I would imagine that by day, the Mark C. Bloome gas station and tire store on the southwest corner of Sunset Blvd and El Centro Ave in Hollywood would have been unremarkable. But come nightfall, with the lights switched on, it becomes an atmospheric setting for striking photograph, or perhaps even the opening scene for a film noir where murder is afoot in the 69-cent car wash.
Veronica G. sent me these “extra dividend” 5-cent coupons / tickets which could be redeemed “for accessories and premiums.”
There were several Mark C. Bloome locations around town. This listing is taken from the Los Angeles City Directory of 1941:
No more spooky neon shadows for that corner. This image is from June 2022.
One of the first automated drive thru car washes in L.A. It was a big attraction.
Oh wow! I didn’t know that. Thanks, Grant.
There was also one on Sepulveda in Culver City (it’s under different ownership now and has been for quite a while).
It was a tradition for seniors at Culver High to “decorate” the Senior Lawn the day before graduation. We seriously talked about getting the giant Mark C. Bloome statue. We moved on the Bob’s Big Boy statue. But our ambitions far exceeded our capabilites. Sigh, the road not taken….
Who’s Jim Metropoulos