Jim Dawson (1) (1944–)

If you've seen enough film noirs, you start to recognize the same part of downtown L.A. in quite a few. Although I'm pretty selective on the noir films I've collected, no fewer than seven were filmed in Bunker Hill.I can't call myself an Angelino, but I did live in the basin in the 60's and my father worked in the financial district next to Bunker Hill. This book pretty much covers everything you need to know about the area, from its genesis as a wealthy neighborhood to its demise as a collection of cheap flophouses that were once mansions and hotels. It becomes famous outside of L.A. once Raymond Chandler puts the Hill in his detective novels as a scene for murder and mayhem. Then, its fame got a huge boost from the many noirs filmed there. Although some of the landmarks in those films still existed in the 50's, everything was razed to make way for all those glittering office buildings and museums that are there today. For instance, the Walt Disney Concert Hall takes up the block where the grand Melrose Hotel stood (built in 1881). But the funicular, Angels Flight, still exists. Dawson does a good job of collecting photos and lists of the films, and his writing ain't bad. Dawson holds the dubious honor of writing multiple (!) books on flatulence (I'm not kidding!).

For a film noir fan like me (and yes, I do own a fedora), this is gold.… (more)