Don the Beachcomber's
Did you ever eat in the restaurant?

:previous:
re: Carlotta Monti

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/s6y9th.jpg
ladailymirror 1933






Some 30 years later. . . .

Carlotta shows up at W.C. Field's entombment.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/VZCrQ7.jpg
ladailyirror





https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/923/KtPIUN.png
ladailymirror

Did you read to the end? It's sad and touching. :(



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Did I Ever Eat At DTB?
 

No, but I did drink at the bar!!!!!! By the way if you read the Grant Parking sign it said "Convenient" to DTB. Which meant no validation just regular rates. Many people thought they would get free parking but had to pay regular price. Kind of misleading...

^^^
The film has it's moments. It is not perfect but Rod Steiger does a passable version of W.C. Fields. The film spends at least 30 minutes on the supposed abduction of the body of W.C.'s drinking buddy John Barrymore from the mortuary for one last meeting of the drinking & poker club and to send him off to eternity happy. Did that corpse abduction actually happen, or just a tall tale about Fields? See (*) below for more about Barrymore.

Valerie Perrine played Carlotta as the sweet woman that she probably was, and I remember the scene where she sprinkled the roof with a garden hose so the dying Fields could get to sleep. Fields liked the sound of rain on the roof--it relaxed him and it didn't rain often enough in L.A. like it did in Philadelphia. They also found an old L.A. red car to appear on tracks in one if the scenes.

The little person Billy Barty also appeared in the film as Ludwig, a pal of Fields. Maybe he was supposed to be one of the Munchkins. Can't remember. Fields would have made a memorable Wizard of Oz, but Frank Morgan did a good job. Besides, I don't think W.C. was still at MGM when they made it. I vaguely recall that L.B. Meyer had a grudge or dislike of Fields, possibly because he considered him demanding and unreliable because of his drinking. So Fields probably never had a chance to be the Wizard. Fields did a good Mr. Macawber in 1935 for the MGM version of David Copperfield, but he does seem a little tipsy sometimes, but Mr. M was a drinker. "Something will turn up my boy". The eternal optimist.

I read somewhere that Fields' family has possibly prevented the release of "W.C. Fields and Me" for viewing so it is very hard or maybe impossible to find on television or on DVD even today. I guess the family doesn't like the film or maybe they didn't like Carlotta Monti or her book. She did love Fields but I guess his family viewed Carlotta as a golddigger. Sad the way she was treated at the burial service.

I conjecture the unnamed "little (old) man" referred to in ER's newspaper article above about the burial service above may have been Fields' old vaudeville pal Ludwig, played by Billy Barty in the film. If that was Ludwig, he was treated even worse than Carlotta. The attendant wouldn't even let him see the crypt, and he shuffled away misty eyed. Carlotta and Ludwig got no respect.
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(*) John Barrymore and Evelyn Nesbitt. As some of you know, young John Barrymore and the youthful "Gibson Girl" model Evelyn Nesbitt had an affair around the time she got involved with the famous architect Sanford White around 1905 in NYC. White was later killed by Nesbitt's insanely jealous husband Thaw at the Madison Square Garden which White designed; Nesbitt may have posed for the rotating nude statue of the goddess Diana at the crown. The trial of Thaw was the O.J. trial of its day. The case is covered in the films/book "Ragtime" and the "Lady on the Red Velvet Swing". My question--Nesbitt later moved to L.A., perhaps when Barrymore was still alive in the late 1930s. Is it known whether Nesbitt and Barrymore ever met in L.A.? I believe Nesbitt led a quiet life teaching art here in her later years. Barrymore always said that Nesbitt was the love of his life, and he may have proposed to her back around 1905. So, did they ever run into eachother in L.A.? Was Nesbitt's move here because Barrymore was here? Any info?

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mystery location.



Joe E. Brown's house, March 22, 1934.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/sCJF4O.jpg
eBay

At least we know it's located somewhere in Beverly Hills.



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It appears that W.C. Fields didn't forget about his mistress in his will.



W.C. Fields’ 1938 Cadillac V-16 Fleetwood.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/gGW5xE.jpg
latimesblog photograph is dated 1980.


Carlotta sold the car to the Imperial Palace Auto Collection in 1984.




The car was listed for sale in 2009 [no price given]



https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/XEVRDP.jpg
latimesblog via Hemmings classified car ads

I don't know where, or with whom, the car currently resides.
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707 Walden Drive, Beverly Hills


https://i.imgur.com/R7p3yEP.jpg
Google Maps

Joe E. Brown lost his later Belair home up near Mulholland in the big fire in 1962

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/...arbara-payton/

Film noir actress Barbara Payton got lost on the mean streets of Hollywood, and sadly, never found her way back.
Today, I'm sending back my requests and comments to a film producer and screenwriter in Europe who has offered me an option on my work on Barbara's story. So, here's to one more try.
Photo credit: The Vintage News.com

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Maybe we've seen this, maybe we haven't.

