noirish Los Angeles

[tovangar2]

Both LAT and the permit list E.O. Jessurun as the developer/owner of the William Desmond Taylor murder site:


quoted


ladbs

Movieland Directory lists actor E.C. Jesserum (no IMDB page) as a resident:


I'm mystified as to whether or not this is supposed to be the same person.


____

[GaylordWilshire]

I hate to say it, but the Movieland Directory is not all that reliable. Emile C. Jessurun was a builder, not an actor. He was listed at 406A S Alvarado in the 1922 CD, but had moved by the next edition.


It's all more than I'm interested in grinding through--there is in addition an odd square in the center of the site blocking easy reading, at least on my computer--but someone appears to have knocked themselves out cataloging all of the residents of Jessurun's development as well as their connections. These appear to include tennis champ Helen Wills Moody, Norman Rockwell, Earl Rogers and Adela Rogers St. John, Fatty Arbuckle and Virginia Rappe, Florida railroad man Henry B. Plant, and Sol Lesser:

http://aimesley.blogspot.com/search?q=alvarado

[tovangar2]

Just across from West Lake Terrace/Wilshire Terrace/Alvarado Court, one-time home of William Desmond Taylor, Edna Purviance, Billy Haines, et al. is the Roxy at No. 357 Alvarado, built in 1929. As it doesn't seem to appear on any of the standard lists of Max Maltzman buildings, I thought I'd highlight it here:


gsv


gsv


google maps

Note that the permit says that the Roxy was built between 6th and Ocean View. Back in the day Ocean View ran all the way to S Bonnie Brae S Union Ave (with one break), rather than stopping at S Lake, as it does now:



ladbs

There are so many gems in Westlake, it's hard to leave.


The always reliable Maltzman is better known for the Wilshire Bowl/Slapsy Maxie's (1932), The Ravenswood on Rossmore (1930), the El Cortez (1928) and the Charmont in Santa Monica (1929), the Northmere in Los Feliz (1929) and The Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas (1952), plus many others.




Paradise Leased has an entertaining recounting of the debacle that was 410 N Rossmore, between William Douglas Lee's El Royale (1927) and Leland Bryant's Country Club Manor (1926). Started in 1930 (like the Ravenswood), also to the designs of Max Maltzman, it wasn't completed for 14 years.


___

[HossC]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

Note that the permit says that the Roxy was built between 6th and Ocean View. Back in the day Ocean View ran all the way to S Bonnie Brae, rather than stopping at S Lake, as it does now

I went looking for the original alignment of Ocean View Avenue, with a view to doing a then-and-now. Luck wasn't with me, and I had to stitch together three plates from the 1921 Baist map. Ocean View Avenue actually once stretched through to Burlington Avenue, and then continued in a disjointed section between Burlington and Union.


www.historicmapworks.com/www.historicmapworks.com/www.historicmapworks.com

As tovangar2 said, Ocean View Avenue now stops at S Lake Street. The section from S Alvarado Street to S Burlington Avenue became part of W 3rd Street, and the disjointed section is now part of Miramar Street. I've left the Google Map arrow to mark the Roxy.


Google Maps

[tovangar2]

Thank you HossC. I was hoping someone would take a look at that. So many street names have changed around there. Miramar used to be 3rd, etc (or was it the other way around?) Silver St is long gone. I remember doing a post on the Witmers' development and having to keep translating the street names for it to make any present-day sense.



P.S.

Here's an odd spot in Westlake. W 5th and Union. The now-vanished San Jose Ave used to run along the base of the hill:

gsv

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

[I didn't know Dinah Shore was ever a brunette.
__

And I didn't realize she spent most of her time as a blonde. I'd always thought of her as a redhead.

(ebay)
Dinah on the cover of Dance Band Album, 1942 (with Cugie, on left).

[ethereal_reality]

New Year's Eve at the Palomar Ballroom, circa 1937.



eBay




eBay


I posted this extra-large in case anyone wants to try and read the fine print.





enlarged, just for fun


HAPPY NEW YEAR NOIRISHERS!

_

[ethereal_reality]

Does anyone recognize this building?

At first I didn't think this looked like Los Angeles, but it does say Los Angeles on the white awning.


old file / eBay




Here's a second photograph. Army as opposed to Navy (and you can see a little more of the car)





I think the hanging sign might be for Sherwin-Williams Paints.


1907 Logo https://www.pinterest.com/pin/249035054368009516/


__

[Mstimc]

Thanks for all the info. on Alvarado Court, Tovangar and Gaylord! I read "Cast of Killers" a few years ago but never saw some of the photos and pictures you found. That cartoon treatment was...interesting....

[ethereal_reality]

'mystery' location.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/SCRTD-LOS-AN...YAAOSwNyFWfxZ-

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by Mstimc

I read "Cast of Killers" a few years ago but never saw some of the photos and pictures you found. That cartoon treatment was...interesting....

LOL. Going by the cover of Rick Geary's book, I think he's blaming it on the "stocky man" mentioned in another drawing by somebody else:


amazon


I know almost nothing about that case, apart from the barest outline. If no one's figured it out by now, I won't be able to.

