Water and Power Associates Informing the Public about Critical Water and Energy Issues facing Los Angeles and California

Historical Notes

Between 1933 and 1949 the Grauman's Chinese Theatre was in a "Golden Age," where the movies were the number-one entertainment in America, resulting in the studios who made them becoming very profitable. Grauman's Chinese, the glamourous flagship venue of the Fox West Coast Theatres chain (itself owned by 20th Century-Fox and the Skouras Brothers) and under the continuing management of Sid Grauman, played host to a large number of Fox films, rotating with product from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and the occasional offering from United Artists. Theatres during this time tended to play pictures from the studio who owned them (or had strong business ties to).

All remained well until, after World War II, film attendance dropped off, then another blow: television. However, in the long run Hollywood found ways of making motion picture entertainment more attractive.  People would once again return to the box office and pay admissions to see motion pictures instead of remaining home before their television sets.

Historical Notes

Originally handed out at a formal banquet at either the Ambassador Hotel in the Cocoanut Grove or Fiesta Room, or at the Biltmore Hotel downtown, in the Sala D'Oro or Biltmore Bowl, the enormity of interest in the Oscars outgrew the formal banquet idea.

When it came time to hold the ceremony in a regular theatre environment, Grauman's Chinese was the obvious choice. Widely considered Hollywood's "town hall," for the first ceremony held there on Thursday, March 2, 1944, the theatre was donated for the event by Charles Skouras, president of National Theatres, whose Fox West Coast Theatres division operated the Chinese, with Sid Grauman as the theatre's Managing Director.

Historical Notes

This was the year that “Lost Weekend” won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Best Screenplay. If these people were hoping to see Joan Crawford, they were disappointed. She was so freaked out at the thought of losing that she pretended to be ill—and then won the Oscar for “Mildred Pierce.”

Historical Notes

National Theatres continued to make the Chinese Theatre available to the Academy for their Awards of Merit program at no cost, in 1944, 1945 and 1946.  In short time the ceremony had outgrown even Sid's Hollywood masterwork, so it moved to the 6,000 plus-seat Shrine Auditorium near downtown for 1947 and 1948.

Historical Notes

The Hollywood Walk of Fame comprises more than 2,500 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street.

Locations of individual stars are not necessarily random or arbitrary. Stars of most legendary and world-famous celebrities—the so-called "show business royalty"—are found in front of TCL (formerly Grauman's) Chinese Theatre. Oscar winners' stars are usually placed near the Dolby Theatre, site of the annual Academy Awards presentations. Location decisions are made by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.*

Historical Notes

Marilyn Monroe was a resident at the Hollywood Roosevelt for two years when her modeling career took off. Her first magazine shoot was taken in the Roosevelt.

Clark Gable and Carole Lombard paid five dollars a night for their penthouse; it is now named the Gable & Lombard Penthouse. There is also a Marilyn Monroe Suite at the hotel.

Historical Notes

From 1938 to 2007, Columbia Square was home of CBS's L.A./west coast radio/tv operations. It was also home to radio stations KNX 1070 and KCBS 83FM.

The historic site is currently under redevelopment.

Historical Notes

Vista Theatre opened on October 16, 1923, as a single-screen theater. In addition to screening films, the theater also showed vaudeville acts on stage. Originally known as Lou Bard Playhouse on opening day in 1923, the cinema played the film Tips with Baby Peggy.

It is one of the remaining historic structures from the 1920s, when Hollywood was first built up and began attracting residents to its new suburban homes from areas near downtown Los Angeles and East Los Angeles, at the time middle and wealthy class sections of Los Angeles.

Historical Notes

Standing at the "five corners" intersection of Hollywood Blvd, Sunset Blvd, Sunset Drive, Virgil Ave and Hillhurst Ave, the Vista is listed as being in Los Feliz, but some locals will tell you "even the Los Feliz Theatre isn't in Los Feliz!"  They say its East Hollywood, and in fact, old pictures of the theatre show the words "VISTA, EAST HOLLYWOOD" in neon on the rooftop sign and on the marquee. 

In a manner reminiscent of Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the theater's forecourt features cement handprints and footprints of notable film figures. However, the handprints and footprints at the Vista Theatre tend to include more icons of independent and cult films such as Spike Jonze, John C. Reilly and Martin Landau, among many others.

Historical Notes

September 26, 1954 was the last day for streetcar service on Hollywood Boulevard.

Historical Notes

In the 1950s, the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue underwent significant transformation, marking the end of an era with the demolition of the historic Hollywood Hotel (out of view) in August 1956. This iconic establishment, which had been a landmark since its opening in 1902, had fallen into decline by the mid-20th century. Following its demolition, construction began on the First Federal Savings & Loan Building, a modern high-rise that was dedicated in February 1959, becoming a focal point of the intersection. Additionally, the area was redeveloped into a parking lot with small retail buildings, reflecting the changing urban landscape and increasing automobile access. The late 1950s also saw the introduction of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with a sample section unveiled at the intersection in September 1958, aimed at revitalizing Hollywood. Amidst this transformation, Grauman's Chinese Theatre continued to be a major attraction, ensuring that Hollywood and Highland remained a bustling hub of cultural and commercial activity throughout the decade.

