In this photo, we’re looking west along Hollywood Blvd toward the famous Vine Street corner. It was taken in 1936, back when you could actually find a place to park on the boulevard, partly because many people were taking the streetcar. Plus, there weren’t 10 million people living in L.A. We know this is 1936 because back then the Pantages was a movie house and banner out front is advertising “These Three,” a Sam Goldwyn production written by Lillian Hellman, who lived for a time at the Garden of Allah Hotel. She was there in 1931 when she met Dashiell Hammett (who wrote “The Maltese Falcon” and with whom she lived until his death 30 years later.)

Roughly the same view in February 2020: