Philip Mershon's Felix In Hollywood: 1970s

Showing posts with label 1970s. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

I Will Gladly Pay You Tuesday For A Hamburger Today......

Why, you may ask, am I quoting the great J. Wellington Wimpy? Well kiddies, it's because I'm hear to talk about hamburgers.....sort of.

But first, a confession. It is possible to live in a land like Hollywood and, even though a fiend for the history of the place, let certain historical landmarks slip through the fingers. So my confession: I've never been to the legendary Barney's Beanery.....until yesterday.

Early 70s looking much the same as today.

What a fool I've been and why, oh why, have I waited so long! Maybe it was a hangover of feelings regarding 'the infamous sign' (though that was taken down before I even moved to town), but I'd like to think I'm not that shallow.

"Barney", 1964.

And besides, the story goes, Barney put up the sign in the late 40s to appease the LA Sheriff's Dept. and the Alcohol Beverage Control Board who where cracking down on certain 'behaviors' that were happening in certain restrooms of certain establishments all around town. As there was a gay clientele that frequented the place between then and the mid 80s when the sign was removed, it's clear that nobody paid much attention to the thing.

What folks did pay attention to was great comfort food and drinks served up in an atmosphere of democracy that allowed no more special treatment to Lana Turner than was given to a local milk man. Here (now as then) all customers are customers; and customers are king.

Okay, now that we've gotten the stupid sign thing out of the way, let's get into the wonders of this burger stand/road house/gin joint/billiard parlor/rock and roll paradise. This calamitous cacophony of color!

Courtesy of Barney's website.

I was invited over by Barney's very own Historian (and part owner), Sheri Hellard. Sheri and longtime server Dominique Kadison were my guides through this magical history tour.

Dominique and Sheri.

The first thing I was shown was the endless collection of license plates over the bar.

Back when this place opened in 1927, it was on the last leg of Route 66 and folks who were seeking a new and better life in the golden west began to rip the plate off their flivver and give 'em to Barney, symbolically claiming their arrival. The gesture has continued over the years.

Along about this point of my visit, lunch was ordered. Here's a little tip: arrive hungry. There are over 1000 items on the menu and you anti-gluten and anti-meat types will be just as satisfyingly stuffed as the rest of us.

For me, double cheeseburger with fries and a small side of chili please.

In this world of 're-imagined classics' it's really nice to scarf a plate of chow that tastes the same as it would have when it was made in the 30s!

I'm not going to go into a long accounting of the history of Barney's because I couldn't write anything better than Domenic Priore. His article is on Barney's own website here, but I will share a couple of my favorite things from the place. And I will also tell you that I'll be going back because, even though I was there for 90 minutes, I think I saw about 6% of what there is to see.

Favorite thing No. 1: Morrison Plaque

The 'here sat Morrison' plaque on the bar tells only half of the story. Jim left more DNA than just sweaty palm prints. One night, in what I'm sure was performance art, Morrison relieved himself of the last half-dozen drinks on this spot. Yes, The Lizard King peed on the top of the bar.

Favorite thing No. 2: The not-quite-all-seeing-eye

Yup, it's an eyeball. And, yes, it's nailed to the ceiling over one of the pool tables where, as legend has it, it was surrendered to the victor of a pool game when it was discovered that the One-Eyed Jack, didn't have enough jack to payoff the bet he'd just lost.

Favorite thing No. 3: Table top Goddess

Once again, direct your eyes to the heavens. Nailed to the ceiling to protect it from any further molestation is a former tabletop where is carved, "Janis Lyn 70"! Anyone who knows me knows that Joplin has always been my forever number one. And on the evening of Oct 3rd, 1970, Barney's was her last stop before boarding the train bound to Fabulon at the Landmark Hotel.

One last thing. All things being in cosmic synchronicity in a place like Hollywood, at the same moment I was snapping the above picture, Janis Lyn Joplin was posthumously receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Barney's rules.....peace out.

