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ethereal_reality Feb 17, 2015 4:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin Pal (Post 6905691)

Witch's House aka Spadena House

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mBYjJM4OAD...26.26%2BPM.png

The house was originally located in Culver City, built for the Willat Movie Studio.




I finally located a photograph showing the back side of the Willat/Spadena House Martin_Pal.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...538/BDniyd.png
http://www..facebook.com/BeverlyHillsHeritage

And it's as cool as the front!

__

ethereal_reality Feb 17, 2015 5:08 AM

"Original Slide, Richfield Gas Station, Los Angeles, early 1950s."

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/901/eaMszi.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Sli...item5d556f695c

Does anyone recognize this corner? It's got me stumped.
__

ethereal_reality Feb 17, 2015 5:20 AM

Here's another slide I came across earlier this evening.

NBC Radio City Studios, Northeast corner of Vine & Sunset, Los Angeles, 1950s.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/631/g8asm2.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Sli...item51cc2096ff

:previous: What in the heck is that guy driving??

I like the athletic looking woman with the good posture standing on the corner at far right-->
She looks like she's getting ready to throw a softball. ;)
__

ethereal_reality Feb 17, 2015 5:33 AM

One more

Boys running a race, Los Angeles 1950s.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...910/BtyNyr.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-Photo-Sl...item4634ae363b

Does anyone recognize the old apartment building across the street?
__

Slauson Slim Feb 17, 2015 5:45 AM

Nation of Islam Mosque No. 27
 
I grew up on West 58th Street near Broadway, and walked by the Mosque many times on the way to school or on errands. The day after the LAPD raid when I walked by the Mosque there was debris, broken glass and blood stains on the pavement.

I bought records, needles and vacuum tubes at the radio/record store in the picture. The building likely was torched in the 1965 Riots.

South Broadway from Vernon Avenue to Manchester was a lively street with lots of shopping - chains and mom 'n pop stores - movie theaters, bars and nightclubs. Figueroa and Vermont too. This all changed after the 1965 Riots after many buildings were set fire and not rebuilt. The Riots led to the decline of the neighborhood.

ProphetM Feb 17, 2015 6:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality (Post 6918014)
"Original Slide, Richfield Gas Station, Los Angeles, early 1950s."

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/901/eaMszi.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Sli...item5d556f695c

Does anyone recognize this corner? It's got me stumped.
__

I think that's Adams & Flower. Those immensely tall palm trees led me to think of the Longstreet Palms at the LA Orthopaedic Hospital. Historicaerials.com does show a gas station on the corner in that shape, as well as an apartment building in the proper shape and place to match the photo.

The gas station appears in 1948 and 1952 aerials, but is gone by 1964 due to the freeway. The apartment building and the church in the background are still there in 1964, but replaced by a parking lot by 1972.

CityBoyDoug Feb 17, 2015 8:03 AM

1965....what a year that was.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Slauson Slim (Post 6918045)
I grew up on West 58th Street near Broadway, and walked by the Mosque many times on the way to school or on errands. The day after the LAPD raid when I walked by the Mosque there was debris, broken glass and blood stains on the pavement.

I bought records, needles and vacuum tubes at the radio/record store in the picture. The building likely was torched in the 1965 Riots.

South Broadway from Vernon Avenue to Manchester was a lively street with lots of shopping - chains and mom 'n pop stores - movie theaters, bars and nightclubs. Figueroa and Vermont too. This all changed after the 1965 Riots after many buildings were set fire and not rebuilt. The Riots led to the decline of the neighborhood.



Slim, your testimony is filled with history for sure. Those were hard times for LA.

I worked in a store on South Central after the 1965 riots. The store had been burned and somewhat looted. I had to reconstruct the bank records of the bowling supply store. After that I went into the Navy for 4 years.

Nice to see your post Slauson Slim...welcome sir. Please post more things about LA. There's many friendly and interesting people on this thread. The webpage page views on this topic are in the millions.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...psyrwjstdk.jpg
LAtimes

tovangar2 Feb 17, 2015 8:53 AM

Nation of Islam Mosque No. 27
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Slauson Slim (Post 6918045)
I grew up on West 58th Street near Broadway, and walked by the Mosque many times on the way to school or on errands. The day after the LAPD raid when I walked by the Mosque there was debris, broken glass and blood stains on the pavement.

I bought records, needles and vacuum tubes at the radio/record store in the picture. The building likely was torched in the 1965 Riots.

South Broadway from Vernon Avenue to Manchester was a lively street with lots of shopping - chains and mom 'n pop stores - movie theaters, bars and nightclubs. Figueroa and Vermont too. This all changed after the 1965 Riots after many buildings were set fire and not rebuilt. The Riots led to the decline of the neighborhood.

Thank you so much Slauson Slim. Really priceless. I hope we hear from you again. Often.

5606 S Broadway ought to get a Blue Plaque b/c Malcolm X founded it and broke with NOI over it, plus Ronald Stokes lost his life on the sidewalk in front of it. Real Angeleno and American history there.

