Welcome to the thread Handsome_Stranger!

The screen grabs from "If I Had a Million" are really great.
Photo #3 is especially intriguing. At first I thought that was Angels Flight in the background...then I thought it might be Court Flight.
The mystery to me is the foreground. It seems much more suburban than anything close to downtown.
Perhaps the background is showing the funicular on Mt. Washington??

Anyway, I am sure you'll get your answer as soon as gsjansen, GayLord_Wilshire or Los Angeles Past (among others) visit the thread.
They're the best!

Handsome Stranger,

I do not know where those streets are and am looking forward to someone else in the thread hopefully clearing that up. Thank you for posting that though, I really enjoyed googling it and watching the youtube clips of that scene. I am going to rent that movie tonight.

djlx2

Welcome, Handsome Stranger! :)

That's North Vendome and Marathon in Silverlake. I knew these had to be in Silverlake. Vendome, incidentally, is where the Laurel and Hardy steps from "The Music Box" are located.

In the first screen grab, the cars are headed north on Vendome and have just crossed Marathon, where the street splits into two roadways. Today that landscaped strip is a center median, but in those screen grabs, it looks like traffic might've gone two-ways on either side of that median, unless, for some reason, the director had the cars drive on the wrong side of the road.

Using Google Street View, here are approximately the modern-day views of that 2nd screen grab, one from behind the median, and one from ahead of the median:

http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/1581/picture1rx.png
Google Street View

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/5272/picture3wv.png
Google Street View

The duplexes next to that 2-story apartment building still exist, but the middle one has lost its porches. At least they have in this Google Street View. I haven't driven on this street in a while, maybe that duplex looks different now? Hmm...

I couldn't get the right angle from Google Street View, but here's the intersection of N. Vendome and Marathon St.:
http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/7644/picture4ax.png

I think it's interesting that the block numbers are stenciled on the street signposts. I don't think I've seen that before in other older photos of LA.

Welcome, Stranger!

According to the book 'Famous Hollywood Locations', Jack Frost Ford was at 750 S LaBrea Avenue. The building was demolished but the buildings across the street remain the same (the book was published in 1993). The location of the car crash was on 8th Street, south of the building. The location is south of Wilshire Blvd, north of Fwy 10, in the Park LaBrea section of LA.

Hey, just down the street from the Daily Planet!

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...750slabrea.jpg

A little update
 

My thanks to sopas ej and MikeD for helping identify locations! Late this morning I drove over to Silverlake to investigate the intersection of Vendome and Marathon. Here are some 1932 and 2011 comparisons. (Unfortunately I couldn't stand in the same spot the camera occupied in 1932 because it's now blocked by a wall.) One of the original houses still stands and is partly visible.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-F...illion-06a.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-p...illion-10a.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-W...illion-11a.jpg

According to the book 'Famous Hollywood Locations', Jack Frost Ford was at 750 S LaBrea Avenue. The building was demolished but the buildings across the street remain the same.

Actually the buildings across the street are gone now too. I drive by that location on my way to and from work. The entire block between Wilshire and 8th Street (just south of the Daily Planet building) has been vacant for about a year I think, maybe longer. There are plans for a new massive apartment complex to be built there. The upside is that the hideous Brutalist tower that was on the southeast corner of Wilshire and La Brea is gone. And I'm thankful that the art deco Firestone store just south on La Brea remains.

Re: 1911 Hollywood hotel brochure
 

Page 193 post by Bsjansen of Hollywood hotel is great. Wondering what was the exact address? Also Cahuenga Tavern is intriguing. I read it was the oldest building in the cahuenga pass, known as "8 mile pass" I believe. Does anyone know what stands there now? According to brochure, it was a 10-15 minute walk from Hollywood hotel. Must not have been too far up the pass.

WOW I made it! All 198 pages--done! And it only took about a month to do.

Well this has been a pleasure, and this may be the single finest thread I've ever read. It was fun seeing the focus of the thread naturally evolve over time: first the dogged recreation of Bunker Hill, then it was about LA as seen through movies and publicity stunts, the occasional car wrecks, matchbook ephemera (probably my favorite mini-theme) and most recently focusing on a one Bert Rovere, restaurant menus and newspaper clippings..... for someone who has spent all of about 40 hours in Los Angeles, I feel like I know her like an old friend.

Now although I've only been in town for two days, my work is my band (see my signature), my band is taking off in a major way (if you happened to see the Billboard Music Awards last weekend, then you saw my band playing on it), and when a band is taking off almost all roads lead to LA; I imagine (hope!) that we make the move in September. So this to me was a form of homework, something I must read if I'm ever to consider myself a true Angeleno, just like I must read Banham (done) or Inventing Autopia (not yet). And now that I have all this knowledge, I can rest assured that I'll hit the ground running once my band does the inevitable, and it can't come soon enough! (so long Boston!)

--

Finally, I picked up a copy of LA Noire a few days ago and I say to everyone here regardless of age, race, gender, wealth or gaming habits: LA Noire is a must have for anyone who loves this thread.

This is not your typical video game; rather, it's something new and different from what we've come to expect, and I'd say it's more like an interactive movie that also happens to have some traditional video game elements than it is yet another shoot-the-baddies braindrain. Let me also add that I am NOT a gamer, and in fact the last video game I bought was Sim City 4 over six years ago. So I do not make this reccomendation lightly.

