The Formosa Cafe is an historic Hollywood hangout that has been around since 1925. In Hollywood, that's the equivalent of 200 years or more on the East Coast. Sinatra, Monroe, Bogie, Gable…they all had a few libations here whenever they were finished filming at the studios. There's a lot of history in this place; or at least there was.
One of my favorite quirky films, "Still Breathing," had a few key scenes shot at the Formosa:
Here's a vintage shot of me hanging at the Formosa.
This place used to be dark. Even the glow of this light didn't brighten the place much. No complaints here; it's called atmosphere.
I LOVED this mural that was in one of the back rooms.
On my most recent trip to Hollywood, I had to stop by.
No longer dark, no longer atmospheric.
With a little snooping around the net, I found out that the place had been gutted. An uproar from the regulars caused the owners to decide to restore it to its former glory. I'd say it still has a long way to go. How do you restore atmosphere?!?
For more Formosa, head on over to my main website.
Sometimes new owners don't understand what they have which is a shame. I've seen it happen over and over again with many long time establishments altered, the soul stripped out of the place and the patina gone forever. That's not something you can replace once it's gone. I love the props and décor of the vintage images here including the one your in. Cool stuff! Thanks, Dave.
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