I don't know if this has been posted, if it has I apologize for the double post. But I found this beautiful color movie of 1940s Los Angeles with a hauntingly serene Miles Davis score. ("It Never Entered My Mind" from: Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet.)
This seems to be a movie compiled from different times. My favorite clips are the Brown Derby (0:17 - 0:22), Graumans Chinese Theater/Hollywood Blvd. (0:55 - 1:02), Paramount Studios ( 1:02 - 1:08), and an all too brief look at a semaphore traffic signal at Hollywood & Highland (1:15).
The video then inexplicably cuts at 1:39 to a bw film of the House Un-American Activities Committee with French subtitles! But for a short time we can catch a glimpse of late 1940s Los Angeles in all its beauty.
Thanks Ethereal for starting this great post, it has captivated me for many months now. Also, many thanks to all posters who have contributed. There are gems on every page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDRY7DzbRGM