Taken in 1934, this photograph shows Wilshire Blvd, at the corner of Crenshaw Blvd. That, in itself, I think is interesting enough as it shows how much of the land was residential and open. But, even more interestingly, the mansion you can see on the left hand side partially hidden by the street lamp is the mansion used as Norma Desmond’s home in the 1950 movie “Sunset Blvd.”

from “Close-Up on Sunset Boulevard” by Sam Staggs:

The actual house, used for exterior shots only stood at 4201 Wilshire between Irving and Lorraine boulevards at the in the intersection of Crenshaw. Built between 1919 and 1924 by William O. Jenkins, who owned sugar plantations in Mexico, the mansion was rarely occupied. The Jenkins family living in it for just one year before returning to Mexico. In 1936 J. Paul Getty bought the derelict house, according to some accounts, as a home for a former wife. In any case, the house stood empty, looked after by a couple of acted as caretakers, until its demolition in 1957.