124-593: The Spring Street Courthouse , formerly the United States Court House in Downtown Los Angeles , is a Moderne style building that originally served as both a post office and a courthouse . The building was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood and Louis A. Simon, and construction was completed in 1940. It formerly housed federal courts but is now used by Los Angeles Superior Court . The United States Court House initially housed court facilities for
248-509: A central plaza which faced the first church . The area passed to American control in 1847, and the small town grew to 11,000 by 1880, The business district was centered along Main Street between the Plaza and First Street. Land speculation increased in the 1880s, which saw the population of the city explode from 11,000 in 1880 to nearly 100,000 by 1896. Infrastructure enhancements and the laying of
372-566: A " vagrant " by white Americans and taken before a justice of the peace ; those who did were subsequently sold at public auction into de facto slavery . In Los Angeles, the public auction took place at a site now occupied by the courthouse. The enslavement of indigenous Californians by white Americans was a crucial part of the California genocide . Built between 1937 and 1940 by the Federal Public Works Administration , this
496-472: A "special assignment" with the First Motion Picture Unit following basic training. The Washington Star reported that Gable took a physical examination at Bolling Field on June 19, preliminary to joining the service. "Mr. Gable, it was learned from a source outside the war department, conferred with Lieutenant General H. H. Arnold, head of the air forces yesterday." The Star continued, "It
620-529: A Catholic priest who knocks Gable down in a boxing ring. The film was a box office hit and remains the third-highest-grossing film of Gable's career. Their next film together was the Academy Award–nominated box office success Test Pilot (1938), with Myrna Loy, who made seven pictures with Gable. He plays Jim Lane, the test pilot of the title; Tracy is his sidekick mechanic, Gunner Morse. For their final film, 1940's Boom Town , Tracy would play
744-509: A Spanish Franciscan missionary charged with exploring sites for Catholic missions in California , noted in 1769 that the region had "all the requisites for a large settlement". On September 4, 1781, Los Angeles was founded by a group of settlers who trekked north from present-day Mexico. Like most urban centers in the Spanish Empire , the town grew in a grid-like street pattern around
868-642: A Western with Jane Russell and Robert Ryan . Both were profitable, although only modest successes, earning Gable his first profit sharing royalties. In 1955, Gable would be 10th at the box office – the last time he was in the top ten. That same year, Gable married fifth wife Kay Spreckels (née Kathleen Williams). A former fashion model and actress, she had previously been married three times: first to Charles Capps (1937–39), then to Argentinian cattle tycoon Martín de Alzaga (1942–43), and to sugar-refining heir Adolph B. Spreckels Jr. (1945–52). Gable became stepfather to her son Bunker Spreckels , who went on to live
992-412: A co-star from Test Pilot and Idiot's Delight , that newspapers reported might be the next Mrs. Gable. Professionally, Gable's first movie after World War II was Adventure (1946), with Greer Garson , by then the leading female star at MGM. Given the famous teaser tagline "Gable's back, and Garson's got him", the film was a commercial hit, earning over $ 6 million, but a critical failure. Gable
1116-605: A copy of the best-seller, which he refused to read. His total salary was $ 117,917 for the film ($ 2,582,890 in 2023 ). Butler's last line in Gone with the Wind , " Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn ", is one of the most famous lines in movie history. Gable was an almost immediate favorite for the role of Rhett with both the public and producer David O. Selznick . Since Selznick had no male stars under long-term contract, he needed to negotiate with another studio to borrow an actor. Gary Cooper
1240-595: A cost of $ 588-million. This new bridge replaced a 1932 viaduct of the same name which was demolished in 2016 due to a fact that it would collapse if there were a major earthquake, and alkali-silica reaction – colloquially known as “concrete cancer.” Pedestrian and bicycle access points link to other projects such as 12 acres of new park space below the viaduct. Shopping centers include FIGat7th , and The Bloc Los Angeles , an open-air shopping area. Others include Japanese Village Plaza in Little Tokyo , City National Plaza ,
1364-486: A dozen theater and movie palaces built before 1932. Department stores, most that had grown from local dry goods businesses, moved from Spring and Main streets around Temple and 1st , to much larger stores along Broadway, including The Broadway , Hamburger's, which became May Co. , Robinson's , Bullock's , Coulter's , Desmond's , Silverwoods , Harris & Frank , and the Fifth Street Store /Walker's, serving
SECTION 10
#17328587060091488-577: A fifteen-story building. Even before construction began in May 1937, the Treasury Department realized two more floors would be needed. Congress did not appropriate the additional funding until the initial fifteen-story building was finished in January 1939. The building's top two stories and penthouse were added between April 1939 and March 1940. At the time of its completion, it was the largest federal building in
1612-479: A film about an illicit romantic affair, with Joan Crawford (who was then married to Douglas Fairbanks Jr. ). Adela Rogers St. Johns later dubbed Gable and Crawford's real-life relationship as "the affair that nearly burned Hollywood down". Louis B. Mayer threatened to terminate both their contracts, and for a while, they kept apart when Gable shifted his attentions to Marion Davies as he costarred with her in Polly of
1736-426: A film career. Gable and Dillon traveled to Hollywood in 1924. Dillon became his manager and also his wife; she was 17 years his senior. He changed his stage name from W. C. Gable to Clark Gable and appeared as an extra in such silent films as Erich von Stroheim 's The Merry Widow (1925), The Plastic Age (1925) starring Clara Bow , and Forbidden Paradise (1924) starring Pola Negri . He appeared in
1860-470: A landscaped one-acre site bounded by Spring, Main, Temple and Aliso Streets in the Los Angeles Civic Center , the courthouse is a major example of Art Moderne architecture, characterized by its stepped rectangular massing and restrained use of exterior ornamentation. Dark gray granite with pink swirls is used for the steps, retaining walls , and walkway borders. Above a polished granite base,
1984-459: A larger role, with billing directly under Gable and above Claudette Colbert and Hedy Lamarr . The picture, a lavish epic about two oil wildcatters who become partners then rivals, was a box office success, earning $ 5 million. Gable and Tracy were off-screen friends; Tracy was one of the few Hollywood industry luminaries who attended Lombard's private funeral. After Boom Town no more Gable-Tracy partnerships were possible; Tracy's success led to
