In its heyday, the MGM studio lot in Culver City covered more than the triangular site that grew out of the old Triangle Film Corporation facilities. Across Overland Ave, MGM’s vast backlot sprawled across what was known as Lot Two. This aerial shot shows us how big it was. For scale, look at the white house on the empty land to the left. Castles, harbors, New York city streets, whatever the script required, they had it. Or could build it. This shot shows us that it was all just a bunch of realistic looking facades. At the top of the photo, we can see the huge sound stages where indoor filming took place. This photo is from 1949, the year that the studio celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Aerial shot of Lot Two of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie studios, Culver City, Los Angeles, 1949
Nighttime view looking east toward Union Station from the top of Los Angeles City Hall, downtown L.A., 1943
Sitting on the Pacific coast, Los Angeles was subject to blackouts and dimouts during WWII, so the city wasn’t lit up nearly as much as it had been before Pearl Harbor. But if you stood on the observation deck atop City Hall, and if you set your camera to a long exposure setting, and if you looked east toward Union Station (it’s the building with the tower) you could get a beautifully atmospheric image that glows with film-noir-ish intensity.
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Tagged Downtown Los Angeles, Los Angeles City Hall, Night photo, WWII
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Color postcard of the Vine Street Brown Derby at night, Vine St, Hollywood, circa 1940
While I’d prefer a Kodachrome photo of the Vine Street Brown Derby, I’ll happy take this color-tinted postcard if it gives us an idea of what it was like to go there for dinner at night. Parked out front is a 1939 Buick taxi and a 1939 Ford, so I’m guessing this circa 1940. Shall we enter via the main door or dine in the Bamboo Room?
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Tagged Brown Derby, Color photo, Hollywood, Night photo, Restaurants
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Looking west along Hollywood Blvd toward the Guaranty Building on the Ivar Ave corner, Hollywood, 1927
This photo treats us to a 1927 view of Hollywood Blvd facing west toward the Guaranty Building on the northeast corner of Ivar Ave. That building is still there (now owned by the Church of Scientology) but those stores to the east have long since been replaced, which is a shame because the one closest to the Guaranty looks like it was interesting. I do like how the streetcar stop has a little safety path around it for passengers. A lot of the time, once they left the Red Car, they were forced to fend for themselves.
Roughly that same view in 2017:
Looking north along Broadway between 3rd and 4th Streets, downtown Los Angeles, 1900
n this photo, we’re looking north up Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, between 3rd and 4th Streets. The tower in the background is part of the old City Hall (no longer there) but the five-story building in the center is the Bradbury building, which is most definitely still around. This photo was taken in 1900, when L.A. streetcars still had an open-air section, which must have been chilly during winter.
Andrew S says: “Also not in this photo yet, the seven Globe Llewellyn iron works electrolier lamps. 135 of them were Installed on Broadway in 1905. Still a very dark street at night in 1900. The cable car is also fascinating. They were soon replaced by electric cars, because during storms the cable guides would fill up with mud. That mud required an enormous amount of cleaning to reopen service.”
Roughly the same view in April 2019:
Looking west along the north side of Hollywood Blvd from Cahuenga Blvd, Hollywood, 1966
This westward view of Hollywood Blvd was taken from Cahuenga Blvd in 1966. We’re looking at the north side of the street where the Warner Hollywood Theatre had stood since 1928. Next to it is the Warner-owned radio station, KFWB. A couple of doors along is Coffee Dan’s which was a popular chain of 24-hour coffee shops.
Here is Coffee Dan’s menu:
This is roughly the same view in October 2019. It’s a lot greener now, isn’t it?
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Tagged Color photo, Hollywood, Hollywood Blvd, Restaurants, Theaters
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William Holden shooting a scene in “The Turning Point” (1952) at 157 S. Main Street, downtown Los Angeles, 1951
In late 1951, when William Holden was shooting “The Turning Point,” Paramount could have built a grimy, dilapidated, ramshackle set. But why bother when Main Street in downtown had already deteriorated to exactly the seedy setting they needed. This is a production shot at 157 S. Main Street, located down the street from City Hall. Note that Holden’s scene partner is standing on a quarter apple box to make him look taller. Usually it’s the hero who would stand on something to make him look more heroic.
This is a color shot of that block taken around the same time.
And this is what that block looks like these days. This image is from May 2019:
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The intersection of Hill and Third Streets, downtown Los Angeles, 1900
When this photo of the intersection of Hill and Third Streets in downtown Los Angeles was taken in 1900, the Third Street tunnel was nearing completion. This project was a big deal because it gave Angeleno motorists a direct route from downtown to the ever expanding western suburbs of Los Angeles. Also, the Angels Flight funicular hadn’t yet been constructed, but as we can see from the steep incline to the left of the tunnel’s entrance, it was sorely needed.
The same view in April 2019. Quite a change, isn’t it?
Los Angeles City Hall welcomes in the new year, downtown Los Angeles, 1951
As we prepare to say goodbye to the rollercoaster ride of 2020 and eagerly welcome in 2021, I thought an appropriate photo to post today would be this shot of Los Angeles City Hall welcoming in 1951 exactly seventy years ago. It was not uncommon back then for city hall to coordinate its lights like this and probably took a fair bit of planning.
Premiere of MGM’s “Till The Clouds Roll By” at the Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood Blvd, January 16, 1947
According to IMDB, the Hollywood premiere of MGM’s all-star production of “Till The Clouds Roll By” took place on January 16, 1947. This photo shows us that it was held at the Egyptian Theatre, which surprises me as the movie featured over 12 stars. I’d have thought that qualified it for a premiere at the more prestigious Grauman’s Chinese. But they did set up bleachers for the movie fans who must have been treated to a veritable parade of stars that night.
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Tagged Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood Blvd, MGM, Movie Premiere, Theaters
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