In this circa 1937 photo, we’re looking west across Vine St from what looks to be the roof of a gas station on the corner of Selma Ave. We’re looking at the CBS Radio Playhouse. (KNX was the flagship radio station for the CBS network at the time.) This theater was home to the very popular Lux Radio Theater show which started in 1934 but moved from New York to Hollywood in 1936 until 1955. We can also see the banner for another popular radio show; “Hollywood Hotel” featuring Louella Parsons. Sponsored by Campbell’s soup, it ran from 1934 or 1938. The theater is still there and is currently known as the Ricardo Montalban Theatre.
This is roughly the same view in July 2017. It’s great that the theater is still there. The large building to the left is now a WeWork.
For anyone interested, the opening scenes of Steve Martin’s film The Jerk take place in front of this theatre, called the Huntington Hartford at the time, and also at the bottom of that fire escape you see on the left of the building in the b&w photo. That WeWork building was not there at that time.
I’d like to know the story behind that building to the right of the theater. That one looks like it dates back to Hollywood’s early days – or at least earlier in the 20th century.
It was a restaurant that was known variously as Mike Lymon’s and Al Levy’s at different times.
Thanks!
Love to see ant of these buildings still standing. What’s the building to the far right? That doesn’t seem to have changed much
That building to the right was a restaurant that was known variously as Mike Lymon’s and Al Levy’s at different times.
Steve, do you mean “far right” as to the right of Lymon’s/Levy’s? If so, that is the Plaza Hotel which has been there since 1924 and once housed Clara Bow’s “It Cafe” at one time. Quite a few years ago at some point a billboard was installed in front of the building’s original “Plaza” rooftop sign and it’s hard to see. That Billboard sometimes obstruct’s the Broadway sign, too. I can’t even tell if the Plaza rooftop sign is still there. Hope so.
Great limo in the Auto Laundry…could Von Stroheim be taking it back home to Sunset Boulevard? This is another fine one in the sequence of that lone corner.