2108-617: A leading role to do so. The film cost $ 2 million and grossed $ 4.5 million, making it one of the top moneymakers that decade. It used life-size replicas of the Bounty and Pandora , and was partly filmed in Catalina and French Polynesia . Gable made three pictures with Spencer Tracy , which boosted Tracy's career and permanently cemented them in the public mind as a team. San Francisco (1936), with Jeanette MacDonald , featured Tracy for only 17 minutes in an Oscar -nominated portrayal of
2232-465: A major bus terminal in downtown Los Angeles at the intersection of Seventh and Alameda streets. Los Angeles World Airports operates a direct shuttle, LAX FlyAway Bus, every 30–60 minutes between Union Station and Los Angeles International Airport . Downtown Los Angeles is home to several public parks, plazas, gardens and other open space: Several future park proposals for the district make use of public-private partnerships between developers and
2356-609: A new building across the Harbor (110) Freeway . Commercial growth brought with it hotel construction—during this time period several grand hotels, the Alexandria (1906), the Rosslyn (1911), and the Biltmore (1923), were erected—and also the need for venues to entertain the growing population of Los Angeles. Broadway became the nightlife, shopping and entertainment district of the city, with over
2480-539: A new contract and both stars had conflicting stipulations requiring top billing in MGM movie credits and on promotional posters. Despite his reluctance to play the role, Gable is best known for his Oscar-nominated performance in the Academy Award-winning best picture Gone with the Wind (1939). Carole Lombard may have been the first to suggest that he play Rhett Butler (and she play Scarlett ) when she bought him
2604-419: A newcomer whom MGM saw as a successor for both Crawford and the now-deceased Jean Harlow. Honky Tonk (1941) is a western where Gable's con-man/gambler character romances Turner, a prim, young judge's daughter. , Gable had been reluctant to act opposite the younger Turner in the required romantic scenes. But their chemistry served them well in this and three later films, with Honky Tonk finishing third at
SECTION 20
#17328587060092728-447: A notorious celebrity lifestyle in the late 1960s and early 1970s surfing scene, ultimately leading to his early death in 1977. Gable also formed Russ-Field-Gabco in 1955, a production company with Jane Russell and her husband Bob Waterfield , and they produced The King and Four Queens (1956), a film Gable thought would also star Russell to capitalize on The Tall Men 's moderate success. That role instead went to Jo Van Fleet . It
2852-432: A professional level. We had done it without him weeping several times and then we had one last try. I said, 'You can do it, I know you can do it, and you will be wonderful ...' Well, by heaven, just before the cameras rolled, you could see the tears come up at his eyes and he played the scene unforgettably well. He put his whole heart into it." The role was one of Gable's most layered performances and partially based on
2976-579: A rubber plantation in Indochina . Gable portrayed a plantation manager involved with Harlow's wisecracking prostitute; however, upon her arrival, Gable's character started to pursue Mary Astor's prim, classy newlywed. While some critics thought Harlow stole the show, many agreed that Gable was a natural screen partner. Gable's "unshaven love-making" with braless Jean Harlow in Red Dust made him MGM's most important romantic leading man. With Gable established as
3100-461: A sensitive issue and new image for Gable. Gable and Harlow were then teamed in Hold Your Man (1933), China Seas (1935), in which the pair were billed above Wallace Beery, and Wife vs. Secretary (1936) with Myrna Loy costarring and supported by newcomer James Stewart . A popular combination on-screen and off, Gable and Harlow made six films together in five years. Their final film together
3224-525: A series of two-reel comedies called The Pacemakers and in Fox's The Johnstown Flood (1926). He also appeared as a bit player in a series of shorts. However, he was not offered any major film roles, so he returned to the stage in What Price Glory? (1925). He became lifelong friends with Lionel Barrymore , who initially scolded Gable for what he deemed amateurish acting but nevertheless urged him to pursue
3348-737: A stage career. During the 1927–28 theater season, he acted with the Laskin Brothers Stock Company in Houston , Texas; while there, he played many roles, gained considerable experience, and became a local matinee idol. He then moved to New York City, where Dillon sought work for him on Broadway. He received good reviews in Machinal (1928), with one critic describing him as "young, vigorous, and brutally masculine". Gable and Dillon separated, filing for divorce in March 1929, while he began working on
3472-552: A star, MGM positioned him in the same manner as Harlow for Myrna Loy, a previously lesser billed actor in Night Flight , moving Loy to a costar role in Men in White , a movie filmed in 1933, though delayed in release due to pre-Code Legion of Decency cuts until 1934. The relationship of a doctor (Gable) and nurse ( Elizabeth Allan ) implied intimacy with a resulting complication of pregnancy,
3596-597: A start in acting until he turned 21 and received his $ 300 inheritance (equivalent to $ 5,461 in 2023 ) from a Hershelman trust. After his stepmother died in 1920, his father moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma , going back into the oil business. He worked with his father for some time wildcatting and sludge removing in the oil fields of Oklahoma before traveling to the Pacific Northwest. Gable toured in second-class stock companies, finding work with traveling tent shows , lumber mills, and other odd jobs. He made his way across
3720-580: A street grid eventually brought development south of the Plaza: Victorian Downtown Los Angeles in the 1800s and 1890s along Main, Spring and Broadway south to Third Street – all of which were razed to make way for today's Civic Center . After 1900, larger buildings were constructed along Broadway and Spring from Third to Ninth streets in what is now called the Historic Core . By 1920, the city's private and municipal rail lines were
3844-572: A supporting role again. He received extensive fan mail as a result of his performance; the studio took notice. The Hollywood Reporter wrote "A star in the making has been made, one that, to our reckoning, will outdraw every other star ... Never have we seen audiences work themselves into such enthusiasm as when Clark Gable walks on the screen." Gable co-starred in Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise) (1931) with Greta Garbo , and in Possessed (1931),
Spring Street Courthouse - Misplaced Pages Continue
