Turn your attention to The Pan Pacific Auditorium. It was the twinkle of the eye of LA... it was the host to car shows, boat shows, Ice Capades, boxing, roller derby and all the likes of this.

Situated adjacent to Farmers Market, it was DRIZZLINGLY Art Deco, and much beloved by the City of Angels.. Until the LA Convention Center opened in the early 1970's. And she was done.. left to rot, and eventually, 2 tragic fires put the end to this much beloved facility.

It did get a brief stay of execution, when it was the centerpiece location of a film called XANADU, starring Olivia Newton John and Gene Kelly. It was a roller disco film. But they used it as the dying nightclub turned roller disco... The fires followed soon after.

It's a shame places like this get swept under the rug when the new fancy and modern facilities replace them. Here in LA, they value to real estate, before they think about the cultural heritage. They did have the good nature, to build a rec center there, and emulated ONE if the iconic deco spires..but not so much near what could have been done. It breaks my heart... and speaking of heart…

I turn your attention tonight to MARINELAND OF THE PACIFIC, that used to be down on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Architect William Pereira designed the main structure. It was also known as Hanna-Barbera's Marineland during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Marineland operated from 1954 until 1987, when it was purchased by the owners of SeaWorld San Diego.  

It had a few aquatic stars like an early version of Shamu (named Corky) & his side kick Orky, killer whales, and Bubbles, a pilot whale. The enclosures they had built for the larger whales, were woefully too small to contain such large sea life. But they performed several shows a day that had them frolicking around their tanks, delighting visitors who were splashed with cold salt water.

But Sea World in San Diego was becoming much more popular, and had much larger tanks for the sea creatures, eventually bought Marineland, and moved all of the sea life down there.

But Marineland DID have an afterlife. With a unique positioning over the ocean, filmmakers built sets in the parking lot, that would have a infinity view of the ocean. “Pirates of the Caribbean” built a large castle set for shooting there. “Hot Shots” built an aircraft carrier deck there. One Summer, “MTV’s Summer House”, set up shop in a small motel on the south side of the property one summer as well.

Eventually it was all torn down, and is now a luxury resort called Terranea.

But not before several generations of Southern California children took school busses, or church busses down there, or with cub scouts, and parents alike. It was a huge source of delight to see these magic creatures of the deep up close and personal.

Tonight, turn your attention to The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. It is a historic hotel located on Hollywood Boulevard, across the street from The Chinese Theatre. It opened on May 15, 1927, and is the oldest continually operating hotel in Los Angeles.

The hotel was built in 1926, in what is known as the Golden Era of Los Angeles architecture, and was named after the Theodore Roosevelt. It was financed by a group that included Louis B Mayer, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Sid Grauman. Back then, it cost 2.5 Million to build.

Since that time it has been the toast of the town. SO many events have been held here. The FIRST Academy Awards were held here. Being only yards away from Hollywood High, almost EVERY Homecoming dance was held here. MANY class reunions have taken place here as well. The Hotel plays host to all the celebrity participants of the Hollywood Christmas Parade every year.

It is no stranger to filming either. I’ve shot here several times, and have hosted several University of Redlands Alumni events here was well. In one instance, I engaged a long time employee who discussed the ghosts and took us up to the haunted 9th floor, was well as the exclusive “Gable and Lombard” suite atop the hotel. Famed “Mayor” of Hollywood, Johnny Grant lived out his years in the other Penthouse until his death.

In the 80’s it fell into disrepair, but was resurrected, and is now one of the hottest hotels on Hollywood Blvd. The Bars like to cater to a young and rich crowd. The Tropicana Bar at the pool, is on the the favorites. Artist David Hockney painted the bottom of the pool back int the 80’s.

It’s is definitely one of the best known hotels in Los Angeles.

Tonight, I will turn the spotlight out to REDLANDS. About 75 miles east of Los Angeles, a wonderful little town, founded by folks from the midwest, looking for better weather than in Chicago in winter.

Citrus became a big business in the Inland Empire, and Redlands was no stranger to this industry. Sadly, these days, the orange goes have given way to housing tracts, and the small town vibe has slipped away a bit.

I was drawn to Redlands by the University there... my alma mater. I was part of an experimental college born in 1969 as a part of The University of Redlands (pictured here). It was innovative, new and broke the molds of traditional education. The Johnston Center program still thrives here. The University has recently celebrated a Centennial (in 2007) and is still alive today.

Being only an hours+ drive to LA, it made it easy for me to return home on occasion, but I sure enjoyed over 3 years on campus, and have returned dozens of times for Alumni activities, mostly because I was a part in planning them. Johnston just celebrated 50 years of existence a year or two ago.

One of the coolest elements of Redlands is that your can be up on the mountain skiing, or at Huntington Beach surfing, or playing golf in Palm Springs... all within an hours drive. Sunsets can be vivid there since the sun is filtered through the haze of LA, off to the west. Nights are crisp and cool in the winter, and hot and dry in the summers. Those folks from the midwest knew what they wanted when they set up shop here in the Inland Empire…

Here in a photo by Mickey Nikolich we get to see a not very often seen side of the HOLLYWOOD SIGN.

The city of LA does not encourage visitors and hikers to go to the sign, as a matter of fact, they have surrounded it with fences, motion detectors, and closed circuit cameras. For a number of reasons. (you can see one of the cameras on the right side of the 'H', at the top)

The folks that want to reconfigure the letters to spell out something different is one thing. The other is vandalism, as well as those who feel the need to spray paint their gang name on the sign.

Secondly, also up there are several dozen microwave relays to & from Mt. Wilson. In addition, the TV tower is a major part of the civil defense structure of LA. IF all the power fails, they can broadcast emergency information when all else has failed.

Homeland security keeps a very close eye on the small 2 story building under the tall TV Tower. Those who try to scale. fence, or make their way to the sign, are told brusquely, to leave immediately, which is almost always followed by an LAPD helicopter reiterating the admonishment.

It's a MAJOR monument in LA, and the city and Parks & Rec do all they can to preserve it, and keep it all safe.

As the sun sets into the west… take a peek here at one of LA’s finest examples of Victorian Commercial architecture.  The Bradbury Building.  Situated at 3rd and S Broadway, in the heart of Downtown LA.

It has been a favorite of Angelino’s for decades. It has also been a favorite of filmmakers as well. I’ve shot here a number of times., TV Commercials, Music Videos, Episodic TV, and Feature Film have shot here. One of the more famous films to utilize the skylighted interior wars BLADE RUNNER.

Tourists and architectural buffs love to visit the building, if not for all the films and TV shot here, but for the wonders of the 1890’s stylings here.

It is indeed an architectural landmark. Built in 1893, the five-story office building is best known for its extraordinary skylit atrium of access walkways, stairs and elevators, and their ornate ironwork. The building was commissioned by Los Angeles gold-mining millionaire Lewis L. Bradbury and constructed by draftsman George Wyman, from the original design by Sumner Hunt.  The elevator rides are a trip indeed!

As a kid, on a dad’s day field trip..he would bring us to downtown, get lunch at Philippe’s and then go see The Bradbury Building. It was always a great day.  My dad LOVED LA architecture, and enjoyed sharing it with me and my brothers.

And I am proud to share it with you.   And now, as the sun sinks into the west, I bid you a fond farewell and adieu… and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

And now, with the sun making an exit into the ocean, I turn your attention to a Hollywood landmark, that is the Capital Records Building.

Capital Records was founded in 1942 by Johnny Mercer, Buddy DeSylva and Glenn Wallichs. Capitol was acquired by British music conglomerate EMI, as its North American subsidiary in 1955.  EMI was acquired by Universal Music Group in 2012 and was merged with the company a year later, making Capitol and the Capitol Music Group both a part of UMG.  And to add to this, The Theater Dept at the University of Redlands, my alma mater, is named The Glenn Wallichs Festival Theater.

Designed by Welton Becket with Louis Naidorf, the thirteen-story, earthquake-resistant Capitol Records Tower was the world's first circular office building and it is the base for several recording studios (that are still in use today). Its wide curved awnings and tall narrow tower mimic the appearance of a stack of records atop a phonograph. The spire on top is supposed to represent a record needle.The building was commissioned by EMI after its acquisition of Capitol Records in 1955 and was completed in April 1956.

The spire atop the tower actually blinks CAPITAL RECORDS in morse code.  Every Christmas the spire is adorned with a Christmas tree that was originally assembled by The Olesen Co. (they were known to me for theatrical lighting equipment and expendables) Every year, it is illuminated to signify the start of the Christmas shopping season in Hollywood. Back in the day, it’s illumination also marked the start of the Santa Claus Lane Parade later known as The Hollywood Christmas Parade.

Numerous publicly stunts have taken place here with the likes of Ringo Star, Pink Floyd to name a few..

But it stands as a shining beacon of the Hollywood of the 50’s and today, I understand it is being converted to condos.. Tho the recording studios underground there still are reckoned as the best studios in Hollywood..

The sun is setting, and people are on their way home to family and dinners… Some of them take public transit to get there. In LA, the mass transit has had an awakening and in the last 30 years has revisited transit other than by bus.

We now have a subway that covers nearly 30 miles, with construction that is adding another 20. Light rail returned to LA in the 90’s and now seem to have taken advantage of the former trolley track right of ways that existed so many years ago. Even a few rail lines have been transformed into trolley tracks.  The Expo Line, the Blue Line, The Gold Line all follow those former routes.  The Green Line was designed and built into the middle of our most recent Interstate addition, the I-105.

But back in “The Day” LA had around 1500 miles of light rail tracks ALL over the southland. It was the most extensive light rail system in the nation. Henry Huntington and his Electric Cars ran everywhere.  And there were additional systems as well. The Los Angeles Railway and a dozen others criss-crossed the southland reaching outlying areas in Orange and San Bernardino counties…. The sordid histories would take many pages to share.

But back in the 50’s several entities lobbied LA to remove the “unsightly tracks and overhead wires” in lieu of BUSSES!  My dad told me it was Standard Oil, Goodrich Tires, and General Motors that were leading the charge to remove the trolley cars. He told me that Disney wanted to build and run a monorail system from Downtown LA to Disneyland.  The lobbyists denied his bids. They wanted Angelinos to buy fuel, cars and tires to go down there.

Since then, the MTA (replacing the SCRTD) were able to get the trolley cars back, get a subway built, and even a “Busway” in the SF Valley which will eventually become another light rail run from North Hollywood to Chatsworth. Naysayers were trying to convince everyone that this busway would never work, no one would ever ride it.. By the first year, The Orange Line exceeded the 5 years rider expectancy.  They said the Subway would collapse after the first earthquake.. In 1994, the Northridge quake jolted LA, but the FIRST major transit operation back up and running, was the Redline Subway (most of which was under construction at the time, but a small segment was already open).

The MTA brought back the reliability of the transit systems in LA. They are constantly looking at new and viable routes for light rail and subways, and several new lines (Like the Crenshaw Line and the Purple line extension) will be opening before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.  

One byproduct of these routes has been the developers are building large housing facilities at or near MANY transit stations throughout the system, and they are becoming wildly popular.. Add in retail and eateries as well, and we’re off to the races…

And speaking of ‘off to the races”  it is time for me to take me leave, make dinner… and retire for the night. SO I bid thee a fond farewell… and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!!

One of the advantages of a lighthouses on the west coast, is they get to see SUNSETS every day.  I point you to the Point Ferman Lighthouse at the very tip of San Pedro, high above the Port of Los Angeles.

Photo by Paul Wright.

Photo by Paul Wright.

Built in 1874, it was the first lighthouse to direct ships in to LA Harbor.1874 and designed Paul Pelz who also designed Point Fermin's sister stations, in Richmond CA, and Mare Island Light in Carquinez Straight, also in California. It was decommissioned in 1972, and saved from the wrecking ball. It was renovated in 1974, and today has its own historical society and is open for tours. As well. It is also registered as a historic landmark.

A remarkable point is that the BIG guuns from Ft. McArthur, sit only 500 feet above the lighthouse, about a half mile behind it. The guns were installed during World War One, and upgraded during World War Two.  The batteries are still there, sans the massive 22 Inch guns, that could fire projectiles 20 or so miles.

Today, it sits high above the ocean with a commanding view of the ocean, and Catalina Island, only 26 miles to the west. Its setting is in a Point Ferman Park, that boasts a really nice outdoor amphitheater and lots of big old trees.

Even today, school groups, and tourists alike enjoy visiting the lighthouse to hear its history, and see the huge Fresnel lens that was saved by the efforts of Huell Howser.  The building has now been restored to its original state and is open to the public as the Point Ferman Lighthouse Historic Site and Museum.

So if you love a great old lighthouse, head down to the very tip of San Pedro, and take a look for yourself.

And as always, dinner beckons, and as the sun heads in to the ocean, I am done for the night.  As always, I fare thee well, as bid you adieu.  So…

Goodnight Neverland!

AS we come to a close of the day before the Memorial Day weekend, let us look back on the high school days, and the times that we spent at DISNEYLAND. And GRAD NIGHT.

It seems that GRAD NIGHT was the rite of passage after the graduation ceremonies (or somewhere thereabouts) when you would board busses in the evening and head down to The D-Land, and spend the entire night having fun with your date, and other high school friends who joined you for the fun and frivolity.

There was a dress code.  Coats and ties for the men, dresses and proper attire for the ladies.  (In my case… if you didn’t wear. Coat, Disneyland would provide a bright RED one for you..) You were expected to be on your best behavior so any illicit activity was dealt with swiftly, and you were held in limbo in the on site Disney Jail until one of the chaperones fetch you up, and/or you were then relegated to sit on the bus until sunrise when the bus headed home.

It was a treat for high school sweethearts, where you could stay up all night, ride the rides, eat popcorn, or sit on a bench making out…

As the 5am hour started to approach, you saw the ones who fell asleep or were still making out on many of the park benches throughout the park. There was always the die hards who had to get ‘just one more ride’ in before they started to shoo us out of the park.

We made our way back to the busses as the sun came up, and were ferried back to our respective schools, having had for some, their first all-nighter.  But we were a bit older…and had a piece of paper in our hand saying that we had completed 13 years of schooling. Many went on to college, some into the family business, and others who fell by the wayside for various reasons.  But it was The rite of Passage… a good one too. You didn’t go if you didn’t make it thru… The schools always saw to that.

SO as I wax poetic about that night of fun, in my case 43 years ago, I harken back to the night of fun and the sleepy ride home after our night of fun.

And so, as always… I did you farther well and adieu… and..

Goodnight Neverland.

I do hope you are enjoying your holiday weekend, now that things are becoming a bit normal again….  But as the skies clear today, I point your attention to the MAGIC CASTLE in Hollywood,  boasted to be LA’ s MOST exclusive club.  In order to go there, you MUST know a member, and in many cases, be escorted by said member for dinner, BEFORE you can enjoy the 6 or so theater’s and the magic shows they contain therein.

The principal building of the Magic Castle is a chateau-style residence built in 1909 by real estate investor, lawyer, banker, newspaper editor, and philanthropist, Rollin B. Lane. The house was designed by architects Lyman Farwell and Oliver Dennis and constructed as a near duplicate of the 1897 Kimberly Crest in Redlands, that the architects had designed over a decade earlier. Ownership of the building remained in the Lane family until 1955 when it was sold to Thomas O. Glover, whose family still owns the property. In September 1961, the building was leased to Milt Larsen (and other family members), who began converting it to its present state. The Magic Castle opened for business on January 2, 1963. Over the years several additions have been made to the original structure, allowing for the inclusion of several theaters, bars, a library and other meeting spaces. The Magic Castle was declared aLA Historic Cultural Monument in 1989. One Halloween, 2011, a tragic fire destroyed the attic, and significant water damage e throughout. It reopened again in February 2012.

Much of the MAGIC in the Magic Castle is because of Milt Larsen. He had a vision, and drive, that kept this place alive. I was honored to tour the place with him once. H e was a most generous man.

They still have nightly shows with a huge rotation of the 2500 Members who perform 2-4 shows a night.  MANY celebrities have been, and are members and love to entertain guests.

I have hosted several University of Redlands Alumni Events here, with my long time friend Steve Ringel performing in the main room for the lunch and afternoon shows.

It’s a fascinating place, that I have been going to since I was a teenager, thanks to Steve, and his dad Ringo, who was a founding member.

MANY times, Steve would cal up and say “You want go to The Castle?” And we would get into a suit and tie (required) and run off to grab a drink, and perhaps listen to Irma, the resident ghost who still tickles the ivories next to the main bar.

It’s a MAGICAL place, with storied history, that one can only imagine!

So as the day draws to a close… I leave you… with thoughts of wizardry and magic.. and bid you a fond fare thee well and adieu.. and as always..

Goodnight Neverland!

As we are actually able to get out of the house, and perhaps celebrate this MEMORIAL DAY, I turn your attention to a relative newcomer to the greater Los Angeles Area.  

The Battleship USS Iowa was destined for the salvage yard, being berthed in Suisun Bay up in the San Francisco Bay Area, in the mothball fleet.

USS Iowa (BB-61) was the last class of US Navy Battleships to be built by the United States. The battleship was originally commissioned in 1943, and served during World War II, the Korean War and through the. The Iowa earned 11 battle stars during her career and hosted three U.S. Presidents, ultimately earning the nicknames Battleship of Presidents and Big Stick. Iowa was awarded to the Pacific Battleship Center on September 6, 2011 for display at the Port of LA in San Pedro, California – home to the US Battle Fleet from 1919 to 1940.

On October 27, 2011, the battleship was relocated from Suisun Bay to the Port of Richmond, California for painting and refurbishment.  On May 27, 2012, Iowa was towed underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, on her 75th anniversary for final placement at the Los Angeles Waterfront.  Iowa opened in San Pedro on July 4, 2012 to a crowd of over 1,500 supporters and veterans at Port of Los Angeles Berth 87. The USS Iowa Museum offers daily tours, group programs, education visits, special events, filming, military ceremonies, and is in the process of starting an overnight program for school age sea cadets.

So these days, one can go aboard, see the massive battery of guns and view places like the bridge and other operational parts of the ship.  Of course, they are under constant repair and renovation, so donations are gladly appreciated.  See is a link to their website:  https://www.pacificbattleship.com

If you have never set foot on the deck of a battleship, it is quite an awesome experience. For one, the blonde wood of the deck will take your breath away. (When I was a kid, my dad brought us down to The Long Beach Naval Yard when the Battleship New Jersey was passing through. We could step onboard and experience the feel of this awesome military platform.) This is more or less the same TYPE of vessel as the USS Arizona that was sunk in Dec 1941, prompting the US entry into World War II. Just the size of the guns, the girth of the ship, and mighty firepower is truly awesome.  Off in the distance I hear “Anchors Away” beginning to play..

So enjoy your Bar B Q’s, gatherings with friends and family, and pay tribute to those who’ve given their lives, so that all of us could enjoy freedom and prosperity..

I’ve just finished up dinner, the sky is darkening ever so quickly, and as always, I bid you a fond farewell and adieu… and..as always..

Goodnight Neverland!

Gander upon the 12-inch telescope located within one of the two smaller domes at the end of the Griffith Observatory.  This picture was about 1935.

The genesis of Griffith Observatory's public telescope occurred when Griffith J. Griffith was invited to visit to Mount Wilson Observatory, then home to the world's largest operating telescope, the 60-inch reflector.

While there, he was given the opportunity to view a celestial wonder through the telescope. Profoundly moved by the experience, Griffith seized on the idea of constructing a public observatory with a telescope that could be used by all residents of Los Angeles.

He specified in his will that the telescope was to be "at least 12-inches in diameter" and "complete in all its details" and was to be located "high and above the Hall of Science."

In 1931, the Griffith Trust ordered the telescope from the Carl Zeiss Company of Jena, Germany; the $14,900 spent on the instrument was the first purchase of material for Griffith Observatory.

If you are lucky enough to be at the Observatory on a night that the telescope is open, you can get in line and look into the eyepiece for about 30 seconds.  Last time I did that, I was asking questions while in line, and it turns out that a friend & classmate of my brother’s from Hollywood High School was working there that night. Although he was sporting quite a large beard, after he identified himself, I knew exactly who he was.  

I strongly suggest you go see this miraculous piece of technology, if anything for the history involved.  I saw Saturn, in all it’s glory, rings and all.. It wasn’t a picture… it was the planet itself, up close and personal.

And as the sun falls onto the horizon, it  it time for me to sign off, make dinner, and retire for the night. I bid you a fond farewell and adieu.. and as always,….

Goodnight Neverland!

There is a hash house in downtown LA that has been around since before freeways were built in Los Angeles.  ANY foodie will be able to recognize the name of The Original PANTRY Cafe.

Opened in 1924, in one room,15 stool space, has become one of Los Angeles’ favorite dining spots.  It is now a Historic-Cultural Monument and a staple of late night dining (before Covid).

My dad tells me the tale of when they moved to their current locale at 9th and Figueroa.  They had to relocate from their original site, to make way for the building of the Harbor Freeway back in the early 50’s. Dad said they served breakfast, then loaded up the trucks, the grills still warm from breakfast, and moved to their current location, and served dinner that evening. They boast that they have NEVER closed. Due to Covid-19, that is no longer true.

The menu is simple.. Breakfast fare is plain and simple, and ample in portion. (An omelette is the size of a small shoe) Lunch as well. Dinner is meat and potatoes…nothing fancy.. no foo foo small portions and drizzle of sauces.

Plain and simple.. They don’t even HAVE menus.. It’s posters all over the walls.  They offer up a marvelous sourdough bread, baked on site, and the BEST coleslaw in all of Christendom…The likes of Marilyn Monroe and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have dined at this iconic diner and it is proudly reflected in the shop’s prevailing throwback spirit. Having close proximity to The Staples Center and the Convention Center, it gets hopping when things are happening down there.

When I was a kid, on Friday nights once or twice a month, Mom & Dad would take us there. They would order one steak for four boys, and cut it 4 ways for us. We had our fill of the bread and slaw as well.  Now a days, I go there once every few months (before Covid, and once since) and get an omelette to satisfy my jones for their food.  These days it’s owned by Former Mayor Richard Riordan, who saved it from a wrecking ball, when it was in the way of a new high rise development he was building.

It’s an LA ICON for food indeed, and it will prevail through the tough times.  If you get a hankering for a big meat & potatoes dinner, with all of the trimmings… stop by 9th and Figueroa.. And tell them I sent ya!

Now, you’ve made me hungry!  So I’ll make my dinner, and as the sun sets int the west… I will bid you farewell and adieu… and as always..

Goodnight Neverland!

Sorry I missed my sign off last night.. I had a trip to the ER to attend to.. long story, I’m fine.. just didn’t get home until 3:30am..

BUT, tonight I turn your attention to the headquarters of the Department of Water & Power in Los Angeles (LADWP).  The John Ferraro Building has been an icon in the northern downtown skyline for decades. Formerly known as the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power building, this was named after the late City Councilman John Ferraro. Designed by A.C. Martin Architects in 1965, the 16 story mid century modern high rise has been a landmark since its opening.  A cross-functional effort leveraged energy and water efficiency improvements completed over the years, including lighting retrofits, green plumbing and toilet retrofits, fan system upgrades, and the installation of an energy efficient chiller. They try to be an example.

As a kid, I recall being in the car at dusk, and as we drove by, the building lit up floor by floor, in a fast pace. The gold edifice glowing the soon to be evening sky.

One thing that always featured this building was when the Academy Awards took place across Grand Ave at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Music Center complex of theaters. TV Networks loved to include the building in the exterior shots to the theatre, and always in a grand way.  The fountains were always running and illuminated that night. But alas, those days are gone since Oscar has moved on the greener and larger pastures.

As a location scout, I had a chance to see a lot of the lobby and lower floor, and it was breathtaking. A circular staircase was suspended by steel rods to the ceiling and floor on the lower level. That was many of the iconic features of the structure.

Being a civic building of a major utility, it has seen its fair share of controversy and demonstrations.  But on the average day, when you approach the building for whatever business you might have there, its stunning beauty can take your breath away. It’s not your normal HQ of a major utility of a big city.

And speaking of sundown, it’s time for me to go get some dinner, and turn in for the night. I didn’t get much sleep last night, and it’s been a busy day today… SO as always, I bid say fare thee well, goodbye and adieu… and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

Photo by Paul Wright (who shoot awesome photos…)

As the sun takes it exit to the west, tonight I look at the Iconic Ennis-Brown House, looming high above in the Los Feliz hills, near Griffith Park. Designed in 1923 by Frank Lloyd Wright, It is located at 2655 Glendower Avenue

Built for retailer Charles Ennis and his wife Mabel, (an enthusiast of Mayan art and architecture) was built in 1924.  Built by the designers son, Lloyd, is the last and largest of the elder Wright’s four “textile block” houses in the Los Angeles area. These homes are noted for their patterned and perforated concrete blocks, which give a unique textural appearance to both the exterior and interior.  The home is constructed of more than 27,000 concrete blocks, all made by hand using decomposed granite extracted from the site.

The house consists of two buildings, the main house and a smaller chauffeur's apartment/garage, separated by a paved courtyard.  Unlike the vertical orientation of the other block houses, the Ennis House has a long horizontal loggia spine on the northern side, connecting public and private rooms to the south, and is very large at 10,000 sq ft.

By 2005, deferred maintenance, earthquakes, and heavy rains had taken a toll on the Ennis House.  Foundations and walls had begun to fail, and the situation grew so dire that the National Trust for Historic Preservation included the home on its 2005 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Places. Work to stabilize and restore the house began in 2006, earning a Conservancy Preservation Award in 2008.

In 2011, The Ennis House Foundation announced the sale of the house to business executive Ron Burkle for just under $4.5 million.  A condition of the sale is an easement that allows public viewing 12 days per year, a condition binding on subsequent buyers.

The home is no stranger to Hollywood. Films such as Blade Runner, The Rocketeer, and TV Shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer have been shot there. In 2015 or so, I approached Ron Burkle’s office about filming the SyFy Channel show FACE OFF, there, and received a resound NO THANKS..  oh well. I tried…

And now, I will try to get some dinner, and make my way to slumber land.  As always, I bid you a fond, farewell and adieu and…

Goodnight Neverland!

A youths right of passage in the San Fernando Valley was Cruise Night on Van Nuys Blvd.  MANY of the youths of the valley would either cruise in cars or hang out on the sidewalk in Van Nuys between about Oxnard St. and Sherman Way.  This went on from about 1970 to about 1981 or so.

The LAPD DID NOT like this congregation of youths every week. In fact, they doubled patrols on cruise night.  They would patrol the Blvd, and cite ALL infractions and moving violations…. NO warnings… at all.  They posted NO STOPPING signs on the Blvd to prevent kids from chatting from the cars, or to pick up Valley Girls to ride along. There were a few hot rods, but no racing per se.. there was too much traffic. Once, my dad went out to pick up my older brothers, and when he stopped to pick them up, a policeman gave my dad a ticket..BOY oh BOY was he pissed.. And he didn’t DARE let one of them borrow the car. He knew what they would do if he did.  Kids drank a little, smoked a joint or two, or three, but the police enforcement was so heavy, that it was not wise to do so.

There really wasn’t ever any fights or looting or anything like that, it was usually just some kids getting together to hang out, maybe meet a girl etc.  More or less teen clean fun.

The merchants of the Blvd and the LAPD did not share that opinion. I once asked Mayor Tom Bradley, who was on a public relations walk on Van Nuys Blvd,  about this activity, and his politician response was “Well that is really a police matter, and you should talk to them about that.”  How’s that for an evasive answer.

SO when the LAPD had enough, they started closing Van Nuys Blvd at 7pm on Wednesday nights, attempting to put an end to the fun and frivolity.  The first week, everyone relocated to Reseda Blvd.. But that never lasted more than one week.  It was done. Over..  A ritual of Wednesday nights died in the early 80’s.  Sad, because there really wasn’t anything going on except bored kids getting out of the house and hanging out.  It was fun for a decade, and thousands of kids can say they were there when….  And then it was over.

So, the sun has gone to bed, and so must I. I bid you adieu and fare thee well, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

Like sands thought the hourglass.. these are the Days of our Lives!..

My mom liked that soap opera.  And she used to take me to this Department Store. Bullocks Wilshire on the Miracle Mile.

Located at 3050 Wilshire Blvd,  a 230,000-square-foot  Art Deco design building. The building was designed by Los Angeles architects John and Donald Parkinson. The building opened in September 1929 for owner John G. Bullock, who had a more mainstream Bullocks in Downtown LA. 

Bullocks Wilshire's innovation was that it was one of the first department stores in Los Angeles to cater to the burgeoning automobile culture. It was located in a then-mostly residential district, its objective to attract shoppers who wanted a closer place to shop than Downtown Los Angeles. Traditional display windows faced the sidewalk, but they were decorated to catch the eyes of motorists. Since most customers would arrive by vehicle, the most appealing entrance was placed in the rear. Under the city's first department store porte cochere with valets who would park your car.  When you made your purchases, your salesperson would send your purchase to the valet, who would load your bags in to the car by the time you would come down to fetch it.

It was a HUGE hit in LA. They had a tea room, that offered up fashion shows. I recall my mom taking me there, and we would sit in the tea room, and mom would watch the ladies parade about in dresses they could buy.

Coco Chanel opened her first Salon in America here. She even shipped over panels from her Paris apartment to line the walls.

The Bullocks Family had a series of apartments on the 5th floor, as well as an ornate office for Mr Bullocks himself (With a GRAND terrace that looked to the east in to Downtown LA).

The chain was absorbed by the Macy’s organization, and closed the store in 1993.  I was lucky enough to be able to shoot a film here for a few days, and it became the Production Designers motif for the film.  I had the good fortune to be able to see a lot of the store including the 5 story tower on top, which much to my surprise was devoid of any structure inside, and occupied by hundred of pigeons and their droppings.

Southwestern Law School took over the property and did a MAJOR renovation of the property, returning dozens of fixtures and lighting equipment, that had been removed earlier.  Huell Howser did 2 different shows in before/after style. It was totally reconfigured to accommodate the Law School and it’s distinguished library as well.  It’s been saved!

And like sand through the hourglass, I too must sign off for the day.. Fare thee well, and adieu, and asl always…

Goodnight Neverland!!

Los Angles does not have the history that the east and south does, but we do know our roots. From Spanish Explorers, Mexican rule, and Indians who were here for many generations before that.  As the settlement as we know it as Los Angeles was getting going… the first real “Street” in LA is known as Olvera Street.

Olvera Street is in the northeast of modern-day Downtown Los Angeles, between Main and Alameda streets, and is part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, the area immediately around the Plaza.

Around that plaza you can find LA’s first firehouse, first hotel (The Pico House named after Pio Pico, and early Governor of California while under Mexican rule), and bandstand and the first large church in town.

The new town was named El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles. Priests from San Gabriel Mission established an asistencia (a sub-mission), the Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles Asistencia, to tend to their religious needs. The pueblo eventually built its own parish church, known today as the “Old Plaza Church." The original 18th-century plaza was approximately a block north and west of the present one.[5] Unpredictable flooding forced the settlers to abandon the original site and move to higher ground in the early 1800s, with the current Plaza at the center of the newly-moved pueblo.

The area immediately around the 19th-century Los Angeles Plaza which has been the main square of the city since the early 1820s, when California was still part of Mexico, and was the center of community life[3] until the town expanded in the 1870s. Many of the Plaza District's historic buildings are on Olvera Street, including its oldest one, the Avila Adobe, built in 1818; the  Pelanconi House built in 1857; and the Sepulveda House built in 1887.

Restaurants, vendors, and public establishments are along the pedestrian mall, a block-long narrow, tree-shaded, brick-lined marketplace where some merchants are descended from the original vendors who opened shops when a then-decrepit Olvera Street was recreated as a tourist attraction in 1930, a romanticized version with the theme of a Mexican marketplace. The exterior facades of the brick buildings enclosing Olvera Street and on the small vendor stands lining its center are colorful piñatas, hanging puppets in white peasant garb, Mexican pottery, serapes, mounted bull horns, and oversized sombreros. Olvera Street attracts almost two million visitors per year who can find, while not an authentic Mexican or Mexican-American market, an homage to the history and traditions of the pueblo's early settlers and the city's Mexican heritage.

Today, it’s is one of LA’s most popular tourist destinations. It helps, that it is right across the street from Union Station, where both Metrolink Commuter trains, Amtrak, Subway, Light Rail and Bus lines all interconnect.

I recall as a kid on Cinco de Mayo, my mother had the not so bright idea to go down there to be part of the celebration. We only lasted a few minutes. The crowds were huge, and not conducive for 4 children in single digits.

Whenever I give my personal LA tour, I like to get it started here, since this is where our roots are.  I shot a TV show here in the Plaza, and it was a wonderful experience. I had never been inside the Pico House, and the surrounding areas, which we used for filming support areas.  After the shoot, many of the crew went to go eat at one for the dozen or so eateries around Olvera Street and the Plaza.

As the overcast still looms over most of LA on this cool and dizzy day, I close out and bid you a fond farewell and adieu, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

Let’s go from a ride into space!  The space Shuttle Endeavour has been moved to Los Angeles as its final resting place. It now lives at The California Science Center in Exposition Park, just south of USC.

Following the loss of Shuttle Challenger in 1987, NASA built Endeavour with a few parts of the original prototype Enterprise. Endeavour was delivered by Rockwell International Space Transportation Systems Division. Parts shipped to Palmdale, assembled, and later Edwards AFB, flown piggyback to Cape Kennedy in Florida.

Endeavour embarked upon it first flight in May 1992.  Assembly was completed in July 1990, and the new orbiter was rolled out in April 1991. As part of the process, NASA ran a national competition for schools to name the new orbiter—the criteria included a requirement that it be named after an exploratory or research vessel, with a name "easily understood in the context of space"; entries included an essay about the name, the story behind it and why it was appropriate for a NASA shuttle, and the project that supported the name.

After MANY flights including the first repair mission of the Hubble Telescope, it was decommissioned, and set up for a museum resting place in Los Angeles.

It was flown piggyback on the familiar NASA 747 retrofitted for this use. It landed in LA, and a few days later, after a year and a half of planning, made a 3 day journey from LAX to Exposition Park, to the delight of several hundred thousand onlookers.  MAJOR alterations on the route had to be made. Trees removed, Utility lines moved, street lights and signals replaced, all to make this journey.. Along the way, it stopped for about 6 hours so that TOYOYA could shoot a TV Commercial outside of Randy’s Donuts, at the overpass of the 405 Freeway.  This journey ran a bit late, but no one cared. The EPIC event was covered live on TV for much of the way. DOZENS of photographers were dispatched to document the event and compiled a huge anthology of the move.

It now sits in a temporary hanger at the CA Science Center. Outside, sits a HUGE orange external tank used during launch. Somewhere down the road, 2 solid rocket boosters will arrive, and once money has been raised, the shuttle, the external tank, and the solid rocket boosters will be reassembled and the Endeavour will be stood upright into launch configuration. We are so proud to have this space vehicle here, since so much of the Shuttle Program, started here, in Downey, Palmdale and the Antelope Valley.  

And like the sundown of Endeavour’s life, it’s sundown here now, and time for me to find my nightshirt and cap, and go to bed. And so, as always, I bed thee farewell and adieu.. and

Goodnight Neverland!!

In the early 1930’s a Bakery opened up out on Venice Blvd. It was a great business plan. Deliver bakery goods to the homes of Los Angeles. In that era, MANY things were delivered directly to the home, like Milk.

In 1926, Paul Helms of New York took an early retirement for health reasons and moved his family to Southern California and its mild climate. Helms started construction on a building between Washington and Venice Boulevards in 1930 and, on March 2, 1931, the Helms Bakery opened with 32 employees and 11 delivery coaches (trucks).

By the next year, the Helms Bakery had become the "official baker" of the 1932 Olympics when Paul Helms won a contract to supply bread for the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. His slogan was "Olympic Games Bakers - Choice of Olympic Champions.”  Four years later in time for the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany asked Helms for his bread recipes to feed to the German Olympic team. His relationship with Olympians continued in later years, the U.S. teams at London and Helsinki requested his bread be served.  Early Helms vehicles sported the Olympic symbol, and it also appeared on, and was mentioned in, the Helms logo on the bread wrappers,  the company logo and sign.

