B-GIRLS BUSY
ON SKID ROW
DESPITE BAN

Equalization Board’s Orders,
City Police and Exposes
Fail to Curb Honky-Tonks

Note: This is a post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project.

Yesterday, Examiner reporters again visited the liquor establishments to determine what the state officers had done about enforcing the law [against B-girls].
At 462 S. Main, for instance, here is what happened:

A reporter seated himself at the crowded bar and ordered beer.

Not more than 60 seconds had elapsed before a B-girl encircled him with her arms and wanted to know “how about a drink, big boy?”

The drink, looking more like colored water or tea, was quickly downed, and the reporter was asked to buy her a bottle of champagne, along with the invitation to adjourn to a rear booth.

“I’ll be off pretty soon and we can have a lot of fun—meet me at the corner of 5th Street,” the B-girl told him.
She vanished on the reporter’s plea he was “broke.”

Soon a second girl approached and asked him to buy her a drink. While the B-girl and the reporter sat at the bar, a dancer performed in the aisle, swishing among the patrons and planting one leg on the bar.

At least five other B-girls were planted at the bar, soliciting drinks from other customers.

Los Angeles Examiner, Sept. 19, 1939