New Seniors

Looking back to my teenage years in Southern California during the mid-1950s, my reminiscences include fond memories of a place called “Hollywood” and its iconic boulevard.  Although it sounds exciting, my experiences were very similar to countless others of my generation growing up around the country in those idyllic postwar years.

In those early mid-century days, Hollywood Blvd., was a mile long boulevard of shops devoid of souvenirs and T-shirts and even, its Walk of Fame.  Instead, it offered a eclectic mix of bookstores, men’s and women’s wear, stationery, furniture, restaurants and movie theatres—similar to many other towns across the U.S.

Although television’s lure had begun siphoning off the movie going audience, the big screen’s first run films were still drawing crowds, especially in Hollywood.  I still recall sitting in a packed Graumann’s Chinese Theatre to see “Giant.” Griffith Park with its famed Observatory and scenes from “Rebel Without A Cause” was in my backyard, but it was the story, not the location, with which we identified.

My early years were spent in Silverlake, an area east of Hollywood, but at the epicenter of the town’s earliest pioneers and home of the Mack Sennet Studio.  Downtown was a quick street car ride away.  The hustle and bustle of downtown with its many department stores was the major shopping and business destination.

Hollywood wasn’t as easy to get to and usually involved a short car ride.  And for parents and out of town guests, it was the entertainment destination—boxing and wrestling matches, variety at Ken Murray Blackouts, radio shows, clubs and restaurants and dancing at the Hollywood Palladium.

I grew up hearing stories about the early studios.  Later after moving to the west San Fernando Valley, I went to school with Roy Roger’s and Dale Evan’s daughter, Sheryl, occasionally we’d see Mickey Rooney at our local market, fathers worked at a studio or a shop—we were just kids growing up.

But for me, a banner day was window shopping the length of Hollywood Boulevard with my best friend, Nan, whose father was the manager of the famed Cinegrill at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.  The boulevard offered other enticements including young servicemen on leave from Camp Pendleton and innocent flirting was a popular pastime.

By the mid-50’s, Hollywood was the premiere cruising destination. Teenagers converged from points north, east, south and west to make the Sunset and Hollywood Boulevard loop with a stop for a burger, malt and fries at the Tiny Naylor Drive-In at LaBrea and Sunset.  We inched along rather than “cruised,” a moving parking lot.

Each night, Hollywood Boulevard was Main Street, like a scene from “American Graffiti” but we weren’t in a small town—this was Hollywood.  Car radios blared with early rock ‘n roll and occasionally we stopped at Music City at Sunset & Vine to listen to a record in a private booth or buy the latest 45rpm hit single.

So what was it like growing up in the 50’s in Los Angeles?  Not that different from many small towns across the U.S.  Stars? Celebrities?  We couldn’t have cared less. Our eyes were only on each other and the cars we drove.  Hollywood:  Main Street U.S.A.

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Nyla Arslanian

Nyla Arslanian is editor of Discover Hollywood Magazine, a publication about the unique culture and lore of Hollywood, www.discoverhollywood.com.  In 2008, she received the Hollywood Arts Council’s Community Arts Award for 30 years of service to her community and the arts.  She can be reached at nylarts@yahoo.com.

Don Potter: Editor-in-Chief

Don Potter, a veteran of the ad agency business, is a Philadelphia native currently living in Los Angeles. He is the author of an acclaimed marketing book, The 50+ Boomer: Your Key to 76 Million Consumers. In retirement, Potter has written two novels, hundreds of articles and is a frequent lecturer. A leading advocate for those 65+, he is a founder of NewSeniors.com.

1 Comment

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nanciii says:

February 20. 2010 at 3:38 am

Nyla:
Reading your article took me back to those growing-up years in a small town outside of Philadelphia, PA. Similar situations, different locations. Life was good back then, even though we didn’t know how good it really was at the time. But we pre-boomers share a lot of ‘stuff’, which other generations don’t even know much about. . .
Nancy J

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