It looks like it was part of a 1930s/1940s craze for midnight ghost shows. They were basically spooky magic shows at theaters which included things like seances, spirit slate writing and ghostly apparitions. This poster appears to be for Dr U L di Ghilini, who was described as a Hollywood mystic on one site I found. I think the white word above his name is part of the phrase "in person". The text above the skeleton's head says "Do the dead return?". I can't decipher all the text at the top, but it looks like the venue was an unreadable auditorium, and the date was Sun Sept 15 (which is correct for 1935).
I found the quote below on www.redlandsdailyfacts.com. It gives a description of the same show just three days earlier:
Sept. 12, 1935
The time for a seance with "spirits" is midnight, and tonight at the zero hour of 12 o'clock, a frolic with "spooks" will take place on the stage of the Fox Redlands theater, when Dr. U.L. di Ghilini, famous investigator of spiritualistic phenomena reproduces two entirely different types of seances. No attraction in months is causing the comment, and the discussion that surrounds the appearance of the celebrated Dr. di Ghilini in person, on this occasion. The "ghost" show follows the usual theater picture program, and after the exit of the regular show at 11:15 p.m., the doors will be closed for 15 minutes and then reopened.
... the venue was the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, from what I can decipher.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug
That may say at the top: MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Gillis
Might it say Olympic Auditorium?
I'm leaning towards "MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM". This is partly based on what the words look like to me, and partly because the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium is just under six and a half miles from the poster location, while the Olympic Auditorium is about 15 miles away (using Google Maps' directions to find the shortest route).
After taking a second look at e_r's poster, and comparing it to the one I posted, I think the text at the bottom is likely to say "SPIRIT SEANCES" and "UNDER FLOODLIGHTS".
Now I know why I was never a contestant on Wheel of Fortune.-lol
...but Seacoast what? It's looks like a rather large (compared to the car beneath it) and well designed sign. I especially like the font/type they used in spelling out Seacoast.
Armand's 2156 W. Manchester Ave. Los Angeles
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Last edited by ethereal_reality; Dec 18, 2014 at 7:04 PM.
Tilford’s Restaurant, circa 1949/Metro Customer Service Center, 2013. Top photo: Tilford’s restaurant and cocktail lounge, located at the northwest corner of La Brea Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard, was designed by Los Angeles architect Welton Becket and opened in 1949. Welton Becket is best known for designing the LAX Theme Restaurant, the Capitol Records Building, Parker Center and other notable Los Angeles landmarks. The property was acquired by METRO in 1984 and will be the location of the La Brea/Wilshire portal of the Purple Line subway extension.
I always thought that the LAX Theme Building was strictly a Paul Williams design but apparently they were part of team headed by William Pereira and Charles Luckman.
Thanks for reposting those images of Tilford's fmannon. I had forgotten the building was still standing.(and they even kept the curve front! -how cool is that)
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"Crossing York Blvd. in 1954."
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After several tries, I finally found the correct intersection thanks to the large building on the right.
GSV
The building appears to be a church now (see below), but I wonder what it's originally purpose was?
GSV
Last edited by ethereal_reality; Dec 18, 2014 at 11:03 PM.
I posted this image a couple weeks ago on Dec. 7th.
"This building seems familiar but I can't quite place it"
ebay
Quote:
Originally Posted by HossC
That looks like the Society of the Sons of the Revolution building at 437 S Hope Street.
Tonight I came across these additional images on eBay. I couldn't believe my eyes! This is pretty fantastic. I never expected to see this small section of Hill Street in such detail.
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This is pretty much a time capsule of this area in transformation.
Martin, no, this photo has not been posted before! On Dec. 3rd I did a post about the Brown Derby where I wrote:
I have been looking for a LIFE magazine photo that I saw once (I remember it said LIFE in the corner) that was taken on the sidewalk outside of the Brown Derby at night, close, and showing from the sidewalk angle both the Brown Derby neon and the Bamboo Room neon. What was interesting to me that I did not know...if you look in the arch of the entrance in the above photo, you see white squares. Those are all lights that lit up the arch and are beautifully visible in that photo. Not sure why I can't find it.
This is the photo, you found it! Thanks for posting it!
I went back to my original post and inserted this photo into it:
OMG, this is the photo you were looking for? I was so focused on the sidewalk's octagonal pattern that I wasn't paying too much attention to the "Life" part of it. I'm so glad I was able to conjure it up for you!
Martin_Pal, I liked your anecdote about meeting the fashion design for the film 'Macao'. I have a similar story, but first I want to post these photos of Jane Russell in 'Macao'.
Now for my story...(mind you I was only 23 yrs old and not too savvy)
When I was working in publicity at Lorimar I needed a tux at the last minute for a function so I was sent down to MGM wardrobe. So I go in and the only person there was this little man. My immediate thought was that someone at MGM had taken pity and given one of the munchkins a job (this was in the early 80s). After going back and forth to the basement he finally found everything I needed. I tried it all on, he looked it over and gave his OK.
When I went back to the office, I told everyone I thought a munchkin was working down in MGM's wardrobe department and that he had helped me find a tux. One of the publicist heard me and sternly informed me that the man was Travilla, a famous costume designer (at the time, he was working for Lorimar as the costume designer for 'Dallas' and 'Knots Landing'). It turns out he was one of Marilyn Monroe's favorite designers, and that he had designed the iconic white dress that MM wore in 'The Seven Year Itch' (the one where the wind from the subway grate blows it up around her waist).
Just so you know I'm not making this up, here is a photo of Travilla around the same time I encountered him. He's the one on the left....the short one.
William Travilla, or "Travilla" as he was often professionally known, was a MAJOR Hollywood fashion designer during the 40's and 50's, often teaming with another famous designer, Charles LeMaire at Fox - and yes, he later was the head designer for "Dallas" and "Knots Landing" and those were some great-looking clothes. The man had great taste and really knew how to make women look spectacular.
He was very good-looking when young, and wasn't the only male designer who was short, and as you have probably heard, MANY of the big stars were surprisingly small - sometimes even tiny - people.
I posted this image a couple weeks ago on Dec. 7th.
"This building seems familiar but I can't quite place it"
ebay
Tonight I came across these additional images on eBay. I couldn't believe my eyes! This is pretty fantastic. I never expected to see this small section of Hill Street in such detail.
eBay
These are indeed marvelous. I'll have a large bid in! Esp. as I wrote such an obsessive treatise on the SotR years ago, and these may be the best I've seen. Not color, mind you, but we can't have everything...yet...
Note the backside of the Sunkist Building, and how the Touraine and Santa Barbara are missing from the Sons's south and north, respectively.
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And here's this "skybridge" between the Edison and its Annex , that bridge can be seen here -- (from here)
I also like how we're looking through the alley toward where the backside of the Mayflower abuts the backside of the Church of the Open Door...looks like the beginnings of the Crocker Bank going up behind 'em.
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This is pretty much a time capsule of this area in transformation.
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This last one is taken against the same fence as the second one. In the second one, the brick building to the left of the photographer would have to be the Hope St Distributing Station. The Union Bank is brand-spankin' new but Douglas Oil AKA the Architect's Bldg doesn't have much time left...
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I had NO idea these 1930's era midnight 'spook shows' existed. I would have definitely attended.
-lol
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