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Motion Pictures Cruising Los Angeles in 1961...

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Jive-Bomber, Feb 4, 2021.

  1. Jive-Bomber
    Joined: Aug 21, 2001
    Posts: 3,753

    Jive-Bomber
    MODERATOR

    Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post:

    Cruising Los Angeles in 1961...

    [​IMG]

    Continue reading the Original Blog Post
     
  2. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    Neat film! I'd like to see the original...in the right aspect ratio, etc.
     
  3. 2935ford
    Joined: Jan 6, 2006
    Posts: 3,843

    2935ford
    Member

    I had just arrived in SoCal with my family in '61.
     

  4. Rolleiflex
    Joined: Oct 25, 2007
    Posts: 1,243

    Rolleiflex
    Member

    I think it's interesting to see the variety of makes like the BMW Isetta 600 and the Morris Minor wagon.

    I'm with you on the '61 Pontiac wagon, that'd probably be the one I'd want.
     
    ric likes this.
  5. fleetside66
    Joined: Nov 20, 2006
    Posts: 3,003

    fleetside66
    Member

    Did you notice how closely the cars were parked to each other? There must have been a lot of deft parallel parkers with big biceps, that all I can say....& a lot of dented bumpers.
     
    Fabulous50's and kidcampbell71 like this.
  6. BrerHair
    Joined: Jan 30, 2007
    Posts: 5,005

    BrerHair
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Fantastic. 1950 Buick parked on curb, I’m a sucker for that front grille.
     
  7. VF-1
    Joined: Jan 21, 2021
    Posts: 115

    VF-1
    Member

    Good stuff, thanks for sharing!
     
  8. ....thinking the same thing.
     
  9. okiedokie
    Joined: Jul 5, 2005
    Posts: 4,778

    okiedokie
    Member
    from Ok

    In 61, after spending a couple of months in Oregon with a great Aunt and Uncle, I spent three weeks in LA with a cousin. I was a fresh 16 and wide eyed. After 16 years in Okie land LA was a big change. Even though traffic looks thin in the video I remember my cousins family, when deciding to go somewhere, talking of driving time and not distances like was done in OK. Traffic determined more than distance. I also got to see Barris shop, Hot Rod magazine office, drags at Pamona, and a new 61 Corvette setting on the street on blocks with wheels/tires gone. This was in downtown LA across from the apartment building my cousin inhabited. I also saw my very first, not in a mag, 32 roadster. Full fendered in primer cruising down the street sounding mean. I was already hooked on hot rods and man did that excite me.
     
  10. You got that right. My mother (all 5ft of her) could parallel park her 4sp Mercury Marauder in a space most people couldn't get their midsize SUVs in now days. I can remember when your drivers test required you to do it in the 'real world'. Usually someplace downtown with people around too. Touch a bumper and the tester would shake his head and reach for the 'fail' stamp.
     
    lothiandon1940, nosford and egads like this.
  11. egads
    Joined: Aug 23, 2011
    Posts: 1,419

    egads
    Member

    I'll take the Dodge single screw tractor, thank you. Let me know when it's ready for delivery !!:) Love those old street movies.
     
    49ratfink likes this.
  12. flatford8
    Joined: Dec 12, 2012
    Posts: 156

    flatford8
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Lyman,ME.

    Thanks!...great video!! ......I’d take any of the cars except that bug-eyed thing about 40 seconds in. Hell, I’d take one of the busses and make a motorhome...... Mark
     
  13. denis4x4
    Joined: Apr 23, 2005
    Posts: 4,198

    denis4x4
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Colorado

    What impressed me were the number of transit buses.
     
  14. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,828

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    :( video would not play for me.

    Capture.JPG
     
  15. Black Panther
    Joined: Jan 6, 2010
    Posts: 2,133

    Black Panther
    Member
    from SoCal

    Neat video....I found it oddly relaxing. Must have triggered old memories of riding in my parents '64 Chevy wagon..looking around while playing in the back cargo area...was probably about 5 years old at the time.
     
