I don’t normally post photos as recent as the 80s (to my mind a “vintage photo” is anything pre-1970, but it’s an elastic rule.) However, I felt this one from 1983 has such a timeless feel to it (maybe because of its stark, black-and-white, film-noir-y atmosphere?) Previously known as the Granada Theatre, Oriental Theatre, stood at 7425 Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, Sunset between Vista and Gardner Sts from 1921 until 1985, which is a very good run for a theater. I especially love the neon detailing between the two marquees, and how that stone frontage adds a nice texture to the shadows.
** UPDATE ** Bill C on Facebook supplied the original version of this photo which was in color:
7425 Sunset is now home to a Guitar Center location that has altered the building so much, you’d never know a theater had ever been there. This image is from May 2022.
I do so love finding a vibrant color photo of yesteryear Los Angeles. In this one, we’re looking north up Vine St from Sunset Blvd. We can see signs of Coffee Dan’s, Alexander Stationers, American Broadcasting Co, Santa Fe Railway, Plaza Hotel, and the Hollywood-Broadway department store—and that’s just the western side of the street. I don’t know what those two banners strung over the roadway mean, so leave a comment if you know. The red-and-white striped awning on the left belongs to a Wil Wright ice cream parlor. In 1957, Sachson’s Haberdashery took over that space, so I’m placing this photo as circa mid-1950s.
In this circa 1931 photo, we’re looking east along Sunset Blvd from Vista St, which puts it around half a dozen blocks west of Hollywood High. The caption of this photo mentions how Sunset had just been widened. I hadn’t heard that it had ever been made wider, but gauging from the (low) volume of traffic, it almost makes me wonder why they bothered. But as a 21st century LA motorist, I’m awfully glad they did.
1930s Los Angeles was knee-deep in cafeterias. They were everywhere: Ontra, Schaber’s, Clifton’s, Stillwell, None Such, and don’t forget the Vegetarian Cafeteria next to Angels Flight. One of the most well-known was the Boos Bros Cafeteria. There were four brothers in all, and their restaurant, pictured here, was at 530 S. Hill St in downtown LA, opposite Pershing Square. I especially love the vaguely Tudoresque architecture contrasting with the very modern typeface they used for their logo in the windows. And from those banners hanging from the second floor, we can date this to the Los Angeles Olympic games in August 1932.
In this beautifully crisp photo, we’re looking southeast across downtown Los Angeles past St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, which is the one with the pointy tower. Past it, that expanse of trees is what we now know as Pershing Square. This photo is from 1913, so it was then still known Central Park. But the detail that catches my eye is that pale building down in front – the “Young Women’s Boarding Home” which I had never heard of before. It stood at 514 S. Grand Ave, and was run by the Salvation Army, and was torn down to make way for L.A.’s Biltmore Hotel, which opened in 1923. It looks to be quite a large place and has me wondering if it housed any young and independent women who eventually made it into the flickers.
Most photos of the Carthay Circle Theatre at 6316 San Vicente Blvd are (understandably) taken much closer – all the better to appreciate that striking tower. But it makes for a pleasant change to see it more in context from farther back. We’re looking south from McCarthy Vista towards Henry Lion’s “the Miner’s Statue” in the triangular park across San Vicente boulevard. Even though it is an iconic Los Angeles movie palace, it’s nice to be reminded that it was also a neighborhood cinema, where local Angelenos saw movies that we now watch on TCM.
In this gorgeously gritty image, we’re looking west along the south side of Hollywood Blvd from Las Palmas Ave. On the corner is the ticket office for the Union Pacific railway, and past it we can see the blade sign for the Egyptian Theatre. Playing at the time was “Oklahoma!” which had its Los Angeles premiere on November 17, 1955, so I’m guessing this photo was taken later that year. And opposite it on the north side we can see Pickwick Books, an iconic Hollywood Blvd bookstore that was open from 1938 to 1995.
In this view, we’re looking east long Wilshire Blvd from Normandie Ave. It was taken on December 14, 1949 (note the Christmas wreath on the Wilshire Special streetlight on the right.) It reminds us how Wilshire Blvd wasn’t always a long corridor with tall buildings looming on each side. In fact, in this photo we can see one of the large homes that still stood on Wilshire. On the plus side, we can see Bullock’s Wilshire tower, the Immanuel Presbyterian Church, and the pylon at the driveway of the Ambassador Hotel, all of which are still with us. And a special shout-out to the driver of that two-toned Pontiac!