Hollywood Daily Citizen 11/13/1925

In 1925, the Christie Realty Company commissioned architects Morgan, Walls & Clements to design an elegant little building at 5610 Hollywood Boulevard to be the Star Motor Company of California’s new Hollywood showroom and garage. Though only one story, the high ceiling of the interior made it seem nearly two stories. Huge arched windows let passing motorists speeding along Hollywood Boulevard to glimpse the shining models inside the showroom. The company, with its parent, the Durant Motors Company, held a gala grand opening on November 14, 1925.

Hollywood Daily Citizen 11/13/1925

Hollywood Daily Citizen 11/13/1925

Hollywood Daily Citizen 11/13/1925

It remained an automobile showroom into late 1930; in 1931, Durant Motors, like many auto companies during the Depression, ceased production.

In February 1931, Albert Columbo, brother of singer and bandleader Russ Colombo, applied to the Police Commission for a permit to open a nightclub at the now vacant 5610 Hollywood Boulevard. Russ had performed with Gus Arnheim and His Cocoanut Grove Orchestra and was well known to local radio listeners but was not yet a huge recording and film star.

Sheet music for “Lies,” introduced by Russ Columbo, the “California Radio Star,” 1931.

The nightclub, called Cafe Pyramid, opened on April 2, 1931 with acts of vaudeville, a mammoth floor show, stage and screen stars in impromptu acts (? !), Egyptian novelties, and dancing to Russ’ orchestra.

Despite the lights and gayety, the brothers Columbo were not in the club business for long. Russ traveled to New York later that year, where he gained national fame and in that pre-swing era would rival his former Gus Arnheim compadre Bing Crosby as the country’s #1 swooner crooner. Sadly, he was killed in an accident with a gun on September 2, 1934.

Ad for the opening of Albert and Russ Columbo’s Cafe Pyramid. LA Times 4/1/1931

Gene Morgan took over the space, which he called the Pyramid Club. It debuted on March 10, 1932 but was no more successful than the Cafe Pyramid. The club had closed as of May 1932, when several of his staff filed a suit, asserting that they had never been paid. Some were owed less than $20.

The building had various uses for a few years and at times sat partially vacant. A fire damaged part of the interior in February 1937; at the time it was being used to store some old talking picture equipment.

In April 1937, the Edith Jane School of Dance announced that 5610 Hollywood Boulevard would be its new home. The school was run by dancer and foil champion Edith Jane Plate and her husband, also a sabre champion and fencing instructor to the stars, Ralph Faulkner. Shortly after moving in, they announced that the school would be called the Falcon School. The name was later changed to Falcon Studios.

5610 Hollywood Blvd. as the Edith Jane School of Dancing, 1937. Herman J. Schultheis photo, LAPL.

Hollywood Citizen News 4/10/1937.

LA Times 8/29/1937

Falcon Studios remained at 5610 until June 1943, when they moved to 5526 Hollywood Boulevard so that 5610 could be used for defense purposes. For more about Falcon Studios, see my post for 5526 Hollywood Boulevard.

After the war, in 1948, 5610 became a beauty product manufacturing plant for the Waval Thermal Company. A fire broke out here on May 14, 1948, stopping traffic along the Boulevard. It could have been worse had the flames reached the barrels of oil stored in back for use in the cosmetic manufacturing process.

Another fire at 5610 Hollywood. Hollywood Citizen News 5/14/1948.

The building was again reconstructed. It was put up for sale in 1949 and had another series of unremarkable uses for another 45 years. The building did whatever was required of it and was rewarded by being demolished in 1995, the fate of many historic buildings along the boulevard following the January 1994 Northridge Earthquake. The current 5610 Hollywood Boulevard is a new building constructed on the site.