Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: Cruisin' Santa Monica Blvd. in 1963 Continue reading the Original Blog Post
being a mid-west guy I love to see these films. Can't imagine growing up in southern California it was always my dream, but life got in the way. Would not trade my life though.
Hello, Since most old films are placed on You Tube, you are in luck. On J-B's post go to the page and now when the photo shows the You Tube channel version. Right click with your mouse and copy the top of the page that is encircled with red outlining. That is the copied code for the You Tube channel paste. Go to the Google search engine and call up You Tube. Once there, paste the copied code and it should take you right to the actual video posted. Hit the red arrow and you can see it clearly. Sometimes computers don't like the links provided on a copy and paste part of the thread. There have been many error posts of my old drag racing videos from You Tube. It is just the way computers and those million numbers/letters in codes get mixed up. Jnaki Don't forget to silence the cheesy music. It is really bothersome as the video progresses. But, the one thing it has going for it is the historic value and the locations. Someone decided to take films way back then for some reason. YRMV
As Randy Newman told the world in 1983 “Century Boulevard (we love it) Victory Boulevard (we love it) Santa Monica Boulevard (we love it) Sixth Street (we love it, we love it) We love L.A.” Hello, The somber music can be good for parts of Los Angeles on the posted film, but it is not the feeling we got when we were cruising down Santa Monica Blvd in our teens and 20 something days. At first, the 58 Impala was used on our Los Angeles cruising modes. Then as 20 something days, in the red 65 El Camino, my wife and I drove so many miles all over L.A. in our L.A. excursions for record shops, dining, rock concerts and movies. No more old teenage drive-in places, but new diners, small outdoor hot dog stands, and nice restaurants were the mode of the dining scene. Whatever was our mode for the day. Tommy’s drippy food, Canter's deli or the Brown Derby all played their role for us. So, the famous, “I love L.A.” from Randy Newman seems more apropos. For us, Santa Monica Blvd starts at Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles. Then it goes 16 miles to the West. It ends up near the Santa Monica Pier. One would think that it would have stopped on the entrance to the pier. But, alas, it fell two blocks North and connects to Ocean Avenue. Now, it becomes the premier coastal drive North to Malibu and beyond or South through Venice, down to Palos Verdes Peninsula. When we were cruising around in Los Angeles during the mid 60s, my wife and I had a list of places we always like to cruise, shop and hang out into the late evening. 20 somethings having a great time being 20 somethings during that mellow time of the rock music, concerts and just plain old hanging having fun. Don’t forget the wonderful diners and restaurants in the whole area not in the Long Beach area. In listening to the song, it was the time and aura of the whole area during that time period. When 10,000 folks were protesting on Century Blvd, then it was Santa Monica Blvd that took us to the ocean in Santa Monica with the always fun pier activities and long, beach area strolls. Jnaki The only words we do not agree with or have a reason why it was included in the song of great places is the 6th Street location in Downtown Los Angeles. The 5th street/6th street location near the center of Downtown Los Angeles is a slum area. Not the safest place to be at any hour or day. It was bad back then and worse now. But, a block or two over, it is business as usual and life goes on… So, unless one gets kicks out of suffering folks on their last round of survival, it is not a place to say… We like it… YRMV But, it is a contrast in the huge city that has objects from one end of the spectrum to the other, all within the surrounding mountain enclosed area to the beaches of So Cal. So, get what you do with “I love… L.A.”
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/cruisin-santa-monica-blvd-in-1963.1333402/#post-15568866 Hello, Sorry... I forgot to add the great song... Randy Newman I Love L.A. in his cl***ic Buick convert
I can't help but notice how nice the pavement looks. I wish the streets around here looked that good today. They're all full of cracks and potholes and shake your car to death.
In ‘63 Santa Monica and Santa Monica Blvd played an important part in my life. My Dad worked at the Douglas Aircraft Santa Monica plant back then and used to prowl the numerous used car lots found along Lincoln Blvd and the west end of Santa Monica blvd in those days. He drove “back row” beaters back then. The $100-$200 cars that were relegated to the back rows of the car lots, often in need of paint or repairs. I was 13 in 1963, car crazy since I was 5, and I followed my Dad around as he cleaned up and repaired his beaters. Our neighbor Jack Edwards, owned a Shell gas station on Santa Monica Blvd near Barrington, a somewhat wealthy neighborhood. My Dad talked Jack into giving me a “job” at the station on Saturdays so that I could maybe learn something about working for a living. I was only 13 so I think that my Dad actually paid Jack to have me hang around. I was terribly shy and not a self-starter but Jack eventually had me waiting on customers, looking for leaks in flat tires and charging batteries. His customers brought in a variety of amazing cars for service, Jags, Healeys, Cadillacs, Corvettes. One customer had a beautiful new Corvair convertible and I was taught how to service it. We had hamburgers and fries from Foster’s Freeze for lunch. I learned a lot from Jack and the guys. My Dad was pleased that I had done well and was coming “out of my shell” and one Sunday morning he said, “Let’s go for a ride”. We went north on Lincoln Blvd and jogged over to 2nd St where we parked and went to Shell’s. It was closed but we looked through the windows at shelves piled high with used speed equipment and engines and such. It was an amazing place for an up and coming hot rodder. We returned to the old ‘49 Ford coupe and proceeded to Santa Monica Blvd. We pulled up and parked in front of a used car lot. My Dad said, “Your Mom says it’s OK for us to buy you a car to fix up and I think I found one that would be good for you to learn on”. Needless to say, I was thrilled. Back then many lots had a No Sunday Selling policy so no one would be there to pressure us. We walked through the lot to the back row and there was a black and white ‘53 Studebaker hardtop. $150 as-is. The outside was dirty but straight, the interior had some wear and tear but I thought it was perfect! As we walked around it my Dad was trying to figure out why it was on the back row and cheap. I looked underneath, the tires were ok but there was a big puddle of oil under the engine. My Dad actually laid down next to the car and saw that the oil pan was torn and there was damage to the block. It had thrown a rod. My Dad said,”Too bad, this could be a nice car”. I made my best argument. “We can get another engine from TL Brown auto wrecking, where we got the boat engine, they are only $25”. “No, you’re Mother said it has to be a running car” In hindsight, I don’t think it was Mom’s rule, she knew that my Dad could fix anything. I’m sure my Dad didn’t want to pay $150, then have to tow it all the way home with a rope or chain, (we lived near LAX). He would have to enlist a neighbor’s help since I didn’t have a driver’s license yet. And Mom wouldn’t have been happy. I was broken hearted. I can still picture that old Stude sitting there in the back row hoping for an ambitious new owner. I finally did get a car to work on. A year and a half later I bought a 1940 Ford Deluxe coupe for $65. I had $35 saved and my Dad kicked in the rest, feeling guilty for having teased me with the Stude I guess. But my Mom said that I should pay him back and I did. I have driven up Santa Monica Blvd, past where that car lot used to be, but almost nothing there is as it was in 1963. Times change, communities evolve, but my wonderful memories of Santa Monica Blvd will be with me forever.
Oh yeah. I Love LA is my second favorite Randy Newman song, #1 is Let’s Drop the Big One. That song makes me laugh every time. “They all hate us anyhow, so let’s drop the big one now”
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