** UPDATE – this photo appears to be from the late 1940s (see below) **
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a photo of the Hollywood and Vine intersection flooded, so I guess it must have REALLY been raining A LOT just before this photo was taken. That pale car in the foreground is a 1936 Chevrolet, but the Melody Lane diner on the northwest corner took over from the CoCo Tree Café in 1940, so I’m guessing this photo is probably circa early 1940s. I’ve also never noticed that neon sign saying “Pig ‘n’ Whistle” over the doorway on the far left. It make sense though, because it was restaurateur Sidney Hoedemaker from the Pig ‘n’ Whistle *next to the Egyptian Theatre a few blocks west) who opened Melody Lane.
Ward E. on Facebook says: “The picture must have been taken in 1949 or later as the car in the right background looks to be either a ’49 or ’50 Chevy.”
Glen N on Facebook says: “To help date this, the street light on Hollywood Boulevard directly in front of the word “Melody” was installed in the summer of 1948.”
Brad B says: “I remember Madman Muntz from the 1960s-70s. This image had to be post-WWII circa 1947-50. Madman Muntz was under investigation for illegal WWII car sales until 1946 (acquitted) and started selling TV sets in 1947 (billboard). The 1930s cars were common in the late 1940s because of the war effort. This was most likely 1948-49 when he was famous for wearing the red long johns and a Napoleon hat on the Ed Sullivan Show.”
This is how that corner looked in June 2021. Yes, of course it’s a parking lot now.
Is it not so grand to see another DAMN parking lot in LA?
The current mode in Los Angeles is to not just have parking lots, but to build them underground with buildings on top of them.
P.S.: The only reason there’s a parking lot there is the building that was there previously burned down. Not sure why that one corner of Hollywood & Vine has never had a multi-story building built there like the other three corners. I do know there was one proposed, but it didn’t get built because of the stock market crash and subsequent depression.
P.S.#2: I also do love this photo of Hollywood & Vine in the rain and can’t recall ever seeing one like it before. Although I’ve personally witnessed it. In the 80s I was on the NE corner of Hollywood Blvd. in December waiting for a bus and it was pouring. I looked up and saw the lighted marquee of the Pantages advertising the legendary Lena Horne appearing there in just a couple hours. I pictured the audience coming in through the rain, the curtain going up and Lena singing, “Don’t know why…there’s no sun up in the sky…stormy weather…”
That’s a very cinematic image, MP!
At least as important as Melody Lane is the billboard for Muntz. Earl “Madman” Muntz was a pioneer of independent automobiles and television sets, and he was the father of car stereo systems. His shop was on Lankershim and I knew him personally.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madman_Muntz
Thanks, David. I did wonder about that billboard and figured he was an early purveyor of television sets.
Yes, I remember ‘Madman Muntz’!
I’d guess more like very late forties or early fifties, judging by the car behind the 36 Chevy. It looks more like a 49-53 era car.