This photograph was on eBay the other day and I couldn't stop staring at it.

We're looking at the west end of the Third Street tunnel. (1964) The multi-story building on the right is the old Hotel Elmar.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/ppdaIc.jpg
eBay


:previous: Chevy Impala. A parked car one street over appears to be covered with a tarp and I see Jim's Express over on the right.




Scene from The Unfaithful (1947)

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/6...923/JlTqfo.jpg
americanfilmnoir



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Recently found on eBay



Three photographs showing 977 Elden Ave. on November 22, 1922.



https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/7spLif.jpg







https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/922/1HCRIo.jpg

That's a tall fence across the street! What are they keeping, giraffes?







https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/2kStpX.jpg


All three found on eBay.

Looks very similar to the house my parents and my brother and I moved to from Texas in about 1952, though the address was 1225 Eldon Ave. It was quite a different neighborhood back then. We later moved across Pico to Westmoreland Ave.
Andyszy

The Hotel Elmar and the New Hotel Elmar were up the slope on the left (with S Hope Street addresses). I believe this photograph was taken from Flower Street, and the line of parked cars are on Cinnabar Street.

The building to the right of the tunnel was either the Crown Hotel at 702 W 3rd Street or the Havlin Hotel at 706 W 3rd Street (or possibly both). The 1963 CD still lists both, but only the Havlin is in the 1964 edition.

:previous:

Thanks for the correction Hoss.

That explains why I was confused by the description at americanfilmnoir

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/8...923/Lq8Zx4.jpg

"This is the Third Street tunnel at the west entrance with Hope Street above. In the clip below Zachary Scott and Steven Geray
drive through the tunnel and turn onto the Hope Street frontage and go into the Hotel Elmar which is visible on the left corner above."






Is this a newstand?

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/6...922/1LDq01.jpg
detail

or someone's player piano?


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Here's how it appears in the movie, with the Hotel Elmar sign visible:

https://i.postimg.cc/W309FtR9/1947.gif

I admire any citizen who uses proper hand signals when making a turn.

:previous:

That's awesome, H-S.

Thankfully, e_r, we have survivors there: The palm trees.

https://i.postimg.cc/pdBV6SRh/Elden977.jpg
gsv

Those palms are probably about 120 years old.

Any street trees which reach or exceed the hundred year mark should have special protection bestowed on them, say I.

USC has an almost identical image dated 1951. The only difference appears to be that in their photo, the tunnel is full of cleaning vehicles. Even the car and the people on the left are the same. It's like the cleaning vehicles have been airbrushed out of the image above.

In 1951, the mystery business just outside the tunnel was "Butch" Bonollo's Shine Parlor.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...chBonollo1.jpg
Detail from USC Digital Library

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mystery location, Los Angeles


Robby Muller, Polaroid 600 (1984)

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/0hSV1B.jpg
annetgelink

There is additional information at annetgelink


Good luck, minions....:superwhip
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https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8ac44661_o.png

A less-fancy version of the shoeshine stand shows up in the remake of "M" shot in 1950. You can see this scene at 50:00 minutes in on YouTube.

In back of image: top of eastmost Arco tower-- and on left is a bit of Union Bank tower-- So shot was of business on either Beaudry or Boylston in foreground

Bunker, Hill that is, black mold, smells like p...
 

I don't know of it's been mentioned before, however there was a noir movie simply called "Angel's Flight" from 1965 that featured a good amount of location filming on Bunker Hill, including the other side of the Third Street Tunnel. Admittedly I barely paid attention to the plot as I was too busy studying the scenery.
I'd try to post some stills but alas, since I'm usually lurking on these pages at work, I'm only using my phone.
:breakcomp:

Hey! That guy didn't pay!
 

Speaking of noir in '84, I was reminded of this:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ee535a8f_m.jpg
https://speculativeidentities.com/research/tech-noir

Too short to be ARCO tower. I believe it is one if the shorter dark towers in Century City or maybe on mid Wilshire. Maybe the run down green building is on little Santa Monica street, or Pico or somewhere like that in sight of Century City? My best guess.
More vvv

Possibly little Santa Monica near Century City? Buildings in CC could be seen from streets like Pico, Olympic, Santa Monica. The dark building in the backround looks like one of the dark towers in CC. Can' t rule out street parallel to Wilshire in Koreatown, Miracle Mile or even Wilshire in Westwood though. Most likely near Century City...that dark building looks like one I remember in CC. Little Santa Monica was run down in 1984 and is still a bit run down in places. That dark building is the key. Trying to find pic of CC or mid Wilshire to pin down that dark building or the apparent bank building on the left. Is the dark bldg. 1901 Av. of Stars??? If not, maybe one of the dark towers in Koreatown on Wilshire or Wilshire Westwood.

