8363 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. Building is now an Enterprise Car Rental Office. But you already knew that. I wish you could delete posts made in error.

Hey Everyone!
I've been checking out and enjoying this thread out for quite some time. Now I actually have something to contribute

Two old postcards I bought the other day:

https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5660/3...7d830785_b.jpgLos Angeles Civic Center by tehshadowbat, on Flickr

https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5493/3...7e7ff606_b.jpgGrauman's Chinese Theatre by tehshadowbat, on Flickr

A post at humanstreetview.org dates the picture at 1952 (which I think is a little late) and places it on the corner of Highland and Sunset. I thought that at least one of the buildings must still be standing, so I went looking. Using the 1948 view at Historic Aerials (below), I found the curved spur next to the streetcar a few blocks south between Lexington and Santa Monica.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...andStores1.jpg
Historic Aerials

I think this might be the old Muntz TV building, although it's difficult to tell with those awnings. The building has since been painted matt black, which makes it even harder to see the lines.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...andStores2.jpg
GSV

These buildings just north of the one above also resemble the size and shape of those in the original picture, with Buddha Jones standing where Beverly Hills Provision (Packaged Meats) once stood.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...andStores3.jpg
GSV

On the other side of the street, I think these two buildings are also survivors.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...andStores4.jpg
GSV

It's difficult to get a "now" shot because a central divider filled with trees has been added to the street in the last decade. Instead, here's a remnant of the old spur. The front has been rebuilt, but the curve at the rear shows us where it was.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...andStores5.jpg
GSV

Finally, I thought I'd throw in Martin Turnbull's color version of the original picture.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...andStores6.jpg
www.martinturnbull.com

Buster Keaton!
 

The actor/comedian

Dream Vacation
 

You have to ask yourself...why?

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...psxitkbemh.jpg
bizarela.com

Dolores Restaurant West L.A.
 

There was another Dolores Restaurant on Santa Monica Blvd in West L.A. until a couple of years ago when it closed and a mysterious fire gutted it. Before that, it was a fairly intact vintage diner circa 1950's - good milkshakes as I recall.http://solidgoldman.com/Dolores.jpg

:previous: Hey, thanks for sharing your two postcards with us shadowbat2!

I don't believe we've discussed the objects in the two niches before. (to be honest, I hadn't notice them until shadowcat2' postcard above)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...923/1Gnqea.jpg
eBay

On a side note: can anyone read what movie's playing?
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I just found this daylight view from 1966.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...923/nGu1WE.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GRAUMANS-CHI...EAAOSw~gRVjEVg




close-up view
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...923/ilRfku.jpg
detail


It (they) remind me a bit of that front lawn shrine thingy down on Crenshaw that we recently discussed.

this
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...921/1sX9Ad.jpg
gsv / 674 Crenshaw

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Hi, E_R, on that Chinese Theatre marquee on the right it looks to me like I can make out "GOLDFINGER" in the top line. (?)
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Did this spur go down to Santa Monica Blvd.? I don't recall hearing about a spur from this location before, nor do I see it on any PE map I've been looking at just now, I wonder what it was used for?

That's what I thought too Martin, what threw me off was the word(s) in front of it. 'something' Man?
It can't be a double feature, because we're talking Grauman's fur-christ-sake.
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:previous::previous:

Looking at it some more I believe it says:

I believe you're correct Martin! I'm glad you figured it out, it was bugging me.

So they (the studio) decided to ride on the coat-tails of Goldfinger's success. Interesting marketing ploy.
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:previous:

Here's a clearer view of 'The Ipcress File' marquee from a 2014 post:

This is what the actual 'Goldfinger' marquee looked like.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...1.jpg~original
eBay

:previous: Very cool....thanks Hoss.


Apparently, "A thinking man's Goldfinger" was extracted from a Newsweek review.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...924/cOTYhj.jpg
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/ne...re-id479764829
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Here's a wider area. It looks like it may have been a short freight spur. There's another spur just south below the 'd' of Santa Monica Boulevard.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...7.jpg~original
Historic Aerials

Delete a Post
 

Let's briefly return to Glass Negative #1 from last week.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...924/6iNhM5.jpg
eBay

Unless I missed it, I don't believe anyone named the mystery building behind the tree and in the distance.


detail
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...922/jgtQNB.jpg


I'm pretty sure it's Julia Morgan's Herald Examiner building. (maybe someone already figured this out)




In this aerial dated 1914, you can see undeveloped parcels of land surrounding the building during it's construction.


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...921/CjHf8j.jpg
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...65/id/1849/rec



If you look closely, there are numerous scraggly trees and shack-like buildings, similar to what appears in the bluish glass neg.


detail / lower right corner
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...924/DoXFXs.jpg

note the rather nice house at upper right with a coach house behind it. (baist map please ;))
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sad to see Dolores gone..they didnt have the best prices but it was the place to go for an after cast party. Last time i went we finished "Zoot Suit" and the whole cast came which at 11pm on a Saturday night, filled the place. Most of the students from Uni went to Cafe 50's down the street or to the La Salsa where we got a discount if we showed our WAC card (Warrior/Wildcat Activity Card) which gave us discounts to most of the stores in the area.

:previous:

I didn't know that was the reason it closed. I'd go there on occasion when visiting the Royal Theatre down the street.

Who was doing "ZOOT SUIT" unihikid?

Thanks for the spur info, HossC, it led me to remember another site, HERE, that mentioned some info about this.

In the vicinity of Highland Avenue, numerous freight spurs connect to the line. This industrial district is the most important freight destination on the westside of Los Angeles for freight carried by rail. Just beyond Highland Avenue was a small freight yard and the freight station for Hollywood. [Seen in the aerial above.] The station agent sold passenger tickets.

The author says he "snapped this photo of the station in the early '60s."

http://www.uncanny.net/~wetzel/freightsta.JPGTom Wetzel/Uncanny
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With an homage to Bennett Cerf, your post, HossC, spurred me to find that bit of info, so now I hope E_R won't mind traveling back to a post that's a bit Muntzy. :runaway:




This photo has appeared on NLA before, but just to add perspective to the 8363 address, this is what was there in 1933.
Across the street at 8358, of course, is the Sunset Tower.


https://jhgrahambooks.files.wordpres...sunset1933.jpg


In April of 1966 the address was Muntz's Tape City:

https://jhgrahambooks.files.wordpres...ty-4-10-66.jpgL.A. Times