This aerial night photo of the Hollywood Bowl was taken in 1940 at time when there was no iconic shell. It’s an awe-inspiring shot that gives us an idea of the excitement of being at a packed-to-the-rafters night at the Bowl.
It’s clearly the 1940s. Note there is no shell to the Bowl. Note also the 1940s cars parked at the lower left. Finally, it’s an image in the Department of Water and Power’s 1940s files. See: http://waterandpower.org/museum/Early_LA_Buildings%20(1925%20+)_3_of_8.html
That’s where I got the image and normally I’d trust them, but every other site I looked at said it was the Beatles concert. DPW said they got the photo from the LA Public Library but I couldn’t find it there.
One thing’s for sure: 1964 and 1965 images clearly show the Beatles performing at the Bowl under the shell, and I’m confident that, at those times, the parking lot was not filled with cars from the 1940s.