3968-495: A three-cornered hat", one he had to be talked into by friend and producer Irving Thalberg , and of which Gable said "I stink in it" after filming. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) was a critical and commercial success, receiving eight Academy Award nominations. There were three Best Actor nominations for stars Gable, Charles Laughton and Franchot Tone , and the film won Best Picture , the second of three films in which Gable played
4092-637: A unit commander. (Prior to this, he and McIntyre were both first lieutenants.) Gable spent most of 1943 in England at RAF Polebrook with the 351st Bomb Group. Gable flew five combat missions, including one to Germany, as an observer-gunner in B-17 Flying Fortresses between May 4 and September 23, 1943, earning the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts. During one of
4216-530: A variety of genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades of which was as a leading man . He was named the seventh greatest male movie star of classic American cinema by the American Film Institute . Gable won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the romantic comedy , It Happened One Night (1934). He was further Oscar-nominated for his roles as Fletcher Christian in
4340-622: A variety of socioeconomic groups from across the city and suburbs. All but Coulter's would, in the 1920s–1950s, launch branches dotting shopping centers across a growing Southern California. Numerous specialty stores also flourished including those in the jewelry business which gave rise to the Downtown Jewelry District. Among these early jewelers included the Laykin Diamond Company (later becoming Laykin et Cie ) and Harry Winston & Co., both of which found their beginnings in
4464-418: A villainous chauffeur who knocked Barbara Stanwyck 's character unconscious for trying to save two children whom he was methodically starving to death. The supporting role was originally slated for James Cagney until the release of The Public Enemy catapulted him to star status. "His ears are too big and he looks like an ape", said Warner Bros. executive Darryl F. Zanuck about Gable, after testing him for
4588-472: A whole. The median household income in 2008 dollars was $ 15,003, considered low for both the city and the county. The percentage of households earning $ 20,000 or less (57.4%) was the highest in Los Angeles County, followed by University Park (56.6%) and Chinatown (53.6%). The average household size of 1.6 people was relatively low. Renters occupied 93.4% of the housing units, and home or apartment owners
4712-556: Is a movie so bad that it must be seen to be disbelieved." Next, he paired with Doris Day in Teacher's Pet (1958), shot in black and white at Paramount. He did Run Silent, Run Deep (also 1958), with co-star and producer Burt Lancaster , which featured his first on-screen death since 1937, and which garnered good reviews. Gable started to receive television offers, but rejected them outright. At 57, Gable finally acknowledged, "Now it's time I acted my age". His contracts began including
4836-481: Is accessible from various parts of the Los Angeles Basin. The cultural life has also made the area attractive to young tech employees. Two Bit Circus is the only amusement park located in the area. Anschutz Entertainment Group has its corporate headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. BYD Company , a Chinese technology firm, has its North American headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. The Last Bookstore
4960-502: Is an independent bookstore founded in 2005 by Josh Spencer, that was called California’s largest new and used bookstore by Conde Nast Traveler in 2019. Cathay Bank has its headquarters in the Los Angeles Chinatown . Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 – November 16, 1960) was an American film actor. Often referred to as the "King of Hollywood", he had roles in more than 60 films in
5084-524: Is located in downtown Los Angeles. DTLA is a node in the tech economy that extends beyond Silicon Beach . A venture capital firm counted 78 tech-oriented firms in DTLA in 2015. This included mobile apps, hardware, digital media and clean-tech companies plus co-working spaces, start-up incubators, and other related businesses. The Arts District has become a popular spot for companies seeking out something different from typical modern offices. The central location
Spring Street Courthouse - Misplaced Pages Continue
5208-411: Is on Gable and French Devil's Islands convicts in an escape from the penal colony, who on the way pick up a local entertainer (Crawford) whom Gable had met earlier in the movie. In their eighth and last film together, Gable and Crawford "again demonstrated their on-screen magic" and the film was among the top ten grossing films for the year. Gable then made his first film with 20-year old Lana Turner,
5332-812: Is similar, but has an additional lower story due to the slope of the site, and three entry bays rather than five. This elevation bears the seals of five additional federal departments: Navy , Interior , Agriculture , Commerce , and Labor . The Spring Street and Main Street lobbies have retained most of their original finishes and furnishings. These include polychrome terrazzo floors, ornamental plaster ceilings, and ornate aluminum light fixtures. The Main Street lobby has an oval plan and has walls of Tennessee brown marble with golden Sienna travertine accents and engaged columns of black and gold marble from Montana. The floor contains an inlaid, eight-pointed starburst design, in red, yellow and green terrazzo with Cardiff green marble accents. Two statues stand at opposite ends of
5456-651: Is the Civic Center , the administrative core of the city government . Historically, downtown held a dense concentration of banks , department stores , and movie palaces that drew residents and visitors of all socioeconomic classes, but after the 1950s the area began to experience an economic decline. Still, it remained an important center for various activities—government business in the Civic Center, banking on Bunker Hill , and retail and entertainment, especially for Hispanic Angelenos and immigrants, on Broadway . Since
5580-467: Is three stories high and recessed behind fluted columns. Each of the five entrance doorways consists of a pair of bronze doors capped by a projecting curved hood bearing a stylized eagle. Above each doorway, an elaborate aluminum grille extends to the full height of the bay. These grilles are decorated with flowers and the seals of five U.S. Government departments: State, Treasury, War, Justice, and Post Office. The opposite elevation, which faces Main Street,
5704-406: The 351st Bomb Group to England as head of a six-man motion picture unit. In addition to McIntyre, he recruited the screenwriter John Lee Mahin , camera operators Sgts. Mario Toti and Robert Boles, and the sound man Lt. Howard Voss, to complete his crew. Gable was promoted to captain while he was with the 351st Bomb Group at Pueblo Army Air Base , Colorado, a rank commensurate with his position as
