noirish Los Angeles - Page 378

BifRayRock · #**7541** Posted **Apr 27, 2012, 11:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austlar1

Wow! I bought a piece of crap Chevrolet from Nugent in 1980. The driver side window mechanism kept breaking, twice under warranty and once afterwards. I had to threaten them with a sit down strike in the service lane (I told them to call the cops to evict me, if they dared. They didn't.) in order to get them to repair that window gratis a third time. My next car was a Honda, and I have not owned an American car since then. I could tell other stories about Nugent, but why kick a dead horse.

Did the mechanic working on your car wear a strange overcoat and possibly mistake your window issue for a noise coming from the left rear wheel?

Had you bought your car a few decades earlier from Maurice J. Sopp in Huntington Park, say Sept 26, '30, you might have saved $40.00! and been able to appreciate the beautiful architecture. A ++?

Unfortunately, any trade-in offer for your newer ride might have been contingent upon their ability to contact Gene Roddenberry, Rod Serling or Harry Houdini (?)

http://photos.lapl.org/carlweb/jsp/F...olNumber=60631

Of course you could have tried out care other than Chevrolet. Heard Graham Ford In Downey has a nice selection, and the Hudson Dealers have a nice waiting rooms (and apparently at least 40 dealers in the LA area - over the years . . . see: http://home.comcast.net/~sarahdyoung...alerships.html

http://www.google.com/

http://www.google.com/

Harbor Hudson, in Wilmington on Anaheim?

http://www.google.com/

Hudson & Essex in Hollywood, ??5430 Hollywood Blvd?? 1921?

http://www.google.com/

Moore Hudson, Riverside '53

http://www.google.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos

BifRayRock · #**7542** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 12:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Muller Bros. was at 6380 Sunset... check it out here.

Muller Bros was mobile too!
(Some of these may be reprints) (Still looking for the Car Wash shot with "Pig N Whistle in background)

July 58 Hollywood Freeway:

http://tow411.yuku.com/topic/96796/1...om-Los-Angeles

Muller on the scene: '52 Hollywood FWY (at least thats what its marked)

1st and Olive '51 Viertel's Tow Service

3rd and Alameda, '51 Viertel

I-10 and Boyle Ave overpass??

Pasadena FWY, North of Orange Grove Ave '58

Ramona FWY (Now I-10) West of Herbert Ave.

Normandy and Fountain, '51

http://tow411.yuku.com/topic/96796/1...om-Los-Angeles

BifRayRock · #**7543** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 1:33 AM**

Perry Mason and Miracle Mile and Charlie Chaplin?

http://www.gloubik.info

http://www.google.com

http://www.flickr.com

http://www.google.com

As mentioned previously in this Forum, most should be familiar with Perry M. entering the Superior Court located on Hill Street. Most should also be aware that substantial interior shooting occurred on the Chaplin Lot located on La Brea. The show took advantage of many nearby exteriors, including Miracle Mile, Episode 73, "The case of the blushing pearls." Airdate Oct '59 with George "Sulu" Takei and Benson Fong, among others.

http://www.perrymasontvseries.com

http://www.retroweb.com/tv_studios_and_ranches.html

http://www.google.com/

http://www.google.com

http://www.google.com

Charlie, May Collins & Sam Goldwyn @ Chaplin Studios, c. '20

ethereal_reality · #**7544** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 1:51 AM**

google street view

The other building I thought was interesting in the 'not a cornfield' area is just north and across the street from 1727 N. Spring Street
(to refresh your memory 1727 is shown above...and circled in red below). The 'other' bldg. is pinpointed with the red A teardrop.

