THE DRIVE IN

Subscribe to Podcast

19 Comments

  1. March 19, 2013

    Lovely picture.I believe that building is now gone.I am a fan of Deco and Modernism and that building must fall somewhere into one or other of those categories.

    One of the attractions for me of old films of the same period is watching the sets as much as the picture itself.Such elegance.

    • March 19, 2013

      I think it was a chain throughout the city, and I can’t think of one still standing 🙁
      The architectural tradition here — is — impermanence. Although some conservation efforts are underway, only Pasadena has really strong ordinances.
      I’m still working on the Robin Hood sets…

      • March 19, 2013

        Over here if a building has not subsided in the first ten minutes after construction we preserve it forever.I of course exaggerate as even where I live the local authorities knocked down an 18th century coaching inn before a preservation order could be slapped on it.

      • March 19, 2013

        The first conservation effort in Bev. Hills involved a Neutra because the owner had applied for a permit to cap the utility lines… Which was a tip off to the preservationists – that’s usually the first piece of paperwork that’s filed here before a building is torn down. When I read the house had been saved I cheered.

  2. March 19, 2013

    Wouldn’t it be great if we could just snap our fingers and return to that time, just for a day? At least we have these photos to enjoy.
    It’s 15 degrees here, so really, I’d be happy to snap my fingers and return to any time that’s not today! 🙂

    • March 19, 2013

      Grey and gloomy here… And, while we’re snapping our fingers I’d like one of those fabulous old cars too! 🙂

  3. March 19, 2013

    Vickie I have a request for a possible posting re the British film star Leslie Howard who is probably best known for his part in Gone With The Wind.

    He was really a most interesting man and as you may know perished over The Bay Of Biscay in 1943 when the commercal airline on which he was on enroute from Lisbon to Bristol in the Uk.His plane was attacked by eight German Junkers and shot down in flames without there being any survivors.

    There has long been the belief that this was no opportunistic shootdown but part of deliberate attempt to remove him because of the Anti-German propaganda he was involved in.There is also the possiblity that Howard not only played hero but actually was one and with disregard for his own life was was an agent for British Intelligence.This is rather like Danial Craig actually being a James Bond character.

    At the moment of writing I have just come across the information that a documentary film about Leslie Howard has been completed by Tom Hamilton.Its called-Leslie Howard-The Man Who Gave A Damn.

    Howard in fact had Jewish ancestory as well, which is a fact that would not have endeared him to the Nazi Movement.His full name Leslie Howard Steiner was changed to Stainer to avoid its German sound.

    He was in good company so did the Royal Family during The First World War.

    By the way there are many great pictures of Howard available.For many he remains alongside a few others as being an English archtype of the period.

    • March 19, 2013

      Your wish is my command! I love Leslie Howard Steiner, his comedic talents are now largely overlooked.

      I’ll look into Tom Hamilton’s documentary. His efforts in the war I’d heard of, but now I’ll have to research…

      Thank you,
      V

  4. March 19, 2013

    Great photo!!! The things that we’ve lost to progress and modernisation. 🙁

    • March 19, 2013

      I was walking through a shopping mall the other day, and when I exited all I could think of it was the inhuman scale – it felt like architecture to shunt cattle through.

      • March 19, 2013

        Good call! Modern architecture mainly has no heart, soul, passion, or music. It is for the most part, functional. Sad but true.

      • March 19, 2013

        It’s funny you should mention music. Some of the newer shopping meccas have been designed around the concept of an outdoor town square (much better) and one that I’m thinking of in particular plays an endless loop of Frank Sinatra!

      • March 19, 2013

        Brilliant!! Now if they could just do one around Dean Martin! LOL

  5. March 19, 2013

    LOVE the new format!! It’s perfect.

    • March 19, 2013

      Thank you, you inspired me! Actually, you and http://le0pard13.com/ switched at about the same time and I figured I’d better get with the program 🙂

  6. March 19, 2013

    Dear V
    Why con’t they make motor cars and sandwich bars like that anymore?
    Also, does the sign on the building actually say ‘no cocktails’ or are my eyes deceiving me?
    Isn’t that just the oddest thing?
    Yours ever
    The Perfumed Dandy

    • March 19, 2013

      I thought it said the same thing… very odd, indeed! Although, what goes with a sandwich? Perhaps, beer? Oh, I know. No cocktails because you can’t have alcoholic beverages in your car!

  7. March 19, 2013

    It says “No Cocktails”? Drat. I thought it said “80 Cocktails”.

    • March 20, 2013

      Your eyes are probably better than mine 😉 let’s go with 80.

Comments are closed.