I’m not sure how the photographer took this photo of the Carthay Circle Theater at 6316 San Vicente Blvd, but it makes for a memorable shot. Not just because it takes in the whole spectacular theater, but because it includes something we don’t often see out front of it: some sort of animal pen holding what appears to be an ox. On the marquee we can see that the movie playing at the time was MGM’s “The Good Earth” which is about the hardscrabble lives of Chinese peasants. Its premiere was on January 29, 1937, so I assume that poor ox was some sort of promo put together by the studio? The Carthay Circle opened in 1926 and was demolished in 1969.

Mark Vieira says: “The ox had been brought to the studio to act in the film, which he did. This is in my book Irving Thalberg.” Henrik H on Facebook found this promotional postcard, so maybe this is the same animal. (Several people suggested that the ox is actually a water buffalo.”