  16. Hotdoggin DaddyO
    Joined: Jul 23, 2011
    Posts: 696

    Hotdoggin DaddyO
    Member
    from Hays, Ks

    Love the film. I would take any one of '60 Chevy's.
     
  17. Marty Strode
    Joined: Apr 28, 2011
    Posts: 8,796

    Marty Strode
    Member

    I think I saw Perry Mason's Cad Convert, near the end.
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  18. toml24
    Joined: Sep 23, 2009
    Posts: 1,620

    toml24
    Member

    I had a similar experience by finding some 8mm color movies courtesy of "Steady Eddie" Gray, a jalopy driver at Western Speedway in Gardena California. Eddie filmed everything about 1960, and one day filmed his arrival at the race track. He was driving down Western Avenue at 139th Street, and turning into the track. We could see all the buildings in Gardena, and everything outside of the track. It was a priceless capture of a moment in time. It was 3 1/2 minutes of incredible history of Southern California, and all it showed was buildings and cars. All I could say when I first saw the 8mm film was "WOW, wow, wow!"
     
  19. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,670

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member

    @ 4:19, I'd take either of the 59 Olds hardtops, especially the Neopolitan tri-tone one in the parking lot.
     
  20. Corvette at 3.30ish
    Great vid!
    I wanna go back!
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  21. echo ed
    Joined: Nov 30, 2013
    Posts: 170

    echo ed
    Member
    from fla.

    Thanks for posting the film, it's great to go back and visit .
     
  22. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,289

    jnaki





    Hello,

    It is nice that someone has taken on the task to preserve these old films of those days gone by in our area. The roads are still there, but over time the surrounding area buildings have changed. The busy separate districts along the streets now have specific names, the jewelry district, the clothing district, etc.

    Most of it takes place on Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles. It is in the business district of the area and a short distance from the famed City Hall. The look of the 60 frames per second and being remastered are nice, as they are very clear. But, the color is a little washed out or changed from the original. Is there an original film so we could see the differences?

    If this film was taken professionally, it was obvious that is was not an 8mm film. It is too clear and wide. But, the original color would have been nice if the process of 60 fps and digitizing the film stayed the same as during the shoot. It is relatively shake free, so the camera was probably mounted somehow.

    In looking back at the buildings, the old Bullock’s building, the funky theater marquees were pretty reminiscent of those days. My dad used to go to that Bullock’s Store to buy stuff for my mom. But, when he realized he could drive a short distance away to the premier Bullock’s Wilshire Store, that is where my mom liked to shop. The old Hill St. Bullock’s store building is now a St. Vincent Jewelry Center.
    upload_2021-2-10_4-53-1.png

    Jnaki


    When we were little, our mom used to take us for a walk and go shopping in downtown Los Angeles. We would ride the Pacific Electric car/train compartment from downtown Long Beach to the transportation center in L.A. not far from Hill Street and the Broadway area. My brother and I saw tall buildings in downtown Long Beach, but compared to downtown Los Angeles, it was pretty daunting trying to look up at the peak of some of those tall buildings. It was like walking down a canyon of buildings.
    upload_2021-2-10_4-53-48.png

    Many years later, my wife and I liked cruising around in downtown LA just because in OC at the time, there were no tall buildings and dense population wandering around the downtown area. The traffic back then was not bad at all for a day’s outing or just passing through. Most major streets go West to East and allow someone to start in Santa Monica beaches and end up in the freeway in East Los Angeles.
     
  23. Fabulous50's
    Joined: Nov 18, 2017
    Posts: 513

    Fabulous50's
    Member
    from Maine

    I guess I'm not the only one to notice the Isetta as well.

    Old footage like this is fantastic, love identifying make, model, and year of as many vehicles as I can.

    Really like the GM "fishbowl" busses too, my dream is to build a Kustom RV out of one someday.
     
  24. 1961, I was 13 and had been bit by the bug for a few years by then. I grew up a few miles east of L.A., takes me back to a better place in time. Thanks...
     

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