5828-633: The COVID-19 pandemic . Downtown Los Angeles is divided into neighborhoods and districts, some overlapping. Most districts are named for the activities concentrated there now or historically, such as the Arts , Fashion , Banking , Theater , Toy , and Jewelry Districts. It is the hub for the city's urban rail transit system , as well as the Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink commuter rail system covering greater Southern California . Also located in downtown
5952-442: The Distinguished Flying Cross , Air Medal , American Campaign Medal , European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal , and World War II Victory Medal . He was a qualified aerial gunner having received his wings upon completion of flexible gunnery school at Tyndall field. Immediately after his discharge from the service, Gable returned to his ranch and rested. Personally, he resumed a pre-war relationship with Virginia Grey ,
6076-587: The Financial District , many historic office buildings have been left intact, which is simply used for storage or remaining empty during recent decades. In 1999, the Los Angeles City Council passed an adaptive reuse ordinance , making it easier for developers to convert outmoded, vacant office and commercial buildings into renovated lofts and luxury apartment and condo complexes. As of early 2009, 14,561 residential units have been created under
6200-625: The Gone with the Wind premiere in segregated Atlanta , because African American actors Hattie McDaniel and Butterfly McQueen were not permitted to attend. He reportedly only went after McDaniel pleaded with him to go. They appeared in several more films, remaining life-long friends and he always attended her Hollywood parties. Gable did not want to shed tears for the scene after Rhett inadvertently causes Scarlett to miscarry their second child. Olivia de Havilland made him cry, later commenting, "Oh, he would not do it. He would not! Victor (Fleming) tried everything with him. He tried to attack him on
6324-540: The Historic Core neighborhood. Despite its relative decentralization and comparatively new high-rises (until 1958, the city did not permit any structures taller than the 27-story City Hall building ), Los Angeles has one of the largest skylines in the United States , and its development has continued in recent years. The skyline has seen rapid growth due to improvements in seismic design standards, which has made certain building types highly earthquake-resistant. Many of
SECTION 50
#17328587060096448-523: The Homer Laughlin Building , and the Los Angeles Mall . Downtown Los Angeles is flanked by Echo Park to the north and northwest, Chinatown to the northeast, Boyle Heights to the east, Vernon to the south, Historic South Central and University Park to the southwest, and Pico-Union and Westlake to the west. Downtown is bounded on the northeast by Cesar Chavez Avenue , on
6572-691: The Hotel Alexandria at Fifth and Spring streets. Following World War II , suburbanization , the development of the Los Angeles freeway network, and increased automobile ownership led to decreased investment downtown. Many corporate headquarters slowly dispersed to new suburbs or fell to mergers and acquisitions. As early as the 1920s once-stately Victorian mansions on Bunker Hill were dilapidated, serving as rooming houses for 20,000 working-class Angelenos. The Broadway theaters saw much use as Spanish-language movie houses during this time, beginning with
6696-620: The Spring Street Financial District . Sometimes referred to as the " Wall Street of the West ," the district held corporate headquarters for financial institutions including Bank of America , Farmers and Merchants Bank , the Crocker National Bank , California Bank & Trust, and International Savings & Exchange Bank. The Los Angeles Stock Exchange was also located on the corridor from 1929 until 1986 before moving into
6820-727: The United States District Court for the Southern District of California , until the District was redrawn in 1966. It thereafter functioned as a court house with judges from the United States District Court for the Central District of California . In 2016 the federal courts moved to the new First Street Courthouse . There is another federal court house in the Roybal Building in Downtown Los Angeles . In February 2006, it
6944-521: The sonnets . His father had financial difficulties in 1917 and decided to try his hand at farming, and moved the family to Palmyra Township , near Akron, Ohio . His father insisted that he work the farm, but Gable soon left to work in Akron for the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company . Gable was inspired to become an actor after seeing the play The Bird of Paradise at age 17, but he was unable to make
7068-650: The Circus (1932). Gable was considered for the role of Tarzan in Tarzan the Ape Man , but lost out to Johnny Weissmuller 's more imposing physique and superior swimming prowess. Gable then starred as the romantic lead in Strange Interlude (1932), again teaming with Shearer, the second of three films they would make together for MGM. Next, Gable starred with Jean Harlow in the romantic comedy-drama Red Dust (1932) set on
7192-714: The DTLA area. It was not a "census" but rather a comprehensive survey of Downtown LA consumers. An additional study by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District showed that by 2017 the population reached 67,324. In early 2020 the population was estimated to have exceeded 80,000 at the end of 2019. Downtown Los Angeles is the center of the region's growing rail transit system, with six commuter lines operated by Metrolink , as well as six urban rail transit lines and local and regional bus service operated by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). Major Metro stations in
7316-543: The Los Angeles stage production of The Last Mile , Gable was offered a contract with Pathe Pictures . His only film for them and first role in a sound picture was as the unshaven villain in their low-budget William Boyd Western , The Painted Desert (1931). The studio experienced financial problems after the film's delayed release, so Gable left for work at Warner Bros . The same year in Night Nurse , Gable played
7440-599: The Midwest to Portland, Oregon , where he worked as a necktie salesman in the Meier & Frank department store. Also working there was local stage actor Earle Larimore , (the nephew of Laura Hope Crews who portrayed Aunt Pittypat alongside Gable in Gone with the Wind ) who encouraged Gable to return to acting. Though Larimore didn't invite him to join his theater group The Red Lantern Players, he did introduce Gable to one of its members, Franz Dorfler, and they started dating. After
7564-536: The United States Court of Appeals on the sixteenth floor is also finished in walnut, with a plaster ceiling, but has less elaborate detailing than the second-floor courtrooms. One of Los Angeles' most distinguished buildings, the United States Courthouse is directly on axis with, and complements, the massing of the twenty-eight-story Los Angeles City Hall (1926–1928), located across Temple Street to
SECTION 60
#17328587060097688-407: The United States Courthouse from the federal government for some of its civil and complex civil departments. This meant the building would again be used as a courthouse, but would now host a state court instead of a federal court. Other portions of the U.S. Court House remain in use by certain federal agencies, including the U.S. Attorney's office, and Probation and Pretrial Services . Located on
