[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

Sunset Plaza was soon occupied by real estate developers, insurance offices, and a gift shop owned by a Romanian art dealer named Michael Tocaxe. Its most famous tenant was the dimly lit Russian Eagle Café, a restaurant and reputed speakeasy at 8648 Sunset owned by General Theodore Lodijensky, a former Russian Imperial Army officer and movie bit player.

Called a “haunt of motion-picture stars” by the Los Angeles Times, the café was frequented by silent stars including Rudolph Valentino, John Barrymore, Alla Nazimova, and Ramon Novarro. According to Sheila Weller, author of Dancing at Ciro’s, it was rumored that opium was smoked in the exclusive back room.

The evening of June 7, 1928 was a typical star-studded night at the Russian Eagle. Boxer Jack Dempsey and his movie-star wife Estelle Taylor had just left. Though reports vary, it seems Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson’s husband Marquis de la Falaise, director Eddie Sutherland, actress Lili Damita, and movie-star Colleen Moore were all still on the premises when tenants noticed oil soaking through the ceiling.

Soon the smell of gas filled the Russian Eagle. A fire broke out. Its county address was this time a nuisance, as it took forever for the fire department to arrive. Chaplin and Sutherland, holding a hose, helped battle the blaze.

Minutes later, with the blaze under control, Lodijensky and fire officials went to the basement to check the gas meter. They were met by a massive explosion that threw them to the ground and destroyed the Russian Eagle.

Gossip about who had started the fire spread swiftly thorough out LA’s café society. Lodijensky’s cousin told the Los Angeles Times he believed “the explosion was the work of rival restaurant owners or members of a liquor ring.”

But it was quickly determined Tocaxe, the Romanian gift shop owner with an imperfect grasp of the English language, was the main culprit. The public was titillated, and the Los Angeles Times reported on the arson trial daily.

When Tocaxe took the stand in his defense, he claimed the fire and subsequent explosion had been heaven sent. “It was an act of God,” he claimed according to the Los Angeles Times. “I frequently burned candles to the Virgin and through this form of worship the hanging on the wall caught fire and started the disaster.”

The jury was out for only 20 minutes before convicting Tocaxe of arson.
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I saw this ad for the place on a website titled: From Captains to Movie General.
The article on the page is written all in Russian. Link HERE.



The Curbed article has the address as 8648 Sunset Blvd. and the ad has it listed at 8428 Sunset Blvd. The 8428 address is across the street from the Ciro's location, the 8648 address is around the Sunset Plaza area.

Martin Turnbull's website indicates that after the fire the place relocated to the Plaza Hotel in Hollywood as The Russian Eagle Cafe and Gardens and closed in 1935. It was followed in that location by the Cinnabar and then Clara Bow's IT Café.

Back in 2015 e_r posted a photo of the Russian Eagle after the fire and explosion:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

"Terrific blast nearly kills scores of screen stars.!" -Hollywood Cal.


eBay

"Charles Chaplin, Colleen Moore and a score of other Hollywood's greatest stars narrowly escaped death when an explosion completely wrecked the American-Russian Eagle Cafe here. Eight persons were injured, two probably fatally. The stars were dining when an incendiary fire was discovered and warnings shouted. Soon after the diners rushed out, the building was completely wrecked by a terrific detonation."
06/21/1928.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/1928-Hollywo...-/271705076419

Here's an article about a later incarnation of the Russian Eagle:



July 5, 1933, Los Angeles Times @ ProQuest via LA Public Library


There are a couple other posts about Lodijensky and the Russian Eagle on NLA page 1458.