There is hardly a tree in this whole industrial area except in front of this attractive one story building. When I came across the building it seemed
so different from the other buildings in the area....charming architecture and pleasant shade from the trees.

google street view

google street view

below: This view also shows a garage entrance at the southern end of the building.

google street view

____

I revisited this charming building today (via google) and someone chopped down all the damn trees!!

google street view

I half expected to see Gaylord_Wilshire standing there with a smirk and a chain-saw.

google street view

google street

google street view

___

Looking south on N. Spring Street from Wilhardt Street before the trees were removed.

google street view

below: Another view down N. Spring St. from Wilhardt St. minus the trees.

google tree view

Obviously the trees were lost when new curbing and sidewalks were recently installed (a good thing)....but I wish
they could have saved this small group of trees.

Am I the only one that liked it better with the trees? (I already know your opinion G_W

)

___

SoCalPaul · #**7545** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 5:05 AM**

"On the subject of Builders Emporiums, I believe they had some stiff competition from National Lumber, although I do not recall ever visiting one or whether they were in that specific area. "

The competitors in SoCal were Builder's Emporium & Neiman-Reed's Lumber City. The 1st Builders Emporium was in Van Nuys on Sepulveda at Oxnard. The 1st Lumber City was in Van Nuys on Burbank at Fulton near Valley College.

SoCalPaul · #**7546** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 5:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3940dxer

After spending too much time studying the early aerials I think the dark blob indicated by my arrow was in fact the La Cienega oil well.

Beverly is at the top if the image with the big Rexall store at the Southeast corner of La Cienega, 3rd St. is at the bottom.

I think this would be today's view:

http://maps.google.com

Another little tidbit: in the first photo, to the right of the tall young lady and beneath the Seagram's billboard, is the barely visible Smokey Joe's Cafe. You can see the sign a little more clearly on the zoomed snippet below. (Same source.)

Smokey Joe's Cafe was the beanery that inspired Leiber and Stoller's novelty rock hit of the same name, recorded by The Coasters.

RE: The oil derrick on La Cienega.
My recollection from reading on other websites (mainly about Beverly Park) was that, although the derrick was long gone, it remained a producing well through the mid 70's. It was finally sealed as part of the Beverly Center project. Unfortunately I have been unable to find the site I read this on.

Good info on Beverly Park: https://www.facebook.com/groups/41435512560/

BifRayRock · #**7547** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 7:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Snapshot taken on Sunset. I wonder what 'The Village' is that can be seen further down the sidewalk.

ebay

This photo is a wonderment.

One supposes that if the power is cut to the traffic signal, you would stop anyway. But in the daylight, with the signal working and lit "green" could get confusing.
Object/s on the ground between the two posts books and/or a jacket?

Don't get caught "darting" on Rampart.

lapl

Handsome Stranger · #**7548** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 7:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

The Ford incarnation of Beverly Buick is reminiscent of its predecessor three blocks away.... See that post here.

The building looks empty of Fords or Buicks or anything else as of the GSV pic...anyone know what's happening to the building?

The building was vacated a little more than a year ago, if memory serves. It seems to be undergoing some restoration. Here's how it looked this morning:

[source: me]

[source: me]

I snuck around the back of the building and stood on tippy toes to point my camera through a partially open window above my head, just to see what the interior looks like.

[source: me]

austlar1 · #**7549** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 8:07 PM**

Regarding the oil derrick at the Beverly Center. I could be dead wrong about this, but I seem to remember the thing being kind of wrapped inside of the parking entrance on the San Vicente side of the Beverly Center. I had the impression that it was still a functioning oil well at the time, but that was almost 30 years ago.

Oops, here's an update to the above. I just found this quote on Wikipedia regarding the oil wells:

"The mall's unusual shape and lack of street frontage along San Vicente Blvd is due to its location on top of the Salt Lake Oil Field. The western portion of the mall property contains a cluster of oil wells, all operated by Plains Exploration & Production, in a drilling enclosure that is active to this date.["

ethereal_reality · #**7550** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 8:47 PM**

In these aerials you can see how the Beverly Center was designed to accommodate the oil works on it's west side
along San Vicente Boulevard.

google aerial

google aerial

___

Handsome_Stranger, thanks for posting your photos of the Beverly Hills Ford building. It was really cool to see the interior.

