A recent acquisition to my vintage collection was this set of June 1963 images which show tourist sites from Hollywood and Los Angeles. What I love about this set are the vintage handwritten notes on the back that describe little details that I would not have known otherwise. On June 12th, our vintage photographer visited Universal Studios. According to the note on the back, this one is a “Universal International Revue Studio,” and the second car from the right (a Rolls Royce) belongs to Jack Benny.
The image below features the Shanty boat used in “Tammy and the Bachelor,” the 1957 Debbie Reynolds movie.
Next up, they visited the Hollywood Bowl, using this escalator to get to the famed venue.
“Truck working on fountains; had just turned them off” is the description for this one.
As if that wasn’t enough, they also trekked over to the Farmers Market off Fairfax:
I’d never noticed the weathervane on top before.
Nearby at the CBS Television studio, they got to see Red Skelton’s costumes…but apparently not Red Skelton.
How about this plate for the AMC Rambler; CBS 199. Coincidence? I wonder who it belonged to. Apparently this car was Motor Trends Car of the year!
One shot of the Capitol Records building was not enough. In case you were wondering, it was shot at 100 f/4.
Zooming in we can see the Cleopatra Parking Lot and Du-Par’s Restaurant:
This second shot, slightly blurrier, was shot at 100 f/8.
What trip to Hollywood would be complete without a trek to the famed Hollywood & Vine street corner? The Brown Derby restaurant is visible in the background.
The next day included a trip to Chinatown, where they saw this Wishing Well:
…and the Hong Building, which is still there today:
It would appear that the trip ended on June 15, at (not surprisingly) LAX:
See more Hollywood photos at my main website.
8 comments:
Great slides! Brings back memories of how remember things looking as a young teen. I wonder where Jack's car is today - perhaps a collection somewhere? I also remember my parents used to love to go to China Town, especially for their anniversary dinner and for some reason I was always tagging along. I vividly remember that wishing well. I think it's still there but it has been about five years or so since I was last there.
What a treasure trove! These kinds of pictures transport me to the past even better than professional ones, because I can put myself in the shoes of a fellow tourist and look out through their eyes.
I guess Jack must have left the Maxwell at home that day! ;)
Same as Irene. The family moved from Utah to Sherman Oaks...just behind the Hungry Tiger restaurant off of Ventura Bold...in fall of '62. These shots are indicative of that time. Didn't seem that far off until I saw the cars in the picture. It almost seems quaint by comparison to today. KS
For all Jack Benny's jokes about being cheap, I heard he spent pretty well. ...unless that was Rochester's car and he was borrowing it because he was too cheap to put gas on his own. That's quite a treasure trove of vintage shots. That's great that they left notes on the pics.
A really nice collection of images representing places I visited quite often during that time frame.
Nifty pictures, and a bonus: almost everything seen here still exists.
The Universal backlot shot is convincing; the set was so well aligned with the Hollywood hills that it looks like a real location.
I do miss that later '50s addition to Farmer's Market, though they saved the clock tower. The small scale charm and warmth of FM is hemmed in now by the glitzy overblown Grove and the architecturally ugly stretch which replaced this view.
It seems that CBS Television City is on borrowed time.
Cleopatra's parking lot, huh. On YouTube there is trip down Sunset Blvd in 1963, ambling past Cleopatra's Nail Salon. Just cashing in on the biggest film of '63, and one of the worst.
That's the Brown Derby visited by Fred and Ethel and Lucy, who splattered William Holden but good. Beyond is Hollywood's first skyscraper, deservedly destroyed in the movie "Earthquake".
I grew up in Westchester, and dined a number of times at the Theme Building; the menu was nothing special but the whole experience was so Space-Age glamorous that food was beside the point. Well into the 1980s the ground level had kept its 1961 aura: cool fountain and tropical plants and illuminated photos of space. Early Tomorrowland, right there in Westchester!
Dave, I enjoy all your pictures and stories about 'old Hollywood.' I would love to step into the Brown Derby shot and head over there for a meal. Maybe I'd be able to spot a star.
Stefano, that I Love Lucy episode is my absolute favorite!
Thanks, Dave!
Lou and Sue and Stefano - That “I Love Lucy” is also my fave. I was disappointed that the Brown Derby was just a set, though. Still...just as funny as Vitameatavegamin!
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