noirish Los Angeles

[ethereal_reality]

Mini-Ferris Wheel, Chinatown, Los Angeles (no date)


Rinzi Ruiz at https://www.flickr.com/photos/48029767@N08/8279990353

__

[ethereal_reality]

aerial view of the pool at the Hotel Figueroa.



https://www.flickr.com/photos/michae...n/photostream/

I don't believe I've ever seen a coffin-shaped pool before.


We visited the pool area back in April.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=27871

__

[BifRayRock]

There have been a number of Bob's Air Mail Posts, the first of which might be http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=7493 Since that 2012-post additional information has come to light.

A Building Records Search for 5453 Wilshire reveals that Sorrell's Auto and Finance Inc., of 5514 Wilshire obtained a permit for an "office" in 1932. An "A V Spencer" then obtained a permit for a gas station in '33. Another permit was obtained in 1934 for a gas pump "canopy" and the size of the building apparently says in cursive "aeroplane." There is a 1936 CD listing for A V Spencer at 5453 Wilshire and a '38 CD listing for Bob's at the same 5453 address. The party was over by March 1939 when a demolition permit was obtained. The estimate for the destruction and removal was $50.


A couple of sources suggest that "A V Spencer" was also known as Bob Spencer, hence the name, Bob's Airmail Service. (FWIW, the manager in the '38CD for Bob's is listed as "Robt. Kreisler") One of the same sources states that the ten constructed Fokker F32's were bona fide white elephants, especially after the bad publicity received following Knute Rockne's March '31 death in a different model Fokker and the Great Depression.

Spencer reportedly took advantage of the inexpensive Fokker as an attraction, and according to the same source, "Spencer's brainwave was a runaway success. In 1934, Bob's Air Mail Service Station sold more Mobiloil and Mobilgas products than any other dealer on the West Coast."

"Painted white and rechristened The Happy Landing with the company's Flying Red Horse on the wings, the F-32 was illuminated at night. The two forward Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines often roared to life to the astonishment of passing drivers. Neon signs along the wings' leading edges proclaimed: 'BOB'S AIR MAIL SERVICE ... IT'S FASTER - IT'S BETTER.'" http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showt...lly-Big-Fokker




1938 - (At least that's what the license plate supposedly establishes. Black on yellow was also used in '36.)
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...l.jpg~original



Note that the forward propeller may actually be moving. Seems perfectly safe, quiet and sane.
http://imageshack.us/a/img23/5346/aa...station193.jpg



http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/73...757be61f0b.jpg

[ethereal_reality]

'mystery' location.

Hollywood Calif. 1922

eBay

I'm guessing that this small lunch counter might have been located on Highland Avenue since the sign says...Hi-Land.
__

[BifRayRock]

Originally Posted by Godzilla

The Santa Monica Blvd. address is interesting as 6700 is currently occupied by a venerable Hollywood name, Eastman Kodak Co. and its processing laboratory. (Las Palmas Ave and Santa Monica Blvd.) This leads one to wonder what happened to the not-unattractive Kodak building downtown formerly at 643 S. Hill?

6706 Santa Monica Boulevard - Kodak

1930

CalStLib

Contemporary
google


Kodak Building - 643 S. Hill (Long gone!)
Lapl

Hoping the BRS (building records system) could provide more information about the long forgotten Kodak Building at 643 S Hill, but there is evidently "no matching record." The 643 address is listed in the '29 -'42 CDs. The trail goes cold after that. No luck with 645 either.

[BifRayRock]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

An old, old pre-neon bulb sign still clinging to life in downtown Los Angeles.


http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/itsasign,la/Interesting



It's hiding in plain sight on the back of a building that faces Broadway. You can see it here from Spring Street.


gsv



"Brown-Israel Outfitting Co. Clothes on Credit" bulb sign

F.W. Braun Building, 1913. W.J. Sauder, architect

Brown-Israel Outfitting Company. -enlarged to six stories in 1922.

architect: Benjamin Bloser

__

Charles Brown and Joseph Israel "Stylish Clothes for Men, Women and Boys on Extended Charge Account."

