OXY in the Movies - Part 1

I just love seeing familiar places in old movies,  so this week I've decided to check out some of the oldest movies I could find that were shot on campus and try to match the angles from the movies!

One of the earliest movies that feature OXY was "Pigskin Parade" 1936 starring Jack Haley and introducing his future famous costar, Judy Garland!  Haley and his Patsy Kelly are shown below as husband and wife coaches.  In the background of the screen cap below Swan Hall is visible, but that is about it.  My photo taken from the same location in the middle of the Football Field shows Swan Hall being renovated,  and Herrick Chapel,  which was built way after Pigskin Parade was made!

Tomorrow, Judy Garland's Feature Debut,  right here in Eagle Rock!

OXY Squirrels!

Right now there are very few students or staff on Campus,  so the squirrels have taken over!  This little guy let me get pretty close before he jumped onto the fence and ran away!

OXY Pool

As a kid growing up across the street from the OXY Campus,  I spent many a summer day at the OXY Pool!   When I was little the facility was open and the neighborhood kids would walk right in the back door,  use the weight room if we wanted to,  and spent long afternoons swimming until the sun started to set.  Later,  the OXY Summer Drama Festival (where I spent most of my time once I was old enough to help) would throw company parties at the Pool. Great Memories!

Eucalyptus Shadows

While exploring the OXY campus for my upcoming series on classic movies shot at OXY,  I noticed these shadows cast on the walls of Herrick Chapel.  Herrick has always been an interesting anomaly for me,  it is so different from the original Occidental College buildings designed by Myron Hunt almost 100 years ago, yet somehow it works!

Gates and Fences - 1

Because the homes of Eagle Rock have such diverse styles,  so do the fences and gates surrounding them.  Almost every street I go down I see something new,  like this gate that looks like it is made of sunflowers!

Old Car and Bougainvillea

Another great old car seen on the streets of Eagle Rock.  I bet there is a great story here.  Who is driving it?  How long have they owned it?  Is this owned by a collector or just someone driving the old family car?

Finials Rainbow

When I was growing up we used to go to the old Julios Pizza.  When my boys were young this one one of our favorite restaurants.  Julio retired a few years back and the place has changed hands,  I just went by there and noticed the new paint job on the fence!

Weighing in at Tritch

When my dad took me to buy nails at Tritch Hardware,  I always asked to be the one who did the weighing! Years ago when my boys used to help me buy nails I realized they were the 4th generation of Nortons to use this old scale!

Hidden Curves

I must have passed by this detail on the old Library hundreds of times but only noticed it recently. Maybe it was covered with vines?  This is just another in a series of great details you won't find on a newly built building! They really DON'T "make them like they used to!"

Old Details

This light fixture is part of the DWP building near Eagle Rock High.  I used to walk by it on the way to school.  I have never seen these things lit up,   but I have always appreciated their design and details.

Tile Arch

Here's another detail on an Eagle Rock home that you might not see as you drive by.  I love walking the streets of my home town!

In the Shadow

A very familiar tower is this bell tower at the OXY Johnson Student Center.  The glass cover is a newer addition but the tower is part of the original 1928 building.  If you couldn't see the tower you could probably still hear the bells chiming the hour. What a pleasant sound, and one that takes me right back to my childhood growing up across the street from OXY!

Anyone Guesses?

Here's an angle on an object that many people have seen but few have noticed!  Is it a prison? a military ship mast? No, it is one of the light towers at the OXY football field! 

When I was a kid my bedroom window looked out towards that field. When there was a game or event I could hear the announcers and the crowds cheering like it was right next door.  Back then, the light towers were much larger,  a giant rectangular bank of huge incandescent bulbs in big reflectors.  The light was so bright that I made shadow figures on my wall from the shaft of light coming through my window! 

Reading Light

These sconces are mounted on the exterior of the Old Carnegie Library,  now the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock.  I don't remember these details as a kid, and they look new,  but they are certainly unique!  Are they reproductions or restored originals?  Does anyone know?

Sparkletts

I've grown up with Sparkletts being a local institution.  I have seen this building since childhood when I used to ride my bike past it on the way to school. I remember one day, back when the big bottles were made of glass,  I saw a truck take a turn too fast in their parking lot and all the bottles flew out and crashed to the ground!
A few year ago this building was opened up for an architectural tour that the L.A. Conservancy put on. I got to check out the insides, and learned that most of the big building is offices and bottling.  The "source" of the water is actually a small shack in the middle of their parking lot!

Misplaced Flower

While exploring the old building at the Yosemite Park I noticed this detail high up on an exterior wall.  The building is a simple stucco structure,  if anything with some spanish influences.  So what is this Tudor Rose doing on it?? 

