noirish Los Angeles

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

LAH


First, re 600 St. Paul Avenue, built by none other than John Parkinson as his own house in 1901. After the architect left for Wilshire Place in 1915, Mrs. Gish and her daughters moved in for a brief stay before Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn moved their famous school into the house. (It could be that the Gishes lived there at the same time.) 600 was later moved and survived on Lake Street until 1951. The full story of the house is here: http://bit.ly/1V3b5uO

The newlyweds, Ted Shawn and Ruth St. Denis set up their "Denishawn" school at 600 St. Paul as of Spring 1915. Both Gish girls were students- according to Ruth biographer, D.W. Griffith sent all his actresses to them. Ruth also did the choreography for the Babylonian dances in Intolerance.
looking for mabel July 1916 Photoplay ad for the Denishawn School.

In June 1917, having outgrown 600 St. Paul, them moved to a new studio at 616 Alvarado St., the old Westlake School for Girls across from Westlake Park.

6-3-1917

Some Denishawn students from this era

Library of Congress.

Library of Congress. Ruth with the gray hair.

In 1924 they added a second studio at 1757 S. Highland Ave. in Hollywood.

As of January 1926 the Denishawn School was located in a temporary home at 932 S. Grand Ave., which normally operated as Solomon’s Penny Dance De Luxe. Their new studio at 621 S. Vermont Ave. opened in October, 1926.

They spent a lot of time with their New York studio after that, but still had ties to Los Angeles/Hollywood. Ruth had her Asia Bazaar shop at 8524 in the building that became Charocka Russian restaurant, and much later Dino's Lodge, and also had dance studios on Sunset and elsewhere. She died in Hollywood in 1968.

c. 1937. LAPL

[GaylordWilshire]

According to the Times, the Gishes rented "Denishawn" in the fall of 1915 while Ruth was on tour. The paper anticipated "lawn parties and pink teas galore."

[HossC]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

Could have sworn I had seen the Linda Vista Apts. (939 S. Serrano) on NLA, but maybe not.

GSV

While checking out the Linda Vista Apartments in the Googlemobile, I came across the building below on the same block. Again, I don't think we've seen it before. It's at 909 S Serrano Avenue. The property websites say it was built in 1936.


GSV

[ethereal_reality]

Two slide-views of Taylor Yards in 1954.


eBay

I wasn't sure this was really 1954 until I spotted that car parked by the second tower. (red arrow below)


detail

-also note the Purina owned grain elevator (my hometown in Illinois had a Purina elevator as well)-easy to spot with the checkerboard paint job.








Then I found this second slide with numerous parked cars. (I take it they're railroad worker's cars)


eBay

I believe the large 'square' building on the hilltop/middle distance is part of Forest Lawn Glendale.

[ethereal_reality]

'mystery' snapshot.

I'm not sure if this photograph is from the R.H. Rood "collection". Either way, it has a somewhat enigmatic message.

"Bel Air - Went with Harold LLoyds - Baby Horse"


eBay

date: 8 - 24 - 34 Bel Air




below: I've been trying to decipher the name on the mail box.


detail

I've been squinting at it
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[JeffDiego]

A few tidbits relating to recent posts:

The intersection of 3rd and Serrano is where, I believe, the hugely popular but long-forgotten authoress Gene Stratton Porter ("Girl of the Limberlost") was killed in 1924 at age 61 when her chauffeur-driven Lincoln was hit by a streetcar. Porter was weeks from moving into a mansion being built for her in the new subdivision of Bel-Air. She had moved to Los Angeles from the Midwest for her health.

Singer Dorothy Shay, "The Park Avenue Hillbilly" and a big name in records and nightclubs in the 1950's (shown above in an ad for the Statler Hotel) was linked romantically with the tragic actress Gail Russell during Russell's sad last years in the mid 50's.

Like others here, I was fascinated by the opulent Los Angeles mansion of an early Silent-Era actress I never heard of named Fanny Ward. Two of her films were "A Gutter Magdalene," and "Each Pearl a Tear." How's that for over-the-top bathos? It is always interesting to be introduced to people, big names in Hollywood and New York in their day, who were so successful and rich that they lived in veritable palaces
with lavish gardens and limousines yet not one in ten-thousand people today would have the slightest inkling of who they were.
Madonna and Cher, are you listening?

[HossC]

Today's Julius Shulman post contains pictures from two photosets. Both show the McCulloch Motors building in the late 1950s, so I thought it made sense to combine them. The address is given in this quote about McCulloch Motors from Chain Saw Collectors Corner.

Founded by Robert Paxton McCulloch in Milwaukee Wisconsin in 1943. Originally manufactured superchargers and two-cycle drone aircraft engines for military use during WWII. Moved to Los Angeles, Calfiornia [sic] January 2, 1946. Located at 6101 West Century Boulevard, across from what was then known as Mines field, later to become Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) When McCulloch purchased the 15 acre property to build his Chain Saw factory it had been a bean field.

Here are most of the photos from "Job 2551: McCulloch Motor Corporation (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1958" and "Job 2505: McCulloch Motor Corporation, Office and Showroom (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1957".





