I think the repertory company aspect came from the series' origin as a radio show, where having actors share roles was common.

For most of the life of the television phase the show's roots in radio were so strong you could follow the story with just the soundtrack:

"Tuesday, May 13th. It was raining in Los Angeles" [Picture of rain]

"My partner and I were working the day watch out of Bunco" [Picture of Webb and partner in cop shop]

"We received a call from a distraught housewife" [Picture of Webb on phone]

"We proceeded to her residence near downtown" [Picture of Webb and partner in car]

And so on. It was as stylized as Kabuki, and as exciting as a Power Point briefing were the presenter just reads the slides to you. But great radio.

Cheers,

Earl

There aren't enough Original Tommy's around these days. The only one on the Westside closed a few years ago and is now a frikken Starbucks. :hell:

Fortunately, a darn good Tommy's imitator called Big Tomy's (at the corner of Pico & Sawtelle in WLA) recently reopened after being closed several years due to a kitchen fire. :)

Tommy's and the Imitators
 

Here's an excellent article from the L.A. Times about Tommy's and all the wannabes. The interesting thing to me was Tommy's doesn't worry too much about them unless they really get too close to pretending to be the real thing. They see the imitation as flattery. Tom's #5 is mentioned.
In the South Bay, there's Tomboys which serves up a pretty good version of the Tommy's classic burger with chili - no beans, cheese, tomato, mustard, pickle & onions.

https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2...gers-knockoffs

https://i.imgur.com/Df4q3d9.jpg?1
L.A. Times

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a3de9d_o_d.jpg
I took this photo many years ago at Canter's

Canter's Restaurant is the best delicatessen in Los Angeles. Cobb Salad

.
FATBURGER


I've never had a Tom's (or is it Tommy's?) Burger. . . .

but I remember making a pilgrimage to the original Fatburger down on . . tries to find the exact address . .on Western Avenue near Jefferson Boulevard.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/zODhxg.jpg
fatburger 1970s / shutterstock

"Lovie Yancey moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1940s and at the age of thirty-five, she and a friend, Charles Simpson, decided to start a business venture. Yancey and Simpson built a three-stool hamburger stand on Western Avenue, near Jefferson Boulevard in South Central Los Angeles in 1947, using scrap materials. The pair would call the business Mr. Fatburger."

"built in 1947 using scrap materials". . .an interesting little factoid.



Here's a photo of Lovie Yancey and a 'modernized' Fatburger in the 1980s. (I say '80s because this is how I remember the burgerstand looking when I visited)

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/8...924/CYsxvU.jpg
theblackdetour

I wasn't able to find a photograph of the co-founder Charles Simpson.


A bit more fatburger-info:

"The business would become so successful that Yancey and Simpson opened three more locations over the next few years. Then in 1952, they decided to end their partnership, and Simpson and his wife took control of the other Mr. Fatburger locations while Yancey retained ownership of the original business. Yancey would remove the “Mr.” and Fatburger was born. From the start, Yancey was a daily part of the business. Yancey would work sixteen hours a day to make sure the business ran smoothly and the burgers were cooked “just right.”

Then in 1973, Yancey opened a Fatburger on La Cienaga Boulevard in Beverly Hills, which became a popular place for entertainers like comedian Redd Foxx, singer Ray Charles, and many others. In the 1980s Yancey started to grow her business through local franchising and by 1985, the chain had over fifteen franchise sites throughout southern California.

Lovie Yancey passed away at 96 due to pneumonia on January 26, 2008."....the black detour


The Black Detour would be an excellent title for a film noir.





.

Just Found!


Here's a very cool snapshot of Lovie Yancey visiting her burger stand.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/6...922/c9oDhJ.jpg
undated



.

If you can get people to ask the wrong questions, then the answers don't really matter.

--Thomas Pynchon

This is the FATBURGER on La Cienega (left) and San Vicente (right). You can see the spindly looking entrance to Osko's nightclub (333 S. La Cienega) at left center.

While we don't have a Tommy's in Glendale, there are a bunch close by...Burbank, Eagle Rock, and Sunland. I get my fix about every 6 months.

Now if I want a really good burger, Habit Burger, but it's a bit more upscale.

When I was in college, we used to go to the Fatburger in Westwood pretty often. I went to the one here in Glendale a few times before it closed. I'd not had a Fatburger in probably 20 years until last year and I went to the one on Vermont and Hollywood and got a 1 1/2lb Fatburger(the 2lb one seemed over the top).

I vote Canter's for the food and atmosphere. No place better to go when you've got the late-night cravings for a pastrami sandwich or potato pancakes like Mom used to make 'em.

