viewfromaloft

Downtown Vid Pick: 'Los Angeles in the 20s'

 

VID PICK HISTORY EDITION: There is no music with this clip. In fact, there is not much documentation other than the Ford logo on the title cards. This silent travelouge of Los Angeles takes you through Central Park (Pershing Square), downtown's "Retail District," University of California (aka UCLA), "The Old Plaza," and includes a rare glimpse at the Hill street tunnel that once bore through a larger footprint of Bunker Hill.

Previous like-minded clips:

Broadway in the 1980s [vfal]

1898 /  South Spring Street by Thomas Edison [youtube] + and how it looks now? [youtube]

Arts District as Silent Film Location for Buster Keaton [vfal]

 

Downtown Vid Pick: 'Tijuana Taxi'

 

 

Tijuana Taxi (1966) Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass

During the 60s, musical performances were delivered to the cocktail lounge culture through Scopitones,  where for a quarter you can watch Go-Go dancers shimmy with watered down Bob Fosse moves in saturated colors on a 26-inch monitor

Like jazz Soundies of the 40s and 50s, Scopitones were the predecessor to the music video and were optimistic their 16mm musical clips, first called "musies," would catch on in the finer lounges around the U.S. after being all the rage in Europe. However, they followed the same fate as Soundies –– and nightclubs in general–– unable to compete with television.

While Soundies left behind an archive of jazz and blues (some not so PC by today's standards),  Scopitones gave us an obscure library of camp. For better or worse, Downtown Los Angeles has its place in this short-lived form of music distribution, as seen in this clip of "Tijuana Taxi" filmed at Olvera Street in 1966.

There is no doubt the video makes Olvera Street look like a complete hi-fi tourist trap, but you gotta dig that retro opening title card.

PREVIOUS TOURIST TRAP: [1937 Travelouge on Olvera St]

Just the Facts on A Downtown L.A. Nativity Scene

 

The Nativity talk makes it a good time to trot out the 1953 Dragnet episode "The Big Little Jesus" that has Sgt. Joe Friday investigate the theft of a baby Jesus statue lifted from "the Old Mission Church."  Jack Webb re-shot the episode as "The Christmas Story" for Dragnet 1967, using the same church and again casting Harry Bartell as Father Xavier Rojas. Above is a mashup of the final scene from both versions edited by a YouTuber.

It is hard to imagine anyone not familar with the episode, but just in case consider this a spoiler alert.

Downtown aficionados may like the 1953 version for the sight of street cars passing City Hall's parking garage off Main St. And yes, that is a Sunset Blvd sign next to Our Lady Queen of Angels Church. At one time, Sunset Blvd ran directly to Union Station before realigned and connect to Macy St.

"Big Little Jesus" Part One /  Part Two / Part Three

 

Blessing of feathers and fur

A surprise from a large pet, and Cardinal Roger Mahoney takes offers blessings. 2007 Blessing the Animals /vfal

The influx of new Downtown pet owners may want to join the rest of Los Angeles for the Olvera Street tradition, the Blessing of the Animals. Hundreds of pets––from snakes, horses, dogs, cats, and birds––are in their finest wear for a ceremony that has pets (and owners) parade past Cardinal Roger Mahoney for a douse of holy water. Presented by Olvera St Merchants & El Pueblo Historical Monument, the tradition is held in grateful recognition of the tremendous services given to the human race by animals.  Pets and owners start lining up a few hours ahead of time, so get there early.

Blessing of the Animals
Bendicion de los Animales
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Noon to 5pm
Procession with Cardinal Roger Mahony
Begins at 2pm
For more information call (213) 625 7074 or (213) 485 8372

Musical Pause

Choir Boys: These three members of the Leo Politi Elementary School chorus are waiting for their musical cues during the program honoring former Olvera Street artist Leo Politi. More about that later, at blogdowntown . . ––  Speaking of BDT: A DotDotDash awaits. Photo / vfal

More on Leo Politi

A one day Jan 26 exhibition at the Pico House kicks off a year long tour of Leo Politi's works, some dating back to the 1930s. LAT profiles the Los Angeles artist;  Cecilia Rasmussen writes:

In 1961, when their small house was condemned along with many other homes on Bunker Hill to clear the way for office skyscrapers, the Politi family moved to Angeleno Heights. But Politi continued to go to Bunker Hill, protesting through his paintings the demise of the historic neighborhood.

His watercolor illustrations were reproduced in the 1964 book "Bunker Hill," in which Politi tells the story of "A Lady Named Rose," who came to symbolize neighborhood resistance to the demolitions. She was an elderly woman who lived in a "charming old place" painted a "rusty green color, mellowed by time," Politi wrote. When she was evicted, "she dragged her furniture downstairs all by herself, while her dog and cats stood by and watched."  [Street artist tapped into L.A.'s spirit]

Pictured: Leo Politi (1908-1996)

 

¿Dónde está Jesus?

I'll take a baby Jesus . . .to go: I drove back into town after spending the day in the outback and stopped off to get a shot of another impressive Christmas Tree, this one located in the parking lot of a King Taco. I noticed the outdoor nativity set nearby, so I went over to take a closer look.
The baby Jesus was missing.  Was it stolen or borrowed for a night?  The guard didn't know anything about it, nor did the counter people at the King Taco across the street. 

Maybe Life Will Imitate Classic TV: Here's the 1953 Dragnet episode "The Big Little Jesus" that has Sgt Friday answers a burglary call from the "Old Mission Church." Enjoy the tidy ending, and some location shots of the Red Car passing through El Pueblo.

Take a Little Trip With Me

Things you do for Dad: Too much of a good thing for this youngster at El Pueblo's First Annual Father's Day Olvera Street Car Show. He spent the day looking at "every" custom car on display. After the jump, Grandad stops to look+Shawn Remus of Orange County shines his First Place Best of Show Award that his Chevy just won+On the way home in "pink style"+The view to Union Station with cars filling the Plaza,