noirish Los Angeles

[Wig-Wag]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

Drink Blade Runner in Bottles 5 cents



Even after surfacely reading what this was on the site it came from I’m not sure I get it, nevertheless, when I first saw this (out of context) it appealed to me for it’s Los Angeles sensibility in both a futuristic and historical mingling of sensibilities. So I thought I’d share it here and see if anyone else reacts similarly.

From this link:
http://scholarsandrogues.com/tag/blade-runner/

P.S.: It's also made me think about our sense of noir as a period phenomenon with much nostalgia attached to it, rather than contemporary or futuristic possibilities. In fact, the filmmakers noted for their noir films and sensibilities didn't know they were making "noir" when they did it and the term (and the genre) was coined in hindsight.

For a bit of irony it would have been fun if this bit of vintage advertising would have been worked into the film. As a side note,Tom Southwell, production illustrator for Blade Runner designed the Police 995 logo added to the upper right corner of the sign.

The future noir aspects of the film were discussed before shooting began. What follows is from the Wikipedia page on Bade Runner. "Before the film's principal photography began, Cinefantastique magazine commissioned Paul M. Sammon to write an article about Blade Runner's production which became the book Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner (referred to as the "Blade Runner Bible" by many of the film's fans).[131] The book chronicles the evolution of Blade Runner as a film and focuses on film-set politics, especially the British director's experiences with his first American film crew; of which producer Alan Ladd, Jr. has said, "Harrison wouldn't speak to Ridley and Ridley wouldn't speak to Harrison. By the end of the shoot Ford was 'ready to kill Ridley', said one colleague. He really would have taken him on if he hadn't been talked out of it."[132] Future Noir has short cast biographies and quotations about their experiences in making Blade Runner, as well as many photographs of the film's production and preliminary sketches. The cast chapter was deleted from the first edition, though it is available online. A second edition of Future Noir was published in 2007.[133]"

Speaking of noir, the original opening scene for the film had Ray Batty and the other Nexus 6 replicants emerging from a giant pile of discarded and obsolete robots and earlier model replicants, but it was discarded a being to close to images of Nazi death camps.

Cheers,
Jack

[GaylordWilshire]

While working on the story of 3677 Wilshire Boulevard--barely seen above in the only picture I've been able to uncover so far--I found out more about a particularly interesting and unsung Hollywood character who has popped up regularly in tales of the avenue's houses. While not exactly Hazel Glab, the wily Irene Hobson--later, she added an "h" and became Irehne--was an actress, beautician, lousy plastic surgeon, authoress, and countess who lived to the age of 97. She had quite a life.

More here: http://wilshireboulevardhouses.blogs...e-see-our.html



LAT Feb 2, 1928/May 16, 1930; ancestry.com

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by HossC

Thanks for posting the Masonic Hall picture and robbery story, Noircitydame, and thanks also to Hollywood Graham and Flyingwedge for the Masonic Hall follow-ups. The blade sign was edge-on in the picture I posted, so I didn't know the identity of the building.

Surprisingly, I can't find any pictures of the Subway Terminal Office branch. The address of 439 South Hill would place it about midway between the Subway Terminal Building and Fifth Street. That whole area is now a parking lot.

439 S. Hill is such a neat building, kind of lost in the shuffle between the Subway Terminal and the Title Guarantee Building. It was built for Peoples National Bank, designed 1927, but before it opened in late June 1928, Peoples had become National Bank of Commerce. Sometime between July 1930 and Feb 1933 it became (rough times for banking!) Pacific States Savings, and was up through 1937. Then by 1948 it was the Subway Terminal branch of Citizen’s National. I didn’t find any good photos of it with their signage.

