Vintage shots from days gone by!

THANKS, VintageRide! When knows the background, it's hard
not to love and respect her, as an actress and human being.

Unless I am mistaken, the below "damsel-in-distress" shot
is from the silent "Perils of Pauline" series of short films.



But as the sound era dawned, Canadian-American actress Fay Wray was
always knee-deep in one type of zoo-doo or another! We ALL remember
her screaming her lungs out in RKO's 1933 blockbuster, "King Kong."



Photos thanks to the Life magazine archives.








But, here she is with Joel McCrea in the film
version of H. Rider Haggard's "The Most
Dangerous Game," 1932. Public domain,
but thanks to Wikipedia and the WikiMedia
Commons project! BTW, some of the
"Kong" sets did triple-duty for "Kong"
and "Son of Kong," as well as "Game."

 

I think this dude was called "Lobo"...I remember seeing him in more than one cheap sci-fi/ horror flick back in the day.

 

Born Karl Oscar Tore Johansson in Sweden on October 19, 1903, B-movie legend Tor Johnson began his studio wrestling career in the 1940s as "The Swedish Angel," after doing many bit parts and uncredited appearances in films in the 1930s. By virtue of his rather frightening visage and enormous 300+ pound frame, he gained a sort of notoriety in 1950s horror and science fiction movies, especially the films of Ed Wood. Interestingly, Johnson had a longer and more successful career in Hollywood than most of Wood's other regulars, making many films and a number of appearances on TV in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Today, Tor Johnson is probably best known for his appearances in the Ed Wood classics Bride of the Monster (1955; with Bela Lugosi and Dolores Fuller) and Plan Nine from Outer Space (1959; with Gregory Walcott and Dudley Manlove). However, thanks to Mystery Science Theater 3000, some of Johnson's other films have been rediscovered by cult film fans, such as The Unearthly (1957; with John Carradine, Sally Todd and Allison Hayes) and The Beast from Yucca Flats (1961; directed by Coleman Francis

 

San Francisco, 1957. A new American Airlines 707 departs using water injection for added thrust. Yeah, it was loud.

 

San Jose Mile c1980.

 

North on Kearny Street, San Francisco, 1954.

 

21842 gee thats a nice color for that car... I know how to get to color charts, but is it a 61 or 62?

 

1961

 

These were known as L A P D Freeway Flyers - used by LAPD on the freeways

 

No I wish I had that Buick. I had a 57 2 door hard top years ago. I would fight you to get this car.

 

I stand corrected. You are right. I did some further reading about it. I guess we were personally not affected by the issue except with our '49 and '50 Mercurys and I just presumed my parents didn't care. Our '50 Lincoln and 2 53 Lincolns had white walls and all of the rest of our 10 or so '50's cars in that decade. I never knew anyone else that had trouble getting white walls in those years either. Maybe being in L.A. things were easier to get.

 

Photo from Sweden ca 1955. A 1939 Oldsmobile that was owned by a friend of my grandfather. It hit a bridge rail one winter and tore of the whole front end. Later towed into a forest where it still stands.

 

I remember the Pontiac cop cars very well. Growing up in Oakland County MI, they were built at the assembly plant in or near city of Pontiac, I think they used them almost exclusively. I don't recollect when it all stopped but they were still running the big Catalinas thru the mid & lates 60s.

 

#22182

Wow, I'd love to see a photo of the ravages of time.

 

731132 wrote: Photo from Sweden ca 1955. A 1939 Oldsmobile that was
owned by a friend of my grandfather. It hit a bridge rail one winter and tore
of the whole front end. Later towed into a forest where it still stands.

Jimi: I'm with SixDogs. I love vintage tin, and I am always amazed that
American iron seemingly can be found in every country in the world, if
you look hard enough! Photos of these once-grand cars and trucks in
decline often depict, IMO, a rather artistic iteration of their factory-fresh
grandeur. Yeah, I too would love to see the '39 Olds as it sits now, PLUS
any more that may be hidden away in that forest! Thanks for posting!
(BTW, interesting placement on that spotlight!)

 

I don´t have any pics of the Olds as it sits now, but I can take some when summer comes.

 

No rush, buddy! And, I'll bet winter lasts quite a while in Sweden! Thanks.





Another classic damsel in distress: Elsa Lanchester. Newly
"transplanted" to the U.S. from England with hubby Charles
Laughton, she won permanent public recognition with her
brilliantly quirky and very poignant 1935 portrayal of the
Frankenstein monster's made-for (not mail-order!) mate
in the Browning-directed "Bride of Frankenstein." For my
money (and maybe Mel Brooks', too), even better as a
sequel than the '32 original "Frankenstein," which also
starred Boris Karloff. Above famous production photo,
THANKS to the New York Daily News!)

Though Elsa is unarguably best remembered for "Bride
of Frankenstein," some may be surprised to learn that
her entertainment career lasted over 50 years, from 1925
until 1980! Stop and think. You probably won't be surprised
to remember her distinctive persona in movies ranging from
1957's "Witness for the Prosecution," "Lassie Come Home"
('43), and "The Razor's Edge" ('46), to "Mary Poppins" ('64),
"Willard" ('71), "That Darn Cat!" ('65) and "Murder by Death"
('76).



Elsa clowning a tad between takes.
Photo THANKS to thehorrordrunx!

 

I love these old drive in movies...My cable system shows three different cult movie shows on Saturday night. Wolfman Mac's Drive In Theatre, Elvira, and Off Beat Cinema.[/QUOTE]

Off Beat Cinema is great!! If you like beatniks sipping on coffee... and I do!

 

don't just take pictures, load it up and bring it home with you. it deserves whatever you can do for it.

 

21842 is a 61 model.

 

This must be the best thread on the net, everyone is so helpful

 

baywatch

 

Can anyone see what kind of engine is in this car.

 

Here is one my dad took, looking up Broadway from about 22nd in Oakland CA, 1956-57, past auto row. The hills in the distance were the location of the 1991 Oakland Hills fire.

 

And here is my dad, working on Treasure Island, for Pan Am in about 1939, standing in front of the Honolulu Clipper, and with his '55 Desoto in about 1960

 

Why don't you hop on the bus and come over and visit our antique photo website. We have over 500 posts and 1000 photos. We guarantee you that you will enjoy the ride. T-Head.

 

'55 Fireflite Sportsman hardtop. Man, your dad
must have been a lot of fun to be around! Wide
whites and sailboat on the top, too. Great pix!