Building the Sphinx Realty office on Fairfax Ave
 

I don't know if we've ever had a firm dated on the building of the Sphinx Realty office on Fairfax Ave, but someone just found this. The article dated December 7, 1923.

https://martinturnbull.com/wp-conten...ber-7-1923.png

Tut-mania. In the 1920s, everything Egyptian was in vogue for a few years after the discovery of King Tut's tomb by Howard Carter. Houses, apartment building etc. in Egyptian style. e.g. Egyptian theater. Fashion and women's cosmetics and hair styles also influenced. Films, "The Mummy". After the early 1930s it sort of petered out until the visit of the Tut relics in late1970s, then it started again.

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I haven't had time to look up the old posts on the Shinx Reality office, M T. I'll see if I can find a date later today. :)


I still think the Robby Muller polaroid is somewhere downtown. I don't get a West Los Angeles vibe at all.



I've had this photograph in an old file dated 1960s.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/922/UFl2er.jpg
eBay

It's amazing how the MCA Building was all alone back in the day. Now there's the taller Hitlon Universal and the shorter Sheridan Universal.

I haven't found the build date of the MCA building but I think it was later than the 1960s. I'd guess early seventies. :shrug:


.

But not enough, heh! :)

From www.thestudiotour.com:

Dedicated on July 9 1963, the imposing "Black Tower" (constructed of black aluminium and glass) houses the executive offices where scripts are read and and careers are made (or broken).

The building was named in honour of the head of MCA, Lew Wasserman, by Edgar Bronfman following his takeover of Universal. Before this, it was known as the MCA Tower.

Architect: Ralph Vaughn (1907-2000)

The link for the mystery photo E_R posted says about the photographer: "Robby Müller has continued to take Polaroid pictures ever since 1974, sometimes while working on a film, as a way of studying light and composition.

I don't know how dates get assigned to photographs, but Müller's IMDB page shows that he was the cinematographer on a 1984 release filmed in L.A. called Repo Man. (However, it opened March 2, so it was probably filmed in 1983.) But the filming locations for that film include:

--E 10th St & Crocker St
--Stanford Ave & E Pico Blvd
--Stanford Ave & E 23rd St
--2731 South Central Ave
--Wilson St & Violet St
--Palmetto St & Mateo St
--842 South Broadway, Downtown, Los Angeles
--Tunnel at Lower Grand & West Gen Thad Kosciuszko Way
--Maple Ave & E 8th St
--2404 E 28th St, Los Angeles
--Orme Ave & E Olympic Blvd
--Sixth Street Viaduct

Not to say he did take the photo while working on any film, so...

So it could be anywhere. :runaway:

Robby Müller also worked on Barfly, a favorite with Scott Charles for the L.A. dive bar photos.

Repo Man is a classic.

Cheers,

Earl

:previous:


A film that Robby Müller worked on with LA area locations in 1984 was To Live and Die in LA.


Locations listed here -

www.imdb.com - To Live and Die in LA (Locations)


Some of these were shot in 1984, others in 1985.


This is another of his polaroids dated 1984-85 and taken while filming To Live and Die in LA.


https://i.imgur.com/6CdIyyt.jpg
hero-magazine.com

Also, the ARCO Tower didn't have windows at the very top of the building.

This is driving me crazy!

The black tower on the right is a common style and thus hard to pin down, but the bank building on the upper left is unusual--a brownish-gray building with a horizontal band of windows only on the top floor and then blank wall beneath, at least on the side that is showing. There probably aren't a lot of those.

If I had not been told it was LA, I would have guessed downtown San Diego.

Driving me crazy because I know I've seen that black building and that bank building to the left in the backround. I still say either Century City (1901 Av. Stars??) or Mid Wilshire/Koreatown,or less likely Wilshire in Westwood. Pretty sure the location will be one of these 3. The rundown green building in foreground on a parallel street not too far away obviously.

I spent over an hour on Google maps zoning in and out of all the black towers like that which I could think of. I looked at Santa Monica, Wilshire Blvd. in its entirety, Westwood, Century City, Hollywood, Koreatown, downtown. I checked Ventura Blvd. I even checked out by the airport, downtown Long Beach, and even downtown San Diego. None of the black towers I saw seemed to have the same dimensions as the one in the photo, but who knows, I might have misjudged.

e_r. are we possibly seeing the tops of these two buildings (center left, and black building dominating at right)?:

https://i.postimg.cc/prpLW2cp/Cent-Cit-NW.jpg
LAPL 00104772, detail

Here's a larger chunk of the same LAPL image:

https://i.postimg.cc/3Rb3bsr7/Cent-C...0104772det.jpg
LAPL 00104772, detail

The camera is looking northwest (mostly north) at Century City.

