In this 1920 photograph, we can see a total of three motorcars who look as though they have Wilshire Boulevard all to themselves. They’re east of La Brea Ave—not that it’s easy to tell with no landmarks to orient ourselves with. We can, however, see oil wells off in the distance so I assume we’re looking west toward the Park La Brea area where there were many of them. And as we can see, the great American roadside tradition of billboards is already with us.
In this circa 1933 photo looking east along Wilshire Boulevard, we can see the brand-new 4 Star Theatre at 5112 Wilshire (between Orange Dr. and Mansfield Ave.) Most striking to my eye is that wide strip of empty land. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of development in that area, which means the owners of the 4 Star were betting that land wouldn’t stay empty for long. Note also those beautiful ornamental electrolier streetlamps. And for the record, the theater is showing The Match King (1932) and He Learned About Women (1933).
Two popular Angeleno institutions under one roof: Ralphs arcade-style supermarket on Wilshire Blvd at Hauser Blvd with a Pig’n Whistle restaurant (their neon sign says “Up and down the coast.) I’m guessing this photo is circa early 1930s because the Pig’n Whistle was there from 1929 to 1938, when the Pig’n Whistle company opened its new upscale restaurant, Melody Lane, at Detroit and Wilshire. Also, those cars out front look pretty early. But what a magnificent building! It’s almost like a palace.
Ralphs supermarket on Wilshire Blvd and Hauser Blvd, 1928:
Ralph’s, circa 1950. It appears that people are lined up for a parade along Wilshire Boulevard:
The corner of Wilshire and Hauser in January 2018. The building there now isn’t quite as pretty, is it?
In this circa 1936 photo, we’re looking east along Wilshire Blvd at Cochran Ave. In the distance, we can see the E. Clem Wilson Building at La Brea Ave, which is still around. But what caught my eye was the vertical sign over the store – A&P FOOD PALACE. I moved to LA in the mid-90s and I don’t remember ever seeing an A&P store here, so I was surprised to see one. Then I noticed the horizontal sign across the building: The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company. That’s what A&P stood for? I had no idea!
The Atlantic and Pacific Food Palace at 5413 Wilshire Boulevard, 1935:
Los Angeles Times advertisement dated March 29, 1935 announcing the opening of the A & P grocery store at Wilshire and Cochran:
In this photo, we’re looking east along the 8800 block of the Sunset Strip (Horn Ave to San Vicente Blvd.) The view hasn’t changed that much since 1936 but unfortunately, the architecture isn’t nearly so quirky and interesting as it is here. On the right-hand side, we can juuuuuust see a vertical neon sigh for the Young’s Market building, which was divided in the 1940s (probably by Mickey Cohen and his thugs.) These days, one half is Terner’s Liquor and the other half is the Viper Room.
Here is another view of much the same stretch of the Sunset Strip, 1941:
And this is what the 8800 block from San Vicente Blvd looks like (January 2018):
With its dramatically lit and cinematic tower, the Fox Carthay Circle Theater lent itself to photogenic Hollywood premieres. This one was taken on June 23, 1937, at the premiere of “Wee Willie Winkie,” starring Shirley Temple. It’s kind of crazy to think all this hoopla was for a movie starring a nine-year-old, but there were no other nine-year-olds like Shirley!
This is certainly a shot you could never get today. We’re looking northwest from Selma Ave (probably around Argyle Ave) toward the Hollywood and Vine intersection, circa 1939. That block is largely undeveloped but I’m glad because we can see the signs for Western Air Lines, Brown Derby restaurant, Plaza Hotel, The Broadway-Hollywood department store, and the Taft Building.
In this Life magazine photo of the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, we can see the old semaphore traffic lights and the beautiful old streetlights that used to adorn Hollywood. Across the street, we can see that the Melody Lane restaurant occupied the northeast corner. It was there from 1940 to 1955 so I’m guessing this shot was taken circa late 1940s.
Heading into the 1940s, director Preston Sturges was working at the top of his game, but apparently that wasn’t enough. In 1940 he opened a club called The Players at 8225 Sunset Boulevard, next to the Chateau Marmont and down the street from the Garden of Allah Hotel. It had three levels, each with its own restaurant—one of them was dinner theatre/dance floor with a revolving, hydraulic stage. The place never even broke even during its 13-year run but I suspect making money was never the point. Sturges just wanted a place to entertain his friends. The building still exists and is currently known as Pink Taco.
