Newsreel Theater, 802 S Broadway at 8th Street, downtown Los Angeles, 1953

Newsreel Theater, 802 S Broadway at 8th Street, downtown Los Angeles, 1953In this 1953 photo, we see the Newsreel Theater which stood at 802 S Broadway at 8th St in downtown Los Angeles. It’s something we don’t have anymore: a theater that showed only newsreels. These days, we’re inundated with news 24/7, but back then, it was a rarer commodity for those who prized knowing what was going on in the wider world. This theater had opened in 1927 as the Tower Theater, and went through several incarnations in its lifetime, reverting back to the Tower in the 1960s. (Side note: down the street at the Rialto, “The Moon is Blue” was playing. Its claim to fame was being the first major American film to be released without the Production Code seal of approval, which signaled the beginning of the end of the controversial censorship code.)

This is how the theater looked in May 2024. While it’s now an Apple Store, it is still around and has been beautifully restored, which makes it a rare LA architectural success story, if you ask me.

Screenshot

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Looking north toward the Westwood Fox Theatre amid empty fields, Westwood, Los Angeles, 1932

Looking north toward the Westwood Fox Theatre amid empty fields, Westwood, Los Angeles, 1932These days, the Westwood Fox Theatre is surrounded by a bustling Westwood area with shops, businesses, UCLA, and restaurants. But back in 1932, when this photo was taken, the back of it looked out over empty fields in almost all directions. The theater is only a year old in this photo and I’m guessing there must have been more development on the other side because I’m left to wonder how many people actually went to this cinema in its early days. That’s UCLA’s Fraternity Row on the hill in the background so maybe it was mostly students.

As we can see in this satellite image from January 2024, the theater (now called the Village Regency Theatre) no longer stands alone.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Color photo of Van De Kamp’s coffee shop on Laurel Canyon Blvd at Sylvan St, North Hollywood, 1962

Color photo of Van De Kamp's coffee shop on Laurel Canyon Blvd at Sylvan St, North Hollywood, 1962I’ll take any and every chance to post a photo of a Van De Kamp’s – especially if it’s in color as we get to appreciate the striking (Delft?) blue windmill that adorned the roof of every Van De Kamp’s bakery or restaurant. This one stood on the southwest corner of Laurel Canyon Blvd at Sylvan St, in North Hollywood in the San Fernando Valley. The photo was taken in 1962 which makes me wonder of the zippy little convertible at the corner is still with us.

This is how that corner looked in September 2022. Unfortunately, it looks like that building is now empty.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

View of Pershing Square, then called Sixth Street Park, downtown Los Angeles, circa 1890

View of Pershing Square, then called Sixth Street Park, downtown Los Angeles, circa 1890Having lived in Los Angeles since the mid-1990s, I’m used to a Pershing Square that’s filled with large concrete balls, expanses of tile, and a weirdly abstract, angular tower. In 1952, the park was excavated to build an underground parking garage, so Angelenos lost this peaceful, shady, almost bucolic oasis in the middle of their bustling city. This shot of the square is from around 1890, when it was known as called Sixth Street Park, and Los Angeles was still pretty much only what we now think of as downtown LA. How nice it must have been to stroll down the paths and maybe sit on a bench and watch the world amble by.

I thought the auto-colorizer did a pretty good job at bringing this scene to life.

This is how Pershing Square looked in May 2022.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Looking southeast across the intersection of S. Spring and 1st Streets toward Nibblers diner, downtown Los Angeles, circa 1953

Looking southeast across the intersection of S. Spring and 1st Streets toward Nibblers diner, downtown Los Angeles, circa 1953In this circa 1953 photo, we’re looking southeast across the intersection of S. Spring and First Streets in downtown Los Angeles toward a restaurant called Nibblers. It was a small chain of diners who were also at Wilshire & San Vicente as well as Wilshire & Spaulding Dr. in Beverly Hills. I don’t know what they were like; I just love the name: Nibblers. It sounds so inviting, warm, and friendly, doesn’t it? I also love the name on the white van over to the left: Lucky Lager.

Cindy D. says: “Nibblers was terrific! Great food. Menu with lots of variety. It was a family favorite. Seemed more upscale than a typical diner. Back in the day, every table had a jar of the most delicious pickled beets sitting on it, waiting for you.”

Naturally, none of those buildings exist any longer. This image is from June 2022. That building is part of the LAPD headquarters.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Color photo of a Southern Pacific truck transporting Chevrolets stops at Sunset Blvd and El Centro Ave, Los Angeles, circa early 1950s

Color photo of a Southern Pacific truck transporting Chevrolets stops at Sunset Blvd and El Centro Ave, Los Angeles, circa early 1950sThis is the sort of photo I’m always thankful for that someone with a camera thought to take a snap of what was happening in front of them. On this day, the photographer was standing on Sunset Blvd, across the street from the Hollywood Palladium, when a Southern Pacific Railroad truck transporting Chevrolets stopped at the El Centro Ave corner. Whoever it was whipped out their camera and froze a moment that would have been a common sight back then, but for us captures a circa early 1950s memory that so few of us have, and yet so many of us cherish.

** UPDATE ** – This album was recorded on November 23, 1953 so maybe that’s when this photo was taken.

This is roughly that same view in June 2022. The Hollywood Palladium is still there, but sadly Ray Anthony is no longer playing there. (Ray is, however, still alive at the age of 102!)