Despite never being sold in stores, Helms baked products soon became known to millions of consumers. The Helms motto was "Daily at Your Door" and every weekday morning, from both the Culver City facility and a second Helms Bakery site in Montebello dozens of Helms coaches, painted in a unique two-tone scheme, would leave the bakery for various parts of the Los Angeles area, some going as far as the eastern San Gabriel Valley. This is remarkable because the network of freeways had not yet been built, so the trip might take an hour or more. One of each of these coaches is on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum at Fairfax and Wilshire (At the old Ohrbach’s Department Store Building)

Each coach would travel through its assigned neighborhoods, with the driver periodically pulling (twice) on a large handle which sounded a distinctive whistle or stop at a house where a Helms sign, a blue placard with an "H" on it, was displayed in their windows. Customers would come out and wave the coach down, or sometimes chase the coaches to adjacent streets. Wooden drawers in the back of the coach were stocked with fresh donuts, cookies, pastries and candies, while the center section carried dozens of loaves of freshly baked bread. Products often reached the buyers still warm from the oven.

Paul Helms died on January 5, 1957 at age 67, but the business continued to operate, run by family members. Its delivery network gradually grew to include Fresno to the north; San Bernardino to the east, and south to Orange County and San Diego. In the company's final year of operation, a clever marketing campaign netted Helms a contract to furnish "the first bread on the moon," via the Apollo 11 space mission.

Although popular, the Helms method of neighborhood delivery was doomed both by the expense of sending their coaches hundreds of miles each week and by the advent of the Supermarket, which stocked products from other (less expensive) bakeries, which delivered once or twice each week. The Helms company ceased operations in 1969.

I recall the trucks coming daily, and my mom would go out and buy bread, and other items needed. And then one day.. it just stopped coming. I didn’t understand. I had saved enough clasps that closed off the bag the bread came in, to obtain a bright red dump truck that sat in the front window. But the day I stood out waiting for the truck to get the dump truck, was the day they came no more. It was sad.

The block long building out in West LA, where the bakery was located, still stands, but repurposed as the Antique Guild, and a few other outfits. The massive HELMS sign on the roof, still stands. Oroweat took on a portion, and continued to bake bread there, which would fill the numerous businesses with the smell of fresh baked bread.

In 1983, I was hired to place twinkle lights in a double row, on the facade of the building which was longer than a football field. That was a challenging task for me and a friend. It took several days to fashion frames to attach the light from, and to suspend them several feet below the rim of the edifice.  

But the respect that I had for the building drove me to finish this task with love, honor and respect.  

All things must come to an end in LA, and just like the days of our lives, the sun must set, and I must make dinner and retire for the night. I bid thee a fond farewell and adieu, and as always..

Goodnight Neverland!

Probably one of THE MOST recognized City Hall in the world, is that of Los Angeles City Hall.  As an elementary school kid, we took the obligatory field trip down to City Hall, and got a tour of major lower floor destinations like The City Council Chambers, the Public Works Hearing Room, and the Rotunda. Even Mayor Sam Yorty showed up, and passed out autographed pictures to all of us. In subsequent years, my dad took me & my brothers on a field trip that included the Observation Deck at about 27 floors above downtown. Ahh those were the days. Lunch at the Grand Central Market, Angels Flight, The Bradbury Building, and City Hall. All in one afternoon.

City Hall was designed by John Parkinson, John Austin and Albert Martin, and was completed in 1928. (Parkinson has MANY other building is LA). Dedication ceremonies were held on April 26, 1928. It has 32 floors and, at 454 feet high. It went thru a seismic retrofit from 1998 to 2001, so that the building will sustain minimal damage and remain functional after a magnitude 8.2 earthquake. The concrete in its tower was made with sand from each of California’s 58 counties and water from its 21 historical missions. City Hall's distinctive tower was based on the shape of the Mausoleum of Mausolus, and shows the influence of the Los Angeles Public Library, completed shortly before the structure was begun. An image of City Hall has been on LAPD badges since 1940.

And the city fathers didn’t want any competition either. NO Building was allowed to be taller than 13 floors or so, making the City Hall stand out as the tallest structure in the city… until the 1960’s or so. The Tip Top of the building had a bright beacon light the spun in the night sky, and was named after Charles Lindbergh.  The beacon was removed at some point, and after the efforts of Huell Howser, was found in the basement of City Hall, under a dusty tarp. That beacon, now is on display at the Tom Bradley Terminal at LAX. (Named after long time Mayor who served 20 years, and was responsible fro bringing to the 1984 Olympics to LA.). These days, a new lighting system has been rigged that has interchangeable colors and can illuminate the structure to the colors of our local teams or for whatever civic event times into it.

These days, it seems to be a magnet for demonstrations of many kinds. During the Occupy Wall Street event, several hundred set up camps on the south lawn. It plays a backdrop to numerous events at Grand Park on the west side as well.

Our City Hall is no stranger to Hollywood either.  DOZENS of films and TV Shows have used city hall in various capacities. I’v shot there a half dozen times. It has been famously destroyed in sci fi films and Jack Webb glamorized it in DRAGNET and ADAM-12.  

It’s a well documented civic building that has MANY purposes, and is, and always will be an ICON in the downtown Los Angeles skyline.

When I was in college, I recall one night after going to a club on a double date, one of the women says “WE NEED TO GO TO TOMMY’S IN LA  AND GET CHILI CHEESEBURGERS.”  And so off we went.

Back in 1946, Tommy Koulax opened a little shack at the corner of Rampart & Beverly.  It was literally a shack big enough for a kitchen with room for like 3 people. The public stood in lines outside that reached up the block for a simple cheeseburger with a beanless chili that had a special taste.  Nothing really more than a burger and a hot dog was on the menu. Chips and sodas were an afterthought.  After a slow start, it soon became a hit.

As time progressed, they bought the rest of the corner, and opened a  secondary kitchen, and made stand up eating counters available. The second window would open at peak periods like lunch, dinner and after club hours on weekends.  They added French fries too.  

Later, they would build a few dozen alternative locations, and later adding dining rooms to the design.  They are still owned and operated by the Koulax family. At the newer locations, Milkshakes were added, but for the most part, the single, double and triple cheeseburgers with that chili smothering the burger was the main menu item. And people flocked to buy them too.  These days there are about 30 locations in California and 3 in Nevada.

LA foodies flock here. Fans of chili concoctions (like Pink’s) and hamburgers (Like In&Out) have been coming for generations. Whether it’s on lunch break, or on the way to or from a Dodger Game, or after the clubs, as mentioned before..it was THE place to go get a sloppy chili burger that would almost always talk back to you hours later…. But they are SOOO Good!  And scooping up the extra chili & cheese that would drizzle out of the burger was part of the experience. The fries made it easier than using your pinkie finger.

When people ask me to list the quintessential LA Food, Tommy’s is on the top 5 on my list.

So as the sun continues it’s wrap around the planet tonight, I bid you a fond farewell and adieu…. And as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

The first “Freeway” in America has gone by many names, TODAY, it’s officially called The ARROYO SECO PARKWAY.  It’s gone by Route 66, CA Route 110, as well as the Pasadena Freeway.  

Extending from the south end of Pasadena to downtown Los Angeles, the Arroyo Seco Parkway was opened around 1940.  Built to the most modern of standards at the time, it is a relic of highway building and totally outdated today.  It will never get the designation as an interstate, since it comes nowhere close to meeting the criteria in terms of turn radius’ and lane width etc.. (All those standards came years later when the “Interstates” were conceived.) Anyone who has tried to enter or exit on any of the original ramps can attest to going to/from 5mph to 55mph in 50 feet is indeed a daunting task, even for experienced drivers.

But the drive is quite wonderful. Tree lined for most of the route, it runs next to the Arroyo Seco, a seasonal river that runs through the area. North of downtown, it utilizes the 4 Figueroa Tunnels for northbound traffic, passing through Elysian Park, next to Dodger Stadium.  The southbound lanes now pass “moving mountain” a section of unstable hills at the east end of Elysian Park.  It crosses Interstate 5 and the LA River in the Elysian Valley as well. At several points, the Gold Line light rail crosses the path. (It used to be a train route from the east).

It’s been recognized over the years for its groundbreaking passage.  The Arroyo Seco Parkway is designated as a State Scenic Highway, National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, and National Scenic Byway. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

Drivers love and hate this passage… It has its history, and its age makes it difficult to navigate for amateur drivers.  My father told me to stay off of it when I was 16, until I had a bit more freeway experience.  But drivers young and old understand its significance and history.

And speaking of history… that’s what I am today.. I’m off to dinner.. then to bed.  As always, I bid you farewell and adieu..and

Goodnight Neverland!~

The other day I discussed a gastronomical destination with 33 sites around LA, Tonight I turn my attention to a place that only has ONE location… on LaBrea and Melrose… The one and only PINK’S.  

Again, I discuss the issue of going to get food late night, after the clubs have closed.  And I’ve been there too.  If you ever get a hankering for a chill dog at 2am… this is the place to go.

Paul & Betty Pink started with a pushcart they bought for $50 in 1939. They paid $15 a month for a small piece of real estate. Hot Dogs cost 10 cents, and sodas, a nickel. They had curb service too. They would sell about 100 hot dogs a day… These Days, they sell 2000 hot dogs and 300 burgers daily. Today, they offer over 35 different menu items. (One named after Huell Howser too)

 In 1941 they convinced Bank of America to loan them $4000 to expand, and purchase the land they now stand on.  To make further ends meet, Betty opens a flower shop to help keep their kids in new shoes and clothes. They started with 4 employees, and now have a staff of 30.

Their children and extended family still run the business.  It is no limit of celebrities that graced their establishment over the years, may of whom have left an autographed headshot, framed on the dining area walls.  MANY times, they send out a special unit to make hot dogs at special events. (I once shared a chili dog with Oprah while filming a show for the OWN Network) They are a presence every September at the LA County Fair, where the lines are not as long as the LaBrea address, but just as good. They were helpful in underwriting part of the Hollywood High Centennial that I was the chairman of.

If you show up after midnight, you are like to see a limo with a celebrity or two to get their fill of dogs and burgers.  That’s all part of the charm. If you can deal with the lines, that can be 30-45 minutes, you get treated to an LA Food ICON, and go away with a bit of heartburn, and a gastronomical memory to last a while.

And now, as the sun makes it exit into the west… I bid you fare thee well, and adieu.. and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

There was a major developer and philanthropist in the LA area who was responsible for dozens of major projects around America. He just recently passed away. But what he left behind was a museum that has to be reckoned with.

His name was Eli Broad, and the Museum is called THE BROAD.

Eli Broad was born in The Bronx to immigrant parents. They moved to Detroit when he was 6. He went to Michigan State University and attained the title of CPA, being the youngest in Michigan history to do so. Borrowing money from his wife’s parents founded Kaufman & Broad, which built housing units in Michigan, by streamlining the construction process, removing basements from the plans, and adding carports. They moved to Arizona, and soon KB Homes became the first house builder on the NY Stock Exchange. In 1971 he acquired Sun America Insurance Co.

As his wealth increased, he became quite the philanthropist, founding many foundations in his name.  His wife had an eye for Art Collecting, and as he grew an impressive personal collection, it was suggested that he build a museum. The Broad’s early acquisitions included notable works by Miró, Picasso, and Matisse. His personal collection was nearly 600 pieces, ands his foundation was over 1500 pieces. In 2008 they started shopping around for a location for his museum, and finally landed in Downtown Los Angeles, across the street from MOCA (The Museum of Contemporary Art) on Grand Ave. This is about a block south of the Disney Concert Hall.

They held a design competition and the New York form of Diller Scofidio + Renfro were eventually chosen to design the approximately 120,000-square-foot museum, which includes exhibition space, offices and a parking garage. Eli Broad put up $140 million dollars of his own considerable wealth to build it.

The Broad Museum concentrates on Contemporary Art, and was opened in 2015. Admission is free. Since is opening it has become quite a hit with patrons and the public. And it’s pretty snazzy to look at too!

Now, the sun is getting close to making its exit into the west. I am off to dinner, and then to retire.  I bid you a fond fare thee well, and adieu… and as always..

Goodnight Neverland!

To the east and north of Los Angeles, there is desert. To the north, is the Antelope Valley known as the HIGH desert, and then out to the east is the Coachella Valley, known as the LOW desert. You’d think the high gets hotter and low, not as much. MUCH to the opposite.  In the Coachella Valley, you have cities  like Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta and last and least.. Indio.   In this, the LOW desert, it not only gets hot, it gets UBER hot.  I was once there at 124 degrees. But being neck deep in a pool solved any discomfort. (Just leave your car in a shady area…)

Silly me, three weeks ago I thought..well, lemme book a 2 night stay out there before the dog days of summer arrive.  WRONG.. This week, we are supposed to be hitting record setting numbers. Such is my luck.

I refer to the WHOLE area as Palm Springs.  My mom liked coming out here when I was a kid. I remember riding my bike for 2 hours and no wheezing.. (before unleaded gas…) Since College, I’ve come out here MANY times. I’ve worked here, scouted here, and will come stay here after I finish a big job that has gone on for months on end. I like it out here.  I feel a lot more relaxed when I’m here.

The area has a lot to offer for the adventurous.  There is a Gondola Tram ride up to Mt San Jacinto (app 10,000 ft), there is Indian Canyons, with Oasis’ and petroglyphs.. There is well over 100 golf courses, a water park (run by Knott’s..) and numerous restaurants and bars.  

If you are a fan of architecture, Palm Springs put Mid Century Modern on the map. There are literally HUNDREDS upon hundreds of them. Many have been renovated, some have ben gentrified.  

There was a popular Spring Break crowd for MANY years, but in the 80’s the rowdiness caused the Chamber of Commerce to take back the Welcome mat.  But annual golf tournaments and other events like COACHELLA and STAGECOACH are a HUGE draw to the area. It seems every weekend, SOMETHING is going on here.

The winter brings the “Snowbirds” to take up winter residence in homes and RV’s. (Snowbirds are the people who migrate annually from the north to winter in the southwest where it’s not so cold.). The high season for this area IS the winter since the average winter temperature is 75 degrees, and they get on average 300 days of sun every year.

It’s a 2 hour drive from LA, and back in the 50’s was a hit with the Hollywood crowd who would flock out here to Frank Sinatra’s or Bob Hope’s houses to gather and party.  

I like coming out here to relax… and that’s what I plan to do.. I’ll be back Thursday…. I might miss posting tomorrow… but I’ll be back.. and as always.. I bid you a fond fare thee well and adieu… and…

Goodnight Neverland!

If you recall a Laurel & Hardy short film called THE MUSIC BOX,, shot in 1932. It won the Oscar for best short film that year.  A woman orders a piano, but lives atop a huge flight of stairs. L&H arrive to deliver the piano and the mayhem ensues.

The actual filming location is at 923-925 Vendome Street in the Silver Lake Area. It connects Vendome and Descanso Dr. This would be just south of Sunset Blvd. The area seen in the film it’s pretty wide open, but today, is sandwiched by apartment houses.. The 133 “Music Box Stairs” became a tourist attraction. Charlie Chase made a film on these steps in 1925.  But such lore around the steps, even named a small Triangle Park, just across Vendome, called Laurel & Hardy Park.  The Three Stooges used a similar set of stairs for a short where they were delivering ice to a house atop the stairs, where in the mayhem, the ice was reduced from a block to an ice cube by the time they got up the stairs there.

Public stairs are not uncommon in LA.  The Silver Oak & Echo Park areas have well over a dozen of them, and when I was going to Jr High and High school, we lived in the Cahuenga Pass. We had a set of stairs between Adina Dr and Passmore Drive.  If I missed the school bus or had drama rehearsals, and had to take the RTD home and had to contend with the 152 steps there. But it was a ¾ of a mile shorter than walking all the way around.

I’ve scouted the Music Box steps twice, and each time there was tourists attracted by a film that was shot there almost 90 years ago. But Laurel & Hardy shorts live in the hearts of millions..

So if you are fit for the climb, go find this piece of cinema history, and climb those stairs.  And as the sun goes behind the mountain here in Palm Springs, it is time for me to get dinner.. and rest for the night. As always, I bid thee farewell and adieu.. and as always.

Goodnight Neverland!

Many people know about the Hollywood sign, but not everyone knows that it was more or less, and advertisement of a housing development up Beachwood Canyon called HOLLYWOODLAND.

Even fewer people know that a few canyons over, was another development in a smaller canyon, that lead up to Mulholland Drive.  OUTPOST Canyon was that development. And taking the lead from the Hollywoodland Real Estate Company, They built a sign as well.

The 30 foot high OUTPOST sign was once the largest neon sign in America.

Charles Toberman, who was well known around the Hollywood area, promoted this development of classy Spanish Mediterranean homes that ran their way up the concrete streets that curved around existing sycamore trees and other rocky outcroppings. It was a hit with the Hollywood elite, and even today many celebrities live up there. Bob Barker has a home there, Penny Marshall had her home there. Brad Pitt has a home up the canyon as well.

The name OUTPOST came from an old adobe in the area that had been the location of notorious activity, including the negotiations for the treaty of the Cahuenga Pass, which was finalized at the Campo De Cahuenga in what is now Universal City. There was a REALLY old sycamore tree that was used for hanging horse thieves, that was the object of a lot of attention and conversation. So the name ‘Outpost’ just suck because of this adobe which had been there for a long while.

I have used Outpost Drive to avoid the Cahuenga Pass and Laurel Canyon traffic. As a kid, my school bus drive down Outpost to get to Hollywood High and Le Conte Jr High. So I know this road well.

If you hike up Runyon Canyon from the end of Fuller, you can still see the structural steel alongside the trails up there.  But for a while, the name OUTPOST was blazing in bright red neon in the night sky over Hollywood.

It’s been a hot day, and it is time for me to eat, and retire.. I bid the a fan fare thee well and goodbye for now.. and as always I bid you…

Goodnight Neverland!

There is a gas station in Beverly Hills, that I always found intriguing.  My mother used to drive by it a lot, but I found its LINES to be unlike most other gas stations….

The answer is that this was a DESIGNER gas station,… much like many other things in BH… Designed…. Called Jack Colkers ’76 Gas Station, it is just outside of the core of Beverly Hills. Across from The Annenberg Theater Arts Center, and kitty-corner to the picturesque City Hall..

Located corner of Crescent Drive and Little Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills is a true icon of Mid-Century Modernism, recognized everywhere as one of the highest examples of Googie architecture in the world. 

It was designed by architect Gin Wong of Pereira and Associates and completed in 1965. The design came earlier, though, and was meant for a very different location: in 1960, Wong designed the building to be part of Los Angeles International Airport. It was meant to compliment the ICON of the airport, the Theme Building. (The twin arched building suspending a restaurant in the middle of the u shaped concourse of terminals.)

From the page on the LA Conservancy website: “Most gas stations have a canopy, but only this one has a hugely swooping, curved canopy reminiscent of a giant parabolic spaceship.

The canopy perches above the nondescript rectangular building containing snacks and a cashier station, spreads out over the pumps, and lifts its angled corners to the sky. It is anchored by two large supports that descend to earth at the pumps. 

The edges of the roof are decorated with a frieze of simple squares, and its underside is illuminated by long rows of shimmering fluorescent lights that follow the curve above. 

It is no exaggeration to say the Beverly Hills Union 76 is the best gas station in Southern California.”

As a kid driving by I wondered why all the architectural fuss over a simple gas station.   But during Mid-Century Modern, everything was new, hot, and all bets were off…

But one thing I will tell you is NOT to go there for gas.. it’s prices are among the highest in the LA area… Choose where you buy gas in the LA area. Certainly NOT next to a freeway, near LAX, and most definitely NOT in Beverly Hills.

And so, like sands through the hourglass,… it’s time for dinner then bed… as always.. I bid thee a fond farewell and…

Goodnight Neverland!

Located across the road from the old USPS Terminal Annex, and close to famed Union Station is a shop that specializes in what is called a FRENCH DIP Sandwich. They invented it. It’s as simple as they come. The meat, pork, lamb or turkey on a French Roll, dipped in the aus jus. It’s an old school deli like place with chest high deli case you stand in front of to order. A dozen waitresses in old time uniforms, make your choices up, place them on a tray, and you pay… and we’re off to the races. They even serve breakfast.

It is Philppe.  The Original.

From their website: Philippe’s “French Dipped Sandwich” is the specialty of the house and consists of either roast beef, roast pork, leg of lamb, turkey, pastrami or ham served on a lightly textured, freshly baked French roll which has been dipped in the natural gravy of the roasts. Swiss, American, Cheddar, Monterey Jack or Blue cheese may be added. To accompany your sandwich, or sandwiches, we offer a tart, tangy coleslaw, homemade potato and macaroni salads, hard boiled eggs pickled in beet juice and spices, large Kosher style, sour dill or sweet pickles, black olives and hot yellow chili peppers. Philippe’s has been located in Los Angeles, CA since 1908 and at its current location on Alameda since 1951.”

My dad has been taking us there since I was an infant. He loved this place. I love this place. It ranks up there with my favorite eateries in LA, like The Pantry or Tommy’s etc..

I have taken scouting groups here, friends, tourists from out of town and so on.  90% of the people I bring here return. There are some, who have likes to more contemporary offerings with a drizzle of sauce and a small portion of an entree on the plate.  Not here. It’s as simple as it gets. Old School. VERY LA as well.

Once you have ordered, and paid the cashier you take your tray to one of a dozen + long tables in the dining rooms. Often times you share a table with a stranger, and can always strike up a conversation about what brings people there.  It could be before a Dodger Game, or Lakers, or Clippers.. or on their way to or from somewhere from the transit hub across the street. But it always evokes ooo’s and ahhh’s from those who have been going there for years, and it still tastes the same. You always know what you are going to get, and it always tastes the way you want it.  MY favorite is a Beef sandwich, double dipped, a piece of lemon pie, and a diet coke.

Even during the pandemic, they were able to set up a tent in the parking lot, and take care of their customers and keep their loyal employees working.  

It’s an eatery that has worked for a long time. And it has life left in it. I always enjoy my trips there, leaving satisfied and with a smile…

And speaking of a smile, it’s time to have dinner, and close out the day.. So as always,I bid you fare the well… and…

Goodnight Neverland!

If NASA shot a probe, telescope, or a mission to another planet, it is VERY likely that The Jet Propulsion Laboratory had something to do with it. They most likely built it (before it’s loaded on to a rocket) and likely as well, to be controlling it from here.

Located in the hills next to LaCanada, Altadena and Pasadena, this Lab has had their hand in MANY cookie jars for a very long time.  A highly classified facility that does opens its doors to the public ONE day a year. (But you gotta sign up early because it’s always a sold out event).

JPL is a federally funded research and development facility, owned by NASA and operated by California Institute of Technology, whose campus is nearby in Pasadena.

The laboratory's primary function is the construction and operation of planetary robotic spacecraft, though it also conducts Earth-orbit and astronomy missions. It is also responsible for operating the NASA Deep Space Network.

ALL of the Mars Rovers that have been sent to the red planet were built here at JPL. And they are controlled and monitored from here as well.  A number of other planetary explorers like Juno, The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the NuSTAR X-ray telescope, and soon to come, Psyche asteroid orbiter have come for this laboratory.

JPL tracks it origins back to the 1930’s when as part of Cal Tech from the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory, and even did rocket launch tests on it property.

During the 40’s experimental rockets and munitions were the drive. Wernher Von Braun teamed up with engineers here during the 50’s and late in that era sent Explorer 1 up into space.

It was here when they turned their attention to exploratory and information gathering missions. Their missions led they way to the Apollo missions to the moon, after sending several probes to map out the moon.

Other planetary probes were sent to Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter.

When it was founded, JPL's site was immediately west of a rocky flood-plain – the Arroyo Seco riverbed – above the Devil's Gate dam in the northwestern of the city of Pasadena While the first few buildings were constructed in land bought from the city of Pasadena,  subsequent buildings were constructed in neighboring unincorporated land that later became part of La Cañada Flintridge. Nowadays, most of the 177 acres of the NASA property that makes up the JPL campus is located in La Cañada Flintridge.  Despite this, JPL still uses a Pasadena address as its official mailing address.  There has been occasional rivalry between the two cities over the issue of which one should be mentioned in the media as the home of the laboratory.

JPL is one of the LA areas proudest accomplishments.. Its contributions to science and astrology have been unmatched. It serves as a point of honor for may who work there, and are part of the teams that are able to explore other worlds from right here in the hills above Pasadena.

About 5 years ago, my best friend and I were blessed to get a personal tour from a dear friend I made thru the Tournament of Roses. She is currently the Outreach Manager for one of the Flight Projects there, and we got the tour no one else could get. That was a memorable afternoon!

And as it is late afternoon, and the sun will be setting late today, as it IS the solstice..it is time for me to have dinner, and retire for the night. As always, I bid thee farewell, and again…

Goodnight Neverland!

From above it looks like a giant golf ball has landed near Sunset and Vine. But for the folks who were familiar with the age of Camelot and era of JFK, a new movie house was the talk of the town.

The Cinerama Dome.

A group called Cinerama Inc devised a plan for a large movie house that was made from 316 concrete geodesic units, that would create a massive dome. The idea was that they could build 600 movie houses worldwide for half the price, in half the time. They had a star studded groundbreaking in July 1963, and be ready for the opening of “It’s a  Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” in November.  It was designed by Welton Becket & Associates, and would be the first major movie theater built in Hollywood in 33 years. The theatre also has design elements such as a loge section with stadium seating, architecturally significant floating stairways, and at the time of its opening, the largest contoured motion picture screen in the world, measuring 32 feet high and 86 feet wide.

The original intention was that films would be shot with a 3 camera process and would be projected with 3 projectors creating a 180 degree effect.. Sadly, that really never materialized. The theater opened to much fanfare on Nov 7, 1963 using a format called Ultra Panavision 70, to fit the large, curved screen. I recall  film called “It’s CINERAMA” which used a 2 projector process, but the idea never really took hold.

But since that time, it became the GO TO modern theater in Hollywood, hosting many, many premieres in its time.

And they used the location and proximity to major studios to stage massive displays for films showing there. From memory, I recall a film called “Battle of the Bulge”  where a huge hedge row was erected with a full Sherman Tank about to breach it, with a dozen army men scattered about, right next to the theater. When “Mame” opened, they fashioned a huge Easter bonnet out of chiffon, on the dome. It was shredded the night before the premiere by a Santa Ana wind event. In recent years, a Godzilla movie fashioned the jaws of the movie monster popping out of the roof. I recall seeing a Minion adorning the roof.  When I was a kid, the backside was used as a location for the kids TV Series called “Lance Link, Secret Chimp” where monkeys portrayed all the parts with human voices added.

When “Star Wars Episode III” opened there, they introduced the digital process into the projection booth. When “Avatar” screened, they used a 3-d process as well. Somewhere along in there, Pacific Theaters built a high end Movie House called The Arclight Cinema AROUND the Dome, and included it as part of an upscale movie experience that added glamour, and a lobby that had mixed drinks and food, other than popcorn.

Sadly, closed during the pandemic, and just recently, Pacific Theaters announced the closing of all the Arclight Cinema’s INCLUDING The Cinerama Dome.  Most critics and pundits all agree, that The DOME will get a new life. It’s all a matter of who will step up to the plate, and set up shop with a new theater operation there. It’ll be back…. I am confident of that.

And I see by the clock on the wall, it’s time for me to get dinner and retire… And so, as always, I bid thee farewell, and…

Goodnight Neverland.

Situated right in the middle of the media district in Hollywood, has been a facility that has stood the test of time.  It used to be sandwiched between NBC Red & Blue Radio Networks and CBS Columbia Square, right on Sunset Blvd. Well known for Pop Culture and Big Bands… I am speaking of THE PALLADIUM. Although the radio networks have long ago given way to rampant development, The Palladium has stood the test of time.

Built on land that at one time was the Paramount Pictures lot, LA Times publisher Norman Chandler put up $1.6 Million Dollars to build the venue located on Sunset Blvd. between Argyle and El Centro.

Across the street was the Earl Carrol Nightclub, which later became the Aquarius Theater. The dance floor boasts 11,200 sq. feet of dance room, and along with the Mezzanine, can sit 4000 people. It was designed by Gordon Kaufman, whose credits include Santa Anita Racetrack, and Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, and many more notable locations (like Hoover Dam). His use of Streamline Moderne Art Deco stylings has now become a member of the Register of Historic Places as of 2016.

It opened in October 1940, Tommy Dorsey and his Big Band was the first act, with a vocalist named Frank Sinatra. FOR YEARS, The Palladium has been host for numerous music and cultural events. In 1961 it became the home of Lawrence Welk, which played there for MANY years. There was a billboard on the west side of the building featuring LW with his baton, automated going up and down, and bubbles would emanate form a large glass of champagne.  John F Kennedy had a dinner here, thrown by the Democratic Party in 1961 as well. The Teenage Fair played there for many years, and was a rite of passage for youth in the LA area. I know my parents would allow us to go, once we turned 13. And it was a thrill.

As the years progressed, acts of every shape and size came through there. And it became a popular venue for Rap, Punk, Reggae, and Heavy Metal acts. Every so often, there were riots and other untoward activity, but those were few and far between.

I recall working for Dick Clark on a County Music Awards there, meeting Dick himself up in the mezzanine.   And the Palladium was no stranger to film & TV activity. DAY OF THE LOCUST was filmed there. I can recall THE BLUES BROTHERS shot the final scene here, and the exterior was a featured location on STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP, a short-lived TV Series from show runner Arron Sorkin.

IN 2008, They went thru a year long renovation, which restored the historic facade to its original look. Live Nation now books the site, and acts like Jay Z.

But, in the hearts of MANY who danced the night away in the 40’s and 50’s, and the teens who attended The Teenage Fair, THE PALLADIUM evokes many many memories..

And speaking of memories… today, the 3rd day of summer, is almost a memory.. It’s time for dinner… and then to bed.  As always, I bid thee farewell.. and…

Goodnight Neverland!

It seems that I like writing posts about my guilty food pleasures, and today is no exception.

There is a few of these outlets left in the San Fernando Valley. And much like the Van Nuys Blvd cruise nights, a CUPID’S chili dog went hand and hand with that. Or a date, or a lunch stop, or when you are just hankering for a good old fashioned chili dog with the skin of the dog that snaps a little bit when you bite into it.

Originally opened in 1946 by Richard and Bernice Walsh, it was originally called Walsh’s Hot Dogs. Shortly thereafter, they changed the name to Cupid’s, which was Bernice’s nickname. In the 80’s the Walsh’s son Rick took over. He was a long haired, blonde valley surfer kid, who had the temerity to add Ketchup and relish to the condiment list, which caused his father to have a profanity laced tirade, but the customers loved it… and they kept going. They had a good business plan to have stands in places where the people were. e.g. Van Nuys, 2 blocks from the courthouses, or in Northridge, just outside CSUN.

It is a simple menu. Hot dogs with all the fixings and a chili, that has it own special taste. It different from Pink’s or Tommy’s and stands alone in taste.  There used to be a dozen or so locations around the valley, but these days, there is about 4 or 5 left.

Again, it’s a very simple place. Just Chili Dogs. Nothing foo foo, not even shakes or fries. I’ve been going there since I was old enough to drive. The only thing that HAS changed, is the price of a hot dog… but isn’t that the case everywhere.   But anytime I go there, I know what I am going to get, and the taste hasn’t changed since I was 16. When I was on location filming in Placerville, in the foothills of the western flank of the Sierra Nevada range, I ran across a hot dog/hamburger stand that had the same taste of the chili. After I inquired, I found out the Walsh’s had retired up there, and threw in their signature recipe to the eatery opening up there. It has a very distinctive taste.  The eatery up there made my two months there quite enjoyable.

And now, the sun is getting ready to make an exit into the west, and I as always will soon retire for the night. I already had a chili god from Cupid’s today, so no more dinner for me!  And o I bid thee a farewell, and as always..

Goodnight Neverland.

Tonight I will turn my attention to the last bastion of the Amusement Piers in Santa Monica Bay.  The SANTA MONICA PIER has survived dramatic storms both literally and politically. It is the last of 5 piers that stood at the shoreline between Venice and Santa Monica.  It is/was also the smallest. I barely remember POP, Pacific Ocean Park, the FINAL amusement park pier, that closed in 1967. Then burned, twice. But after all was said and done, The Santa Monica Pier still stands strong, and is a huge attraction for tourists and south-landers alike.

Santa Monica Pier is actually 2 piers.  The long narrow one where the access road and the Harbor Masters office at the end are located, was called the Municipal Pier, and It was built in 1919. Next to it, the shorter and much wider portion, was called Newcomb Pier, built in 1916.  The “Hippodrome” that we now know as the Carousel was built at that time. Newcomb Pier had a collection of amusement rides, but fell into disrepair during the depression.  The bridge on to the pier, and the archway welcoming there, were built in 1938.

At one point there was a large ballroom on the pier where various events took place. Spade Cooley did his broadcasts from there, then it was a ballroom for dancing, and then a roller rink.. But it too, is now gone.

And then there were storms… a few of them.. in 1983 2 El Nino storms took their toll on the breakwater, and on the end of the pier. The breakwater was more or less lowered below the waterline, and the far end of the pier was washed away. And all the heavy debris scattered the shoreline for almost a mile south of the pier.  But of course, the pier was rebuilt. Since then, a new amusement park has taken its place there now; Pacific Park. It features a roller coaster and a ferris wheel with an amazing array of led lights that create a million different color combos. Other rides and game booths do a brisk business even today.

The carousel was lovingly renovated in 1990, and has been the center of attention from Hollywood. Dozens of TV shows and films have ben shot in and around the carousel there.

When I was a kid, we took church bus to the beach once a week, I would go down to the pier and buy a corn dog and and ice cream from a vendor on the pier. It was the start of many years going there. I shot a feature film and a TV show on the pier, and I loved every minute of the time I spent down there.

The Santa Monica has passed the test of time. Everyone wants to see it alive and thriving.  And as the sun begins to make another spectacular exit for the visitors at the pier, it is time for me to retire as well!  As always, I bid thee farewell , and…

Goodnight Neverland!

Venice of America.  It’s a beach front hang out. It’s a housing development from way back when. It’s an amusement attraction, and these days, it’s a bastion for the homeless who have set up tents along the several miles of beach front walk and bike paths.

Venice has had many incarnations. It was once an oil field. Back in the 20’s and 30’s as many as 5 amusement piers dotted the oceanfront here. A developer built a number of wide canals, trying to emulate Venice, Italy.  Those canals were filled in and their old footprint still exists today as the traffic circle on Main St. and the major canals spoke off of it from there. All city streets now.

Windward Ave. always seemed to be the centerpiece.  The arched facades are half of what they used to be.  Numerous Rec & Park facilities dotted the shoreline, today, the Skatepark and graffiti wall being ground zero.  Muscle Beach work out facilities are a magnet for the muscle bound and their fans.

The Amusement piers are gone, leaving ONLY the Santa Monica Pier as the extension over the water that survived. Pacific Ocean Park (POP) was the last of the major piers, and it closed in 1967, later burning to the waterline in several suspicious fires.

But between the vendors of all shapes and sizes, the restaurants, and the colorful collection of crazies who have seemed to gravitate here since the days of the hippies, Venice still remains a major attraction for tourists and locals alike. There is a funky, bohemian attraction to the area.  A developer built smaller, more narrow canals a bit south of the old big canals, which still exist today. Real Estate has gone through the roof on canal front locations, and the narrow streets and arched bridges will never change. There is a coffee table book written in the 80’s called VENICE OF AMERICA which chronicles the history of the area..from the oil wells of 100 years ago, to the roller skating Rastafarian playing a guitar.

Regretfully, over the last 2-3 years, homeless camps have been set up right next to the sand. I can only anticipate the battle to come when they have to be removed, since the merchants and local residents are tired of the violence, trash and general disarray created by their presence here. It will be quite the political and social showdown.