Is that an airplane motor and propeller on the wall? Across the street is a building belonging to Western Air Lines.



Here's reverse view of the shot above.



I assume that this is the view from the window above the entrance. In the distance are some planes at the airport.



Fancy some color? Here's the same view with the lights on.



I love this desk, especially the "Classified" drawer, although those telephone dials aren't very ergonomically designed.



I'll finish the Shulman pictures with this color shot of the chainsaws that the compamy was known for.



All from Getty Research Institute and Getty Research Institute

I think this wider shot of the building is from a little earlier. It shows the factory behind.


USC Digital Library

Looking through the building permits, it appears that the McCulloch building was replaced in 1979. Here's the Sheraton Hotel which stands on the site today.


GSV

The Western Air Lines building has either gone or been radically altered (the current building has a similar footprint, although it's much lower), but the smaller building in front of it survives. Historic Aerials shows that it was extended to its present size sometime between 1963 and 1972.


GSV

I'll conclude with this advert from the November 1949 issue of "Popular Science". McCulloch now survives as a brand within the Swedish Husqvarna Group.


books.google.com

[Tourmaline]

Originally Posted by HossC

Today's Julius Shulman post contains pictures from two photosets. Both show the McCulloch Motors building in the late 1950s, so I thought it made sense to combine them. The address is given in this quote about McCulloch Motors from Chain Saw Collectors Corner.I love this desk, especially the "Classified" drawer, although those telephone dials aren't very ergonomically designed.

Very nice post. The seating arrangement suggests the executive sitting behind the desk commanded an audience. Rotary telephone dials were probably "just in case" once the user mastered dialing "0". "Offspring of the month" appear to be featured on the wall of honor.

McCulloch also had an interesting connection with the creation of Lake Havasu, AZ and production of Paxton superchargers, go-kart engines and drones. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCull...rs_Corporation

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

Was this Silver Lake abode considered "The" Italian Palace?


Another interesting Mediterranean palazzo compared with Eltinge's was on 255 S New Hampshire Avenue. This was featured in January 1919's Photoplay. There "appear" to be a few vestigial structures from that era - nearby. Sadly, Ms. Wards' residence did not last long. Demolition and new building permits were issued in 1923. Who knew Napoleon had a connection with the Mid-Wilshire area? More about Fannie here>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_Ward

Fannie Ward seems to have used a high-profile house for publicity. She acquired or rented 255 S New Hampshire from Mayor Henry T. Hazard, a major landowner in the area who'd built the house in (it appears) 1912 and who died in 1921.

Here's an illustration from previous post 20609:



LAT Dec 7, 1912

[Beaudry]

Here's a little something I call "A Stroll Down Eighth."

Have always liked this particular part of the world—e.g., a snap of the Golden Gopher I shot back when it was a working-class Hispanic bar; spent many a moist and garrulous afternoon with my bebido compadres.



Thus I jumped at the chance to pick up these negatives when they came up for sale, but then they disappeared for the better part of the last decade, only to be found this morning when I moved a bookcase (behind which they lay). After having convinced myself I hallucinated ever having owned them at all.

And so:


Only 1600 across because I don't want you to have to scroll too much. To open 'er up 2400 across in another window, go here.

To compare:



I found it interesting to note that the flagcrete attached to the GG as seen in my ca. 2001 image, I'd expect to be in these negs, which I'd peg around 1965-70. I had always figured it dated back to the '50s. Shows what I know!

Note the GG is justifiably proud of there window full of booze, advertising and evidence of their rare 1905 double liquor license that allows them to be a bar and a carry out.



When at first glance at the negs I thought maybe these were images of dancin' girls, be still my heart! But no devils, just angels:



If someone knows who this guy is, that might help in dating the images...

[HossC]

Interesting pictures, Beaudry. I don't recognize the Angels player, but I did have a look through the City Directories. While the Triangle Coffee Shop had a reasonable lifespan, I can only find the Tropicana Night Club in the 1967 and 1968 CDs (right in the middle of your "1965-70" guess ).


LAPL

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Noircitydame

The first headliner in the Terrace Room, coinciding with the hotel opening, in October 1952, was Cugie (Cugie sure got around).

NCD, here's a retelling of what went down that night.

"Although the 'gala' grand opening was actually a rather dull series of banquets, real excitement attended the inauguration of the swanky Terrace Room nightclub with a near riot breaking out that ultimately resulted in the tragic death of a security guard. While Xavier Cugat and his singing-dancing wife Abbe Lane were in mid set before the well-heeled, well-dressed, sell-out crowd, a pair of brothers, Alfonso and Victor de Causaus, got a little too rowdy and began flinging ice-cubes, scoring a direct hit on Cugat. As house detectives descended, an argument ensued that quickly devolved into a melee. Suddenly pandemonium broke out in the club with punches thrown, chairs overturned and screaming patrons running hither and yon as the brawl, lasting 20 minutes, literally rolled out the door into the lobby. At some point, 66 year-old security guard, Thomas Patrick Tobin, was beaten so badly that he later died as a direct result of his injuries."

