Back to our stay in Hollywood folks. Enough with me complaining about Bill's shopping. I just have to be more patient.
While we were in Los Angeles, Pat wanted to find the original location of "77 Sunset Strip." Me, not so much but I was up for a walk down Sunset Boulevard right into the center of all the tourist activity of the Walk of Fame. So we set out one night after we had dinner at the El Compadre Restaurant.
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| El Compadre Restaurant 7408 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California |
As the evening grew darker I looked to my left and what did I see? The fabled Hollywood High School! Wow! Could this be THE Hollywood High School? Indeed it was. I stopped to take in the moment and try to imagine Lana Turner attending classes at this very building.
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| Pat taking in the evening in front of the Hollywood High School - how cool is this? |
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| It doesn't take much to impress us folks! I was impressed. |
A few more blocks and lo and behold, there was the fabled "In-n-out Burger." This is where the likes of Cher and other Hollywood swells stop and mingle with the Great Unwashed and buy a hamburger just like us. We had already eaten and Pat's a vegan, so all I could do was take this picture, making a mental not to myself to stop by at a later date to try one of these famous hamburgers. I do like a good charbroiled hamburger.
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| The cars were lined up for the famous In-N-Out Burgers. We're not in McDonald's Land anymore |
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| Pat in his element on Sunset Boulevard |
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| More Sunset Boulevard at night |
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| "Cookie? Lend me hour comb." |
17 comments:
Ron,
Did you ever get your In & Out burger? It is the only fast food burger place I will eat at.
Cindy from Sonoma
Never did Cindy. We just ran out of time. I'll make sure to get one on our next visit.
Ron
Ron - I asked at In & Out if they had a veggie burger. The chap said yes but all they do is take out the meat paddy. Interesting concept. And the address they gave us on some internet source for 77 Sunset Strip seemed to take us everywhere but in the end nowhere that evening. Another day I think eventually we did find the block where the bldg stood - and it was next to Dino's Bar which was a real entity owned by Dean Martin and used often in 77. As you mentioned in an earlier blog posting there was construction in the area at the time of our visit and parts of the sidewalk were inaccessible. I believe a plaque still exists. It would be so cool if someone opened a restaurant called 77 Sunset Strip with artifacts all around. But there is probably so many copyrights etc that couldn't happen. They haven't even been able to rerelease the the original series for streaming or dvds. There would have also been a 77 Sunset Strip movie by now if it weren't for so much red tape I'm pretty sure.
Pat
Ron, you're bringing back so many old memories for me. I certainly remember In-n-Out hamburgers. My parents loved them and used to go there very often. The hamburgers are good - but I never thought they were quite as fatastic and everybody claimed.
As for 77 Sunset Strip - - no such address really exists. It was fictitious. In the TV series, Kookie was supposed to work at Dino's Lodge. Dino's was a real restaurant on Sunset, owned by Dean Martin, and located at 8524 Sunset Strip. I remember it very well from when I was a child. It's no longer in existence, but there is a plaque on the sidewalk at 8524 which commemorates the TV show "77 Sunset Strip"
I hope you and Pat will be able to see it next time you visit Hollywood.
And I sure as heck remember Hollywood High. I went past it hundreds of times (at least). A lot of famous people went to school there.
Pat,
Look at Jon's comment. He confirms what we already figured out that the "location" of 77 Sunset Strip was Dino's Bar and that was where we saw the construction going on. I bet the next time we go to Los Angeles, we'll see the plaque. Yes, it would be cool if someone opened a restaurant named 77 Sunset Strip but I think you're right, there are too many legal obstacles to overcome.
Ron
Jon,
You're right about the location of "77 Sunset Strip." I told Pat it probably wasn't a real building but he asked around and we figured out it wasn't too far past the Veggie Grill at 8000 on Sunset Boulevard where there was a lot of construction going on. The sidewalk was blocked with construction. Whatever is going there will have a spectacular view of downtown Los Angeles though. We'll find out when we return next year in January.
Ron
I'm sorry for the typos in my first paragraph. It should read "I never thought they were quite as fantastic as everybody claimed."
