noirish Los Angeles

[3940dxer]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Here's an associated press photograph I found the other day on ebay. I am confused by the circular 'lookout' area that's located
just to the left of the dotted line (a probable landslide area).



found on ebay

above: Does anyone know the name of this 'turnabout' lookout area?...

e_r, I couldn't resist heading up there for a look. Here's your Grandview Lookout, in all its glory. I'd never been aware of this spot before, but it's really pretty impressive. Here's a view of the lookout spot itself:




Here's the view to the South:




And the view that blew me away...looking to the Northeast:



Man, is that a busy scene, or what! I get dizzy just looking at it. From front to back we have the railroad tracks heading up towards the Valley, Riverside Drive, the L.A. River, then San Fernando Road, and then the 5 freeway. On the left is the Figueroa Bridge (with Fig heading off into the distance), to its right the Pasadena Freeway, with various ramps connecting it to the 5, and, barely visible, the North (Arroyo) tributary of the L.A. Rover. The Gold Line tracks are on the far right.

[ethereal_reality]

That's so great David! I was hoping someone would go up there.

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

The photographer seems to be perched on a wooden framework that overhangs the sidewalk on the southwest corner of Hollywood and Vine. For the life of me I can't figure out what this makeshift structure is....a renovation perhaps?

Especially baffling is the small 'vent' protruding through the framework. This makes no sense to me.

I know we settled this a page or two ago but I just came across this 1945 photograph that show the canopies from above
(but I still don't see a vent).


found on ebay

I believe this photo has been posted before, but it fits perfectly in our 'canopy' discussion.

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[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Moxie

Perino’s


The Ambassador Hotel

Good luck Moxie in your quest to find all the Los Angeles locations of SMK.

It was especially great to see the interior of Perino's and that's a great view of the Ambassador Hotel
(despite the bright sunlight the hotel looks rather ominous).

[alanlutz]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Welcome to the thread alanlutz! We would love to see your photos.

ER, and the rest of you guys:

I uploaded them to my Google Picasa account. I made this album public so you should be able to see all of them. I'll see if I can now embed individual shots. Here is the link to the album. I'm sure you'll recognize many of the building and intersections but I'll start labeling them now: https://plus.google.com/photos/10587...57782495364385

[unihikid]

yeah thats wilshire and westwood veteran would be further west still a great pic

Originally Posted by KevinW

I just found this one from 1968. Isn't that the building across from the highrises?:


USC Library

[Handsome Stranger]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Supposedly the restaurant can be seen in the 1950 classic noir D.O.A. but I can't recollect the scene
(I haven't seen the movie in years).

Alas...it's just a brief scene with the Clifton's sign in the background, not the interior of the restaurant.


[source: GMVS Entertainment]


[source: GMVS Entertainment]

Might as well throw in these locations too!


[source: GMVS Entertainment]


[source: GMVS Entertainment]


[source: GMVS Entertainment]

[GaylordWilshire]

West 43rd Place from Garthwaite, March 3, 1938, and now.


Pics: Los Angeles Times/GoogleSV


Edit: I was looking for an old post unrelated to the above...and found by accident that I had inadvertently repeated Fred H's post of last December 13....

[GaylordWilshire]

Several incarnations of what was originally Carl's Supermarket at 1530 West 6th Street at Loma Drive, designed by Morgan, Walls & Clements and built in 1933. I looked for a shot of the building closer to its completion, but came up empty-handed. As of the last Google Street View pass, it's Goodwill.


Library of Congress/you-are-here.com/GoogleSV

[Moxie]

Good luck Moxie in your quest to find all the Los Angeles locations of SMK.

It was especially great to see the interior of Perino's and that's a great view of the Ambassador Hotel
(despite the bright sunlight the hotel looks rather ominous).

Thanks! We've got plenty of determination, so I'm sure we'll manage it.

And you are very right about the ominous look to the hotel with so many windows being boarded up. They do comment in the episode about the "old girl" having seen better days, which I'm sure was just as much about the Ambassador as it was the "Cumberland Grand" that it was "playing" in that particular episode. I also figured not many things may have been filmed in the basement of the hotel and you all might appreciate seeing it (or the Ladies Room at Perino's) since there may not be many photos in the archives.

[ethereal_reality]

[QUOTE=Handsome Stranger;5663416]Alas...it's just a brief scene with the Clifton's sign in the background, not the interior of the restaurant.