Told by Paul Vaught at https://paradiseleased.wordpress.com...mic-age-hotel/



I keep envisioning Xavier Cugat getting hit in the nose by a projectile ice-cube.

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[ethereal_reality]

While we're briefly back at Statler Hotel.

Originally Posted by HossC

This is how that corner of the hotel looked a year or two before demolition.


GSV

Hoss, here's how it looked in the 1980s. (obviously the brown metal awnings and wrought iron were not part of the original modernist design)


eBay

I had forgotten about the Home Savings on the northeast corner of 7th & Figueroa (far right --->). There's a skyscraper on that spot now.

You also get a rare glimpse of the rear tower of the old fire station. (I didn't realize it was so close to the corner)





For comparison, here's that first photo I posted a few days ago. NO metal awnings, or dirty lime-colored canopies. -just strong horizontal lines.


eBay
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[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by Tourmaline

Very nice post. The seating arrangement suggests the executive sitting behind the desk commanded an audience. Rotary telephone dials were probably "just in case" once the user mastered dialing "0". "Offspring of the month" appear to be featured on the wall of honor.

McCulloch also had an interesting connection with the creation of Lake Havasu, AZ and production of Paxton superchargers, go-kart engines and drones. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCull...rs_Corporation

My guess is that those ''drawers'' at the right actually hold those old fashion telephone books. Remember those huge beasts? Each household had a stack of them.

''Classified'' means the classified ads book.

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

NCD, here's a retelling of what went down that night.

"Although the 'gala' grand opening was actually a rather dull series of banquets, real excitement attended the inauguration of the swanky Terrace Room nightclub with a near riot breaking out that ultimately resulted in the tragic death of a security guard. While Xavier Cugat and his singing-dancing wife Abbe Lane were in mid set before the well-heeled, well-dressed, sell-out crowd, a pair of brothers, Alfonso and Victor de Causaus, got a little too rowdy and began flinging ice-cubes, scoring a direct hit on Cugat. As house detectives descended, an argument ensued that quickly devolved into a melee. Suddenly pandemonium broke out in the club with punches thrown, chairs overturned and screaming patrons running hither and yon as the brawl, lasting 20 minutes, literally rolled out the door into the lobby. At some point, 66 year-old security guard, Thomas Patrick Tobin, was beaten so badly that he later died as a direct result of his injuries."

Told by Paul Vaught at https://paradiseleased.wordpress.com...mic-age-hotel/


I keep envisioning Xavier Cugat getting hit in the nose by a projectile ice-cube.

__

Well, even Cugie would admit it was quite a target.

Xavier Cugat self portriat
here

The poor man who was hurt and died.

Cugie probably saw a lot of brawls from the bandstands of Hollywood; he was a participant in one himself on the Sunset Strip at least once, in Feb 1948. The band was playing at Ciro's; on a break he strolled across the street to Mocambo and found his wife (the one before Abbe Lane, Lorraine Allen) dancing with Oleg Cassini. They took it outside and engaged in a "somewhat ineffectual pounding of filmland flesh." Afterward, Cugie went back to finish his set at Ciro's and Cassini went back inside Mocambo.


LAT 2-9-48

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

According to the Times, the Gishes rented "Denishawn" in the fall of 1915 while Ruth was on tour. The paper anticipated "lawn parties and pink teas galore."

I can only imagine.

St. Denis’ biographer Suzanne Shelton describes their time there as idyllic. “After classes the students splashed in the estate swimming pool then ate their meals on wooden tables in the nearby rose arbor.”

But notes that the neighbors apparently weren't so keen on all the bohemian doings at #600. “Their worst suspicions were confirmed one afternoon when a dozen barefoot young ladies, their bathing suits barely covered by kimonos, raced from the school grounds into the streets in hot pursuit of Piadh Morh, Denishawn’s resident peacock.”

[Bristolian]

If someone knows who this guy is, that might help in dating the images...



I can't identify the player but The Angels wore that cap and uniform combination from 1965 to 1970. Hope that helps narrow it down a bit.

http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/lis...ls_of_Anaheim/

[ethereal_reality]

I don't recall ever seeing this photograph of Marilyn Monroe.

"The first professional modeling photographs of Norma Jean in 1945."


https://www.pinterest.com/pin/406801778818493389/

So where is she?

Obviously she's high up in the Pacific Palisades, but is she at a private residence or in Palisades Park?

__

Here's a close-up of the engraving. (it appears to be some sort of winged creature)


detail

....it's marble, but the area she's sitting on looks like concrete.

_

[ethereal_reality]

Two slides from 1957.


eBay

Pasadena?




below: Rose Bowl Parade. Just look at the crowd!! That poor house.


eBay
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[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I don't recall ever seeing this photograph of Marilyn Monroe.

"The first professional modeling photographs of Norma Jean in 1945."


https://www.pinterest.com/pin/406801778818493389/

So where is she?

Obviously she's high up in the Pacific Palisades, but is she at a private residence or in Palisades Park?

__

Here's a close-up of the engraving. (it appears to be some sort of winged creature)


detail

....it's marble, but the area she's sitting on looks like concrete.

_

Taken at the Villa de Leon?

http://www.experiencingla.com/2010/10/not-getty.html