Let’s file this circa 1933 shot under “They Sure Don’t Make Gas Stations Like They Used To.” This was a Richfield Oil Station that used to stand at 1215 Westwood Blvd in the Westwood area of Los Angeles (near UCLA.) I love the clean lines and those triangular decorations. But I especially love that soaring tower. Yes, it made sure that everybody could see there was a Richfield gas station in the area, but it also added verticality to an otherwise fairly horizontal cityscape, so they get extra points in my book. (No “now” photo today because Google Maps made it hard to pinpoint where the Richfield station was.)
Richfield Oil gas station, 1215 Westwood Blvd, Westwood, Los Angeles, circa 1933
Girls crowd onto a Life Guard vehicle at the top of the California Incline, Santa Monica, 1934
I don’t know what these five girls were doing sitting on a Ford truck at the top of the California Incline overlooking Santa Monica beach, but if you put a bunch of pretty girls on a vehicle, they’re bound to be promoting something. The truck is marked “Life Guard” so maybe it was a promo for them? Or maybe the Incline had been closed for repairs and it was the city’s way of saying “The Incline is open for business again!”? I really couldn’t find out the reason for them being there. But my friend at the Petersen Automotive Museum said that it’s a 1932 truck with a “1934” on the license plate and that the “E” inside the square meant it was city-owned vehicle. (The “E” meant it was therefore exempt from taxes.)
I thought the auto-colorizer did a pretty good job bringing this scene to life.
These days, the California Incline sees a lot more traffic and now has a bicycle lane. This image is from July 2022.
Looking up Vine St from north of Hollywood Blvd toward the newly completed Capitol Records Building, Hollywood, 1956
These days, the ironically circular Capitol Records Building at 1750 N. Vine St, north of Hollywood Blvd is a Los Angeles landmark. But when this photo was taken, it was a new and unusual addition to the skyline. The building was completed in April of 1956, and this photo was taken shortly after that. At this time, the big draw was the Du-Par’s restaurant, although I’m sure the neighboring Pacific Finance company also saw its fair share of foot traffic.
This is roughly the same view in June 2022. That row of businesses is south of the auto park have all gone. The whole area is now a gigantic parking lot, which is handy when you’ve got tickets to the nearby Pantages Theatre.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Capitol Records building, Hollywood, Hollywood and Vine, Restaurants, Stores and Shopping
1 Comment
Oscar’s Drive-In restaurant, 4751 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego, California, July 18, 1947
I don’t normally post photo as far south from Los Angeles as San Diego, but this place was so cute, and so of-its-era that I had to. This is Oscar’s Drive-In restaurant which stood at 4751 El Cajon Blvd, and was photographed on July 18, 1947. I love the cute circus theme with the parade of elephants along the top and roof painted to look like a big top. If you’re wondering what you’d order if you went there, you can check out their menu.
Rick E. said: “Oscars Drive In’s were the early predecessor of Jack In The Box. As Drive In Burger joints were phased out, the Jack In The Boxes took over. It was all the same company, and later became Foodmaker Inc. That’s why Jack In The Boxes had clowns…. a carryover from Oscars.”
Not surprising, Oscar’s is long gone. A Jack in the Box burger joint now occupies 4751 El Cajon Blvd. This is how it looked in January 2023.
Searchlights illuminate the night sky over Grauman’s Chinese Theatre for the premiere of “Giant”, Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, October 17, 1956
This is a photo I took of a photo I saw during a recent visit to the Academy Museum. It was taken during the premiere of “Giant” that took place at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on October 17, 1956. I love the dramatic way those searchlights were lined up behind the bleachers where movie fans had gathered to see the parade of stars attending the big event ahead of an impressive 10-week run. And what a parade of stars it was. Go to GraumansChinese.org and scroll down to October and check the loooong list of Hollywood A-listers who were there that night.
Torr L said: “Giant was a huge box-office success. The film earned $35 million in ticket sales during its original studio release in 1956, a record for a Warner Brothers film until that time. This record was not surpassed until the Warner film Superman in the late 1970s.”
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Grauman's Chinese Theater, Hollywood, Hollywood Blvd, Movie Premiere, Theaters, Warner Bros.