The last I heard, Mohammad's Mosque No. 27 was sharing space with the Scientologists at a building we've seen on NLA before, 8039 S Vermont, but then again, maybe they've moved on:

Quote:

Originally Posted by revheavyg (Post 6341844)
http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/...ps406121b1.jpg
With the great success of IM Hattem's Grand Central Market stalls and his supermarket, he broke ground for a second market and a shopping center at the corner of 81st Street and Vermont Avenue. Opening in 1931, Hattem's Shopping Center was actually two buildings that shared a common parking lot.
The first building housed the market itself, while the second was rented to various tenants, including a dress shop, cigar shop, and florist. Hattem's second market had stunning interiors and luxurious offices in its tower. During the construction, IM invited city officials including Mayor of Los Angeles John C. Porter, to sign their names in the wet cement at the entrance, mimicking the brainstorm of Hollywood theater mogul (and fellow Jewish Angeleno) Sid Grauman. In order to pursue a career in real estate, IM sold both of his grocery stores in 1936 to Allen & Huck, who ran a small grocery chain.
The first market was converted into a BBQ restaurant and bowling alley until it was demolished to make room for Security Pacific National Bank.
The second building is still standing today at the corner of 81st and Vermont. It was abandoned for many years, but recently was fully restored by the Church of Scientology. On November 5, 2011
A 16mm film created during the grand opening, which coincided with Mayor Porter's birthday, was used to produce a theatrical commercial that played the local movie houses of the city.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n072K3eBkvc

revheavyg's full post is here

fhammon Feb 17, 2015 9:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug (Post 6917611)
But I did visit the big Rexall drug store in the same building many times during my lunch hour. Sometimes I saw movie and TV stars buying various things. One I remember was a very tall Robert Young. He did not leave a very pleasant public impression as he was basically loud and obnoxious. At least he was the day I observed him at Rexall. He had that...'' I'm a big star'' attitude.

You had no way of knowing at that time Doug but this should help explain:

Quote:

Despite his trademark portrayal of happy, well-adjusted characters, Young’s bitterness toward Hollywood casting practices never diminished, and he suffered from depression and alcoholism, culminating in a suicide attempt in January 1991.[3] Later, he spoke candidly about his personal problems in an effort to encourage others to seek help. The Robert Young Center for Community Mental Health, in Rock Island, Illinois, is named after Young in honor of his work toward passage of the 708 Illinois Tax Referendum, which established a property tax to support mental health programs in his home state.
We tend to project so much on these actors but that's kind of the nature it I suppose. They are just artists working a craft, playing themselves up by some necessity, dealing with fame and attention but they have no better handle on life or politics or any such things as the rest of us. Most often worse I think.
Anyhow, Robert Young eventually did some good and I applaud others in the "the biz" who contribute like he did.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Young_%28actor%29

CityBoyDoug Feb 17, 2015 3:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fhammon (Post 6918134)
You had no way of knowing at that time Doug but this should help explain:



We tend to project so much on these actors but that's kind of the nature it I suppose. They are just artists working a craft, playing themselves up by some necessity, dealing with fame and attention but they have no better handle on life or politics or any such things as the rest of us. Most often worse I think.
Anyhow, Robert Young eventually did some good and I applaud others in the "the biz" who contribute like he did.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Young_%28actor%29

You are correct Fhammon, I did not know at that time but I did learn of his life-situation a few years later.

There was something definitely off kilter the day I saw him at Rexall.

ethereal_reality Feb 17, 2015 3:51 PM

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...633/N7KKCz.jpg
1967 detail / calisphere

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slauson Slim (Post 6918045)
:previous:I bought records, needles and vacuum tubes at the radio/record store in the picture. The building likely was torched in the 1965 Riots.

Welcome Slauson Slim.

I appreciate you sharing personal history with us at NLA.
Insights like yours help make the thread all the more interesting.
__

Wig-Wag Feb 17, 2015 4:44 PM

Radio/Recrd Store
 
"I bought records, needles and vacuum tubes at the radio/record store in the picture. The building likely was torched in the 1965 Riots."

Welcome aboard, Slauson Slim!

I was wondering what became of the record store building as it is missing in the current Google street view. Your comment offers a plausible explanation.

Cheers,
Jack

Slauson Slim Feb 17, 2015 5:19 PM

54 Ballroom - 54th and Broadway
 
Thanks for the nice welcome folks.

Soon I will post some pictures. My grandfather owned the Royal Cafe in Downtown LA in the 1920s - mom told me that it was torn down to make room for City Hall.

In the late '50s and early' 60s the 54 Ballroom at 54th and South Broadway hosted the best and biggest name African American/R&B/Soul acts. The tour buses - Motortown Revue, James Brown, Bobby Bland, BB King, Ike and Tina Turner Revue, etc. - would be parked in front.

I would walk home from school past the 54 - this would be about 1959 to about 1964. A few times, I could hear the singers and musicians rehearsing, and I would go halfway up the stairs to hear better. Once or twice I was allowed to go upstairs after a musician saw me sitting on the stairs. The big polished dance floor, the stage, booths along the wall, the bar. Seeing the musicians and singers in their day clothes while they worked out an arrangement and got familiar with the room. And me in the white shirt/cords school uniform with my books.