BifRayRock · #**7551** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 8:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austlar1

Regarding the oil derrick at the Beverly Center. I could be dead wrong about this, but I seem to remember the thing being kind of wrapped inside of the parking entrance on the San Vicente side of the Beverly Center. I had the impression that it was still a functioning oil well at the time, but that was almost 30 years ago.

Oops, here's an update to the above. I just found this quote on Wikipedia regarding the oil wells:

"The mall's unusual shape and lack of street frontage along San Vicente Blvd is due to its location on top of the Salt Lake Oil Field. The western portion of the mall property contains a cluster of oil wells, all operated by Plains Exploration & Production, in a drilling enclosure that is active to this date.["

With respect, I think you have confused two different wells feeding from the same oil field. Judging from the older photos of intact derricks, there were wells all over the place. Who knows what was removed, buried over, capped, or even re-plumbed to flow to another location. Then there is "slant" drilling. I am reliably informed that there are many active and inactive wells in that general area, and just like ubiquitous cell phone towers, many are hidden in plain sight.

Oil field map:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=3&theater

http://originaldialogue.blogspot.com...ain-sight.html

Pico Boulevard:

http://www.flickr.com

Beverly Hills:

http://www.google.com

Regarding some little upstart company called . . . Honda on Pico Blvd. in '59:

http://www.autoweek.com/ http://www.autoweek.com/article/2009...NEWS/906119977

http://www.google.com

GaylordWilshire · #**7552** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 9:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

Regarding some little upstart company called . . . Honda on Pico Blvd. in '59:

http://www.autoweek.com/ http://www.autoweek.com/article/2009...NEWS/906119977

http://www.google.com[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

The Honda building is still there: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=7064

BifRayRock · #**7553** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 9:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Handsome Stranger

The building was vacated a little more than a year ago, if memory serves. It seems to be undergoing some restoration. Here's how it looked this morning:

[source: me]

A short distance from the Ford Dealership is an other building that once caught my attention: 9031 Olympic Blvd, (Olympic and Doheny). Appearances my be deceiving, but remember its wooden construction and would guess it has been around as long or possibly longer than the more flashy Ford Building. It could easily have housed another auto dealership.

http://www.loopnet.com

BifRayRock · #**7554** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 10:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

The Honda building is still there: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=7064

The post was so recent, I didn't think it necessary to reference it. But thanks.

Regarding Honda's Pico presence, it is interesting (to me) that the company started with its motorized bicycle but did not officially introduce its first car, the Honda N600m to the US until 1970/71. http://www.examiner.com/article/hond...ry-celebration Equally curious, Honda has a replica of the Pico Building Facade, that probably looks nicer than the original ever did. Wonder if there is any kind of placard at the original site.

http://www.flickr.com

"So, in June 1959, the company founded American Honda Motor Co. Inc. in a storefront building on Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles with three employees: former sales manager-turned-president Kihachiro Kawashima and assistants Takayuki Kobayashi and Shozo Yamagishi. They shared an $80-a-month apartment in L.A. with one bed--two of them slept on the floor. (Imagine Jim Press and Bob Nardelli fighting for the covers in Auburn Hills, Mich.) In addition to the storefront, they all worked in a rented warehouse stacking crated motorcycles three high and wandering the West recruiting dealers.

