noirish Los Angeles

[GaylordWilshire]

Martin Pal odinthor Bristolian et al

For what it's worth, a couple of other recent posts of mine in which images didn't appear, repaired...



http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=46536

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=46595

[Martin Pal]

^^^

Thanks!

Originally Posted by BDiH

Yes, that is Norm's, just west of Wallich's.

You could enter Wallich's through the Morningside doors or the front doors on Vine Street, but you could not exit through the east doors. Notice how much parking was available back then.

I walked through the lobby of NBC many times and did see the murals. If memory serves, they were in color. That entire neighborhood was historic even in the early 1960s. The Moulin Rouge, Columbia Square, NBC and Wallich's were all part of Radio City. You could always find radio personalities around, like Dick Whittinghill, Jack Bailey and Bob Barker walking or shopping at Sy Devore's or Castles Cameras.

I waited on many actors and musicians in those days. Some would hang around late at night and shoot the breeze. We got used to seeing Johnny Mathis (who held the record for having his album, Johnny's Greatest Hits, in the top 40 for seven years), Sal Mineo, Rock Hudson, Burt Lancaster and many more on a regular basis. One afternoon, Ricky Nelson was shopping. After he left, someone turned in a set of car keys with a fob that said, "Rick." He came back in about five minutes later and I held them up in the air for him. A very nice guy. He and his brother David went to Hollywood High. I used to see their mother, Harriet at Hughes Market on Franklin and Highland.

It was too difficult to watch NBC being razed. Same with Music City. In the photo above, you can see the new RCA building being built on Sunset and the old one on Vine, just north of NBC.

Also, notice the Sunset & Vine tower on the south/east corner of Sunset and Vine. That was new, as well. The Room at the Top was a hot spot, with the unheard of cocktail price of $2.00. The CNN skyscraper was not built yet in those photos. It now sits on the site where the Hollywood Canteen once stood.

By the way, Morgan Camera Shop at 6262 Sunset Blvd rivals the old Spanish Kitchen for abandoned historic addresses.
____________________________________________________

Thanks, BDiH!

I visited Wallich's once when I arrived in California. It turned out to be the last year of it's existence. Another question came to me. What used to be in the location where the Cinerama Dome was being built? (Or the RCA Building for that matter.) Did you ever visit the Coffee Dan's around the corner from Wallich's on Vine?

[Scott Charles]

Hello, LA Noirishers!

I've been trying to locate a PRE-1926 straight-down aerial photo of the area in the picture below - specifically, before Spring Street was straightened out to facilitate the building of the the new City Hall.

Does such a photo exist?

Here is a Baist map showing the area I'm trying to find:

LINK





For comparison purposes, here is an aerial from November 29, 1933, which is after Spring Street was straightened:
FrameFinder Flight C_2816, Frame 1

By the way, FrameFinder only goes back to 1929. Historic Aerials only goes back to 1948.

[Beaudry]

Greetings folk, as long as we're discussing all things Los Angeles and noir, I figure someone has to mention the new book from Taschen. Dark City is a monster, a 450-page hardback one at that. Granted, if you're a devoted noirisher, a bunch of the images won't be new to you. But it's still chock full of great stuff and should hold a place on everyone's bookshelf.


Check it out—real bullet holes in the cover!


The TOC–


What I really dig about it are the reproductions of pulp mags, nine of them scattered through the book—











There's also an appendix listing twenty other places (films, books) to go for Angelenic noir—

[BDiH]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

^^^
Thanks!

Thanks, BDiH!

I visited Wallich's once when I arrived in California. It turned out to be the last year of it's existence. Another question came to me. What used to be in the location where the Cinerama Dome was being built? (Or the RCA Building for that matter.) Did you ever visit the Coffee Dan's around the corner from Wallich's on Vine?

Thank you. Good questions, but I can't recall the previous businesses on those locations. Now, that's frustrating!

One thing I liked about that era was that there were dozens of coffee shops, where customers were served at the counter with a napkin, a spoon and a cup of coffee (and saucer), including refills. All for a dime. No standing in line for coffee in a paper cup for 1.75. Get your own cream and sugar, look for a clean table and pay for refills. We lost something in the transition.