Brown-Israel Outfitting at 824 Broadway, per 1923CD

[Noircitydame]

Love the electric sign E-R. (That kind of stuff is why I always go ' round the back of the building- the front gets a facelift, the back is left alone)

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

Hoping the BRS (building records system) could provide more information about the long forgotten Kodak Building at 643 S Hill, but there is evidently "no matching record." The 643 address is listed in the '29 -'42 CDs. The trail goes cold after that. No luck with 645 either.

All I have in my notes is that Los Angeles Federal Savings & Loan Assoc. bought the building in September 1953 (they'd been tenants since 1941) and altered it beyond recognition by June 1954 with the help of architects Douglas Honnold and John Rex & Associates

LAT 9-20-53

"We consider downtown Los Angeles one of the nation's bright spots"

LAT 6-27-54

I don't know when the remuddled building was demolished; the bank was there through 1966 for sure, but after that all I could find was this saying the existing 1-story jewlery store at 645 S. Hill was under construction in November 1983:

LAT 11-20-83

[HossC]

Originally Posted by Noircitydame

I don't know when the remuddled building was demolished; the bank was there through 1966 for sure, but after that all I could find was this saying the existing 1-story jewlery store at 645 S. Hill was under construction in November 1983.

The old Kodak Building is visible on the 1964 aerial image below, but it appears to be a parking lot by 1972.


Historic Aerials

[GaylordWilshire]

Linda Hammonds


I'm not sure what's going on with the "watery" top of this image, but the information provided says this unusual gas station was at 830 S La Brea in Inglewood. I don't remember seeing this on NLA before...as for repeats in general-- no reason to delete newer posts just because someone else has come across the subject before (no contest here for being first, is there?). If I remember having seen something before and can find it, I sometimes will re-post a link to the prior post so all that's been dug up on a subject can be looked at together. As for the Perelson murder house, I was hoping someone could find the additional pages after ER's initial post that when searched for resulted in a phishing-scam alert on my particular computer.

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

ER discovered this a while back-- I think there were follow-ups, but any further searching on the pages just after his post bring up a "phishing scam" alert on my computer.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=1607

Originally Posted by tovangar2

My redundant post has been deleted. Thats two in a row for me. I don't know how you found the prior or the ones on the Messerly house either. minkykat had that one listed as the "Masserly" house and Godzilla listed it at 826 "Burlingame". Live and learn.

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' location.

Hollywood Calif. 1922

eBay

I'm guessing that this small lunch counter might have been located on Highland Avenue since the sign says...Hi-Land.

I found Kwik Lunch in the CDs between 1926 and 1929, including two addresses on N Highland. I couldn't match any of the present-day locations to the photo above.


LAPL

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

There have been a number of Bob's Air Mail Posts, the first of which might be http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=7493 Since that 2012-post additional information has come to light.

A Building Records Search for 5453 Wilshire reveals that Sorrell's Auto and Finance Inc., of 5514 Wilshire obtained a permit for an "office" in 1932. An "A V Spencer" then obtained a permit for a gas station in '33. Another permit was obtained in 1934 for a gas pump "canopy" and the size of the building apparently says in cursive "aeroplane." There is a 1936 CD listing for A V Spencer at 5453 Wilshire and a '38 CD listing for Bob's at the same 5453 address. The party was over by March 1939 when a demolition permit was obtained. The estimate for the destruction and removal was $50.


A couple of sources suggest that "A V Spencer" was also known as Bob Spencer, hence the name, Bob's Airmail Service. (FWIW, the manager in the '38CD for Bob's is listed as "Robt. Kreisler") One of the same sources states that the ten constructed Fokker F32's were bona fide white elephants, especially after the bad publicity received following Knute Rockne's March '31 death in a different model Fokker and the Great Depression.

Spencer reportedly took advantage of the inexpensive Fokker as an attraction, and according to the same source, "Spencer's brainwave was a runaway success. In 1934, Bob's Air Mail Service Station sold more Mobiloil and Mobilgas products than any other dealer on the West Coast."