The El Royale and the Ravenswood are two grand old dame apartment buildings that went up on Rossmore Ave in 1929 and 1930, respectively, just as the Great Depression kicked in. This shot was taken in 1931 where two of the four corners at the intersection of Rossmore and Rosewood haven’t even been developed yet. Nor, I imagine would they for a while as money dried up over the next few years. But that’s good news for motorists trying to find a place to park.
The El Royale Apartments as seen from the north in 1929, the year it opened:
In this 1920 photograph, we can see a total of three motorcars who look as though they have Wilshire Boulevard all to themselves. They’re east of La Brea Ave—not that it’s easy to tell with no landmarks to orient ourselves with. We can, however, see oil wells off in the distance so I assume we’re looking west toward the Park La Brea area where there were many of them. And as we can see, the great American roadside tradition of billboards is already with us.
In this circa 1933 photo looking east along Wilshire Boulevard, we can see the brand-new 4 Star Theatre at 5112 Wilshire (between Orange Dr. and Mansfield Ave.) Most striking to my eye is that wide strip of empty land. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of development in that area, which means the owners of the 4 Star were betting that land wouldn’t stay empty for long. Note also those beautiful ornamental electrolier streetlamps. And for the record, the theater is showing The Match King (1932) and He Learned About Women (1933).
In this circa 1936 photo, we’re looking east along Wilshire Blvd at Cochran Ave. In the distance, we can see the E. Clem Wilson Building at La Brea Ave, which is still around. But what caught my eye was the vertical sign over the store – A&P FOOD PALACE. I moved to LA in the mid-90s and I don’t remember ever seeing an A&P store here, so I was surprised to see one. Then I noticed the horizontal sign across the building: The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company. That’s what A&P stood for? I had no idea!
In this photo, we’re looking east along the 8800 block of the Sunset Strip (Horn Ave to San Vicente Blvd.) The view hasn’t changed that much since 1936 but unfortunately, the architecture isn’t nearly so quirky and interesting as it is here. On the right-hand side, we can juuuuuust see a vertical neon sigh for the Young’s Market building, which was divided in the 1940s (probably by Mickey Cohen and his thugs.) These days, one half is Terner’s Liquor and the other half is the Viper Room.
With its dramatically lit and cinematic tower, the Fox Carthay Circle Theater lent itself to photogenic Hollywood premieres. This one was taken on June 23, 1937, at the premiere of “Wee Willie Winkie,” starring Shirley Temple. It’s kind of crazy to think all this hoopla was for a movie starring a nine-year-old, but there were no other nine-year-olds like Shirley!
This is certainly a shot you could never get today. We’re looking northwest from Selma Ave (probably around Argyle Ave) toward the Hollywood and Vine intersection, circa 1939. That block is largely undeveloped but I’m glad because we can see the signs for Western Air Lines, Brown Derby restaurant, Plaza Hotel, The Broadway-Hollywood department store, and the Taft Building.
In this Life magazine photo of the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, we can see the old semaphore traffic lights and the beautiful old streetlights that used to adorn Hollywood. Across the street, we can see that the Melody Lane restaurant occupied the northeast corner. It was there from 1940 to 1955 so I’m guessing this shot was taken circa late 1940s.
Heading into the 1940s, director Preston Sturges was working at the top of his game, but apparently that wasn’t enough. In 1940 he opened a club called The Players at 8225 Sunset Boulevard, next to the Chateau Marmont and down the street from the Garden of Allah Hotel. It had three levels, each with its own restaurant—one of them was dinner theatre/dance floor with a revolving, hydraulic stage. The place never even broke even during its 13-year run but I suspect making money was never the point. Sturges just wanted a place to entertain his friends. The building still exists and is currently known as Pink Taco.
The El Royale and the Ravenswood are two grand old dame apartment buildings that went up on Rossmore Ave in 1929 and 1930, respectively, just as the Great Depression kicked in. This shot was taken in 1931 where two of the four corners at the intersection of Rossmore and Rosewood haven’t even been developed yet. Nor, I imagine would they for a while as money dried up over the next few years. But that’s good news for motorists trying to find a place to park.