Historical Notes

Coffee Dan's, located at 6768 Hollywood Boulevard near the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, opened in the 1940s and became a lively gathering spot for locals and tourists. Part of the Coffee Dan's chain known for its 24-hour service and "bottomless" coffee, the restaurant featured a retro aesthetic and a diner-style menu, attracting Hollywood personalities and moviegoers due to its prime location near the Hollywood Walk of Fame. However, it closed its doors in the late 1970s, marking the end of an era for this iconic establishment.

In the early 1950s, the Pacific Electric Railway's Red Car system was a vital transportation link in Los Angeles, particularly along Cahuenga Boulevard and Highland Avenue. The Van Nuys Line ran north on Highland, connecting Hollywood to the San Fernando Valley and passing notable landmarks such as the Bank of America Building and Coffee Dan's. However, this era came to an end on September 26, 1954, when streetcar service was discontinued, reflecting a broader trend of declining streetcar systems in favor of automobile culture. 

Historical Notes

The First National Bank Building, located at the northeast corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, is a landmark thirteen-story structure built in 1927 and opened in 1928. Designed by the renowned architectural firm Meyer & Holler—who also created the nearby Egyptian and Chinese Theatres—the building combines Art Deco and neo-Gothic styles, featuring a striking tower, elaborate decorative elements, and four-foot-high gargoyles that evoke the sense of fantasy characteristic of Hollywood at the time. Upon completion, it was the tallest building in Los Angeles until City Hall opened later that year, symbolizing Hollywood’s economic optimism and burgeoning business district. Originally serving as both a bank and office building, it quickly became a hub for financial, legal, medical, and entertainment industry professionals, with over 80% occupancy by the summer of 1929. The building has also been a notable filming location, famously appearing in the 1950s Superman television series. Despite its prime location and architectural significance, the building has been vacant since 2008, though it remains a celebrated and enduring fixture of Hollywood’s historic landscape.

Historical Notes

Today, Bank of America is a Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Coffee Dan’s is a McDonalds, the Hollywood Theater is the Guinness World Records Museum, and the Hotel Drake is a Scientology center. Click HERE for contemporary vi

Historical Notes

The intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue has transformed significantly since the 1950s, with the First National Bank Building—a 1928 Art Deco and neo-Gothic landmark—remaining a key fixture. In the 1950s, the area was a bustling commercial and entertainment hub with the bank building fully occupied and surrounded by historic venues like the Hollywood Hotel. Today, the intersection is a major tourist destination dominated by the Hollywood & Highland Center and the Dolby Theatre, with heavy pedestrian traffic and modern commercial development. While the First National Bank Building is now vacant, it stands as a historic reminder of Hollywood’s evolving identity from a local business center to a global entertainment landmark.

Historical Notes

Ripley's Believe It or Not! is located at 6780 Hollywood Boulevard, on the southeast corner of Hollywood and Highland. Opened in 1995, this expansive museum showcases a variety of bizarre and unusual exhibits, including rare artifacts and interactive displays, making it a family-friendly attraction. As one of the largest Odditoriums in the world, it continues the legacy of Robert Ripley's original cartoon series that began in 1918. With its engaging offerings and easy accessibility, Ripley's has become a popular stop for tourists exploring the iconic Hollywood area.

Historical Notes

Alan Hess, the author of Googie: Fifties Coffeeshop Architecture, traces Googie Architecture back to three Coffee Dan's restaurants designed by John Lautner in the early forties.

"He selected the vaults and glass walls and trusses and angles of his buildings to fit the original, often unusual, concepts of space he favored," writes Hess.

Historical Notes

There were two Coffee Dan’s locations on Hollywood Boulevard over the years. The first, opened in the 1940s near Highland Avenue and became a lively gathering spot for locals and tourists. Part of the Coffee Dan's chain known for its 24-hour service and "bottomless" coffee, the restaurant featured a retro aesthetic and a diner-style menu, attracting Hollywood personalities and moviegoers due to its prime location near the Hollywood Walk of Fame. However, it closed its doors in the late 1970s, marking the end of an era for this iconic establishment.

The second Coffee Dan’s (seen above) opened later on the 6400 block of Hollywood Boulevard, just two doors down from the Warner Cinerama Theatre (originally known as the Warner Bros. Hollywood Theatre), which housed KFWB Radio Station.

Coffee Dan’s grew from a single restaurant in Los Angeles in the 1920s into a popular chain, particularly across California. By the peak of its expansion, it had around 30 locations across the U.S., primarily in California and a few other states. The chain was known for its casual 24-hour service, drawing in patrons with its late hours and lively atmosphere.

Red Cars of Hollywood

For nearly half a century, the Red Cars of the Pacific Electric Railway were woven into the daily life of Hollywood. At the intersection of Highland Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard, passengers could board an electric streetcar heading downtown through the Hollywood Subway, or ride north through Cahuenga Pass all the way to the San Fernando Valley. The cars were a familiar sight on Highland Avenue from the early years of the twentieth century, rolling past the Hollywood Hotel and the budding commercial district that would grow into one of the most recognized corners in the world.

The Van Nuys Line was the last of the San Fernando Valley routes still operating via Highland Avenue in the early 1950s. By then the Pacific Electric was already in steep decline, facing competition from automobiles and buses on a growing freeway network. The line's final day came on December 28, 1952, when the last regular car departed the Subway Terminal in the early hours of the morning. A ceremonial excursion run followed the next day before power to the line was cut at three in the afternoon. The Red Cars that had connected Hollywood to the Valley for more than four decades were gone.