My favorite coffee shops back then were the two Coffee Dan's on Hollywood Blvd, Aldo's where the KFWB disc jockeys would hang out, Toff's, the Plaza coffee shop, the Brown Derby coffee shop, the Snow White coffee shop, the Copper Skillet and many others. I never went in the Coffee Dan's on Vine Street.

There were a number of hamburger stands around, too.There was one on Cahuenga and one on Vine, both north of Hollywood Blvd. The snack bar next to the Huntington-Hartford and the one across from the Hotel Wilcox (where Ava Gardner was a regular when she was brought to Hollywood) were great greasy alternatives to McDonalds.

Arthur J's and Carolina Pines, Jr. were very popular, as was the Ranch Market and Cantor's, both open all night. Same with Philippe's downtown. I first went there in 1964, back when it was open 24 hours a day. When I would get off work at Music City at 2:00 am, the dark streets of the Los Angeles underworld beckoned.

I helped open the Westwood Free Press & Kazoo in Westwood Village in 1968 and we stayed open until 2:00 am, as well. That bookstore and head shop changed Westwood forever. No more sleepy village.

1968 was a cultural shock to everyone not ready for it. No more Lawrence Welk and Pat Boone. Now, it was the Beatles White Album. All those great, early 1960's joints became passé. It was about the Bido Lido, the Fifth Estate, Fred C. Dobbs and the new world of hip coffee houses. We went from ten cent coffee shops to $1 coffee houses. The scene was changing.

[CityBoyDoug]

[Lwize]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I came across this photograph while we were discussing the 70s/80s punk scene. (unless I'm mistaken this isn't too far from where I used to live)

1977

PHOTO BY RUBY RAY via NIGHTFLIGHT


The people in Ruby's photograph:

L.A. Line-up, (from L-R): unknown, Hellin Killer, Trudi, Pleasant Gehman, Bobby Pin, Nickey Beat, Alice Bag, Delphina, Lorna Doom, Pat Smear, Jena.

Pat Smear

And Pat Smear is still with us.

He toured with Nirvana in 1993/1994.

And he's been an on again/off again member of The Foo Fighters for nearly 25 years.

[BillinGlendaleCA]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

Peggy Cummins - "Gun Crazy" (18 December 1925 – 29 December 2017

Filming Locations: Reseda State Bank Building, Sherman Way and Reseda Blvd., Reseda, Los Angeles, California, USA

Also Honolulu Av. in Montrose.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by BillinGlendaleCA

Also Honolulu Av. in Montrose.

...



Hey Bill, thanks, I'll have to check that out. Its good to know.

[Otis Criblecoblis]

Originally Posted by BillinGlendaleCA

Also Honolulu Av. in Montrose.

Oh, now i must see this film. That's my childhood stomping grounds, my lifeline to the world!

[ethereal_reality]

Gun Crazy is a real treat Otis.







1977

PHOTO BY RUBY RED

Originally Posted by HossC

The picture was taken outside Tower Records on Sunset. The building on the left, which housed the Orpheum Theatre,
has been replaced by something much larger, but the others are still there.

Thanks Hoss!



I didn't realize there was a cinema in the old Utter-McKinley Mortuary. (or did I just forget?)


LAPL



In the photograph below you can see the columns of the old mortuary.


Midcenturymodernlosangeles / closed facebook page via losangelestheatres

A bit of history:

" In 1964 exploitation film producer Robert Lippard [or Lippert?] purchased a theater on the Sunset Strip.
The theater only had 16mm capability and Lippard's intent was to screen nudie-cuties.
But when the Strip became the destination for the hippie culture, his programming choice proved fruitless."

