslie Caron
15. Leslie Nielson
16. Gabor
17.
18. Ann Francis
19. Walter Pidgeon
20. Stewart Granger
21. Claire Trevor/Hedda Hopper (?)
22.
23. Russ Tamblin
24.
25. Robert Taylor
26. Elizabeth Taylor
27.
28. George Raft
29.
30. Deborah Kerr
31.
32. Ann Miller
33. Lionel Barrymore
34. Donna Reed
35.
36.
37. Hugh O'Brian (?)
38.
39. Joan Fontaine
40. George Sanders
41. Esther Williams