However it works itself out, Venice Beach will always be a magnet for the ultra creative, the bohemian and the tourists alike. It’s part of our history there. That history that reinvents itself pretty much every generation.  The Venice Generation.

The sun is going to bed.. and so must I.. I bid thee farewell, and as always..

Goodnight Neverland.

Located in the heart of Downtown LA, the Biltmore Hotel has been the centerpiece in hospitality since it was built in 1923. Situated across the street from a square block city park, Pershing Square, it has been ground zero for notable occasions, conventions, and numerous political and social events since its opening.

It has seemingly a dozen architectural styles.. The architectural firm Schultze & Weaver designed the Biltmore's exterior in a synthesis of the Spanish-Italian Renaissance Revival, Mediterranean  Revival, and Beaux Arts styles, meant as an homage to the Castilian heritage of Los Angeles.

The interiors of the Biltmore Hotel are decorated with Frescos and murals, Carved marble fountain, and columns, massive wood-beamed ceilings, travertine and oak paneled walls, lead crystal chandeliers, cast bronze stairwells and doorways, and heavily embroidered imported tapestries and draperies. Most notable are the frescoed mural ceilings in the main Galleria and the Crystal Ballroom, which were hand painted in 1922 by Italian artist John Smeraldi known for his work in the Vatican and the White House. Smeraldi and his team famously painted the ballroom's colorful, seamless fresco over a period of seven months, decorating it with figures of Greek and Roman gods, angels, cupids and other mythological creatures. It was meticulously restored in the 1980s by Smeraldi's apprentice. The imported Austrian crystal chandeliers that adorn it are 12 feet in diameter.

The Rendezvous Court, once the hotel's lobby but now used primarily for afternoon tea, is decorated with a Moorish Revival styled plaster ceiling painted with 24 carat gold accents, two original imported Italian chandeliers from 1923, The current lobby at the hotel's Grand Avenue entrance still has its original travertine walls and oak paneling as well as the large artificial skylighted ceiling, reflected in the custom carpet below.

Also of interest is the hotel's health club and indoor pool, which was modeled after the decks of 1920s luxury ocean liners. Solid brass trim on windows, doors and railings, teakwood deck chairs and hand-laid Italian mosaic tile on the walls and in the pool are original.

And the Biltmore is no strange to Hollywood. Literally, every week, and film or TV shows, set up shop, and shoot one of the fabulous rooms or colonnades.  It was a particular favorite of the TV Show THE WEST WING.  (And it’s a logistical nightmare to shoot there as well) It is well known that the hotel and its 1500 rooms are haunted. I’ve stayed here several times, but in one instance, I placed a pair of shoes on a shelf in the closet, and returned form dinner to find one of those shoes on the floor… I have attended numerous social affairs here including our annual Teamsters Christmas Party.  

It has a TWIN, in San Francisco where the Sir Francis Drake is situated in front of an urban square, and the three wing design is nearly duplicated.

But when it comes to opulence, grandeur and sophistication, The Biltmore always fits the bill, and never disappoints hotel guests and social event attendees alike… It’s one of the few hotels that has it’s own coffee table book, you can find in each of the larger suites, and purchase it as well.

And as the sunny and HOT day comes to a close, I bid you farewell, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

On a scenic part of the drive around Palos Verdes, is a small chapel that sits, surrounded by nature, as a place of worship, contemplation and solitude. It has been there since the mid 20th Century, and has stood the test of time. In its lifetime, it has actually grown INTO its surroundings.

Wayfarers Chapel began as a dream in the mind of Elizabeth Sewall Schellenberg, a member of the Swedenborgian Church who lived on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the late 1920s. The Peninsula was largely open farmland with a two-lane gravel road skirting the shoreline from San Pedro to Palos Verdes Estates. Mrs. Schellenberg dreamed of a small chapel of exquisite beauty and spiritual architecture on a hillside above the Pacific Ocean where wayfarers could stop to rest, meditate, and give thanks to God.  Lucy Pyle Mercer Billingslea, a member of the Los Angeles Swedenborgian Church, approached her friend, Narcissa Cox Vanderlip, who was also a member of the Swedenborgian Church, about donating the 3.5 acres of land for the project. (The Vanderlip Family still has significant holdings in the area..)

Initially they had asked architect Ralph Jester to design the chapel, but the depression and other circumstances led to Jester, suggesting Lloyd Wright (song of Frank Lloyd Wright) to design the chapel. Wright found himself in complete accord with the positive outlook of the Swedenborgian Church and its emphasis on harmony between God’s natural world and the inner world of mind and spirit. Wright’s vision for the Chapel was unanimously accepted by the denomination and the building committee.

The cornerstone was laid in 1949. When the Chapel was completed in 1951 it stood alone like a precious jewel on a deserted dusty knoll overlooking the blue Pacific. Today, what you are looking at is a “tree chapel.” Chapel architect Lloyd Wright had been inspired by the cathedral-like majesty of the redwood trees in northern California. The redwood trees that surround Wayfarers Chapel are forming living walls and roof to a natural sanctuary encased in glass with view of the surrounding forest and nearby Pacific Ocean. These are typical traits of Organic Architecture, which aims at using nature as the framework and regards the space inside as sacred. Lloyd Wright’s design of Wayfarers Chapel is the perfect combination of nature and architectural genius and is one of the foremost examples of organic architecture. Wayfarers Chapel is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Lloyd Wright’s son Eric Lloyd Wright has been involved in the designing and building of the Visitors Center at the Chapel.

And it is indeed a tourist attraction, and Hollywood is no stranger here either. It has been featured in numerous films and TV. Weekends are booked solid, every hour, all weekend. MANY MANY a wedding has taken place here since its opening. And you get like an hour, then you gotta go to make room for the next service. It books up months in advance.

If you ever get to go see it, your will be astounded by the redwood columns holding up the glass walls and ceiling. And the grounds are exquisite. Perfect for Wedding pictures… but you gotta book in advance.  Weekdays, you can visit, but might find a service in progress.

A great place for a sunset too… and speaking of sunset… it’s time for me to go… So, as always, I bid thee farewell… and..

Goodnight Neverland!

(I lifted much of this narrative from their website, since there was no way I could rewrite what they so lovingly had already written..)

There is an eatery on La Cienega that always stands out in my mind. I’ve been there a number of times, and it never disappoints.  Lawry’s, for Prime Rib.

Frank and Van de Kamp had founded the Tam’O’Shanter in Atwater, and through the success there, Frank came up with a unique seasoned salt, which has now become a staple, and Lawry’s became an empire for the family. The ‘Tam’ is the oldest restaurant in LA run by the same family in the same location. (And a favorite lunch spot of Walt Disney- among many others..)

In 1938 they opened Lawry’s Prime Rib on “restaurant row” on La Cienega, where many of LA’s finest restaurants were also located. The only entree was Prime Rib which was carved on a large steel cart AT your table, in addition to creamed corn, and Yorkshire pudding. They also served a salad that was spun in a large salad bowl at your table.. it is quite a show. Lawry’s was the first restaurant to make a dinner salad a staple of a dinner meal. The waitresses are all decked out in vintage waitress uniforms and are held to a higher standard than most waitresses. Later, they added a few other menu items to appease the vegetarian crowd.

In 1956, as a sales gimmick, they fed their prime rib to the teams participating in The Rose Bowl Game on New Years Day. SINCE that time, the “Beef Bowl” has been a tradition for the teams. Held on 2 consecutive nights for each team, they arrive to great fanfare and a red carpet, and are hosted by local celebrities and treated to a GRAND meal. The record for the most prime rib consumed, was 610 pounds. At first, it was all you can eat. But then, had to scale it back to 1 entree per player. I’ve been to the Beef Bowl, and covered it for the Tournament of Roses Social Media, and the MEAL for me was the centerpiece.  I can still smell the aroma’s right now.  

It’s changed locations a few times, but never leaving La Cienega’s Restaurant Row. It is probably the best offering for Prime Rib you can find in Los Angeles… but I’m biased….

And with that said, I’m hungry… So it’s dinner, and then to be. I bid you a fond fare thee well, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

Back in the mid 60’s there was a filmmaker named Bruce Brown, who decided to shoot a documentary on surfing.  Not just on the west coast, but all over the world.  So Bruce Brown, and a few surfers, and what I am SURE was a small crew of assistants went ALL OVER the world, in search of The Perfect Wave.  And it was well documented.

The film follows surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August on a surfing trip around the world. Despite the balmy climate of their native California, cold ocean currents make local beaches inhospitable during the winter. They travel to the coasts of Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, Senegal, Ghanan, Nigeria, and South Africa in a quest for new surf spots while introducing locals to the sport along the way. Other important surfers of the time, such as Miki Dora, Phil Edwards, Butch Van Artsdalen and Corky Carrol, also appear.

The film's title comes from the idea expressed at both the beginning and end of the film that, if one had enough time and money, it would be possible to follow the summer up and down the world (northern to southern hemisphere and back), making it endless. The original concept was born through the suggestion of a travel agent to Brown during the planning stages of the film. The travel agent suggested that the flight from Los Angeles to Cape Town, South Africa and back would cost $50 more than a trip circumnavigating the world, after which Bruce came up with the idea of following the summer season by traveling up and down the world.

When The Endless Summer premiered on June 15, 1966, it encouraged many surfers to travel abroad, giving birth to the "surf-and-travel" culture, with prizes for finding "uncrowded surf", meeting new people and riding the "perfect wave". It also introduced the sport, which had become popular outside of Hawaii and the Polynesian Islands in places like California and Australia, to a broader audience.

The poster of the film (seen here) was a photo shot at Salt Creek Beach, at Dana Point in Orange County (SoCal) in 1963.  It is BY FAR one of the most highly recognized movie posters of the era.  I have a friend who has one that was autographed by someone connected to the film.

Bruce Brown did a follow up film (Endless Summer II, 1994) but another highly regarded documentary on Motorcycle riding and racing called “On Any Sunday” came out in 1971, to equally enthusiastic following by the genres fans.

And as the sun starts making i’s way to another surfing destination, I am going to get dinner, and retire for the night. And, as always, I bid thee farewell…and..

Goodnight Neverland!!

Ever since I was a little boy I recall going to the EL CHOLO. It was a few miles from our house on S Western Ave., and my mom & dad liked it. Mom liked getting a margarita there.  I was always intrigued by a model they had near the bar, of what they wanted to place to look like when they had enough money to expand and remodel. It took over 20 years, but they finally got there.

It’s website calls it the “very first” Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles. I’d debate that claim, but I will say, that it opened in 1923, and is still being run by the grandson, Ron Salisbury, from the family who opened it back then.

They brought traditional recipes and long standing ingredients to a new found business that serves good food to families and friends.  Add a drink or two from the bar, and we’re off to the races.

After 5 months in Europe as a student, upon my return, my dad asked where I’d like to go to dinner… My answer.. EL CHOLO.  

They have opened a few new locations. Pasadena has come and gone, but the downtown LA Location proves itself worthy of pre and post game dinners, due to its proximity to Staples Center and the Convention Center. Currently they have locations in LaHabra, Corona Del Mar, Santa Monica, and Anaheim Hills.

If you go on a weekend night, be prepared to spend some time at the bar, waiting for a table.  But it’s worth the wait.  The food is simple and traditional. Northing foo foo about it.  MANY of the dishes served there date back to its origins, sticking close to mama’s recipes.  

It’s been a family tradition in my family since I was a kid, and for thousands of other families who share the same stories I have.

Traditions… like a fiddler on the roof, but in this case…. Mexican and Spanish food… and I see by the old clock on the wall, it’s time for me to get some dinner, and retire.. and so I bid thee farewell.. and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

Hollywood Blvd has a number of attractions that draw a crowd; The Chinese Theatre, The Intersection of Hollywood & Vine, The Wax Museum and so on.  BUT NOTHING is a larger draw, and is more spaced out than The WALK OF FAME.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce credits E.M. Stuart, its volunteer president in 1953, with the original idea for creating a Walk of Fame. Stuart reportedly proposed the Walk as a means to "maintain the glory of a community whose name means glamour and excitement in the four corners of the world". Harry Sugarman, another Chamber member and president of the Hollywood Improvement Association, received credit in an independent account.  A committee was formed to flesh out the idea, and an architectural firm was retained to develop specific proposals. By 1955, the basic concept and general design had been agreed upon, and plans were submitted to the Los Angeles City Council.

But not without lawsuits and controversy..But by March 1956, the final design and coral-and-charcoal color scheme, and terrazzo surface, with bronze letters, had been approved. Between the spring of 1956 and the fall of 1957, 1,558 honorees were selected by committees representing the four major branches of the entertainment industry at that time: motion pictures, television, audio recording, and radio. In 1984 the fifth category was added; Theatrical. (This has the fewest stars on the boulevard) Around the time the Stars were installed on the sidewalk, the city put in triple head light standards with a star pattern on the side of the light bar on top. This made Hollywood Blvd a REAL destination.

The FIRST star went to Joanne Woodward, and was among almost 1600 initial offerings.  But for years, it was a MAJOR honor to have a star in their name placed on the Walk of Fame.  Well known Hollywood celebrity and Honorary Mayor, Johnny Grant (no relation) later streamlined the process and set the $2500 fee to have one, once selected by a blue ribbon committee.  It then became a race for every publicist in Hollywood to jockey into position to get their clients included, especially if they had a film or recording coming out soon, and was tied into those openings. The price has now climbed to $50,000, and more or less funds a special trust thru the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.  The walk goes down Hollywood Blvd from Gower to LaBrea, and down Vine St., from Hollywood to Sunset. AT Hollywood & Vine, a special memorial was laid for the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, honoring it as the MOST seen TV event EVER. Worldwide.

For years, there was a guy who spent every day, polishing and cleaning each star. He was a local standout whom merchants would supply food or a small donation for his trouble.  Every so often, a star becomes a point of controversy (like the star for the 45th president who was in a reality TV show prior to his election.) but these usually blow over quickly.

When I was in Jr High, a class we took in the summer (Know your community Hollywood) that allowed me and 2 friends to go count ALL the available stars, and those who had not be filled in yet.  Today there are over 2,690 stars, and with more to come soon!

It’s a point of pride in Hollywood, and has had its share of duplications elsewhere, but NOTHING compares to the REAL DEAL on Hollywood Blvd.

And now, as the sun takes its leave in the west, I too will take my leave. I shall post new ‘Neverland’ posts after the holiday weekend… but until then, and as always, a bid thee a farewell, and…

Goodnight Neverland!

In Downtown Los Angeles there was a cafeteria left over from a bygone era. Started by a family who believed that they could serve meals to anyone who wanted one, whether they could afford it or not.

The Clinton Family got its start in San Francisco, opening a cafeteria called Dennets. In 1931, Clifford Clinton, one of the 5 siblings, sold his family interest and moved to Los Angles, and purchased a fledgling cafeteria, and shortly thereafter, added his personal touch to the location.  Simple family recipes of just about everything were offered for the payment of “Whatever you think is fair.” In 1939, they remodeled the place with outlandish decor that ranged from Redwood trees and stuffed wild animals spread throughout the multi story facility. They renamed it Clifton’s Pacific Seas, and they decor was all about that.  They expanded to as many as 8 locations.  But the bottom line was that they served good food at ala carte style and prices, and if you couldn’t afford it, you could still get something.

Brightly illuminated in the evening, it became a mecca for tourists and Angelenos alike, often being referred to in the same category as other prominent landmarks of downtown Los Angeles, such as Angels Flight, Olvera Street and Pershing Square.

The restaurant was described as one of the last vestiges of Old Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, with an interior that looks like a "slightly down-at-the-heels Disney version of a twilight forest”.  In June 2006, co-owner Robert Clinton took final steps to purchase the Broadway building they had been leasing for 71 years.  With over 600 seats on three floors, and known as "Clifton's Cafeteria”, it was noted as the oldest cafeteria in Los Angeles and the largest public cafeteria in the world in 2009. The third floor included a party room, a banquet room, and many pictures of Clifford and Nelda Clinton. There was a secret room on an upper floor. There was also another set of restrooms down the stairs in the bottom basement. The restaurant's busiest period was in the 1940s, with as many as 10,000 customers forming lines down Broadway, but by 2009 Clifton's regularly serves 1,800 to 2,000 daily.

In 2010, Clifton’s was regretfully sold to a nightclub operator who had intentions to renovate, and reopen. That did happen in 2015, but closed for good in 2018. It was the end of an era. All the other locations had closed long ago as well. (I knew DON Clinton from the Hollywood High Alumni Association Board of Directors, and saw as he tried to make the best of a dying breed, before they sold off the interests)

For many, who recall the time when cafeterias and smorgasbords were an easy way to feed a family with out the needs of a sit down and order from a menu format, it was quite an easy approach to a meal. Our family liked a chain called SIR GEORGE’S SMORGASBORD, and as kids we always liked going there for the variety and the all you can eat aspect.  Those days have given way to the Hometown Buffet and other establishments. But what is missing from those places, is the Clinton Family tradition of never letting anyone go hungry who needed a meal and couldn’t afford it.

And now, the sun is going lower on the horizon, and it’s time for me to get a meal, and retire for the night. As always, I bid you farewell and…

Goodnight Neverland!

Gather round the campfire kids, I’m gonna tell you a tale of a man who you never knew you knew about..

Lucky Baldwin.  The fourth of fourteen children, brought up in Ohio, then moved to a farm in Indiana. He soon taught himself ranching, and took his first of 4 wives..  He made his way west by figuring out how to make money doing so. He loaded up 4 wagons with goods and needs of those heading west, and he intended to set up a mercantile to make a buck. After some trouble getting there, he landed in Placerville CA, and sold his horses at a 400% profit in Sacramento, then on to San Francisco, where he bought a hotel, and sold it at 100% profit, and added his name to it. He earned the name LUCKY by his luck in business dealings, of which he had a knack for.  He had his hands in all kinds of dealings… Gold Mines, Silver Mines (like the Comstock Lode in Nevada where he provided several tons of much needed lumber), and many other ventures that he would buy and sell.. He even produced a group of Chinese Acrobats on a vaudeville tour.

He made his way to the San Gabriel Valley, where he bought the Santa Ana Ranch, which encompasses much of the San Gabriel Valley.  He settled in what is today known as the LA COUNTY ARBORETUM, where he invested in hundreds of species of flora and fauna, built a Marvelous Queen Anne home for his 4th wife (who didn’t care much for it), bought and ran thoroughbred horses across the road (at what would later become Santa Anita), and more or less established the arboretum without really knowing it.

You know all those annoying peacocks that frequent many neighborhoods like Shadow Hills, Palos Verdes, and other spots?  Lucky Baldwin introduced 3 pairs he imported, and since then, they have been breeding.. a lot.

Whats left behind in the southland is towns like Baldwin Park, Baldwin Hills, Baldwin Lake (in Big Bear), Baldwin Ave., The Montebello Oil Fields, and Baldwin Beach at Lake Tahoe. One remarkable note, is that he more or less got Santa Anita Racetrack on its feet. They even have a race called The Baldwin Stakes.   He was a philanderer, a father, and a tightwad. After his death, his daughters spent the money he would let them spend, when he was alive. One Daughter, Dorothy Baldwin bought a Pullman Train Car, (which in its day was the equivalent of a private jet), and you can see that restored Pullman car at the Nethercutt Collection in Sylmar.

Anyways, think about LUCKY BALDWIN whenever you see Tatoo shouting from the top of the Queen Anne Cottage  “Boss… de Plane.. de Plane” which was the location of Fantasy Island TV Show in the 70’s.

And as the sun has now set, I will be turning into a pumpkin soon…and so, al always.. Fare thee well and..

Goodnight Neverland!!

The Theme Building is an iconic Space Age  structure at the Los Angeles International Airport. Influenced by”Popluxe” architecture, it is an example of the Mid Century Modern design movement later to become known as “Googie.” The Airport Theme Building Exterior and Interior was designated as a historic-cultural monument in 1993 by the city.

The distinctive white building resembles a flying saucer that has landed on its four legs. The initial design was created by James Langenheim, of  Pereira & Luckman, subsequently taken to fruition by a team of architects and engineers headed by William Pereira and Charles Luckman, that also included Paul Williams and Welton Beckett.

The appearance of the building's signature crossed arches as homogeneous structures is a design illusion, created by topping four steel-reinforced concrete legs extending approximately 15 feet above the ground with hollow stucco-covered steel trusses. To counteract earthquake movements, the Theme Building was retrofitted in 2010 with a tuned man damper without changing its outward appearance.

Constructed near the beginning of the Space Age, the building is an example of how aeronautics, pop culture design, and architecture came together in Los Angeles.

The original design for the airport created by Pereira & Luckman in 1959 had all the terminal buildings and parking structures connected to a huge glass dome, which would serve as a central hub for traffic circulation. The plan was eventually scaled down considerably, and the terminals were constructed elsewhere on the property. The Theme Building was subsequently built to mark the spot intended for the dome structure, as a reminder of the original plan.

There are conflicting reports to whether the restaurant once had a 360 degree rotating floor when it originally opened. However, that is only legend and LAX officials confirmed the restaurant never revolved, yet because of its appearance and views, many visitors “think it revolves.”

The structure was dedicated on June 25, 1961, by Vice President Lyndon Johnson. The Los Angeles City Council designated the building a historic-cultural monument in 1993.  A $4 million renovation, with retro futuristic interior and electric lighting designed byWalt Disney Imagineering, was completed before the Encounter Restaurant opened there in 1997. Visitors are able to take an elevator up to the Observation Level to get a 360-degree view of arriving and departing planes. But 9/11 put a stop to that. I have heard that the Observation Deck has been opening on weekends, but I don’t spend that much time at LAX. (I try to avoid it as much as I can)

The ENCOUNTERS Restaurant has opened and closed a few times. And the main structure has gone under a MAJOR renovation, where it was more or less stripped down to the bare bones, and shored up for a much longer life.

BUT, it is an Icon of Los Angeles, and a source of quite a lot of pride in the City, and of the airport.  Right now, the airport is going thru a lot of changes, primarily, the construction of a people mover and an off site, massive new rental car terminal. This is all in anticipation of the upcoming 2028 Olympics. (Back in the late 70’s the driving approach loop was doubled decked for ease of traffic for the upcoming 1984 Olympics. The Tom Bradley International Terminal was built as well).

When people come and go to LAX, this is what they remember the Airport for.  The Theme Building.

As the sun goes down into the west, people are on their flights, and on their way to their destinations. I am off to dinner, and then to retire for the night., And so, I bid thee farewell, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!!

When foodies talk about the SoCal food icons, one of, if not the first name that pops up is IN & OUT BURGER.

With locations primarily in California and the southwest, It was founded in Baldwin Park CA, in 1948 by Henry & Esther Snyder. The chain is currently headquartered in Irvine and has expanded outside So Cal into the rest of California, as well as into Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Oregon and Colorado.They have also opened distribution centers in most of those states as well. The current owner/operator is Lynsi Snyder, the Snyders' only grandchild.

They DO NOT have, or want franchises. They resist it. One reason is the prospect of quality or customer consistency being compromised by excessively rapid business growth.  The company's business practices have been noted for employee-centered personnel policies. For example, In & Out is one of the few fast food chains in the United States to pay its employees more than state and federally mandated minimum wage  guidelines – starting at $15 per hour in California. The In & Out restaurant chain has developed a highly loyal customer base and has been rated as one of the top fast food restaurants in several customer satisfaction surveys.

In & Out Burger's first location was opened in the suburb of Baldwin Park, in 1948 by the Snyders at the southwest corner of what is now the intersection of I-10 and Francisquito Avenue. The restaurant was the first drive-thru hamburger stand in California, allowing drivers to place orders via a two-way speaker system. This was a new and unique idea, since in post-World War II California, carhops were used to take orders and serve food.  It’s my understanding that the original location is due to be turned into a shrine or museum to In & Out sometime soon.  The building is still there, no longer open, but surrounded by a fence for now.

The menu is, and was simple.. Burgers, fries and sodas.  No alternatives, no chicken or salads.  BUT, the variations of the menu have been off the charts.  People have various ways for ordering their meals. These variations include 3×3 (which has three patties and three slices of cheese), 4×4 (four patties and four slices of cheese), Neapolitan shakes, grilled cheese sandwich (consists of the same ingredients as the burgers except the meat, plus two slices of melted cheese), Protein Style (wrap with lettuce; consists of the same ingredients as the burgers except buns), and Animal Style (cooked in a thin layer of mustard, adding condiments including pickles, grilled onions, and extra spread). Animal Style fries come with two slices of melted cheese, spread, and grilled onions on top. Whole or sliced chili peppers are also available by request. Both Protein and Animal Style are house specialties that the company has trademarked because of their association with the chain.  Adding extra burger patties of additional condiments have created their own sub-culture in the southland. There are volumes and lists of various names fo the various variations you can order…

For many years it was a 2 lane drive thru, but as they progressed in time, customers requested interior dining, and they started to build them with dining rooms, in addition to the picnic type table outside. (Or as many still do, park and eat in the car).  

There are also a full line of t-shirts and other memorabilia available. You can buy some of these at one of the nearly 400 outlets in the southwest.

A few more notes. There is an In & Out University where new employees and managers are trained and educated, there is a BIG In & Out Store where you can buy LOADS of goodies, and even a In & Out TV, where in house video presentations are made.  Interestingly enough, only 1 media outlet has ever been let in to see this inner sanctum… Huell Howser.  He was THE ONLY media that have ever let inside to see the inner workings.  Also, the Snyders are a very religious family, and if you look on the inside rim of a drink cup bottom, you will see a very simple set of numbers, which is a reference to a bible passage.

In & Out is clearly one of the most popular burger outlets in the southwest. People who have lived here, and come back home insist they stop at the In & Out just outside LAX to get their fill of the “Double Double” and famous shoestring fries.  

So, as the sun makes it’s way into the west, and I will THINK about the next time I go to In & Out, but until then, I bid you a fond fare thee well, and as always..

Goodnight Neverland!!

From The Washington Post

WASHINGTON - Nearly half a century ago, a story in Catholic University's student newspaper described a "precious gift" bestowed on the school by Oscar-winning actress Mercedes McCambridge, then an artist-in-residence in the university's drama department.

Here was a rare piece of Tinseltown memorabilia, a farm girl's blue gingham dress, one of several - though not many - worn by Judy Garland in her role as Dorothy Gale in the classic 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz." It wasn't quite the famed ruby slippers, but the garment was a fascinating artifact just the same.

 Well . . .

The precious gift got lost at some point, folded and placed inside a box like an old sweater and stuck away - eventually no one could remember where - in the drama department building on Catholic's District of Columbia's campus.

Over the decades, people talked about it from time to time, wondering whatever became of Dorothy's dress, until the ancient wardrobe item, meant to inspire, became almost mythical.

Now it is found.

"As soon as I popped the top off the box, I knew what it was," Matt Ripa said Thursday, sounding as proud as the mayor of Munchkinland. "I saw that blue gingham and I just started laughing

and laughing. I mean, I'm still laughing. Because I was shocked, holding a piece of Hollywood history right in my hands."

Ripa, a lecturer in the drama department, said he had been intrigued by the "legend" of the missing dress since 2014, when he began teaching at Catholic. He liked to poke around the building in his spare time, hoping he'd come upon it.

On June 7, while clearing out clutter for a building renovation, he reached for a box atop a rack of faculty mail slots near his desk. And there it was.

Attached to the box was a note from Thomas Donahue, a now-retired drama professor.

"I found this," the missive said. Donahue, emptying his office before leaving the university last year, apparently had discovered the dress somewhere and put it in Ripa's office, knowing of his interest. But Donahue neglected to mention in his note what "this" was. Ripa said someone evidently tossed the box on top of the mail slots without looking inside.

When he saw that gingham, Ripa said, "I yelled to one of my colleagues, 'Get some gloves!' "

But is it the real thing?

We've got to verify it legally . . . positively, absolutely, undeniably and reliably . . .

Ryan Lintelman, entertainment curator at the Smithsonian's Museum of American History, was summoned to the drama department. In an interview Thursday, Lintelman said he knew of five authenticated Dorothy dresses from the film still in existence, all identical. The one at Catholic would make six.

Among other telltale characteristics, he said, a hidden pocket for Dorothy's handkerchief was sewn into the right side of each dress, and the star's name and a wardrobe number were discreetly penned on each outfit by what appears to have been the same hand. After examining the dress, Lintelman and two of his colleagues gave it a thumbs-up.

"It's not in Kansas anymore," the university declared in a news release, adding, "It can now be preserved in proper storage in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment" as part of the school's "special collections."

As for Lintelman, he couldn't help feeling a bit of envy. The Smithsonian has a pair of Dorothy-worn ruby slippers, a film-used Scarecrow costume, a Technicolor camera from the "Oz" set and an original script - but no dress.

"We'd certainly be open to a transfer," he said wistfully, "if that's ever in the cards."

https://youtu.be/Mm3ypbAbLJ8?t=8

So there you go!  Have a great weekend, and it is now, that I bid you Fare Thee Well, and as always...

Goodnight Neverland!

Located at the busy intersection of Santa Monica Blvd and Wilshire, just west of the heart of Beverly Hills, you will find the venerable BEVERLY HILTON HOTEL.

Elegantly designed by Welton Becket, as a spacious mid century hotel offering up 582 rooms, opened in 1955 to much fanfare. In 1961 the first of MANY Golden Globe Awards were hosted by the hotel. Hundreds of awards and charity banquets have taken place there. My own High School Prom and the California On Location Awards are held here, for which I have been in attendance.

And it has changed hands many times. In 1975, Prudential Insurance purchased 50% of the property, and then in 1987 Merv Griffin bought it. (He had considered the Beverly Wilshire as well) In 2003 Merv Griffin sold it to the co-founder of Packard Bell Electronics, for a nice profit. In 2005, the hotel went thru a major renovation, reducing the number of rooms to 570. Wide screen plasma TV’s were installed in every room as well.  In 2014, a 12-Story Waldorf Astoria was built on the site of the Trader Vic’s (a popular Polynesian themed restaurant) right ON the corner. This hotel is operated by Hilton as well.  The hotel had other plans for expansion with condo’s and a new tower, but local residents voted down that plan.

Notable events at the hotel have almost always surrounded celebrities. Singer Whitney Houston died of an overdose in a bathtub the night before the Golden Globes in 2012, putting quite a damper on the next evenings affair. Esther Williams held her swimming school in the Pool there, and this is only a few of the notables.

But thru the years, and literally thousands of parties and charitable events, the Beverly Hilton remains one of LA’s finest hotel offerings. . The shops and restaurants have always been quite a draw, and it was a favorite destination of kings, queens, politicians and Hollywood elite since the day it opened.

And as the sun makes it way down on to the horizon, it is time for me to get a meal, and retire for the night. I bid thee farewell, and as always.. a fond…

Goodnight Neverland!

In Downtown Los Angeles is a “former” Cathedral that was the centerpiece of the Catholic Church in Los Angeles. St Vibiana’s was replace by the construction of the new, modern Cathedral of The Angels next to the courthouses and The Music Center.

It was the center of Catholic life and parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Located in Downtown Los Angeles, the building opened in 1876 as the cathedral for what was then known as the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles, and remained the official cathedral of the Los Angeles for over 100 years.

The cathedral was heavily damaged during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake and became the subject of a lengthy legal battle between the archdiocese, which wanted to demolish the building and build a new cathedral on the site, and preservationists, who wanted the building to remain standing due to its historical significance. In 1996, the parties involved reached a compromise in which the archdiocese would purchase a nearby site on which to build a new cathedral, and in turn would turn over the St. Vibiana site to the City of Los Angeles. The Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels was dedicated in 2002 as the successor to St. Vibiana's Cathedral.

In the late 2000s, the former cathedral building became an event venue called Vibiana. The Little Tokyo branch of the Los Angeles Public Library is also located on the site. The 1885 cathedral structure is one of the last remaining buildings from the early period of Los Angeles.

Plans for a cathedral dated back to 1859, and land for the facility was donated by Amiel Cavalier. The complex, on the southeast corner of Main and Second streets, was dedicated in 1876 and cost $80,000 to build. The cathedral's architects, Kysor & Mathews, also designed the landmark Pico House. The Baroque-inspired Italianate structure was a landmark in the early days of Los Angeles. When first opened, it held one-tenth of the young town's population. The interior was remodeled around 1895, using onyx and marble; the exterior facade was changed in 1922–24 to give it its present look, said to be based on a Roman design.

Pope Pius IX chose the cathedral's name, choosing third-centuryRoman martyr Saint Vibiana. Cathedrals traditionally contained the relics of a saint, so the remains of St. Vibiana were removed from the Catacombs of Rome and moved to a gilt-and-plate-glass sarcophagus located in a niche above the high altar.

During the 1940s, a rectory and school building were added. The school closed in 1969 because the parish could not afford it. It became a convent for theDisciples of the Divine Master.

The facility was outgrown by the region's rapidly expanding population, and the Archdiocese decided that it needed a larger main facility; however, preservationists pressured them not to destroy the historic landmark. The situation was complicated further when the 1994 Northridge Earthquake caused extensive damage to the cathedral and its 1,200-seat sanctuary.

Deciding that the damage was not worth repairing in such a small structure, the archdiocese began demolition on the site in 1996, without permits. However, the sudden dismantling of the bell tower on a Saturday morning prompted a frantic save-the-cathedral campaign, and work by the archdiocese was halted by preservationists who had a temporary restraining order placed on demolition. The archdiocese argued that it had the right to level its own facility; preservationists and the city wanted the church to be preserved. The structure was listed on the country's "11 Most Endangered Places" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. A state Court of Appeal rejected the archdiocese's argument to be allowed to quickly demolish the cathedral, A deal was cut with the city to swap land, allowing the church to build a new cathedral on a larger site, much closer to the downtown core.

An Event space was created, the school torn down, and the former cathedral was shored up.. and became a popular site for post Emmy and Grammy parties, as well as Raves, Weddings and other events. It got a new life!

One note, is that it was the residence of the Archbishop of Los Angeles, and when Pope John Paul II visited LA in 1987, he stayed in the rectory there.  (I have seen the simple apartment he stayed in while scouting the site a few years back..)

And so.. the sun is falling out of the sky, and I need to order a pizza, and call it a night! And so, I bid thee farewell, and as always,…

Goodnight Neverland!!

Nestled quaintly on a rock formation 200 feet high, is a large rock formation, that at the right time of day, in the right time of year, casts a shadow down it face, that looks remarkably like an EAGLE.

A quiet neighborhood between Glendale and Pasadena grew up with, and around, the name EAGLE ROCK.  This area has a mall, a small, private University, and 2 Freeways run through it.  The EAGLE ROCK itself, sits high above one of the freeways as well, CA 134 (Or the Ventura Freeway) very close to its eastern terminus.

The arrival of American settlers and the growth of Los Angeles resulted in steadily increasing semi-rural development in the region throughout the late 19th century. The construction of Henry Huntington's Los Angeles Railway trolley line up Eagle Rock Boulevard to Colorado Blvd. and on Colorado to Townsend Avenue commenced the rapid suburbanization of the Eagle Rock Valley.

Eagle Rock was once part of the Rancho San Rafael under Spanish andMexican governorship. In 1911, Eagle Rock was incorporated as a city, and in 1923 it combined with the City of Los Angeles.

The neighborhood is the home of Occidental College and is known for being an enclave of counterculture. Eagle Rock maintains a number of historically significant buildings, including nine Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments, and has a connection with the Motion Picture Industry.

Like the surrounding areas of Northeast Los Angeles, Eagle Rock has undergone gentrification. Beginning in the 2000s and picking up speed in the 2010s, the “authentic urbanism” and “small-town intimacy” of the area's boulevards have played a role in drawing young professionals and fostering an emergent hipster culture.  As a result, housing prices have dramatically risen and a new wave of restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and art galleries have appeared over the last decade.

Eagle Rock is the site of Occidental College, which was first established in Boyle Heights in 1887, but a fire destroyed its original site in 1896; from there the college moved to a temporary location in Downtown Los Angeles until 1898 when it moved to Highland Park, and then to Eagle Rock in 1914. The campus was designed by architect Myron Hunt, and is a popular location for films & TV. AND President Barrack Obama attended here for 2 years during his undergrad work.