"The theater ('little more than an anonymous doorway under awnning') was taken over by Lewis Teague,
a NYU graduate in film studies. Teague offered to run the theater as an art house,
and after introducing new weekly programs (European art films), renamed it Cinematheque-16. Roger Delfont at ADSAUSAGE


FREEP, April 1968

ADSAUSAGE


FREEP, October 1966

ADSAUSAGE




I'll end with Mother of Inventions' FREAK OUT! map reprinted in the Los Angeles Free Press. [c.1966]




afka.net

I pieced it together so you can read it. (you're welcome )

Enjoy!



__

[Slauson Slim]

I went to/hung out at many of those Hollywood places - fifth estate, blue grotto (blue blotto), Whisky, the Trip, troubadour, Sea Witch, It’s Boss, Palladium, kaleidoscope, ciro’s, ash grove...etc. Lots of great music.

The Buffalo Springfield song “For What It’s Worth” was written about the Sunset Strip Riots stemming from enforcement of the 10 pm curfew for those under 18.

I bought Vox wah and tone bender guitar pedals - still own them - and records at Wallichs. Once I saw two of The Chambers Brothers in there buying guitar strings. Barney Kessel had a guitar shop in Hollywood.

Movies at cinemateque 16 with my artist girlfriend - Warhol, Kenneth Angers, Jonas Mekas etc.

Books at free press book store.

Eats at Ben Franks, Pink’s, tommy’s, Harry’s Open Pit, norm’s, Canter’s, and later oki dog, hamburger hamlet and nucleus nuance.

[BDiH]

Originally Posted by Slauson Slim

I went to/hung out at many of those Hollywood places - fifth estate, blue grotto (blue blotto), Whisky, the Trip, troubadour, Sea Witch, It’s Boss, Palladium, kaleidoscope, ciro’s, ash grove...etc. Lots of great music.

The Buffalo Springfield song “For What It’s Worth” was written about the Sunset Strip Riots stemming from enforcement of the 10 pm curfew for those under 18.

I bought Vox wah and tone bender guitar pedals - still own them - and records at Wallichs. Once I saw two of The Chambers Brothers in there buying guitar strings. Barney Kessel had a guitar shop in Hollywood.

Movies at cinemateque 16 with my artist girlfriend - Warhol, Kenneth Angers, Jonas Mekas etc.

Books at free press book store.

Eats at Ben Franks, Pink’s, tommy’s, Harry’s Open Pit, norm’s, Canter’s, and later oki dog, hamburger hamlet and nucleus nuance.

Thanks for the memories. We probably bumped into each other along the way.

I sold the Freep (15 cents a copy; keep 9 cents and give distributor 6 cents) on the old Pandora's Box site and then crossed the street to Harry's Open Pit for half a BBQ chicken and fries for 55 cents.

Saw Mimi Fariña nightly at the Ash Grove and Don't Look Back at Cinemateque 16. The most popular after hours spots were Ben Frank's, Cantor's and Carolina Pines, Jr. Long-hairs and hippies (not the same thing) crowded those restaurants until another hot spot drew them away. Wild Man fisher and General Hershey Bar were ubiquitous.

[ProphetM]

Originally Posted by odinthor

Gee whiz, I saw the billed It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World at the Cinerama Dome during its premiere engagement (starting November 1963). The family's reservation was just about a week after the JFK assassination, and it was a question for several days whether the theater would be dark out of respect. But the show did go on, and I remember the occasion pretty well (I was a month or so past my 9th birthday; we may even have been doing this as a delayed birthday event). Something that impressed me: During the intermission, the speakers would be playing back and forth police radio transmissions about the status of the various characters in the movie, which I've always thought was extremely imaginative. But let's get to the important thing: I doubtlessly saw Norm's! (And I have a strong notion that we ate there one of the times the family saw a show at the Dome.)

Incidentally, the Criterion edition Blu-ray of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World which came out 4 years ago includes these intermission radio calls, as well as every scrap of the original roadshow version that could be found, all restored to the greatest extent possible. It's a fantastic set for any fan of this movie.

[ProphetM]

Originally Posted by Scott Charles

Hello, LA Noirishers!

I've been trying to locate a PRE-1926 straight-down aerial photo of the area in the picture below - specifically, before Spring Street was straightened out to facilitate the building of the the new City Hall.

