noirish Los Angeles

[Chicano3000X]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Ah, Atwater Village.

The pic isn't from the 40s or 50s, but from some time in the 20s; here's the Tam O'Shanter Inn, a beloved Atwater Village landmark, on Los Feliz Boulevard:

LAPL

The restaurant is supposedly the oldest restaurant in Los Angeles that is still operated by the same family and that is still in the same location. It opened in 1922.

Oh here, from a flyer from the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles (my partner gets mail from them), for an event that already happened:

"Join the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles, as we host our Cocktails in Historic Places at the Tam O’Shanter Restaurant in Atwater Village. When the Tam O’Shanter opened in 1922, you could crank up your Hupmobile, lurch down a dirt road and arrive at the Tam, which was billed as an “old-world-style inn.” Tom Mix, Fatty Arbuckle, Mary Pickford, and Walt Disney had lunch in the restaurant so often that some referred to it as the “Hyperion studio commissary.” The Tam has been open for nine decades and has become a beloved landmark with a singular distinction—it is the oldest restaurant in Los Angeles owned and operated by the same family in the same location.

Come straight from work or slip into something more Deco—either way, plan to join us for no-host cocktails on February 10th for an evening with like-minded people. Cocktails in Historic Places™ is open to members and non-members alike, and no reservations are required."

Tom Mix, Fatty Arbuckle, Mary Pickford and Walt Disney... Wow! A friend of mine, her mother used to work for the Tam O'Shanter Inn. I wonder if my friend knew about (or even cared about) who used to hang out there.

These are from the 40s:

PE car at Glendale Blvd. near Greensward, 1940s

LAPL

Van De Kamps Bakery and Coffee Shop with Drive-In service, located on the corner of Fletcher Drive and San Fernando Road, circa 1945.

LAPL

Atwater is my town. We go there every once in a while. Great place.

[Chicano3000X]

Originally Posted by 3940dxer

All I have is this old shot of Fletcher and San Fernando Road (looking west) from 1936. Not really what you had in mind, but maybe it will be of interest.



http://www.lapl.org/

Hn, can't find anything really familiar.

I can't wait til' Google Earth has new tech that can allow you to go back in time with street view. Using 3D modeled replicas of the past. of course that may take a century to complete lol..

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

You can see the Mutual of Omaha revolving beacon in this clip at 2:21.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0lEosbR-Vg (watch 'full screen')


Highlights in this video from 1966 are a revolving Van de Kamp windmill....numerous theaters (a total of three), the Carnation sign changing from bright red to blue (at 1:00)....and towards the end a wonderful Cadillac sign spelling out 'Cadillac' in cursive.


When I lived at Cochran & Wilshire in the 1980s Wilshire was completely dead in the evenings (reminiscent of downtown L.A.). This video shows a very vibrant Wilshire Boulevard with restaurants and theaters.


___

Great video clip! Why did they have to remove that "dirigible mast" from the Mutual of Omaha Bldg.? Though it wasn't original to the building, it did somehow add a nice touch to it.

An interesting thing about the clip for me: If you notice all the American cars, their headlights are on, but their parking lights are not on. If you notice the Porsche, however, you can see that its headlights AND parking lights are on. It wasn't until the 1968 model year for American-spec cars, when side marker lights became required, that the parking lights remained on when you moved the light switch to the headlight position. I'm wondering why it was OK for the Porsche to have its parking lights on along with the headlights.

[Engineeral]

oops

[Engineeral]

Originally Posted by 3940dxer

All I have is this old shot of Fletcher and San Fernando Road (looking west) from 1936. Not really what you had in mind, but maybe it will be of interest.



http://www.lapl.org/

As a traffic engineer one of my fascinations with this thread is the street views with traffic. This picture has me asking - what was the law for drivers at an intersection with stop signs *and* traffic signals (w/ semaphores no less!)? The traffic sure looks disorganized in this intersection. Today we never (in any jurisdiction I know of) post a stop sign and a functioning signal at the same intersection.

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Great video clip!

An interesting thing about the clip for me: If you notice all the American cars, their headlights are on, but their parking lights are not on. If you notice the Porsche, however, you can see that its headlights AND parking lights are on. It wasn't until the 1968 model year for American-spec cars, when side marker lights became required, that the parking lights remained on when you moved the light switch to the headlight position. I'm wondering why it was OK for the Porsche to have its parking lights on along with the headlights.

