Aerial shot of Wilshire Blvd. and Canon
Beverly Hills, 1964.
Located at 9404 Wilshire, the Stanley Warner Theatre became Pacific's Beverly Hills Theatre in 1969.
The corner spot was also called the Beverly Theater toward the 1980s and began hosting live events such as airing the Hagler/Leonard 'Super Fight' on a closed-circuit big screen.
Across the street at 9401 Wilshire, Thrifty was replaced by an art gallery until 1970. Soon after, Beverly Hills Federal Savings took the spot.
Seen above is the 'Wilshire Triangle Center' under construction (lower left corner).
Built on the edge of Beverly Hills, the 263,000-square-foot complex contained eight levels of office space, as well as stores, restaurants, and even a reflecting pool on the patio.
The cost was approximately $6.5M.
Approval for construction began in 1961, and at the helm was designer Sidney Eisenshtat, A.I.A. and Associates.
The air-conditioned building had a number of innovative touches including; acoustical soundproofing, high-speed elevators, large view windows with special glare, and heat-resistant glass.
And last but not least, parking space for 500 vehicles (no compact spaces for those stainless steel dual exhaust Chevrolet Impala's)
Completion was set for February 1965. The building became the national headquarters for Executive Life in 1966 and was renamed as such.
Aerial picture of downtown Los Angeles
Angelus Temple, 1932
Founded by the Canadian-born, Pentecostal evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, the spiritual base for the nondenominational church began construction in 1921.
The permanent place of worship was designed like a Broadway theater with room for over 5,000 people, and the unveiling of the dedication tablet at Angelus Temple officially took place on New Year’s Day in 1923.
Thousands of people waited patiently outside its doors.
In no time at all, Sister McPherson (soon labeled a “divine dramatist”) was preaching daily, offering a seat and song book, while asking followers to “bring your friends and your lunch basket for a glorious day at Echo Park.”
Prior to her arrival in Los Angeles, the “female Billy Sunday” spread the word, in her gospel car, emblazoned with “Jesus is coming soon - get ready”. The “miracle woman” traveled around working marvelous cures for the afflicted;
Children Healed
Little twisted limbs, sightless eyes and otherwise deformed bodies wre brought into the presence of Aimee Semple McPherson…
There was a rosy-cheeked little tot about three years of age whose left leg was two inches shorter than the right. A mother whose face shone with faith as she held the heavy child in her arms bore her to the front of the line.When the child was lowered to the floor, she ran about without a sign of pain and as the ushers plied her with flowers and toys, her bright eyes shone with the pleasure she felt at being able to to play as other children.
Visalia Daily Times, September 1, 1921.
The newspaper noted medical officials were on hand verifying whether the healing was genuine or false. They concluded the work was met with the approval of the physicians, and termed the healing “genuine, beneficial and wonderful.”
Radio station KFSG (“Kalling Foursquare Gospel”) was broadcasting from a 500-watt Western Electric set. The staff included radio operator, K. G. Ormiston.
Looking to build an additional church near Chinatown, McPherson’s goal in 1923 was simple,
I plan to establish a mission where men will first hear the Gospel of Jesus, and afterward will be given soup, sandwiches, and coffee. And, if possible, a bed.
After a perplexing incident involving her alleged kidnapping in 1926 — possibly to cover up an illicit romance, McPherson found herself embroiled in more controversy — namely her surprise marriage in 1931 to a member of her church, a well-fed singer named David Hutton. The union was short-lived. Citing grounds for mental cruelty, Hutton divorced the pastor one year later.
McPherson’s legal woes continued and she found herself estranged from her mother and her daughter. After turning over the operation of the church to her son Rolph in 1944, McPherson endured an extended period of illness — listed as tropical fever during a visit to Mexico but soon resumed the pulpit.
However, during a “magic carpet crusade” in Oakland, Aimee Semple McPherson took her own life from an accidental overdose of sleeping pills. She was staying at the Hotel Leamington where she was discovered in her bed by her son.