7812-564: The Wind "hardly befitted a national idol" and began a career decline for Gable. On August 12, 1942, following Lombard's death and his completion of the film Somewhere I'll Find You , Gable joined the United States Army , under the Army Air Forces . Lombard had suggested that Gable enlist as part of the war effort, but MGM was reluctant to let him go. Commanding General of the U.S. Army Air Forces Henry H. "Hap" Arnold offered Gable
7936-626: The World War II romantic intrigue film, Idiot's Delight (1939). He plays a nightclub singer that doesn't recognize former love (Shearer) while Nazis are closing in on guests at a hotel on the brink of war. The film is memorable for Gable's song and dance routine, "Puttin' on the Ritz" and an alternative ending. Gable also starred in Strange Cargo (1940), a romantic drama with Joan Crawford , costarring Peter Lorre and Ian Hunter . The film's focus
8060-429: The adaptive reuse ordinance, leading to an increase in the residential population. With 28,878 residents in 2006, 39,537 in 2008, and over 60,000 in 2017, downtown Los Angeles is seeing new life and investment. Multiple Olympic and Paralympic events will be held in DTLA during the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics . After six years of construction, the new Sixth Street Viaduct opened on July 9, 2022 at
8184-451: The age difference". The publicity only helped ticket sales as the film finished No. 7 at the box office, grossing 8.2 million for the year, easily his most popular hit since he returned to MGM after the war. Despite the positive critical and public response to Mogambo , Gable became increasingly unhappy with what he considered mediocre roles offered by MGM, while the studio regarded his salary as excessive. Studio head Louis B. Mayer
8308-455: The age of 59. William Clark Gable was born on February 1, 1901, in Cadiz, Ohio , to William Henry "Will" Gable (1870–1948), an oil-well driller, and his wife Adeline ( née Hershelman). His father was a Protestant and his mother a Catholic. Gable was named William after his father, but he was almost always called Clark, and referred to as "the kid" by his father. Gable was six months old when he
8432-505: The box office that year. Since the couple had been popular with the public, Gable and Turner were quickly paired again in Somewhere I'll Find You (1941) as war correspondents who travel to the Pacific theatre and get caught up in a Japanese attack. The movie was another hit finishing No. 8 at the box office for 1942. Film historian David Thomson wrote the quality of his movies after Gone With
8556-651: The building as consulting architect to the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department. The actual plans were prepared by the Supervising Architect's Office. Underwood was acclaimed for his public architecture. His work includes lodges in National Parks, over two dozen post offices, a number of federal courthouses, and the magnificent United States Mint in San Francisco . The original plan specified
8680-453: The building in 1947 to gather information on Hollywood personalities suspected of Communist involvement. In 1973 the federal government case against Daniel Ellsberg for leaking the "Pentagon Papers" was heard in the courthouse. In 2016, the Central District moved to the New U.S. Court House on First between Broadway and Hill, leaving the building's courtrooms empty. In 2018, the Los Angeles County Superior Court began leasing courtrooms in
8804-441: The building was under construction, L.A. City Council removed the flat roof ordinance as of 2015. The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Central Health Center in downtown Los Angeles. The Southern California Liaison of the California Department of Education has its office in the Ronald Reagan State Building in downtown Los Angeles. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Los Angeles Branch
8928-568: The cadets with their commissions. Arnold then informed Gable of his special assignment: to make a recruiting film in combat with the Eighth Air Force to recruit aerial gunners. Gable and McIntyre were immediately sent to Flexible Gunnery School at Tyndall Field, Florida , followed by a photography course at Fort George Wright , Washington State and promoted to first lieutenants upon its completion. On January 27, 1943, Gable reported to Biggs Army Airfield , Texas to train with and accompany
9052-569: The city of Los Angeles, including a public park at the proposed Nikkei Center development in Little Tokyo ; a 1-acre (4,000 m ) park at the Medallion development in the Historic Core; and a pocket park at the Wilshire Grand Hotel replacement project, currently under construction. Additionally, the city recently completed a new park located on the 400 block of South Spring Street in
9176-556: The congestion they could bring to the streets, and height limit ordinances were a common way of dealing with the problem. In 1911, the city passed an updated height limit ordinance, establishing a specific limit of 150 feet (46 m). Exceptions were granted for decorative towers such as those later built on the Eastern Columbia Building and United Artists Theatre, as well as the now-demolished Richfield Tower . The pattern of buildings in Los Angeles to feature flat rooftops
9300-495: The conversion of the Million Dollar Theater in the 1950s to a Spanish-language theater. In the early 2000s, the neighborhood became popular with Artists and Creatives due to low rent, open loft space, and many vacancies. In mid-2013, downtown was noted as "a neighborhood with an increasingly hip and well-heeled residential population". Because of the downtown area's office market's migration west to Bunker Hill and
9424-429: The couple's audition for The Astoria Players, Gable's lack of training was evident, but the theater group accepted him after cajoling from Larimore. Gable and Dorfler moved to Astoria, Oregon , touring with the group until its bankruptcy, and then moved back to Portland where Gable obtained a day job with Pacific Telephone and started receiving dramatic lessons in the evening. Gable's acting coach, Josephine Dillon ,
9548-413: The director Frank Capra , Gable's character in the film closely resembled his real personality. Gable returned to MGM a bigger star than ever. From 1934 until 1942, when World War II interrupted his movie career, he was near the top of the box office money-makers lists. Gable's first movie role back at MGM was to portray reluctant leader of mutineers Fletcher Christian , an "Englishman in knickers and
9672-561: The district include Union Station , Civic Center/Grand Park station , Pershing Square station , 7th Street/Metro Center station , Pico station , Little Tokyo/Arts District station , Historic Broadway station , and Grand Avenue Arts/Bunker Hill station . Amtrak operates intercity passenger train service on five routes through Los Angeles Union Station : the Coast Starlight , Pacific Surfliner , Southwest Chief , Sunset Limited , and Texas Eagle . Greyhound Lines operates