Agree about e_r video clip--fantastic--there's even an appearance by Mullen Bluett...

Larchmont Chronicle

As for parking lights coming on with headlights-- I don't think there was any law against it--it was standard practice on foreign cars for years. Apparently it was mandated for US cars at the time of side marker lights. I always heard that it was for visibility in case a main lamp burned out. A similar edict inspired by foreign standards, one requiring parking-light lenses to be amber or to have amber bulbs behind clear lenses, came down for or during the 1963 model year. Aftermarketers sold amber lenses so owners could update their older parking lights if they wanted to.

[Wenders]

Originally Posted by Engineeral

As a traffic engineer one of my fascinations with this thread is the street views with traffic. This picture has me asking - what was the law for drivers at an intersection with stop signs *and* traffic signals (w/ semaphores no less!)? The traffic sure looks disorganized in this intersection. Today we never (in any jurisdiction I know of) post a stop sign and a functioning signal at the same intersection.

Just guessing: It seems like the traffic signal has only two actual lights. Could it be that the top one is green, underneath is yellow, and the STOP sign is supposed to do the job that nowadays is taken care of with "red" light? As if the large, written sign would be harder to ignore?

If that's the case, the order of lights is odd too, but I would think that the entire world of traffic rules was still taking baby steps in those days, and customs/rules weren't that established yet.

[GaylordWilshire]

Corbis


There were only red and green lights on the semaphore column--instead of a main yellow light, red would come on in all four directions during the change of semaphores, giving time for everyone to stop before the green light and "GO" semaphore came on for the new direction of movement. I think I read that the semaphores were turned off at night, with small flashing lights (under the main ones) coming on, yellow for the main drag, red for the secondary street. Anyway, I guess the stop sign was for extra safety in case of signal malfunction. They don't seem to be on all, or even very many, semaphore poles in vintage pictures I've seen, even when the signals were new. Maybe the combination only lasted a short time because of confusion.

[rbpjr]

Today we never (in any jurisdiction I know of) post a stop sign and a functioning signal at the same intersection.[/QUOTE]

I think, in those days, (I lived there in the late forties) if the electricity went out...and made the semaphore inoperable...then motorists would heed the "stop-sign"...nowadays we just know better (sometimes!)....

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Agree about e_r video clip--fantastic--there's even an appearance by Mullen Bluett...

Larchmont Chronicle

As for parking lights coming on with headlights-- I don't think there was any law against it--it was standard practice on foreign cars for years. Apparently it was mandated for US cars at the time of side marker lights. I always heard that it was for visibility in case a main lamp burned out. A similar edict inspired by foreign standards, one requiring parking-light lenses to be amber or to have amber bulbs behind clear lenses, came down for or during the 1963 model year. Aftermarketers sold amber lenses so owners could update their older parking lights if they wanted to.

I've always wondered about that; I've noticed that some late 50s American cars have amber parking lights/ front turn signals, when they were usually white. I didn't think that maybe they were retrofitted later.

Actually, in Europe (and most other countries, I believe), parking lights can only be white, and it's the turn signals that can only be amber. In North America, parking lights may be white or amber (often with the turn signal doing double duty), and rear turn signals may be red or amber. But outside of North America, rear turn signals must be amber.

My cousin from Australia, when he first visited us in the US, thought it was bizarre that cars could have red rear turn signals, but what really tripped him out were the blinking brake lights that can act as rear turn signals in North America (usually often seen on American cars, but I've noticed some newer Audis have blinking brake lights also; obviously a feature only found on those sold in the US).

[CASIGNS]

I love the photo of Fletcher and San Fernando Road, the ACME signal, cars, and especially the Auto Club traffic signs! Now, regarding the question about a possible conflict between a STOP sign and traffic signal. I looked this question up in the “California Vehicle Code Summary” issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Looking at the traffic signs in the Summary, I think it is from the 30s.

Under Stopping, Section 2 states: “Whenever a “STOP” sign has been put up at an intersection, make a full stop back of the crosswalk and look both ways before entering the street.”