What remained along Hollywood Boulevard a little longer were the so-called Hollywood Cars, the 600-class streetcars that ran west toward Beverly Hills and east toward downtown. Those continued under Pacific Electric and then under the Metropolitan Coach Lines, which took over all PE passenger operations on October 1, 1953. The Hollywood Boulevard line survived until September 26, 1954, when motor coaches replaced the last streetcars. The photos and maps in this section document the final years of Red Car service in Hollywood, along with the right-of-way the cars traveled and the junction at Gardner Street where lines diverged on their way toward Fairfax and Santa Monica.

Highland Avenue and the Van Nuys Line

For anyone standing at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in the early 1950s, the sight of a Red Car rolling south from the hills was still an everyday part of life. The Van Nuys Line had been running north on Highland since 1908, climbing through Cahuenga Pass on its own private right-of-way before descending into the San Fernando Valley and eventually reaching Van Nuys, more than eighteen miles from downtown Los Angeles. Unlike many Pacific Electric lines that saw ridership fall after World War II, the Van Nuys Line actually grew busier in its final years, carried along by the valley's rapid postwar population growth. By 1950 one-man operation had replaced the two-man crews that had staffed the cars for decades. It was a lean, efficient line right up to the end, which came on December 28, 1952.

Historical Notes

The Pacific Electric Railway's Van Nuys Line used Highland Avenue as its main corridor between Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley for more than four decades. Running north from the Hollywood Subway terminal downtown, the cars turned up Highland, climbed through Cahuenga Pass, and eventually reached Van Nuys, more than eighteen miles away. On the return trip they rolled back south down Highland, passing the Hollywood Hotel, the Bank of America Building, and Coffee Dan's restaurant before reaching Hollywood Boulevard, giving riders a close-up view of the neighborhood at the height of its commercial life. By the early 1950s, ridership had actually increased on this line even as other PE routes were being cut, a sign of how many valley commuters still depended on the electric cars.

The end came quickly. The final regular car left the Subway Terminal at 1:20 in the morning on December 28, 1952. A ceremonial excursion run followed the next day before power to the line was officially cut off at three in the afternoon. Buses running over the new Hollywood Freeway replaced the streetcars almost immediately. The Hollywood Boulevard line, operated separately, continued under Pacific Electric and then the Metropolitan Coach Lines until September 26, 1954, when that service was also converted to motor coaches.

Historical Notes

Hollywood United Methodist Church traces its roots to 1909, when a small group of congregants began organizing on Prospect Street, the road that would later be renamed Hollywood Boulevard. They held early services in a rented space above the Owl Drug Store before the growing congregation moved to its current site at the corner of Franklin and Highland Avenues. Construction began in the early 1920s, starting with the recreational wing, and the main sanctuary was completed and opened on March 16, 1930. Designed by architect Thomas P. Barber in the English Gothic Revival style, the building was designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 248 in 1981.

The church has long been active on social issues, becoming one of the first congregations in the region to respond publicly to the AIDS crisis. On World AIDS Day in 1993, members fashioned two large red ribbons and attached them to the church tower, a practice that has continued ever since with permanent ribbons mounted in 1996. The building is also widely known as a filming location, with scenes from Sister Act, Back to the Future, Jarhead, and other productions shot on its grounds. The church remains an active congregation today, serving several hundred worshippers each Sunday.

These two views, taken about 70 years apart, capture how completely Highland Avenue between Hollywood Boulevard and Franklin Avenue was transformed in the second half of the twentieth century. In 1952 the street was lined with low commercial buildings, the Hollywood Hotel occupied the northwest corner of Hollywood and Highland, and a Pacific Electric Red Car ran down the center of the roadway. The church was already 22 years old and well established as the most prominent architectural feature on the corridor.

By 2022 the hotel was long gone, replaced first by the First Federal Savings and Loan Building and then by Ovation Hollywood, the retail and entertainment complex that opened in 2001. Palm trees now line the sidewalk where storefronts once stood, and a Metro B Line station sits underground at the Hollywood and Highland intersection. The church, its tower still rising above everything around it, remains the one element that connects the two images across the decades.

Historical Notes

The Pickwick Book Store was opened in 1938 by Louis Epstein, a Russian immigrant who had a gift for creating the kind of store where people wanted to linger. He named it after the Charles Dickens novel The Pickwick Papers, and the shop quickly drew a loyal following that included Hollywood studio workers, actors, and serious book collectors. Its location on Hollywood Boulevard put it at the center of the neighborhood's commercial life, and it became one of the better-known independent bookstores in Los Angeles during the postwar years.

This photo was taken near the very end of Red Car service on Hollywood Boulevard. The Metropolitan Coach Lines, which had taken over Pacific Electric's passenger operations in October 1953, ran the boulevard streetcars until September 26, 1954, when motor buses replaced them for good. The overhead wires visible in earlier photographs of the boulevard came down not long after, and the tracks were eventually paved over as the street adapted to a future built around the automobile.

Historical Notes

Viva Zapata! was released by 20th Century Fox in 1952 and directed by Elia Kazan, who had just come off the success of A Streetcar Named Desire. The screenplay was written by John Steinbeck, who drew on Edgcumb Pinchon's biography Zapata the Unconquerable as his primary source. Marlon Brando played the Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, tracing his life from a peasant upbringing through his rise to power in the early years of the twentieth century and on to his death. Jean Peters appeared alongside Brando, and Anthony Quinn won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Zapata's brother.