"Painted white and rechristened The Happy Landing with the company's Flying Red Horse on the wings, the F-32 was illuminated at night. The two forward Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines often roared to life to the astonishment of passing drivers. Neon signs along the wings' leading edges proclaimed: 'BOB'S AIR MAIL SERVICE ... IT'S FASTER - IT'S BETTER.'" http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showt...lly-Big-Fokker




1938 - (At least that's what the license plate supposedly establishes. Black on yellow was also used in '36.)
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...l.jpg~original



Note that the forward propeller may actually be moving. Seems perfectly safe, quiet and sane.
http://imageshack.us/a/img23/5346/aa...station193.jpg



http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/73...757be61f0b.jpg

nice to have that date pinned down better.

This site has a loop of a 2-3 second color film of Bob's with the props going: http://twostriptechnicolor.tumblr.co...s-angeles-june


I had this photo in my files, unattributed (I've spent an hour trying to figure out my source for it without success, LAPL I thought) c. 1939- before about April 1940 anyway as the White Spot is still The White Spot at 5467. It looks like some sort of wall or foundation going up there that I don't remember seeing when Bob's was there.

Mobile Gas sign, no wall (c. 1938)
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00007/00007141.jpg

[BifRayRock]

Thanks NCD for the remarkable image. (Still not quite sure how "A V Spence" became "Bob." )


http://31.media.tumblr.com/03b7f9174...u5g7o1_500.gif




I was probably responsible for the image you were trying to source. http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/show...ostcount=11862 The original can be found here: http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...id/22066/rec/1

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

Image is date non-specific (1930-1940) Most likely 1939 - Wilshire Blvd. - "The White Spot" and "Glorified Hamburger" (The Post-Bob's Era)

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

1938 - (At least that's what the license plate supposedly establishes. Black on yellow was also used in '36.)
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...l.jpg~original



Note that the forward propeller may actually be moving. Seems perfectly safe, quiet and sane.
http://imageshack.us/a/img23/5346/aa...station193.jpg

Love that airplane gas station. What could be more cool. We need more of those today.!!! It looks like at one point in time they elevated the tail to make the
plane sit more level.

[BifRayRock]

Spending a little time at NCD's linked site http://twostriptechnicolor.tumblr.co...ld-Los-Angeles revealed some interesting glimpses of familiar locations, albeit in two-strip techicolor format.





N Main St & Paseo Luis Olivares, 1934 (Notice working pedestrian "safety" zone.)
http://33.media.tumblr.com/fb90c644e...u5g7o1_500.gif






Wilshire Brown Derby - 1934
http://38.media.tumblr.com/75ccbccfb...u5g7o1_500.gif




1946
http://33.media.tumblr.com/17de9bef7...u5g7o2_500.gif




1946
http://33.media.tumblr.com/1ab407f4a...u5g7o4_500.gif




Carthay Circle - 1938
http://38.media.tumblr.com/1aad354c8...u5g7o1_500.gif

[Albany NY]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' location.

Hollywood Calif. 1922

eBay

I'm guessing that this small lunch counter might have been located on Highland Avenue since the sign says...Hi-Land.
__

I think HossC found the right location. The photo below is from 1714 Highland. The entry has changed position, but it looks like the same building. The footprint looks right, and the boarded-up area above the door looks the same. I'm guessing that the building on the far right is also the same.

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

Gym bunny gives his address as a local bowling alley.

LAExaminer

This guy is 18?

I haven't been able to find evidence yet of a bowling alley on Hollywood Blvd. at the address given--6624 Hollywood Blvd.

I did, though, find a couple sources that another bodybuilder had one of his gym locations at that address: Bert Goodrich.

1947 Project

The Kress Department Store is at 6608 Hollywood Blvd. and you can see down the street a ways it looks like a sign for "Goodrich Gyms."

An interesting (!) Steve Reeves story and about this gym:
http://www.pcdon.com/_20_Bert_Goodrich.html

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

More 1946 Hollywood bowling alley badness.