Section 9 says “Whenever there is steady red light or a traffic control signal with the word “STOP” showing, stop and remain stopped until it turns green or “GO” unless an officer or sign tells you to go. (Veh C Sec 476.) City ordinances sometimes let motorists turn right at a red light after they have stopped.”

From the Summary, it looks like you must follow the traffic signals when they are in use. At this intersection, perhaps the signals are only activated when traffic is heavy to control traffic and allow cars to clear the intersection. Once traffic subsides, the signals go off and STOP signs are in use. Just my theory.

[GaylordWilshire]

Manitoba Museum of Finds Art

[ethereal_reality]

They should have kept this fountain. (is it a fountain or just a pool?)
I imagine from the higher seats this would have been very beautiful.

I used to go to the Bowl quite often when I lived in L.A......with friends and visiting relatives.
It was great to picnic there with your blanket and candles and WINE.

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Alan Ladd was 5'5" or 5'6"? I didn't know that. I imagined him to be much taller. Great post too, ethereal, on the Portal Motor Hotel. Hmm, saying that out loud, I'm more inclined to say "Porto Mortal Hotel."

When I first came across this photo I was absolutely stunned by how small Veronica Lake is compared to Paulette Goddard and Dorothy Lamour!


http://drx.typepad.com/psychotherapy...of-the-24.html

Obviously Ms. Lake at 4'11" was the perfect costar for 5'5" Alan Ladd.

[ethereal_reality]

A 'noirish' snapshot of the First National Bank Building with the Hollywood Hotel sign in the foreground.


found on ebay

[GaylordWilshire]

LAPL

Before there was the Clem Wilson building on the northeast corner of Wilshire and La Brea, there was...a gas station.

The other north corner of the intersection was the site of the Dyas-Carleton Cafe, built in 1925... I don't know if it had
anything to do with the B.H. Dyas sporting goods stores that were bought out by The Broadway around 1931... but
around that same time the Dyas-Carleton became McDonnell''s Wilshire Cafe (McDonnell's had other outlets around
town, including one at Sunset and Cahuenga).



USCDLx2

LAPL
As described on the Pacific Coast Architecture Database: "This Spanish Colonial Revival restaurant, like many built
during the 1920s and 1930s, had a tower to mark the restaurants location to passing motorists. It featured both a
large dining room and an adjoining coffee shop with booths and a central, U-shaped counter." Gable & Wyant were
the architects.

LAPL

LAPL

USCDL

Google

I'd like to think that, given its low height, the building that's on the corner now might have a few bones of the old
cafe... but probably not. Still, what's there now has an interesting shape from above:

Google

[Albany NY]

Vokoban

Always a beautiful building, but what building is across the street?

[IMG]Vokoban

These days, when storefronts in any city come and go every couple of years, I'm amused by the prospect of a 99-Year Lease. Might have been a bargain.

[IMG] Google Maps

Or maybe not such a bargain, after all. The building is gone. I wonder if the tenants got a refund on the remainder of their 99-Year Leases?

(By the way, hooray for me!!!! I finally figured out how to post a photo! Now you can all go ahead and show me how I did it wrong!)

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0lEosbR-Vg (watch 'full screen')
___

Man, I'm so amazed by this video, I keep watching it over and over. I love the Cadillac sign, the El Rey Theatre (it looks like it hasn't changed much), the Ohrbach's, the Mullen Bluett, and the Du-par's! I love Du-par's, they have the best pancakes. I wasn't aware they had a Miracle Mile location back then; or maybe I did know and it just slipped my mind.


USC Archive

[AviationGuy]

I don't think there could ever be a thread better than this one. Ten years from now (or more) it will probably still be going strong.

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Google

I'd like to think that, given its low height, the building that's on the corner now might have a few bones of the old
cafe... but probably not. Still, what's there now has an interesting shape from above:

Google

Gaylord_Wilshire, There are some old bones still rattling in the building on the northwest corner of Wilshire and LaBrea.



below: I believe this the same building that appears in your 'google' photo (above) on the the northwest corner of Wilshire & LaBrea.
What first caught my eye was the graceful curvature of the building.


unknown





......and then I found this postcard view with the street location.


found on ebay





below: The building as it appears today.....'Metro Customer Service'.


google street view