The three soldiers in this photo are boarding a car that still had about two more years of service ahead of it on Hollywood Boulevard. The 5100-series cars had been the workhorses of the Van Nuys Line through Cahuenga Pass. By 1952 many had been reassigned as the valley service was being wound down, and they continued carrying riders along Hollywood Boulevard until the line was sold to the Metropolitan Coach Lines and eventually converted to bus service in September 1954.

The Back Yard Right-of-Way

Not all of the Pacific Electric's track in Hollywood ran along public streets. Between La Brea Avenue and Fairfax Avenue, the Hollywood Line used a private right-of-way that cut diagonally across the street grid in a southwesterly direction, allowing the cars to travel between Hollywood Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard without mixing with automobile traffic. This stretch was known informally as the back yard right-of-way, and for good reason: it passed behind homes and apartment buildings, threading through the neighborhood in a path that had nothing to do with the surrounding streets. It was efficient while it lasted, but once the cars stopped running in September 1954, the land sat idle. Over the following six decades it was sold off piece by piece and absorbed into apartment development, the last segment going in 2012.

Historical Notes

The Pacific Electric Hollywood Boulevard line had a routing quirk that puzzled anyone who watched a streetcar apparently turn off the boulevard at La Brea Avenue. Rather than following the street grid, the cars ducked into a private right-of-way that cut diagonally across several blocks in a southwesterly direction. This allowed them to travel from Hollywood and La Brea all the way to Fairfax Avenue without running along any public street, emerging onto Santa Monica Boulevard before turning west toward the beach communities.

Private rights-of-way were a common feature of Pacific Electric's design philosophy across the Los Angeles basin. Running on dedicated track away from automobile traffic let the cars move faster and more reliably than they could in mixed traffic. The diagonal stretch between La Brea and Fairfax passed near Gardner Street Elementary School, a landmark that gives its name to the junction described in the section below. The map that follows shows the routing in detail.

Historical Notes

From La Brea Avenue the tracks ran southwest on private right-of-way, crossing Sunset Boulevard at the point known as Gardner Junction, named for the nearby intersection with Gardner Street. At that junction the Laurel Canyon line had once branched off to the west, but by the early 1950s the only remaining service used this stretch to move between Hollywood Boulevard and the Santa Monica line. After crossing Sunset, the tracks continued toward Fairfax Avenue, where the cars curved westbound onto Santa Monica Boulevard to continue their journey toward the coast.

Over the decades after the streetcars stopped running, this stretch of private right-of-way was sold off in pieces and gradually absorbed by apartment development. The last remaining segment, behind Gardner Street Elementary School, was finally developed in 2012, more than 58 years after the last car passed through. Today almost no trace of the route survives above ground, though the diagonal street pattern of the neighborhood still hints at where the tracks once ran.

Gardner Junction: Where the Lines Diverged

About halfway along the back yard right-of-way, where the tracks crossed Sunset Boulevard near Gardner Street, stood one of the more operationally interesting spots on the Pacific Electric's Western District. Gardner Junction was the point where the Laurel Canyon streetcar branch once split from the main Hollywood line, heading west along Sunset to the mouth of Laurel Canyon Boulevard. There, passengers could transfer to the Laurel Canyon trolley bus, a modest two-car operation that began service on September 2, 1910, and holds the distinction of being the first commercial trolley bus line in the United States. The trolley buses wore out by 1915 and were replaced by steam-powered vehicles, while the PE streetcar branch at Gardner Junction continued as a short-turn point for Hollywood Boulevard rush-hour service until the branch itself was abandoned on March 10, 1924. The junction remained a familiar landmark to car crews for another three decades after that, as the right-of-way continued to see daily use until the last day of Hollywood Line service in September 1954.

Historical Notes

Gardner Junction took its name from its location near the intersection of Gardner Street and Sunset Boulevard. It was a branch point on the Pacific Electric system where the Laurel Canyon streetcar line split from the main Hollywood and Beverly Hills route and headed west along Sunset on a single track to Laurel Canyon Boulevard. There it connected with the Laurel Canyon "Trackless Trolley, an electric bus service that began running on September 2, 1910, and is recognized as the first commercial trolley bus operation in the United States. The trolley buses were replaced by steam-powered vehicles around 1915, but the Pacific Electric streetcar branch at Gardner Junction continued as a short-turn point for rush-hour service until the branch itself was abandoned on March 10, 1924. A crossover visible at the lower left of this image had served those Laurel Canyon cars and remained in place, though unused, until it was removed around 1947.

Even after the branch line was gone, Gardner Junction continued to serve as a turnaround point for some Hollywood Boulevard rush-hour cars, which would reverse direction here rather than continuing all the way to Beverly Hills. A crossover on the southwest side of Sunset Boulevard was used for that purpose. The junction also marked where the diagonal private right-of-way from La Brea crossed Sunset before continuing southwest toward Fairfax, making it one of the more operationally complex spots on the Western District. Gardner Street Elementary School, visible at the top of this photograph, remains on the same site today.