LAT 7-3-27


CSL: http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibr...9G8E5VCB2B.jpg

Upper detail:

http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibr...487X3PJIP2.jpg

entrance detail:

http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibr...3FU7NE2RV7.jpg

Looking north from 5th, July 1928 (before Title G. replaced the California Club's building

USC http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/re...oll65/id/17887

I know we've had this shot on NLA before, looking south from 4th (439 way down the block has its National Bank of Commerce blade signage)

LAPL http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics37/00068252.jpg

[alanlutz]

FYI, y'all. I was browsing LA History pages on Internet and came across this page: https://sites.google.com/site/historylosangeles/home
Out of dozens of resources listed to help one explore Los Angeles History, ONE of the many resources included a link to us. You guys. Noirish LA. Here's the funny thing. It says on the site that we are up to 81 pages so far, so I guess they've know about you for quite a long while ago. I'd love to tell them we are over 1045 pages at this point.
Anyway, if any of you are interested in bookmarking more LA resources give the site a look see.
Here's what it said about this forum:

Noirish Los Angeles
forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=170279
This is a forum (at last look with 81 pages of posts)
on the website SkyscraperPage.com. Most of the
posts are from local archives and involve photos
selected for a romantic, noirish feel.
It's a fascinating browse through a variety of images
of architectural subjects that you perhaps wouldn't
otherwise find in the archives. Here we're looking at
City Hall from Bunker Hill in 1951.

[HossC]

Originally Posted by Noircitydame

439 S. Hill is such a neat building, kind of lost in the shuffle between the Subway Terminal and the Title Guarantee Building. It was built for Peoples National Bank, designed 1927, but before it opened in late June 1928, Peoples had become National Bank of Commerce. Sometime between July 1930 and Feb 1933 it became (rough times for banking!) Pacific States Savings, and was up through 1937. Then by 1948 it was the Subway Terminal branch of Citizen’s National. I didn’t find any good photos of it with their signage.

entrance detail:

http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibr...3FU7NE2RV7.jpg

Those are exactly the pictures I couldn't find, Noircitydame. I tried searching for the National Bank of Commerce, but only found pictures like the one below where I couldn't see the entrance.


LAPL

I also found this picture where the structure seems to be called the Pacific Commerce Building.


LAPL

Before their offices at 439 S Hill were built, Peoples National Bank had a branch on the right of the Subway Terminal Building.


California State Library

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

Great shot looking north on Hill Street from atop the north portal of Hill Street tunnel no. 1, with the car turning south onto Hill Street from Temple and the south portal of Hill Street tunnel no. 2 clearly visible. Best view I've ever seen of tunnel no. 2. Notice also the streetcar sitting to the right of the tunnel between the two trees. I wonder if it is on a siding or if there was a spur to allow streetcars on Temple access to the tunnel. Hill Street jogs to the right at Temple before continuing up and over Fort Moore Hill, the clock tower at the high school is visible center/top horizon-line. The clock tower/belfry on the Poundcake High School building is visible in the haze at top/left horizon-line. Note the advertisement below right for Julian Eltinge who was quite active (and popular) locally in the teens, so this may be somewhat earlier than 1920.

Thanks so much MichaelRyerson for fleshing out this photograph. You made it much more interesting.
__

[GaylordWilshire]

I noticed the JULIAN ELTINGE billboard at right--to revisit the man, and the woman, here are links to a few old posts:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ge#post4806234

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ge#post4831957

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ge#post5569286

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ge#post6245217

[ethereal_reality]

Thanks for the Julian Eltinge links. He was quite the character wasn't s/he?

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Not sure where the "taxi driver" reference comes from, ER, but here's some info on Gilfillan Bros...

The seller on ebay listed him as a Los Angeles taxi driver.
I guess it's possible he moonlighted as a taxi driver after his shift at Gilfillan Bros. .
__





A De Soto taxi in front of the Chateau Beachwood.


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/

The Chateau Beachwood was designed in 1937 by architect Walter C. King. It's rumored the chateau was built to house Warner Bros. starlets.
-complete with underground parking.


2203 N. Beachwood Drive today (the cool neon sign is gone now)

GSV



The building's great length along Scenic Avenue. (Beachwood Drive is to the right)

google_aerial




The Chateau Beachwood along Scenic Avenue as viewed from N. Gower Street.
http://doves2day.blogspot.com/2010/1...hollywood.html



...entrances along Scenic Avenue.

GSV
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[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Los Angeles Times

The Zelenko house, 6512 Walnut Hill Avenue

Oct. 15, 1922

I located the Zelenko House.

The address has been changed from 6512 Walnut Hill to 6511 Short Way.

GSV



Below and to the right is the main house where George Hodel's parents lived.
GSV


It appears the address of the main house is 512 Monterey Road.