9796-625: The drama Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), and Rhett Butler in the historical romance drama Gone with the Wind (1939). He received Golden Globe Award nominations for his comedic roles in Teacher's Pet (1958), and But Not for Me (1959). He also starred in Call of the Wild (1935), Key to the City (1950), and Mogambo (1953). His final on-screen role was as an aging cowboy in The Misfits (1961). Gable
9920-531: The early 2000s, downtown has experienced a renaissance of economic revitalization, including the Crypto.com Arena in downtown's south end, and the restoration and repurposing of historic buildings in the area. The Tongva village of Yaanga was located in what is now downtown Los Angeles, possibly near or underneath where the Bella Union Hotel was located (now Fletcher Bowron Square ). Father Juan Crespí ,
10044-511: The east by the Los Angeles River , on the south by the Los Angeles city line with Vernon, on the southwest by East Washington Boulevard and on the west by the 110 Freeway or Beaudry Avenue, including the entire Four Level Interchange with the 101 Freeway . The neighborhood includes these districts: The 2000 U.S. census found that just 27,849 residents lived in the 5.84 square miles of downtown—or 4,770 people per square mile, among
10168-536: The film Combat America in September 1944, giving the narration himself and making use of numerous interviews with enlisted gunners as focus of the film. Because his motion picture production schedule made it impossible for him to fulfill reserve officer duties, he resigned his commission on September 26, 1947, a week after the Air Force became an independent service branch. Gable was awarded military honors for service:
10292-462: The high cost of the all-star cast. Variety said, "[Gable's] is a believable delivery, interpreting the brigadier-general who must send his men out to almost certain death with an understanding that bespeaks his sympathy with the soldier... ". A very public and brief romance with Paulette Goddard occurred after that. In 1949, Gable married Sylvia Ashley , a British model and actress previously married to Douglas Fairbanks Sr . The relationship
10416-608: The lobby. "Law," depicting a young woman with a tablet, is by Archibald Garner . The other, titled The Young Lincoln , is by local art student James Lee Hansen ; it won a Federal Works Agency competition The Spring Street lobby, which originally accommodated the post office, is larger, with a rectangular plan, and has a higher ceiling than the Main Street lobby. It is similar to the Spring Street lobby in its finishes. Four murals, originally installed in this lobby, were removed when
10540-451: The lower-rank Columbia studio, for one film It Happened One Night , to teach Gable a lesson, but Columbia wanted him and had paid handsomely for it. The result was that Gable won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his 1934 performance in the film. "Critics praised the fast-paced farce that would enter in a whole new romantic genre: the screwball comedy." Gable's career was revitalized by his whimsical, good-natured performance and to
10664-431: The lowest densities for the city of Los Angeles but about average for the county. The Southern California Association of Governments estimates that downtown's daytime population is 207,440. The population increased to 34,811 by 2008, according to city estimates. By the end of 2019, the population of the district had grown to 85,000 residents, and 7,956 residential units were under construction. The median age for residents
10788-509: The men he served with, such as former Tech. Sgt. Ralph Cowley, said Gable actually unofficially joined other missions and the above five were only a fraction of the total. Adolf Hitler favored Gable above all other actors. During World War II, Hitler offered a sizable reward to anyone who could capture and bring Gable to him unscathed. In November 1943, Gable returned to the United States to edit his film, on an old Warner's lot donated to
10912-495: The missions, Gable's aircraft was damaged by flak and attacked by fighters, which knocked out one of the engines and shot up the stabilizer. In the raid on Germany, one crewman was killed and two others were wounded, and flak went through Gable's boot and narrowly missed his head. When word of this reached MGM, studio executives began to badger the Army Air Forces to reassign its most valuable screen actor to noncombat duty. Many of
11036-456: The most far-flung and most comprehensive in the world in mileage, even besting that of New York City . By this time, a steady influx of residents and aggressive land developers had transformed the city into a large metropolitan area, with DTLA at its center. Rail lines connected four counties with over 1,100 miles (1,800 km) of track. During the early part of the 20th century, banking institutions clustered around South Spring Street, forming
11160-475: The new skyscrapers contain a housing or hotel component. Some current and upcoming examples of skyscraper construction include: The first height limit ordinance in Los Angeles was enacted following the completion of the 13-story Continental Building , located at the southeast corner of Fourth and Spring streets. The purpose of the height limit was to limit the density of the city. There was great hostility to skyscrapers in many cities in these years, mainly due to
11284-437: The pair was recognized by studio executive Louis B. Mayer , who would not only put them in seven more films but also began reshooting Complete Surrender , replacing John Mack Brown as Crawford's leading man and retitling the film Laughing Sinners (1931). His fame and public visibility after A Free Soul (1931), in which he played a gangster who shoved the character played by Norma Shearer, ensured that Gable never played
11408-484: The part. He later conceded, "I think I know now how a fly must react after being caught in a spider's web." According to Lennie Bluett, an extra in the film, Gable almost walked off the set when he discovered the studio facilities were segregated and signage posted "White" and "Colored". Gable phoned the film's director Victor Fleming and told him, "If you don't get those signs down, you won't get your Rhett Butler." The signs were then taken down. Gable tried to boycott
11532-425: The personality of director and friend Fleming. Years later, Gable said that whenever his career would start to fade, a re-release of Gone with the Wind would soon revive his popularity, and he continued as a top leading actor for the rest of his life. One reissue publicized "Clark Gable never tires of holding Vivien Leigh". Between his marriage to Lombard and her death, Gable again costarred with Norma Shearer in
11656-551: The play Hawk Island in New York which ran for 24 performances. In April 1930, Gable's divorce became final, and a few days later he married Texas socialite Maria Franklin Prentiss Lucas Langham, nicknamed "Ria". After moving to California, they were married again in 1931, possibly due to differences in state legal requirements. In 1930, after his impressive appearance as the seething and desperate character Killer Mears in
