Part 2:
Tag: Ciro’s
The source of this photo of William Powell and Carole Lombard dancing at Ciro’s says that it was taken in 1940, which would have been seven years after Powell and Lombard divorced and a year or so into her marriage to Clark Gable. She died two years later in a plane crash.
Mutato Muzika at 8760 Sunset Blvd.
I had a lot of fun talking about Sunset Strip history with Tracy Pattin as she was creating a walking tour of famous rock ‘n roll sites on the Strip, past and present, for Visit West Hollywood.
Tracy’s tour is online now. Check it out.
Sweater girl: Lana Turner
In its five decades at the epicenter of the movie industry’s comings and goings on the Sunset Strip, Schwab’s Drug Store was a lot of things — a movie industry meeting place, restaurant, soda fountain, liquor store, tourist attraction and, oh yeah, a pharmacy.
But there was one thing Schwab’s was not. Despite the persistent myth otherwise, it was not where Lana Turner was discovered.
Here’s the myth: In January 1937, 16-year-old Judy Turner ditched high school to grab a Coke at Schwab’s. Mervyn Le Roy, the famous movie director, happened to be seated at the counter that day. He couldn’t help noticing the attractive young lady. Sure, she was wearing a tight sweater but what really got the director’s attention was Judy’s wholesome beauty. The director introduced himself and offered her a screen test. The test was boffo, and the studio offered her a contract on the spot. Judy changed her name to Lana and, after making a movie or two, she was Lana Turner, one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
In August 1945, just weeks before World War II ended, the finest restaurants and nightclubs on the Sunset Strip were indicted by a federal grand jury for violating the meat rationing laws.
Among those questioned by investigators and by the grand jury were representatives of:
- The Players, 8225 Sunset
- St. Donat’s, 8351 Sunset
- The Marquis, 8420 Sunset
- Ciro’s, 8433 Sunset
- Temple of Heaven, 8711 Sunset
- Cafe Gala, 8795 Sunset
- Bubilchki, 8846 Sunset
- The Little Gypsy, 8917 Sunset
- Trocadero, 8610 Sunset
- Restaurant La Rue, 8633 Sunset
- Villa Nova, 9015 Sunset
- Bit of Sweden, 9051 or 9031 Sunset
It is unclear what became of these charges, but it’s likely they were dropped after victory was declared on Sept. 2.
By the time his career ended, Frank Sinatra had become the avatar of 1960s’ “Rat Pack” cool. An American original. An institution.
His career took off in the early years of World War II when his smooth, mournful crooning thrilled socks off of bobby-soxers. But within a very few years, his career suddenly veered into the weeds.
Part of the problem was that smoking and booze had deepened his voice. Once known as “The Voice,” he was derided as “The Gargle.”
It didn’t help that he kept popping up in the headlines, and not in a good way. In 1946, on a visit to Cuba, Sinatra was seen shaking hands with the mobster, Lucky Luciano. In 1947, he briefly left his wife and children, Nancy, age seven, and Frank Jr., age four, for Lana Turner. His former bobby-soxer fans, now entering their twenties, were appalled.
But at Ciro’s on April 9, 1947, Sinatra caused another uproar when he was arrested after taking a swing at columnist Lee Mortimer.
Here’s how the incident was described Modern Television & Radio in December 1948, by Barry Ulanov, editor of Metronome Magazine:
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