But standing steadfast up on the hill, that fowl shaped rock, still, and will always stand, as a a symbol of the area below it, and as a source of bragging rights for the residents of the area. The Eagle Rock definitely defines the area surrounding it. (Except to the north, which is a big hill, and a landfill..)

And so, as the sun slinks away on to the western horizon, I take my leave, and bid you a farewell.. and as always..

Goodnight Neverland!!

LA has been in need of a mega 21st Century Stadium for the longest time.  ALL the NFL teams left the LA Coliseum because of the political and corruptive climate there.  Over two decades went by. The NFL wanted 2 franchises in the LA Market.  BOTH the Rams and the Chargers committed to come to LA, and the goal was to build a state of the art MEGA Stadium…and it finally arrived.  SoFi STADIUM.

Professional Football and college sports have always been a hot debate topic n LA, and a representation of the money involved in them. At first it was a shell game with 3 teams who had an eye on LA, but the Raiders (after being elbowed out) decided to relocate to Las Vegas instead.  But a venue to host 2 NFL teams didn’t come without controversy.  

Bottom line, is the the Stadium got built. The former horse racing venue, Hollywood Park, was razed in order to build this mega complex. It not only includes the 70,000 seat stadium (expandable to 100,000 for special events) and 260 Executive Suites, but a 6000 seat entertainment theater for live events, open air shopping and restaurants. Other expansions will include a multi screen movie theater complex, and a hotel.

The stadium has received a number of architectural awards, such as The Stadium of Year, The Outstanding Architectural Engineering Project this year and others. It was designed by HKS Inc. The covering of the stadium is fixed and can project images that can be seen from airplanes passing above when landing at LAX and it supported by a series of columns.

The stadium will host the Super Bowl game in February 2022, and the College Football Championship Game in 2023. It will also host the opening and closing ceremonies of 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics and potentially 2026 FIFA World Cup ( to be re-evaluated this year).

The groundbreaking ceremony took place in 2016 and official ribbon cutting ceremony was hosted in September 2020. On June 15th, 2021, the LA Authorities allowed for the public to return to the sports venues. The Stadium is currently home to LA Rams (who moved back from St Louis in 2016), LA Chargers (who recently moved from San Diego).  Next to the stadium there is a 200,000-square-foot building that will house office operations for hundreds of employees that work for NFL RedZone, NFL.Com and the NFL app. The building will also be home of the NFL Network. In addition to office and studio space, the facility will feature NFL Media's first outdoor studio and space to host studio audiences. The new NFL Media studio campus is expected to open by summer 2021.

It finally came… and audiences love it.  

And speaking of loving it.. it’s time for the sun to exit— stage left… in hurry even… and so I wish you a fond fare thee well, and as always..

Goodnight Neverland!!

If you are ever wondering what was one of the first AIRPORTS in the LA area… read on. Today I will discuss GRAND CENTRAL AIR TERMINAL.

A man named Leslie Coombs Brand, who was responsible for the settlement and economic growth of Glendale, had already bought land on the foot of Verdugo Mountain, built the Brand Castle (which is now the popular Brand Library), and was interested in an aviation airstrip. In 1915 he built the airstrip, and year later, the first of several hangers. He put together a fleet of planes, and threw parties where he required the guests to FLY in on their own planes.  Soon thereafter, a group of entrepreneurs built a larger airstrip, and later the Terminal, calling it the Grand Central Air Terminal. It was designed by Henry L Gogerty, and was a mesh of Spanish revival and art deco styles. It was the first paved runway west of Denver. The airfield was soon sold to Curtiss-Wright Flying Services and run by C.C. Moseley, who later went to to co-found Western Airlines.

MANY notable aviators had roots in the Grand Central Airport.

Charles Lindbergh piloted the first regular transcontinental airline flight with an airline that later became TWA. Amelia Earhart used the airport and bought her first plane there. Laura Ingalls became the first woman to fly across the country, landed there in 1930. Howard Hughes built his H-1 Racer in a small hanger there in 1935, beginning the Hughes Aircraft Company. Jack Northrop started his Avion Aviation Company there before William Boeing bought it and moved it to what is now Hollywood Burbank Airport.

Immediately following Pearl Harbor in 1941, all private aviation operations were ceased there. Aviation businesses were relocated to the Hollywood Burbank Airport.  The airport was shrouded in camouflage and the runway extended to 5000’ (which is as far was Western Ave.), so that military applications and aircraft could use the site. Things got worse with a fire in 1944 that destroyed several hangers and planes.  

After  WW2, it was returned to private use, but with the advent of other major airfields in the valley (Like Hollywood Burbank Airport and Van Nuys Airport), Grand Central Airport ceased operations in 1959.

Since that time, the old terminal has been used in DOZENS of Hollywood films and TV Shows. The Terminal building, (and three hangers) remained intact, control tower and all.  

The Walt Disney Company has since taken over the old terminal, and fixed it up real nice. Several facilities in the area were already being used for WED Industries (Walter E Disney) and many of the rides at Disneyland had been developed, and mock ups built in nameless structures in the area.  

The layout of the old airport can still be seen with streets called “Grand Central Avenue” and “Air Way” where the runways once sat, and nearby, the old terminal.

And it ALL harkens back to the guy they named BRAND Blvd. after. I live a block below the Brand Library, so I’m kind of living this history, where I currently reside.

So, with the sun slinking off into the western sky, it is time for me to make dinner, and retire for the night. And so, as always, I bid thee farewell, and…

Goodnight Neverland!

The Colorado Street Bridge was designed and built in 1912 at a total cost of $191,000 (equivalent to $4,934,907 in 2020). The bridge was designed by the firm of Waddell & Harrington, based in Kansas City. The structure carries Colorado Blvd (then called "Colorado Street"), the major east-west thoroughfare connecting Pasadena with Eagle Rock and Glendale to the west, and with Monrovia to the east. It opened on December 13, 1913, replacing an older, smaller bridge.

The bridge follows a curved path so that the footings would sit on more solid ground than a straight bridge would have provided. The bridge spans 1,486 feet at a maximum height of 150 feet and is notable for its distinctive Beaux Arts arches, light standards, and railings. The bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark  by theAmerican Society of Civil Engineers.

During the early part of the twentieth century, the Colorado Street Bridge became known locally as “Suicide Bridge" after dozens of people leaped to their deaths. The bridge had a bad reputation before it was even built, as a construction worker fell to his death and landed in the wet cement under the bridge.

The number of deaths spiked during the Great Depression.

The balustrade was replaced by an 8-foot-high barrier in an effort to deter suicides, but the bridge retained its nickname. To this day, some still use the bridge as a means to end their lives. In 2016, temporary anti-suicide barriers, in the form of 10-foot-high chain link fencing, were installed on the sidewalk inside the balustrade, blocking the seating alcoves.. The city plans to replace the temporary fencing with permanent barriers, at least 7.5 feet in height. In 1989, after the Loma Prieta Earthquake in NorCal, the bridge was declared a seismic hazard and closed to traffic. A MAJOR retrofit was performed, where the top 25% of the bridge was more or less removed and replaced, and reopened in 1993 after much fanfare. The bridge is closed each summer for a festival, "A Celebration on the Colorado Street Bridge", hosted by historic preservation group Pasadena Heritage.

And the bridge is no stranger to Hollywood. One of the earliest films in which the bridge appears is in Charlie Chaplin's The Kid, filmed 1919. In 1976, the bridge was a filming location of the TV series Emergency! where a boy was shown trapped under the bridge.  An episode of Full House featured the bridge in a bungee jumping scene. ER did a rare location shoot under the bridge as well. And even my show, FEAR FACTOR shot there, where contestants were suspended over the arroyo in a plexiglass box for a while. Other reality shows like The Amazing Race, and Jay Leno’s Garage have been shot on the bridge. And it had a small role, but quite fitting, in the feature film LA LA LAND.

As a kid, my dad would drive us over the bridge calling it “suicide bridge” which scared me. He told us why it was called that, but he explained that the Arroyo down below was a most wonderful, quaint, serene,  and pastoral place, which it is… He’d drive down there and show us, and that made me less scared.   As a location scout, I looked at the area underneath the bridge a dozen times, since it’s SO graphic, with the spillway and the towering arches.

And so… with the sun headed to Hawaii now, I take my leave and bid thee farewell, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

As you have seen in my past “Goodnight Neverland” posts, FOOD plays a role here.  Tonight I turn to an LA Icon, that is regretfully no longer part of the landscape in LA. VAN DE KAMP’S BAKERY..

Van de Kamp’s Holland Dutch Bakeries was a brand of breads and assorted pastry products, frozen fish entrees, and prepared dinners. Established by one of the founders of both Los Angeles' iconic Tam O’Shanter Inn and the Lawry’s restaurant chain and seasoned salt empire, it went bankrupt in 1990.

Van de Kamp's Holland Dutch Bakeries was founded in 1915 as a Los Angeles potato chip stand by Theodore J. Van de Kamp, his sisters Marian and Henrietta, and Henrietta's husband Lawrence L. Frank, all recent transplants from Milwaukee. The first stand was operated from a mere eight foot frontage at 236 ½ South Spring Street next to the Saddle Rock Café—the very heart of Los Angeles at the time. They expanded the business to baked goods and by the mid-1950s had evolved into a regional bakery/restaurant chain. At the company’s height, 320 Van de Kamp’s Holland Dutch Bakers dotted the West Coast from California to Washington.  In 1930 the company built a large bakery and administrative offices to support its growth in Glassell Park (In the Elysian Valley, North of Downtown LA) The Van de Kamp’s Bakery Building was designed by New York architect  J Edwin Hopkins. The edifice of the former bakery still stands, but has since been repurposed.

The company's trademark blue windmills featured on their bakery store signs and atop their chain of famous restaurants that were known throughout the region. Its slogan was to capitalize on the association with Dutch cleanliness and freshness: "Made Clean, Kept Clean, Sold Clean". Following the death of Theodore van de Kamp in 1956, the bakery was sold by the Van de Kamp family and acquired by General Baking Co. The company was sold to private investors in 1979, and closed in bankruptcy in 1990. 

Today, only a few remnants remain of the famous windmills. A former Van de Kamp Holland Dutch bakery in Arcadia, CA was converted to a Denny's restaurant in 1989 and still features a fully restored windmill, and is a huge draw for those who loved the Dutch Bakeries.

Former LA County District Attorney (1975–81) and CA State Attorney General (1983–91), John Van De Kamp(D) is a nephew of the baker's co-founders. Under the direction of Lawrence Frank, the Frank and Van de Kamp families also founded Lawry’s Restaurants and The Tam O’Shanter Inn in Los Feliz. (A favorite lunch spot of Walt Disney)

Over the years the Van de Kamp brand had been owned by Pillsbury, Pet, Inc., Van De Kamp's, Inc., and later Aurora Foods.

Several former employees of the bakery were interviewed, and the original bakery featured, in Visiting... with Huell Howser Episode 802.

The Van de Kamp's brand is now owned by Pinnacle Foods, Inc. The Van de Kamp's brand is also used by Ralphs  and parent company Food 4 Less supermarket chains for their line of private-label baked goods.

The Van de Kamp Restaurants were a big hit for many years. Our family used to go the the flagship restaurant at Glendale/Fletcher & Rowena in the north part of Silver Lake, a stones throw from their main bakery in nearby Glassell Park.

And now… as the sun heads to the western horizon… I take my leave. I bid thee a fond farewell, and, as always…

Goodnight Neverland!!

IF you’ve ever driven up Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) thru Malibu, you might have noticed the Malibu Creek State Park Beach, about a quarter mile north of the Malibu Pier.  Contained therein, is an old estate villa, that has now been saved from being a parking lot and is a showcase of Spanish/Moorish Mediterranean architecture and Malibu Tile. It’s called THE ADAMSON HOUSE.

Built by Rhoda Rindge Adamson and her husband Merritt Adamson in 1929, Adamson House holds a significant place in California history. Mrs. Adamson was the daughter of Frederick Hastings Rindge and Rhoda May Knight Rindge, the last owners of the Malibu Spanish Land Grant, a vast swath of property between the mountains and the sea where the affluent beachfront city of Malibu is now situated.

Rhoda’s visionary father, Frederick Hastings Rindge, the last owner of Malibu, was a wealthy Easterner who attended Harvard, and bought the property in 1892 for roughly $10 an acre. (Thirty years later, it became the most valuable single real estate holding in the United States.) He and his wife, a schoolteacher from Michigan, had married and moved to California five years earlier, settling in Santa Monica. With the purchase of this land, Rindge sought to create an ideal country home, one to rival seaside showplaces he had visited in France and Italy. In fact their three children; Frederick Jr., Samuel, and Rhoda enjoyed life on the ranch. He referred to the Malibu coast as the “American Riviera”.

At that time, there were no roads to Malibu. Everyone and everything came by horseback, boat, or horse-drawn wagon over packed sand, at low tide. Rindge incorporated his own railway line in 1903 to bring in supplies and ship out hides and grains.

Rindge, a prominent business leader, philanthropist, and much-loved husband and father, died in 1905 at 48. His widow, May Knight Rindge, assumed stewardship of her husband’s business affairs, including the ranch, a property often referred to as “the Malibu.”

Over the course of 20 years, her determined battles to keep the Malibu a private family estate, free of public roads, earned her the title “Queen of the Malibu”. Eventually, she lost the fight when the county and state obtained a right-of-way, and the Roosevelt Highway, now the Pacific Coast Highway, opened in 1926. Her moxie extended to her own business ventures. Although Frederick Rindge was one of the wealthiest men in Los Angeles, his widow was perpetually land rich and cash poor. While searching for oil on her property, she found an abundance of buff and red clay, leading to the creation of Malibu Potteries, a short-lived yet still influential tile company that produced authentic versions of Mayan, Moorish, Moroccan, Saracen, and Persian designs. Nowhere are these tiles featured more extensively than at Adamson House. May Rindge’s bold strokes in business and public affairs, especially during a time when such actions were considered unladylike, earn her status as one of California’s history-shaping women. She died in 1941 at the age of 76.

Rhoda, May's only daughter, met Merritt Huntley Adamson when he became superintendent of her family’s Malibu ranch after graduating from USC Law School. The couple married in 1915. Merritt, the son of an Arizona legislator and sheep rancher, earned the nickname “Smoke” after becoming a “blood brother” of the Havasupai tribe that shared boundaries with his family’s ranch. Farming was his forte and he established Adohr (his wife’s name spelled backward) Stock Farms, which became one of the world’s largest milk producers.

When May Knight Rindge gave her daughter 13 acres of her coveted land, the couple pursued building a beach house. Spanish architecture seemed a natural choice for the young couple as Rhoda had grown up surrounded by themes of Spanish pioneers and Merritt's childhood had been steeped in the Old West atmosphere. They chose one of the most picturesque sites on the property—Vaquero Hill, so called because a cowboy shack once stood there.

The house, designed by well-known architect Stiles Clements, was constructed in 1929 and first used by the Adamsons as a beach house beginning in 1930. They alternated use of the beach house with their home in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles until 1936, when the couple and their three children began living in the Malibu house year round.

After the death of her husband, Rhoda Rindge Adamson  continued to live in the house until her own death in April 1962. After her death, her heirs announced plans to build a $10–12 million “deluxe Waikiki-type beach resort" on the 13-acre site, while preserving the house as an art and history museum. The State of California, however, filed an eminent domain  lawsuit in 1966, seeking to raze the house and turn it into beach parking. The state won its eminent domain lawsuit and purchased the property from the Adamson estate at the $2.69 million valuation set by the court.

Despite the state's victory in the eminent domain proceeding, the Malibu Historical Society, supported by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and the Adamson family, together with other leading Malibu citizens, fought over the next ten years to have the Adamson House preserved. While the state's plans to raze the house were put on hold, the house was leased to Pepperdine University from 1971-1982 as the residence of the university's chancellor, Norvel Young.   In addition to its extensive use of Malibu tile, preservationists touted the house as "a prime example of California Moorish-Spanish architecture." In 1976, preservationists won a victory when Herbert Rhodes, the director of the state's Department of Parks and Recreation, overruled staff recommendations to use the land for beach parking and recommended preservation of the entire property.

Sylvia Rindge Adamson Neville, a granddaughter of Frederick Rindge, donated money to help restore the house, and additional funds were raised by the Malibu Historical Society.  Beginning in October 1982, volunteers from the Malibu Lagoon State Beach Interpretive Association began work converting the garage into a small historic museum.  In 1983, the house and Malibu Lagoon Museum (located in the garage) were opened to the public for docent-led tours.

Thank god, smarter minds came together to preserve such a rich history in the area, instead of bulldozing it and making it a beach parking lot.

And as the sun slips down into the west, the surfers from the state beach are going home, and so must I.  It is here I say goodnight and farewell, and as always….

Goodnight Neverland!!

Howard Hughes got a military contract to build a mammoth military transport.   He had a bold idea…. Build it out of WOOD!  And he did!   But with his cantankerous personality, he did it his way… and NOT on time. By the time he was ready to test it, World War 2 was over.  It only had one flight, and it was mothballed after that… for almost 40 years. It was nick-named THE SPRUCE GOOSE.

Officially, it’s name was the Hughes H-4 Hercules. It was a prototype strategic airlift flying boat designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company. Intended as a Transatlantic flight  transport for use during WW2, it was not completed in time to be used in the war. The aircraft made only one brief flight, on November 2, 1947, and the project never advanced beyond the single example produced.

Built from wood because of wartime restrictions on the use of aluminum and concerns about weight, the aircraft was nicknamed the Spruce Goose by critics, although it was made almost entirely of birch. The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built, and it had the largest wingspan of any aircraft that had ever flown. The aircraft remains in good condition. After having been displayed to the public in Long Beach, California, from 1980 to 1991. A large dome was constructed next to The Queen Mary in Long Beach, and the huge plane was moved from the Long Beach Naval Air Station, where it had been housed in a ramshackle, makeshift containment covered with corrugated tin since the late 40’s.  It was a popular tourist attraction at first, but the popularity wained.  It was sold to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, and towed there on a barge.

During its ONLY flight, which was only supposed to be a taxi test, Howard Hughes was at the controls. After a few taxi runs, Hughes decided to give it a flight test as well. He reached an elevation of about 70 feet for about a mile, before setting back into the channel near where the Queen Mary sits today.  Thousands had come out to see the test, and they weren’t disappointed.

When I was a kid, my dad took us down to see a Battleship (the New Jersey I THINK…) that was in town for fleet week. It was about 1969 or so.   As we stood in line to see the battleship, dad was thrilled to see The Queen Mary, largely disassembled, with parts all over the dock, adjacent to the Battleship, and he was further amazed to see this huge “shack” in which the Spruce Goose was housed.  There was quite a lot of history there that day.

In the mid 80’s, I was able to climb on board when it was under the dome in Long Beach to shoot a TV commercial. We had to place lights in the cockpit for a shot, and I got to see inside.  Everything was BIG!.. THAT was a THRILL!

The Spruce Goose was built in large parts, at the Hughes Aircraft plant in what is now Playa Vista. You had a fuselage (seen in the picture) the main wings, the tail, and rear wings.  When ready, it was transported via CA-1 down to Long Beach, and that, in and of itself, was a herculean task. Special arrangements had to be made to remove power lines, street lamps and other low hanging obstructions. But they made it there, and reassembled the craft in the water.

After the late delivery of the transport, Hughes was told to appear before a congressional hearing over the H-4 Hercules project. Here is a portion of his testimony:  “The Hercules was a monumental undertaking. It is the largest aircraft ever built. It is over five stories tall with a wingspan longer than a football field. That's more than a city block. Now, I put the sweat of my life into this thing. I have my reputation all rolled up in it and I have stated several times that if it's a failure, I'll probably leave this country and never come back. And I mean it.”

This aircraft has been the subject of much debate. But you can’t refute the size of it. It was HUGE. And anything that BIG was a source of quite a lot of controversy and speculation.

And so, with the sun headed to Hawaii right now, I take my leave. I’ll get some dinner, and call it a night. I bid thee a fond farewell, and as always..

Goodnight Neverland!

If you’ve ever wanted a world class pastrami sandwich… or crispy brown fries… or even just a good old fashioned burger… look no more and go to THE HAT.

The Hat is a Southern California fast-food restaurant chain specializing in Pastrami dip sandwiches. This eatery, once local only to the San Gabriel Valley, has been offering its "World Famous Pastrami" to Southern California residents since 1951. Its customers consume 13 to 15 tons of pastrami per week.

The original Hat Restaurant is located at the intersection of Garfield & Valley in Alhambra and has been serving World Famous pastrami dip sandwiches since 1951. The historic Garfield Theater was located across the street from The Hat. The company has kept to its roots by keeping its retro neon signs featuring a chef’s toque and the words "World Famous Pastrami.”

The pastrami dip sandwich is the restaurant's signature item. It comes on a French roll with mustard and pickle. The restaurant also serves burgers, dogs, sandwiches, onion rings, fries and chili cheese fries. The Hat may have been one of the first places to feature the pastrami burger. The Hat offers no table service, so all of the items are wrapped to go, but paper plates are given to customers who wish to "dine in.”

There are 11 locations around Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties. My friend Bill says there is a photo of some ladies waiting in line at the Alhambra location.  One of the ladies in that picture is his mother.  He was always very proud of that!

Several years back, the CEO of The Hat was selected as President of The Tournament of Roses. Most regretfully, he took ill, and passed away only a few months before his parade was to commence. It was indeed a sad day for the Tournament.

I can recall several late nights during high school, where we would drive out to the Pasadena location, and load up on burgers and fries… and had a great night of it.. Good clean fun. Good friends, good food. Good times!

Now you got me hungry again….  And so… with the sun taking its leave in the wester sky, it is time for me to do so as well.. And so, as always.. I bid Thee a fond farewell, and ….

Goodnight Neverland!

Recently, I’ve done posts for Lawry’s and Van de Kamps, and they both had roots to the people who opened this place. Tonight I will discuss the TAM O’SHANTER INN, in Los Feliz.

The Tam O'Shanter Inn is one of Los Angeles’ oldest oldest restaurants. Established in 1922, it serves hearty pub fare with a touch of Scottish flair, and is known for its prime rib and Yorkshire pudding. It is located in Atwater Village at 2980 Los Feliz Boulevard. Walt Disney was a frequent patron there. He was known to eat many lunches there, especially when his animation studio was nearby on Hyperion. There is even a booth there, with a memorial to him.

The Tam O'Shanter Inn was established by Lawrence Frank and Walter Van de Kamp, founders of Van de Kamps Holland Dutch Bakeries, who later created the Lawry’s restaurant chain. They commissioned Harry Oliver to design the building. He constructed the Storybook Style building aided by movie studio carpenters. The Tam O'Shanter Inn opened in June 1922 and was a success. The owner said, "Every piece of wood which was used in this structure was thrown into fire first with the result that we never had to paint it and it got more beautiful as the years went by." (L.L.Frank to B. Stohler).  It was remodeled in 1968 and renamed the "Great Scot", but has since returned to the original name "The Tam O'Shanter Inn". The decor features English and Scottish medieval weapons, kilts, and family Coats of Arms and Medieval Family Crests.

It is a favorite of locals and many others alike. I have a friend and colleague who makes a point to have his anniversary dinner there annually.

MANY families have been going there for several generations. It has remained in the same spot since it’s opening, even tho the Atwater area around it, has changed significantly since it opened there. I’ve never heard anyone utter a bad word about the Tam o’Shanter ever.  A much beloved establishment who’s owners have a legacy of fabulous eateries in Los Angeles.

And, with the sun slipping off towards Japan, where the Olympics are now underway, I am off to a different fare for dinner… In & Out with my friends who spend their anniversary at the Tam O’Shanter.  And so… as always..

I bid thee a fond fare thee well…and…

Goodnight Neverland!

YEARS ago, an event was started in the Laguna Beach area, and it has become a much beloved event in the summer for decades.  THE PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS.

The Pageant of the Masters is an annual festival held by the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach. The event is known for its Tableaux vivants or “living pictures”  in which classical and contemporary works of art are recreated by real people who are made to look nearly identical to the originals through the clever application of costumes, makeup, headdresses, lighting, props, and backdrops. It’s astonishing, the creativity involved in these presentations, that can last only a few moments.

The first Festival of Arts was produced in 1932, and the first presentation of the Pageant was done in 1933. Since then, the two events have been held each summer, apart from a four-year interruption caused by World War II  & in 2020 caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 1933, at the second Festival of Arts, artist Lolita Perine had an idea for a living work of art. Persuading residents of Laguna Beach to dress in costume, she seated them behind an oversized frame, recreating well-known works of art.  The "Spirit of the Masters Pageant" was formally started the next year by the Festival's organizers and was put on again in 1934, but in those early days was an amateur operation of low quality.

In 1934, local developer Roy Ropp expressed his dissatisfaction with the poor quality of the production in blunt terms; the Festival's board responded to his frank criticism by placing him in charge of the Pageant. He renamed it the "Pageant of the Masters" and with the assistance of his wife, Marie, he organized a high-quality and well-received production in the summer of 1935. Building upon this initial success, the Ropps continued to refine and improve the Pageant through its 1941 production; then the Festival and Pageant were suspended for four years due to World War II. Because of increasing personal friction between the Ropps and the Festival's board, Roy Ropp came back only once after the war to direct the Pageant, in 1950.  Ropp died in 1974, but today is still remembered as the "Father of the Pageant.”

The Pageant is held eight weeks each summer and consists of 90 minutes of "living pictures" accompanied by a professional narrator, an orchestra, and period songs by professional vocalists. It hosts more than a quarter million people each year.

The Pageant is put on by a small paid staff and several hundred volunteers. Production begins in January with auditions and casting of volunteers from all over Southern California; it takes over 60,000 volunteer hours to put on the two-month Pageant in July and August. Today, the costumes and makeup involved are very elaborate and often require large commitments of volunteer time, so to reduce the impact on individual volunteers, the Pageant selects two full casts known as Blue and Green, which then alternate back and forth. It is performed at the Irvine Bowl (seen here), on the grounds of Festival of the Arts on Laguna Canyon Road.  People from far and wide come to town to view this amazing spectacle. It’s a real crowd pleaser.  Generations of families not only attend, but in many cases, volunteer for this unique and amazing event.

And so… as the sun settles in the western sky, I take my leave, and bid you a fond fare thee well, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!!!

Located on Sunset Blvd. next to Blessed Sacrament Church, is the very first mall in Los Angeles.  Well, the nation really.  It was built as a new concept of shopping and retail.. I talking about THE CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD.

This is an open-air mall on Sunset and Las Palmas in Hollywood. The mall features a central building designed to resemble an ocean liner surrounded by a small village of cottage-style bungalows. It was designed by Robert Derrah, built in 1936, and has been called the nations first outdoor shopping mall.

Once a busy shopping center, the Crossroads later became private offices, primarily for the entertainment industry with a variety of music publishers and producers, television and film script writers, film and recording companies, novelists, costume designers, publicists, and casting agencies. The owner is planning a new development surrounding the site.

In 1931, after Charles H Crawford's death, his wife Ella decided to build a multi-national outdoor market - that would feel like “a permanent world's fair with a cosmopolitan atmosphere” - on the land where her husband was shot. She hired the Streamline Moderne architect Robert V Derrah  (who was finishing his work on the Coca-Cola Building outside of Downtown LA) to design the complex.

Derrah designed a ship-shaped structure in the center of the complex. The surrounding buildings represented different countries of the world. The complex originally held 57 shops and cafes, and 36 offices on the upper floors. The Crossroads of the World was inaugurated on October 29, 1936.

The new shopping center was not a full-blown success, but it became an excellent model for outdoors malls across the world.

In the 1950s, the Crossroads of the World was converted into an office complex. The Screen Actors Guild, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jackson Browne and Alfred Hitchcock used to rent offices there. The property was purchased in 1977 by the real estate investor Mort LaKretz and restored.

In January 2019, the Los Angeles City Council approved the project to revamp the Crossroads of the World in a move to revitalize the district. Three high-rise buildings are planned to bring 950 apartments and condos, a 308-room hotel, and 190,000 square feet of commercial space. Preservationists called the redevelopment project a “Manhattanization of Hollywood". Eighty-two Hollywood Regency garden apartments are to be demolished in the project.

When I was a teenager, I went to reopening of a similar development that had been given a new shot on life, in Dallas, built by the same people a few years after this one opened.  Just after college, the first big TV Commercial I worked on had a temporary office here, alongside the casting office of TLC Booth, which had its office here at the time.  Most of the TV Spots I worked on were cast by TLC booth.

It is now fenced in because when it was built it was wide open, something that is a major problem in Hollywood these days.

And with he sun setting down on Sunset Blvd., it is time for me to have dinner, and retire for the night. I bid thee a farewell, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

One of many storied Mexican Restaurants in the LA area has a past that is both famous… and infamous.

A Clientele that ranged from John Wayne, Ricardo Montalban,

Loretta Young, to a young Drew Barrymore. Even Prince Rainier and Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco popped in once, to no fanfare or reservations.  Colorfully-painted walls adorned with sombreros and a mix of eclectic art—as well as overhead strings of Christmas lights left up all year round—create a soothing, easy atmosphere with an undercurrent of excitement and anticipation.

Opened in 1931 by Blanche and George March, the tiny cafe was originally located at First and La Brea. In 1951 El Coyote moved to its present location on Beverly Blvd. Today there are eight rooms and a patio where an average of 1,000 meals are served daily. Their margaritas have been voted the city's “best” by Los Angeles Magazine and theLos Angeles Times. They have also grown to 95 staff members. They have a seating capacity of 375.

Sharon Tate and her friends ate her last meal at El Coyote, on the night of August 8, 1969; they were later murdered by the Manson Family.  

And El Coyote is no stranger to Hollywood. I shot a film there for a day, depicting the final night of Tate, Folger and the rest, for a film called WOLVES AT THE DOOR.  Quentin Tarantino ALSO shot the same scene there, but BOTH films used a different table from where they actually sat. Numerous TV shows and Films have shot there as well.  A friend even shot a Del Taco spot there, back in the 80’s.

ALL THAT aside, it is still a great place to get a good meal, and an even better Margarita. It’s still family owned and operated, and has a long lasting history in the hearts and minds of it’s clients.   And with that said, I’m now hungry.

As the sun settles into the west, I’ll get my dinner, and turn in for the night. I bid thee farewell, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland.

Located in Van Nuys, the Anheuser Busch Family decided to add a theme park to their brewery operation based there on Roscoe Blvd.  It was known to all as BUSCH GARDENS.  

But that wasn’t the first Busch Gardens in the LA area. The Busch Family had a considerable estate in Pasadena, 36 acres, in which they had all kinds of flora and fauna on site. There were water features, walking paths and statuary. It was open to the public from 1906 to about 1937. That property has since been divided and is long gone.  

Anheuser Busch opened the brewery in Van Nuys in 1954, and in 1966 opened Busch Gardens as a theme park to promote their products.

The theme park was built on the west side of their Van Nuys location. There was enough to do to keep the kids and the adults happy.  They made a sizable expansion to the park, on the south side of the railroad tracks that divided the property. A footbridge was built to get guests safely over the tracks.

There was a monorail that toured the brewery on the east side of the property, and there were a few rides, including a flume ride that included passing through an aviary full of exotic birds.

When you went there with a cub scout or PTA group, the chaperones let the kids go, while they gathered at the Budweiser Pavilion placed on a lake, and offered up free beer to the patrons of drinking age.  

But being there was quite a lot of competition with Disneyland and  Knott’s Berry Farm, they closed the park in 1979. The land that used to be the theme park, was then utilized for a brewery expansion, when they needed more room to produce Bud Light. The expansion also included a truck distribution area as well. Today, all that remains is the footbridge over the railroad tracks, no longer functioning as a bridge.

It was a lot of fun to go there with a group. As your chaperones got drunk a the beer pavilion, we ran around the 17 acre park until we were exhausted.

Speaking of being exhausted, it’s getting late, and the sun is starting down into the west, and I am getting hungry. I will have a BUD LIGHT later on tonight tho!  But with that, I sign off for the day, and bid thee farewell. And as always,…

Goodnight Neverland!

In the early 70’s a new amusement park came on the scene. It needed to compete with some very big competition; primarily, Disneyland.  But they were building it up in the northern part of LA county, in a relatively new suburb called Valencia.  It was called MAGIC MOUNTAIN.

In 1968 Sea World founder George Millay discussed opening an amusement park in the Southern California area. Knowing that Newhall Land and Farm Company had enough undeveloped land in the new town of Valencia, he asked CEO John F. Dickason if they could build a theme park. They eventually formed a partnership to build an 200-acre theme park. Construction began in November 1969, until mid 1971.  Magic Mountain opened in May 1971, with 500 employees, and 33 rides. The rides in comparison to the thrill rides it offers today, were quite tame.

It was set around a big hill, more or less in a “U” shape, and the “mountain” aided in some the ride offerings like a sky ride (Eagles Flight) and a large sky tower on top.  There were a few thrill ride offerings, but today, very few of those are left. But just about every year or two, a new major ride attraction was opened. In 1976, the loop coaster “Revolution,” in 1978, the mammoth wooden coaster “Colossus” and a second ‘flume’ ride (Jet Stream)was added as well. They also purchased the licenses to use Warner Bros./Looney Tunes animated characters on site, and in their advertising. They also had a concert venue on site that booked major acts as an additional draw.

Newhall Land and Farm weren’t really equipped to operate a world class amusement park, so in 1979, the park was sold to Six Flags Corporation, who ran a number of amusement parks throughout the country, and they knew what they were doing. The name of Six Flags was added in front of Magic Mountain.

What started was a constant series of new thrill coasters, that brought Magic Mountain to extreme prominence. To date, 17 rollercoasters of every shape and size now exist at the park (the most of any amusement park in America). But there is a large children’s area, and of course food and games.  

Hurricane Harbor was added on site, to bring a water park to the Santa Clarita Valley as well.   Magic Mountain ranks 16 in attendance in North America, hosting nearly 3.3 million guests annually.  

It seems that EVERY summer, a new roller coaster is offered up.  There have been attempts to sell the property ass well as mergers and takeovers (like Time-Warner), and of late, they started opening year round. In 1998 is was sold to Premier Parks.

As a kid, the first summer (’71) my grandmother took my and my brothers there, and patiently watched as we went on every ride in the park that day. The advertising moniker was “Hey! It’s a Magic Mountain Day!”  And it was.

Hollywood is no stranger to Magic Mountain. A feature film called “Rollercoaster” featured the new ride Revolution in 1977, “Vacation” portrayed Wally World with the park. I’ve shot there several times, including on Colossus, and rode with the camera crew 9 times around without stop. That was the LAST time I rode that coaster.

It’s a thrill ride park, plain and simple. If you want rides that tell a story, go to Disneyland, but no bones about it… Magic Mountain is about the thrill rides and themes them very well (e.g. Batman and Superman).

And speaking of themes… the sun is setting in the western sky.. it’s time for me to get dinner.. and retire. I bid the farewell.. and..As always,

Goodnight Neverland!

There is a Taco place in Culver City that people come from far and wide to go to. They just gotta have their TITO’S TACOS.

They employ a simple way for serving food. Fast, easy, and simple.  Tacos are served with just meat, lettuce and cheese. They deep fry the taco shell with the meat already inside, and then add the lettuce and cheese.

Tito's Tacos was established in 1959 by Benjamin Davidson. The menu was developed by Davidson's business partner, Benny Vizcarra, with additional input from the restaurant's first employee, Amado Madero. A year after its opening, Vizcarra wanted to buy out Davidson but did not have enough money to do so. At that point, Davidson solicited funds from his ex-wife, a native of Mexico, and bought out Vizcarra. The business came under the ownership of Davidson's son, Norman Davidson, a few years later. In 1981, Norman's daughter Lynne Davidson assumed ownership. In 2016, the restaurant changed its long-standing cash-only policy to accept credit cards.

