Looking for some historic information (Los Angeles, Orange: hotel, theater, restaurants)

[MightyFrog]

Hi all,

I'm wandering the web trying to find some basic info on L.A. in the 1950s. It's kind of a longshot, but I hoped someone on this forum might be able to help. I've found myself wishing for a special 1952 edition of Wikipedia lately. The main things I want to know are as follows
*What were the main industries in the city? The movie studios were obviously a big part of the economy, but I don't know much else.
*Where were the big nightspots and restaurants? I know about the Palladium, but what were some iconic L.A. joints in the 50s?

I actually found the forum through a Google hit on the recent photo thread; other photos of L.A. in the 50s would be great too. Thanks in advance for any help.

[Charles]

Aerospace was a lot bigger then (My dad worked here in the late 1950's: Lockheed, Teledyne, Hughes, Litton).

Agriculture was bigger too especially in the SFV and Orange County.

Online resources:
Check out the LAPL photo database.
Check out USC's digital history library
Check out CSUN's San Fernando Valley digital library

From the LA County Library in Rosemead I viewed actual 1950's Thomas Guides. Very interesting. There was no 405 if you can believe it. 101 ran as a freeway north only to Topanga Canyon. AAA in downtown LA has old historic maps. CSUN has a really cool map libarary with topographic maps from the 1920s. I walked in there with a scanner and a laptop and scanned away.

Another cool LA - icana thing is the Petersen Automobilia Museum on Fairfax to see exhibits of the LA car culture.

Sports:
Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Angels (Wrigley Field), Los Angeles Stars (Gilmore Field), stock car racing, horse racing, Los Angeles Dons football. Wrestling, boxing and roller derby at the Olympic Auditorium.

[DontH8Me]

A few decades before my birth, but I'll give it a try....

I have gathered from watching I Love Lucy that there was a place called "The Brown Derby" that was portrayed as being a celeb hang out - I believe this was a real place. In that episode she dumps food on William Holden if my memory serves me well.

I also remember from a Bugs Bunny/WB cartoon about the Cocoanut Grove at the Ambassador Hotel - where they held the Oscars some time ago, as well as the Roosevelt Hotel (they now have a place called the Tropicana Bar, but I don't know if that existed back in the 50s). I guess sometimes watching the tube you actually remember some stuff

Other nightspots would include El Capitan and the Mayan, the Egyptian, and the Chinese Theaters at the very least.

Schwab's Drugstore has also been mentioned a lot, namely as a place where Lana Turner was "discovered" but I believe that is actually a false story. That reminds me, I need to go watch LA Confidential again...