CLICK HERE and take a couple of minutes to venture down Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills, California, during the mid-thirties. In this very clear and sharp film complete with sound, you will see a wide variety of really interesting cars and trucks passing by, including a Rolls-Royce and a couple of Packards and a tow truck hauling another wrecked truck. Tell us what you like and can identify in the film.
Looks like a bit of a free for all. The crosswalks are painted but no white lane lines! Anyone know when they cam into common use?
James, You are right about that, glad you enjoyed it.
Interesting footage, I can’t help think the sound is dubbed, because although there seems to be shifting noises that fit the period, none of the other cars are audible.
Interesting point, at about 59 seconds into the film the car passes by “WilshirMart” which I tracked down to apparently have been at the intersection of Wilshire and Doheny. at 1:17 also on the left is a painted sign on the building for “Horton and Converse” drugs, which unbelievably is still in business, but apparently not at that location, but at Wilshire and Federal in West LA (unless the movie truck is actually going West and we were that far down…I was assuming we were going East, hard to tell)….At 2:05 we go by the Creswell Drug Store, also pictured here http://www.flickr.com/photos/1000photosofnewyorkcity/113813682/
and you can barely make out the HUGE Coca Cola sign on the building!
As I continue to investigate, I can see now that we are clearly going EAST in the movie, looking West, the slight jog to the right in the road is right by Robertson, take a look at this amazing site to see the change to modern day! There is a fade option….
http://www.whatwasthere.com/browse.aspx#!/ll/34.067042,-118.383602/id/41674/info/zoom/14/
Kevin, Thanks for all of the interesting details.
Is the car sitting at the kerb at 1:54 a Pierce-Arrow? It has the headlights attached to the fenders.