They offer Tacos, Burritos, enchiladas and chips come with every order. (Good thick chips… not the paper thin ones you might find at Acapulco’s or El Torito.). Their business model is simple, and they employ a small army of 95 people on the staff. And they get full benefits (health & dental) as well.

The menu is notable for its use of hard-shell rather than soft-shell tacos, which is unusual for Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles, and for using cold cheese. Its salsa has also attracted attention.  The tacos are made to the same recipe introduced in 1959, and the menu has remained unchanged for decades.

Tito's Tacos is considered a West LA area icon. Many of its customers have nostalgic memories of eating there as children. The restaurant is known for its ubiquitous lines, although the lines "move quickly". Its high volume is reflected in its product use. On an annual basis, Tito's Tacos uses more than 8,000,000 lbs. of tortillas and more than 500,000 lbs. of beef.

I’ve been going there for over 30 years (just did today). And I’m not the only one. There is usually a few minutes wait to place your order, and about a 5 minute wait for it to be ready. People come from all over to get their fill. Whether it be a whole family, or a couple on a date. If you are working at one of the nearby Studios in the area, there is a good chance the Craft Services crew will pick up a half dozen boxes of Tacos as a later afternoon pick up snack. You see all kinds here. Parking can sometimes be challenge, and there are a few adjustments that have been made in this post Covid era… but the food ALWAYS remains the same.

And speaking of remaining the same… as the sun makes it’s way to a new day across the Pacific, I am taking my leave, and bid you a fare thee well, and as always… I bid you…

Goodnight Neverland!

Being it’s a summer Saturday, I harken back to the weekends on the 70’s when people would make a trip down to Gardena to go watch flat track motorcycles or sprint cars race around a figure 8 or oval track at a place called ASCOT PARK SPEEDWAY.

Ascot Park was the fourth of four Ascot sites in Los Angeles after the original one-mile track at Central & Florence was open between 1907 and 1919.  A second site named Legion Ascot Speedway held races between 1924 and 1936. Legion Ascot closed after 24 drivers died while racing at the track.  A third site named Southern Ascot held races between 1937 and 1942 in South Gate on a half mile dirt oval.

Los Angeles Speedway opened in 1957,  on the site of a former city dump. It was built less than 1 mile from the former site of Carrell Speedway, which had been closed in late 1954 to make way for the Artesia Freeway.  The track was renamed to New Ascot Stadium in October 1958 as part of a management change. The track assumed the name it held until its closure, Ascot Park in 1961. JC Agajanin promoted major races at the venue, and later leased the track from 1976 until his death in 1984, when his family continued operating the venue. His radio advertisements ended with the phrase "Come to Ascot, where the 110, the 405 and the 91 freeways collide!”.

With seating for only 7,500, Ascot Park was smaller than the other tracks of the area including the Ontario Motor Speedway (closed in 1980), and the Riverside International Raceway (closed in 1989). However, the park was equally well-known, due to its being surrounded by freeways for easy access, its regularly scheduled races, and its heavy radio advertising.

The half-mile course featured tight semi-banked turns, long straight-ways, and a tacky surface that was conducive to dramatic sprint car racing.. Other motorsport events, such as Figure 8 racing and motorcycle flat track, TT racing and motocross, were also held at Ascot.

The racetrack was also used in movies and TV shows like the original GONE IN 60 SECONDS, A VERY BRADY CHRISTMAS, PIT STOP, TJ HOOKER and CHiPs.  Evel Knievel (Robert Craig Knievel) gained international attention with his first televised jump on ABC’s Wide World of Sports at Ascot Park Raceway on March 25, 1967, successfully clearing 15 cars.

But time, and waining interest took its toll. Its last race was held in November 1990, and it was torn down in 1991. It is now a commercial development with a Home Depot and other stores on the former site.

I vividly remember going there with my older brothers to see motorcycle and sprint car racing. A right of passage is when you would get a muddy dirt clod in the face from the thundering herd of 2 stoke driven racing vehicles as they passed your place in the stands.  I watched a few ladies in high heels take one on the chin, and rednecks with a big gulp full of beer have a splashdown right in the cup.  But it was something to do on a weekend night.

And speaking of a weekend night… it’s getting time to have dinner and retire.  I bid thee fare well, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

In the east part of Hollywood there is a knobby hill that contains a municipal park, and Frank Lloyd Wright house, and a Art Gallery and studio complex. It’s been around for 100 years, and it goes by the name of BARNSDALL PARK.

When we were kids, we’d go sign up for classes there every summer. Animation, Photography, Video work etc. It was the hottest ticket around. And special because it was just up the street from our house.

Located at the crest of Olive Hill overlooking the city of Los Angeles, Barnsdall Art Park had its beginning in the early 1900's when Aline Barnsdall, heiress to an oil fortune, came West with plans to develop a theatre company. In 1915 she commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to help her develop an innovative theatrical community on the nation's western cultural frontier. Selecting a thirty-six acre site in East Hollywood known as Olive Hill, Barnsdall and Wright worked together to develop a plan that included a home for Barnsdall and her young daughter, two secondary residences, a theater, a director's house, a dormitory for actors, studios for artists, shops, and a motion picture theater. The site plan was based on the gridded spacing of the existing olive grove’s 1225 trees.

When Aline Barnsdall donated the Park and its Frank Lloyd Wright designed structures to the City of Los Angeles to the City of Los Angeles in 1927, she wished to provide an accessible arts center, incorporating and preserving the famous Hollyhock House as a vital component. The spirit of Barnsdall's intention was to maintain an active arts center for the community was assured longevity.

Programs and exhibits became a part of the mission of the Park, programs that are used by thousands of Los Angeles community members as well as visitors from throughout the world. The Community Arts Division of the Cultural Affairs Department manages the Park.

In subsequent decades, the park has become popular among residents from the nearby districts. The park has a wide variety of park visitors, as it sits at the intersection of a number of Los Angeles demographic groups.

Programs include the adult and youth art classes at the Barnsdall Art Center and the Junior Arts Center, the Barnsdall Art Center and the Hollyhock House; museum education and tours programs at the Municipal Art Gallery, the Junior Arts Center Gallery and the Hollyhock House; theatre programs at the Gallery Theatre; and numerous festivals during the year that celebrate the cultural diversity of the community.

In the 50’s and 60’s Art Center spaces were constructed. In the early 70’s, and additional gallery and theatre space was built and tried to emulate the Frank Lloyd Wright flare of the nearby Hollyhock House. It is a remarkable example of Wright's love of nature and the way he incorporated it into his designs.

The Hollyhock House is used for a number fo civic functions, and has been renovated and repaired many times in my lifetime. The house takes its name from the hollyhock blossom, the favorite flower of Aline Barnsdall. Wright's abstracted hollyhock patterns were incorporated into the decoration motif on and in the residence.  I’ve only been inside once, and it has a very definitive craftsman flare to it. It was situated in such a way, the large bay windows and bedroom views were aligned with maximum effect for the views of the city below. Regretfully, the ever changing Kaiser facility at the bottom of the hill on Sunset, has interfered with that aforementioned view. It seems every time someone sneezes they tear down one building, and build a larger one in its place.

If I were up on Olive Hill right now, I’d see the sun is dipping on to the western horizon, and the day is nearing it conclusion. It’s time for dinner, and then to retire. I bid thee farewell, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

Right at the mouth of the Cahuenga Pass, when you enter the San Fernando Valley from Hollywood, there is a little patch of “unincorporated county” land that was developed into the worlds largest Movie Studio, and the nations 2nd largest tourist attraction….. Universal City Studios.

On March 15, 1915, Carl Laemmle opened Universal City Studios on a 230-acre chicken ranch and called it “Universal Studios." The site later became known as Universal Studios Lot and Universal City was considered the first self-contained community dedicated to making films.

In 1950, Universal Studios Lot increased its overall size to over 400 acres after Universal acquired additional land at the southern border of the studio. Music Corporation of America (MCA Inc.) bought the Universal Studios Lot in 1958. Universal then leased back its property from MCA until MCA and Universal merged in 1962. Since then a continuous stream of owners have come and gone, currently its owned by NBC and Comcast who owns NBC.

Over the next decades, numerous television shows and movies were filmed in Universal Studios Lot, notably at the Courthouse Square and Colonial Street sets.. This includes Psycho(Paramount Pictures), Back to the Future (Universal Pictures), War of the Worlds (Paramount Pictures/Dreamworks), Desperate Housewives (ABC). Today, Universal Studios Lot is one of the largest full-service production facilities. It has continued to modernize and grow with plans to expand by adding additional sound stages and building facilities.

The Studio Tour is a public attraction at the adjacent Universal Studios Hollywood theme park that offers visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the historic studio lot. The tour first opened in 1915 when Carl Laemmle invited visitors to see the studio in action. Bleachers were erected where the public could view filming in progress in roofless buildings with muslin tarps overhead to mute and flatten the daylight.  The Universal Tour was halted in the late 1920s and revived in 1964. In the second incarnation, it was primarily a 4-hour tram tour, which has since evolved with an extensive post tram entertainment area, that, now offers a number of sit down experiences and attractions and live shows and even a few thrill rides. It is an ever evolving, always changing scene there, showcasing what’s HOT in Hollywood. It has had its share of disasters too. Fires in 1967, 1989, and 2008 destroyed parts of the studio, mostly outdoor sets, but once the dust settled, they were almost always rebuilt bigger and better (and in some cases, sets had fire sprinklers built inside to prevent such an occurrence).

But, as a movie studio, it is the largest in the world. Countless films and TV shows have shot here over the years, and will continue to do so on the 30 sound stages and dozens of support buildings and production offices. (Steven Spielberg has built production offices for Amblin Entertainment on the lot).  NBC has moved on to the lot, along with its latin counterpart Telemundo.  Local and National news are now broadcast from the lot.

At one point, the Conan O’Brien version of the Tonight Show was shot on the lot, in a specially built facility, before being pulled and reworked after 7 months on the air.

I, as a filmmaker, have shot here several dozen times. From sound stages, or various backlot sets, the the 3 million gallon water tank up on the hill.  It is a vastly diverse landscape for film making. As a kid, I grew up across the freeway from there and used to play kick-the-can on some of the backlot sets at night, and took glee in getting chased by studio security, scurrying a hasty retreat under the fence we came in from. It was an awesome Saturday night playground. (My dad said “as long as you weren’t making trouble, drinking or smokin’ dope- just don’t get caught”).  It was ironic, for me to start working there as early as age 23. Ah those were the days!

And like “sands thought the hourglass, these are the days of our lives” and this day is coming to an end. I bid thee a farewell, and.. as always…

Goodnight Neverland!!

It sits on south slope of Mt Hollywood high above Hollywood, and can be seen from most of the LA basin area.  It’s been around for almost a hundred years, and has been a filming location for numerous films, TV shows and documentaries. Kids love the place, adults love the place, and for many natives; they have been going there since they were kids.  I am speaking of the GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY.

In his will Griffith W Griffith donated funds to build an observatory, exhibit hall, and planetarium on the donated land. Griffith's objective was to make astronomy accessible by the public.

Griffith drafted detailed specifications for the observatory. In drafting the plans, he consulted with Walter Adams, the future director of the Mt Wilson Observatory, and George Ellery Hale, who founded (with Andrew Carnegie) the first astrophysical telescope in Los Angeles.

As a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project, construction began on June 20, 1933, using a design developed by architect John C Austin based on preliminary sketches by Russell W Porter. The observatory and accompanying exhibits were opened to the public on May 14, 1935, as the country's third planetarium. In its first five days of operation the observatory logged more than 13,000 visitors. The building combines Greek and Beaux-Arts influences, and the exterior is embellished with the Greek key pattern.  During World War II the planetarium was used to train pilots in celestial navigation.

The first exhibit visitors encountered in 1935 was the Foucault pendulum, which was designed to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. The exhibits also included a 12-inch Zeiss refracting telescope in the east dome, a triple-beam coelostat (solar telescope) in the west dome, and a thirty-eight foot relief model of the moon's north polar region. The planetarium theater was renovated in 1964 and a Mark IV Zeiss projector was installed.

The observatory closed in 2002 for renovation and a major expansion of exhibit space. It reopened to the public on November 3, 2006, retaining its Art Deco exterior. The $93 million renovation, paid largely by a public bond issue, restored the building, as well as replaced the aging planetarium dome. The building was expanded underground, with completely new exhibits, a café, gift shop, and the new Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater.

Admission to the building and grounds of Griffith Observatory is free of charge. Planetarium shows at the Observatory are offered eight times a day on weekdays and ten times a day on weekends, of which a nominal fee is charged for admission to the planetarium shows.  As long as the weather permits, the Observatory offers free public telescope viewing every night the observatory is open. This includes the historic Zeiss Telescope on the roof, and up to four portable telescopes placed outside offering views of visible celestial objects for the night. At 9:30 p.m., the doors to the Zeiss dome close, and lines for the portable telescopes outside stop allowing guests into the queues—though they can close earlier on the busier nights.

As is the case for areas ripe with chaparral brush, wildfires have come very close to the Griffith Observatory in 2007, 2017 and 2018. (These are just the ones I remember…) but LA City Fire Dept knows well to protect this GEM of the city.

In my lifetime, it was at the top of the street I lived on in Hollywood. The first time I hiked up there, I thought I had just conquered Mt Everest. But the science and astronomy contained within its walls is undaunted. I went there with school groups, with the cub scouts, and with groups of friends. As we grew older, we began to appreciate it into other ways when on weekend nights “Laserium” was presented in the Planetarium, adding rock’n’roll music to laser shows in the domed planetarium. The location of the Observatory is also one of the prime viewing spots of the HOLLYWOOD SIGN as well.

It seems that ANYTIME a major celestial event happens, people gather on the lawn at the Observatory to witness it.  Comets, meteor showers, eclipses of all kinds, Mars Landings, and even a fly-by of the Space Shuttle Endeavor on it’s way to LAX, piggybacked on the 747 mothership.  They turn out in droves to experience these things together.

And speaking of experiencing things together, it’s time for me to get dinner, and retire for the night. I bid thee a farewell, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!!

Every year (with the exception of a few) am annual event takes place on New Years Day.  It was founded by settlers who had come west for a better winter climate, and what better way to do so with a New Years Day event that would celebrate.. well.. something.   That even became known as The Tournament of Roses. It started as a parade of carriages bedecked in floral arrangements, and a few years later added Tournament Games, which eventually led to an Annual Football contest. But they needed a playing field.. with grandstands. And alas… the ROSE BOWL was born.

Opened in October 1922, the stadium is recognized as a National Historic Landmark  and a California Historic Civil Engineering landmark.  At a modern capacity of an all-seated configuration at 92,542, the Rose Bowl is the 16th largest stadium in the world, and the 11th largest stadium in the US, and the largest NCAA Stadium.

One of the most famous venues in sporting history, the Rose Bowl is best known as a college football venue, specifically as the host of the annual Rose Bowl Game for which it is named. With the BCS playoff structure, it has also hosted several national college championship games as well. Since 1982, it has served as the home stadium of the UCLA Bruins football team. Five Super Bowl games, have been played in the stadium (third most of any venue). The Rose Bowl is a noted Soccer venue, having hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup Final, 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, and the 1984 Olympic Soccer Gold Medal Match.

The stadium is owned by the city of Pasadena and managed by the Rose Bowl Operating Company, a non-profit organization whose board is selected by council members of the city of Pasadena. UCLA and the Tournament of Roses also have one member on the company board.

The stadium was designed by architect Myron Hunt in 1921. His design was influenced by the Yale Bowl in Connecticut which opened in 1914. The Arroyo Seco was selected as the location for the stadium. The Rose Bowl was under construction from Feb. 27, 1922 to October 1922. Originally built as a horseshoe, the stadium was expanded several times. The southern stands were completed in 1928, enclosing the stadium into a complete bowl. The stadium was dedicated officially on January 1, 1923, when USC defeated Penn State 14–3.

It has undergone a number of renovations, and the seats have been replaced several times as well. At one point the capacity was 104,000+. Extensive expansion of the press box, and addition of luxury boxes have brought the stadium into the 21st century with state of the art conveniences and message and video boards.  The south peristyle can be seen from the nearby 134 Freeway, and a “Court of Champions” has been added jus below it, on the exterior of the south end. There are now about 100 luxury boxes and the press booth has been named after legendary broadcaster Keith Jackson.  The Team dressing rooms have been renovated a number of times and are now state of the art as well.

But as you go through the 2 tunnels on to the field, you can see the original structure of the 1922 construction under the grandstands from there.  

As a member of the Tournament of Roses for 11 years, I was SO lucky to be able to attend the annual Kick off Bar B Q ON THE FIELD of the Rose Bowl MANY times… an opportunity ONLY The Tournament of Roses gets to achieve.   Our own little private party in the end zone of the south end.

Much like other hallowed halls of sport like Indianapolis Motor Speedway, or Wrigley Field, this venue speaks to you.. it tells you the stories of the games that have been played here, and the reverence necessary to respect and pay tribute to all who have competed here.  Respect. That of which, I ALWAYS enter that field with.  

So as the sun heads into the western sky, and late afternoon shadows fall of the seats in the south west corner of the Rose Bowl, it is time I take me leave. I be thee farewell, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

Located in Griffith Park there is an outdoor concert venue that’s seats 6.900, that throughout the years has hosted the hottest names in music; Elton John, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, Carlos Santana, Neil Diamond and more. It’s known as none other than THE GREEK THEATER. It’s owned by the City of Los Angeles, and currently operated by ASM Global.

Part of the legacy from Griffith W Griffith, as money left behind for a world class Observatory, AND an outdoor “Greek Theatre.”  After an extensive study of greek theaters all over the world, a design was approved, and a cornerstone laid in September 1930. The first event held there took place on June 26, 1931. The seats in the front 2 sections where $1 each, with the third section back, free.  For a number of years, all kinds of musical and theatrical events were held there. During WW2, they used it for barracks for military men. In the 50’s a theatrical producer named James Doolittle promoted touring Broadway shows to stop there, to entertain the hungry crowds with a thirst for entertainment. Shows like SHOWBOAT and ANYTHING GOES stopped here for brief summer runs. Between 1975 and 2015 The Nederlander Organization booked shows there, and brought in a full compliment of acts, and extended the months in which it operated.

Various renovations, and upgrades assisted in attracted bigger and more profitable acts to the canyon where it sits. A 1995 Earthquake retrofit made sure it wouldn’t come crashing down. Further renovations updated lighting, sound and seating. “Seating wings” to the left and right of the stage were added, to increase the number of seats that could be sold. The box office was moved, and a new permitter was established in the mid 2010’s. Parking dynamics were improved as well, incorporating the “stacking” technique used at the Hollywood Bowl. The city improved the exit routes, so that after the show, they could get people out of the park, and out of the ritzy Los Feliz neighborhood faster and more quietly.

Over the years, I have seen everything here. From my first concert at a 10 year old (I saved my allowance for a MONTH to buy tickets) I saw Glenn Campbell. A year or two later, as “Tree People,” my older brother and I saw Neil Diamond’s “Hot August Night.” I was backstage with a friend (Kelly M) to see Carlos Santana from just off stage left (THAT WAS HOT!), and I even attended a “Wizard of Oz” sing-a-long there.

“The Greek” has been a place where people gather to celebrate music, theatre and dance…. outdoors.. and have been doing so for almost 90 years. It’s wonderful to sit, under the lights, with views of the hills of Griffith Park to gander upon, while listening to some of the hottest music of today…

And speaking of the day… this one is almost over… and I will take my leave. I bid thee farewell, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!!

The Los Angeles Public Library system (LAPL) serves the residents of the City of Los Angeles. The system holds more than six million volumes, and with over 18 million residents in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area, it serves the largest population of any publicly funded library system in the United States. The system is overseen by a Board of Library Commissioners with five members appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles.

The MAIN Central library, which sits in the middle of downtown LA, has been a focal point of interest, controversy and tragedy.  

The Los Angeles Central Library was the last work of major American architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue. When it opened in 1926, the building's expanses of unadorned concrete and skyscraper-like profile heralded Modern architecture. At the same time, it alluded to ancient Egyptian, Roman, Byzantine, and various Islamic civilizations, as well as to Spanish Colonial and other revival styles.

Ornamental and symbolic artworks are integral to the library's design. The limestone sculptures on the building's exterior, by artist Lee Lawrie, represent various disciplines and literary figures. The brilliantly colored tile pyramid at the building's summit features a sunburst and is topped by a handheld torch symbolizing the light of knowledge.

The second floor of the library features a high-domed rotunda exploding with light and color. At the center of the dome is a stylized sunburst and an illuminated globe chandelier with the signs of the zodiac. On the surrounding walls, twelve murals painted by Dean Cornwell in 1933 depict the history of California.

The proposed demolition of the library in the 1970s led to the formation of the Los Angeles Conservancy in 1978. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. The eight-story building is the third largest central library in the U.S. and houses more than ten million items, from popular fiction titles to rare genealogical publications, historic photographs and U.S. patents.

The Central Library has nine Subject Departments that provide a variety of reference services over-the-counter, by telephone, mail, e-mail, computer “chat” or fax.  Materials in the Central Library can be ordered by patrons throughout the city and shipped to the borrower’s local branch. It also hosts a wide variety of events and exhibition throughout the year and offers docent led tours of the historical building highlighting its art and architecture.

In 1986, the Central Library was hit by two separate fires - both arson cases - set apart by only a handful of months. The amount of damage was massive, but locals did their part to help resurrect the venerable space. Today, the Central Library merges old and new L.A. with the original building flowing into the Tom Bradley Wing, which opened in 1993 and is named after the city's mayor during this reconstruction period. The reopened Central Library now holds the name of another former, and much beloved Mayor, Richard Riordan.

In a sense, the Central Library is designed like a collection of small, interconnected libraries. The Children's Literature Department consists of books for a variety of reading levels, plus literature-related art installations in the form of puppets created for their annual FOCAL prize winners. Tucked into the back of this section is a beautiful wood puppet theater. Nearby is Teenscape, filled with books, media and computers designated for the 18-and-under crowd. The International Languages room features books in 29 languages and an adjacent language lab that carries tools to learn more than 400 languages and dialects.

With its vast collections and ample programming, the Central Library holds the stories of L.A.'s past, while guiding visitors towards the future. Meanwhile, it's own unlikely comeback story makes it one of the city's true icons.

And… as the sun makes it way into the west, I take my leave, and bid thee farewell! And.. as always… I bid thee…

Goodnight Neverland!

In Hollywood, there was a restaurant that attracted the rich and famous. From Studio heads to actors and actresses. It was portrayed on TV, and in films, but nothing could compare to the original.. the one who formed the mold…. THE BROWN DERBY.

The first and best known of these was shaped like a man’s Derby Hat, an iconic image that became synonymous with the golden age of Hollywood. It was opened by Wilson Mizner in 1926. The chain was started by Robert H Cobb and Herbert K Somborn (a former husband of film star  Gloria Swanson) in the 1920s. The original Brown Derby restaurants had closed or had been converted to other uses by the 1980s, though a Disney-backed Brown Derby national franchising program revived the brand in the 21st century. It is often incorrectly thought that the Brown Derby was a single restaurant, and the Wilshire Blvd and Hollywood branches are frequently confused.

The first restaurant was opened in February 1926 at 3427 Wilshire  Boulevard in a building built in the distinctive shape of a derby hat. Whimsical architecture was in vogue at the time, and the restaurant was designed to catch the eye of passing motorists. The Brown Derby name originated from a New York based restaurant of the same name that had been a hang-out for vaudevillians in the 1920s. It was founded by Wilson Mizner as a small cafe, across the street from the Hollywood hot spot the Coconut Grove at the Ambassador Hotel. Wilson was the front man; Somborn owned the property and Jack Warner put up the money.

In  May of 1936, a larger building, also in the shape of a hat, was constructed at 3377 Wilshire Boulevard at the northeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Alexandria Avenue, about a block from its previous location (and directly across the street from the Ambassador Hotel).

Despite its less distinctive Spanish Mission style facade, the second Brown Derby, which opened on Valentines Day 1929 at 1628 North Vine Street in Hollywood, was the branch that played the greater part in Hollywood history. Due to its proximity to movie studios, it became the place to do deals and be seen. Clark Gable is said to have proposed to Carole Lombard there. Rival gossip columnists Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper were regular patrons. A set was built to recreate the interior for an I LOVE LUCY episode that featured William Holden in the late 50’s.

Like its Wilshire Boulevard counterpart, it was the home of hundreds of celebrity drawings, paintings and caricatures. Jack Lane drew many of these caricatures between 1947 and 1985. Another artist whose work was displayed was Nicholas Volpe. He was commissioned by the Brown Derby to paint portraits of up to 200 top recording artists to be displayed in the restaurant's Hall of Fame Record Room. In addition, his Oscar-winning star portraits were displayed in the restaurant's "Academy Room," created for showing Volpe's art.

The Hollywood Brown Derby is the purported birthplace of the Cobb Salad, which was said to have been hastily arranged from leftovers by owner Bob Cobb for showman and theater owner Sid Grauman. It was chopped fine, because Grauman had just had dental work done, and couldn't chew well.

According to Shirley Temple, the non-alcholic drink bearing her name was invented at the Brown Derby in the mid-1930s. Temple herself never liked the drink and noted her personality rights had been used without permission. 

Bob Cobb opened the third Brown Derby in 1931 at 9537 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills,  across from the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. One of the dining areas was called The American Room and featured charcoal portraits of Academy Award-winning actors by artist Nicholas Volpe on the walls. The Beverly Hills Brown Derby featured a revolving door (the first in Beverly Hills) and a uniformed doorman. A 1938 expansion with a bar and private dining room was called "The Derby House" and was decorated in Old English style. It was closed in 1982 and demolished shortly afterwards.

The Hollywood Brown Derby closed for the last time at its original site on April 3, 1985, as a result of a lease dispute. The building was hit by an early morning fire that destroyed the kitchen. After the fire in 1987, the building remained unoccupied and deteriorated further. As a result of damage caused by the1994 Earthquake, the building at 1628 North Vine Street was declared unsafe by the City of Los Angeles and was the first building in Hollywood ordered to be demolished. It was razed the following month.

There were several other incarnations of the restaurant built and soon after closed. Hollywood & Vine, and Pasadena most notably. Disney licensed the name and built them into their theme parks in Anaheim and Orlando, but in name only.  But the tourists still flock to them.

Perhaps the most grievous of the final bastion of the Brown Derby name, is the Wilshire address. After a developer bought the land, the registered historic Derby was to remain and be incorporated into the design of a corner strip mall.  But one early Sunday morning the developer tried to tear it down, but quick thinking preservationists found a judge to stop the demo work before the lions share of the derby portion of the location was destroyed.  It WAS built into the new development, but on the scene floor, and buried back in the corner.  A sad place for it to go and not be remembered. But that’s what happens in LA… the almighty dollar dictates what stays and goes.. Far too many places have fallen to the wrecking ball before their time is up.

And speaking of time being up, per se… it’s time for me to sign off and bid you fare thee well…and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

For decades there was a hotel complex on Wilshire Blvd that catered to the rich and famous, businessmen and tourists alike. It was the social center of Los Angeles with the hottest nightclub on the scene, and dozens of A-List performers clamored to play there.  I’m talking about The Ambassador Hotel.

The Ambassador Hotel, designed by architect Myron Hunt, formally opened to the public on January 1, 1921. With its mediterranean styling, tile floors, Italian stone fireplaces and semi-tropical courtyard, the Ambassador enchanted guests for over six decades. Later renovations by architect Paul Williams were made to the hotel in the late 1940s. It was also home to the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub, Los Angeles’ premier night spot for decades; host to six Oscar ceremonies and to every US President from Herbert Hoover to Richard Nixon. The Ambassador Hotel was built as part of the Ambassador Hotels System. The chain consisted of the Ambassador Los Angeles, the Hotel Alexandria in Downtown Los Angeles, the Ambassador Santa Barbara, the Ambassador Atlantic City and the Ambassador New York. The Santa Barbara property burned down soon after on April 13, 1921, and the Alexandria left the chain in 1925, while the Ambassador Palm Beach joined in 1929. The Schine Family owned the Ambassador from its opening in 1921 until 1971; it was set back from Wilshire Boulevard on 24 acres, which included the main hotel, a garage and several detached bungalows.

Prominent figures such as Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Sammy Davis, Nat king Cole, Barbara Streisand, Bing Crosby, John Wayne, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe, and The Supremes were some of the many entertainers that attended and performed professionally at the Cocoanut Grove.

The hotel was the site of the Assassination of Senator Robert Kennedy on June 5, 1968. Due to the decline of the hotel and the surrounding area, the Ambassador Hotel was closed to guests in 1989. In 2001, theThe Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) purchased the property with the intent of constructing three new schools within the area. After subsequent litigations to preserve the hotel as a historic site, a settlement allowed the Ambassador Hotel to be demolished in 2005, completed by early 2006.

In its place, the LAUSD built a complex of 4 schools on the 24 acre footprint. The Main building was fashioned to the same size and shape as the former hotel, and kept the shell of the former Coconut Grove. (They however built out the interior as a proscenium theatre, having no resemblance whatsoever of the former nightclub that occupied the space decades ago.)

In the last 15 years of its life, it became a vibrant filming location where DOZENS of films and TV shows were shot when they needed a large hotel lobby, or long hotel corridors for scenes to be shot. In additional, various law enforcement outfits used the hotel for various urban assault scenarios for training purposes.

I shot a dozen films of TV shows here myself. At one point, there was  the daughter of the last Hotel General Manager who acted as a site rep. She was a wealth of information, and knew every nook and cranny of the hotel. Scouting with her was a lot of fun, as she would regale us with stories of when she lived there with her family, as was witness to many, many events, such as the Kennedy assassination in the pantry off of the kitchen.

The new school emulated the design of the Embassy Ballroom, the room Kennedy spoke in after winning the CA Primary the night he was shot, in the Library of the school, and placed a TV into the floor on the spot where RFK was shot, with a film loop running constantly.  My parents were there that night. I’ll not forget my dad coming home at 3am, and sitting one my bed to tell me what had happened.

My mother used to love to go shopping in the gallery on the first floor, off of the motor court porte-cochere. She would get her hair done at the salon there, and we would eat at the coffee shop.  When I became a filmmaker later, I would recall all those moments when I was leading scout groups through that part of the hotel.

The Location Managers Guild (of which I was a founding member) hosted “Last Looks” where we mentored inner city youths from Jefferson High School, interested in film making and photography, and let them loose to take pictures in the former hotel space, just prior to it’s demolition. The images taken by both the students and the professionals were then exhibited side by side at Los Angeles City Hall.

It was a magical place, but much like the Brown Derby across the street, time had run its course in the lifetime of this establishment, and it too, fell by the wayside in favor of what’s new and cool.

And speaking of new and cool… it’s time for me to take my leave. I bid the farewell, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

There is an obscure library located in the foothills in the western part of Glendale.  Its history dates back to the roots of the area, and was named for a man who was more or less the father of Glendale, and they even named the main street in that town after him. I’m speaking about THE BRAND LIBRARY.

Leslie Brand is often called the father of Glendale due to the role he played in the development of the city in the early 1900s. He partnered with Henry Huntington and Edgar Goode to bring the electric rail to connect Glendale to Los Angeles. At the time the tracks ran up Brand Boulevard to Casa Verdugo between Stocker and Randolph where the company established a restaurant under the management of Mrs. Piedad Yorba de Sowl, which quickly became very popular. At one time he owned Glendale Light & Power Company, the Miradero Water Company and the Consolidated Water Company. He sold the power and water companies to the City of Glendale to provide municipal services to the community. He also established the San Fernando Valley Home Telephone Company providing phone services.

Brand Library is housed in a mansion built in 1904. Located in Brand Park  high in the foothills overlooking Glendale and the San Fernando Valley, the mansion was built by Leslie C Brand, and named Miradero (The Overlook). The design is similar to the East Indian Pavillion built for the 1893 Columbian World Exposition held in Chicago and visited by Mr. Brand. The architecture is considered Saracenic, with crenellated arches, bulbous domes and minars combining characteristics of Spanish, Moorish, and Indian styles. In contrast to the cool white exterior, a Victorian decor was followed inside. It was designed by architect Nathaniel Dryden, brother-in-law of Brand, and it was completed in 1904.

Mr. Brand died in the house in 1925. He bequeathed Miradero to the city, although Mrs. Brand retained rights of residence until her death. The will provided that the property’s should be used exclusively for a public park and library. Mrs. Brand died in 1945, and by 1956 the mansion had been converted into Brand Library.

Ten years later, in response to the need for larger quarters to serve the growing interest of the community, the city council allocated funds to construct an addition to Brand Library that would include facilities for art exhibitions, lectures and concerts, as well as an art studio for classes and workshops. 400,000 of the 700,000 library offerings are housed at the Brand Library.The new addition was dedicated in October 1969.

The Associates of Brand Library & Art Center is a 501c3 charitable nonprofit organization founded in 1969 that has awarded art prizes in conjunction with an annual juried art exhibition, has received donations of art, and runs fundraisers to support the facility.

The Brand Library & Art Center was closed for two years for an extensive, $10 million renovation that was completed in 2014. The Brand Library & Art Center sponsors many events that are free and open to the public including art exhibitions, concerts, art & music lectures, dance events, films, children's events and library tours. The annual outdoor summer Plaza Series held June–August on Friday evenings is a popular community event.

And so, as the cloud shrouded sun makes it way towards Hawaii, It is time for me to take me leave.  I bed thee farewell, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

There is a magical place in Riverside that has been the destination for generations of families and friends; Presidents and movie stars; and just good old folk.  It was built on a dream, and has outlived the critics and the cynics alike.  Just the name alone evokes sighs from anyone who has been to this magical place. I am speaking of THE MISSION INN.

The property began as a quaint adobe boarding house called The Glenwood Cottage, built by engineer/surveyor Christopher Columbus Miller and on November 22, 1876, the Millers took their first paying guest. In February 1880, Miller's son Frank A Miller purchased the hotel and land from his father. It became into a full-service hotel in the early 1900s due to California's economic citrus boom and warm weather, attracting wealthy travelers and investors from East Coast and Europe. In 1902, Frank changed the name to the "Glenwood Mission Inn" and started building, in a variety of styles, until he died in 1935.

Boasting over 200 guest rooms and the addition of the Mission Wing, built in Mission-Revival style while incorporating architectural features from more than 20 different California missions. Three more wings materialized as demand grew, including the Cloister, Spanish Wing and the Rotunda Wing, completed in 1931. Miller filled the hotel with valuable items from across the globe, including artwork, furniture and religious relics. Mission Inn still houses the oldest bell in Christendom, dating back to 1247.

The hotel has played host to U.S. Presidents and celebrities and was the setting for a number of Hollywood film productions. Presidents Roosevelt, Taft, Hoover, Nixon, Reagan and Bush Jr; social leaders such as Booker T. Washington, Susan B. Anthony, Amelia Earhart, Albert Einstein, Helen Keller and John Muir; and entertainers including Judy Garland, Bette Davis, Clark Gable, Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand and James Brolin have all stayed, dined and relaxed at Mission Inn throughout its storied, nearly 150- year history. Pat and Richard Nixon were married in what is now the Presidential Lounge, Nancy and Ronald Reagan honeymooned there in Alhambra Suite (which is a REALLY cool room..)

Frank Miller successfully ran Mission Inn Hotel until his death in 1935. His family managed the hotel until the mid-1950s, when it changed hands multiple times and risked demolition until Duane and Kelly Roberts purchased the iconic property in the late ‘80s, establishing The Historic Mission Inn Corporation with headquarters in Newport Beach, CA. After a seven-year, $55 million renovation, the Roberts opened the hotel 1992. Kelly Roberts became Vice Chairman and COO to maintain Mission Innʼs reputation as a premier luxury California destination, and she went on to develop the annual Festival of Lights. The Festival of Lights adorns the entire building with several million Christmas lights. People come from far and wide to see this annual event which kicks off with a major Lighting event and fireworks show. It takes several months to set up the festival. And the interior is bedecked with a holiday motif that would make Currier and Ives proud.

