noirish Los Angeles

[ethereal_reality]

I thought perhaps G_W might have covered this automobile dealership but all my 'searches' came up empty.


below: Beverly Buick at 9231 Olympic Avenue.


ebay





below: What's so amazing about this particular dealership is that the 'streamline moderne' building appears to have survived relatively unscathed.



google street view




below: A somewhat closer view with a glimpse inside the interior showroom.


google street view




below: .....so many beautiful horizontal lines....plus a curved facade (simply beautiful in it's grace).


google street view






below: The 9231 entrance along Olympic Blvd.


google street view



below: One last view of the 9231 entrance.



google street view

___

[3940dxer]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I really like this century old building at 1727 North Spring Street at Aurora Street.


google street view

___

e_r, you did it again...read my mind, that is. I'm very interested in this odd older section of industrial L.A., just South of the "Cornfield". In fact I made a point of exploring these streets while taking some friends on a long urban walk around DTLA a few weeks ago, and took some photos of this very building. I don't know when it was built, but sure would like to. Several in this neighborhood are from the late 1800's.


A close up of the doorway. Very nice.




The side of the building, as seen from Aurora St. Sadly, an idiot tagger got to it.




I don't know why but I like the way "RECEIVING" is stenciled above the door, and the look of the 103 numerals on the green door.




Behind this group of buildings, facing the Cornfield, are some very old railway tracks. Clearly, these were a spur line that passed by the loading docks on the buildings. Walking around there one sees that the owners and tenants have chosen to preserve, even showcase these old tracks.



The Cornfield was home to River Station, one of L.A.'s earliest railway stations -- perhaps the first -- I'm not sure. The Pacific Hotel stood on the grounds of the Cornfield. It's gone now of course, but its location is outlined in the park. The Cornfield is a very pleasant place, and the Gold Line cars heading back and forth on the Pasadena line maintain the "railway" feeling.

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

ebay




Nugent Chevrolet/Oldsmobile was at 400 S. La Brea... "OK" was Chevrolet's national branding for its dealers' used car operations. Nugent was selling Chevrolets at least by the late '20s at 627 S. La Brea (just down from Gillingham DeSoto), moving to 400 by 1934, where it was still listed in 1987 and, apparently, beyond. The license frame above dates from the '80s--around the time of Olds's bizarre "It's not your father's Oldsmobile" ad campaign, which is credited by some as leading to the brand's demise.

Los Angeles Times, August 13, 1981


Google SV
Nugent's earlier location--627 S La Brea

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.

[dagrudt]

A little history of the Mullers from Hollywood Heritage: "The Muller family is one of Hollywood’s pioneers. Jacob Muller came to Hollywood in 1893, establishing the first meat market in Hollywood, across from the present Cinerama Dome on Sunset Boulevard. He sold the market in 1907 and established the first ice company in Hollywood, selling that business in 1913. The family’s original house was built Sunset Boulevard at Ivar. This site later became the location of the RCA Building, built by the Muller Family in 1963 (currently the Los Angeles Film School Building).... Across Sunset Boulevard on 4 acres, where the Cinerama Dome Theater and a new retail center is under construction, was Muller Brothers Service Station. Opened in 1920 by Jacob’s sons, Walter and Frank, this became the largest service station in the world (including a large automobile supply center), employing 120 people by 1937. Celebrities, from Rudolph Valentino to Clark Gable, came by regularly to get gas or just work on their cars. In 1963 the site was sold for the Cinerama Dome Theater, and, at that time, an eventual hotel."


Curious, does anyone know of any photos taken of KGFJ Radio located at 6314 Sunset Blvd.? It would have been between The Muller Bros. and Vine Street. It was described as being in a big white house. Torn down for the Cinerama Dome.

[GaylordWilshire]

you-are-here

That's "SOC"... I've discovered that 1727 N. Spring was built as the Standard Oil Company's sales offices in 1914.