Historical Notes

By 1953 Pacific Electric management was already trimming service as part of a steady drawdown. On June 1, 1953, two-car rush-hour trains on the Hollywood Boulevard and Beverly Hills line were replaced by single cars running every four minutes to Gardner Junction, with every other car continuing to Beverly Hills on a seven-minute headway. It was a holding pattern more than a long-term plan. On October 1, 1953, Pacific Electric sold all its passenger operations to the Metropolitan Coach Lines, which continued running the streetcars until September 26, 1954, when the last cars on the Hollywood and Beverly Hills line were replaced by buses.

The private right-of-way that the cars had used between La Brea and Fairfax did not disappear overnight. After the tracks were lifted, the land sat largely undisturbed for years, a narrow band of open space threading through back yards and alongside the school on Gardner Street. Over the following decades it was sold off in pieces and developed into apartment buildings. The last segment, running behind Gardner Street Elementary School between Vista Street and Sunset Boulevard, was finally sold and developed in 2012, fifty-eight years after the last car passed through.

Historical Notes

By the time this photograph was taken, the Pacific Electric tracks at Gardner Junction had been gone for nearly twenty years. The private right-of-way that once carried streetcars across Sunset Boulevard had been cleared and paved over, becoming the kind of surface parking lot that spread across Los Angeles in the postwar decades as the city reorganized itself around the automobile. The transformation was typical of what happened to former PE corridors throughout the region: land that had been reserved for rail use was quietly absorbed into the surrounding neighborhood, with little to mark where the cars had once run. The section of right-of-way visible here would continue to sit in various stages of vacancy and informal use until development pressure finally caught up with the last remaining segments in the early 2000s and again in 2012.

Historical Notes

This photograph was taken in 1948 by J.R. Eyerman for Life Magazine, six years before the last Pacific Electric car made its final run through the Gardner Junction area. At that point the Van Nuys Line was still operating through Cahuenga Pass and the Hollywood Boulevard line was carrying tens of thousands of riders a week, with no public indication that either service was about to end. Life Magazine covered Los Angeles frequently during the postwar years, drawn by the city's explosive growth and its transformation into a national symbol of modern suburban life. Eyerman's photograph captures the junction at a moment when the streetcar system still looked like a permanent part of the landscape rather than an institution in its final years.

Historical Notes

Pacific Electric acquired the Hollywood Boulevard line in 1911 as part of its expansion through the Western District, eventually building it into one of the busiest routes in the system. The line carried riders from downtown Los Angeles through the Hollywood Subway to the boulevard, then west toward Beverly Hills and eventually Santa Monica. At Fairfax Avenue, as shown in this photograph, the Hollywood line merged with the Santa Monica Boulevard line, giving passengers a connection to the beach communities without changing cars.

Pacific Electric sold its entire passenger operation to the Metropolitan Coach Lines on October 1, 1953. The new operator continued running the Hollywood Boulevard cars until September 26, 1954, when the line was finally converted to motor bus service. That date effectively marked the end of Red Car service in Hollywood, closing a chapter that had begun more than four decades earlier. The private right-of-way seen in this photograph was subsequently sold off and developed, leaving no visible trace of the tracks by the end of the twentieth century.

Historical Notes

This view captures the moment where the back yard right-of-way ended and the Hollywood Line rejoined the public street grid. At Fairfax Avenue the cars curved out of their private corridor and onto Santa Monica Boulevard, where they picked up passengers at the stop shared with the Santa Monica line before continuing west. The transition from private right-of-way to city street was one the motormen made dozens of times each day, and it marked the point where the quiet, uninterrupted run through the back yards of Hollywood gave way to the slower pace of mixed traffic.

Hollywood Panoramic

Hollywood and Vine (1950s)

Historical Notes

The intersection of Hollywood and Vine in the 1950s was a pivotal location in the heart of Hollywood's entertainment industry, though it was beginning to show signs of decline. It remained a central hub for radio, film, and music, with iconic landmarks like the Pantages Theatre and the newly constructed Capitol Records Building, which became a defining feature of the area. The intersection was also the focal point of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, established in 1958, further solidifying its cultural significance. These attractions continued to draw tourists and locals alike, maintaining the area's allure as a symbol of Hollywood's glamour.

Historical Notes

Pacific Electric Streetcars ran down the center of Hollywood Boulevard until 1954. Click HERE to see more.

Historical Notes

Despite its enduring appeal, the area's prominence as an entertainment hub gradually diminished as many studios and businesses began relocating to other parts of Los Angeles. The historic buildings and landmarks, such as the Taft Building and Broadway-Hollywood, still stood as testaments to its past glory. The streets were vibrant with neon lights, but by the late 1950s, the area started to develop a reputation for seediness as its golden age waned. Overall, Hollywood and Vine in the 1950s stood at a crossroads between its glamorous past and an uncertain future, maintaining its iconic status while facing challenges that would shape its evolution in later decades.

Historical Notes

The intersection of Vine and Selma in the 1950s was significant due to its proximity to major landmarks like the Capitol Records Building, which was completed in 1956 (see previous image) and stood just north of the intersection. The March of Time Studio Theatre, now known as the Ricardo Montalban Theatre, was also nearby, contributing to the area's cultural importance. The streets were lined with various businesses, including auto parks and retail stores, catering to both locals and tourists.

Historical Notes

In 1999, the Taft Building and Neon Sign were designated Historic-Cultural Monument No. 666 (Click HERE to see complete listing).

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more early views of the Metropolitan Streetlight.

