Los Angeles County, Post-War Boom, 1946-1962

1953, Hollywood Freeway over the Four-Level Interchange, or "The Stack". Courtesy of the California Dept. of Transportation.  Thank you to Los Angeles County Post-War Boom, 1946-1962.  

Gunfire. Commandos. Hostages. All components of a January 4th Siege on City Hall, staged by the War Department in 1944.

Shots of Chinatown come in at the 1:24 mark.

California Internment of Japanese began in 1942 and ended in 1944, 

On December 18, 1944, the Supreme Court handed down two decisions on the legality of the incarceration under Executive Order 9066. Korematsu v. United States, a 6–3 decision upholding a Nisei's conviction for violating the military exclusion order, stated that, in general, the removal of Japanese Americans from the West Coast was constitutional. However, Ex parte Endo unanimously declared on that same day that loyal citizens of the United States, regardless of cultural descent, could not be detained without cause.^[227][228] In effect, the two rulings held that, while the eviction of American citizens in the name of military necessity was legal, the subsequent incarceration was not—thus paving the way for their release.

1944, Hostage situation at the City Hall.  

Mazzy Star, "Fade Into You", 1993

Sunset Boulevard at N. Hill Place, 1925

1925, Sunset Boulevard at Hill Place. A building advertising Coca-Cola at front and side, stands on top of a hill. (Security Pacific National Bank Collection)  Thank you to LAPL.  

View of the Pontoon Bridge between Terminal Island and San Pedro, 1958

1958, View of the Pontoon Bridge between Terminal Island and San Pedro.  It was built in 1943 and was supposed to be temporary.  It lasted nearly 25 years.  Thank you to Bruce Dunseth.  

San Gabriel Riverbed, Duarte, 2022

San Gabriel Riverbed, Azusa

Duran Duran's 1992, "Ordinary World," Consequential, Momentous, perhaps Portentous?

 

"Ordinary World," 1992, Duran Duran.  It's funny that when I hear this song, I am not reminded of 1992, but instead I am cast back all the way to 1982 when I was 25-years-old and working for United Parcel Service, 1979-1986.  Age had little meaning to me, only health.  As long as I was healthy to do the work at UPS, I was good.  

This song among many captures for me the age when I was 25 in 1982 when I realized the momentous and consequential, I wanted to say portentous, feeling of that age and the ill-formed visions that were cobbled where, whatever I chose, I knew that I would be on my own.  It was the feeling of being dispossessed of skills or training, everything except money, except youth, that here was I was poised to embark on a life with no support, no skills, no direction.   And that I would be the one who would bear all the responsibility for my failures that would mercilessly be pinned on me, and others would delight in it.  That no wife, friend, ally, partner, family member would aid me or bail me out of bad situations.

"Things Have Gone to Pieces," George Jones, 1965

1965, "Things Have Gone to Pieces," George Jones, 1965.

Lyrics thanks to ZA Lyrics.

"Things Have Gone To Pieces"

Oh, the faucet started

Drippin' in the kitchen

And last night your picture

Fell down from the wall

Today the boss said "Sorry,

I can't use you anymore."

And tonight the light bulb

Went Out in the hall

[Chorus:]

Things have gone to pieces since you left me

Nothing turns out half-right now it seems

There ain't nothing in my pocket,

But three nickels and a dime

But I'm holding to the pieces of my dream

Somebody threw a baseball

Through my window

And the arm fell off

My fav'rite chair, again

The man called me today and said,

"He'd haul my things away

If I didn't get my payments made by ten."

[Chorus:]

Things have gone to pieces since you left me

Nothing turns out half-right now it seems

There ain't nothing in my pocket,

But three nickels and a dime

But I'm holding to the pieces of my dream...

Carpenter Bill Crawford works on the framing of Dairy Valley’s in Cerritos new Richard Gahr High School, 1964

1964, Carpenter Bill Crawford works on the framing of Dairy Valley’s (Cerritos) new Richard Gahr High School at 11111 Artesia Blvd. between Studebaker and Gridley roads, 1964.  Thank you to Bruce Dunseth.  

Frontierland's Golden Horseshoe, Disneyland, CA, 7/18/1955.

1955, Opening day at Frontierland's Golden Horseshoe, Disneyland, CA, 7/18/1955.  Thank you to Anika Tabbasum.  Was here one year with Dad, Joe, and Marilyn D.  

Jack Dempsey Boxing in Santa Monica, 1920s. Dad would have loved this

1920s, Jack Dempsey boxing for a fund raiser in a ring outside the Gables Beach Club, Santa Monica, CA, 1920s.  Thank you to Bruce Dunseth.

APM Terminals, Los Angeles, March 2025

APM Terminals, Los Angeles.  

Striking Workers picket in front of Pabst Brewing Co. plant at 1920 North Main Street, 1954

1954, A lone picket parades across the entrance of the Pabst Brewing Co. plant at 1920 North Main street as workers went on a strike in wage dispute. More than 1100 men were idled when picket lines were set up around this brewery and another in Van Nuys by AFL International Union of Operating Engineers. The brewery, located at 1920-2026 N. Main Street, was designed by architect John C. Austin and built between 1898 and 1908. The facility was originally occupied by the Los Angeles Brewing Co., then by Eastside Brewery, and lastly Pabst Brewing Company. (Herald Examiner Collection).  Thank you to LAPL.  

John's Birthday

Dad loved to do little extras for people's birthdays.  Pretty great to have examples of his work even at this late a date.  This was probably 1985.

101, Ventura

 It's funny how much I think of my dad as drive 101 from Ventura to Monterey under the sun and occasional canopy of eucalyptus and cedars.  He used to take me, Tom, and Joe to Solvang for a pancake breakfast (I often got pigs in a blanket), air hockey they had in the motel Rec Room, and he'd always make a stop at Santa Inez Mission.  One year I bought a triptych and a tiny plaque of St. Michael driving Satan into Hell.  He loved stopping at Catholic churches in every new city he'd visit. I drove him to Monterey in 1985, three years before he passed, and he loved it and I loved the exclusive hours with him.  A great memory from that trip was him unscrewing the cup of a thermos and pouring me a cup of hot coffee that infused the car as I'm driving my green 1980 VW bug on the 101 at 5am outside of Thousand Oaks.

215 N. Hill Street, Burt Lancaster's Home in the 1949 movie, Criss Cross

1953, Panoramic view of the city west of downtown Los Angeles on a clear day (1953).  Thank you to Los Angeles History.

Panoramic shot, the city of Los Angeles is visible stretching west from downtown, bathed in sunlight on a clear day. The view captures the expansive nature of Los Angeles, where the skyline begins to emerge against the backdrop of the surrounding hills and valleys. During this time, the city was rapidly developing, with residential and commercial areas expanding beyond the city center. The clarity of the skies and the bustling streets highlight the optimism and promise of the post-war era. This image offers a rare opportunity to see Los Angeles before the density of the modern metropolis fully took shape.

Jim Dawson points out, 

The single two-story house halfway up the photo, toward the left side, was 215 N. Hill Street, just above the northern termini of the Hill Street tunnels. It was Burt Lancaster's house in the 1949 film noir, Criss Cross. Here's a close-up shot:

Flying Wing planes at the Northrop plant in Hawthorne, 1949.

1949, Flying Wing planes at the Northrop plant in Hawthorne, 1949.  Thank you to Lynn Thompson. 

MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, 1957

7th & Hope Streets, Los Angeles, 1933

1933, 7th and Hope Streets, Los Angeles (1933).  Thank you to Historical Los Angeles USA.

In 1933, the intersection of 7th and Hope Streets offered a glimpse into a bustling downtown Los Angeles. Streetcars and automobiles competed for space while pedestrians filled the sidewalks, heading into offices, shops, and cafes. This corner was part of a growing financial and retail hub, where Art Deco architecture rose alongside older brick buildings. The Great Depression was still gripping the nation, but the city’s rhythm carried on with resilience. Downtown LA in the early '30s was a mix of commerce, ambition, and changing times.

1940, Union Oil Building, 7th and Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA.  Thank you to Getty Images. 

Zachary All, 1983

from Wikipedia, 

Edward G. Nalbandian (December 29, 1927, Belmont, Massachusetts – February 22, 2006, Los Angeles) was the owner of Zachary All Clothing in Los Angeles, a store he opened in the 1950s at 8700 W. Pico Boulevard in the Pico-Robertson District, then moved to 5467 Wilshire Boulevard (just west of La Brea Avenue) in the Miracle Mile shopping district.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Nalbandian became a minor celebrity, making frequent appearances in (often live-streamed) commercials for his store and even on talk shows such as The Tom Duggan Show. In most of these commercials he would repeat variations on statements such as "Come on down to 5-4-6-7 Wilshire Boulevard" and that the suits at his store came in "cadet, extra short, regular, long, extra long and portlies". In one commercial, Nalbandian said of his low prices, "My friends all ask me, 'Eddie, are you kidding?' And I tell them no, my friend, I am not kidding." This inspired the Frank Zappa song Eddie, Are You Kidding? from the album Just Another Band from L.A. (1972), as well as Mark Volman's monologue to the audience in the track Once Upon a Time from the album You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 (1988).

Altadena, 1920s

The view looks northeast at the intersection of Cahuenga Boulevard and Yucca Street, 1950s

1950s, This early photo of Hollywood offers a lot to see. The view looks northeast at the intersection of Cahuenga Boulevard and Yucca Street, where the Halifax Hotel stands on the corner. In the distance, the Capitol Records building is clearly visible. Several large signs stand out, including one for the Hotel Knickerbocker. At the lower left, a sign for Biff’s Coffee Shop points toward a lot adjacent to the corner Union 76 station. Interesting note: Although Tiny Naylor was best known for his Tiny Naylor’s restaurant chain, his first restaurant in the area was Biff’s—named after his son.  Thank you to Jack Feldman.

from Water and Power Museum,

Halifax was known for its gangster clientele in the 1930s and 1940s.  Across the street, on the north side of Yucca (next to the Richfield station) was the apartment building where Ed Wood lived when he filmed most of his movies.  

