Motion Pictures The streets of L.A., circa 1936

Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post:

The streets of L.A., circa 1936

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Thanks for taking us along for a ride ...

 

Looks like a real free-for-all.

 

Cool video. Wonder if he had anyone yelling at him for driving down the middle of the road and making everyone pass him in oncoming traffic.

 

must have been in a T, everyone is passing him.

 

Does anyone know what street that is? It's always fun to play the Google Street View-game with old photos and films.

 

At the 36 second mark, that looks like the Bendix tower built in '29 I think. If it is it is on Maple Ave....

 

At the 1:56 mark, that round building to the right is on 9th and Maple.....

 

It's Wilshire Blvd. Google is your friend.

Creswell Drug Store, 8801 Wilshire Blvd at Robertson Blvd, Beverly Hills

 

Yea, you're right.......

 

I thought it was this....

 

Hello,

My dad used to take us for rides to Los Angeles a lot. He went to college in LA from 1934-37 and knew the streets well. The road in the movie was in 1936? So, we were not around then, but my dad was in San Pedro at the time with lots of friends in Los Angeles. It also included his college friends, graduating in 1937. So, his recollection was passed on to my brother and I as we drove all over the downtown area, the Wilshire District (my mom’s favorite area) and all the way out to Santa Monica. My dad loved driving and it probably is the reason I like driving all over, too.

My mom used to take us to LA on the red car trolley from Long Beach to LA and we used to see the Richfield Building and famous tall tower. In the movie, from :32 to 1:42, there is a tall tower in the background. The scene, I believe, was taken on South Flower Street, near the current Staples Center. That area was not like it is today, (scary) but more of what you see in the old movie.

Jnaki

Once the movie action continues, there is a curve in the road. Flower Street curves in the Western end of the street and merges into Hope Street. (Currently, the curved street goes right by the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

The key is that tower that Mike sees in the far left at the beginning. That tower is/was not on Wilshire. It was on South Flower St. The Richfield Tower and Building stood out in all of the LA skyline back then, up until 1968-69 when it was demolished.


SLOW TRAFFIC KEEP TO THE RIGHT AT :53, 1:43, 1:49

The odd thing is it is a two way street. The street markings are a mystery.