noirish Los Angeles - Page 2450

Tourmaline · #**48981** Posted **Sep 25, 2018, 11:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' dining spot

"top floor, Los Angeles skyscraper, 1970s"

old file

Are there enough clues to figure out the location of this fine dining destination?

__

First guess, the Transamerica Bldg., 1963. 1150 S. Olive Street (Different sources indicate different construction dates. This one pegs the date at 1963>> http://www.you-are-here.com/los_angeles/transamerica)

http://www.you-are-here.com/los_ange...ansamerica.jpg

View from Transamerica Bldg., 1993

LAPL

odinthor · #**48982** Posted **Sep 25, 2018, 11:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I wasn't in L.A. in the 60s or 70s but I checked into the mysterious RDB too.

The only item I found was the RDB-Research and Development Board (a unit vaguely attached to the CIA and the Department of Defense)
If I were a conspiracy theorist I might think the tags were a clandestine form of communication.

archive

Odinthor, did your family happen to notice any swarthy looking characters in trenchcoats near the tags?

Alas, no, e_r…

Likely I was the most suspicious character in the general area wherever the RDB was found . . .

CityBoyDoug · #**48983** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 12:20 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' dining spot

"top floor, Los Angeles skyscraper, 1970s"

old file

Are there enough clues to figure out the location of this fine dining destination?

__

That was the new Occidental Life building in 1965, it was second tallest after the City Hall.. The restaurant was called The Tower. I had dinner there once in 1966. The building has changed hands many times since.

Fine dining.?..sort of. The LAX Theme Building restaurant had more scrumptious food.

Ninja55 · #**48984** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 2:38 AM**

My uncle Bert says "Thanks for remembering him"!

Handsome Stranger · #**48985** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 3:12 AM**

More frame grabs from Without Warning!, this time showing a chase scene on and around the Four Level Interchange before it was open.

Can anyone identify the automobile make and model?

How To Get Shot In A Hollywood Movie (Pre-1960s)
1) Immediately grab the entry wound whilst wincing,
2) Do not bleed.

Hard to see here, but the serial killer is escaping on the back of a passing truck...on a freeway totally devoid of any other vehicles.

Handsome Stranger · #**48986** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 3:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

I think the image above looks NE at Solano Canyon and the Solano Avenue School. The school is at top center of your image and the one below, next to the 110 Freeway. Your screen grab appears to have been taken up on Spruce Street when it still had homes:

Google

I think you're right, Flyingwedge! Good eye spotting the school!

odinthor · #**48987** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 4:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninja55

My uncle Bert says "Thanks for remembering him"!

GaylordWilshire · #**48988** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 12:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Handsome Stranger

More frame grabs from Without Warning!, this time showing a chase scene on and around the Four Level Interchange before it was open.

Can anyone identify the automobile make and model?

It's a '50 Chevy...

ethereal_reality · #**48989** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 2:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal reality

'mystery' dining spot

"top floor, Los Angeles skyscraper, 1970s"

old file

Are there enough clues to figure out the location of this fine dining destination?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tourmaline

The Transamerica Bldg., 1963. 1150 S. Olive Street

You figured it out Tourmaline!

they had a long way to go to get to the wine cellar.

ethereal_reality · #**48990** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 3:23 PM**

A recent find on ebay.

EBAY

A closer look at the three ladies on the porch and the 903 st. number

detail

I like that the lady on the left is offering her profile.

Luckily, the address is included on the back.

903 East Adams Blvd.

Unless I'm mistaken, this cheesy looking apartment building took the fine looking home's place.

GSV

__

Martin Pal · #**48991** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 5:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

they had a long way to go to get to the wine cellar.

_____________________________________________________________

While looking up something about the Tower Restaurant in the AT&T Center, formerly SBC Tower, Transamerica Building, and Occidental Life Building, I came across this interesting article:

CityDig: The Loneliest Skyscraper in Los Angeles
https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/...n-los-angeles/

Also, Los Angeles Times' Framework page has an article with six images taken from atop the new building in Dec. 1965, including this one featuring the Richfield Building which may not have been previously seen on NLA. The photo, not the Richfield Building.

http://framework.latimes.com/los-angeles-from-atop-the-occidental-life-building/#/0

Martin Pal · #**48992** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 5:23 PM**

Acorn8332 used to work in the Occidental Building.

