In all the photos I’ve seen of the Vine Street Brown Derby, I’ve never seen one of the building before it became the Derby. The restaurant opened on Valentine’s Day in 1929, so I’m guessing this photo was taken around late 1928 before any of the Derby’s features like the awning over the sidewalk and the derby-shaped neon sign were installed. The building itself was built for the Vine Street Holding Company and film director, Cecil B. DeMille. It was his studio office before the Lasky movie studios at Vine and Selma moved its operations to what later became Paramount Pictures on Melrose Ave. The owners then leased the ground floor space to the Brown Derby Restaurant.Evening view of the Hollywood Bowl hillside seating area, without the shell, 1940
This aerial night photo of the Hollywood Bowl was taken in 1940 at time when there was no iconic shell. It’s an awe-inspiring shot that gives us an idea of the excitement of being at a packed-to-the-rafters night at the Bowl.
Carpenter’s Sandwiches drive-in restaurant at the northeast corner of Sunset Blvd and Vine St, Hollywood, 1933
It looks like Carpenter’s Sandwiches on the northeast corner of Sunset Blvd and Vine St in Hollywood was doing a roaring trade in 1933. And with 15-cent sandwiches, 20-cent chili con carne, and you don’t even have to get out of your car—I can see why! Not only that but right next door, you can get your brakes adjusted for 90 cents. And check out all that empty land in the background!
Vine Street, Hollywood, north of Sunset Boulevard, circa late 1930s
Judging from the white 1938 La Salle convertible parked outside The Tropics, I’d say this photo of Vine Street in Hollywood north of Sunset Blvd was taken in the late 1930s. This Tropics was known as the Hollywood Tropics as it was also owned by “Sugie” Sugarman, whose original Tropics was one of the first Polynesian places. (Later on, it became The Luau.) In a 1941 Los Angeles Guide, the Hollywood Tropics is described as “So atmospheric you feel the rainy season coming on.”
Gilmore Drive-In with Gilmore Field lit up in the distance, Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, 1949
What a terrifically atmospheric photo this is of the Gilmore Drive-In filled with cars (and I assume a liberal sprinkling of teenagers paying no attention to what’s on the screen.) In the background, we can see the Gilmore baseball field lit up. The drive-in and the stadium along with the Farmers Market and the Pan Pacific Auditorium were collectively known as Gilmore Island—a destination with something for everyone! This photo was taken in 1949 (a year after the drive-in opened), which makes me wonder what they were (or weren’t) watching.
Heading into Westwood Village, Los Angeles, circa mid 1940s
The drivers in these motorcars heading into the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles in circa mid-1940s never knew how good they had it. It looks so sedate and relaxing, it could almost be a mid-sized country town instead of being in the middle of a city on its way to a population of 2 million. With its post-war boom, the streets of LA wouldn’t look like this for much longer.
The almost-but-not-quite-but-close-enough view today:
Cahuenga Pass near the Hollywood Bowl, 1928
This shot of the Cahuenga Pass near the Hollywood Bowl was taken in 1928. These days, unless you’re driving down there first thing in the morning, that area can be a bit of a nightmare, traffic-wise. But if the traffic still looked like this, I’d probably go down there more often. The billboard in the background is for Outpost Estates, which was/is a development in the Hollywood Hills between Mulholland Dr and Franklin Ave and had a sign not unlike the Hollywoodland sign. At the time, it was the largest neon sign in the US.
This is most likely that billboard:
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Tagged Cahuenga Pass, Hollywood, Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood Hills
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Color shot of the NBC / KNBH Studios at the corner of Sunset Blvd and Vine St, Hollywood, circa early 1950s
As much of fan as I am of vintage sepia shots, there’s something about color photographs like this to really bring to an era to life. We’re looking at the corner of Sunset Blvd and Vine St in Hollywood. I’d say this was taken in the very late 1940s because the NBC studios as the KNBH television sign out front. KNBH commenced broadcasting on January 16, 1949. The first live show was a local variety program called “On With The Show” hosted by Peggy Lee. For an account of that night with wonderful pics, see the Eyes of A Generation blog: http://bit.ly/2thRBNh
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Tagged Color photo, Hollywood, NBC Radio / Television, Sunset Blvd, Television
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Mad Tea Party ride at Disneyland during its first year, 1955
Click on the photo for a more detailed view (and then click again for a really detailed view!)
The Mad Tea Party ride is one only 8 or so of Disneyland’s original opening day attractions in 1955 that and are still running today. Whenever I see it, I’m reminded of the glimpse we saw during the opening of The Wonderful World of Disney. This photo was taken during that first year and we can see how spaced-out everything was back then. Behind it is the Mickey Mouse Club Theater, which would have been popular—1955 is the year that The Mickey Mouse Club TV show premiered.
Night shot of the Earl Carroll Theatre, 6230 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, 1939
This gleaming gorgeous tribute to glory of neon is the Earl Carroll Theatre at 6230 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood in 1939, not long after it opened (December 28, 1938) as “the largest legitimate theater in the world.” Night after night it attracted all the famous names and faces and during the war years it had special priced shows to accommodate the war-effort swingshifters. I would have gone just for all that neon lighting!
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Tagged Night photo, Nightclubs, Restaurants, Sunset Blvd, Theaters
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