I am completely blown away by the story, the acting, the environment, etc. but most of all I'm left feeling like I'm playing something that has the potential (like Wii Sports five years ago) to reel a whole new demographic into gaming. It is a watershed for video games; it is next-generational; it's the future; and it's so much fun, especially for those of us who geek out over Noirish Los Angeles.

So for your sake, GET IT!

LA Noire
 

I totally agree, LA Noire is a fantastic game. I'm 30 (almost 31) and I play video games sometimes, but this is a game that I actually bought on opening day and am very impressed with. It didn't take me quite a month to go through (at the time) 150ish pages, but it took a week or two. This is my first post on this board, but i've been a avid lurker for a few months now. Btw, the modeling on LA Noire is amazing, I'll be driving along and i'll see bunker hill and it's like "there it is, it looks JUST like it does in the old photos" or i'll see the Angel Flight and it's modeled perfectly as well. Do yourself a favor and buy it.

you moved the cemetery, but you left the bodies!!!!!!!! - craig t. nelson in poltergeist

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics43/00041069.jpg
Source: LAPL

Arrow points to bones of pioneer California soldier unearthed as Hollywood Freeway excavation cuts into the old Fort Moore Hill Cemetery. Soldier had been buried in full uniform, including silver spurs. Several caskets have been exposed. Photo dated: April 2, 1951.

creepy.....................................

I want to applaud and celebrate everyone’s contributions, research, and perspectives that are alive in this thread. I’ve been a lurker for a little over a year and haven’t even made it through every page yet because I usually end up Googling something. I particularly like the personal recollections or other opinions. Nevertheless, I suppose my noire fascination began with Old Time Radio or other media, and some fleeting memories of stories my dad would discuss of his growing up in the LA area since the early 30’s. Now that he’s gone, noire in movies, television, or radio has been my source of reminiscence of a time that no one is likely to live in again. I was born and raised in Glendale in the mid 60’s and when I was young I was exposed too much of the area’s history from my parents and others around me, chiefly through gradual absorption of discussions as we drove places. Now that I live out of state I have a particular evocative attachment for other sources of Glendale and LA history. For example, on Facebook other fellow Glendale natives (or transplants) have started a group, “Vintage Glendale "The Jewel City", we share stories and photos that go hand in hand with this general theme. (We are always looking for more contributors if anyone is interested).

Consequently, it was the postings about Double Indemnity and Crime Wave that found a crossover between noire and Glendale history. Personally, I am attracted to the efforts to record and preserve things of historical significance even if through pictures and stories. It is a great credit that so many people are now realizing how easily lost and overlooked history, works of art (architecture), or events are disappearing without being recorded. Hopefully, groups and sites like this can preserve and influence this history.

some interesting magazine advertisement from the LAPL California Index

slapsy maxie's 1946

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2621/...0585c02f_b.jpg

florentine gardens 1946

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5141/...2a6f5858_b.jpg

joan crawford for buick 1927

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5226/...31cb3717_b.jpg

clara bow for lasalle 1927

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5106/...4bcbb4e6_b.jpg

delores del rio for cadillac 1927

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5030/...375c4735_b.jpg

Source: LAPL California Index

Welcome to the thread kznyc2k and hyperionredcar!

I ran across this interesting photograph today on ebay of the Hotel Angelus.

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/811...1904albume.jpg
ebay


below: I lightened the image.

http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/8...1904albume.jpg
ebay

A cabinet card of a barber shop in downtown L.A.

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/144...arbershope.jpg
ebay

Notice the sign in Hebrew.
I am curious.....was there ever a concentrated Jewish community in downtown Los Angeles?

Saw one of these a couple weeks ago so I took a snap shot of it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...lmsTruck-1.jpg

Tonight I ventured WAY back to page #5 in the thread.
Is this 'interesting building' I pointed out the original Paris Inn?

1912 Angelus Hotel advertisement from the back cover of a Mason Opera House program

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/...bfa8e084_b.jpg
Source: LAPL California Index

ethereal--Boyle Heights has a rich history-- check out http://home.earthlink.net/~nholdened...ts_boyhood.htm for starters. There's also lots to google on the subject. If you ever find Wander's First Class Barber Shop, let me know how that electric face massage comes out. It looks like in front of the door there is a NYC-style glass-block sidewalk panel--to let light down into the sidewalk vault. I've never noticed that in a pic of LA.

the glass block in the side walk not only acts as means of introducing exterior light ot a basement space, but it's main purpose was to be able to provide smoke relief in case of a basement fire by means of smashing out the glass block with a fireman's axe.

here is a 1920 image of the woolworth's on broadway between 4th and 5th, you can see the glass block in the sidewalk along the storefront facade of the store

http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics49/00059255.jpg
Source: LAPL

here's a photograph from 1926 of crowds lined up to buy aimee's newest smash hit!, notice the glass block in the sidewalk

http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics04/00021718.jpg
Source: LAPL

an 1897 maier & zobelein brewery advertisement

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3216/...8dd0cd46_b.jpg
Source: LAPL California Index

Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay!