[QUOTE=GaylordWilshire;6645431]The first post on the Brown Derby was back in 2009, and there have been dozens since. The gist of it is, the BD in your shot opened, facing due south at 3427 Wilshire between Mariposa & Alexandria, in 1926; in 1931 a branch opened at 3927, as seen in your second shot, in the 1930 Bilicke Building (on the site of the Harrington house at
646 S. Gramercy). This BD replaced the short-lived Hi-Hat (apparently also owned by Herbert Somborn, aka Mr. Gloria Swanson) and only lasted a year or so itself. The 3927 branch may not have lasted long, but was too early to have been any kind of "temporary" location during the move of the BD hat. Enlarged into the bookstore space to the west, 3927 became the first Perino's in 1934. The hat-shaped Derby moved half a block east to 3377, oriented to the northeast corner of Alexandria, in 1937.
Thanks so much for firming up that timeline for me (and before you even had your coffee!). And on the subject of Brown Derbys, someone sent me this photo of a (rather half-hearted attempt at a) Brown Derby on the NE corner of Hollywood and Vine. Apparently, it's from the 1980s which puts it outside my area of research, but I'm still surprised I'd not come across it before.
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