The appeal of this photo, for me at least, is that it juxtaposes LA’s past alongside LA’s future. We’re looking south along Main St in downtown Los Angeles. In the earlier part of the 20th century, Victorian-era stores and offices lined many of LA’s streets. As we can see from the Spanish language signs, many of these particular businesses were catering to the local Mexican population. And right next door rises the then-new (this photo is from 1939) United States Court House on Main St looking south toward City Hall, downtown Los Angeles, 1939, and behind that, Los Angeles City Hall, which was, by law, the highest building in Los Angeles.
** UPDATE ** – My thanks to Al D. for this similar view dated December 1, 1957:
This is roughly how that view looked in January 2022.
I love looking at these pictures. It’s crazy to think how much life in America has changed since then. It seems unimaginable, even to someone over 50. Weirdly, the ugliest building in the first picture seems to have somehow improved in the second. More in keeping with it’s surroundings, no doubt.
This isn’t the post office building but rather the United states Court House. The Victorian buildings sadly were wiped out by the construction of the US 101 Freeway a few years later.
John, Courthouse/Federal Offices/Post Office by G.S. Underwood: https://www.cacd.uscourts.gov/newsworthy/historical-decades
Former structure there was 1910-1937.
Is the Las Golondrinas pictured related to the restaurant where a scene from Double Indemnity was filmed?
From what I recall, it started as LA’s first Mexican menu restaurant long before shifting to the improved Olvera Street where the name then became La Golondrina. The move would only be a short one from this photo’s location, left and back a bit close to LAUPT which had just opened recently.
The names of the restaurant on this street and the one on Olvera St. street are similar except one name is singular and one plural. Las Golindrinas and La Golindrina. (Which translates to “The Swallows and The Swallow.) On the L.A. Conservancy’s “DOUBLE INDEMNITY Self – Guided Movie Location Tour” pages they have these notes about that scene:
3. La GOLONDRINA RESTAURANT -Downtown @ 17 Olvera Street
Head SW on W 6th Street (.3 mile) toward S. Hill St. – Turn Left on S Main – 1.1 mile location on the Right
ACTUAL SHOOTING TOOK PLACE AT PARAMOUNT STUDIOS BACKLOT “NEW YORK STREETS”
You may want to visit the restaurant for its historic aspect – but the real scenes were filmed on the Paramount Backlotrom her idea that Phyllis is the killer of her father by taking her to dinner.
NEFF’S VOICE: So I took her to dinner that evening at a Mexican joint down on Olvera Street where nobody would see us.” (Billy Wilder / Raymond Chandler Script)
(Photo) Walter Neff keeping an eye on Lola to check her reaction to see if she is on to him as they dine at Paramount Studios Back lot version of La Golondrina Cafe.
(Photo) Olvera Street is the oldest part of downtown Los Angeles & part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument. The restaurant was originally the Pelanconi House built in the 1850’s. The building is the oldest surviving brick house in Los Angeles. In 1924 it was converted to the La Golondrina Cafe. Photograph is from the 1930’s with restaurant building on the near right and City Hall in the background.
DAILY PRODUCTION SCHEDULE / PARAMOUNT STUDIOS November 2, 1943
EXTERIOR LA GOLONDRINA CAFE STAGE NO: NEW YORK STREET
THE SHOOTING DAY STARTED AT 9AM AND ENDED AT 5:10PM WHILE ALSO SHOOTING INTERIOR CAR SHOTS ON STAGE 6 / THEY HAD 32 EXTRAS ON HAND THAT DAY. ON OCTOBER 12, 1943 THERE WAS AN INNER OFFICE MEMO AT PARAMOUNT DISCUSSING CHANGING “MEXICAN JOINT” TO “MEXICAN CAFE”.
—
https://www.laconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/JeanLaughtonTour-DoubleIndemnity.pdf
(By the way, anyone who likes Double Indemnity and/or Los Angeles should take a look at this L.A. Conservancy link. It’s really great.)
Here’s Mary Mallory’s report on the history of how the Olvera Street restaurant came to be in 1930: https://ladailymirror.com/2023/10/02/mary-mallory-hollywood-heights-casa-la-golondrina-cafe-l-a-s-oldest-brick-building/
The owner had run an earlier restaurant before that which I have obviously confused with this Cafe (don’t trust your memory): https://ladailymirror.com/2023/10/02/mary-mallory-hollywood-heights-casa-la-golondrina-cafe-l-a-s-oldest-brick-building/