Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Temple Tuesday: SF Film Festival, 1966



In January 1966, Shirley began her stint at the San Francisco Film Festival with a smile…and wow, what a hairdo! From the New York Times, 1/20/1966:

Shirley Temple, the former child star, will make one of her infrequent public appearances here tomorrow night. As Mrs. Charles A. Black, a pretty, 37 year-old San Francisco housewife, she will represent the San Francisco International Film Festival at the annual dinner dance of New York’s film importers at the Americana Hotel.

Want to see the certificate? I know you do…



Things took a turn for the worse by the fall of 1966 though when the below photo was wired around the world.



SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 5 — SHE DROPS THE FILM FESTIVAL—Shirley Temple Black,  child star of the 1930s, reads a statement disassociating herself from the San Francisco Film Festival today. She resigned because the selection board has endorsed showing the Mai Zetterling directed “Night Games.” Mrs. Black, a suburban Woodside housewife, says the movie merely utilizes pornography for profit. At left is David Sacks, vice president of the American Broadcasting Company and general manager of the festival.

Sacks looked as if he had been watching too much porn. If you think Shirley was a prude, here’s a snippet of the plot synopsis from Wikipedia:

Jan returns with his fiancée to his childhood home. While there he flashes back to his childhood, twenty years before when he lived an unfettered life watched over by a strange great-aunt and a hedonistic and often neglectful mother and father. In particular he remembers watching his mother give birth to a stillborn child after refusing to go to the hospital in the middle of a party and his sexual obsession with his mother which included being caught by her while he was masturbating while listening to her read a bedtime story.

Ew. You go, Shirley! To get that picture out of your head, here’s another shot of Shirley’s aerodynamic hairdo to end the post:



See more Shirley Temple Black photos at my main website.

Monday, February 17, 2025

Arrivederci, Hob Nob Hill



It was with great sadness that I read on SanDiegoVille that my beloved Hob Nob Hill Restaurant had been bought out and would be closing temporarily until the new owners do whatever they plan to do with this historic San Diego eatery. I had to go one last time under the current regime; naturally, Mar Mar joined me.



The Hob Nob was always on the list for out-of-town friends, and it never disappointed. From 2017:

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A vintage 1975 postcard showing how the restaurant looked at that time:



During the pandemic lockdowns, the restaurant underwent a remodel that added a bar…



a few “Wizard of Oz” murals…







…and a photo of original owner,  Dorothy Hoersch. When the “Oz” murals appeared, I was told by the staff that they thought they were a nod to Dorothy; other sources say it’s a tribute to “Wizard of Oz” author L. Frank Baum who lived in Coronado. The restaurant is located in the Bankers Hill area, so I would tend to go with the Dorothy Hoersch link.



Oftentimes, the lobby area was packed. Patrons knew that the freshly prepared food and service were worth the wait; informed locals (like me and Mar Mar) knew the best times to avoid the crowds. 7am on a Sunday morning was juuuuuuuust right.



I had many a delicious meal and memorable times with friends and family in these booths over the years.



Another Hob Nob trick was that if the lobby was full, you might be able to grab a seat at the counter without any wait.



For my Sunday breakfast, I chose the Belgian waffle stuffed with bacon. It was delicious. I was tempted to buy one of the homemade blueberry pies to take home, but my waist definitely did not need it.



Sadly, I have been told that the entire staff is being laid off and must reapply for their jobs. They have not been told when the restaurant will reopen, but have been instructed to get unemployment in the meantime. Unfortunately for the workforce there (many who have served over 20 years), tips are not covered with unemployment. What a rotten way to begin.

Thanks for the wonderful memories, Hob Nob. I sure hope the new owners follow in the footsteps of their honorable predecessors, but it’s not looking good so far.

See more San Diego Hob Nob Hill restaurant photos at my main website.

Saturday, February 15, 2025

#3 At The Roundhouse



These two images from 1980 show the Fred Gurley locomotive parked at the Disneyland Roundhouse. It has been in service at the park since March 28, 1958 but was built back in 1894. It’s the oldest locomotive in operation at the Park.



In September 2011, I was able to capture the Gurley at the Roundhouse again. By this time, it had been converted to burn biodiesel fuel.



A closer view:



Just for the heck of it, here’s a shot of the Roundhouse from June 1969.



Something appears to be parked in there, but I can’t tell what. On the far left you can see one of the signs from the freeway.



See more Disneyland Railroad Roundhouse photos at my main website.