Eagle Rock Fire Station

This is another childhood landmark for me, and it hasn't changed a bit!  I remember fondly going to the open houses every year and being able to climb on the fire trucks.  The first thing I ever wanted to be was a fireman,  that is, until I saw the Apollo Astronauts,  but that is another story!   When my boys were little I took them to this same fire station for the open house. A great tradition.  It is so nice to have little kids be able to interact with real heros!    

Shiny Nose

This big old American hunk o' metal was sitting alone on a shady street,  just waiting to have it's picture taken!  I love the green paint job!

Light Speed

As the sun set I thought I would try to capture the silhouettes of the palm trees,  what I ended up with is some cool light streaks from the passing cars!

Capri - Old vs. New

When my kids were little, this is where we took them! It was homey, funky,  and familiar. The food was good and plentiful.  I hadn't been back in a few years when I heard that the Capri was "made over" on a reality show.  The menu and the interior have been revamped, but luckily the old neon sign and the little pizza man remain the same! Has anyone been there since the change?

A Wider Perspective

Most of my photos or Eagle Rock have focused in on the details,  so I thought i would offer a different view of my home town.  This is a view from the mountains north of Eagle Rock Valley,  looking south to Downtown Los Angeles.  The 134 freeway is seen below, and in the middle of the picture is OXY Hill.  One of the things about Eagle Rock that makes it so interesting is the way it is nestled into the rolling hills of Northeast Los Angeles.  Every way you look you have a hill or mountain in the background!

Suds

While at the Carwash I noticed the soapy water gathering under my car.  It was a familiar texture,  and after looking at the picture for a while I realized, it reminded me of the soft wrinkled skin on the back of my Grandfather Norton's weathered hands.  My Grandpa was a hero to me as a little kid, so experienced,    so knowledgeable,  the things those hands had built and done always intrigued me!   

Safe at Tritch

While exploring Tritch Hardware,  I came across an old safe hidden in the corner of one of the aisles.  This old hunk of metal was probably around even before my grandfather shopped here in the 1950's!  I love that there is loose change lost under the safe!

Close-up Leaves

While exploring on Oxy Hill I found these leaves backlit by the setting sun.  One of my favorite things about doing this blog is that it forces me to stop and look more closely at everyday objects.  Try it,  you will be amazed by the beauty all around!

Out of Time

Another view inside the Eagle Rock Park Pavilion,  this time the old scoreboard and public address system.  I love the old wood box around the speaker,  another thing that looks like it hasn't changed in 50 years!

Reflecting on Walls

The Eagle Rock Park Pavilion holds a lot of memories for me.  The squeak of basketball shoes on the floor and the deep shiny wood walls have not changed a bit in my almost 50 years of visiting.  As I mentioned in a previous post,  these enormous wall panels are on pulleys and can be raised to create an open air space. It doesn't happen much anymore, but the park employee I spoke to says they are still in working order!

Amazing Transformation!

I first discovered this house when my realtor friend Tracy King had an open house there.  It was pretty run down and filthy,  almost scary in some cases!  The buyer has done a beautiful job,  and obviously put a lot of care and attention into the restoration, making this hidden home shine!  Another Eagle Rock success story!

FIRST 4th of July Flag?

Today I thought it would be nice to find a picture of an American flag blowing in the summer wind.  People fly the flag on many holidays, I thought,  this should be easy! I traveled down Colorado Blvd, then Eagle Rock Blvd, then over to OXY, no flags at all!  Then I went to the street where I grew up,  still no flags until went around a bend and saw my FIRST flag of the day.  Coincidentally, it was the FIRST house my dad built, and the FIRST house I lived at what I was just a baby!  

Happy 4th of July!

Red, White and Cool American Classic

The Forth of July Weekend is celebrated across America in many different ways including BBQs, Fireworks, and Picnics. Another thing I notice around this time of year is Classic Car shows! Here is an Eagle Rock car, in appropriate colors for this weekend's festivities!

Eagle Rock Park Trees

Another visit to Eagle Rock Park, this time I noticed my favorite colors in the trees framing the Pavilion overhang.  It's a hot and beautiful 4th of July Weekend!   Enjoy!

July Theme Day - The Colour Green

I have featured so many lovely green nature scenes over the last few months,  so I had to find something new.  How about this old "green"house?  Located on the grounds of one of the largest properties in Eagle Rock,  the Chateau Emanuel.  This house has always been the stuff of legend until recently.  The property was cleaned up and put on the market late in 2010.  Now we can see pictures of what it's like inside,  and if you have close to $6 million,  it can be yours!!  

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