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I thought perhaps G_W might have covered this automobile dealership but all my 'searches' came up empty.

below: Beverly Buick at 9231 Olympic Avenue.


ebay
___

LAPL

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?

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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

ebay

LAPL
LAPL
LAPL

The Village Cafe was at the northeast corner of Sunset & Western.... there's a Verizon store there now. Not sure when the cute little building--especially that coved corner door--was demolished, but the Sunset Theater just up Western was only torn down within the past 10 years, I think. Btw... do we think the young man in the ca. 1950 shot is the man with the cane in the '70s shot just below it? I suppose he wouldn't have aged that much in 25-30 years....

(I guess I'm on a roll this morning.... I'm going away next week for 10 days to a place with limited internet. Will I survive noir withdrawal?)

[3940dxer]

That reminds me. In the early 1960's my uncle operated a recording studio at Sunset and Western called International Sound. He recorded the rock hit "Tequila" there, along with many other records. I have photos of the inside -- some with a very young me at the mic, and at the record cutting lathe -- but none of the outside. He used to claim that Cher worked there as his secretary for a little while, which may or may not be true.

I don't know the address but it was a few doors down from the Northwest corner (to the left of the above photos). It later became Sunwest Studios but the building was demolished and the site is now part of Osh's parking lot.

If anyone happens to have a shot showing the outside of the building with the International Sound sign, would love to see it.

[unihikid]

Originally Posted by 3940dxer

That reminds me. In the early 1960's my uncle operated a recording studio at Sunset and Western called International Sound. He recorded the rock hit "Tequila" there, along with many other records. I have photos of the inside -- some with a very young me at the mic, and at the record cutting lathe -- but none of the outside. He used to claim that Cher worked there as his secretary for a little while, which may or may not be true.

I don't know the address but it was a few doors down from the Northwest corner (to the left of the above photos). It later became Sunwest Studios but the building was demolished and the site is now part of Osh's parking lot.

If anyone happens to have a shot showing the outside of the building with the International Sound sign, would love to see it.

if were on the subject of studios i would like to see a few,one being goldstar where my dad recorded,it was on santa monica and western(i think),and david you bring up cher,well she was on a lot of recordings during dads Bob B Soxx and the Blue Jeans period,this was prob when she was a secretary at your uncles studio.anyways when sonny and cher got big cher called up dads coasters group and they did the show for SaC.Another studio i would love to see is the KFWB studio near Capitol Records,it was on the taredown list for a while.

[3940dxer]

Originally Posted by unihikid

if were on the subject of studios i would like to see a few, one being goldstar where my dad recorded,it was on santa monica and western(i think), and david you bring up cher, well she was on a lot of recordings during dads Bob B Soxx and the Blue Jeans period, this was prob when she was a secretary at your uncles studio. anyways when sonny and cher got big cher called up dads coasters group and they did the show for SaC. Another studio i would love to see is the KFWB studio near Capitol Records, it was on the tear down list for a while.

Funny that you mention Gold Star. This was a very famous studio in Hollywood. My uncle was associated with that place too, and took me there a few times. I know the founder and met with him just last week. He's a very nice gentleman who's had an amazing career. I'll be seeing him again tomorrow so why don't you PM me with some info about your father, and I'll see he has any photos or stories about him.

Was your dad one of The Coasters?

Gold Star was at the Southeast corner of Santa Monica and Vine. It closed in '84, then there was a fire, then the building was demolished and now a mini-mall occupies the site. Yes, it was home to Phil Spector and the "Wall Of Sound". I just did a quick photo search but only found pictures of the studio and control room. Does anyone here happen to have an exterior shot?

[GaylordWilshire]

Longfade

Gold Star was listed at 6252 SMB in the 1956 CD, probably around when this pic was taken.... Across the street, at the northeast corner of SMB & Vine, is this building, just about the only survivor on or even near the corner....