Historical Notes

Fletcher Bowron was the mayor of Los Angeles from 1938 to 1953.  He was the longest-serving mayor to date in the city, and was the city's second longest serving mayor after Tom Bradley, presiding over the war boom and very heavy population growth, and building freeways to handle them.*^

Historical Notes

From 1950 to 1960, the awards were presented at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre.

The 22nd Academy Awards Ceremony awarded Oscars for the best in films in 1949. This was the last year for which all five Best Picture nominees were in black and white.*^

Best Picture: All the King's Men

Best Actor: Broderick Crawford – All the King's Men

Best Actress: Olivia de Havilland – The Heiress

Historical Notes

The 23rd Academy Awards Ceremony awarded Oscars for the best in films in 1950. The nominations were notable this year, as All About Eve was nominated for fourteen Oscars, beating the previous record of thirteen set by Gone with the Wind.*^

23rd Annual Academy Awards (March 29, 1951):

Best Picture: All About Eve

Best Actor: José Ferrer – Cyrano de Bergerac

Best Actress: Judy Holliday – Born Yesterday

Historical Notes

The 28th Academy Awards, saw, Marty, a simple and low-budget film usually uncharacteristic of Best Picture awardees, became the shortest film (as well as the second Palme d'Or winner) to win the top honor.*^

28rd Annual Academy Awards (March 21, 1956):

Best Picture: Marty

Best Actor: Ernest Borgnine – Marty

Best Actress: Anna Magnani – The Rose Tattoo

Historical Notes

1957's best films were honored at the 30th Academy Awards. 

The Oscar for Writing Based on Material From Another Medium was awarded to Pierre Boulle for The Bridge on the River Kwai, despite the fact that he did not know English. The actual writers, Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson were blacklisted at the time and did not receive screen credit for their work. Foreman and Wilson have since been acknowledged by the Academy for their contributions.

Joanne Woodward's win for Best Actress for her triple role as Eve White, Eve Black and Jane in The Three Faces of Eve marked the film as the last film to win Best Actress without being nominated for other awards. This was broken 31 years later when Jodie Foster won Best Actress for her role in The Accused, the film's only nomination.

Peyton Place tied the record for the most nominations without a single win (9) with The Little Foxes. It would not be broken until 1977 when The Turning Point received 11 nominations without a win, which has not been broken since, though The Color Purple subsequently tied the record. Peyton Place also set the record for most unsuccessful acting nominations with five; this record has been tied once, by Tom Jones at the 36th Academy Awards.*^

Historical Notes

The 30th Academy Awards.  It was the first time the ceremonies were broadcast live.

30th Academy Awards (March 26, 1958):

Best Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai

Best Actor: Alec Guinness – The Bridge on the River Kwai

Best Actress: Joanne Woodward – The Three Faces of Eve

Historical Notes

The 31st Academy Awards ceremony was held on April 6, 1959, to honor the best films of 1958. The show's producer, Jerry Wald, started cutting numbers from the show to make sure it ran on time. Unfortunately, he cut too much material and the ceremony ended 20 minutes early, leaving Jerry Lewis to attempt to fill in the time. Eventually, NBC cut to a re-run of a sports show.

The film Gigi won nine Oscars, breaking the previous record of eight (set by Gone with the Wind and tied by From Here to Eternity and On the Waterfront). It would be shortlived, however, as Ben-Hur broke the record with eleven Oscars the following year.*^

31st Annual Academy Awards (April 6, 1959):

Best Picture:Gigi

Best Actor: David Niven – Separate Tables

Best Actress: Susan Hayward – I Want to Live!

Click HERE to see more in Early Views of the Pantages Theater

Historical Notes

The Beaux Art building was designed by Morgan, Walls, and Clements.  It was built in 1930 to house a branch of Security Pacific Bank, one of the first Los Angeles banks to open branches in the Hollywood suburbs.  The sign on the building today reads Escrow Center. Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

In 1921, the Hollywood lodge of the Masons relocated from their existing lodge on the current site of the Kodak Theatre. The construction of the new three-story building was led by lodge master, Charles E. Toberman, who was responsible for the Hollywood Bowl, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Roosevelt Hotel and the Max Factor Building.

When the new temple opened, it was one of the most substantial structures in Hollywood. It had a billiard room, pipe organ, ladies parlor, ballroom and lodge rooms. One writer described the building as "unsurpassed for beauty, attractiveness and richness of equipment. The architect, John C. Austin also worked on the Shrine Auditorium, Griffith Observatory and Los Angeles City Hall.

In 1984, the Hollywood Masonic Temple was dedicated LA HIstoric-Cultural Monument No. 277 (Click HERE to see complete listing). The building, now known as the El Capitan Entertainment Centre, was also listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Historical Notes

The Hollywood Highland complex would be built in the 1990s where the parking lots and Orchid Ave are seen in the above photo (bottom of photo).

Historical Notes

Orchid Avenue at Hollywood Boulevard "disappeared" during the construction of the Hollywood Highland complex in the late 90s. The other half of the street still exists and can be accessed off of Franklin Ave, the next street north of Hollywood Blvd.

Historical Notes

Built in 1972 as the Holiday Inn, converted in 2001 to the Renaissance Hollywood following a $130 million renovation as part of the Hollywood & Highland complex. Converted to Loews in June 2012.*

Historical Notes

Today, both this section of Orchid Avenue and the Hollywood Hotel are gone. In their place stands the Hollywood and Highland Entertainment Complex.