I was too young to go to the shows in the evening.

On the ground floor was the 54 Bar, which featured Billy Preston on the Hammond organ......this would have been about '63 or '64. Also on the ground floor was a shoe repair shop and a liquor store. The liquor store had an old - even then - black and white patterned tile floor and nice interior architectural decorations.

The 54 closed when the neighborhood changed, and the building deteriorated.

tovangar2 Feb 17, 2015 6:09 PM

:previous:

Thx again Slauson Slim

Do you know if the 54 ever opened as a venue again, even briefly, after all that money was spent to restore it in the 90s?

ethereal_reality Feb 17, 2015 6:19 PM

Is this the building you're talking about?

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...633/yWzif2.jpg
GSV




below: I couldn't help but notice the cartouche about the entrance. (does it say 1922?)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...673/RrVJL9.jpg
detail / GSV

__

tovangar2 Feb 17, 2015 7:02 PM

:previous:

Yes e_r, that's the one, built 1922, when S Broadway was Moneta through this area. I was never in it, but can't look at it without hearing "Midnight Hour" in my head. Some info on the restoration here.

HossC Feb 17, 2015 7:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tovangar2 (Post 6917830)

I understand the confusion now HossC.

Thanks for your understanding, tovangar2. If I'd bothered to read your link, I wouldn't have been confused. I appreciate your clarification :).


----------------


The Los Angeles Business College wasn't hard to find in City Directories, but it took me a while to figure out when it was at 417 W 5th Street (between Clune's Auditorium and the old California Club building).

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...ssCollege1.jpg
http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...ssCollege2.jpg
eBay

The postcard above said the college was established in 1882, so I started there with the 1881/82 CD. The address was rooms 1-4 Odd Fellows Block.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...ssCollege3.jpg
LAPL

By 1894 the college had moved to 144 S Main.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...ssCollege4.jpg
LAPL

The 1898 CD has a full-page advert for the college on page 5, but the quality of the scan isn't very good, so I won't post it. Here's their classified listing showing another move to the Currier Building at 212 W 3rd.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...ssCollege5.jpg
LAPL

The college was still in the Currier Building for the 1900/01 CD when they had this half-page advert (the logo now matches the reverse of the postcard).

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...ssCollege6.jpg
LAPL

Finally I found the Los Angeles Business College at 417 W 5th Street in the 1909 CD. This is one of their page-header adverts.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...ssCollege7.jpg
LAPL

The 1911 CD shows that the college had moved again, this time to 8th and Hill. It also shows connections with Heald's Business College and the Southern California Business College (e_r posted a picture of the latter with an address at 614 S Grand Avenue in post #20819).

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...ssCollege8.jpg
LAPL

Another half-page advert from the 1917 CD. There's no mention of the other two colleges here.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...ssCollege9.jpg

The last mention of the Los Angeles Business College I found was in the 1923 CD. The listing shows another move to the 12th floor of the Sun Building at 706 S Hill. The name seems to have changed slightly to the Los Angeles Business College Inc 1890, and the advert also lists it as "Successor to Heald's and Southern California" colleges.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...sCollege10.jpg
LAPL

Slauson Slim Feb 17, 2015 8:07 PM

54 Ballroom
 
That's the building. The 54 Bar was to right of the entrance, next to that the cobbler's, and the liquor store was on the corner.

Thanks for that. I recall reading that the 54 Ballroom was owned/managed by Billy Berg, who also ran The Bandbox and Billy Berg's in Hollywood.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality (Post 6918504)
Is this the building you're talking about?

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...633/yWzif2.jpg
GSV




below: I couldn't help but notice the cartouche about the entrance. (does it say 1922?)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...673/RrVJL9.jpg
detail / GSV

__


Martin Pal Feb 17, 2015 8:14 PM

E_R, cool find of the "back" of the witch's/Spadena House!

Also, the evocative color slides from the '50's!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality (Post 6918030)
NBC Radio City Studios, Northeast corner of Vine & Sunset, Los Angeles, 1950s.

I like the athletic looking woman with the good posture standing on the corner at far right-->
She looks like she's getting ready to throw a softball. ;)
__

I noticed this woman, too, before I read your observation. I was thinking it's rare to see a woman before the 60's dressed in slacks! (Or "Capri Pants" as Laura Petrie would say.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality (Post 6918039)
One more

Boys running a race, Los Angeles 1950s.
__

And notice in this photo that the man/teacher/coach had just fired the "starting pistol" when this was taken; you can see the smoke in the air around it. (At least I hope it was a starting pistol!)

Martin Pal Feb 17, 2015 8:37 PM

Quote:

[Robert] Young’s bitterness toward Hollywood casting practices never diminished,
He was in over 80 films, including the classic The Enchanted Cottage and the best picture nominated film noir Crossfire, had two hit television programs, Father Knows Best was on for 8 years, reaching a high of the #6 rated program for the year in the 1959-60 season and Marcus Welby, M.D. was on for 7 years and was the #1 program on television in the 1970-71 season. Imagine if he hadn't been successful!


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