Quote:

Originally Posted by acorn8332

I was an accountant with the Transamerica Property & Casualty Insurance Group from August 1974 to December 1977. The building maintained its "Occidental Center" signage the whole time I worked there.

I think Transamerica made its big push to rename all the insurance subsidiaries (including Occidental Life) in the 1980s.

Acorn8332, did you ever eat in that restaurant?

GaylordWilshire · #**48993** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 6:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

A recent find on ebay.

EBAY

I have a few notes on 903 East Adams... it was built in the spring of 1903 by Elvaton W. Elder on spec-- the "7-room all new cottage" was offered for sale in classified ads by August. It was demo'ed in 1964. Elder happened to be v-p of Bartlett Music, which had recently merged with Salyer's Piano House. John Salyer became secretary of Bartlett and later owned it outright--and he had just built 705 East Adams a couple of blocks to the west. That house still stands, though now at 2400 S Gramercy Pl. You can read about it here

Not sure who the ladies are...

Andys · #**48994** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 6:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

Acorn8332 used to work in the Occidental Building.

Acorn8332, did you ever eat in that restaurant?

My mother worked for Transamerica. I remember attending the grand opening of the Occidental Building. Not sure what year that was. The data processing hardware was in the basement; rows and rows of cabinets and reel to reel magnetic tapes. Probably less capability than your cell phone.
Andys

ethereal_reality · #**48995** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 8:42 PM**

Andys, the Occidental Building was under construction in 1964.

UCLA

Here's a closer look at the restaurant under construction

detail from top photo.

I read that the restaurant appeared to be 'floating' above a Japanese Garden on the roof. (I've never heard this before)

That sounds alot like the restaurant on top of the Seibu department Store (now the Petersen automotive Museum)
Unless I'm mistaken, there was also a Japanese Garden on the roof of Seibu as well.
__

update:

here's where i read it

You can read the article at la.curbed

here's what gensler did with the top

la.curbed

_

ethereal_reality · #**48996** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 9:02 PM**

Here's one more photograph that I think is interesting.

This night shot is dated 1965. You can see the ceiling lights of the fancy schmancy restaurant at the top.

link coming (or maybe not. I can't find it again)

_

GaylordWilshire · #**48997** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 9:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Andys, the Occidental Building was under construction in 1964.

UCLA

More or less the same view today...but first, I see that the lamppost at right is still there...I like the mannequin store behind it today....

The Starkweather radio store at 1349 S Broadway and the battery shop have been replaced with this building:

Not sure what the lettering is....

CityBoyDoug · #**48998** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 10:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Here's one more photograph that I think is interesting.

This night shot is dated 1965. You can see the ceiling lights of the fancy schmancy restaurant at the top.

link coming (or maybe not. I can't find it again)

_

When I ate at the Tower restaurant in 1966, I was expecting lavish fare but the food was rather ordinary. It was more about the view than the food. It was unique for the era. I think I ordered roast beef.

old file

HossC · #**48999** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 10:13 PM**

It's been a while since I've said this, but here are a few images from a Julius Shulman photoset. This one is from 1965, and it's titled "Job 3876: William L. Pereira and Associates, Occidental Center". I'll start with the restaurant.

I believe that this is the previously mentioned Japanese garden below.

And from the other end.

The last one shows the walkway raised a couple of feet above the floor.

All from Getty Research Institute

The whole set is 44 images (with some duplication between black & white and color). I don't have time to go through them all today, but I'll try and pull a few more together for another post tomorrow.

GaylordWilshire · #**49000** Posted **Sep 26, 2018, 10:34 PM**

Great pics, Hoss, look forward to seeing more

An early ad

LAT March 30, 1965

Sounds good to me

LAT Oct 24, 1965