Same church, same pew?
 

(originally posted by the fabulous ethereal_reality):D

Here's a snapshot of a 1963 Corvette Stingray parked across from Tom's No.5 Hamburger Stand, Los Angeles.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/frpbap.jpg
eBay

There's a second snapshot of the '63 Stingray on eBay as well.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/dHOm5w.jpg
eBay

As you can see the background is different.

It appears both pics were taken at the same place, but from slightly different angles, judging by the placement of the concrete parking thingies. Also, the pics look to be from the early '70's, as the car entering from the left of the 2nd pic is a '71-72 Ford Pinto.

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a1/9d/08/a...ccc3c366e8.jpg file personal

One of several proposals for the 1963 Corvette. Clay model.

I believe that I've heard the concrete parking thingies called--appropriately to Noirish LA--"Deadmen."

Looks good, but what is the brown stuff in the 5:00 position? Is that shredded lettuce in the 12:00 position, or cole slaw? Looks a little soggy. I'll stick to a corned beef sandwich on rye with slaw and a pickle and maybe some potato salad. Served with a cold beer of course.

Langer's does give Canter's a run for #1. But dropping in after dark is a little iffy in the Mac Park neighborhood. But it is improving as Korea Town expands east. A Jewish deli in Koreatown. Only in L.A. Waiting for them to serve kim chi on the side. There is a food van in L.A. that serves Korean tacos. When cultures mingle sometimes good things happen. How about a corned beef taco with cole slaw and Russian dressing? Sounds good to me.

That brown stuff looks like bacon, and the 12:00 position is either turkey or chicken.

I enjoy this Cobb Salad:

https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/me.../photo0jpg.jpg

At Bottega Louis, 700 S. Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017.
(And on the verge of one opening in West Hollywood for a year.)

https://thethreetomatoes.com/wp-cont...ie_outside.jpg

I just read online: :cheers:

Bottega Louie’s West Hollywood space is finally open. The company made the announcement via Instagram on Tuesday, November 10. The patisserie and cafe is open for takeout options. For now, the patio that overlooks West Hollywood Park will remain closed as Wehoville reports the restaurant will take a slow approach to launching full service. The 8,900 square foot space has been in some form of development, construction, or delay since 2016. The Downtown location still remains temporarily closed.

Although hearing the news that, in L.A. County at least, the rise in 15-20% of new COVID cases is from attending open restaurants...that seems an unnecessary risk at this point.

,
mystery location.


Unnamed street corner. Downtown los Angeles....1970s amateur slide just listed on eBay



"Orig 1970 Slide STREET SCENE Spider Webb Cafe (and Laundry), Golden Gate Cafe, LOS ANGELES CA"

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/TKoBus.jpg
eBay

Obviously the photographer was in an upper story of a nearby building. Do you think we can figure out what building the photographer was in when he took this pic?







I aim to please. Here's a closer look.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/9gLRbW.jpg
detail



I see a Raul's 'something or other' but I can't figure out the store next door. (the one painted black) It says 'something' Temporary.

I must say. . .I'd love to eat in the Golden Gate Cafe.


.

.

I just found a second slide!


And it appears to have been taken from almost the same vantage point.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/BsRRka.jpg
eBay


but something's odd. . .I can't quite fig . . .Oh my God & Boy Howdy! ....That old hotel building on the left is MISSING in the previous slide!...The slide I just posted.


I would have posted this slide first if I had known. (as a before and after)








A closer look.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/omJRO5.jpg
detail


So what's the name of the soon-to-be torn down hotel? .....Poner?.....Boner?

The sign closer to the ground appears to spell out the word Carnival(?).....Do you suppose the hotel had a bar called the Carnival Room? :shrug:


.

:previous:

We're looking at the 200 block of E 5th Street. The Golden Gate Cafe is at 202 E 5th in the CDs from 1960 to 1987, but the Spider Webb Cafe only appears in the 1973 edition. The Rucker Hardware name seems to go back to around 1920 when it was Entz and Rucker. Over the years it was also known as the New York Hardware Co.

The missing building is the Ponet Hotel at 205 E 5th Street (not to be confused with the Ponet Square Hotel at 1249 S Grand Av which suffered a deadly fire in 1970). Here's the back of it on the left as we look down Los Angeles Street (the recently discussed Los Angeles Mission is on the right).

That means that e_r's photographer was most likely in the King Edward Hotel, although the LA Mission is also possible, especially given the recently posted images from the same source. The Carnival Cafe was at 201 E 5th Street. It only appears in the 1960 and 1961 CDs, but the sign plans below are from 1954.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...080&fit=bounds
Online Building Records