I spotted Walnut Hill on this detail of a 1928 map.

http://www.bigmapblog.com/2012/hills...-angeles-1928/

So did Walnut Hill meld into Monterey Road?
-hence the address change.

It's a bit confusing.
__

[ethereal_reality]

Carlos Molina


ebay

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

LAT, Dec 7, 1913

Mayor Henry T. Hazard's house on the lot served as the first home of Methodist Hospital.

I came across this amazing photograph a few days ago on ebay. This must be Henry Hazard's house.

dated 1910


Was Mayor Hazard's house destroyed for the new 1914 building or did they move it somewhere on the hospital grounds?


I thought the house might be one of the outlying buildings on the Methodist Hospital property in this 1921 baist map.


originally posted by HossC
__

[ethereal_reality]

2237 Hobart Boulevard


ebay





GSV


..but it isn't the same house .

GSV


I believe the M. M. Johnston home was replaced by this modern apartment building (it takes up two lots).

GSV

There are some interesting homes on this block. You all should take a look.

___

[GaylordWilshire]

LAT Oct 7, 1906


Richards did what a lot of builders did--lived in it briefly before selling. By February 1908, Mrs. Melville Morton Johnston and Mrs. Curtis Williams were living in the house. Perhaps they were sisters. There was a wedding in the house on October 27, 1934--the bride was Ellen Morton Williams, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Curtis Williams. The Wiliamses were still listed at the house in 1956, and perhaps even later.

The grey house in your GSV pic is 2241 S Hobart, which reminded me that there are great pictures of its interior on the West Adams Heritage website--actually, there were more but a link seems to be broken for one album. But the remaining pics and the history of the house are interesting--the owner was one of two brothers who founded Grand Central Market.

https://www.westadamsheritage.org/re...est-adams-home

and

https://www.westadamsheritage.org/hi...41-hobart-blvd

[HossC]

Here's a quick "then and now" of the 300 block of S Western Avenue. The first picture is part of a set of 19 photographs of Western Avenue from 3rd Street to 10th Street [West Olympic Boulevard] taken in 1927.


USC Digital Library

In the background, the Wilshire Theatre at 331½ S Western is showing the 1927 John Barrymore/Dolores Costello movie 'When a Man Loves'. By 1932 its name had changed to the Embassy Theatre.


Detail of picture above.

The two closest buildings and the white one on the far right all seem to be survivors.


GSV

[GaylordWilshire]

Zanjas in the news today...




http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures...chinatown.html


A couple of prior NLA posts on zanjas:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=1843

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...as#post6104281

[GaylordWilshire]

A few details from the series of Western Avenue shots mentioned by Hoss C:




3801 West 7th Street and a little of its story...

LAT Dec 5, 1932

Looks like Pedder needed to spend a little less on boats and cars and give his house a paint job...but then bulldozers and commerce were coming to Western Avenue....

Sigh...

GSV





811 S. Western Avenue--before Hemenway moved in, J. B. Fahy lived there. He was a Ford dealer. The "DANGER SLOW" flashing signal at right is explained in the GSV aerial at bottom here--


LAT Aug 19, 1921/June 24, 1924





The Beverly Arms is still there, more or less... the back end of a shopping center and a 76 station are on the site of the Fahy/Hemenway house.


GSV




We've seen the Pollo Ala Brasa here before...


B&W pics: USCDL

[ethereal_reality]

-very interesting GW.
__

Henry's Cafe
ebay

I love the vaulted area near the entrance.

The seller didn't include an address, but I found this in the 1929 city directory


http://www.lapl.org/collections-reso...al-collections


The optometrist at left is 6325 and the tattoo place is 6517, which places Henry's on the site of the Vine Theater.


GSV
___




I just found an earlier post by NoirCityDame that has a great photograph of the exterior of Henry's.


http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=19591

NoirCityDame adds
" The former Henry's building seems to have been completely rebuilt (by S. Charles Lee) into a theater,
and opened as the Admiral Theater (called the Vine in more recent days) in May 1940. "

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[ethereal_reality]

The vast interior of B & M Cafeteria

ebay

Seating capacity 950!! That's amazing.
__

[ethereal_reality]

Eleda

ebay

[ethereal_reality]

I found this slide last night on ebay. That's the 102 Brewery in the distance.



The gas-o-meter looks quite imposing in this view.