This photo gives us an idea of what it was like to drive along Hollywood Blvd in 1954. It seems busy, but not sit-in-traffic busy, so finding a place to park wouldn’t be impossible. On the left, we can see the two five-and-dime stores that operated side by side. The tall white building with the red sign was Kress’s, and next to it is JJ Newberry. Both buildings are still there, as it the white one on the corner of Whitley Ave on the right. Farther west is a sign I haven’t seen before. It’s for a gym. Given that this is the mid-50s, I’m guessing it was a boxing type gym?

Susan says: “We had Vic Tanny gyms all over the southland in the 50s. It was a big franchise. They started with a few in pre-war years. But their big boom came in the 50s. They were not just for bodybuilders or boxing, but for families. Some had dance classes. They all had special exercise for women. I don ‘t remember one on this part of Hollywood Blvd. There was a one on Wilshire, one on Ventura Blvd., one in Sawtell, Santa Monica, I remember a big one in Inglewood and Hawthorne. I think Redondo or maybe it was Torrance, had one. Before Jack LaLane and Bailey’s, Vic Tanny had a huge corner of the franchise gym market. They went belly up by the early 60s I think it was.”

Johnny says: “Probably the Bert Goodrich Gym, 6624 Hollywood Blvd. https://i.imgur.com/A4HzFkN.png Mr. Goodrich was an athlete, film star, and businessman. https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/…/bert-goodrich-first…/

Roughly the same view in March 2020:

The Kress and Newberry buildings in November 2017: