Thursday, March 13, 2008

Larchmont hall

  • Larchmont Hall
  • Larchmont Village
  • Events held at Larchmont Hall
  • Larchmont Goes Punk
  • Favorite Nearby Places
Larchmont Hall
Larchmont Hall was located at 180 N. Larchmont Boulevard, Los Angeles.  It was built in 1947. At first it was referred to the new Larchmont Hall.  The original Larchmont hall was downtown Los Angeles at 19th and Main Streets. 

Larchmont  hall was used for over 30 years by the community and for a wide variety of social, educational, and recreational activities such as;  local parish council meetings, clubs meetings, community theater, public information gatherings, dances, recreation, rummage sales, art exhibitions and charity fundraisers.  

Larchmont Hall - cir 1977 

photo source: Hollywood Photographs.com

Same view today

2008 photo: tlc

Entrance to old Larchmont Hall w/ driveway

2008 photo: tlc

Larchmont Village 
Larchmont Village is a commercial street within the Windsor Square neighborhood of the Hancock Park district of Los Angeles. Larchmont Village is on Larchmont Boulevard between Beverly Boulevard and 1st Street (however shops do extend to Melrose Avenue to the north).
There are many upscale boutiques and sidewalk cafes along this Main Street.

Looking north up Larchmont from Beverly Blvd.
1948 photo source: Larchmont.com

It is a quaint and friendly shopping district in one of the oldest and historically significant neighborhoods in L.A.  Windsor Square runs from Wilshire to Beverly Boulevards and from Arden Boulevard to Van New Avenue. Hancock Park is the neighborhood immediately to the west of Windsor Square.


Many of the homes in the neighborhoods ow Hancock Park and Windsor Square were built in the 1910's and /20's. They and range in styles from small bungalow to grand old estate. 

Hancock Park 

2008 photo: tlc


2008 photo: tlc

Looking north on Plymouth Blvd. - near 5th St.

2008 photo: tlc

From the 1940's through the '70's - Larchmont Hall served as a meeting hall for all types of social and civic organizations. 

Events held at Larchmont Hall 

1940's & '50's 
1960's 
1970's
  • Adoption Guild Bazaar to benefit Holy Family Adoption Service of L.A.
  • Cordon Blew cooking School
  • International Jazz Film Festival
  • Southern California Hot Jazz Society monthly jam sessions 
  • Southern California Chapter of the Embroiderer's Guild
The number of community events held at Larchmont Hall dwindled substantially in the 1970's. 
The hall struggled for survival. The neighborhood demographics were changing. Many well-to-do residents left this aging mid-city area for the newer, more fashionable San Fernando Valley or Orange County.  Many social clubs moved out with them. 
 
1977 Larchmont Hall Goes Punk
In the Summer of 1977 sleepy little Larchmont Village became of pocket of punk music as Larchmont Hall host several fund raising benefit concerts for Slash magazine. 

SLASH fanzine
 In 1977/78, Los Angeles had several fanzines reporting on the local music scene including:  Lobotomy, Flipside, Bomp, Back Door Man, and Poseur. 

Probably the most widely read and best L.A. best alternative music magazine was SLASH. SLASH started up in 1977.  It dealt solely with new wave music. SLASH staff included co-founder Philomena, Steve Samiof editor, Claude Bessy (aka Kickboy Face) chief writer and Melanie Nissen photographer.  They were about 20 contributors. 

However, the fanzines business is not a very profitable industry.  The point of a fanzine is to promote fandom.  Consequently, most fanzines had a very short life. 

To help make ends meet,  fanzines often sponsored  benefit concerts which featured local punk rock bands.

In July 1977 - SLASH  sponsored the first of several benefits for itself at Larchmont Hall.
Bands included: 
the Screamers
Germs 
Dils

July 8 1977
the Weirdo's
Zero's
Germs


At these shows, there was a huge amount of interaction between the band and the audience.  When the crowd started to pogo dance, the hall's managers often told the band to stop and would either pull the plug or turn off the lights. This just caused the crowd to go more wild.
August 5, 1977


August 16/17 1977
2nd benefit for Slash
  • Screamers
  • Dils
  •  Germs

October 21, 1977  - Slash Magazine Benefit
Dils
Avengers
X
March 24, 1978
Skulls,
Deadbeat
F-Word 
Fear
April 21 1978
the Germs
the Bags
Middle Class
the Controllers

April 21, 1978  concert flier


May 26, 1978 
Zero's 
Clones
the Last
Johnny Novotny

June 9, 1978
Controllers
 Shakers 
 Middle Class

Larchmont Hall continued to be used for monthly jazz performances until the late 1970's. 

In 1979 til 1983 Larchmont Hall became a clothing warehouse for the The London Shop. At the time there were six London Shops in Los Angeles. One was inside the Roosevelt Hotel. They Featured British imports in men's clothing and accessories. 

sourch: Los Angeles Times

Today the old Larchmont hall building is occupied by a photography studio and agency. Though  Surprisingly it is still intact, stage and all. 

Up the flight of stair to the hall

2008 photo: tlc

Looking down the hall towards the old hall

2008 photo: tlc


Favorite Places Nearby Larchmont Hall




131 N. Larchmont Blvd

Today, it is worth going out of your way to go to Village Pizzaria - truly Los Angeles treasure. 



200 photo: tlc


2008 photo: tlc

535 N. Larchmont Blvd

2008 photo: tlc

Hollywood Cemetery (Hollywood Forever)
6000 Santa Monica Blvd


2008 photo: tlc


2008 photo:tlc




2008 photo: tlc

5555 Melrose Avenue
Paramount Pictures Melrose Ave. Gate

2008 photo: tlc

Former RKO Radio Pictures
780 Gower Street at Melrose Ave.

2008 photo: tlc
Lucy's El Adobe restaurant
5536 Melrose Avenue


2008 photo: tlc
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The Fugitive escaped down the Larchmont Hall "alley" (driveway) in Nightmare at Northoak, and "rented a room back there" in another episode. A still of the "alley flight scene" was used in the intro in Seasons 2-4.

July 4, 2012 at 6:21 PM

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