In this shot we have of a line of stores along Hollywood Blvd near Wilcox Ave: a cut-rate drug and sundries store, a men’s shop (clothing I assume), a billiards and snooker hall, a magic shop, and a circulating library (which was a cross between a bookstore and a library. People bought a subscription which allowed them to borrow books.) We rarely come across any of these sorts of businesses anymore, which is why I see this shot as a sort of microcosm of Hollywood in 1928, when the photo was taken.
Here is an ad for Ed Wise from 1930. His shop originally opened in 1920 across the street.
The street number over the billiards hall is 6419, which put it next door to the Warner Bros Theatre. This is how 6419 Hollywood Blvd looked in July 2024:
Martin, The first photo has to be 1931 or later as the light colored Ford is a 1931 sedan. I sure wish they had men’s clothing stores again because you use to receive such personalized attention when you would shop at one.
I always suspected there were devils long at work on the boulevard.
Just below the “Billiards” sign, doesn’t it say “6419”? If so, then I assume the address is 6419 Hollywood Boulevard. And if that’s the case, then I’m sorry to say it looks like this address is now a vacant lot, according to Google Maps’ street view.
Yes, on the left of the b&w photo you can see the same metal grate above the door or window that is still there now. That is the building where Warners Theatre was. The vacant lot is where Aldo’s Restaurant used to be. Where Sonny met Cher. I don’t know what was there before the lot became vacant but I read that it’s vacant because of a fire.
What came down was the KFWB building that the station had occupied sometime after the antennae were moved to the theater (6425) in 1929 and until they departed for a Yucca Street address in about 2005 (?). Photos were taken out back before the demolition revealing a brick building was still there, which is what we see by closely examining the vintage photo. (I don’t work for Giggles so I can’t vouch for what they’ve presented you with.)
BTW…Aldo’s was just east of KFWB in that other building that has survived. Time for a “Sonny met Cher here” commemorative plaque at that place?
I did some searching and indeed 6419 is an empty lot going back to at least Sept 2007 on Google Street view. I’ve compared the original of yours to the street view and you can see the part of the iron grating on the facade of the Pacific Theatre. Interestingly the building across and down a bit at 6410 looks very similar to it. They may have used the same builder and design? Thank you, I look forward to seeing all the updates. It’s just great enjoyment seeing the before and after of many buildings that do still exist!
There is a site that has all La theaters including the valley with lots of photo. I I was Looking at the Warner then the Pacifica and you can see in some of them the site that Martin posted. I tried to post link, but it would not take.
Is it this one?
https://losangelestheatres.blogspot.com/2017/02/warner-hollywood-overview.html
An Excellent site! They have the out back shot of KFWB taken from “Night of the Comet”. (A future name Star Trek Voyager actor is in that one.)
Yes, and if you scroll down to the bottom of the first Warner page and click on Warner 1955-present, that page had the best pics of the site. It has a pic of what was at site in 1983 but you can’t view full name.
https://www.hollywoodphotographs.com/image/I0000RlZnBuhbflg
Here’s a great shot of the KFWB building in 72. I can’t seem to find pictures of it at night. It would have been a fabulously lit neon sign.
OOO! That’s a new one on me!
Another good shot showing Aldo’s and Coffee Dan’s and that red sports car that I keep seeing in other 60’s restaurant pics
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1498856493504398&id=121097987946929&set=a.121200214603373