Her son Rolph died in 2009.
Bank of Hollywood Building
Situated on the northeast corner of Hollywood and Vine is the 1928 Hollywood Bank Building. The height-limit structure at 1640 North Vine officially opened in May 1929. The towering edifice featured what was then the largest neon sign, at 50 x 143 feet, composed of sixty-nine letters, around twenty-nine feet in height. The impressive sign was powered by twenty-nine transformers.
A twelve-story addition to the landmark building was added in 1930. The L-shaped annex was designed by Alexander Curlett (later partnered with Claud Beelman). A year later, the building was purchased by property developer William M. Davey and christened the Equitable Building.
Davey’s mortgage and finance company also operated Castle Argyle, Arlington Manor, and La Casiana.
Among the Equitable new tenants was the Butler Health Institute. The new tenant occupied the 12th floor and the entire roof, which was converted into a solarium and squash court.
The 55-year-old became the fifth husband of Gloria Swanson in 1945. Three months later, the 47-year-old actress sued for separation and officially divorced Davey in Reno in 1948.
Back in Hollywood, the twin-towered office building weathered the changing times. In the mid-1980s, tenants included attorneys, an exotic limousine company, and podiatrists. However, the Gothic building was utilized for advertising, and in 1984, a large, 60 x 100-foot mural of John McEnroe appeared on a wall facing Pantages Theatre.
Sports brand Nike replaced the tennis ace with Bo Jackson in 1988. The building was converted to mostly residential years later.
The Taft Building
Referred to as “The Motion Pictures Headquarters for Hollywood”, the Taft Building was completed in 1925. Situated on the southeast corner of Hollywood and Vine, the 34-year-old Taft Realty Company enlisted architects, Walker and Eisen.
With the distinction of being the first height-limit structure in Hollywood, the twelve-story building devoted the first floor to retail with offices occupying the remainder.
With the 1984 Summer Olympics looming, the city was looking to spruce up the neighborhood. The Hollywood Revitalization Project enlisted Beverly Hills firm McDade & Shidler on a $6M restoration of two Hollywood buildings; the Hollywood-Vine Plaza and the Taft. The company has already acquired the building.
The much-needed improvements were enough to win a Preservation Award from the Los Angeles Conservancy two years later. The building was also listed on the National Historic Register.
Beverly Hills / Security First National Bank
This smartly appointed Security First National Bank branch was located at 9645 Wilshire Blvd., in Beverly Hills. The location opened around 1953 and by 1961, served as one of thirteen locations, spanning from Woodland Hills to Santa Monica.
The corner of Wilshire and Bedford drastically changed in 1972 with the arrival of the Security Pacific Plaza (currently home to Morgan Stanley). The $13M building was owned by Maguire Partnership.
Despite losing its posh branch that year, the bank opened a new location on Alvarado Street (currently Bank of America), designed by Armet and Davis.
The adjacent store French Bootire at 9637 Wilshire became Beckman Furs around 1960, and then an art gallery, which went belly up in 1970.
Security First National Bank
Security First National Bank was formerly Citizens Trust, known as the “Fourteen Hour Day Personal Service Bank.” This location appears to be the 6th and Alvarado branch, which became Bank of America in 1972 (and still operates there).
Barney’s Beanery
Barney’s Beanery has been a staple on West Hollywood’s ever-changing landscape since Barney Anthony began serving scrumptious onion soup back in the late-1920s.
Affectionately called everything from a dump, a dive, and a diner whose atmosphere is stuck to the forks, Barney’s Beanery was known as a “haven for hardcore loonies — who used it as out-patient ward for the severely disturbed.”
