"Sky Scrappers"

Chester Conklin is out on a beam atop the newly completed Guaranty Bldg. at Hollywood Blvd. and Ivar in the 18 minute short "Sky Scrappers" (Christie / Paramount, December 1930). We see the vertical of the Pantages on the left and the Music Box Theatre further down the street. 

Thanks to Jeff Hamblin for identifying which film the image is from. It was directed by Arvid E. Gillstrom and also features Eddie Baker, Doris Hill and Blanche Payson.

The shot appears on page 35 of the Arcadia Publishing book "Location Filming in Los Angeles" by Karie Bible, Marc Wanamaker and Harry Medved. They have it identified as being from an earlier Conklin film, "Cleaning Up." The page with the photos is included with the book's preview on Google Books. Thanks to Bill Gabel for grabbing the the image for a post on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.

See the pages about the Pantages Theatre and the Music Box Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres website for hundreds of photos of the buildings.  

 

A still from the film with Chester Conklin, left, and Eddie Baker. Behind Conklin that's the Taft Building on the southeast corner of Hollywood and Vine. 

 

Another shot done on the roof of the Guaranty Building.  

 

We also get a look at the Melrose Theatre, 4315 Melrose Ave. Thanks to Jeff Hamblin for locating these three stills on eBay.  

 

See the page about the Melrose Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site. It opened in 1924 as Jensen's Melrose and is now the Ukranian Culture Center. 

 

 On IMDb: "Sky Scrappers" 

"Cleaning Up"

 

Chester Conklin and Mack Swain walk by the Melrose Theatre, 4315 Melrose Ave., a little over a minute into the 18 minute short "Cleaning Up" (Christie / Paramount, 1930). The film also features Estelle Bradley and Gibson Gowland. Harry Edwards directed. The cinematography was by Jack Breamer and Gus Peterson.

 

A moment later. See the page about the Melrose Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site. It opened in 1924 as Jensen's Melrose and is now the Ukranian Culture Center. 

 

 

We cut to this shot which could be in the vicinity of Vermont and Melrose. We later see the Ben Valle Co., a grocer at 4318 Melrose, and also an awning with "Lending Library" and the address 708 on it. The 700 block of Vermont is just north of Melrose.

We get some scenes shot on location at the end of the film. Most of the middle is backlot stuff. Jeff Hamblin notes that the film can be seen on the site Dr. Macro. It's indexed on that site's page about Paramount Shorts.

On IMDb: "Cleaning Up"