Sunset Boulevard

In 1911 a site on Sunset Boulevard was turned into Hollywood’s first studio, and soon about 20 companies were producing films in the area. In 1913 Cecil B. DeMille, Jesse Lasky, Arthur Freed, and Samuel Goldwyn formed Jesse Lasky Feature Play Company (later Paramount Pictures). DeMille produced The Squaw Man…

…Strip (a mile-long portion of Sunset Boulevard). Bands such as Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, and the Doors honed their chops at clubs like Ciro’s, the Troubadour, the Whisky-a-Go-Go, and Gazzarri’s. The Strip became a magnet for Los Angeles teenagers, and some merchants and civic leaders lobbied for stricter licensing of…