Does such a photo exist?

Here is a Baist map showing the area I'm trying to find:

LINK





For comparison purposes, here is an aerial from November 29, 1933, which is after Spring Street was straightened:
FrameFinder Flight C_2816, Frame 1

By the way, FrameFinder only goes back to 1929. Historic Aerials only goes back to 1948.

Framefinder has just a bit earlier - 1927: http://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_image.../c-113_268.tif
It shows New High Street still complete, but Spring Street is a dead end as the city hall is well under construction and already topped out.

Here is another one: http://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_image.../c-113_268.tif

All the photos in Flight ID C-113 are dated by the site as August 1, 1927, but it would seem that date is an approximation. The two above are from a flight line west of city hall numbered below 300; the flight line east of city hall - also with Flight ID C-113 and numbered above 300 - are clearly from slightly later as New High Street has been torn up in those. Neither is as early as you're looking for, however.

[Scott Charles]

Originally Posted by ProphetM

Framefinder has just a bit earlier - 1927: http://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_image.../c-113_268.tif
It shows New High Street still complete, but Spring Street is a dead end as the city hall is well under construction and already topped out.

Here is another one: http://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_image.../c-113_268.tif

All the photos in Flight ID C-113 are dated by the site as August 1, 1927, but it would seem that date is an approximation. The two above are from a flight line west of city hall numbered below 300; the flight line east of city hall - also with Flight ID C-113 and numbered above 300 - are clearly from slightly later as New High Street has been torn up in those. Neither is as early as you're looking for, however.

Many thanks, ProphetM!



That's pretty good, actually - it may not show “old” Spring perfectly, but you can still see where the streets used to be. And I'm beginning to doubt that an earlier shot even exists.

Thank you for digging through FrameFinder to find it. I (obviously) didn't find that image when I searched FrameFinder, but I guess I'm still learning how to use their site - I just realized that they have a time slider for setting what time period you wish to see photos from.

[HossC]

I know this isn't a "straight-down aerial photo", but it does show the area in an aerial view taken from a balloon in around 1910. Just left of center, the Hall of Records is under construction.


Detail of image in USC Digital Library

[odinthor]

Originally Posted by ProphetM

Incidentally, the Criterion edition Blu-ray of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World which came out 4 years ago includes these intermission radio calls, as well as every scrap of the original roadshow version that could be found, all restored to the greatest extent possible. It's a fantastic set for any fan of this movie.

Yes, I agree--fantastic!

That edition has some sequences where it has just the audio and maybe some stills . . . and I can remember seeing the visuals on at least a few of them. For instance, the lost footage where Spencer Tracy is in the ice cream parlor's phone booth talking to Buster Keaton on the phone: They show head shots of Keaton on the phone . . . but only from behind, so we don't see his face until at the beginning of the chase at the end of the movie. Then Tracy puts down the phone. On the audio, we hear "funny" music: What's happening is that Tracy starts leaving the phone booth . . . remembers something . . . then goes back to check the instrument's coin return receptacle (in case some former patron had abandoned some change). Again, when Dick Shawn takes a flying leap from his beach shack into his (girlfriend's) convertible: They only have stills; but I remember seeing it, and remember my mother saying "Oh!" at the feat.

Good times!

[Scott Charles]

Originally Posted by HossC

I know this isn't a "straight-down aerial photo", but it does show the area in an aerial view taken from a balloon in around 1910. Just left of center, the Hall of Records is under construction.


Detail of image in USC Digital Library

Thanks for that photo, Hoss! I went and downloaded the full-size version (screenshot-ing and pasting the screenshots together).

What a beautiful image. Los Angeles used to be so lovely.

[Scott Charles]

What is the name of that website - all of you guys use it - that only lets you see aerial images in a tiny window, then displays totally obnoxious watermarks all over the image... like this?



I made the above image in Photoshop, but that's just what it looks like - TONS of watermarks.

I couldn't find the website in my bookmarks, nor could I find it via a Google search... if one of you folks could give me the link, I'd really appreciate it!