Ron,
Don't know what happened to my earlier post about not playing spoiler until you concluded this series, but Jon kind of did anyway. I had sent you that information back when you first reported on trying to find the location along with a couple pictures of the site then and now.
Lar
Jon is correct. It was Dino's place. You can find pics of it on Google or Bing images. I worked at Hamburger Hamlet a few blocks west of hs place on Sunset in 1974, '75. I served him lunch often at the Hamlet.
Ron, as an 'aside', just to let you know I am still here and reading your blogs - BUT now got computer problems again. My Firefox has disappeared (corrupted files, from what I can make out), 'Chrome' won't open, and so I've got to revert to snail-slow 'Internet Explorer' which takes at least 5 times as long as Mozilla to complete a screen - and since your own blogs tend to be more 'substantial' than most they are taking an eternity to open. Meanwhile can only continue to slog on this way, like wading through treacle, till I can work out how to cure it. How I envy you with your super-douper new hardware!
Anyway, having got that moan off my chest, justifiable as it was, I have read this most interesting post. You, Pat and I remember '77 Sunset Strip' from its first episode - Effrem Zimbalist Jnr and Ed ('Cookie') Byrne - the latter whom we talked aboit recently in the context of dead or not?(?).
From these photos looks like pedestrians are 'personae non grata' and everyone is in their cars. But it looks most attractive.
So if I seem silent for a while, you know the reason. Wish it wasn't so - and can only hope I'll be up and running again before too long, with minimal extra expense - or none at all if I can help it.
It is part of human curiosity to go in search of places that have great meaning in our lives, in the tradition of a pilgrimage. I read a book on pilgrimages a few years ago, I loaned it to a friend and she left it in Toronto. Maybe I should go in search of the book.
Ray,
I am sorry you're having computer problems. I know how frustrating that must be. Believe me, I know. I could ill afford to put out the money I did for my new super duper iMac computer that I'm typing on now but I did and I don't regret it. My computer, like my car (that I can't drive now because of my leg injury) is an integral part of my life now. I hope you can come to a time when you can get an Apple (iMac) computer. Believe me, your computer problems would be over then.
By the way, saw two awful movies last night. "Lovely, Still" with Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn and "Dracula, the Untold Story." God awful, both of them. I need to see a good movie that isn't violent blood and guts. Back to Ray's movie reviews!
Always good to hear from you Ray!
Ron
Mike,
We're coming back next January to Los Angeles. Let's get together! We'll meet at the Griffith Observatory. We didn't spend enough time there.
Ron
Lar,
This time next year I'll have photos of Pat at the 77 Sunset Strip site. He is determined to find it.
Ron
David,
Have you ever been to Toronto? I loved it and I think you would too. A very diverse and cosmopolitan city. Horrific traffic (worse than LA) but a very interesting city. Many great restaurants and other places to go. I am so looking forward to going back this August for my annual pilgrimage.
Ron
No problem Jon, I figured it out. Most of my replies I do on my iPhone now because it is too uncomfortable for me to sit at my desktop computer desk. Typos galore with that little teeny weeny iPhone keyboard. I just let them go.
Ron
Ron, pleased to tell you that now, after two days, and only a couple of hours since writing the above, I've managed to get Firefox back (by searching out the original download file and running it through again). Only hope the 'cure' is permanent but thanks for your concern anyway. When I can, getting a new computer has got to be a top priority, if only to rid me of the headaches.
I haven't seen either of those 'God-awful' films. Maybe it's just as well. I've looked up IMDb and I suppose your second one would be the 2014 film listed as 'Dracula Untold' (with hottie Dominic Cooper?).
I'm not sure if you've seen my responses to your recent comments on my reviews, but if you haven't, next time you see a film you like and have only seen because of what you think I said, do make sure that it was I who recommended it. Your praise in this direction has been rather fulsome of late, for which I'm grateful, but for at least a couple of films you've seen recently of which I've never even heard! Nevertheless, do keep reading!
Now back to reading blogs again - for as long as Firefox will let me.
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