Adam-12 at Vineland and Magnolia

Adam-12 at the colorful corner of Vineland and Magnolia, North Hollywood in 1973

What are those colorful businesses you caught a glimpse of in "Capture" Season 6, Episode 9 (and other episodes!)? One was Wide World Import Bazaar. Although the main store was in Pasadena, this lesser-known North Hollywood location made it into Adam-12. Northwest corner of Magnolia and Vineland, at 11011 Magnolia. All gone now, voltage tower and all, as the march of the Monster Boxes continues through Los Angeles. This glimpse of San Fernando Valley business history got captured on Adam-12. Anyone remember actually going in there?

Wide World's main location was in Pasadena:

The strangest thing for me is the high voltage tower right next to it.

Today the tower and the entire former building are gone, but farther south on Vineland (at least) one of these remains right next to the street. 

The other colorful building was Fiasco Automotive.

The 1932 structure is still there.

Fiasco had been in business since at least 1965. Unknown what color it was then.

Curious to know if it was the same streetlamp. [Street lamp, streetlamp -- apparently both!] 

Around Los Angeles some of the old-style ones are actually replicas (my friend looked into it), but I can't say for sure. I knocked on one of these in front of the El Portal on Lankershim, trying to decide if it had a heavy feel or felt cheap. Newly painted anyway. I honestly couldn't say. My feeling was "replica" -- but that's not to say replicas in front of the El Portal mean replicas on Magnolia and Vineland. That modern thing across the street in my photo below is HIDEOUS. Adam-12 drove by the El Portal here.

Another actual business you get a glimpse of is Hannig's Imported Car Service at 10940 Magnolia. 

Our Adam-12 boys were actually going to the Mobil station, after the art department had turned it into the comical "W." Instead of "Wesco," why not just put "free bird seed" for maximum laughs? 

Alas, the Mobil station is long gone, as is so much of North Hollywood (read: the Valley, Los Angeles, California, the world we once knew).

Tip for recognizing Vineland (i.e. they've left Lankershim briefly) -- it has a median down some of it. 

Yikes! Look at the air quality! It was much worse in the 70s.

There was more to this episode, but the colorful western corners of Magnolia and Vineland called to me first. Still, gratuitous Mac shots are a must:

Kent McCord as good comic book art

I know there was an Adam-12 comic book, but that was an artist trying to draw Kent McCord. Mr. McCord already has an amazing comic-book-art-come-to-life face, am I right? 

I always match every striking face to a Jack Kirby character, but I think Mr. McCord was actually drawn by my father's favorite artist, Joe Maneely. 

More location posts and Adam-12 location true crime research coming soon!

I Drove Adam-12's Patrol Route on Lankershim

I drove Adam-12's patrol route

I had to drive back to Los Angeles recently (November 11-13th, 2021) and as I was in the San Fernando Valley anyway, how could I not drive some of Adam-12's patrol route in North Hollywood and Toluca Lake. Nice to get my own photos to update and supplement the Google Map ones. Ideally I should have done this in the 80s. (Take me back!!!) I hope to integrate my shots into the appropriate episode posts, but for now a little sample.

After spending some of a hot (90 degrees!) afternoon walking around Riverside and Forman in Toluca Lake with my dear friend, I took surface streets back out of the Valley and -- after driving directly into the sun (awful!!!!!!!!!) east on Verdugo -- I dropped down to Moorpark and passed through Adam-12 Square at sunset. Dusky photo from my car here:

Yes, I did stop again on Saturday morning, parked and got out, and aimed the camera in all directions. I was alone, so nobody to take my picture in front of what was once Bob's Liquor. Alas! 

Friday, November 12th I was accompanied and out of the car on one of Adam-12's favorite San Fernando Valley location streets, Bloomfield east of Lankershim:

And at the zigzag 1960 (formerly) Universal Star Market:

Pre-Adam-12, some NoHo crime at the Universal Star Market:

I'll incorporate more of my recent photos into posts about Adam-12 locations, San Fernando Valley business histories, and vintage North Hollywood crimes "in due course," as my dear friend in Wales often says. 

Adam-12 Square on Police Story with Officer Smokey Robinson at Henry's Tacos

 Adam-12 Square (let's make it happen! Moorpark and Tujunga!) was used as a location on the anthology series Police Story, season 1, episode 18. Even more entertaining, the "Reed" character was played by Smokey Robinson. Yes. Smokey Robinson. 

While Adam-12 was Jack Webb's show of admiration and support for the LAPD and done by Universal, Police Story was police officer turned writer Joseph Wambaugh's look at the tormented lives of officers and done by Warner Brothers. [Note for non-Angelenos: Universal and Warner Brothers are basically kitty corner across the LA River and Barham Blvd. There's some "terrain" in between, but they're neighbors.] Police Story overlapped in time with Adam-12 beginning in 1973. Both series were on NBC.