LAPL
GoogleSV

[BifRayRock]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

LAPL

The photos appear to be from the late 70's. Judging from the theater marquee, the neighborhood was (and perhaps still is) at a crossroads. (It is unlikely the young man from the '50s - is in the 70's photo with a cane. He knew he was a good candidate for being struck in the crosswalk of that busy intersection or mugged for his shoes. He therefor moved to Downey and worked in aerospace. He is currently retired and living with his daughter in Fresno.)

Builders Emporium on the NW corner (now occupied by OSH) was a natural place for local industry people to shop for rare spackling compound and counter-clockwise drywall screws - when Sears on Western and Santa Monica Blvd was out of stock and Koontz Hardware in W. Hollywood, Sears on San Vicente and Pico, Larchmont Hardware, and B&B (Washington Blvd.) - were too far to be inconvenienced.

http://www.google.com/search?q=build...w=1280&bih=812

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65359853@N00/5846073038/


Pico and Rimpau Sears:
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=sears...9,r:5,s:0,i:80

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=sears...9,r:8,s:0,i:86

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...=1335541320350http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...=1335541320350


http://www.google.com/imgres?q=build...9,r:5,s:0,i:79

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Xxkem...djn7UiZWoLNgfA



http://www.pacificelectric.org/wp-co...Santa-Moni.jpg

Fox lot '35
USC digital library



With a bucket full of poetic license - and if the Planets were in proper alignment - you should be able to hitchhike to the Sears at Pico and San Vicente. Upon discovery that they did not have the product you needed, you notice the Pacific Electric street car over the viaduct and decide to hop on and visit the Santa Monica Sears. Along the way you enjoy traveling Santa Monica Blvd. to what would later become Century City, ponder whether to audit a class or two at UCLA when crossing Westwood Blvd, and then wake up in Santa Monica and hope the Sears is open late. Getting home might be another matter especially since you left your wallet on the Streetcar.

http://www.uncanny.net/~wetzel/smline.htmhttp://www.uncanny.net/~wetzel/smline.htm


http://www.flickr.com/photos/38310569@N02/5106181129/http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...=1335541320350

Eventually, after many delays (due to Bulldozer crew's misplacing of their hardhats, overalls and sunglasses) the Freeway would be partially completed. After sticking around long enough to borrow a Packard 120 and take advantage of the Freeway, you notice the Sears in the far right of the picture and then realize you missed your turnoff as the car begins to sputter and run out of gas.


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...=1335541320350

Santa Monica Fwy, '61
digitallibrary.usc.edu

[3940dxer]

BifRayRock, can you give me the complete link to that very last photo? The Asian man on the left side of the group looks very much like T.Y. Lin, a structural engineer who was my late father's partner for many years. I wonder if it was him?

(Wow, all the recent coincidences here...)

[GaylordWilshire]

LAPL
1942

[BifRayRock]

Originally Posted by 3940dxer

BifRayRock, can you give me the complete link to that very last photo? The Asian man on the left side of the group looks very much like T.Y. Lin, a structural engineer who was my late father's partner for many years. I wonder if it was him?

(Wow, all the recent coincidences here...)

Hope this is the photo to which you are referring and the link is correct.

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...-N-12154-013~2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tung-Yen_Lin


And if it is this photo, the gentleman on the far left reminded me of former Dallas Coach Tom Landry - who would have had some familiarity with the Colosseum, LAX and certain LA hotels and eateries, when coaching against the Rams.





Exposition Park 1918:

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...=1335545418098

[unihikid]

Bifray all i can say is just wow,you forgot to mention that there was a builders emporium on pico just west of the sears,the sears on pico stood empty for maybe 10 years the last thing operating out of it was builders discount.the cool thing about pico sears was the former gas station/auto shop that got used as a gardening store and the bus depot right next to it where you could see track crack and some tracks from when the yellow cars use to turn around.the pics are just wonderful,i didnt know there was a substation for the pe's vineyard station(sears is in the background).I wonder when the pe cars stopped using the viaduct crossing pico?

and gaylord wilshire thanks for the goldstar color pic,that sure does make my day,my pops name was bobby sheen and he worked with phil spector from 1961 to about 1970,he started off as a replacement lead singers in the robins in about 1957,then went with phil in 61 and recorded a few singles,then in 62 they formed Bob B Soxx and the Blue jeans,after that phil got tired of the blue jeans and focused on the Ronettes,dad even drove the Ronettes (minus Ronnie who flew with phil)from nyc to la in his 63 chevy station wagon,where all of them stayed at the house on Kenwood!