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

A view of the ornate Pasadena City Hall, Garfield Ave, Pasadena, California, 1930

A view of the ornate Pasadena City Hall, Garfield Ave, Pasadena, California, 1930Looking at this photo, it doesn’t take much imagination to think you’re looking at some grand, 17th century building somewhere in Europe. But no, it’s actually in California. This is the Pasadena City Hall on Garfield Ave in Pasadena. It was built in 1927 and (according to Wikipedia) combines elements of both Mediterranean Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival style architecture. These days, it is of course surrounded by neighboring buildings, but back in 1930, when this photo was taken, it stood out like a beacon drawing people to the city.

I found this beautiful color photo on the Wikipedia page for the Pasadena City Hall:

Pasadena City Hall at dusk, 2008

I was in Pasadena in May 2024 and had some time on my hands so I went up there and took some photos. Here’s a few of them:

 

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 8 Comments

Aerial color shot of the Hollywood Bowl with its reflecting pool, circa mid-1950s

Aerial color shot of the Hollywood Bowl with its reflecting pool, circa mid-1950sIn this aerial color shot, we’re gazing down on the Hollywood Bowl that still had its 100,000-gallon reflecting pool. It was installed as part of a host of upgrades in 1953 and remained until 1972. It really stands out at this height doesn’t it? The layout of the buildings that surround the bowl have changed a fair bit over the years, but the Bowl itself has barely changed at all.

Here is a shot of the Hollywood Bowl’s reflecting pool mid-construction in 1953:

This satellite image of the Hollywood Bowl is from May 2022.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Night shot looking along the Hollywood Freeway at the original exit sign for Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, 1955

Night shot looking along the Hollywood Freeway at the original exit sign for Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, 1955In yesterday’s photo, I highlighted three lonely looking shrubs in a planter along the stretch of the Hollywood Freeway that ran past Vine St and the Capitol Records building. Later, David G. sent me this photo taken around the same time (this shot is specifically from 1955.) We’re looking along the Hollywood Freeway at the original exit sign for Sunset Blvd. It’s a night shot so the three shrubs are harder to see but if you look closely near the bottom left corner, there they are, struggling to stay alive like their cousins farther north up the freeway.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Announcing the release of “Selznick’s Girl Friday” – book 1 in the Hollywood’s Greatest Year trilogy by Martin Turnbull

If you are a fan of movies from Hollywood’s golden era and/or a regular watcher of TCM (which amounts to pretty much the same thing, doesn’t it?) then chances are good that among your personal list of Top Ten Favorite Movies Of All Time at least one of them came out in 1939. That’s because in the late 1930s, Hollywood was on an unstoppable roll. Many of the most creative people to have ever worked in film were operating at the top of their game, and collectively, they were producing movies that enthusiasts like us could (and do) watch again and again.

Among those movies might be:

Six movies from 1939 - Hollywood's Greatest Year

As it happens (full disclosure: it’s no coincidence) these six movies are mentioned in my newest novel which is now available for sale:

SELZNICK’S GIRL FRIDAY

A Novel of 1939 Hollywood

by Martin Turnbull

Book 1 in the Hollywood’s Greatest Year trilogy

~oOo~

"Selznick's Girl Friday" by Martin Turnbull - book 1 in the Hollywood's Greatest Year trilogy

~oOo~

Polly Maddox lives under the sheltering wing of Santa Catalina Island, her world as small and idyllic as the isolated cove where her father ran a not-so-secret moonshine operation during Prohibition. But when he’s accused of a startling crime and goes on the lam, Polly’s life capsizes, leaving her with little choice but to flee toward the gleaming mirage of 1939 Los Angeles.

Armed only with lightning-fast fingers and a sharp wit, Polly talks her way into the executive suite of demanding, brilliant movie producer, David O. Selznick, as he labors over his most ambitious project: a film the rest of Hollywood scornfully dismisses as “Selznick’s Folly.”

As Polly gets swept into the chaos of filming “Gone with the Wind,” she realizes Selznick may hold a clue to where she might find her father—but does he have murky motives of his own? Undaunted, Polly’s battle to clear her father’s name thrusts her directly into the path of a ruthless insider—and he plays for keeps. Polly must outmaneuver his insidious ploys in a town where favors and fraud reign hand-in-hand.

From the author of the Garden of Allah novels comes book one in the Hollywood’s Greatest Year trilogy. This delightfully nostalgic yet gripping tale promises to transport you to a time when movies were larger than life and Hollywood was reaching its golden zenith.

~oOo~

Pick up a copy of Selznick’s Girl Friday in your favorite format from your preferred retailer:

Amazon US Kindle ebook

Amazon US paperback

Barnes & Noble Nook ebook

Amazon Canada Kindle ebook

Amazon Canada paperback

Amazon UK Kindle ebook

Amazon UK paperback

Amazon Australia Kindle ebook

Amazon Australia paperback

Apple ebook

Kobo ebook (US)

Kobo ebook (Canada)

Kobo ebook (Australia)

Goodreads

Audiobook: COMING SOON!

~oOo~

Read Chapter 1 on my website

~oOo~

ALSO BY MARTIN TURNBULL:


The Hollywood’s Garden of Allah novels

Book 1 – The Garden on Sunset
Book 2 – The Trouble with Scarlett
Book 3 – Citizen Hollywood
Book 4 – Searchlights and Shadows
Book 5 – Reds in the Beds
Book 6 – Twisted Boulevard
Book 7 – Tinseltown Confidential
Book 8 – City of Myths
Book 9 – Closing Credits

Chasing Salomé: a novel of 1920s Hollywood

The Heart of the Lion: a novel of Irving Thalberg’s Hollywood

The Hollywood Home Front trilogy:
Book 1 – All the Gin Joints
Book 2 – Thank Your Lucky Stars
Book 3 – You Must Remember This

~oOo~

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments