^^^
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Pal
Moving on down the block... (to be continued)
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After London Fog, to the east we come to 8917 Sunset Blvd.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HossC
The Golden Violin restaurant was at 8917 Sunset Boulevard. From jhgraham.com:
Little Hungary, also known as Little Gypsy, was open here by November 1937, featuring Hungarian food and the music of gypsy violins. 
Though it changed names in 1960, the restaurant retained the same theme as The Golden Violin, owned by Rose Dietch. Dietch went a different direction in 1964, changing the name to The Galaxy, which it remained into 1969. The article has a couple of photos of Little Hungary also known as Little Gypsy but none of the Golden Violin or The Galaxy.
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Starting with the Little Hungary aka Little Gypsy (opened in 1937) photos:
jhgraham
Not long ago, this past June, a man named David Carlson commented on the post and wrote:
This restaurant also featured two grand pianos. I was one of the pianists there in about 1956. My favorite memory is the night Jean Simmons sat at my elbow at the piano bar and requested I play “Don’t Blame Me” which I gladly did.
Now there's this pretty remarkable video on Getty Media Images from the WPA Film Library. It's dated as 1935 and runs 2 mins. and 40 seconds. It's camera footage traveling west on Sunset Blvd., from just before Clark Street until just past Doheny. Camera is to the north side of Sunset. Early on, the camera will pass the Little Hungary/Little Gypsy restaurant.
https://media.gettyimages.com/videos...eo-id114084750
It starts at Hollywood Press print shop at 8859 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood Press Print Shop | passes a barber shop and liquor store | Shell Oil billboard | Shell gas station replete with service attendants in white uniforms (this station is there well into the 1960's)
(camera passes Clark Street)
Bank of America (Whisky-a-Gogo) | Rex Eats (steaks and chili) | an unreadable "Agency" | another storefront |
Little Hungary restaurant (banner on awning says Gypsy Music) [at 0:40] | several places under the banner of Hampton Shops (Antiques \ Gifts) This is where Hamburger Hamlet will be.
(camera pans by Hilldale Ave. -- as it does, there is a lovely looking house behind the Hampton Shops building, with a two color striped umbrella and nice greenery. Those places in back of this strip of buildings look to become parking lots etc. in the years to follow)
[The above portion is of the block of buildings I've been writing about, but the rest of the video is worth looking at.)
[at 1:00] Building (still there) with hard to read lettering. One can make out DARRIN and below left of that words which I first thought said Please Bitch. Heh! Can't really make out the words. | billboard promoting Durling column in the L.A. Examiner | vacant lots | (on a hill) a billboard that says "Merry Christmas food shopping begins at the Farmer's Market W. 3rd & Fairfax/set back from the billboard an unnamed building | another vacant lot | bungalow office [at 1:25] | steak house restaurant (can't read name) | The Westside Market | Mermaid Club (what do you suppose is all that on the left of the building when we pass by?) | unreadable house looking building (name is on the front, one word might be music) a lot of rocks on the property
(camera pans by Wetherly Dr.)
Cafe La Maze | Bellows and Company | Prince Rare Books | Doheny Smoke Shop | Flower Fair | Bit of Sweden restaurant | Nori ? | Karole's Salon of Beauty | KLA Publications
(camera pans by Doheny Drive [at 2:15])
Maxime's | Contempo | Landi-Kennell Corp. | Villa Nova
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In 1960 the Little Hungary/Little Gypsy restaurant kept the same theme, but changed names to The Golden Violin.
This
source says:
In 1960 [the space]
became “The Golden Violin”, later in 1960 officially changing the name to “Paginini’s Golden Violin”. The interior had ivory and gold walls and with the sound of violin music as the diners ate. According to a review of the restaurant in 1960, the ambiance was very tasteful and needed in West Hollywood, but the service wasn't very good. Between 1960-1964, the owner, Rose Deitch, closed the restaurant and reopened it as the Galaxy, dedicated to dancing and live entertainment.
I can't locate anything with the name Paginini's Golden Violin nor where the above found it's source.
There's a small photo that shows the restaurants "golden" sign. Hard to see, but it's near the telephone pole:
It keeps surprising me these clubs were also restaurants.
vvvvvv..........
Here's a November 1964 ad for The Galaxy, the year it opened:
findglocal..........The
Twist and Watusi anyone?
Photos featuring The Galaxy...these are from the London Fog Facebook Page:
This photo is from the back over of Arthur Blessitt's LP: "Soul Session at His Place", released in 1969.
The following photo was taken from the film Mondo Freudo, 1966. Footage from it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EESz...ature=youtu.be
Notice on the right above next door to The Galaxy it says Galaxy Overflow. The London Fog Facebook site administrator asked: "I have been getting questions about the interior, plus how the "overflow" worked. I'm stumped! Anyone?"
One person answered about the interior of the Galaxy, but didn't answer about how the "overflow" worked, so we're still stumped:
"When you entered the Galaxy the stage was on the opposite wall. The bar was on the right and a small dance floor in the middle of the room. On the left wall were booths with a mirrored wall behind them. Believe tables and chairs were also around the dance floor. At the end of the bar there was an opening to a room that had tables and chairs. Rose Deitch sure booked some great acts there. I remember seeing Little Richard and Ike and Tine Turner."
Whether true or not, someone else posited that the "Overflow" might have been used more when the police were cracking down on underage patrons in the clubs and a certain signal of some sort would tell them to get into the Overlflow room. Remember the age back then was 21 to buy alcohol and enter bars.
And there's the London Fog photo on my previous post
HERE that shows a great color view of The Galaxy and the Galaxy Overflow next door.
Is that a Mustang "truck" parked out front behind, I think, the Chevy Impala? Did Mustang make pick-up trucks? At the link, there's also a photo of a Galaxy sidewalk view behind the Opera House awning.
This particular website:
https://www.setlist.fm/venue/galaxy-...-73d39285.html
...has info that says The Galaxy "Later became the Thelma Theater". Open November 12, 1969 - 1970. Also known as The Thelma, Thelma, Thelma Club.
Moving on down the block... (to be continued)