Oh mah gah this is bugging me too!!! I'm wondering if the dark building on the right has since been "reskinned," and has a different look to it, and I'm wondering if the low brick buildings in the foreground have since been demolished. They kind of remind me of some buildings in Old Town Pasadena, but this couldn't possibly be there. Also, the way those old buildings are right up to the sidewalk...

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The sidewalk/curb area is optically confusing. Are we seeing an extra high curb or no curb at all?

If there is a curb there should be a break in front of the garage door.





I initially lightened the photograph. I wish I hadn't.

Here it is before I jiggled with the lighting & contrast.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/8...922/jRRGoO.jpg

This also gives you a better look at the street. . . to me it looks exceptionally wide.

The oil spots in the foreground tell us cars have been parked on this side of the street.



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:previous:

Yeah, that sidewalk/curb is indeed optically confusing.

And now that you've shown more of the photo, I'm wondering if that's a one-way street? And maybe that dark building on the right isn't a building at all, but a metal box on top of the roof of the old brick building? Hmmm...

Here's a map of Repo Man locations:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...24269550000001

Cheers,

Earl

I've never seen a photo of that area after they tore down the ABC Entertainment Center and before the new construction. I never went by there when they were doing it, either. You reminded me how much I miss the Shubert Theatre. The "Plitt" movie theatres across the way and Harry's Bar & Grill and the Jade West.

It's been longer than it seems, but I used to visit Century City almost every week. I loved the shopping center before Westfield took it over. I saw dozens of movies at the AMC 14 every year. A couple productions each year at the Shubert. Almost every store and restaurant I used to like at the Westfield is gone. Century City used to be very friendly. It's what I liked about it. You could spend a whole day there by yourself and have a good time. At one time the shopping mall was listed as one of the top ten people watching places in Los Angeles. Westfield took that away with their redesign. Sorry...memories were lighting the corners of my mind...

I wouldn't expect such an old masonry building built right up to such a wide one-way street to have existed anywhere in present-day Century City, but who knows. Also, the black building in the photo doesn't have a screen for mechanical on the roof like the Century City building in question, as the windows go right up to the top of the façade instead.

Yeah, reskinning can be a problem in identification. The height of the dark buiding looks to be about 20-25 floors, so it can be any number of buildings on Wilshire or Century City. Doubt it is downtown. It kind of looks like the 1901 Av. of Stars and the slightly taller one across the street. Might be in Westwood and Wilshire Koreatown area too. Went through the city diagrams link for the building drawings but not much help. Too bad the photo didn't show more of the (ba)nk building on the left--would have been helpful. The rundown green building reminds me of junky buildings on Little Santa Monica back in the 1970s-80s near Century City. Also had junky buildings on Pico. Maybe it turns out to be in San Diego. That would be a curveball. Some Sherlock will solve this. I surrender. ER, do you know the answer? :shrug:

Yes, I agree. Tearing down the Shubert and all the other things hurt Century City. Now there is a big boxy building and fewer people walking around and less to do even before covid showed up. Century City needs more street life and what they did hurt that. How wasteful-tearing down a nice theater like the Shubert and all the restaurants etc. where people gathered. People need links to the past. A bar where everybody knows your name...once covid goes away and we can bar hop again.

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Here's a very interesting photograph that just showed up on eBay

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/iPk6eS.jpg

"Palm Ave. from W. Hollywood P.E. Station, 4-23-30"

Notice the car-race sculpture on the pedestal. (we discussed them years ago) I wonder if any have survived.

Also note the small cafe behind the station.

The white truck is delivering Wonder Bread.

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I thought we were not making political statement in this forum either supporting the Left, the Right or anything else? See the footer to this post.

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Take a look at this noirishers. :)


"Vintage Los Angeles SE Corner Hollywood Blvd Cahuenga Photo Slide Nov 1974."


https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/B20hZY.jpg
eBay



The building has stood the test of time like a champ.


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Here's another slide from Nov. 1974 (no doubt taken by the same tourist)

"Star’s Deli Restaurant Hollywood Blvd 35mm Photo Slide Nov 1974 Vtg Los Angeles."

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/HOFvwR.png
eBay

This is the northwest corner of the old Warners Theater building on Hollywood & Wilcox.





Here's the corner of the building today.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/jfpOOO.jpg

It appears they have restored the original grillwork and tlles.

Here


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