About, but not limited to, Van Nuys, CA.
From the archives of the LA Public Library:
July 30, 1959
“Screen star Nobu McCarthy, called the world’s most beautiful Japanese actress, will appear Saturday night at the Hold Motor Co. salesroom at 5230 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys, at a gala festival honoring the Toyopet Crown Custom Sedan, compact luxury imported family automobile. Miss McCarthy has just finished making a film, ‘Five Gates to Hell,’ which will be released through 20th Century-Fox in September.”
On a recent visit to Vancouver, I met a naturalized Canadian named Christopher Foley, who by coincidence comes from a family that settled into the San Fernando Valley in the early 1930s. Chris lived in both the SFV and San Francisco and later emigrated to British Columbia.
He showed me, in his digital scrapbook, some fascinating old pictures.
His grandfather, a movie photographer, had moved from West Virginia in the early 1930s to work in the studio system. Later on, the family opened up a donut shop in North Hollywood called, not surprisingly, “Foley’s”.
His mom, actress Mary Foley, played a band member in “Some Like it Hot” (1959/Dir. Billy Wilder) which starred Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon.
His father served in Japan after World War II, and I asked Chris for these fantastic images of his dad and people in that country.
Their clothes, including selvedge denim, are what collectors these days call “Heritage” and are sought after in both Japan and the United States.
Lights Face, originally uploaded by Here in Van Nuys.
This is a friend of mine who is an actor, living in Studio City. Like so many, she is looking for work, any work, right now, to pay the bills. Smart, witty, pretty, articulate, funny.
Dressed up, she looks like she should be in the world of “Mad Men”.
Here in Van Nuys 
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