Sunday, January 18, 2015

Evolution on Sunset



The Chateau Marmont at 8221 Sunset Boulevard is a true rarity in Hollywood. Other than its initially brief period as an apartment building before the Great Depression forced it to become a hotel, this landmark has kept the same name and function since 1929. Just down the street at 8225, the same cannot be said for the Chateau's neighbor, which was a private residence, then a restaurant and club in the 1940s called The Players:



which was followed by The Imperial Gardens in 1953 and then the notorious Roxbury in 1989. After the Roxbury faded away in 1997, Miyagi's Club/Restaurant took over. I managed to photograph it myself in 2011 before it was changed into...



The Pink Taco!



Speaking of change, note that since the previous May 2014 photo a gigantic guitar has been added to the exterior decor:



This particular one in a series of Sunset Boulevard guitars celebrates the Viper Room. Why it is in front of the Pink Taco and not the Viper Room itself is a mystery to me.



Whatever the reason, it doesn't interfere from the visual splendor of the kitsch that one's eyes can enjoy inside:



The same cannot be said for my stomach which is still churning from my recent lunch there.

See more Daveland Pink Taco photos at my main website.

3 comments:

  1. Nice stuff, Dave.

    Preston Sturges! I just bopped off and read about the club on Wikipedia. The article says he had a theater built at the club. Do you suppose its name was "The Playroom"?, like the lettering on the left-hand side of the facade reads?

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  2. That would make sense, but that would just be a guess on my part. Not a whole lot of info out there (or photos) for The Players.

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  3. I'm late to come across this but love the first color photo. The Playroom was added in 1942. The theater with revolving stage in April 1951.

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