[BifRayRock]

When the photo was taken, in the other direction at 5420 Sunset would have been a department store with the quaint name of Zody's. According to one source, there were as many as 40 in the So Cal ~ Cal area. Check out the list here: http://www.groceteria.com/board/view...t=139&start=45

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

you-are-here

That's "SOC"... I've discovered that 1727 N. Spring was built as the Standard Oil Company's sales offices in 1914.

Great job G_W. I thought I would never know the original purpose of this building. I forgot to look within the cartouche for clues.
___


Great photos of 1727 N. Spring Street 3940dxer/David. I have another building I want to post about in the same area. Is that cool, or should I wait for your photos? Either way is fine by me.

[BifRayRock]

Originally Posted by unihikid

builders emporium on pico just west of the sears,the sears on pico stood empty for maybe 10 years the last thing operating out of it was builders discount.

the cool thing about pico sears was the former gas station/auto shop that got used as a gardening store and the bus depot right next to it where you could see track crack and some tracks from when the yellow cars use to turn around.the pics are just wonderful,i didnt know there was a substation for the pe's vineyard station(sears is in the background).I wonder when the pe cars stopped using the viaduct crossing pico?

I remember Builders Emporium on Pico and even parking next to the man who was attempting to save the business, Sanford Sigoloff. He was easily recognizable from the news of the day. http://articles.latimes.com/1986-07-...ord-c-sigoloff I remember the Sears-Pico mostly for its extremely old escalators. According to another customer, they were featured in some 30's comedies. (I was never been able to confirm this, but suspect it was possible as so many things were.) The interior geography was "quirky" and probably not conducive to control, In other words, perfect for kids to play hide and seek, or get lost.

Per the linked article, "the viaduct was eventually demolished in the '60s when San Vicente Boulevard was widened." It is a guess the PE ceased to actively use those specific tracks in the mid to late '50s. http://www.uncanny.net/~wetzel/smline.htm

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. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Goka26scujk

Since you mentioned the Auto Department, I can't say I remember it specifically, but I do remember the shop on North Wilton and Santa Monica that was affiliated with the Sears on Western. I also remember someone complaining at the top of his lungs concerning his tires and one of the employees suggesting he take his business to "Winston Tires" on Highland Ave and ask for "Sam."
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Sears...69&tx=66&ty=79
http://articles.latimes.com/1995-09-..._1_sam-winston
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=sam+w...r:18,s:27,i:43

For someone who may stumble across this, there was a time when Sears, Montgomery Wards and JC Penneys all had tool/hardware departments and auto centers purveying batteries and tires. In other areas of the country, many (now fondly remembered but long departed) Departments Stores had specific Auto departments a la Pep Boys and Mark C. Bloom (there was one on Beverly Blvd near . . . La Cienega close to the oil derrick.) Evidently, the Broadway Department Store had Auto Centers in Los Angeles, but I am hard pressed to pinpoint specific locations.



http://photos.lapl.org/carlweb/jsp/D...Search&index=w

http://media.photobucket.com/image/j...g?t=1230906385

http://www.rapidtransit-press.com/thebroadway.html

Former Broadway Auto Centers now converted to alternative use:
Downey:


Cerritos:


Arcadia:too big to post find it here:http://www.rapidtransit-press.com/thebroadway.html

[3940dxer]

e_r, go ahead, by all means. I'm not quite done photographing and exploring down there but maybe I'll have a worthwhile or two of the same place.

Still working on Monkey Island too BTW, haven't yet confirmed just where it was.