11780-595: The post office moved out. Two by Lucien Labaudt ( Life on the Old Spanish and Mexican Ranchos , and Aeroydynamism ) and one by Edward Biberman ( Los Angeles Prehistoric Spanish Colonial ) have been returned. Eight original courtrooms for the U.S. District Court are located on the second floor. Designed according to four different plans, they are all three stories in height and similarly finished with walnut wainscoting and plaster ceilings bordered by various geometric designs such as stars, waves, and squares. The courtroom of
11904-418: The rest. In 2000, there were 2,400 military veterans living downtown, or 9.7% of the population, considered a high rate for the city but average for the county overall. In 2010, census data concluded that 40,227 people lived in downtown Los Angeles. In 2013, a study by Downtown Center Business Improvement District showed that of the 52,400 people resided in downtown Los Angeles, the demographic breakdown
12028-433: The role. Gable followed this up with Homecoming (1948), where he played a married doctor enlisting in World War II and meeting Lana Turner's army surgical nurse character with a romance unfolding in flashbacks. After that he made the war film Command Decision (1948), a psychological drama with Walter Pidgeon , Van Johnson , Brian Donlevy , and John Hodiak . It was a hit with audiences, but it lost MGM money due to
12152-517: The second male lead in the studio's gangster drama Little Caesar (1931). After his failed screen test for Zanuck, Gable was signed in 1930 by MGM's Irving Thalberg for $ 650 per week (equivalent to approximately $ 13,023 in 2023 ). He hired the well-connected Minna Wallis, a sister of producer Hal Wallis , as his agent, whose clients included actresses Claudette Colbert , Myrna Loy and Norma Shearer . Gable's arrival in Hollywood occurred when MGM
12276-401: The second–most diverse neighborhood in Los Angeles, its diversity index being 0.743, outrated only by Mid-Wilshire . The ethnic breakdown in 2000 was Latinos , 36.7%; blacks , 22.3%; Asians , 21.3%; whites , 16.2%, and others, 3.5%. Mexico (44.7%) and Korea (17%) were the most common places of birth for the 41.9% of the residents who were born abroad, about the same ratio as in the city as
12400-505: The seventeen-story steel-frame building is clad with a pale pink matte-glazed terra-cotta veneer. It is rectangular in plan, and steps back at the fourth and sixth stories. Above this rises a slab-like tower with a central two-story penthouse. The window openings are organized in vertical strips and set back from the facades. Sandblasted aluminum spandrels separate the paired double-hung windows. The roofs are flat and concealed by tall parapets. The main entrance, which faces Spring Street,
12524-565: The south. It is also across the street from the fourteen-story Beaux Arts-style Hall of Justice (1925). Downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles ( DTLA ) is the central business district of the city of Los Angeles . It is part of the Central Los Angeles region and covers a 5.84 sq mi (15.1 km ) area. As of 2020, it contains over 500,000 jobs and has a population of roughly 85,000 residents, with an estimated daytime population of over 200,000 people prior to
12648-544: The tall, shy child with a loud voice to be well-dressed and well-groomed. She played the piano and gave him lessons at home. He later took up brass instruments, becoming the only boy in the Hopedale Men's town band at age 13. Gable was mechanically inclined and loved to repair cars with his father, who insisted that he engage in masculine activities such as hunting and hard physical work. Gable also loved literature; he would recite Shakespeare among trusted company, particularly
12772-440: The war effort, assigned to the 18th AAF Base Unit (Motion Picture Unit) at Culver City, California , where other stars contributed with any film equipment they had as well. In June 1944, Gable was promoted to major . While he hoped for another combat assignment, he had been placed on inactive duty and on June 12, 1944, his discharge papers were signed by Captain (later U.S. president) Ronald Reagan . Gable completed editing of
12896-474: The western United States. The post office, located on the ground and first floors, moved to another site in 1965. The expanding U.S. District Court then took over the space. The U.S. Court House has been the venue for a number of notable court cases, beginning in the 1940s with paternity cases against Clark Gable and Charlie Chaplin , and a breach of contract suit filed by Bette Davis against Warner Brothers . The House Un-American Activities Committee met in
13020-519: Was Betrayed (1954), an espionage wartime drama with Turner and Victor Mature . Critic Paul Mavis wrote, "Gable and Turner just don't click the way they should here...poor plots and lines never stopped these two pros from turning in good performances in other films." In March 1954, Gable left MGM. His next two films were made for 20th Century Fox : Soldier of Fortune , an adventure story in Hong Kong with Susan Hayward , and The Tall Men (1955),
13144-416: Was Saratoga (1937), a bigger hit than their previous collaborations. Harlow died during its production. The film was ninety percent completed, and the remaining scenes were filmed with long shots or the use of doubles like Mary Dees ; Gable said he felt as if he were "in the arms of a ghost". When MGM head Louis B. Mayer decided that Gable was getting difficult and ungrateful, he loaned Gable out to
13268-631: Was Downey Block , the northwest corner of Temple and Main that was eventually used for the 1910 and 1937 courthouse buildings was a slave market during the mid-19th century, after California had been incorporated into the Union. In 1850, the California State Legislature signed into law the Act for the Government and Protection of Indians , which allowed for any indigenous Californian to be declared as
13392-400: Was 39, considered old for the city and the county . Downtown Los Angeles is almost evenly balanced among the four major racial and ethnic groups— Asian Americans (23%), African Americans (22%), Latinos (25%) and non-Hispanic whites (26%)—according to an analysis of 2010 census data made by Loyola Marymount University researchers. A study of the 2000 census showed that downtown was
13516-432: Was 52.7% Caucasian, 20.1% Asian, 17.0% Latino, and 6.2% African-American; 52.9% female, 47.1% male; and 74.8% of residents were between the ages of 23–44. The median age for residents was 34. The median household income was $ 98,700. The median household size was 1.8. In terms of educational attainment, 80.1% of residents had completed at least 4 years of college. The study was a self-selecting sample of 8,841 respondents across
13640-605: Was Gable's only time as producer. He found producing and acting to be too much work and this Raoul Walsh western was the only film made. After turning down the lead role in Universal-International's Away All Boats , his next project was the Warner Bros. production Band of Angels (1957), co-starring Yvonne De Carlo and featuring relative newcomer Sidney Poitier ; it was not well received, despite Gable's role's similarities to Rhett Butler. Newsweek said, "Here