With it’s close proximity to Redlands, I attended MANY events here since I was a college student. We were able to get a half day tour of the entire property during a Riverside County Familiarization tour set up by the Inland Empire Film Commission, and got to see places the public can’t go, like the catacombs in the lower recesses of the foundations.  And friends have stayed here, including in one of the Presidential Suites where the aforementioned Presidents have stayed.

It’s a big deal, and a major source of pride in the City and County of Riverside.

And… as the sun makes it way into the west, I take my leave, and bid thee farewell! And.. as always… I bid thee…

Goodnight Neverland!

Knott’s Berry Farm is a world-renowned theme park built from the humblest of beginnings. What started as a small berry farm soon began to grow into a family theme park destination thanks to famous fried chicken dinners, boysenberries and an Old West Ghost Town. Knott’s Berry Farm now bursts with attractions and entertainment for all ages, including first-class roller coasters, stage shows, interactive experiences, delicious food creations and family-friendly fun featuring Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang. The once small family farm has grown into today's family fun destination; home to the Knott's Berry Farm theme park, Knott's Soak City Waterpark and Knott's Berry Farm Hotel.

The park sits on the site of a former berry farm established by Walter Knott and his family. Beginning in the mid 1920s, the Knott family sold berries, berry preserves, and pies from a roadside stand along State Route 39 (Beach Blvd.). In 1934, the Knott's began selling fried chicken dinners in a tea room on the property, later called "Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant." The dinners soon became a major tourist draw, and the Knott’s built several shops and other attractions to entertain visitors while waiting for a seat in the restaurant. In 1940, Walter Knott began constructing a replica Ghost Town on the property, the beginning of the present-day theme park. The idea of an amusement park really picked up in the 1950’s when Walter Knott opened a "summer-long county fair.”  In 1968, for the first time, an admission price was required to get into the park, originally set at 25 cents. The Calico Log Ride (the original name of the Timber Mountain Log Ride) opened in 1969.  

The site continued its transformation into a modern amusement park over the next two decades, and an admission charge was added in 1968.

Walter and Cordelia Knott had passed away and the children ended up selling the park in 1997. It was sold to Cedar Fair for $300 million, just two years after the Knott's food business was acquired by ConAgra, Inc. in 1995. The owners continued to bring in new rides to try to compete with Disneyland and Magic Mountain.  And speaking of Disney, there was a point where Disney was trying to BUY Knott’s Berry Farm, but the family thought that the re-branding would remove all of the “family” touches that was the trademark of this family owned site.

The Knott Family was also operating a Ghost Town & Mine outside of Barstow called Calico Ghost Town, and many said it was the inspiration Walter had to build the first part of the Ghost Town in Buena Park to keep people busy while waiting for a table at the Chicken Dinner Restaurant.  

And if you ever do go down to the park, YOU MUST stop in and get one of the famous Chicken Dinners from the restaurant out front.  It’s legendary. And was what started it all.

And now, the sun heads into the western sky, and it is time for me to have my leftovers from a El Coyote Lunch, and call it a day… I bid thee farewell, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

There is an age old movie studio in the south part of Hollywood. It backs up to a cemetery. It used to have THE most popular costume house around, outside it’s gates, AND its gates are internationally recognized…. I’m speaking of Paramount Pictures.

With humble beginnings with names that are still familiar today, and subsidiaries that distributed and screened its films, numerous mergers and acquisitions, as well as buyouts and lawsuits involving monopolies, it has a history that that far too voluminous to discuss here.  

But what is substantially clear is that it’s placement in Hollywood and it History, it is still there and still strong. The actual lot itself was once partially RKO Pictures and Desilu at various points in it’s life. Paramount invested in the first commercial TV Station west of Chicago; none other than KTLA, which originated at Bronson and Melrose.

There was a point in time, when Marathon St. was the front of the studio. And Western Costume was a stones throw from the Bronson Gates (Pictured here). A Mexican Restaurant on Marathon was the gathering place for film crews and actors alike (O’Blah’s). Central Casting was located within the Western Costume building as well.  

My grandmother worked for a very famous old school Hollywood Producer named Hal Wallis, and his office was located in the Marathon Bldg. at the Bronson Gates. When I was very young , I met Elvis Presley in his office there, and visited his film sets on the sound stages for several years.

The lot had several fires, which were primarily on the standing sets on the lot.  The Carson City set for Bonanza was lost in the late 60’s, another fire destroyed the New York City sets on the north park of the lot in the 80’s.  

Eventually, the audio pushed the walls of the lot, all the way to Melrose Ave. and they were able to add a nicer Studio Theater for screenings, and added much needed Parking. The Bronson Gates were now totally ON the lot.  

I did several gigs on the lot too. I worked on ROSWELL there for 6 months, and would regale my colleagues with stories of visiting Elvis, or watching Bonanza shoot there when I was kid.

Even today, the new main gates are a tourist attraction, as they can be seen taking selfies out on Melrose at all times of the day and night.

It’s a storied place where movies and television are made, and even today, is making history in some way shape or form.

And in the form, the sun is headed into the Western sky, and it is time for me to get on my horse, and ride off into the sunset— to dinner. As always, I bid thee farewell… and..

Goodnight Neverland!

In the north end of the San Fernando Valley, there is a nondescript 10 story windowless tower built in 1971. It houses what many have called the GREATEST of all car collections. Across the street, is a large warehouse type of showroom, that accommodates the cars that wouldn’t fit in the big building across the road.  I’m talking about the Nethercutt Collection.

JB Nethercutt, who was the founder of the Merle-Norman cosmetics line, purchased 2 classic cars in 1956. A 1936 Duesenberg Convertible Roadster and a 1930 DuPont Town Car. They both needed refurbishing. After two years and $58,000, his rebuilt project claimed its first prize — the coveted “Best of Show” award at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California.  And the bug bit him. Big time.

The first two stories of the tower; the Lower and Grand Salon, feature the most expensive vehicle collection of the family, with the Grand Salon being inspired after 1920s-30’s New York City luxury car grand showrooms. The third story features an awards room and collection of hood ornaments. The fourth story consists of a music room with several large antique music boxes and player pianos, with a Wurlitzer theatre organ in the centerpiece of the room. The fourth floor also features a Louis XV styled dining room and a large kitchen. The table seats around 18 people, and was used for corporate entertaining.  The fifth floor has a theatre which includes a 24 karat gold proscenium arch next to a massive room of pianos. There was a 6th floor penthouse which J.B. used as his secondary residence.

The Nethercutt Collection has over 250 prestigious, antique, and exotic vehicles, notably including from Aston Martin, Austin-Healey, Bentley, Bugatti, Cadillac, Duesenberg, Ferrari, Lincoln, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce and others. Several vehicles in the Collection were formerly owned by world leaders and public figures such as Emir Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, Marjorie Merriweather Post, Tim Allen, and others.

In the early 2000s, the Collection expanded and constructed a new display building directly across the street which was separately called the Nethercutt Museum. The building also contains the Nethercutt Automotive Research Library and Archive, which is considered one of the greatest in the world. Outside of the Museum contains a CPR steam locomotive Royal Hudson No. 2839 is presented together with a fully restored 1912 Pullman Private Car, that belonged to Dorothy Baldwin, daughter of Lucky Baldwin. (In their day…having a private Pullman Train Car was the equivalent of a private jet).

From 2008 to 2010 the Nethercutt Collection's vehicles served as the transport of the Grand Marshals of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade, those being Emeril Lagasse, Cloris Leachman, and Chesley Sullenberger.

It seems to be a well kept secret. You can do self guided tours of the Museum, or call and make reservations for the tower collection, which is done by guided tours on specific days.  BOTH collections will NOT disappoint and is well worth the time and the drive up to Sylmar to see it. And I highly recommend it. You can make those arrangements by going to their website; nethercuttcollection.org.

And I see now that the sun is slipping into the west. I will get myself some dinner, and retire for the night, and so I bid thee farewell… and.. as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

Nestled in the Hollywood Hills, just below the Hollywood Sign, is a quaint lake that for years has been a reservoir for the Hollywood area, as well as a popular exercise route for locals who know about this place. And for many, you’d never know it was there. The dam that holds back the water is named after a man whose name is both famous AND infamous. I am talking about The MULHOLLAND DAM and LAKE HOLLYWOOD.

The reservoir has a capacity of 7,900 acre-feet, which is 2.5 billion US gallons and a maximum water depth of 183 feet. During its first years in service the reservoir level varied, though for most of the time it was kept at a high level and was filled on several occasions.

The reservoir is created by the Mulholland Dam, built in 1924, designed by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, then named the Bureau of Water Works and Supply, as part of the city's water storage and supply system.  At the time, William Mulholland had built a number of dams to store water near and around the aqueduct he installed from the Owens Valley to the greater LA area.  In his time, Mulholland was regarded and a local hero for his engineering feat, but that all changed in 1928, when one of his dams suddenly collapsed in what is now known as the Santa Clarita area. The dam collapse killed over 500 people and shocked Angelinos who held the City Engineer in high regard.  

The Mulholland Dam at Lake Hollywood was built at the same time, and mostly of the same design. The major difference was the bedrock UNDER the dam in Hollywood was much stronger granite, rather than the looser material of the St. Francis Dam.  Within days after the collapse of the St. Francis Dam in March 1928, William Mulholland ordered the Hollywood Reservoir lowered due, in part, to public fears of a repeat disaster.

Almost immediately hundreds of tons of earth were piled up against the Mulholland Dam to strengthen it, and a forest of trees were planted to hold it all in place. The city did not want to repeat history if in case this dam for to become compromised.  These days 90% of the dam face is covered up, and the forest of trees had more or less covered up view of the top of the dam, since they have matured.

Shortly after the disaster and in the years following, several engineering panels met to discuss the safety of the dam. These panels of engineers, from both the state and the LADWP came to differing conclusions. In 1931, the LADWP made the decision to permanently keep the Hollywood Reservoir lowered, and keep it to no more than 4,000 acre-feet. The reservoir now is usually maintained at about 2,800 acre-feet.

And the Mulholland Dam and Lake Hollywood, are no stranger to Hollywood. Several high profile films have been shot ON and around the Dam and Lake.  It played a major role in the film EARTHQUAKE, where that dam eventually collapsed and flooded Hollywood in the film. Another major film would be CHINATOWN, where the character of Hollis Mulwray portrayed, was loosely based on William Mulholland.

In the last 10 years, the city has more or less replaced the lake as a water reservoir. They built a massive underground water storage facility on Mt Lee, just below the famous Hollywood Sign. MILLIONS of gallons of water are stored there, so that Lake Hollywood would not be needed to supply parts of Los Angeles with potable water for drinking, bathing and cooking. (The DWP has more less replaced ALL open air reservoirs for security and purity reasons. Algae played a role as well.)

But for locals nearby, Lake Hollywood has been, and will continue to be a VERY popular area for hiking and exercise enthusiasts. Until the 90’s or so, only the west side of the lake was accessible to the fitness minded, but public pressure made it possible for the road all the way around the lake to be used.  Today, at all hours of the day, until after Sunset you will find walkers, hikers, cyclists, and moms with strollers, all getting in a good workout on the 2 lane road. The Lake itself is still fenced in and not accessible to the public for a litany of reasons.

And now… the cloudy afternoon is coming to an end…It is time for me to take my leave, have some dinner, and call it a day. I bid thee farewell, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!!

So, yesterday, I discussed Mulholland Dam. Today, I’ll look at the road, which bears the same same as the DAM for Lake Hollywood.  MULHOLLAND DRIVE;  Named for famous and infamous City Engineer, William Mulholland.

It starts in the Hollywood Hills in little pieces here and there, WAY high up near the top, below the Hollywood Sign. But it picks up in earnest, at Cahuenga Blvd. in the Chauenga Pass. From the Mulholland Bridge over the US101, and for a few miles stays on the LA side of the hills, passing Outpost Dr, Woodrow Wilson Dr (for the 2nd time) Nichols Canyon, and then makes it up around the the San Fernando Valley side of the hill. Mulholland Dr is pretty much on top of the hills for the most part.  

Continuing west, you cross Laurel Canyon, then up to Coldwater Canyon, and then you wind through the hills some more to find the top of Benedict Canyon, and shortly thereafter Beverly Glen. Both of these (as well as Coldwater Cyn) have found their way up on top of the Santa Monica Mountains from Beverly Hills.

Continuing west, you wind through the hills some more, and encounter a few hilltop Jewish centers and schools. You drive over the recently rebuilt Mulholland Bridge over the widened I-405, and keep going west.   In a few miles, Mulholland turns to a dirt road.  There is a former Nike Missile Base that has now become a park of some kind, but the foundations of the base are still there. It does have a commanding view of the greater LA area though. My little brother used to party up there.  Even further to the west you will find Topanga Canyon, and the pavement returns. And then the road gets really gnarly and is laden with tight sharp turns, and steep inclines. You’ll pass The Rock Store, and aged old watering hole and restaurant that has become a bikers outpost on weekends.. You then cross Las Virgines/Malibu Canyon, and Kanan Dume Rd

Eventually, you will find your yourself all the way to Pacific Coast Highway. (Nearby you will see some HUGE satellite dishes that I am not sure what they are doing). It’s a good half day drive if you care to take it.

Along the way there are several developed turn off’s from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the agency that keeps the mountain recreation areas ship shape, and marks dozens of trails and pathways throughout the Santa Monica Mountains. The Hollywood Bowl Overlook, is clearly the most popular, with tour vans stopping there every few minutes. You also get a great view down the Hollywood Freeway into Downtown LA (THE most popular vista point on ALL of Mulholland Dr.) Over Universal City and Studio City (Fryman Canyon) the overlooks are very popular for photos and hiking as well.

Mulholland Dr was famous for couples on a date who would go up there in the car, pull off the road, and make out there. It had a reputation as “Lovers Lane,” which also brought along a serial killer in the 60’s as well.  In the 70’s and 80’s, kids used to race their cars along the route, and the area east of Coldwater Canyon was the most popular area to do that. My brothers called it “Grandstand” because that’s where everyone would sit on the side and watch friends race by.

But Mulholland Drive can put up a fight. Cars leave the road and end up hundreds of feet down the hillsides for various reasons… intoxicants play a role, as well as a lack of driving skills on the treacherous roads. My own brother wrecked a brand new Toyota 4x4 racing up there and went over the side.  The road will put up a fight if you don’t know what you are doing.

But if you take a leisurely drive up there, to see the city on a beautiful clear day, out go up there for sunset, or to watch the city lights light up… it’s a marvelous experience.

And speaking of city lights,… the lights are coming on, the sun is going down, and I am taking my leave… and calling it a night.

I bid you fare thee well, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

In the late 40’s, A Parks & Recreation employee named Charlie Atkins, who was a big train enthusiast, gathered fellow train buffs to try to convince the City of LA to donate 2 steam locomotives to the area where a miniature train was placed in the northwest corner of Griffith Park, next to what is now the CA134, off of Forest Lawn Drive.  It was their intention to create a place where train equipment that was being retired, had a place to go other than the scrap heap.  That facility came to be known as TRAVEL TOWN.

Opened in December 1952, they have made quite a collection of locomotives of all shapes and sizes, and various uses. The first 2 steam locomotives were going out of service down at the L A Harbor, where they had been used on Catalina Island to quarry rock for the LA Harbor Breakwater. Steam engines were being phased out, as the newer, stronger diesel engines were more efficient to operate. Other additions like a Dining Car (from Union Pacific), street cars, trolleys, tenders and cabooses were soon gathered from numerous sources. The park's 3 ft narrow gauge Crystal Springs & Southwestern Railroad operated two locomotives from Oahu on a half mile of track beginning in 1955. The idea, was that kids could climb up on, and all around these huge train units and explore them to their hearts content. In all, 43 train engines are on display. A series of train track sidings collect all of this equipment.  In the early part of the 21st century, and elaborate train barn type overhead covering was built. It has a bit of a victorian flare in its design, and was put there so that the aging train equipment had a little less exposure to the elements.

But Travel Town is really a MUSEUM. Other resources from the city (and other places) were collected, and put on display here. Things like fire engines, stagecoach’s, a horse drawn steam boiler fire tender, A milk delivery wagon, A circus wagon, and a dozen other pieces housed in a small warehouse type of museum building near the front of the park. They even have a Chariot built for the film BEN HUR.

And Hollywood is no stranger to Travel Town. Episodic TV shows like ADAM-12, COLOMBO, CHiP’S, DALLAS, and SIX FEET UNDER (and many more), have all shot here. Close proximity to no less than 3 major studios assisted in those endeavors.

Areas have been set aside for kids birthday parties and other events of various shapes and sizes.

As a kid, we visited there with school groups, cub scouts, and when entertaining the children of friends. It’s the kind of place where people of all ages can find something interesting. And with close proximity to the LA Live Steamers facility just down the road, Railroad enthusiasts LOVE coming to this part of Griffith Park to enjoy…. Choo Choo Trains!

And speaking of being railroaded…The sun in slipping into the western sky, and it is time for me to take my leave. It’s gonna be dinner time soon, so I bid thee farewell. And, as always..

Goodnight Neverland!

There are many people who like throwing down a few bucks to see horses race around a large loop to compete for the bets wagered on the outcome of the race. There are seats, and VIP Boxes, and even a newspaper with all the horses and their statistics to consider which horse to bet on. In the LA area, we had 4 of these now, we have 3 with another in nearby San Diego. But today, I will discuss the best of them all on the west coast… SANTA ANITA RACETRACK.

Santa Anita offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races including both the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap as well as hosting the Breeders' Cup in 1986, 1993, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012-2014, 2016 and 2019. Since 2011, The Stronach Group are the current owners.

Santa Anita Park was originally part of "Rancho Santa Anita", which was owned originally by former San Gabriel Mission Mayor-Domo, Claudio Lopez, and named after a family member, "Anita Cota". The ranch was later acquired by rancher Hugo Reid, a Scotsman. The property's most widely know owner would be multimillionaire Lucky Baldwin, a successful businessman in San Francisco who greatly enhanced his wealth through an investment in the famous Comstock Lode. Baldwin became a successful breeder and owner of Thoroughbred racehorses and in 1904 would build a racetrack adjacent to the present site in what is today the city of Arcadia.

In 1933, California legalized parimutuel wagering and several investor groups worked to open racetracks. In the San Francisco area, a group headed by Dr. Charles H "Doc" Strub was having trouble locating a site. In the Los Angeles area, a group headed by movie producer Hal Roach was in need of further funds. These two groups combined and the newly formed Los Angeles Turf Club opened the present day track on Christmas Day in 1934, making it the first formally-established racetrack in California. Architect Gordon Kaufmann designed its various buildings in a combination of Colonial Revival and Streamline Modern, painted primarily in Santa Anita's signature colors of Persian Green and Chiffon Yellow.

In February 1935, the first Santa Anita Handicap was run. The race's $100,000 purse, largest of any race ever in the United States until that time, produced its nickname the Big ‘Cap.

In its heyday, the track's races attracted such stars Betty Grable, Lana Turner, Edgar Bergen, Jane Russell, Cary Grant, Esther Williams, and other stars. Bing Crosby, Joe E. Brown, Al Jolson, and Harry Warner were all stockholders.

In 1940, Seabiscuit won the Santa Anita Handicap in his last start.

After the track reopened in 1945, (Due to WWII Japanese relocation camps located there) it went through the postwar years with prosperity. A downhill turf course, which added a distinctly European flair to racing at Santa Anita, was added in 1953.

Due to its proximity to Los Angeles, Santa Anita has traditionally been associated with the film and television industries. The racetrack sequences in the Marx Brothers 1937 classic A Day at the Races were filmed there, and The Story of Seabiscuit with Shirley Temple was filmed on location in 1949. It was also featured in A Star Is Born (1937). Several stars, including Bing Crosby, Spencer Tracy, Errol Flynn, Alex Trebek, and MGM mogul, Louis B. Mayer, have owned horses that raced at the park.

The 1960s brought about a major renovation of Santa Anita Park, including a much-expanded grandstand as well as major seating additions. Prosperity continued at Santa Anita throughout the 1970s and the 1980s. In 1984, Santa Anita was the site of equestrian events at the 1984 Olympics.

The following year, the track set an attendance record of 85,527 people on Santa Anita Handicap Day. However, recognizing the potential revenue boon to the State of California, the California Legislature expanded off track betting, bring operating betting parlors within closer driving distance of the race-day tracks. While the Santa Anita meeting could still draw large crowds, attendance had decreased by a third.

In 2019, due to a highly publicized series of horse deaths, the track was shut down several times for investigations of increasing horse deaths, whether they be from abuse, druging or extreme stress..

But the facility really is the finest of horse tracks in the west. It’s grand lines and familiar green and yellow paint motif make quite a statement when you attended races there. It certainly has history, and it certainly has some game!

And speaking of game… it’s time for me to get along and fetch some vittles.. and call it a night. I bid thee a fond farewell and as always..

Goodnight Neverland.

The PELLISSIER BUILDING and adjoining WILTERN THEATER is a 12-story, 155-foot Art Deco landmark at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue. Clad in a blue-green glazed architectural terra-cotta tile and situated diagonal to the street corner, the complex is considered one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the United States. The Wiltern building is owned privately, and the Wiltern Theatre is operated by Live Nation's Los Angeles division.

Named after the family that owned the land upon which it was developed, the Pellissier Building is a 12-story steel-reinforced concrete office tower. Set upon a two-story pedestal that contains ground floor retail and the theater entrance, the tower has narrow vertical windows that sweep the eye upward and create the illusion of a much taller building (buildings in LA were restricted from being higher than the city hall until the late 1950s). The tower is an example of French Zig-Zag Moderne styling.

The entrance to the Wiltern Theatre is flanked by large vertical neon signs, while patrons approach the ticket booth set back among colorful terrazzo paving. The Wiltern's interior was designed by G. Albert Lansburgh and is renowned for its Art Deco design containing decorative plaster and tile work along with colorful murals painted by Anthony Heinsbergen. The most dramatic element of the design is the sunburst on the ceiling of the auditorium, with each ray its own Art Deco skyscraper—Lansburgh's vision of the future of Wilshire Boulevard. When the Wiltern first opened, it also housed the largest theater pipe organ in the western United States.

Both the Wiltern Theatre and the Pellissier Building have been named to the National Register of Historic Places and declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument by the City of Los Angeles.

Originally built in 1931, the Wiltern was designed by architect Stiles O. Clements of Morgan, Walls & Clements, the city's oldest architectural firm. The Wiltern Theatre was originally designed as a vaudeville theater and initially opened as the Warner Brothers Western Theater, the flagship for the theater chain. After closing a year later, the theater reopened in the mid-1930s and was renamed the Wiltern Theatre for the major intersection which it faces (Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue).

In 1956, the building and theater were sold to the Franklin Life Insurance Company of Springfield, Illinois.

However, the owners ignored the landmark building, and by the late 1970s, the Wiltern had fallen into disrepair. Only the intervention of a group of local preservationists saved the complex from being demolished on two occasions in the late 1970s, when the owners filed for demolition permits. (The preservation of the Wiltern was one of the Los Angeles Conservancy's first victories in its fight to preserve the architectural heritage of the City.)

The renovation of the office building was complete by 1983, but the Wiltern Theatre presented a much more difficult problem and took another two years to complete. The theater had been poorly maintained. Many of the murals and plasterwork were damaged, many of the fixtures had been sold off or pillaged, and portions of the ceiling had crashed onto the ground floor seats.To restore the theater to its original state required expert craftsmanship by A.T. Heinsbergen, son of the original painter, and some creativity to replace what had been lost. Ratkovich wanted to convert the Wiltern into a performing arts center that could host live concerts and Broadway-level stage performances—which entailed opening up the rear wall and extending the stage and stage house of the theater back 15 feet.

After a four-year renovation the Wiltern Theatre opened again to the public on May 1, 1985. Bill Graham Presents was retained to provide the oversight of the theater booking and operations. The Wiltern was operated as a producing theater, and hosted its own live performances and those sponsored by Avalon Attractions, Goldenvoice, Concerts West, Universal Concerts, Timeless Entertainment, and many others, and was used for many televised events, commercial filming and feature film locations.

The Wiltern originally seated 2,344. Subsequent modifications in 2002 removed the 1,200 permanent seats on the ground floor to allow for a variety of configurations from a standing-room-only crowd of 2,300 to a more intimate seated arrangement holding 1850 people. The loge and mezzanine levels in the balcony continue to offer fixed theater seats. The venue remains one of the largest theaters in Los Angeles.

Shortly after the reopening in the 80’s I worked there in a lighting Designer assistant capacity for LD Russel Pyle, who was lighting the LA Opera Production of “Don Giovanni” and had the chance to climb up into the rafters and run around the stage and it’s lower level labyrinth of dressing rooms and support areas. That was truly a monumental experience, as big old theaters like this, get torn down, more often than saved. I recall going to movies here in the 60’s and 70’s as a kid. But DOING a show here, made me appreciate the structure, the architecture and the drizzlingly Deco appointments.  It is truly a remarkable place!

And speaking of remarkable… it is time for day to close, and sun is slinking into the western sky, and it’;s time for me to strap on the old feed bag, and turn in for the night.  I bid thee farewell, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

Located squarely in the middle of Burbank, there is a restaurant that has 60+ years in business, and a very loyal local following. They pride themselves in the good old fashioned family coffee shop atmosphere, and good wholesome food that delights it’s patrons. Particularly known for it’s Turkey Sandwich and Turkey Dinner, smothered in turkey gravy, with all the requisite side dishes.  It’s known as THE TALLYRAND.

Tallyrand began in 1959 when Al and Delores Thomas, coming to Burbank from the midwest with only $5,000, opened a modest coffee shop on Olive Avenue. They chose the name "Tallyrand" on a whim after perusing a cookbook from San Francisco's iconic St. Francis Hotel. One of their favorite dishes was a traditional old-world recipe: a french soup named after 19th century statesman Charles Maurice de Tallyrand. Though its spelling has changed over the years, Tallyrand has since become a Burbank landmark known for its delicious food and friendly service.

Tallyrand prides itself on serving freshly made American classics, from buttermilk pancakes to the famous roast turkey dinner. They bake muffins each morning and make homemade mashed potatoes and gravy each day. Sauces and salad dresssing’s are made from scratch and prepared in their kitchen. They have made the commitment to serve the best food in town!

Many things have changed since their founding 62 years ago, but Tallyrand's warm, comforting atmosphere has remained constant. The loyal customers who have dined here for decades and our incredible staff make Tallyrand the special place it is today. Together, they truly embody their motto of "Family, Friends, Traditions.”

Huell Howser did a show here and significantly added to their base of clientele. He was bowled over by their Turkey Sandwich for lunch.

At Thanksgiving and Christmas, their signature Turkey Dinners are flying out the door, and when they are not closed inside from Covid, entertain quite a crowd on the holidays.  Last Thanksgiving, I waited in a 2 hour line the winded its way around the building and down the street, in order to get a Turkey Dinner to take home to celebrate, alone….(sadly).  I did the same of Christmas Eve and only waited 20 minutes.

Of late, I have been going there a lot. Friends and colleagues have joined me for a meal, a number of times since they reopened the dining rooms. I just has dinner there last Saturday. (And the second half of the Turkey Dinner was Sunday dinner..).

It’s the kind of place that you feel like you’re at home with family. And they treat you like that!  

I see the sun is slipping on to Hawaii, and it’s time for me to get my dinner… and retire for the night. I bid thee farewell, until tomorrow. And, as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

This is the City, Los Angeles California.  Land of palm trees and movie studios, golf courses and mega malls.  It’s also one of the most expensive places to live in the country.

The City of Los Angeles is situated in the COUNTY of Los Angeles, which happens to be the MOST populated county in the country with 10.4 million residents.  The City of Los Angeles has a population of 3.4 million.

The county of Los Angeles has 88 different municipalities (cities) and some 140 unincorporated cities contained therein.

It takes a bit of work to get us all around too. The County of Los Angeles has 37 State Highways and Interstates, that span 650 miles of roadway, and 22,000 miles of city streets. We have almost 20 miles of underground subway (soon to add another 10 with the Purple line out to West LA) and nearly 90 miles of lite rail/trolley lines (soon to add more with the Crenshaw Line).  It’s interesting how the last 70 years has been the years that has improved the infrastructure in such a way, that we can get around easier and be able to service the ever growing populous of the southland.  

All of these statistics are from  LA City and County.. Adding in Ventura, San Bernardino, or Orange Counties, that would increase many of those numbers exponentially.

My point is. I live in a place where you wait in line for everything. From a Doctors office, to a freeway ramp, from the supermarket checkout line, to the Bank.   We get used to it. We get a thrill when we walk into one of the aforementioned places and there is no line.  

But the bottom line is this.  There are places like Griffith Park where you can go find a quiet spot, have a picnic or go to a concert outdoors, and you’d never know you were in the midst of this megalopolis. There are the local mountains just above the San Gabriel Valley, or the higher ones above San Bernardino.

We have the capability to Ski and Surf in the same day, and only take a matter of 2-3 hours to commute from one to the other.

There are places to go boating, and water skiing, in both salt water and fresh water.  

It might be a big city… but there are reminders that it is not.

There are these wonderful small villages that dot the landscape. Places close to me would be Tujunga Village or Toluca Lake, or the NoHo Arts District. They have their own identity, and pride themselves in their local flavor and flare.  Therein lies the heart of the county. There is a saying I’ve used for many years that goes “LA is a great place to live; and great place to leave; and a great place to come home to.”

Only once in my lifetime have I ever felt a cumulative sense of Civic Pride.. and that was right after the closing of the Olympic Games in 1984. There was this massive feeling of “Look what we did!!” And it took a village to do it.

We need more of that. A lot more.

I’ll step off my soapbox now, and get on with the evening. I am seeing how the sun is sinking the western sky, as an indiction that it is time for me to sign off, bid thee farewell, and as always… I bid you…

Goodnight Neverland!

(Photo by Brewster Gonzales)

There is an old school hamburger stand in West LA, that is plain and simple.  Counter seating. 24 stools, no tables… the menu hasn’t changed in its lifetime (except the prices). They close for a week or two in August to allow vacation time for the staff, and so they can clean and paint the inside. It is a westside favorite. And it goes by the name of THE APPLE PAN.

Open since 1947, The Apple Pan sits on Pico Blvd., just east of Westwood Blvd. and across from the Westside Pavillion Mall. One would think, with all the competition, that they would not survive. But they do. They have had offer upon offer to sell for the real estate, but they decline every offer. Why? They have loyal customers who have been coming for years, and they develop new ones all the time.

The creator of BEVERLY HILLS 90210 Charles Rosin even created a fictional hamburger joint for the show called the “Peach Pit” (get it?) because of the loyal following the Apple Pan has. It was indeed the inspiration of the national chain Johnny Rockets. Ronn Teitlebaum claimed he used The Apple Pan as a model for his successful 1950s-themed franchise, copying the menu, presentation, counter seating and grilling area for the Johnny Rockets chain based on this original restaurant: a small menu with few items, hamburgers served wrapped in paper and on cardboard plates, hamburgers grilled-to-order in full view of the counter-seated customers… JUST LIKE The Apple Pan.

You get your fries served with a heaping helping of ketchup, and following the meal, you have to try one of the pies, ala mode with vanilla ice cream! Beverages are served in a cone shaped cup with a little triangular cup holder. MANY of the waiters have worked there for years… and I mean YEARS.  Regulars come in and wave to the waiters and cooks, like they were old friends.

Customers are loyal.They come in all shapes and sizes, and now seeing generations manifested in new loyal customers. My dad proposed to my mom after a date there, and as kids, we would go there, and they would cut a “steak burger” in half for each of us.  The Hickory Burger is quite the delight with a special sauce that makes you want more. I try to go there anytime I’m working on the westside, or even time my trip there to have lunch while I am in the area.

It’s a MUST GO place, that never disappoints.

And speaking of disappointing… it is disappointing when the sun slinks down into the west indicating that it is time to call it a day.. grab some dinner, and turn in. I bid thee a fond farewell, and as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

There is a road that stretched from Chicago to LA… It was a highway, or a two lane road, depending on how you looked at it.  It emboldened the family to get in the car, drive west (or east), and see the country.. But that drive needed a support structure… Restaurants, Gas Stations and of course MOTELS…. Today, I will discuss one of the LAST bastions of the motor motel era from the 50’s. You can find it on Route 66, in San Bernardino County, and it’s called THE WIGWAM MOTEL.

In the early 60’s a TV Show romanticized the lore of Route 66 in a show by the same name starring Martin Milner and George Mahris.  It portrayed the idea of cruising the open road and the carefree travel of these two wanderers…

Along the highways and byways or America, the motor motel became a cottage industry, where travelers needed a place to pull in, park, and rest for the night.  The Motel grew out of that need.

The Wigwam Motels, also known as the "Wigwam Villages," is a motel chain in the United States built during the 1930s and 1940s. The rooms are built in the form of tipis, mistakenly referred to as wigwams. It originally had seven different locations: two locations in Kentucky and one each in Alabama, Florida, Arizona, Louisiana, and California.

They are very distinctive historic landmarks. Two of the three surviving motels are located on historic U.S. Route 66: in Holbrook, Arizona, and on the city boundary between Rialto and San Bernardino, California. All three of the surviving motels are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Wigwam Motel in Arizona was listed as Wigwam Village #6 in 2002; and the Wigwam Motel in California was listed in 2012 as Wigwam Village #7. The Holbrook, AZ location closed in 2017. Frank A. Redford developed the Village after adding tipi-shaped motel units around a museum-shop he had built to house his collection of Native American artifacts.  In Rialto, Frank Redford built this complex for himself in 1947–49 and not as a franchise. The address of the motel is Rialto, California, but the motel is physically located in San Bernardino. It is on the boundary between the two cities on historic Route 66, with an address of 2728 East Foothill Boulevard, Rialto, California.

Unlike the one arch of wigwams in other surviving villages, Village #7 has a double row of wigwam guest rooms. They total 20 in number, as well as a base for what seems to be another never-completed wigwam in the back of the property. A central building is currently used as an office, with a lobby that is open 24 hours a day. There is also a swimming pool, a large grass front and palm trees surround the property.

The property had become very run down and rooms were rented by the hour, aggravated by a sign advertising "Do it in a Tee Pee" that is still on site in the back. The complex underwent renovation, for which the National Historic Route 66 Federation awarded the Cyrus Avery Award in 2005. Attention to detail was the main focus during renovation, as the wigwams lost their zigzag pattern.

But what dad could resist when the kids in the back seat, who were tired and fussy, noticed this roadside attraction with great jubilation.  The rooms were fairly small, and not very convenient. But there was a pool, and restaurants and fuel were close by, so weary travelers could rest for the night and get back on the road again the next day.

And speaking of the end of the day… The sun is sliding down into the ocean, on its way to a new day in Asia right now. I shall get some dinner, and think of life on the US Highway Route 66.  Then I will turn in for the night. I bid thee farewell, and as always… I bid you..

Goodnight Neverland!

The world knows it as “the Happiest Place on Earth.”  I recall it as the place we went about every year to ride new attractions with family groups, school groups, church groups and friends… There is no other place like it. It set the bar VERY high in terms of family entertainment and themed ride attractions. And it goes by the name of DISNEYLAND.

I am very lucky that I have been able to see 3 Disney Resorts in the world.. Disneyland, Disney World, and EuroDisney.  After going to Disneyland since I was old enough to walk, I have seen the improvements and revisions Disney has made at the newer parks. Now I do admit, I had a great time at Euro Disney where they took all of the problems from Anaheim, and fixed them in Paris. Primarily traffic flow, conveniences and attractions. And they had a whole new take on familiar rides like Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and It’s a Small World.  

 As a kid, we had seen places like Beverly Park (which is where The Beverly Center is now located) and a few others that were nothing more than traveling carnivals that permanently set up shop in various places.  The phrase “poor mans Disneyland” was coined because we had something to compare it to.

