Now that it’s December, I think it’s time for a Christmas photo. This one was taken during the holiday season of 1954 by a photographer looking west along Hollywood Blvd just west of Vine Street. Those huge metallic Christmas trees street would go up in late November. Their design changed occasionally, but they always lit up at night, which made strolling down the boulevard during Christmastime a lovely sight to see. Across the street at the Admiral Theatre, Marlon Brando was starring in “The Wild One” on a double bill with Robert Mitchum in “My Forbidden Past.”
Andrew S says: “Hollywood Blvd. Christmas trees stored in Burbank, NBC parking at North West corner of Bob hope Drive and Warner Blvd. They were kept in the field behind this 1952 NBC studio were Laugh in and Johnny Carson then Jay Leno show was produced. This studio was built to replace the streamline moderne NBC Radio City on the corner of Sunset & Vine.”
This is roughly the same view in August 2022:
Perfect photo choice this year! That’s a 1952 Ford parked on the left, which may be in “Meadowlark Green”. It was the “slab side” completion of the whole project beginning with the shoebox cars. One piece curved windshield. Hanging brake pedal (no more floor mounted). And round rocket-or-jet exhaust tail lights to complement the front faux intake spinner/cone with the added round turn lights (gone square! in ’53). And the jet plane chrome hood ornament. Most (but not all) of the other cars looked like bulbous masses of clay carvings gone wrong at that time. It took Brando on his bike to be more sleek looking, and James Dean is a year out still. His used Merc was still curing.