3 Comments
Screenshot of a video showing the demolition of the Hollywood Hotel at the corner of Hollywood Blvd and Highland Ave, Hollywood, August 1956
Here is a screenshot I took while watching a YouTube posted by Vidstorical Films called “H.J. Whitley – The Father of Hollywood.” It caught my eye because the shot wasn’t just standard footage of the Hollywood Hotel, but it was taken while the venerable (but run-down) hotel was under demolition. That places it in the summer of 1956 when it fell to the wrecking ball to make way for the $10 million, twelve-story First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Hollywood building.
If you want to see the video, you can watch it here
The Savings & Loan building was in turn replaced by the Hollywood and Highland shopping mall. This is how that same corner looked in May 2022.
Sioux Indians who appeared in “The Iron Horse” pose for publicity shots with a locomotive in the forecourt of the Egyptian Theater, Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, 1925
Real-life Native Americans aren’t what you expect to see when encountering publicity for a new Hollywood movie. However, it was a whole different story back when this photo was taken in 1925. These Sioux Indians appeared in “The Iron Horse” directed by John Ford, one of five movies he directed that year. It was about the post-Civil War building of the transcontinental railway, hence the name. I assume that’s the locomotive used in the movie because this photo was taken in the (long) forecourt of Sid Grauman’s Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Blvd. (I found this photo on the Los Angeles Theatres blog, which says the photo appears in a new book called “Hollywood’s Trains and Trolleys” which sounds like a must-have.”)
Advertisement for “The Iron Horse” playing at Grauman’s Egyptian Theater 6712 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, 1925
180 boys from the YMCA on their way to the 1924 opening of “The Iron Horse” at Grauman’s Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. (AFI lists the New York opening as 28 August 1924, and its general release date as 4 October 1925)
Looking north up Vine St past Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, circa early 1950s
Most photos I find are looking north up Vine St in Hollywood are taken standing at Sunset Blvd, so it’s nice to see this circa early 1950s one taken little farther south down the block. Not only can we see Wallichs music store, but also a place rarely photographed because photographers usually have their back to it: on the southwest corner of Sunset Blvd and Vine St stood the Radio City Pharmacy and Fountain Grill. It took on that name because opposite on the northeast corner were the NBC radio studios aka “Radio City.”
This is roughly the same view in May 2022.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged NBC Radio / Television, Radio, Restaurants, Sunset Blvd, Television
7 Comments
Movie fans gather on bleachers in front of the Pig’N Whistle Café next to the Egyptian Theatre for the premiere of MGM’s “Cass Timberlane,” Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, January 1948
Most photos of Hollywood premieres focus on the entrance, the stars, and the lights, which is understandable. But I love this photo because it highlights those movie fans who would sit in bleachers set up by the studios so they could watch Hollywood luminaries arrive. They’re outside the Pig’N Whistle Café which was next to the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. They’ve gathered for the premiere of MGM’s “Cass Timberlane” which starred Lana Turner and Spencer Tracy. It was January 1948, which explains why that woman in the front is wearing a fur coat. I wonder if afterwards, she went across the street to Pickwick Books (whose electric sign we can see in the background) to buy a copy of the Sinclair Lewis novel the movie was based on.
This image is from August 2022 and shows us that the Pig’N Whistle is now Mr. Tempo, and the Egyptian is currently under renovation and is due to reopen next month, November 2024.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood, Hollywood Blvd, MGM, Movie Premiere, Night photo, Stores and Shopping, Theaters
7 Comments
Aerial photo of the Santa Monica pier, Santa Monica Beach, Los Angeles, 1924
Here we have an aerial photo of the Santa Monica pier from 1924. We can see the Looff Hippodrome. Built in 1916, it’s that square building with the tower. It houses the Looff’s carousel and is still there. Meanwhile, the Deauville Beach Club at the base of the pier hadn’t yet opened. Construction started in October 1926, but in this photo it’s still a regular bath house. From this bird’s-eye view, we can see how empty the land around Santa Monica was back then. My guess is that most of those large buildings were hotels for Angelenos to stay in when they made the trek all the way from downtown for some seaside holiday-making.
This is a satellite image of the pier from May 2022.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Aerial photographs, Beaches, Santa Monica, Santa Monica pier
7 Comments