Here’s a terrific one-take driving view of the Sunset Strip on a long-forgotten afternoon in 1967. (There are helpful supered street signs to orient you–Havenhurst, Crescent Heights etc.). We are looking south, starting somewhere east of La Cienega, passing the ruins of the demolished Garden Of Allah (dig the hippie/druggie types stoning out on the grounds) as well as grabbing a nice view of the then ten or so year old Litton Savings Bank. (That whole corner mall has now been demolished to make way for the Frank Geahry condo/office/mall behemoth that will soon make traffic on the strip an absolute catastrophe).
This was the Strip that existed when my family moved to LA in the late 60s and I remember the look and smell of it quite well. Indeed the smell that resonates is one from a delicious Barbecue joint in the mall on the southeast side of Crescent Heights and Sunset. Just watching this nice little time capsule of an era gone by is making me crave a double portion of baby backs. And who’s the sweetie at 2:15 who spies the camera and, clearly thinking her chance at a screen test has finally arrived, starts waving and vogueing and preening for her ‘audience’? Let’s say she’s 20 years old in this footage. That means she’s now a woman of 74. Is she still living? And if so, does she still live in the neighborhood? Any information would be appreciated…