Police Story was an hour-format and much more "adult." Like Adam-12, they went outside and showed you the actual city. Thank you! Much of Police Story showed downtown Los Angeles, and of course the area near Warner Brothers too. This episode, "Wyatt Earp Syndrome," must have been a nod to Adam-12, as actors Cliff Gorman and Smokey Robinson (!) are 1-Adam-19 and eating at Adam-12 Square. Presumably they would have attended the same roll call as Malloy and Reed! [And like Malloy and Reed, being in "Central Division" led them to Henry's Tacos in Studio City for 7.]

The red barn-looking "delicious sandwiches" place seems to have changed names since it was "The Fire House" (sometimes one word, sometimes two!)  The Shell station on the southwest corner was 4399 Tujunga.  The simply named "Valley Stores" at 11418 Moorpark and its liquor sign have held out since the days of Adam-12 patrolling Adam-12 Square, and the market was usually listed as North Hollywood, despite this technically being Studio City. Businesses at the time were mostly considered North Hollywood. 

Actor Cliff Gorman had the lead role in this Police Story episode, "Wyatt Earp Syndrome," and with his rookie partner Smokey Robinson (!!!), visited some other Valley locations.

Elsewhere in Burbank/Toluca Lake

And the giant tree. Can't totally fault the giant glass box. The box and the tree are in on this together. But that Bob's Big Boy once served my dear friend real meat when she ordered a veggie burger, so go ahead, blot them out!

Police Story captured Lakeside Market right before its end. And yes, there is another "Six Degrees of Adam-12" connection. I'm guessing most people would say Lakeside Market was in Toluca Lake. Others might think Burbank (which is a separate city; Toluca Lake is part of Los Angeles). But it used to be listed as North Hollywood! And look whose wife had submitted a recipe! It's our pal Dick Whittinghill, who made an Adam-12 appearance ("Reason to Run") and loaned his Studio City home out for the lady-shot-her-husband call in "Log 56: Vice Versa." The Valley's "Finest Families" -- an elitist supermarket in the Valley. In North Hollywood. Indeed!

Bringing it back to Adam-12, I had made a label for "Pete's Love Life," as Officer Malloy doesn't always have his mind on the job. Although he checks the young (too young, Pete!) ladies out while on duty, he only ever asked one non-coworker out while wearing the uniform (his stalker, in "Log 172: The Things You Do for the Job" -- and he put up quite a fight first). Officer Nations here, married Officer Nations, just spots a random pretty woman, SCREEEEECH, turns the car around and pursues her. Dude, you can't do that. But it gives us a last look at the going-going-gone Lakeside Market (parking lot mostly) and neighboring businesses and cars, like the '58 Chevy with my name on it. 

After he uses taxpayer resources and the power of the uniform to hit on another lady when his wife (Kim Darby, She of Every Early 70s TV movie) isn't around, 1-Adam-19 move on.

Now they're on Ventura Blvd in Studio City. They are honest on the radio, saying they're heading toward Vineland. It's true. None of that "Sherman Way and Wilshire" baloney. I believe in the center here is the German Car Service that was at 4021 Radford (listed as NoHo). This might be where Ventura Blvd and Ventura Place meet, where Adam-12 were at "Danny's" Tacos and you could see Du-Par's across the street. If I could ID this long-gone motel, I'd have more answers. Alas! Italian cypress rising up behind the German Car Service.

Adam-12 drove by here in the other direction on a sunnier day in "Ladies Night" Season 7, episode 16.

Warning! Gruesome details in this next article. 

This is what was really happening in Studio City at the time, just behind the motel the Police Story actors were headed to.

An earlier homicide case: victim was living at the El Dorado motel on Ventura:

The business which now has the (demolished) El Dorado's address is Sushi Dan.

Meanwhile, back on Police Story:

The large white brick building with only the green L visible must be the El Dorado. Odd that they gave free publicity to the Hi-Ho (no jokes about "because that's what men brought back to their rooms!") and the Trocadero, when really they were making use of the El Dorado. Not sure when the episode was shot, but presumably around January 1974, before the poor woman's dismembered body was found there.  Notice the tall Italian cypress in the middle.

Residential motels -- another way to say "high crime area."

Just east of here you reach Vineland, the 101, Lankershim, and Universal Studios, where Adam-12 was in production at this same time, well into season six as Police Story was in its debut season. The episode Adam-12 fans must see is the two-hour "Stigma" (1977) featuring "Mannix" Mike Connors and yes, Martin Milner! Kent McCord had already appeared with Mannix in the 1973 TV film "Beg, Borrow, or...Steal."  Mannix aired on CBS the entire time (plus the previous year) that Adam-12 was (originally) on the air. 

[Note: Police Story seasons 4 & 5 are online on Canadian TV -- use a VPN! -- but are not yet on DVD. Shout!Factory told me those seasons are on their "wish list."]

What to remember: Smokey Robinson played a rookie officer who ate at Henry's Tacos of Adam-12 Square fame. (Adam-12 Square, Moorpark and Tujunga, make it happen!)