Historical Notes

Warner Bros. Hollywood Theatre has also been known as Warner's, the Warner, Warner Cinerama, Warner Hollywood Cinerama, the Hollywood Pacific and the Hollywood Pacific 1-2-3.

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On October 1, 1953, Pacific Electric sold all its passenger business to Metropolitan Coach Lines. Metro continued the operation of this line until September 26, 1954, when the line was converted to motor coach operation.

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Designed by Leland A. Bryant, an architect known for luxurious structures, the Sunset Tower (Argyle Hotel) has been a popular destination since it opened. Over the years, it has served as the residence for many celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Howard Hughes, Elizabeth Taylor, Zasu Pitts, Bugsy Siegel, Errol Flynn and Marilyn Monroe. The hotel has also appeared in a number of films and books.

Historical Notes

This view captures Hollywood in its pre-freeway landscape, with neighborhoods stretching unbroken toward the San Fernando Valley. At the time, voters had already approved funding (1924) for a “stop-free express highway,” but the freeway trench through Hollywood would not be realized until the early 1950s. The Pacific Electric Red Cars still ran nearby, but automobile congestion made the coming transformation inevitable.

Historical Notes

The freeway through Hollywood was built in stages between 1947 and 1954. The section shown here represents the push northward toward the Cahuenga Pass, where the first 1.5-mile stretch had already opened in 1940 with Pacific Electric tracks running down its median. By 1952, construction through Hollywood required excavation of a deep trench, spanned by bridges to preserve the street grid. While Hollywood landmarks such as KTTV Studios and the First Presbyterian Church were spared, neighborhoods like Whitley Heights lost dozens of historic homes, including Rudolph Valentino’s villa.

Historical Notes

This view highlights the depressed roadway design engineers adopted to keep Hollywood’s surface streets functioning. One by one, overpasses were built to carry traffic across the new trench. The engineering feat reflected both progress and sacrifice: by 1953, nearly half of the project’s $55 million cost had gone to property acquisition, displacing thousands of residents.

Historical Notes

The “before” shows the trench being excavated, while the “after” reveals the finished freeway reshaping Hollywood. By the 1970s, the freeway had already far surpassed its intended capacity, carrying nearly twice the 100,000 cars per day it was designed for. The transition illustrates how mid-century freeways permanently altered Los Angeles neighborhoods—cutting through them while connecting commuters across the region.

Historical Notes

Even before completion, the freeway required new systems of traffic management. Officers directed flows where ramps met surface streets, foreshadowing the installation of California’s first permanent ramp meters on this very freeway at Sunset Boulevard in 1967.

Historical Notes

By the 1960s, the Hollywood Freeway had become a defining feature of Los Angeles. The trench carved through Hollywood allowed traffic to flow between downtown and the San Fernando Valley, fueling suburban expansion while bisecting established neighborhoods. New icons, such as the Capitol Records Building (1956), rose alongside the freeway, tying Hollywood’s identity to the automobile age.

Historical Notes

The freeway’s passage through the Cahuenga Pass brought motorists directly past the Mulholland Dam and Hollywood Reservoir. This juxtaposition of infrastructure—early 20th-century waterworks and mid-20th-century freeways—symbolized the city’s constant reinvention to meet the needs of a growing metropolis.

Click HERE to see more in Early Views of Mulholland Dam and Hollywood Reservoir

Historical Notes

Route adjustments spared certain landmarks, such as the First Presbyterian Church, even as hundreds of homes were demolished. Early freeway medians featured planters, part of a short-lived effort to combine parkway aesthetics with modern expressways. These landscaped touches were soon sacrificed to add more lanes for ever-growing traffic.

Historical Notes

Whitley Heights was one of the most impacted neighborhoods, with 49 homes—including silent film stars’ residences—razed for the freeway’s path. This photo shows the Highland Avenue on-ramp built over the southern edge of that historic enclave, forever reshaping the area’s landscape.

Historical Notes

This juxtaposition illustrates nearly 70 years of continuity and change. While the alignment remains, the surrounding city has densified, and the freeway carries more than triple the traffic it was built for. It underscores the long-term legacy of freeway building in shaping both mobility and neighborhood identity.

Historical Notes

Within just a few years of opening, the freeway was already infamous for congestion. By 1955, it carried 183,000 vehicles daily—almost double its design. At night, streams of headlights reflected the city’s embrace of the car, but also its dependence on it.

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The freeway that was meant to relieve congestion quickly became its own choke point. Bob Hope’s quip dubbing it “the biggest parking lot in the world” resonated with Angelenos caught in daily traffic jams.

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By the 1960s, the freeway was entrenched in L.A.’s landscape—so much so that even rain-soaked days could not slow the constant demand for mobility. What began as an engineering marvel had by then become both an indispensable artery and a symbol of Los Angeles’ challenges with growth, smog, and congestion.

Historical Notes

Before the Capitol Building opened in 1956 on Vine Street north of Hollywood Boulevard, Capitol Records had, as their corporate offices, the second floor of this building above Wallichs Music City.

Historical Notes

Wallichs Music City was located on the northwest corner of Sunset & Vine and operated from 1940 to 1978. Owner Glenn E. Wallichs had started Capitol Records, along with Tin Pan Alley songsmith Johnny Mercer and ex-Paramount movie producer Buddy De Sylva from a small office a little further south down Vine Street in 1942 and moved to larger offices above the store in 1946. After Capitol Records moved into The Capitol Tower in 1956 the offices become the home of Dot Records.