We took Disneyland for granted, that it was only an hour down the freeway.  But for some people it was a whole childhood full of memories contained in one visit on a vacation to southern California.  Since we lived here, we never knew the “WANT” to go to The Magic Kingdom, because we lived here. We didn’t save up all those wants for dad & mom to being able to afford the road trip, the hotel, and admission to the park. Yesterday, I read a story about a family that drove into Anaheim from Northern California, spent the day at Disneyland, and then drive home. That was about 24 hours for dad driving the car too and from. No overnight stay. They left about 3am and got home about 4am the next day.

When I was young, they started opening Disneyland at night, and were presenting entertainment aimed at adults, and offering music they liked and appreciated, and kids couldn’t go. My brothers and I were incensed..we just couldn’t understand why we couldn’t go. When we got older we understood.  We understood on Grad Night, where high school grads were let into the park overnight (usually on Graduation Night) and could have all the fun we wanted.. no drugs-no alcohol..(and the parents welcomed this since there weren’t any graduation parties to worry about) and did this until the sun came up. It was a right of passage for dozens of local high schools.

I’ve celebrated several new years events at Disneyland. We position ourselves in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle an hour before midnight, in order to get the optimum view of the midnight fireworks show (and it ALWAYS was a good one..). And celebrate another new year with friends…

Few people know, one of the original site choices for Disneyland, was the footprint of where the Disney Studios in Burbank is located today. But Walt Disney had discovered he could acquire 3 times the land for the same price down in Anaheim, which at the time, was nothing more than farm fields. Disney had even discussed a mini theme park in the early 80’s where the Burbank Media Center Mall is located. That park materialized in the 90’s as The California Adventure at Disneyland. Disney also discovered that CityWalk at Universal Studios was indeed an attraction and a money maker. SO they developed their own as Downtown Disney which welcomes you to the twin amusement parks in Anaheim. They also significantly upgraded their hotels, added a few, and raised the prices…significantly..

These days, a family trip to Disneyland, Hotel, Park admission, parking, souvenirs and food can cost at least $1000 just for one day at the park for a family of 4.  Not everyone can do that.

Regardless of the cost, it is always a magical adventure. You come away feeling that you had been taken away to a happier place for a day or two. And return to your dwellings, where ever they may be, with memories to last a lifetime.

After THAT sentimental journey, I see the sun is nearing the horizon line, and it is time for me to raise a glass, feed myself, and retire for the night. I bid thee farewell, and.. as always..

Goodnight Neverland!

Down on Wilshire, just outside the confines of the exclusive and gated Fremont Place, you’ll find a complex with a theater and several ballrooms that has entertained and supported filming for several generations. From Recitals and weddings to filming, THE WILSHIRE EBELL has seen it all.

The Ebell of Los Angeles is an educational and philanthropic organization founded by women, for women in 1894. Their mission is to participate in and encourage the educational, cultural and social growth of the diverse Los Angeles community and to conserve and protect their historic Clubhouse, collections and Wilshire Ebell Theatre. The organization is based on the principles and teachings of Adrian Ebell, a pioneer in women's education and organizing women's societies in the late 19th century.   The club adopted as its motto, "I will find a way or make one -- I serve.”  Over the years, the group has conducted classes, and hosted lectures and seminars, on topics including psychology, parliamentary law, travel, literature, music, gardening and science

In 1923, the group announced plans to build a new clubhouse and theater west of downtown on Wilshire Boulevard. Before construction began, the lot at Wilshire Blvd and Shatto Pl had appreciated in value and was sold for a profit; a new lot at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Lucerne was purchased in 1925.

The group commissioned architect Sumner P. Hunt of Hunt & Burns to design the new facility, which was designed in an Italian style with plaster facing and Italian clay tile roofing.

The Ebell Clubhouse and Theatre covers 83,000 square feet.  The new facilities consisted of multiple structures covering a site 160 by 450 feet, surrounding a 65-by-120-foot patio area. The new facilities included a new 1,300-seat auditorium at the rear of the property facing 8th Street. The two-story structure facing Wilshire Boulevard houses the group's clubhouse, including a large lounge, art salon, and dining room. The dining room opens to a tile-roofed colonnade walkway and fountain.

Judy Garland was “discovered” on the Wilshire Ebell Theatre stage.  Amelia Earhart made her last public appearance there. Musician Dave Brubeck looks back to his roots here.

The Ebell is no stranger to filming either. It has been a favorite location for film and media, and has been featured in over 50 movies including Forrest Gump, The Artist, The Wedding Crashers and The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons.  

The Ebell supports dozens of non-profits and scholarships, in addition to hosting special events, live music, dinners and community forums. The Ebell Costume Collection has more than 800 pieces dating back to the mid-1800s, lovingly preserved by our members. The RCA Endowment awards yearly grants totaling $120,000 to 10 non-profits that help women and children in need.  For 100 years the Ebell Scholarship Endowment has granted more than 5,000 scholarships to local college and university students.

It’s a gem on Wilshire Blvd that has lasted the test of times. The women of Hancock Park have known this place for almost a century, and will continue to enjoy the programing from such an enlightening and welcoming place.

And as the sun makes it way towards Hawaii, I must take my leave, get my dinner and call it a day.. I bid thee farewell, and as always, I bid thee…

Goodnight Neverland!

There is a cemetery in Glendale that also contains a LOT of art, including a replica of the David, and 2 VERY big paintings.  Little does the public know that along with families final resting places, there are amazing pieces of art to be seen.  Michael Jackson and Liz Taylor are both laid to rest here. More than 335,000 other people are buried there as well, and over a million people visit it each year.  You can see it from all over the Glendale area. I am referring to FOREST LAWN.

Forest Lawn Memorial Park was founded in 1906 as a not-for-profit cemetery by a group of businessmen from San Francisco. Dr. Hubert Eaton and C. B. Sims entered into a sales contract with the cemetery in 1912. Eaton took over the management of the cemetery in 1917. Although Eaton did not start Forest Lawn, he is credited as being the "Founder" of Forest Lawn Memorial-Park for his innovations of establishing the "memorial-park plan” and being the first to open a funeral home on dedicated cemetery grounds. He envisioned Forest Lawn to be "a great park devoid of misshapen monuments and other signs of earthly death, but filled with towering trees, sweeping lawns, splashing fountains, beautiful statuary, and memorial architecture.”  Frederick Llewellyn, Eaton's nephew, became CEO of Forest Lawn in 1966. In 1987 he was succeeded by his son, John Llewellyn, who is the current Chairman of Forest Lawn. Forest lawn now boasts 6 locations around Southern California. Forest Lawn Glendale has three non-denominational chapels: "The Little Church of the Flowers", "The Wee Kirk o' the Heather" and "The Church of the Recessional", which are all exact replicas of famous European churches. Over 60,000 people have been married here, including Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman.

The six Forest Lawn cemeteries contain about 1,500 statues, about 10% of which are reproductions of famous works of art. Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper has been recreated in stained glass in the Memorial Court of Honor at the Glendale location 'in vibrant, glowing and indestructible colors.' There are also a number of full-sized reproductions of other Renaissance sculptures, including Michelangelo's David and Moses. This cemetery is the only place containing a complete collection of replica Michelangelo sculptures, which were made from castings taken from the originals and use marble sourced from the original quarries in Carrara, Italy.

But one of the main attractions at the Glendale location is a HUGE box like building on top of the hill, adorned by a huge cross (A star at Christmas time).  That huge building contains 2 paintings, one called ‘THE CRUCIFIXION” and another called “THE RESURRECTION”

The Crucifixion painting, by Polish artist Jan Styka, was originally brought by Styka to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis in 1904. Because of its massive 195 foot long/45 foot high size, he was unable to display it and was forced to return to Poland without it because he could not pay the duty to take it home. Styka, whose self- portrait is seen in the painting as the figure of Saul (Paul), died in 1925 without ever seeing his painting again.

The Crucifixion was stored in several warehouses over the years until Forest Lawn Founder Dr. Hubert Eaton and his colleagues located it at the Chicago Civic Opera company in 1943. Forest Lawn purchased it after World War II and built The Hall of the Crucifixion for the express purpose of displaying Styka’s work. It opened on Good Friday in 1951.  A second painting is on display there as well… The Resurrection was commissioned after a 25-year long and futile search for an epic painting to complete the Trilogy. A contest was held and American artist Robert Clark was selected to create the piece. Featuring Christ outside his tomb looking towards the heavens where the faithful throughout the years were gathered, Clark’s work was completed in 1965.

And they are both housed in this massive concrete building at the top of the hill in Glendale, and visible from throughout the city.  The building is used to show the paintings, including an elaborate system to roll one painting off to the side, while the other is displayed in a 25 minute presentation. It is really is an impressive show. You should really see it.

And I see that the sun has slipped into the western sky, and it is time for me to have my dinner, and turn in for the night. I bed thee a fond farther well, and… as always….

Goodnight Neverland!

Situated high above the San Gabriel Valley is a hilltop that has been the focus of many citizens gazing up on to the big hill, and with wonder and amazement try to figure out what’s going on up there.  It’s 2 fold. There is a world class series of telescopes and celestial probes, and THEN, there is the primary transmission location for dozens of TV & Radio antennas and digital transmitters. It is frequently threatened by fire, and it goes by the name of MOUNT WILSON.

Mount Wilson is a peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, located within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Angeles National Forest. With only minor topographical prominence the peak is not naturally noticeable from a distance, although it is easily identifiable due to the large number of antennas near its summit. It is a subsidiary peak of nearby San Gabriel Peak.

It is the location of the Mount Wilson Observatory, which is an important astronomical facility in Southern California with historic 60-inch and 100-inch telescopes, and 60-foot and 150-foot solar towers. The newer CHARA Array, run by Georgia State University, is also sited there and does important interferometric stellar research.

The summit is at 5,710 feet. While not the tallest peak in its vicinity, it is high enough in elevation that snow can sometimes interrupt astronomical activities on the mountain. On most days, Santa Catalina Island, 65 miles to the west, is visible.

The native inhabitants of the San Gabriels probably belonged to various tribes of the Tongva people who lived in the low-lying valleys. Granite outcroppings along the Angeles Crest show signs of meal preparations with metate pots ground into rock surfaces.

The first recorded exploration of the mountain was performed by Benjamin Davis Wilson, also known as "Don Benito". Wilson, who was the grandfather of George S. Patton, was the owner of Rancho San Pascual in about 1852 and ran a winery at his home, "Lake Vineyard", which was in the area of today's San Marino. Wilson hoped to find a suitable wood for his casks but was disappointed by the poor quality of trees on the mountain. He built a trail, following an established Indian route, which became known as the Mount Wilson Trail. In turn, Wilson's trail became the predecessor of the Mount Wilson Toll Road. He was surprised to find shacks at the summit, probably left by Spaniards who were known to track down destructive grizzly bears. Despite Wilson's inability to find adequate wood, the hike became a popular pastime for locals who would make a weekend trip to the summit.

In 1889, Professor William Pickering of Harvard University, along with lens grinder Alvan Clark, prepared an experiment with 4-and-13-inch telescopes at Mount Wilson. University students would operate the telescopes for nighttime viewing, but more often than not they would log in "bad weather, no visibility" and head to town. In 1891, Thaddeus S. C. Lowe incorporated the Pasadena & Mount Wilson Railroad with the plan of building a scenic mountain railroad to the summit of Mt. Wilson.  At the foot of the mountain, a local contractor Thomas Banbury built a 10 mi roadway to be named "The New Mount Wilson Trail," now the Mount Wilson Toll Road. Passage fare was 25¢ round trip for hikers (equivalent to $7 in 2021) and 50¢ for horseback. In 1903, George Ellery Hale visited Mt. Wilson and was impressed by the perfect conditions for which to set up the observatory, which would become the Mount Wilson Solar Observatory in 1904.

In 1905, 40 acres were leased for 99 years by the Carnegie Institution for Science in order to construct telescopes, and construction began on a new Mt. Wilson Hotel. In 1908, a 60 in  telescope was completed at the summit, and, in 1910, the 150-foot Solar Tower was erected. In 1913, the hotel burned down and was replaced by a second hotel that lasted until its demolition in 1966. The Toll Road opened to automobiles in 1912 and lasted until 1936. In 1917, the 100 in Hooker Telescope was completed and saw first light and would be the world's largest telescope.

In 1919, American astronomer Edwin Hubble arrived at Mt. Wilson and, throughout the 1920s, made many astronomical discoveries using the Hooker Telescope. Among his contributions are the observational proof that many nebulous objects are actually galaxies beyond our own Milky Way galaxy, the classification of galaxies according to the Hubble sequence, and the development of Hubble's law relating a galaxy's observed red shift to its distance away. These contributions led to an understanding that the universe is not static, but expanding. This concept is the basis of the Big Bang theory of cosmology.

The first television antenna on Mount Wilson was erected in 1947 for pioneer station KTLA Channel 5. At about the same time, the first FM station broadcast from Mount Wilson, which was the old KFI-FM on 105.9 FM (signed off in 1950). The mountain became so popular as a site for transmitters that, in 1963, the Metromedia company bought 720 acres from the Mount Wilson Hotel Company. The property is now the home of numerous transmitters serving the Los Angeles metropolitan area and includes radio, television and microwave relay facilities. The tallest of these, according to the FCC database, is the guyed mast built for KCBS-TV, now owned by Richland Towers, which stands at a height of 972 ft, built in 1986.  In about 2008 and 2009, most of the TV and radio stations converted their signals coming from Mt Wilson, from analog to digital signals, thus, welcoming in 21st Century technology into broadcasting in LA.  This was a LONG way from KTLA in 1947.

And the forest and brush fires that have come close to the mountain have caused many to hold their collective breaths until the danger has subsided. It’s just the nature of the beast in the local mountains around LA…But Mt Wilson plays a major role in Southern California. It always has, and will continue to do so.

And now, as I see the sun is creeping slowly into the west… it is time for me to take my leave.  It’s time to get some dinner, and turn in for the night. I bid you a fond farewell… and… as always..

Goodnight Neverland!

There is a theatre on Brand Blvd in Glendale that has a tall spire, adorned with neon, that I can recall as long as I’ve been around. It was a jewel in the downtown Glendale area, and lasted the test of time. It’s gone through several incarnations, and I, for one, am glad it’s been saved from the wrecking ball. I am speaking of the ALEX THEATRE.

The theatre officially opened its doors on September 4, 1925, as the Alexander Theatre, and was designed by architects Arthur G. Lindley and Charles R. Selkirk Associates. The unique interior has distinct neo-classic Greek and Egyptian architectural elements. A long walkway and courtyard separating the ticket booth from the lobby was inspired after the famous Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. It was named after Alexander Langley, the son of Claude L. Langley, owner of the West Coast chain that included the Raymond Theater in Pasadena, and the Orange Theatre in the city of Orange. In addition to the lavish architecture, a huge Wurlitzer pipe organ was installed. A regular organist supplied improvised accompaniment during the silent picture era. It was operated by the West Coast-Langley Theatre Circuit and featured vaudeville performances, plays and silent movies on a single screen.

From the mid 20’s until the 1950’s, The Theatre served as a preview house for major Hollywood studio films, drawing the most glamorous stars of its day, including Elizabeth Taylor, Charlie Chaplin, Bing Crosby, and Barbara Stanwyck.  Located only a few miles from Walt Disney's Hyperion studio, the theater was Walt Disney's favorite place to preview his cartoons to see how they would play to audiences. In 1940, the iconic spire with automated neon and deco overtones, was erected, and the name was officially shorted to THE ALEX.  As a child, I recall my mother taking me there in the mid 60’s to see Mary Poppins. After screening first-run blockbuster films such as Ben Hur, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and The Hunt for Red October over the course of 60 years, The Alex ceased operations on September 26, 1991 with a screening of Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

In 1992, The Glendale Redevelopment Agency purchased the Alex Theatre to serve as the centerpiece of Glendale’s revitalized Brand Boulevard and embarked on a $6.5 million rehabilitation of the facility. On New Years 1993, The Alex Theatre opened as a 1,411-seat performing arts and entertainment center. The new facility included a stage expansion and new seating layouts, theatrical systems, and screen.  Since then, The Alex has hosted thousands of programs and activities since its reopening and welcomes an average of 100,000 patrons through its doors annually. It is home to resident companies such as the Alex Film Society, Glendale Youth Orchestra, Los Angeles Ballet, and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and hosts a variety of music, dance, theatre, comedy, film, and special events each season. In 1996, The Alex Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2008, Glendale Arts was established as a private non-profit organization charged with managing the Alex Theatre. And in 2013, The Theatre broke ground on a 6,600 square foot expansion of its backstage facilities. Following eleven months of construction, the Expansion Project was completed. The upgraded amenities include additional dressing rooms, storage and shop space, the installation of a new freight elevator to access the street and subterranean levels, a new passenger elevator, and additional stair and hallway access to assist with loading. It was the shot in the arm, the place needed to survive. And I, for one, am glad they did. It holds a lot of memories for me. Seeing Mary Poppins there, was seeing my first movie as a child.

And now, I see the Labor Day sun is slipping on to the western horizon. It is time for me to get some dinner, and call it a day. I bid thee farewell, and… as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

There are a number of ways to get around LA. You can take the secondary roads, or in the case of the valleys, you can take the passes through the hills, or perhaps the long avenues and boulevards, but the easiest way to get around is on the LA FREEWAY SYSTEM.

It might be confounding… it might be frustrating, but unless there is a full closure because of a highway incident, they at least can keep moving. Obviously, there are no signals to contend with… (except on the on ramps, where they added signals to control the adjoining vehicles.. back in the 90’s or so).

The first of the LA Freeways, was the Arroyo Seco Parkway extending from the south end of Pasadena to downtown Los Angeles. The Arroyo Seco Parkway was opened around 1940.  Built to the most modern of standards at the time, it is a relic of highway building and totally outdated today.

After President Eisenhower passed the Interstate Highway bill, (The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, popularly known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act), Freeways were built all around Los Angeles. And they did the best they could considering how much land (and money) was needed to create a full on infrastructure of highways that could get people from point A to Point B & C. It took a bit of a learning curve too. Many of the routes we use today were already designated as California or US Highways. But the construction of major thoroughfares was a massive endeavor.

These days, the County of Los Angeles has 37 State Highways and Interstates, that span 650 miles of roadway, and 22,000 miles of city streets. But they came with a price. Land had to be cleared, homes torn down, businesses uprooted and moved. But it was for the good of the city. We’re one of the largest cities in the country in terms of land use, and it takes a bit to get us around.  You CAN make it from Chatsworth to San Pedro in an hour— at 7am on a Sunday morning.

Understanding the highways and their numbering system is a challenge as well. In the SF Valley, the Ventura (US101) says North, but it actually runs west..  And The Ventura Freeway is one of the LAST of the US Highways left in the greater LA Area. There’s US 95 out to the east in the desert, but that’s about it. The US Highway system was the predecessor to the Interstates.

And one must understand the Interstate numbering system. East/West are even numbers, North/South are odd numbers. They run from the West (e.g. I-5) to the East Coast (e.g. I-95) and from the South (e.g. I-8) to the North (e.g. I-90). THREE digit interstates represent inner city connectors (which at times use numbers to relate to other intestates they connect to. (e.g. I-405, I-710, I-605) or like in the bay area (e.g. I-880, I-680, I-580) and so on.  

If you are an LA resident it takes a bit of understanding of the freeways and interstates, but you also have to take into consideration Hills and Valleys, and other obstructions like movie studios and golf courses.  But you CAN learn the system.

But it seems you can never go anywhere without construction of new Freeways, or widening projects which room, can hinder your daily progress, but soon enough, these new lanes open up. It does seem like once they finish a widening project, soon enough, that freeway ALREADY needs a new lane or two.

Love it or hate it, it’s part of the LA landscape. It’s what makes us who we are as well as the cursing, gestures and road rage that comes along with the task. Maintaining that, without losing your mind, is how you survive in LA.

And speaking of surviving… I’ve got to get some dinner, as the sun is headed for the beach in the west, and I will call it a night. I bid thee farewell, and.. as always…

Goodnight Neverland!

There was a steel tycoon who founded nearly 1700 libraries throughout the United States, and more internationally. He made a point to share his wealth in exploration of culture, and the arts, and even had a landmark theatre added to his name in New York. His name was Andrew Carnegie, and today, I will discus the Carnegie Libraries.

A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by the Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist. A total of 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems. 1,689 were built in the United States. In 1919, there were 3,500 libraries in the United States, nearly half of them known as Carnegie libraries, as they were built with construction grants paid by Carnegie.

Books and libraries were important to Carnegie, from his early childhood in Scotland and his teen years in Allegheny/Pittsburgh. There he listened to readings and discussions of books from the Tradesman's Subscription Library, which his father had helped create. Later in Pennsylvania, while working for the local telegraph company in Pittsburgh, Carnegie borrowed books from the personal library of Colonel James Anderson. He opened his collection to his workers every Saturday. Anderson, like Carnegie, resided in Allegheny.

Andrew Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in history. He became a leading philanthropist in the United States and in the British Empire. During the last 18 years of his life, he gave away ~$350 million (roughly $5.2 billion in 2020) to many charities, foundations, and universities – almost 90 percent of his fortune.

Carnegie believed in giving to the "industrious and ambitious; not those who need everything done for them, but those who, being most anxious and able to help themselves, deserve and will be benefited by help from others.

In 1897, Carnegie hired James Bertram as his personal assistant. Bertram was responsible for fielding requests from municipalities for funds and overseeing the dispensing of grants for libraries. When Bertram received a letter requesting a library, he sent the applicant a questionnaire inquiring about the town's population, whether it had any other libraries, how large its book collection was, and what its circulation figures were. If initial requirements were met, Bertram asked the amount the town was willing to pledge for the library's annual maintenance, whether a site was being provided, and the amount of money already available.

The architecture was typically simple and formal, welcoming patrons to enter through a prominent doorway, nearly always accessed via a staircase from the ground level. The entry staircase symbolized a person's elevation by learning. Similarly, most libraries had a lamp post or lantern installed near the entrance, meant as a symbol of enlightenment.

Nearly all of Carnegie's libraries were built according to "the Carnegie formula," which required financial commitments for maintenance and operation from the town that received the donation. Carnegie required public support rather than making endowments because, as he wrote: "an endowed institution is liable to become the prey of a clique. The public ceases to take interest in it, or, rather, never acquires interest in it. The rule has been violated which requires the recipients to help themselves. Everything has been done for the community instead of its being only helped to help itself."

Carnegie's grants were very large for the era, and his library philanthropy is one of the most costly philanthropic activities, by value, in history. Carnegie continued funding new libraries until shortly before his death in 1919

In California, 142 public libraries were built from 121 grants (totaling $2,779,487) awarded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York from 1899 to 1917. In addition, academic libraries were built at two institutions (totaling $60,000).

In Los Angeles, very few remain for various reasons.  4 remain standing. Originally, in the county of Los Angeles, about 15 were built. Today, The Cahuenga Branch in Hollywood, The Lincoln Heights Branch (pictured here), The South Pasadena Branch, and the Vermont Square Branch (not functioning as a library anymore) are all that’s left in LA county.

He definitely made his mark in enlightening minds anxious for higher learning on all levels.  I can recall going to the Cahuenga Branch near me when I was young. The Original Hollywood Main Branch was built by a Carnegie grant, but had to be razed after significant earthquake damage. But, world renowned architect; Frank Gehry was tapped to design the replacement on Ivar, just steps from Hollywood & Vine.

Carnegie’s legacy in Los Angeles will last a lifetime. Numerous books from the original grants still do exist at many branches, and the people of Los Angeles owe quite a debt of gratitude to him and his foundation for their accomplishments here, and around the world.

And speaking of accomplishments… It’s time for the sun to take its leave.  It’s time for me to get my dinner, and call it a day.  I bid thee farewell, and… as always…

Goodnight Neverland!!

Located up near the Newhall Pass, is a place that was created to allow for easier passage between Los Angeles and The Central Valley, and eventually the San Francisco and Sacramento areas. It was LONG before the US Highways and the Interstates. It was the place you had to pass through to get thru to the Newhall area, now known as Santa Clarita. It also became a very popular filming location for the western that were so much a part of cinema in the 20’s and 30’s.  It is quite distinctive, and quite well know to old cowboys.. and it goes by the name of BEALE’S CUT.

In 1861 a landowner and surveyor named Edward Beale was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln as the federal Surveyor General of California and Nevada. At the time, he was the owner of the Tejon Ranch (which you might recognize from the 5 mile grade into the Central Valley called “The Grapevine.”

Beale was awarded the right to collect the toll in the pass. Beale maintained rights to the cut for the next twenty years and so it became known as "Beale's Cut.” It measures 12’ feet wide and up to 90’ feet deep. Beale had a toll booth at the south end of the cut to collect tolls, based on human and animal tolls set by Beale. Beale used Chinese immigrants to do most of the work on the cut. Work was completed in 1863, but the LA Board of Supervisors accepted it as complete on March 5, 1864.

The cut had major damage in the winter of 1861–62 and wagons could not get through the pass. In March 1862 soldiers under the command of Major Theodore Coult of the Fifth California Volunteer Infantry, repaired the cut and road.

Beale's Cut was eventually deepened to 90 feet. It lasted as a transportation passage near present-day Newhall Pass until the Newhall Tunnel opened in 1910. The 435 ft Newhall Auto Tunnel was built a quarter-mile northwest of Beale's Cut. The tunnel was 17.5 ft wide and two-way traffic through it was slow. The California Division of Highways decided to replace the tunnel; in July 1938 work started to remove the rock above the tunnel to create a four-lane highway. The road was first known as US Highway 6, then state Highway 14, and finally the present-day Sierra Highway. The cut for the tunnel is west of today's Highway 14.

Beale's Cut appeared in many silent western movies. The location became a favorite of movie producers like John Ford and D. W. Griffith. In Ford's 1923 film Three Jumps Ahead, as well as Stagecoach. American cowboy star Tom Mix is filmed jumping over the pass, although it has been widely debated among film historians whether Mix himself made the jump, with any of a number of stuntmen claiming credit for it while some experts believe the jump was achieved purely through special effects.  John Ford used the location in at least four films over a twenty-year period beginning as early as 1917.

Still in existence today, it is no longer passable by automobiles. It suffered a partial collapse during the Northridge Earthquake in 1994, and now is about 30 feet. It is visible from the Sierra Highway about one mile north from the intersection of The Old Road and Sierra Highway, just after the first bridge under SR 14. It lies between Sierra Highway and the new freeway, about a quarter-mile to the northeast of a stone marker. Beale's Cut is difficult to find today because it is fenced off and not close enough to the Sierra Highway to be easily seen.

Westerns were well known for the cowboy, riding off into the sunset, and that is what I am going to do right now… Dinner is awaiting, and it’ time for me to cal it a day. I bid you a fond fare thee well, and… as always….

Goodnight Neverland!

There is a very distinctive candy retailer that has a very recognizable motif, and a business model that requires a superior product, with tight standards, and has had a loyal following of customers for generations. You’ll know them when you SEE them, and they go by the name of SEE’S CANDIES.

Their amazing confectionary brand was conceived by Charles See in 1921. It was founded by, See, his wife Florence, and his mother Mary in Los Angeles, California in 1921. Mary See had developed the recipes that became the foundation of the See's candy business while helping run her husband's hotel on Tremont Island in Ontario.

See's kitchens are located at its headquarters and maintained at its original factory in Los Angeles, where there are also retail shops. Using recipes and methods he learned from his mother, Mary See, he opened their first shop in 1921 on Western Ave in Los Angeles. It had the very distinctive interior motif, and always had a photo of Mary See in the shop. See's first white and black "all porcelain" store was opened in Bakersfield, California on May 1, 1941.

By 1925, there were a dozen See's chocolate shops across Los Angeles, including a location in the famous Grauman's Chinese Theater building.

In 1936, See's Candies moved to it's new permanent home base in South San Francisco CA, where it's HQ remains to this day.  At the San Francisco World's Fair in 1939, See's welcomed visitors who crowded in to see the See's kitchens at work making chocolates and the best part?  Samples were given for free.   A tradition that still continues in all See's Candies stores across CA.

In 1952, Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance spent a half day at the See's Candies store on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles, learning to dip chocolates and work the production line, in preparation for the "Job Switching" episode of I Love Lucy. The episode, which featured Lucy and Ethel getting jobs in a chocolate factory, became one of the most popular in the show's history. Cher was working at See's in 1962, when she met Sonny Bono.  It has a place in Southern California history.

On January 3, 1972, Blue Chip obtained a controlling interest in See's Candy Shops. Blue Chip later acquired 100% of See's for an overall price of $25 million. Wesco Financial Corporation was an 80.1% owned subsidiary of Blue Chip Stamps until its complete merger into Berkshire Hathaway in 2011. Warren Buffett has called See's "the prototype of a dream business." In 2007. Previous to that point, Berkshire had focused on undervalued assets that could be bought cheaply. The See's acquisition influenced their commitment to buying businesses with a strong reputation and brand recognition.The company has been owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Corporation since 1972.

The public loves Mary See's original candies like Peanut Brittle, Chocolate Walnut Fudge, Victoria Toffee, hand-dipped Bon Bons and Maple Walnut Creams. See's also offers its product in select markets in kiosks at malls and other shopping centers. See's also has an online store.

Every year the South San Francisco facility mounts oversized holiday decorations atop its plant for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, Mothers' Day, and Independence Day. For the 2018 season, See's discontinued the tradition of putting Santa's sleigh and reindeer on the roof, opting instead for smaller "chocolate" wreaths

On March 28, 2020, See's Candies suspended operations citing the current COVID-19 pandemic and stating it has closed all of its stores until further notice. This is the first time the company has shut down operations since WWII, when it became difficult to acquire sugar and other ingredients due to the war effort. In May 2020, See's Candies reopened both their Los Angeles and San Francisco candy kitchens with safety precautions in-place. On-line sales resumed and contact-free pick-up became available in certain locations.

It’s a whole different kind of chocolate, and they know how to do it right.  And speaking of doing it right…. I see the sun is slipping into the western horizon, and it is time for me to sign off, have dinner… and retire for the night. I bed thee farewell.. and.. as always….

Goodnight Neverland!

For many years, there is a ritual that takes place in Hollywood at sunrise at the Hollywood Bowl. People came from far and wide to see this Easter Sunday Event in person. And anyone who has ever seen it in person remarks how this event is such remarkable thing to see… something you really do need to experience in person, on site. That event is the EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE at the HOLLYWOOD BOWL.

Legend has it the that LA Philharmonic performed at the very first sunrise service on March 27, 1921 and 2,000 people are sitting on the grassy knolls known as Daisy Dell. Darkness envelops the Mulholland Hills above, but a hint of light is creeping over their peaks. As the last verse of the poem “The Master is Coming” is read, the first rays of sunshine burst forth onto the service below.

The trumpets sound, the small orchestra plays and the audience sings “Holy Holy Holy,” ending the first Easter Sunrise Service at what would become the Hollywood Bowl. The nondenominational service run by the nonprofit Hollywood Bowl Easter Sunrise Service Inc.  

In 1919 and 1920, outdoor sunrise services were held elsewhere in the hills of Hollywood, but the venues chosen weren’t quite right. The sites – Whitley Heights and Olive Hill, now Barnsdall Park – were too small and the acoustics unworthy of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra that debuted at the 1921 opening event.  While scouting for the perfect spot, they found Daisy Dell from what is now Mulholland Drive high above and one of the volunteers looked down and noted "Maybe the sound will be good because it looks like a bowl” and that THAT’S how the Hollywood Bowl got its name.  This was before the well known “shell” was constructed.

These pioneering patrons were part of the Art Alliance and Community Park and Art Association, which became the Hollywood Bowl Easter Sunrise Service Committee when they discovered and bought the land in 1921. The committee included the Hollywood Bowl Association that still exists today.

In 1924, the committee deeded the land to Los Angeles County, and it continues to operate the facility today.

But the early Hollywood Bowl had no stage, no structure and no shell until 1926. The first service was held on the hillside with just a small platform for the orchestra.

In the Living Cross, more than 300 children stand on a platform shaped like a cross wearing black robes. But when dawn breaks over the hills, the children drop their black robes in unison for resilient white ones.

Other traditions include the singing of “Holy Holy Holy” and Beethoven’s “Hallelujah,” and the releasing of 200 white doves at the end of the service. Among the traditions laid out in the organization’s bylaws is the reading of the “Master Is Coming,” which is often performed by celebrities.

Over the years, as the stages grew to accommodate more concerts and performances, so did the service. The Easter celebration began with about 400 onstage participants and has grown to more than 650.  When you see this spectacle in person, one can help but be moved by the sheer grandeur of the moment. The second the sun comes out from over the hill, the 300 choir children remove their robes to reveal white robes, the stage lighting comes to full strength, and the music swells to an amazing crescendo.  It is truly breathtaking.

Renovations in 2004 and 2005 forced the Hollywood Bowl service to be canceled for the first time, though there had been five times when the event was held in other Hollywood locales.

It has been many years since I attended (I did twice when I was in my teens) and I can’t recall much media about it in recent years, but the Hollywood Bowl/LA Philharmonic west says it was scheduled this year on Easter Sunday.

It is truly one of the magic moments that only one can experience in Hollywood… at the Hollywood Bowl….

And now.. as the sun slips off into the west, it is time to have a salad, and turn in for the night… I bid thee farewell, and… as always….

Goodnight Neverland!

There’s been a restaurant on Hollywood Blvd that has been around for a little over a century. It has an exquisite menu, waiters and barkeeps who have worked there for generations, and has been one of the major “go to” spots for the Hollywood brass and performers alike. People flock to Hollywood Blvd to see a dozen different sights, and one of them.. Is MUSSO & FRANK’S.

The Musso & Frank Grill’s history is as rich and colorful as Hollywood itself. Opened in 1919 by entrepreneur Frank Toulet, who joined forces with Oregon restaurateur Joseph Musso and brilliant French chef Jean Rue, the restaurant quickly became known for outstanding service and culinary excellence.

On September 27, 1919, The Hollywood Citizen ran an announcement about the opening of Frank Toulet’s new restaurant, Frank’s Café at 6669 Hollywood Blvd. In time, Toulet partnered with restaurateur Joseph Musso. As the owners of the new Musso & Frank’s Grill, they hired French chef Jean Rue, who created the menu — much of which remains unchanged even today.

The pair sold the restaurant in 1927 to two Italian immigrants, Joseph Carissimi and John Mosso, who years later moved The Musso & Frank Grill next door to 6667 Hollywood Blvd., where it still stands.

Musso's exclusive, storied Back Room opened in 1934. Guarded by a discerning and austere maitre d’, the Back Room was a legendary private space reserved for the Hollywood elite.

Eventually, the lease on the Back Room expired. Today, the restaurant’s New Room holds the Back Room’s original famous bar, light fixtures and furniture from 1934.

When you sit in the comfortable worn-leather booths, peruse their 100-year-old classic menu or sidle up to the mahogany bar, you’re not just enjoying fine food and great company. You’re a part of Hollywood history.

It’s a history that reads like a Hollywood script. Deals were made on the old pay phone — the first pay phone to be installed in Hollywood. Scripts were discussed over a famous Musso’s martini. Contracts were signed over exquisite meals of Roast Duck and Lamb Chops. Stars were born.

From the beginning, Musso’s has been a favorite among Hollywood’s A-list. Charlie Chaplin was an early regular. Often seen lunching with Mary Pickford, Rudolph Valentino and Douglas Fairbanks, Chaplin — legend has it — would challenge Douglas to a horse race down Hollywood Boulevard, and the winner had to pick up the tab at Musso’s. Charlie would win and gloat over a plate of Roast Lamb Kidneys, his favorite Musso’s meal.

In the ‘20s and ‘30s, it wasn’t uncommon to see Greta Garbo and Gary Cooper having breakfast together — flannel cakes and fresh coffee, of course. Or to bump into Humphrey Bogart having drinks at the bar with Dashielle Hammett or Lauren Bacall.

In the ‘50s, Hollywood legends like Marilyn Monroe (flanked by Joe DiMaggio), Elizabeth Taylor and Steve McQueen could be found enjoying drinks and appetizers in Musso’s famous Back Room. Jimmy Stewart, Rita Hayworth, Groucho Marx and John Barrymore also had starring roles at Musso’s.

