noirish Los Angeles

[Martin Pal]

It was interesting to read that documentaries list. I'd have guessed i would not know half or more of them before I read it...and I was right!

[ethereal_reality]

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Thanks for the figuring out the location of the acrobatic woman photograph, odinthor and HossC.

Originally Posted by HossC

My first thought when I saw the pointed objects on the roof was the 12-story Mode O'Day building at Washington and Main. The address in the article posted by odinthor confirmed my guess, but it took a while to find the right view. This one is dated 1930 to 1939.


Wikimedia Commons

If I remember correctly something 'noirish' happened at the Mode-O-Day building. I think a secretary jumped off the roof. Does anyone remember that?


LAPL

There must have been a good sale.




Oh, and the building is still there at Washington and Hill St., not Main.
,


GSV

I'm surprised the obelisks at the top haven't been removed. (earthquake danger)



Just for fun, here it is back in the day. (1950s? or 1960s?)


USC

Remarkably it looks the same today.


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[ethereal_reality]

Back to the list.



A W film missing from the Ws is Ken Russell's Whore (1991) starring Theresa Russell.



The opening credits are over traffic in the 6th Street Tunnel.






Then the word 'Whore' appears in red and it travels with the traffic (and gets smaller) to the end of the tunnel.







It's nicely done. (despite the lurid title)


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[ethereal_reality]

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Whore continued:





Of course The Lair of the White Worm is a Ken Russell movie.









I was curious about China Blue. I asked A.I. if it was a movie or a porn actresses' name.

A.I. threw a question back at me.

..........................................

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[montréaliste]

[quote=@ethereal reality/

I'm surprised the obelisks at the top haven't been removed. (earthquake danger)[/quote]


Somebody's waiting in the shadows to make a movie there in beautiful Impale-o-rama.

[AlvaroLegido]

s

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

.

If I remember correctly something 'noirish' happened at the Mode-O-Day building. I think a secretary jumped off the roof. Does anyone remember that?


LAPL

Good memory this time :-)
It was during the early days of NLA, a depressed secretary named Esther had jumped. The 1950s if I remember well. I wouldn't be able to find the post.

[HossC]

Well remembered, AlvaroLegido. Here's e_r's post from 2011:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Even the Mode O' Day Building has a touch of 'noir' history.

below: Esther Stein jumps from the 11th floor of the Mode O' Day Building on March 13, 1958.


usc digital archive

[38 Geary]

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