In Hollywood's La Cienega bowling alley a familiar story reached its climax on Aug. 7, 1946.

I'm guessing this bowling alley they are talking about is the LA CIENEGA LANES Bowling Alley on La Cienega and Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood?

Flickr

Flickr

I did a post titled "100 Years of 1 Corner of the City" found HERE, in which I showed what was located there for the last 100 years.

I recently found this photo of the La Cienega Lanes. The caption was only "La Cienega Lanes" and wasn't dated. It opened with that name in the 40's, subsequently became Art Linkletter's La Cienega Lanes and returned to La Cienega Lanes before it closed down around 1976-77. I'm dating this photo c.1975.

I had no idea of this noir past, CBD.

Michael V. Gallery

[HossC]

Thanks for the Kwik Lunch follow-up, Albany NY.


---------------

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

1946
http://33.media.tumblr.com/17de9bef7...u5g7o2_500.gif

1946
http://33.media.tumblr.com/1ab407f4a...u5g7o4_500.gif

These two are taken from a 1946 color film at archive.org:

https://archive.org/details/PET0981_R-2_LA_color
NB. archive.org have updated their site, so just click to continue to the new site if prompted and the video will appear.

I've previously linked to it in post #24381 and post #24774.

[HossC]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

Gimage

Steve Reeves used his victory in America's most renowned physique contest as a catapult to stardom. Reeves was a California bodybuilder with the face of a matinee idol and the body of Hercules. It was his resemblance to the Greek hero that allowed the young man to branch out into the movies.

Thanks, CityBoyDoug. That explains a line in the 'Sweet Transvestite' song from the Rocky Horror Picture Show:

Let me show you around,
Maybe play you a sound.
You look like you're both pretty groovy.
Or if you want something visual,
That's not too abysmal,
We could take in an old Steve Reeves movie.

I'm obviously not the only one who wasn't aware of his work, because some of the audience participation scripts follow the last line with a shout of "Who the f*** is Steve Reeves?".

[Tourmaline]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Has anyone heard of a 'Sphynx Rock' out in Chatsworth?


eBay

Undated, Sphinx Rock at what used to be called Iverson Ranch.






http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/re...coll65/id/4916










Much more on the Sphinx and its cinematic history here: http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.co...n-of-gods.html


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5a4oXRi6q...m+Colorado.jpg


http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E5CnrEGnzV...os+Angeles.jpg

[Noircitydame]

Thanks for clearing that up about the photos BifRayRock, I was going crazy trying to find it again and it's right under my nose.

I could watch those little film loops all day.

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

This guy is 18?

I haven't been able to find evidence yet of a bowling alley on Hollywood Blvd. at the address given--6624 Hollywood Blvd.

I did, though, find a couple sources that another bodybuilder had one of his gym locations at that address: Bert Goodrich.

1947 Project

IThe Kress Department Store is at 6608 Hollywood Blvd. and you can see down the street a ways it looks like a sign for "Goodrich Gyms."

I have some info on 6624. It was the Cinema Sports Center, opened Nov 1940 and was operating through 1954 at least.


LAT 11-14-40

It featured a cafe, a gift shop, the Pacific Health Club (baths, sunlamps, massage, body building), and of course bowling (open all night). It had one of those Gruen neon clocks out front.

Before Cinema took over it was retail space, housing Leed's Shoes among others.

Woman walking just past Leeds c. 1937


http://jpg1.lapl.org/00007/00007797.jpg


There's a great color photo of it in Jim Heinmann's 2009 hardcover book Los Angeles: Portrait of a City (a lot of NLAers probably own this one)
(In this case you can judge a book by its cover)


Finally, I doubt he spend as much time in a gym as Mr. California, but how about an unheradled great physique of Hollywood?


http://www.imdb.com/media/rm17506365...f_=nm_phs_md_4

Joe E. Brown (here with his wife c. 1951, so he was 59-ish here). Plus by anything I’ve read, a genuinely nice guy.

Jerry/Daphne could do worse.