Their first selling season was a bust. They offered the 250-cc and 350-cc Dream and the 125-cc Benly motorcycles--all of which, when driven long distances at high speeds as we do here in the States, blew their head gaskets and fried their clutches. Rather than stonewall or say “they all do that,” Kawashima shipped the blown bikes back to Japan to find a fix. A better head gasket and a stronger clutch spring were the cures, and a reputation for customer care was established right off the bat." http://www.autoweek.com/article/2009...NEWS/906119977

unihikid · #**7555** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 10:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

With respect, I think you have confused two different wells for the same field. Judging from the older photos of intact derricks, there were wells all over the place. Who knows what was removed, buried over, capped, or even re-plumbed to flow to another location. Then there is "slant" drilling. I am reliably informed that there are many active and inactive wells in that general area, and just like ubiquitous cell phone towers, many are hidden in plain sight.

http://originaldialogue.blogspot.com...ain-sight.html

Pico Boulevard:

http://www.flickr.com

Beverly Hills:

http://www.google.com

Regarding some little upstart company called . . . Honda on Pico Blvd. in '59:

http://www.autoweek.com/ http://www.autoweek.com/article/2009...NEWS/906119977

http://www.google.com

the big yellow tower is 7 houses away from my old house,its always been yellow and when i was younger i thought it was an office buidling.they use to have a little lobby with pictures of the well,but now its off limits.Also if you ever want a great sandwich, go to olsens deli which is prob where the picture was take from,they have been there for years (since 1959),its a scandinavian deli with good prices.

ethereal_reality · #**7556** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 10:16 PM**

Postcard of a residence at St. James Park.

ebay

I was hoping someone might know what the structure is in the middle of the intersection. (G_W?

It's probably a street marker like the ones I've posted below....but none of these markers are in the middle of the street.

westmoreland heights at westmoreland blvd.

google street view

harvard blvd at washington blvd (I believe the light was added later but I'm not sure)

google street view

hobart at west adams heights

google street view

harvard blvd at washington blvd north side of street

google street view

I am amazed this one is still standing at all.

____

GaylordWilshire · #**7557** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 10:36 PM**

lapl LAPL

GoogleSV

While these two shots do not appear to be from the same vantage point, indeed they are. The view is east on 3rd
at Rampart Blvd. The vintage shot is a foreshortened view, which makes comparison here less than ideal...not to
mention the $%#&# tree at right in the recent shot.... Once I get there with my chainsaw, the white steeple at right
will appear in any newer Google Street View shots from Rampart in this direction.... Here it is almost unencumbered:

GoogleSV

The white steeple belongs to the Superet Light Center--which is not a convenience store or lamp shop but rather a
church of a denomination called the Superet Atom Aura Science (your questions answered here). I am sure that we
covered this building (at 2516 West 3rd) here before, but I had no luck searching for it.

The large building at top center in the vintage shot is the old St. Vincent Hospital building, now replaced; the dark
steeple to its right is that of St. Nicholas Cathedral, just recently completed (in 1950), and still on the southwest
corner of Grand View and 3rd.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

If the traffic signal says GO and is green, can you ignore the stop sign, or is that only when making a right hand turn? Other intersections were similarly configured. Perhaps you only had to pay attention to the stop sign when it was flashing or lit? In any case, the existence of the two traffic signals appears to be intentional.

We were discussing this not too long ago--I think one speculation was that the reflectorized stop signs might have been placed on signal poles to augment the flashing red light at night-- when the semaphores and green/red lights were turned off due to lighter traffic.

BifRayRock · #**7558** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 10:40 PM**

.

GaylordWilshire · #**7559** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 10:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Postcard of a residence at St. James Park.

ebay

I was hoping someone might know what the structure is in the middle of the intersection. (G_W?

harvard blvd at washington blvd (I believe the light was added later but I'm not sure)

google street view
____

e_r: Mrs. Hughes and her house will be making an appearance in due course in my St. James Park history (here). What you're seeing in the
postcard view is the base of the lamp below. St. James Park had quite distinctive and elaborate Victorian street fixtures.

As for the Harvard/Washington metal lamps--some shots of West Adams Heights gatepost lamps show similar, apparently non-electric
versions of the metalwork:

LAPL

ethereal_reality · #**7560** Posted **Apr 28, 2012, 11:03 PM**

Thanks for the information G_W!

In that last photograph I like how the shingles 'swoop' over the arched doorway.
I had no idea the Hobart marker had that metal work on top.