Thanks for that follow-up, Fab Fifties Fan. Fascinating stuff!

And you reminded me of something. Twelve years ago I spent a week house-sitting for some friends of mine in the hills above Sunset and Fountain (Franklin Hills). The owner believed that his house had been used at one time as an illegal gambling parlor. The ground level of the house had been modified at some point such that there were no fewer than six doors leading outside, most of them on the sides of the house. These were presumably added so that several people could make quick exits in the event of a raid.

At the front of the house, there had been added near the eaves a curious little figure of an owl. The owl's eyes were small red light bulbs, with the switch for the eyes on a wall inside. (They were still functional when I stayed there.) In theory, the owl's eyes would have been illuminated as a signal to let patrons know that it was safe to come inside and gamble.

Here are two photos I took when I was house-sitting. In the first photo, the red circle shows where the owl is situated.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6...R63z4/DH02.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-P...MBcCA/DH03.JPG

I've also heard that there were at one time gambling ships located three miles off the coast in Santa Monica Bay.

This Wrigley Field was used for the old TV show, Home Run Derby. It was a pretty low key show where sluggers of the day competed to see who could hit the most home runs in a batting practice set up. I remember Bob Lemon and Rocky Colavito being on it. I'm sure Mickey Mantle and Harmon Killebrew must have appeared but don't remember for sure. It used to be on WOR Channel 9 or WPIX Channel 11 weekday afternoons.
It was also used in a pretty good B movie, Armored Car Robbery. I remember being surprised when the armored car pulls up to the stadium, there's a row of regular houses across the street. It struck me as odd that a ballpark was plunked down in the middle of a residential area. Maybe it was not uncommon back then, but it was new to me.

Home runs hit over the left field wall ended up in the back yards of homes, and even broke more than a few windows over the years.

Also used in the film version of Damn Yankees (1958)...

-S

Gambling...
 

You're welcome Handsome Stranger! So fascinating about the Franklin Hills house! I would love to know who's house it was "back in the day". The owl is kinda creepy as is and must have been really creepy with its red eyes illuminated! There were definitely gambling ships off the coast and I remember seeing a post about them on either this thread or one of the other threads/blogs that I visit. I'll snoop around a bit!:sly:

~F3

:previous:

I sure hope someone strips that gross carbuncular layer of stucco off that house soon--

the Rex was probably the most well-known of the gambling ships-- there was the "Battle of Santa Monica Bay"-- I thought we covered them here, but a "search" doesn't turn up the Rex or "gambling ships"-- but see what you can find, F3

there were several gambling ships that served the los angeles area in the 1930's.

Typically the ships would be moored 3 miles off shore, and patrons would arrive by water taxi service out of long beach and san pedro.

The Juanita Water taxi alongside a gambling ship

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics39/00039407.jpg
Source: LAPL

As GW mentioned, the Rex was probably the most famous of these illicit cruisers

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics40/00039675.jpg
Source: LAPL

there was also the Mount Baker

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics40/00039688.jpg
Source: LAPL

The Tango

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics40/00039687.jpg
Source: LAPL

The Johanna Smith

http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics23/00046118.jpg
Source: LAPL

the Lux, also known as the Bunker Hill....(that's where i would have gone for my prohibition gamblin' and hootch fix!)

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics40/00039676.jpg
Source: LAPL

sometimes the long arm of the law would catch up with these operations

http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics23/00046129.jpg
Source: LAPL

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics40/00039685.jpg
Source: LAPL

and every so often, the ships would be subject to organized union issues

http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics23/00046114.jpg
Source: LAPL

Amazing finds gsjansen!!! I Must say I'm partial to the Johanna Smith as that is my niece's name since her marriage last year!!!

~F3

Thanks for all the great photos, gsjansen. I don't know much about this part of Los Angeles history and it fascinates me. I wonder when and how the business of the gambling ships finally stopped.

And the neon sign in that last photo is a beauty!

I love that story about the owl with red light bulb eyes.

The Sunnyside Apartments on 9th Street.

http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/5...tonninthst.jpg
usc

Have we somehow missed this beautiful apartment on this thread......or has my memory failed me

_________

A postcard of the slightly sinister looking Villa Carlotta Apartments at 5959 Franklin Ave.

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/8...tavintagel.jpg
ebay




The Villa Carlotta in 1926.

http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/3...ta1926at59.jpg
unknown


The Villa Carlotta in the 1940s

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/8...tainthe194.jpg
lapl




The Villa Carlotta entrance; now overgrown with trees and shrubs.