[source: GMVS Entertainment]
[QUOTE]

Your screen-grabs from D.O.A. were just what I was looking for Handsome_Stranger.
I wonder what the brightly lit store to the left of the cafeteria entrance is? The sign appears to have a clock on it so maybe it's a jewelers....but why so bright? It's lit up like a small amusement arcade.

I'll have to go back and look at previously posted photos (like the one I just posted...duh).

Speaking of amusement arcades, that's one subject that seems to be entirely missing from this thread. I know there were
numerous open-front arcades in downtown Los Angeles and yet I don't recall any photos. In my opinion a sketchy late night arcade parlor
is extremely 'noirish'.

[GaylordWilshire]

190 N. Cañon Drive, Beverly Hills



It was indeed a jewelry store, e_r... Toni's, at 646 S. Broadway....


USCDL/GoogleSV

[ethereal_reality]

Thanks Gaylord_Wilshire I like that before/after....notice how WRONG that tacked on 'neoclassical' entrance is.
The design has nothing in common with the rest of the building. Perhaps the 'regal' entrance was added for a new tenant
(maybe a consulate?)

____


A nice California bungalow at 1216 Sycamore Avenue.



ebay



below: 1216 Sycamore Avenue as it appears today.


google street view

The two biggest changes are the missing chimney and the porch steps that have been moved to the right side of the porch.
(and of course the fence with the electronic gate) You can also see where the chimney used to be, the shingles at that spot are lighter in color than the rest of the roof.




below: Here's the same view at a slight angel to compare the side windows. At first I thought the neighboring house was different than the one in the 1920s view but that isn't the case.






The neighboring house that you can see is actually across an empty lot.






below: This aerial shows that the garage at 1216 is gone and a small rental has been built in the backyard. The remnants of a foundation can still be seen in the empty lot.


google aerial


All the bungalows on the 1200 block of Sycamore are on the east side of the street. The west side of the street has been developed with modern apartment buildings.

OK, I think I've fixated enough on this bungalow.

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[jg6544]

Does anyone know whether the Perino's scene in "Mommie Dearest" ("That is MY table at Perino's!") was filmed in the restaurant or was it filmed on a sound stage?

[GaylordWilshire]

Dr. Moxley's veterinary clinic was the first in town to offer pickup service for grooming. Interesting building, too, built in 1930 and still at 940 N. Highland. Detail of the façade:




Top left:Arcadia Publishing/others: GoogleSV

[ethereal_reality]

I like that dog G_W. I think there is another 'dog' sign that is missing it's head.
___



Does anyone recognize this Los Angeles area Drive-In? (May 57)


ebay

I wonder why the structure holding the screen is so 'thick' (for lack of a better word) What in the world would be in there...empty space?

[ethereal_reality]

While searching for the headless dog sign I came across this kitschy hog dog stand located at Wilshire & 3rd (Santa Monica?)



http://www.flickr.com/photos/65359853@N00/6776284694/

__

I just did me some more googlin' It is indeed Santa Monica.
The left highrise in the background is the Fairmont Miramar Hotel and the one on the right is the Santa Monica Bay Towers.
The older low-slung building is still there as well.

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[FredH]

Los Angeles Times

This general view shows motorists arriving from the east along U.S. Highway 99-70 or 60, as
they enter Los Angeles on May 30, 1947. The Los Angeles City Hall tower is the tall building left
of the left lane, and the post office is right of the right lane. (Associated Press)

[GaylordWilshire]

The 1939 Lydecker house in Studio City--designed as his own residence by movie special-effects master Howard Lydecker. More here and here. It's at 3820 Buena Park Drive, Studio City.


Pics: lydeckerhouse.blogspot.com/

[ethereal_reality]

That's such a great house G-W! I especially liked that first link you provided.


Of course when I saw the name Lydecker I thought of Clifton Webb's character in the classic noir 'Laura'.


20th Century Fox

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[GaylordWilshire]

bn.com

While looking for more on Clifton Webb, I was diverted by this haunting colorized picture of the Black Dahlia. Apparently Steve Hodel has yet another book out insisting that his father
was her killer, as well as the killer of just about every unsolved-murder victim from Manila to the moon. I can't remember what the consensus is about his claims--to me, his cottage industry
capitalizing on the back of his admittedly creepy father seems pathological in itself. Anyway, I'm over buying books on the case (and way over Steve Hodel's exploitative obsession)
so probably won't buy it until I see it at a garage sale, but I was wondering if anyone has read this new book, Black Dahlia Avenger II? It seems to be published through a vanity press.


20th Century-Fox

That's Waldo Lydecker in the tub in Laura, with "The Profile" Dana
Andrews, playing a detective, no doubt trying to avert his eyes.