1949

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Feliz Navi.......Nada!

In 1928, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce came up with a brilliant idea to drive up shopping traffic along their big commercial corridor of Hollywood Blvd. A Christmas Parade!!!

So they got America's Sweetheart to do a little advance press and Viola! Hollywood Blvd. magically became Santa Claus Lane.

Decorations festooned the corridor and crowds gathered for what, as it turned out, wasn't much of a parade.

That first year, aside from the lovely decorations, the 'parade' consisted of what you see above, one sleigh pulled by a couple of union reindeers from the Screen Reindeers Guild and the loot in the sleigh was a little known starlet named Jeanette Loff and.......Santa Claus.

Well Santa Claus was the star of this show, and he delivered the shoppers, and so the Santa Claus Lane Parade became an annual tradition. Santa's appearance was always the climax of the parade that sent the crowds into paroxysms of glee. It grew every year until it included big-named stars by the score. And there is the famous story of Cowboy Star Gene Autry riding in the parade just in front of Santa in 1946. After a couple of blocks of hearing children shrieking "Here Comes Santa Claus! Here Comes Santa Claus", Autry gets a notion and, a new Holiday Carol is born.

So the parade is only one night but for almost a month each year, Hollywood residents and visitors alike have been treated to a sweet and magical "Santa Claus Lane"

Just Look!:

No matter how seedy and downtrodden Hollywood ultimately became, the old girl still got tarted up and stirred a little sparkle. By the mid 1980s, when Hollywood and the Boulevard were little more than an open air drug bazaar, and looked like Beirut on a rough day, from Thanksgiving on at least, there was still a little shiny-shiny going on:

At the beginning of the new century, the word was: Hollywood is experiencing a rebirth! And Santa Claus Lane jumped on board tying together Holidays and the Cinema!:

So by 2012, you must be thinking, it's got to be STUPENDOUS! Well, brother, would you ever be wrong. I took this picture today from the northeast corner of Hollywood and Cahuenga looking west and, as you can see, zilch!

It could be any ol' day of the year, but certainly not smack in the middle of the Holiday Shopping Season! Why even the sky looks like it's going to cry.

So Hollywood Chamber Of Commerce, what are you doing with aaaaallll that money you charge folks to be members, that you can't string up a few damn lights and a strand or two of tinsel? Huh?

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Thish Isz Schpectacular!

I think.

Judy and Liza at the London Palladium? Not so fast buster:

L.A. Daily News - 1973

Los Angeles - A most memorable and fascinating bit of show business took place late last week at the Las Vegas Flamingo Hotel when Liza Minnelli did a complete show with impressionist Jim Bailey, with the latter as Liza’s late, great momma, Judy Garland. Liza and Jim conducted secret rehearsals all day Saturday, but somehow the word leaked out about the performance and a turnaway crowd showed up that night.

     Jim as Judy (complete with wardrobe, makeup, wigs, etc.) introduced the Riviera Hotel star with a few lines from the song “Lisa.” She joined Jim on stage for a rousing medley of oldies that included “Hooray For Love,” “After You’ve Gone,” “By Myself Alone,” “S’Wonderful” and bowing with a rip-roaring version of “Swanee.” Jim and Liza bowed with “San Francisco.”
As Jim shed the Garland costume backstage, Liza wowed the audience with a selection of tunes. “If you believe in angels,” she said while reintroducing Jim, This time as himself, “you realize that angels gave this man a wonderful talent, which he uses very tastefully.” The real Jim Bailey and Liza then proceeded to wrap up an already captivated audience by dueting on “The More I See You” and “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.”

     It was a night to remember for Judy Garland fans, and there are many of them among the Las Vegas Showfollk. At one point, Liza referred to Jim as “Mom,” and the audience accepted it without a snicker or a gasp.

     Jim will bring his highly polished Judy Garland act to the Academy Theatre in North Hollywood for an encore performance on February 19th at 5 and 8 p.m.