Historical Notes

Until Tower Records set up on the Sunset Strip 30 years later, Wallichs Music City was the place to go for concert tickets, sheet music, LPs, 45s, tapes, 8-tracks, cassettes, and musical instruments.

Historical Notes

Wallichs Music City was one of the first-known music stores to seal record albums in cellophane and put them in display racks for customers to browse. The racks were tabletop height trapezoid-shaped browser boxes (designed by Capitol Records' Frederick Rice) that allowed the covers they contained to be viewed like a card index without damaging the sleeves. The store was also the first to have demonstration booths for listening to records.

Historical Notes

Edward Raymond 'Eddie' Cochran captured teenage frustration and desire in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Cochran's rockabilly songs included "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues".  He experimented with multitrack recording and overdubbing even on his earliest singles, and was also able to play piano, bass and drums. His image as a sharply dressed and good-looking young man with a rebellious attitude epitomized the stance of the 50s rocker, and in death he achieved an iconic status.

Cochran died at the young age of 21 after a road accident, while travelling in a taxi in Chippenham, Wiltshire, during his British tour in April 1960, having just performed at Bristol's Hippodrome theatre. Though his best-known songs were released during his lifetime, more of his songs were released posthumously. In 1987, Cochran was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Historical Notes

American Broadcasting Company broadcast its radio station, KECT from this building.  The 790 AM station's callsign was named after Los Angeles broadcasting pioneer Earle C. Anthony, whose initials were also present on then-sister TV Channel 7, KECA-TV (now KABC-TV).*^

In the forties four big national networks dominated the radio industry. The network affiliations were KECA (790 AM, ABC), KFI (640 AM, NBC), KNX (1070 AM, CBS) and KHJ (930 AM, Mutual-Don Lee).

Historical Notes

Though the Hollywood Hotel housed many of the great stars in its day, it was razed in August 1956 to make way for a $10 million development, with a twelve story office building for the First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Hollywood, a shopping center and parking lots.

Historical Notes

In 1955, the southeast portion of the old Hollywood Hotel property was sold to First Federal Savings and Loan of Hollywood, and in August, 1956, the hotel was razed and the 12-story First Federal building was erected on the northwest corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Highland where it stood from 1959 until 1998.

Historical Notes

In 1998, the 12-story First Federal Savings and Loan Building was torn down to make way for a new entertainment center.  The Hollywood and Highland Center, the current home of the Academy Awards, was constructed on the site in 2001.

Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

Previously, the southeast corner of Sunset and Highland was the site of Simon’s Drive-in…one of two Simon’s on Sunset for a few years (since 1938). As of December 1951, Simon’s became a Stan’s drive-in. Since Stan’s took over the Carpenter’s at Vine that same year, there were now 2 Stan’s on Sunset.

Historical Notes

Stan’s stood on the SE corner as seen above until 1971 when it was demolished. Today, a Chick-fil-A is at the corner. Click HERE to see contemporary view.

Historical Notes

Stan's was a chain of drive-in's with at least a dozen LA locations built in the late 1950's and 60's.

Click HERE to see more in Early Views of LA Drive-in Restaurants.

Historical Notes

In 1940, restaurateur Sidney Hoedemaker of the Pig 'N Whistle - Melody Lane chain, leased the northwest corner Hollywood and Vine transformed it into a Melody Lane Restaurant.

In 1949, Hoedemaker founded Hody's Restaurant Inc.  Hoedemaker's restaurants were all about service, efficiency, cheerfully and courtesy. One was always greeted with a smile. And in 1955, Hody's restaurant group signed a 20 year lease for the property on the northwest corner of Hollywood Blvd and Vine Street. Hoedemaker had it remodeled extensively.

Historical Notes

Hody's was a family restaurant. Kid's would get a kid's clown menu that could be worn on their face. By 1969 there were 8 Hody's restaurants in Southern California.

Historical Notes

The Hollywood Ranch Market started out as The Mandarin Market. Built in 1929, it was touted as being one of the first drive-in markets of its kind in Los Angeles. The architect was Henry L. Gogerty, who later designed "gliding acoustical walls" for classrooms, and assembly line buildings for Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose project.^*^#

Click HERE to see the original Mandarin Market.

Historical Notes

It wasn’t unusual to see such personalities as Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner or Red Skelton or at the Hollywood Ranch Market’s snack bar. Steve Allen used to broadcast his shows from his studio close by. ^#^^

(1954)* - Herald Examiner photo showing several men toasting with a cup of coffee in front of Hollywood Ranch Market.

Historical Notes

Examiner article reads: "The all-night Hollywood Ranch Market sidewalk lunch counter on Vine Street is one of many places revolting against the hike in coffee prices. This place reduced its price from 10 cents to 5 cents per cup. Celebrating with steaming mugs beneath the sign are, left to right: Richard Wilson, jazz musician-composer; night manager Roy McCully; co-owner Larry Frederick; writer Roger Fair; and newsboy Eddie Levin, on February 2, 1954." *

Historical Notes

The Hollywood Ranch Market (originally Mandarin Market) burned down in the early 80s and is now a strip mall that includes an Office Depot and an El Pollo Loco.#^* Click HERE to see contemporary view.

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