Unlike the grogshops and ginmills of the Sunset Strip, the early days were unpretentious, as described by Fortnight magazine in 1949,
a quiet decor of old Spanish, early Gothic, French provincial and Chinese modern with touches of Main Street saloon fixtures… the ladies’ powder room boasted a fine modern ultra-violet contraption which destroys germs… the men’s comfort station was lined with tiles of every color of the rainbow… a false ceiling of modern redwood, slanted at the newest and most fashionable functional angles.
Of course, the classiest dump in town was also known for its extensive beer list and delicious chili — although actor George Wendt who famously played Norm on NBC’s Cheers, disagreed in 1983, “The chili is just terrible. You have to have a few beers first or you can’t go near it.”
The reputation for boozin' and brawlin' began in 1948 when actor Lawrence Tierney was arrested for flattening a bartender (charges were later dropped).
Ed Kienholz
In the mid-1960s, the greasy spoon cafe appealed to “walk-in” artist Ed Kienholz to the point he constructed a replica. The 38-year-old sculptor spoke about the cherished diner,
Time in a bar kills time, postponing for people the idea that they’re going to die. That is the sadness of a place like this — full of frail strangers who are essentially lonely or up tight.
The bearded scene-maker worked for five months on the installation behind his Laurel Canyon house. Assembled in four parts, the piece made its way by flatbed truck to its new home — the foyer of the real Beanery. The tableaux then made the road trip to New York’s East Coast Dwan Gallery.
The artist told reporters he was offered $15,000 for The Beanery, but was holding out for double. However, the piece of contemporary culture in a coffin was snapped up by local collector Burt Kleiner for $20K, and gifted to the County Museum of Art.
The 22-foot Beanery was restored in 2012 and found a home at the
Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.
Kitchen Chaos
In 1966, a downtown area cook went berserk after attempting to slash employees and guests with a knife (presumably not a butter knife). The crazed culinary artist lived at the Cecil Hotel, and after being subdued, was promptly booked.
Three years later, diners were treated to another spectacle when a man rushed the counter with a meat cleaver and attempted to scalp a diner. After a scuffle, other diners entered the argy-bargy and felled the attacker with a ketchup bottle to the head. The Oakland resident was apprehended a few blocks away and caught holding amphetamine pills.
Protest
After original founder John Anthony passed away in 1968, the joint was purchased by Irwin Held of the Central Beer Distributing Company. The new owner soon found himself in a spot of bother when gay rights activists from the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) protested the place (and not because they objected to the steamed cabbage).
The pickets were led by Morris Knight, Pat Rocco, and Rev. Troy Perry, which can be seen in the short film, Sign of Protest
The cause of the protest was a long-standing anti-gay sign in the bar. After weeks of picketing, the owner handed over the antique wooden sign — only to be replaced with another one later on.
The 1970s
The place for Irish coffee attracted all sorts, including screenwriter Gabriel Walsh. The Dublin-born scribe recounted how in 1970, he wrote his screenplay on 37 cocktail napkins while drinking tequila and waiting for a girl at Barney’s Beanery.
The revered hangout continued throughout the late-1970s as a perilous place to drink, known for diverse entertainment. For a mercifully brief moment, the good times were provided by a band calling themselves Trashy Teddy and the Dogshit All Stars; led by Ted McNamara. Their particular style of music was described as “a blend of Irish hoe-down, up-country sloppy-joe rock ‘n’ roll soft-core gay porn.”
By then, Barney’s Beanery was no longer open 24 hours a day. Since the first remodel in 1973, the new interior featured pastel booths — the look described by The Los Angeles Times as a skid-row version of Denny’s.
In 1985, the offending sign — “Fagot Stay Out” [sic] was finally removed by then-West Hollywood Mayor, Valerie Terrigno. It helped matters that the city threatened owner Irwin Held with a $500-a-day fine. He reluctantly agreed to comply.
Terrigno said at the time, the restaurant “has had a history of acceptance and friendliness to all kinds of people”, but added the similarly-offensive matchbooks “showed a strain of intolerance”.
Irwin Held operated the landmark restaurant until 1999 and passed away in 2013.