13764-543: Was Kelly in Astor's role, with both receiving Academy Award nominations, Gardner for Lead Actress and Kelly for Supporting Actress. While on location in Africa, reports of an affair between Gable and Kelly began to surface (the result of private dinners the stars were having), but their relationship was an intense friendship according to costar Gardner, with Kelly herself later commenting on the lack of any sexual aspect, "maybe because of
13888-454: Was Selznick's first choice. When Cooper turned down the role of Butler, he was quoted as saying, " Gone With the Wind is going to be the biggest flop in Hollywood history. I'm glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling flat on his nose, not me." By then, Selznick had become determined to hire Gable, and set about finding a way to borrow him from MGM. Gable was wary of potentially disappointing an audience that had decided that no one else could play
14012-530: Was a favorite of Gable's, and he was very disappointed when her mental health problems caused her to be replaced in Mogambo by Grace Kelly . Mogambo (1953), directed by John Ford , was a somewhat sanitized and more action-oriented remake of Gable's hit pre-Code film Red Dust , with Jean Harlow and Mary Astor. Ava Gardner, in her third and final pairing with Gable, was well received in Harlow's leading lady role, as
14136-484: Was a theater manager in Portland. She paid to have his teeth fixed and his hair styled. She guided him in building up his chronically undernourished body, and taught him better body control and posture. He slowly managed to lower his naturally high-pitched voice, his speech habits improved, and his facial expressions became more natural and convincing. After a long period of her training, Dillon considered Gable ready to attempt
14260-465: Was acclaimed for his performance in The Hucksters (1947), a satire of post-war Madison Avenue corruption and immorality, which co-starred Deborah Kerr and Ava Gardner . The film was popular with audiences, placing 11th at the box office, but both Variety and The New York Times reviewed it as a sanitized version of the novel with script issues, that was heavy on Gable screentime, who struggled in
14384-859: Was baptized at a Roman Catholic church in Dennison, Ohio . When he was ten months old, his mother died. His father refused to raise him in the Catholic faith, which provoked criticism from the Hershelman family. Gable and his father were active in the Methodist church where his father was a Sunday School teacher. The dispute was resolved when his father agreed to allow him to spend time with his maternal uncle Charles Hershelman and his wife on their farm in Vernon Township, Pennsylvania . In April 1903, Gable's father married Jennie Dunlap (1874–1920). Gable's stepmother raised
14508-425: Was fired in 1951, amid slumping revenue and increased Hollywood production costs, due in large part to the rising popularity of television. The new studio head, former production chief Dore Schary , struggled to maintain profits for the studio. Many long-time MGM stars were fired, or their contracts were not renewed, including Greer Garson and Judy Garland . Gable refused to renew his contract. His last film at MGM
14632-462: Was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as U.S. Court House and Post Office . It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2012, as the site of Gonzalo Mendez et al v. Westminster School District of Orange County, et al , a major legal case in advancing the civil rights of Mexican-Americans, and a precursor to the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case. Before it
14756-851: Was looking to expand its stable of male stars, and he fit the bill. He made two pictures in 1931 with Wallace Beery . In the first, he had a seventh-billed support role in The Secret Six , although his role was much larger than the billing would indicate, then he achieved second billing in a part almost as large as the film's star Beery in the naval aviation film Hell Divers . MGM's publicity manager Howard Strickling started developing Gable's studio image with Screenland magazine playing up his "lumberjack-in-evening-clothes" persona. To increasing popularity, MGM frequently paired him with well-established female stars. Joan Crawford asked for him to appear with her in Dance, Fools, Dance (1931). The electricity of
14880-407: Was one of the most consistent box-office performers in the history of Hollywood, appearing on Quigley Publishing's annual Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll sixteen times. He appeared opposite many of the most popular actresses of their time. He frequently acted alongside Joan Crawford , Myrna Loy , Jean Harlow , Lana Turner , Norma Shearer and Ava Gardner . Gable died of a heart attack in 1960 at
15004-526: Was profoundly unsuccessful; they divorced in 1952. Gable did a series of films with female co-stars: Any Number Can Play (1950) with Alexis Smith , Key to the City (1950) with Loretta Young , and To Please a Lady (1950) with Barbara Stanwyck . They were reasonably popular, but he had more success with two Westerns: Across the Wide Missouri (1951), and Lone Star (1952). He then made Never Let Me Go (1953) opposite Gene Tierney . Tierney
15128-538: Was the result of a 1974 fire ordinance which required all tall buildings in the city to include rooftop helipads in response to the devastating 1974 Joelma Fire in Sao Paulo, Brazil , in which helicopters were used to effect rescues from the flat rooftop of the building. The Wilshire Grand Center was the first building granted an exception by the Los Angeles City Fire Department in 2014. However, as
15252-481: Was the third federal building constructed in Los Angeles. The first Los Angeles federal building , completed 1892, housed the post office, U.S. District Court, and various federal agencies, but it soon proved inadequate. The second Los Angeles federal building was used from 1910 to 1937 when it was razed for construction of the Spring Street Courthouse. Gilbert Stanley Underwood was selected to design
15376-834: Was understood that Mr. Gable, if he is commissioned, will make movies for the air forces. Lieutenant Jimmy Stewart , another actor in uniform, has been doing this." Gable had expressed an earlier interest in officer candidate school , with the intention of becoming an aerial gunner upon enlisting in bomber training school. MGM arranged for his studio friend, the cinematographer Andrew McIntyre, to enlist with him and accompany him through training. On August 17, 1942, shortly after his enlistment, he and McIntyre were sent to Miami Beach, Florida , where they entered USAAF OCS Class 42-E. Both completed training on October 28, 1942, and were commissioned as second lieutenants . His class of about 2,600 students (of which he ranked about 700th) selected Gable as its graduation speaker. General Arnold presented
#8991