This 1937 shot of the northeast corner of Hollywood Blvd and Cherokee Ave, Hollywood would be a fairly normal photo of a 1930s Hollywood street: the Jade Café, a United Airlines ticket office, Bradley’s Five and Ten (which, incidentally, wasn’t a five-and-dime store like the nearby J.J. Newberry and Kress’s but was a bar that attracted the sort of menfolk who enjoy the company of other menfolk.) But what about that strange, huge box on the roof of 6619 Hollywood Blvd? It looks like some sort of rear-projection screen, but did they have those in 1937? Ten feet tall? And if so, what did it project? All theories, guesses, and stabs-in-the-dark are welcome.
Here’s the same corner from another angle:
This shot is from 1925, when the Jade Cafe was the Bee Drugstore:
** UPDATE ** – In 1936, Mabel Grady leased the rooftop of her building for construction of a new “motion picture billboard.” Less than a year later, however, Grady sold the building to Sanford Jacobi, who demolished the building for a new Sontag drugstore. — L.A. Citizen, September 5, 1936
That same corner in April 2018. The Jade Cafe was around 1939 to 1949.
My thanks to David Ginsburg for these photos of The Jade:
Hubba hubba.
The corner building Jade is in became Sontag Drugs, when I was growing up (1943-50), up Cherokee two blocks. Bradley’s was still there, but had moved up Cherokee slightly to a smaller building.
Earl Gandel
I work at this location now and have been trying to learn the history. I’ve seen pics with a banner that says the building is coming down, owners will erect new building. But everything else I’ve seen suggests the building was simply remodeled when Sontag took over. Can you verify which? Any info on the history would be greatly appreciated!
Sontag was 6637 on NE corner where The Jade Cafe sat under the The Virginia Hotel. (Space had once been Bee Drug Company.) The Jade Lounge was east of the corner, probably another building, with this 6619 address on the photo folder. Can anyone tell us if they were actually related?
I work at Escape Hotel (formerly Sontag building) and have done some research. Details are hard to find but The Jade Cafe used to be in that building before Sontag, and moved down the street at some point which is probably what you’re referring to when you say “east”.
L. Frank Baum, creator of the Oz books, lived on Cherokee Avenue for many years. In fact, he filmed the first movie adaptation of his work in his own backyard.
I looked up Henry Clive, whose name is on that painting. He was a well-known Australian-born illustrator whose work is similar to that of Maxfield Parrish. His most famous is probably one called Sultana, which once sold for more than $22,000.
A gay bar with such a prominent sign in 1937!?! Now I’ll have to look up Sontags’ to see what it looks like. You find the best pictures. I wonder if you saw the DWP entry showing Hollywood, picture overload as usual, but there were several of the Hollywood Hotel from all angles; and wonderful shots of early (victorian) homes of Whitley and other founders of the town.
I don’t know that Bradley’s was a gay bar back then. I think that it gradually began to attract that sort of clientele so that by the time WWII rolled around, it was one of the places that the Military put on their list of establishments their personnel were banned from entering.
I currently work at this location, which is now Escape Hotel Hollywood. I’d love to get more history on the building. We know it’s haunted and have captured some evidence on top of countless experiences. I’ve tried to research the history of the building and you have been a great resource. I’d love to know more.
Hi Lee, Let’s hope someone reading this can share more info.