The cool Googie restaurant on the north side of Yucca Street was across from the Green Apartments, where Carol Burnett lived with her grandmother while attending Hollywood High School in the 1950s.

History Thru Song

1977, "Watching the Detectives," Elvis Costello. 

1980, "Charlie Don't Surf" is a line from the 1979 war film Apocalypse Now, notably referenced in popular culture.  The song was released in 1979. 

from SongFacts,

The title comes from a line of dialogue spoken by the character Colonel Kilgore, a US cavalry officer obsessed with surfing played by Robert Duvall in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now. His most famous quote from that film - "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" - perhaps also inspired the lyric "Charlie's gonna be a napalm star."

1978, "Lotta Love," Nicolette Larson.  She's terrific in this 1980 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band song, "Make a Little Magic," 1980.

1980, Recorded in 1979, and released in 1980, Squeeze had a hit in the early 80s titled "Pulling Muscles from a Shell."  We thought it was one of the coolest songs.  Obviously, there was the British invasion of the 1960s, but there was also the psychedelic rock invasion of the British, too, with Led Zepellin and Hoco Param, but there was also the British invasion of the early 1980s with all of the new wave and Mod songs.  Will never forget the concerts I attended with Roy Parker, Lance, Chris, Sally, and others to see the English Beat and then The Specials on Halloween night.  Fantastic memory.  

1981, Men at Work, "Down Under," 1981.  I enjoyed taking Debbie Jordan from San Diego, who attended SDSU, home of the Aztecs. We attended a football game against Brigham Young. I was mildly impressed with that.  I met her in a bar down in Solana Beach in 1983. Joe and Mike L. were with.  We danced.  We drank 1 or 2, then asked the gals if they wanted to walk on the beach.  They did.  We walked and talked.  Joe went off with his date and kissed. I wasn't so lucky.  But I did get Debbie's phone number and we went out on a date. It was nice. I met her mother.  Later that summer I took her to a Men at Work concert at the Greek and had a blast.  I also invited her to a Halloween party out at Sally's.  Debbie's brother worked and lived in Pasadena, so she stayed with him. 

1981, Will never forget how this Men at Work song, "Who Can It Be Now?," 1981, played on the radio frequently through the night at the Baldwin Park UPS hub where I worked from 1980 to 1983.

1981, "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes got regular airtime.  

1982, Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out."  Another British tune under whose spell we were falling. 

1982, Psychedelic Furs, "Love My Way."  I was working at at UPS as a loader from 12am to 7am at the Baldwin Park facility, biding my time until my name on the list for drivers got called up.  I'd get off at 7am, go home and shower then run over to Citrus for one to two classes.  I think I took archery and golf.  Anyway, this Psychedelic Furs song played all the time on the radio, like KROQ.

1985, "After the Fire," written by Pete Townsend.  This analysis is pretty general but decent.  The song is basically about growing up without surrendering the creative fires.  The Matt Dillon line, "I saw Matt Dillon in black and white; there ain't no color in memories / He rode his brother's Harley across the TV while I was laughing at Dom DeLuise," is a reference to the 1983 Francis Ford Coppola movie, Rumble Fish, starring Matt Dillon.

1986, Eddie Money's, 1949-2019, song "Take Me Home Tonight," 1986, is great because of Ronnie Spector, 1943-2022, of the Ronettes, who sings that beautiful but powerful refrain, "Be My [Little] Baby," which is a tribute to her 1963 song of the same name.  "Just like Ronnie sang, Be My Little Baby."

1988, Edie Bricknell's "What I Am" got good airplay too.  She's the wife of Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel.  I can't recall too many experiences with regard to this song, although it kind of made me think of 

1998, "Iris," Goo Goo Dolls, 1998, sung by lead singer, John Rzeznik, who reminds me of Keith Urban.  The first time I saw this music video was in 2011 or 2012, close to my time ending with the murderous mobs of LAUSD.  And the singer and song made an impression on me that love seemed like everything, and it must because it's when we lose love that we feel isolated and broken.

2001, "In the End" by Linkin Park.  Like most songs of those years, I'd heard on the radio once or twice, couldn't identify the band, lead singer, or the title of the piece.  Then when I was out on a date with Joanne to Musso and Frank's in Hollywood, Joanne and I were sitting in my parked car and this Linkin Park played, and I said "Let me just sit here and listen to this."  And I couldn't believe the shattering voice of Chester Pennington, screaming for love, recognition, and gratitude for his sacrifices in his work.  I miss you, Joanne.

2010, Foster the People--Pumped Up Kicks, 2010.  My memory of this song makes me laugh because although it played regularly on the radio, I didn't quite hear the lyrics.  So when I first heard that "you better run, better run faster than my bullet," it shocked me.  LOL  Made me think again how degraded our culture was becoming.  The culture wasn't getting degraded.  I was.

2011, "Somebody That I Used to Know," a duet by Gotye [that's the guy's name] and Kimbra.  I was teaching at Jefferson New Tech, a small learning community, SLC, handed over to a pilot program under the helm of the incompetent gangbanging principal, Brenda Pensamiento