The chaotic filming of Casablanca was only one reason why Humphrey Bogart wasn’t in a happy place in 1942. Another reason was that his marriage to Mayo Methot was foundering on the rocks so badly they were known around Los Angeles as “the Battling Bogarts. But I’m sure the necessity of his wearing three-inch wooden platforms didn’t help his mood. His co-star, Ingrid Bergman, was five foot nine, so several inches needed to be added to his stature because having a Hollywood hero shorter than his leading lady broke every rule in the Hollywood Myth-making rule book.
See also my novel set against the making of Casablanca: ALL THE GIN JOINTS – a novel of World War II Hollywood.
Once upon a time—and by that I mean the late 1800s—downtown Los Angeles—in other words “Los Angeles” because that’s all there was—became dotted with magnificent homes. This particular one was known as the Rose mansion, named after J.L. Rose, whose 1,900 acre property in Pasadena became famous for its vineyards whose vines were imported from Spain, Italy and Peru. Rose’s enormous success made him a very wealthy man, hence his mansion on the southeast corner of Grand Avenue and 4th Street. It cost $50,000 to build in 1888, which is when this photo was taken.
This aerial photograph from 1925 was taken looking south toward the Hollywood Hills from the San Fernando Valley. The straight road leading into the hills on the right is Coldwater Canyon Avenue and is still one of the main roads between the valley and Los Angeles. These days, of course, most of that empty land is now filled in. That golf course to the left of Coldwater Canyon Ave is now Harvard-Westlake School, a private (and I assume very expensive) 7 through 12 high school.
In this photo we’re looking west along the south side of Hollywood Blvd toward the Hollywood and Vine intersection. Behind the guy with the kid is The Hitching Post Theatre, which was an appropriate name for a theater that only ran westerns. Before that it was the Tele-View Theatre, which ran only news reels and short films. So it was the 1930s version of CNN, and all for 25 cents per ticket. But in 1941 it changed to The Hitching Post, which must have proved popular because by 1946 there were five Hitching Post Theatres around the greater L.A. area. This photo was taken in 1947, which is when “Thunder Mountain” came out. And from the large metal trees lining the sidewalk, we can see that it was Christmastime. (I also like the name of the barbershop: The Barber of Seville.)
Here we have a rather historic moment captured for prosperity: On March 27, 1921, the Los Angeles Philharmonic played its first concert. It was the first Easter sunrise service at the Hollywood Bowl. As we can see, it was a rather rudimentary affair. The stage was a plain wooden platform, with a dais for the conductor and Grand Lady In Big Hat, whoever she was. There was no seating yet, so the 2,000 attendees sat on the grassy knolls of Daisy Dell. The service ended with them singing along as the orchestra played “Holy Holy Holy.” Judging by those overcoats, it also must have been rather chilly. I wonder if anyone thought to bring along a thermos of hot coffee.
Before Malibu became the beachside addressed favored by Hollywood’s celebrated, the place to build was along Ocean Front (now Pacific Coast Highway.) In 1926, MGM chief, Louis B. Mayer, had his leading set designer, Cedric Gibbons, come up with a 
As hard as it is to believe, these people are picking beans on what was known at the time as the Hammel and Denker ranch but later became known as Beverly Hills. This photo was taken circa early 1900s, when much of the 3,055-acre was ranch used to grow beans. But around this time, a group of investors formed the Amalgamated Oil Company and went looking for oil. So it’s possible that this crop of beans was the last to be farmed before Amalgamated Oil vainly searched for oil and was later forced to resort to their backup plan: a housing development. I’d say things worked out for them in the long run.
Another entry into the “They Sure Don’t Make ’Em Like That Any More” file is Marchetti’s Restaurant at the southwest corner of Western Ave and Fifth St. This photo is circa 1930, back when they took some care to create a memorable and appealing building that makes you want to go in and order a big plate of lasagna. Well, it worked because that’s all I can think of now. Mmmmm…lasagna…
This photo looking north up Broadway from 7th St reminds us how downtown was in heart of L.A. the 1930s. After the war, L.A. experienced a huge population boom, so it was probably inevitable that the ever-sprawling city become decentralized. But look at that sidewalk across 7th Street – it’s packed shoulder to shoulder. And nearly everybody is wearing hats, suits, coats, and neckties—even the little boy at the bottom right near the diamond-shaped sign. Speaking of that sign, I’m not sure what “Beach Road North” refers to. My guess is PCH (the Pacific Coast Highway) but I’m open to suggestions.
I have no information about this Spanish Revival Style apartment block at 2nd St and Washington Ave in Santa Monica other than they were called the Sovereign Apartments, they were built in 1928, this photo is from 1931, and they’re still around. But I wanted to feature it because I think it’s wonderful example of how an everyday building such as a block of apartments could, with a bit of imagination and flair, be a thing of beauty and charm, and a pleasure to look at. It reeks with atmosphere, doesn’t it?
This is roughly the same view in 2021: