D.O.A. - Bus Ride
Bigelow has discovered that Halliday is the one who poisoned him. He rushes from the Philips' apartment to find him, pursued by Majak and his henchmen.
Then ... They chase after him but he manages to stay steps ahead and jumps on a downtown bus (click image to enlarge).
... and Now, CitySleuth is indebted to L.A. sleuth Phil Stufflebean who pointed out this location. This is the junction of Western Avenue and W. 8th Street in Koreatown, just three blocks from Mrs Philips' apartment (map). There's still a liquor store on the corner (below) 60 years on! Old habits die hard.
Then ... Majak and his cronies don't give up easily - they follow the bus into town. The roof sign of the Gaylord Apartments behind them indicates that they are driving east into town on Wilshire Blvd. The Gaylord was built in 1929 as a hotel but had been converted to luxury apartments by the 1940s. It was across the street from the Ambassador Hotel where Robert F Kennedy was assasinated in 1968. Back in those days the clubs and joints on this stretch of Wilshire Blvd were the places to be to rub elbows with the Hollywood set.
... and Now, The apartment building is still there (below), at 3355 Wilshire Blvd in Koreatown (map), now book-ended by newer structures. The Ambassador Hotel opposite is gone, closed to guests in 1989 and demolished in 2005.
Then ... Bigelow arrives downtown and jumps off the bus - fortunately for him a couple of policemen at the bus stop tell Majak to move on. Clifton's Cafeteria can be seen behind them.
... from 1951 ... The vintage photo taken just a year after the movie's release (below) shows us a clearer view of Clifton's Cafeteria, at 648 Broadway near 7th Street (map). The Harris & Frank store is next to it - its rather unusual awning can also be seen above.
... and Now, the same view today. Amazingly, Clifton's Cafeteria, opened in 1935, is still doing business in the same spot, reopening in 2015 after a $10 million transformation to its original glory. Times change though, today's merchants can only sigh in envy over those long-gone teeming hordes of downtown shoppers