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/8...taentrance.jpg
usc




The Villa Carlotta today looking north on Tamarind Ave.

http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/5...taasseenfr.jpg
google street views




The Villa Carlotta on the right; looking south on Tamarind.

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/6...talookings.jpg
google street view




Great old door of the Villa Carlotta.

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/1...arlotta1ss.jpg
Steve Silberman


Mail boxes in the lobby of the Villa Carlotta.

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/565...ttalobbyss.jpg
Steve Silberman

Don't know when the gambling ships gave it up but my Dad was a craps dealer on the Rex, working for Tony Cornero who died in the early 50's. My Dad lost his four front teeth when an inebriated woman whacked him with a bandana full of dice that he had given her.

Villa Carlotta
 

Yayyyy etheral_reality, I'm so glad you posted more pics of the Villa Carlottas. :banana:
I had also posted about them a couple of weeks ago (#4174) because they are really a special place to me. Living there was a great experience as the apartments are really unique! Many of the apartments are townhouse style with living room, dining room and kitchen downstairs and two bedrooms and bathroom upstairs. Tons of woodwork and everything very spanish in style.

I still have not come across anything noir that happened there, but I'm positive there had to be, so I'll keep looking!!!

~F3

Fab_Fifties_Fan

It is so cool that you actually lived at the Villa Carotta! Do you have any photos from your time there?
Whenever I hear the name I think of Carotta Valdez in Hitchcock's Vertigo (one of my favorite movies).

link to Fab's previous Villa Carlotta post.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=4174

_________

My obsession with the Villa Carlottas
 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...ivingroom.jpg/Sadly, I don't have any pictures from my time there that show much of the apartment. We were major party kids back then and usually couldn't focus well enough to take pictures! BTW, Vertigo is one of my all time favorites as well!

However, I have been collecting pictures of the place for years. I had a friend of a friend who sub-let there for six months a couple of years ago and I was able to drive up from San Diego and explore the place again. It is very hard to describe, so here are a few more shots from my collection.

The lobby and courtyard are really magical. I love the natural patina that has enveloped everything, complimenting its age and charcter. The lobby has beautiful arched windows and doors to the courtyard:
http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/8...lobbypiano.jpg
http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/8...obbypiano2.jpg
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/4766/vcfountain.jpg
http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/5566/vccourtyard.jpg

As I stated earlier, many apartments are townhouse style and quite spacious but even the studios are huge. A 1930's write-up, that I came across years ago, boasted that "even the studios are large enough to fit a grand piano in the living room!". Its true. Here are some interior shots that I have collected:

A typical funky living room in a two story unit. That is the dining room/kitchen entrance behind her.
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/274...livingroom.jpg
There are five arched windows and one arched french door to the courtyard.
http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/2...ivingroom2.jpg

One bedroom has a juliet balcony overlooking the courtyard.
http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/8927/vcbedroom.jpg
the bathroom
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7875/vcbathroom.jpg

This shot was from an article in Metropolitan Home magazine a couple of years ago, shortly before it ceased publication. This designer had redone a studio at the VC, so the shot gives you an idea of how spacious the studios are.
http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/911/vclivingroom.jpg
All photos are from personal collection

The Rex
 

That is a great story cleats! I am sure he saw a whole lot of everything on the Rex. I've read that the Rex had its own madam who ensured her girls were aboard for every cruise:tomato:

Just stumbled across this mystery photo in the "Vintage Los Angeles" pool at Flickr. It's dated February 1938 but there's no specific location given. Griffith Observatory is barely visible at the left.

It looks like the cross street in the middle of the photo intersects at an angle, which made me think it could be San Vicente. But I can't quite match up the topography in the photo with the intersections of San Vicente I am familiar with.

Anyone have any insight into where this photo might have been taken?

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6052/...4f8d909e_b.jpg

source: Flickr

That is amzing and such a fun story! It would be interesting to get to the truth behind it.

Thanks for sharing!

Rail Line in Long Beach
 

Browsing through this thread, I have seen a lot of posts about the old red car rail lines.

I stumbled upon this one day when looking up directions in Long Beach.
I have created a Google map that highlights where the now abandoned route went.
It is very interesting in that Long Beach never restructured or rebuilt the area and most of it is an empty stretch of land. There are a few parks, houses, storage yards and the like. The best part is that the land was never altered and the homes were built on a diagonal from the rest of the neighborhoods!

Check out the map I made, and the pins that go along with it. Start from the northern tip of the map and make your way down the historic rail line!

Note: it is best to zoom in a little, but note that halfway through the map freaks out for a minute, so you may need to zoom out a bit and then zoom back in.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0...b3aa48792089b1