There are other photos. One of the butler and another of the cocktail tray. I bet there are more interior shots somewhere, I just didn't find them in a quick google search.

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

HAPPY NEW YEAR NOIRISHERS!

_

Thank you e_r :-) Same all around.


www.losangelescountybeekeepers.com

[bighen]

I am pretty sure Leo's BBQ was located near the SW corner of Crenshaw and Adams in Los Angeles. In the late 1950s and early 60s I remember there was a Van DE Kamp bakery (with the windmill) and a theater that showed Japanese movies on the NW corner. When the bakery store closed up, it became a fast food restaurant with the windmill removed as shown in this picture.

[Lwize]

While looking for the mystery location on Crenshaw, I stumbled upon this beaming beauty:

3427 Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016


(GSV, hosted by me)

Anyone have a picture of the original occupant?

[Mstimc]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Does anyone recognize this building?

At first I didn't think this looked like Los Angeles, but it does say Los Angeles on the white awning.


old file / eBay

__

I noticed the Navy officers are wearing black armbands. By the car in the background and the style of uniforms, I'm guessing 1920's. Could be a funeral parade, but for whom..?

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' location.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/SCRTD-LOS-AN...YAAOSwNyFWfxZ-

Originally Posted by bighen

I am pretty sure Leo's BBQ was located near the SW corner of Crenshaw and Adams in Los Angeles. In the late 1950s and early 60s I remember there was a Van DE Kamp bakery (with the windmill) and a theater that showed Japanese movies on the NW corner. When the bakery store closed up, it became a fast food restaurant with the windmill removed as shown in this picture.

The Van de Kamp's Bakery was at 4400 W Adams Boulevard. Here's a picture from circa 1929.


LAPL

Leo's Bar-B-Que is listed at 2619 Crenshaw Boulevard in the 1973 and 1987 CDs (that's how it's spelled in the CDs). The 1969 CD has Johnson Tire Service at that address. I couldn't find anything on Colonel Soul's Fish & Chips. I think the sign on the right says Colonel Soul's Place. The roof sign on the right belonged to Bard’s West Adams Theatre at 4413 W Adams Boulevard, also known as the Fox Adams Theatre. The building still stands as a church, but the front has been stuccoed. There don't seem to be any good pictures of Bard's, but the Vista Theatre in Hollywood is desribed as "the little sister of the Fox Adams Theatre" by cinematreasures.org.


Enlarged detail of e_r's image from eBay

[HossC]

Originally Posted by Lwize

While looking for the mystery location on Crenshaw, I stumbled upon this beaming beauty:

3427 Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016


(GSV, hosted by me)

Anyone have a picture of the original occupant?

No pictures yet, but here's a little history.

The building permit for 3427 Crenshaw is dated April 1949, and says it was built as a ceramics and pottery store. The roof sign was added by the AA Sign Company in 1966 for Ortho Mattress. Ortho Mattress is listed at 3427 Crenshaw in the CDs from 1964 to 1969. In 1973 they seem to have moved to 3929 Crenshaw, and The Furniture Factory is listed at 3427. I didn't read every building permit, but there's one from 1979 which concerns converting the building into a bakery. The 1987 CD lists Western Union at 3427 Crenshaw.

[GaylordWilshire]

Great find HossC--

Here's an ad from the Times, 6-21-50:




I looked at a few other ads, such as for Ortho Mattress--its first seems to be have been in January 1963--none has an illustration of the building. For the first few years of the '60s 3427 Crenshaw was home to a Rambler dealer... this ad is from 3-3-60:

[HossC]

Let's welcome in the new year with a birth. This baby was the first one born at the Mid-City Hospital in 1956. The description says that the hospital was at 518 E Washington Boulevard, but the 1956 CD says it was at 519. I'm sure oldstuff can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that Frank (the father's name) is short for Francisco, and the baby is Louis Angulo.

1st New Year's baby born at Mid City Hospital on East Washington Boulevard, 1 January 1956. Effie Mae Malray (nurse) (holding baby); Frank Angulo (father); Leticia Angulo (mother).; Caption slip reads: "Photographer: Wyman. Date: 1956-01-01. Reporter: Parks. Assignment: 1st L.A. Baby Mid City Hosp., 518 E. Washington. 42: L/R Nurse Ellie Mae Malray with baby boy; Frank Angulo (father) & Leticia Angulo (mother) as they record footprints, which is required by a new law. Baby was born 5 seconds past midnite [sic]".


USC Digital Library

Happy New Year to everyone on NLA, and (if I'm right about the baby) happy 60th birthday to Louis!

[Earl Boebert]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

LOL. Going by the cover of Rick Geary's book, I think he's blaming it on the "stocky man" mentioned in another drawing by somebody else:

[snip]

I know almost nothing about that case, apart from the barest outline. If no one's figured it out by now, I won't be able to.

There are other photos. One of the butler and another of the cocktail tray. I bet there are more interior shots somewhere, I just didn't find them in a quick google search.

More than you ever wanted to know:

www.taylorology.com

Cheers,

Earl