I have no clue as to what any of this has to do with the history of Los Angeles, but let's get off politics and back on topic...
Special Ed, You are right about staying on topic however it is important to learn from History. If your House is built on a cliff over looking the ocean and your back yard used to be 100 feet deep and now it is only 2 feet deep I think that you should realize that History is important. I to was born in Los Angeles as was my Father who was born there in 1915. My Father taught me to be an Observer of Life and to watch to see what changes would have what effects on life. I see history as a warning. We can always look back and see the Good Old Days but why can't we look forward to better times and resist those who stand our way. Dick .
Mazooma1 in your post 2738 on the last page you got a good picture of Sheriff John of TV fame along with what I think are some Los Angeles Police Dept. Motor Officers. The clown on the left makes me think that they are on parade duty. Dick .
You are correct, but the officers are from the Arcadia PD, where my dad was a police officer. In the background is the Santa Anita Race Track that's still there today....
Didn't see this posted thought this would be a good place for it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-I2kLNwBak&list=FLztVZ_ZhqlZa0qw8QvFGV8w&index=35&feature=plpp_video Great thread, thank you to all who contributed.
Not sure if this has been mentioned yet since I've been working my way through this thread again and I'm on page 102, but Clifton's on Broadway is getting a "makeunder" to its former glory. Story here: http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2012/02/old_cliftons_facade_to_be.php
Cliftons had two locations downtown. The "South Seas" on Olive is long gone, but was our favorite in the 1950's. It had huge plastic ferns and palm trees to make for a tropical feel. Every 30 minutes or so, the speakers in the ceiling would come on with the loud sounds of a rainstorm complete with thunder. "Lightening" would pop from lights mounted by the ceiling and misters would actually spray from above a slight mist of water briefly while the thunder would rumble throughout the building. As they say, "the crowd goes wild". Everyone loved it. There were huge neon shaped plants and orchids that were unreal, especially to a kid. On the way out, each kid was allowed to get a "prize" from the "treasure chest" by the entrance. It was usually a whistle or something to annoy your parents with. Cliftons had prices marked for each item on the cafeteria items as you pushed your tray along. But, they also had a policy to "pay what you think is fair". They actually allowed you to come up with your own pricing if you so chose to do so. The family said years later that most people who used this procedure to pay would actually pay MORE than the stated prices. People were different back then. People were really decent. And for those with NO money? They got a specially prepared lunch that was balanced, usually with a sandwich of some kind, along with a carton of milk. No charge. I went to the remaining Cliftons not long ago and it was a real treat. Also, anyone interested in eating lunch in downtown El Lay, ya gotta go to Coles at Sixth and Main, southeast corner....
I went to Clifton's as a kid (Broadway and the one in West Covina), and revisited the one on Broadway maybe five years ago. Not as grand as I had remembered it, but still a treat nonetheless. My first and only time at Coles, I received poor/rude service and (not to start a war) I preferred Philippes sandwiches to what I ate there. Should I give it another shot, Doug?
Probably not. Phillippes has a much broader choice. I only mentioned Coles because it such an old downtown tradition. Everyone has to go there once. Just like everyone has to go to the original Tommys on Beverly. The Tommys burgers taste the same at the other ones, but the original is a scream just for the whole chaos of it. Where else will you have a parking lot with hearses, cop cars, bikers, Lamborghinis, taxis and VWs?
My grandmother worked as a clerk in the L.A.County records department (city hall) and took this photo one day after work in the 1960s. My great grandfather engineered that building. Thanks for showing it over and over!
That is some good stuff there. Beef Dip and dip on the side with some Pabst to wash it down and Atomic pickle .
Sixth and Main? Wasn't that near the New Follies Theater? The nudie burlesque place that none of us really went to? Or at least admitted we did?
I find the pics from Disneyland interesting, particularly the top one. It must of been taken around 62 but that would make by far the majority of the cars 5+ years old. I always thought in those days most folks would have a new car every 3/4 years, a 5 year old car would be, well, old and not used for family outings. Was it different in LA? I was also surprised by the number of VWs. In 62 they were pretty rare around here.
I don't know about that metalman. I grew up in Miami and Atlanta in the '50s and '60s, and my recollection is that as far as car age it wasn't much different from now. You drove what you could afford. It was still a pretty big deal to buy a new car, big neighborhood news. We still had a '46 Plymouth in the mid-50s, then upgraded to a '54 Ford in the late '50s. First new car my family bought was a '61 Valiant.
speaking of Disneyland...1957 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOIBjQoCXLk 4:25 www.disneyhistoryinstitute.com
metalman, That first picture is probably showing the employee parking lot. Notice that it is not as packed as the lot farther away. 2 of my kids worked there in the 80s and the employee parking lot didn't have many new cars in it on the occasions I had to pick them up after work. Disney Land was a great first job for many young people. It taught them how to work steadily and efficiently. Disney was a hard task master and expected the best out of their employees. Dick
You know, I thought of that after I made my post, I was looking at the pic again and it's hard to see but the far lot looks like newer cars. It would make total sense, the cars would be about the right age for kids to drive at the time.
The Jalopy Journal