As the years have passed, so too have the beloved generations of Musso’s. The great chef, who led the kitchen for more than 53 years, passed on his torch as well. But the generations have kept the dream alive — first by Carissimi’s son, Charles, and his wife, Edith, and Mosso’s daughter, Rose, and then by Mosso’s granddaughters. Today, Musso's is owned and operated by John Mosso’s three granddaughters and their children.

The generations may have changed, but one thing never has — our family’s uncompromising dedication to delivering the renowned service and fine cuisine that first made Musso’s famous.

I’ve hosted several Alumni Events here (for the University of Redlands) prior to Theatre dates at the nearby Pantages Theatre. It thrills the patrons who have made the journey to Hollywood to experience this one of a kind eatery, and to enjoy the cuisine that has been offered for over a century.

And speaking of a century…. It seems like that since the sun came up today… It is time for the sun to takes it leave and head off the The Orient to start a new day. And I plan to make dinner, and turn in. I bid thee fare well,…. And… as always…

Goodnight Neverland!!

(As a side note, most of the text here was directly from the Musso & Frank’s website… I wrote the introduction and closing..)

There is a legendary nightclub on The Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, that has been for YEARS, the HOTTEST spot for a band to play, especially up and coming artists.  It has the name recognition that says “you are on your way” as a band or individual artist.  ALL KINDS of shows and acts have played there, including a few stage plays and other kinds of attractions. When it comes to clubs on “The Strip,” this place is at the top of the list.  It’s called THE ROXY.

The Roxy was opened on September 23, 1973, by Elmer Valentine and Lou Adler, along with original partners David Geffen, Elliot Roberts and Peter Asher. They took over the building previously occupied by a strip club owned by Chuck Landis called The Largo. (Adler was also responsible for bringing the stage play The Rocky Horror Show to the United States, and it opened its first American run at The Roxy Theatre in 1974, before it was made into the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show the next year.)

Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers (billed as Crazy Horse, a related ensemble) played the Roxy for the first three days it was open. Only three months later, the Genesis lineup with Peter Gabriel played several consecutive days at the Roxy, a run that some band members and many fans consider to be amongst their finest performances (due in part, to the intimate atmosphere and good acoustics of the venue).

Paul Reubens, then a struggling comedian, introduced his Pee-wee Herman character in a raunchy revue here in 1981 that included such aspiring comics as Phil Hartman and Elayne Boosler.  Tom Eyen's hit comedy Women Behind Bars enjoyed a long extended run with such stars as Lu Leonard, Adrienne Barbeau, Sally Kellerman, and Linda Blair, and was the site of the very first AIDS benefit ever held in Los Angeles on July 27, 1983. At that time frame I was doing Theatrical lighting design, and was brought on board to set lights (not as a designer, but just focusing lights for Barbra Ling) for The Pee Wee Herman Show, and Women Behind Bars.. The Pee Wee Herman show started as a midnight show at The Groundlings, and moved to the Roxy, where it was taped by HBO, launching his career.

In January 2014, Goldenvoice became the exclusive promoter for The Roxy & ushered in a new era by bringing in big-name acts such as U2 & Foo Fighters. In past days, it was a who’s who of music stars like Frank Zappa, The Crusaders, Bob Marley and The Wailers, The Ramones, Richard Pryor, Van Morrison, Adele, Korn, Oingo Boingo, and many, many more.

The small On the Rox bar above the club has hosted a wide variety of debauchery in its history. The bar was a regular hangout for John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Alice Cooper and Keith Moon during Lennon's "lost weekend" in 1973-74 and hosted parties arranged by Heidi Fleiss in the 1980s.

Today the bar serves as a frequent hotspot for much of the young Hollywood population in Los Angeles. Every evening, the bar is hosted by Medford & Fish who reveal that day on their Instagram page an opening time and sometimes even a theme. The bar's exclusivity works through the frequent attendance of their regular crowd. The majority of the crowd includes band members, singers, songwriters, youtubers, viners, influencers, etc. Many of the nights are also hosted by their regular attendees and "members", as they throw private birthday parties and events. Although the bar is exclusive, there are times when less notable attendees are permitted to attend. This is as long as the bar is not closed for a private party or if not too many high-profile attendees are inside already. It also heavily depends on whether their designated and regular bouncer believes you fit the vibe of the bar.

It’s a legend on the Sunset Strip, and today, continues to promote acts of all shapes and sizes, and almost always sells out the club.

And speaking of a sell out… it’s time for the sun to takes if leave, and make it dark in Los Angeles… It is time for me to have dinner..and call it a day. I will sign off here, and as always.. I bid you…

Goodnight Neverland!

Located in the eastern parts of LA County is a massive facility that has thousands of square feet of exhibition space, speciality facilities of numerous kinds, a considerable train collection, a horse racing venue & appropriate stables and support areas, and a number of livestock barns. There is also a race car museum.  Once a year, one of the LARGEST county fairs in the country is there, and along with it, the largest collection of carnival rides imaginable. It’s called THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY FAIR.

The Los Angeles County Fair is an annual county fair. It was first held on October 17, 1922, and ran for five days through October 21, 1922, in a former beet field in Pomona, California. Highlights of the Fair's first year were harness racing, chariot races and an airplane wing-walking exhibition. The fair is one of the largest county fairs in the U.S. Fair attendance has topped one million people in every year but three since 1948, and is the 4th largest fair in the United States. Since its opening year, over 89,000,000 visitors have attended the LA County Fair.

Since its inception, the Fair has been the link between California’s agriculture industry and the public, providing a community gathering place where people learn about California’s heritage and enjoy traditional Fair food, activities and entertainment. In recent years the fair has moved away from such agricultural heritage by transitioning from livestock competitions for area growers and ranchers to hired petting zoos. In addition to the 13-acre Ray Cammack Shows carnival, the Fair has an operational farm, an outdoor miniature garden railroad, California’s Heritage Square historical exhibit and America’s Kids-Education Expo. The Concert Series features 19 nights of first-run musical entertainment and freestyle motocross. The Los Angeles County Fair offers visitors a number of rides as well as a variety of food and drinks available. Community days feature community heroes (senior, adult and youth), elected officials and high school marching bands from cities within the 15-mile radius of Fairplex. The concert series feature singers, bands and entertainers perform during the evening. Until 2013, there was horse racing during the Los Angeles County Fair meet at the Fairplex Park. From 2014 to 2021, all races during the Los Angeles County Fair meet are held at the Los Alamitos Race Course for two weeks (8 race days, Thursday–Sunday). Thereafter, those races are at Santa Anita Park. At the start of each year, a theme for the fair is chosen by the Los Angeles County Fair Association.The Fair is operated by the Los Angeles County Fair Association, a not-for-profit 501(c)(5) corporation. It's held each September, until COVID hit, now it will be held each May, come 2022. September has proved to be one of the hottest months of the year of late, detracting visitors from attending. They have had to cancel 2 years of the fair due to the Pandemic.

On 543 acres of fairgrounds known as Fairplex (Los Angeles County Fair, hotel and exposition complex). This also generates a national economic impact of more than $250 million.  Fairplex also includes the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel & Conference Center, the Sheraton KOA/RV Park, Barretts Sales and Racing, a defunct 0.625 miles horse racing track, the Millard Sheets Art Center, the Child Development Center at Fairplex, the Fairplex railway exhibit, Barretts Equine Ltd., a thoroughbred horse racing auction facility and the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum.   The grounds, now known as Fairplex (short for L.A. County Fair, Hotel and Exposition Complex), are home to hundreds of other year-round events and activities other than the Fair.

It’s FAIR to say, I’ve been dozens of times. I’ve scouted it a dozen times… Though the Filming Liaison, I have made it a point to go out to attend the fair to get my FAIR share of foods (Like Funnel Cakes and Foot Long Corn Dogs) that are bad for me, stroll through the exhibition halls to find stuff only offered at flea markets, and gaze at all the little critters on display in the barns on site. It’s an all day affair, and dictates a car load of patience and tolerance for the temperature. But it IS the most popular fair in the country.. That’s FAIR  to say…

And I see by the old clock on the wall, and the setting sun, that I am ready to call it a day, and bid thee farewell, and so long. I,…as always,… bid you…

Goodnight Neverland!

There is a place on a hill just above the core of Hollywood that has been the subject of passion, culture, and longing for a place across the ocean. It had to be covered up during world war two, but since, have become a very popular ethnic destination, and for many years has been a home to numerous celebrities and normal folk alike. It shines like a beacon on its hilltop above the Magic Castle, and it goes by the name of YAMASHIRO.

Boasting spectacular city views, stunning architecture and tranquil gardens, Yamashiro has welcomed guests to its magical setting above Hollywood Boulevard for generations. From its origins as a private estate to its modern incarnation as an Asian fusion restaurant and event venue, the fascinating history of Yamashiro is something out of a Hollywood script.

Meaning "Mountain Palace" in Japanese, Yamashiro was originally the vision of Adolph and Eugene Bernheimer, who were described by the National Park Service as "German-born cotton barons and avid Asian Art collectors." After acquiring a dozen acres of Hollywood hilltop property to build their estate and gardens, the Bernheimer brothers hired New York architect Franklin M. Small, with local architect Walter Webber as supervising architect, to design the Main House that would house their collection of Asian art treasures.

Completed in 1914, the mansion was supposedly a replica of a palace located in the mountains of Yamashiro province near Kyoto. In fact, the Main House was a mix of design elements from Japan, China and other Asian cultures.

Yamashiro was accessed by 300 steps that led up the hillside through landscaped Japanese gardens. Inside the 10-room teak and cedar mansion, carved rafters were lacquered in gold and tipped with bronze dragons. The walls were covered with lustrous silks and antique tapestries.

With landscaping that reportedly cost $2 million, terraces were filled with 30,000 varieties of plants and trees, waterfalls, goldfish, and a private zoo of exotic birds and monkeys. Toy-sized bronze houseboats floated along a maze of tiny canals and through a miniature Japanese village.

After Pearl Harbor, anti-Japanese sentiment was rampant in Hollywood and across the country. Yamashiro was rumored to be a signal tower for the Japanese. Much of the landscaping and decorative elements were stripped by vandals.

Yamashiro’s Asian architecture was disguised - carved woods were covered with paint and boards, and the estate became a military boys school. At the end of WWII, the property was converted into 15 apartment units. Over the years, everyone from legendary comedian Richard Pryor to local news anchor Jerry Dunphy lived on the grounds.

In disrepair and unrecognizable from its heyday, the estate was purchased in 1948 by Thomas O. Glover, who wanted to raze the building and develop a hotel and apartments on the seven-acre property. (Glover would later buy the nearby Magic Castle.)

As he prepared for Yamashiro's demolition, Glover discovered ornate woodwork and silk wallpaper hidden beneath layers of paint and plywood. Instead of tearing down the estate, Glover decided to restore the mansion.

Glover opened a cocktail lounge in a back room of the building and charged a $1 membership to the “Hollywood Hill Club.” The resident handyman did double duty as a bartender, serving drinks for 35 cents. The popular bar soon outgrew its space and was expanded into the next room, and the next, until it occupied the entire east side of the building.

According to Yamashiro, Glover’s son, Thomas Y. Glover served hot hors d’oeuvres to bar guests one New Year's Eve, and Yamashiro Restaurant was born. Starting with just four tables in the early 60's, the restaurant expanded into the remaining rooms of the palace.

Over the next five decades, Yamashiro became a popular dining destination and wedding venue that could accommodate hundreds of guests. The Pagoda Bar was added on a terrace above the pool, overlooking the 600-year-old pagoda, with the city skyline as a backdrop.

Built at the time of the original Main House, the Tea House was modeled after an actual Japanese tea house. Vintage photos show that the Tea House was connected to the main building by a switchback walkway, cascades, and waterfalls. In the late 1950s, the Tea House was converted to an apartment and occupied for 20 years by actor Pernell Roberts (Adam Cartwright on Bonanza and the title role on Trapper John, M.D.)

Not long after Roberts moved out of the Tea House, vandals lit fires on the hillside and the Tea House burned down. The foundation and remnants of the water cascades and waterfalls are all that remain.

Originally built to house a collection of monkeys, the namesake Monkey House was built "like a cave," made of chicken wire and plaster on the inside, where the monkeys could sleep. An outdoor area featured small ponds and swings.

In the late 50's, the Monkey House was converted to an apartment and rented to celebrities like Randy Prince, whose father owned much of Hollywood Boulevard. Prince's lavish parties became well-known around Hollywood. Thomas Y. Glover moved into the Monkey House in 1978 and re-built it into a comfortable residence, where he lived until 1993. Since then it's been occupied by several Hollywood celebrities.

In August 2012, the Yamashiro Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places. According to the National Park Service, the Yamashiro Historic District includes "nine contributing buildings, sites, and structures on the estate property.”

Since the 1920s, Yamashiro has starred as “Japan” in numerous film and TV productions, and also appeared in countless commercials and photoshoots. Most recently, Yamashiro is the setting for the final scene of Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals. Director Joshua Logan chose the palace as the officers’ club in his Academy Award-winning 1957 film, Sayonara starring Marlon Brando. Other Yamashiro film appearances include Memoirs of a Geisha, Gone in 60 Seconds, Blind Date, Kentucky Fried Movie, A Thousand Men and a Baby, Playing God, and Teahouse of the August Moon. During the 1950s and '60s, Yamashiro became a familiar sight on TV with appearances on series such as I Spy, Route 66, Perry Mason and My Three Sons.

In March 2016, the property that contains Yamashiro was sold to JE Group, a Beijing-based hotel operator. In July 2016, Yamashiro announced its new operators, BNG Group and Sugar Factory. Yamashiro also welcomed new Executive Chef Christophe Bonnegrace, the former executive chef of Buddha Bar and Little Buddha in Las Vegas. New features like a sushi bar, robata grill, teppanyaki grill and a new lounge are based on the original 1914 plans for the "Mountain Palace" and its surrounding grounds.

And the tea leaves tell me the sun in setting in the smokey sky… the sun is going to bed… and so must I… Time for some dinner… and then to turn in… I bid thee farewell… and… as always..

Goodnight Neverland!

Located on Sunset Blvd, between the former homes of the CBS and NBC Radio Networks, there is a lessor know theater that has quite an eclectic past.  It’s been an old fashioned 30’s nightclub, and showcase review venue, and Theatrical venue and a TV stage/Theater.  

It stands at the corner of Argyle & Sunset and has gone by many names… The Moulin Rouge, The Earl Carrol Nightclub, The Aquarius Theater and past.  It’s been an old fashioned 30’s nightclub, and showcase review venue, and Theatrical venue and a TV stage/Theater.  Nickelodeon on Sunset. It’s also right across Sunset from the Hollywood Palladium.

A historic stage facility located at 6230 Sunset Blvd, In Hollywood. It was built by showman Earl Carroll and designed in the Streamline Moderne style by architect Gordon Kaufman in 1938. The theatre has been known by a number of names since, including Moulin Rouge from 1953 to 1964 and the Aquarius Theater in the 1960s and 1970s. From 1997 to 2017, it was officially known as Nickelodeon on Sunset (or Nick on Sunset), housing the West Coast production of live-action original series produced for the Nickelodeon cable channel.  The Moderne-style interior was lavishly decorated with zeon (a variation of neon) tube lighting and artwork, some of which remains.

As a nightclub the Earl Carroll Theatre opened on December 26, 1938, with a lavish revue, “Broadway to Hollywood”, which featured sixty showgirls ascending 100 treads of stairs to a height of 135 feet. Many Hollywood celebrities were in attendance. It closed and was sold after the namesake was killed in an airplane crash in the early 50’s.

In 1953, Las Vegas showman Frank Sennes reopened the theater as a  Nightclub under the name Moulin Rouge. The popular TV contest show  Queen for a Day was broadcast from the Moulin Rouge during part of the show's 1956–1964 run. In late 1965 it became the Hullabaloo, a minors-welcome Rock’n'Roll club, capitalizing on the popularity of the television variety show Hullabaloo. For several months in 1968 it was the Kaleidoscope and featured many top West Coast rock acts, with an emphasis on local bands such as The Doors.

Later in 1968, the venue was renamed the Aquarius Theater and rededicated as the home of a long-running Los Angeles production of the Broadway musical Hair. It was accordingly redecorated in the psychedelic art style.  Periodic touring shows would pass through here (Like Grease, which I saw in app 1977). And in 1978, a smash hit show at The Mark Taper Forum was set up to continue its sold out run, her at the Aquarius. ZOOT SUIT ran for almost a year, and was wildly popular, especially with the latin crowd, who were not known for attending legitimate theater that often. A breakout star from that show was Edward James Olmos, and the film version was actually shot, theater style, on its stage. I worked on Zoot Suit just before I moved to Redlands for school. I had the wonderful opportunity to explore this storied venue, and to see many of the architectural elements in their prime..

Following that, it had a spotted series of bookings including Chevy Chase’s ill fated talk show, which was cancelled after 5 weeks. Nickelodeon then took over the space for a number of special events and TV specials.

Regretfully, developers have grabbed the property and are building another mixed use venue, in what was the parking lot, and will incorporate the theater into that development.  Much like the NBC Blue & Red Radio Network Complex, The CBS Columbia Square and the ABC Radio Theater (on Vine), they have been lost to the developers wrecking ball, and so will this historic venue….  

MANY people have memories of various productions of all shapes, sizes and genres.  My father took my mom there while they were dating to hear big bands, I saw theatrical shows there, and worked there briefly as well. I even wrote a play called USHERS based on my experiences there on Foot Suit.  

So another one bites the cut, but not after MANY generations can look back on this place and say “I was there when…”

The day is over… And it is time for me to make dinner… but… I shall return soon, with more from this series of essays, and I leave you with my moniker…. So… Goodnight Neverland!

In an AWESOME photo by Carlos Lucero, we see LA's ICONIC City Hall.  

There are dozens of films and TV shows that have used this exterior and interior for filming locations. MANY civic events (both good & bad) have happened here. And in it's council chambers and various hearing rooms and offices.. the business of the city of Los Angeles has taken place. It's hallowed halls are that of legend.

Luckily, the City Council had the wherewithal to NOT tear it downs and to renovate it. (prehistoric infrastructure and bug infestations wreaked the 27 story tower for a long time)

But it is still the thing of dreams. I can recall as a second grader, going down there on a school field trip, and just happened to meet Mayor Sam Yorty, who very conveniently handed out autographed photos for us to take home (and "frame" as we were told to do..).

My dad took my brothers and I down there on a "dads day off' field trip, where we went to the observation deck at the top of the 27 stories. (along with a ride on Angels Flight and a milkshake at The Grand Central Market).

Huell Howser uncovered the "Lindbergh Beacon" which was atop the sprire for years, and urged the city to resurrect this storied light to spin at Christmas time. It now sits as a museum piece at the LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal.

There will always be a special place in my heart for this LA icon. This really wasn't intended to be a "Goodnight Neverland" post... but it's turned out to be... so... for now... I bid you good morrow... and... as always.. Goodnight Neverland!

In Hollywood, only meer feet away from the most famous intersection in Hollywood, there is a Theater that has had numerous names, and been almost chameleon like in its capability to adapt to it’s owners and surroundings… I’ve known this place as THE HOLLYWOOD PALACE, or The Palace, or The Avalon.

The Beatles first West Coast performance in 1964 to ABC’s hit television variety show The Hollywood Palace, the theater at Hollywood & Vine has been a show business epicenter since opening in 1927.

1735 Vine St. opened its doors for the very first time on January 24, 1927, known then as The Hollywood Playhouse. The venue featured traveling shows, bringing in some of the biggest stars from Broadway to perform at the newly-opened theater. After a successful run of shows in the 1920s, the building was renamed to The WPA Federal Theatre and was used for government-sponsored programs throughout the Great Depression. Following this, the building was renamed once again to The El Capitan Theatre in the 1940s and used by CBS to broadcast their network radio shows, as well as hosting a burlesque variety show called Ken Murray’s Blackouts.

In the 1950s, The El Capitan Theatre was converted from a live playhouse into a television studio. Over the course of the decade, the theatre brought icons like Bob Hope, Judy Garland, and Bing Crosby to the stage, as well as playing home to television programs The Colgate Comedy Hour and This Is Your Life. On September 23, 1952, Richard Nixon delivered his famous “Checkers Speech”. The theatre was briefly renamed to The Jerry Lewis Theatre while Jerry hosted his weekly Saturday night television program there.

Proceeding the termination of Jerry Lewis’ weekly program, the historic building at 1735 was renamed once again to The Hollywood Palace. ABC created a new variety show (To rival CBS’ Ed Sullivan Show) at the theatre and featured notable guest hosts like Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland, and Joan Crawford. Many notable musical acts got their start on the show, including The Rolling Stones and The Jackson 5. The show, titled The Hollywood Palace Variety Show, was very successful and ran for 7 years, ending in 1970.

Throughout most of the 1970s, ABC chose to lease the building out to various entities to use as a television studio. In 1978, private business man Dennis Lidtke bought the building from ABC. Lidtke extensively restored the building into a concert venue and nightclub, shortening the name to The Palace. Audience seats were removed from the theatre and balcony seating was made accessible for the five-night-a-week mega dance club featuring the largest light and sound system in Los Angeles.

The Palace continued to gain notoriety throughout the 1970s and 1980s as the hottest nightclub in California, and was considered the West Coast version of the infamous Studio 54 nightclub. While the likes of Prince, Madonna, and the Rolling Stones were often seen celebrating at the club, it also became known as the epicenter of British Invasion, with first time US performances from Eurythmics, Culture Club, The Clash, Duran Duran, Erasure, Fine Young Cannibals, Madness and ABC.

During the 1990s, The Palace continued to be at the forefront of the evolving American rock scene. Notable artists like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Nine Inch Nails, and The Beastie Boys performed at the venue, cementing it as a premier musical destination. During this time, The Palace also began to host a DJ night featuring the legendary Frankie Knuckles and Goldie.

In 2002, after thorough restorations and upgrades of The Palace by its current owner John Lyons, this historic venue was relaunched as AVALON Hollywood and the adjacent Spider Club. With its performance stage intact and buttressed by new sound and light systems, AVALON rapidly became the must attend live entertainment venue in Los Angeles, hosting concerts, performances and events several times a week. AVALON also became a magnet for the burgeoning dance music scene on the West Coast with performances by a who’s who of world renown music icons.

In 2008, BARDOT was launched and instantly became the defacto spot for major artists wanting to play in an intimate room. House favorite Bruno Mars set the tone for the room that still resonates today. The BARDOT Sessions series followed by School Night have featured a plethora of major acts that have regularly delighted unsuspecting fans with their pop-up shows.

2016 saw AVALON undergo a major facelift restoring the venue to its original splendor as well as upgrading to state-of-the-art sound, lighting and visuals.

Today AVALON continues to evolve as the city’s most venerable institution with many memorable moments yet to come. But it has YEARS of Television history as well, that of which… the late night revealers never knew existed when they dance until they drop on the floor of this historic theater art 1735 N. Vine St.

I see by the clock on the wall… it’s time to wrap it up for the day….I bid you farewell for now and say, “before you drift to sleep up your cot.. don’t let it be forgot… that once there was a spot.. for happy ever afterings….”    And so…Goodnight Neverland!

There was a coffee shop chain that people grew to love for their pancakes, as well as a fully inclusive menu that the entire family could enjoy. They had a motif and a style all their own.. regretfully, political correctness, racism, and bigotry forced they chain to slowly die out. It was a family favorite for many… and it went by the name of Sambo’s.

The first Sambo's was opened on June 17, 1957 by Sam Battistone Sr. and Newell Bohnett in Santa Barbara.

Though the name was taken from portions of the names of its founders, the chain soon found itself associated with The Story of Little Black Sambo. Battistone and Bohnett capitalized on this connection by decorating the walls of the restaurants with scenes from the book, including a dark-skinned boy, tigers, and a pale, magical unicycle-riding man called "The Treefriend". By the early 1960s, the illustrations depicted a light-skinned boy wearing a jeweled Indian-style turban with the tigers.

The restaurant soon was expanded to more locations. In late 1963, it had restaurants in 16 cities – in California, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona. By 1969, the company had grown to 98 locations.

In the latter half of the 1970s, pressure began to mount on the chain to change its name, drawing protests and lawsuits in communities that viewed the term Sambo as pejorative towards blacks.

With a wide menu, Sambo’s was able to offer something for almost everyone — dinners of everything from filet mignon to fried chicken, and breakfasts like the Papa Jumbo special (juice, eggs, bacon or sausage, and six pancakes) and a cottage cheese & peach salad.

At its peak in 1979, Sambo’s had an incredible 1,117 restaurants in 47 states.

Just two years later, however, the company declared bankruptcy, and most of the locations were sold or closed. The LAST Sambo’s was located on Cabrillo Blvd. in Santa Barbara. I’ve eaten there a few times. They had all the merchandise available at the cash register too. It was just too politically incorrect for them to operate.

I’ll never forget when my mother insisted we go to Palm Springs for Spring Break (this would be about 1965 or so..). So on the evening of Good Friday, we drove out the Palm Springs getting there way late in the evening. Mom & Dad stopped for a late dinner around midnight… and I vividly recall sitting in the front window, eating pancakes at Sambo’s while thousands of hippie teenagers with the beads and beards, paraded on the sidewalk on the other side of the front window..(WHY were’t these people at home and in bed like I usually was at THAT hour!!??) I’ll always have that memory of Sambo’s.

Follow Yesterday in America for stories and pictures looking back at our nation's history, people, food and lifestyle.

You can get retro Sambo t-shirts and hats at American Retro Apparel: https://americanretroapparel.com/col.../retro-sambos-apparel

Sambo’s was a part of our landscape.. much like Stuckey’s, Waffle House and Cracker Barrel.  It’s was hard to miss them at the highway exits.. and so I sign off today and bid you a fond GOODNIGHT NEVERLAND!

From FB friend Rob  Wlodarski, (who loves the ghost stories of dozens and dozens of places all over America.)

The Hollywood Pantages Theater; it has history, it hs architecture, and the hauntings! Formerly known as RKO Pantages Theatre, the venue is located at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. Designed by famed architect B. Marcus Priteca, it was the last theater built by the vaudeville impresario Alexander Pantages.

The palatial Art Deco theater opened on June 4, 1930, as part of the Pantages Theatre Circuit. The spirited clientele are as old as the building and the Period apparitions, spirited celebrities, former doormen, and individuals who died inside, continue to return to their former seats and dressing rooms, and haunt the hallways and stairways connecting the past to the present. From apparitions and shadowy figures, to disembodied voices and unexplained sounds, this show must go on for the deceased!

The Pantages Theatre Circuit had been built for vaudeville, and the new Hollywood theater programmed first-run movies alternating through the day with vaudeville acts for its first two years. But like other theaters during the Great Depression, it was forced to economize and thereafter operated primarily as a movie theater, though live entertainment was presented occasionally.

Alexander Pantages sold the Hollywood landmark in 1932 to Fox West Coast Theaters. During 1949, Howard Hughes acquired the Hollywood Pantages for his RKO Theatre Circuit, and moved his personal offices to the building's second floor. From 1949 through 1959, the theatre hosted the annual Motion Picture Academy Award ceremonies (the Oscars). The building continued to be a major venue for roadshow movies into the 1970s.

From 1965, it was operated by Pacific Theaters (complete with the sticky floors) until it closed as a movie theater in January 1977, and re-opened the following month with Bubbling Brown Sugar,(Starting Mickey Rooney) the first of the numerous stage productions that have since become its regular fare. Now operated by an arm of the Nederlander Organization, the Hollywood Pantages is one of Los Angeles' leading venues for live theater, where five of the highest-grossing weeks in L.A.'s theatrical history, took place here.

The theater underwent a $10-million restoration and upgrade in 2000, in preparation of Disney’s LION KING to run there. It did so for over a year..

Nowadays, it’s the stop for most national Broadway touring shows.  I’ve seen Lion King, The Producers, Once, The Book of Mormon (and more).

The original plans for the Hollywood Pantages were for a 12-story building: 2 floors dedicated to theater and 10 floors of office space. Completion of the 10 upper floors was halted due to the 1929 stock market crash. During December 2007, plans were revealed to complete the original design and additional stories, but the plans were never carried to fruition. My guess the current financial constraints of that time (bank failures and all..) halted this plans.

The Hollywood Pantages Theatre is also a popular location for the filming of movies, TV shows, and music videos.

I like this theater... I went to see movies there as a kid, and now, it's back to it initial roots.. LIVE theater...  It's nice to resurrect my series... and so without further adieu...  Goodnight Neverland!

In this photo from Mitch Ridder, we see The majestic Queen Mary, in Long Beach.. Just last weekend it reopened after a few years of being closed and falling into disrepair. The City of Long Beach stepped in, and got the ship into shape again,. so they could start welcoming visitors...

My dad was shipped from New York to Southampton in preparation for D-Day (WW2), and had said when seeing the ship after it opened in Long Beach.. that all the staterooms and ballrooms had been stripped down to bare bones and some 25,000 troops were shipped out at a time..and it was quite dangerous because of prowling German U-Boats.

She was decommissioned, and arrived in LA about 1967. My dad told me the captain shut off the propellors 7 miles out, as that was how long it took to slow her down.  They retrofitted the ship at the now long-gone Naval Shipyard in Long Beach (ironically.. next to a ramshackle shed that protected The Spruce Goose). It opened to the public with great fanfare in about 1972.

It has been a hot spot off and on for many years, and right now, they are trying to get it geared up again to be a "Hot spot." Since it has since departed...Carnival Cruises took over the Spruce Goose Dome and created an embarkation facility for their cruise ships.  

There are hundreds of stories about the GHOSTLY nature of the ship, that of which I have personally encountered..(during an overnight shoot with the Spruce Goose next door...in the 1st Class Pool...YIKES- I couldn't leave that place faster..)The  ship does specialty tours to highlight the undead population on board...  

Filming has been popular event on board..Famously for "The Poisideon Adventure," the deck was used in the early parts of the film.  But the drizzlingly Deco Interiors of the Ballrooms have been quite a draw for Hollywood... I've shot there 3 times..

The QM had a sister ship.. The Queen Elizabeth, and it had been berthed permanently in New York Harbor as a floating university, but was destroyed in a fire, and the ship subsequently capsized in port..

The Queen Mary is the pride of Long Beach.. and I wouldn't imagine Shoreline Village without seeing this majestic vessel across the channel there...It's a reminder of an era when Ocean Liners were THE WAY to get across the Atlantic.  And now.. another one of SoCal's MANY tourist offerings...   and so for now.. I bid you... Goodnight Neverland!

Bob's Big Boy was a 10-stool hamburger stand at 900 E Colorado St in Glendale, opened for $350 by 23-year-old former busboy Bob Wian who raised the money by selling his car.

In the early months of 1937, about six months into operation, one of Wian's friends walked into the joint and reportedly asked for a different kind of hamburger, so Wian jokingly just added a second patty with a bun in between, inventing the double-decker burger which, to his surprise, suddenly took off.

According to legend, Wian named the sandwich the Big Boy Burger after six-year-old customer Richard Woodruff who used to come in on his own and stay at the counter eating multiple burgers until his grandmother would come in and drag him out of the place. Woodruff would also become the restaurant's original mascot, after another regular customer, Warner Bros. animation artist Ben Washam, doodled the kid's caricature on a napkin one day while eating lunch. Wian saw it and asked to buy it, but Washam gave it to him for free.

In the 85 years that followed, the company has had its ups and downs, nearly closing completely during the second world war, then building back up and expanding to eight locations and then to thirty, with each location offering in-house comic books about the adventures of the Big Boy character (…it ran for 39 years, printing 466 issues). In the late 1960s, Wian sold the company to Marriott and it quickly expanded to 580 locations, and then later to more than a thousand.

When I was a kid, my family would go to the one in Glendale, near their main office, but these days, I go to the one in Toluca Lake.  Dad always told the story of the triple thick shakes, that would come in a slim silver goblet… and if you tipped that goblet upwards to get clump of ice cream out, it’s likely it would happen in a second, spilling all over your face and shirt.  I’ve always enjoyed waiting for a table and spotting the ones who have gotten their shake in the face.. so to speak… One of the other menu items I liked was the chili spaghetti…

Today, following a bankruptcy and several changes in ownership, the restaurant is down to 69 locations in the US, with four of those in Southern California (Toluca Lake / Burbank, Northridge, Downey, and Norco), as well as 274 in Japan, and 2 in Thailand.

You always knew you were at the real deal, when you saw the 6 foot BOB statue out front, holding up his signature BIG BOY Burger. And that,  Virginia, is the story of Bob’s Big Boy….  And so… Goodnight Neverland!

CBS Television City

Happy Birthday to Television City which turned 70 on Tuesday Nov 15, 2022!

Built in an era when television was mostly produced in converted radio theaters and rundown soundstages, Television City is said to be the first studio facility designed and constructed for the express purpose of producing television. BNC also built an elaborate studio out in Burbank as well.  

It came about because CBS had decided to relocate its entertainment operations to Los Angeles in 1950, but CBS Columbia Square on Sunset (now a condo complex) was already overcrowded and couldn't accommodate the influx.

Looking for a solution, CBS started dreaming up the ideal television production studio equipped with multiple soundstages, broadcast capabilities, state-of-the-art lighting and electrical setups, space for art, camera, and costume departments, with offices, writers rooms, and rehearsal spaces.

As Edward R. Murrow put it in 1953: "an individual could come into the front end of this building with nothing but a pencil and an idea, and when he came out, he would have everything required for a complete television program."

To build the facility, CBS brought in architects Pereira & Luckman and announced in May of 1950 that it would be built at the corner of Beverly & Fairfax, on the site of the Gilmore Stadium football field which was then slated for demolition. The land under Gilmore Field (baseball), next door, would be absorbed by CBS in 1957.

Broadcasting at Television City began on October 3, 1952, as part of a soft transition as the network moved into the facility, and on November 15th, 1952, the City was officially ‘open.’

You KNEW you were at Television City when you drove by. The very distinctive railings, used to wrangle show audiences.. spread all the way out to Beverly Blvd.. and the lines so distinct… The signature black and white color motif adorned the walls

.

SO much television history has been done there.. Carol Burnett shot her show here, Sonny & Cher…The Price is Right has been going strong  there since 1972.. Dancing with the Stars, Bill Maher, and even a CBS Soap Opera or two, have been shot on this lot.. The Late Late Show also called this home of late as well. It’s television living history.. And it may have met it’s day..

It is my understanding that the studio has been sold, and could very well be torn down in favor of retail and residential establishments..Sadly..

Another bites the dust..  and so… Goodnight Neverland!

...and in conclusion today... take a peek at one of the tallest waterfalls in America, at nearly 2500 feet, Yosemite Falls cascades down a solid granite edifice into Yosemite Valley. This is a place one needs to set ones human eyes upon to take in it grander and beauty..(MUCH like The Grand Canyon).  There was a reason that it was the FIRST National Park.. Teddy Roosevelt once visited here, ditched his security detail, and camped out in the nearby Mariposa Grove.  

And THIS time of year is especially spectacular, since a heavy year of snow, and extreme snow melt run off, has made the falls particularly spectacular to see.  One of the GREATEST of the National Park Lodge's is located there.. (It changed names from the original "The Ahwahnee" to some corporate entity name...). This lodge housed The Queen of England when she visited the park in 1983. Dozens of other VIP guests include Presidents and foreign dignitaries as well.

But this park is full of amazing waterfalls, granite faced edifice's and landmarks.  You can stay IN the valley or camp nearby.. It's really quite something..

My brother Paul, who was a professional photographer, made numerous trips here, and our apartment had numerous framed photos he shot there. I felt like an idiot when I was in my 40's when I finally made a road trip up there; I should have done that YEARS before...  

IF you go there.. make sure to do your homework, as the park gets heavy traffic and requires a reservation to drive into the valley at times.. Hotels are booked months in advance.. OH, and there's NO Motel 6 there... Tom Bodett ain't leaving' no light on for ya...  

And SO I sign off for today... and as always... Goodnight Neverland!