Friday at the Formosa

The Formosa Cafe on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles opened in 1939, known as Hollywood’s Golden Year: “The Wizard of Oz,” “Gone with the Wind,” “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” and “Stagecoach.” The celebrities that have frequented this treasured waterhole over the years include Elvis, James Dean, Frank Sinatra, and Humphrey Bogart. Actor Tony Curtis recalled going there frequently while filming “Some Like It Hot” with Marilyn Monroe. From the Formosa website:

On any given day, patrons might have seen Ava Gardner dancing past the old, red leather booths, or John Wayne nursing a late-night scotch (he was caught making scrambled eggs in our kitchen one morning, after reportedly passing out in a booth the night before).

My last few visits had been very sad experiences, as new owners had stripped the interior of its historic and beloved decor. This time though, I am VERY pleased to report that the Cafe has been restored to its former glory.



We just stopped by on a Friday night, with no reservations. Fortunately we were able to score a few stools at the bar.



Enjoying a few drinks with the Shirley gang, SJR and Melissa (aka “The Colonel”):



The historic celebrity photos are back, too; some signed, some unsigned:





Reservations for dinner are available, and I definitely plan to score a booth in the future.



LOVE these light fixtures!!



In a case of shoot now, look later, I haphazardly chose this booth to capture:



Later, I discovered that besides Dick Van Dyke, Phyllis Diller, Milton Berle, and Marjorie Main, none other than Shirley Temple hung on this wall, SANS autograph, though.



I’ll take one of these lamps, please.



To my knowledge, the exterior and the sign are the only parts of the Cafe under any kind of historic landmark protection; the interior is completely vulnerable.



PLEASE stop by the Formosa and support it with your $$; this place is a treasure!

See more Formosa Cafe photos at my main website.

Portland Adventures, Pt. 6: Union Station

When visiting a new city (for me), I love discovering the unique architecture and especially the historic buildings. I literally stumbled upon Portland’s Union Station one night when I was out shooting photos. The structure and its signature Romanesque clock tower opened in 1896. Unfortunately, the neon signs on the tower were not working during my visit.

Overall, I was somewhat unimpressed. Typically, Union Stations have interesting tile, cool light fixtures, and give a sense of the importance of train travel in history. Instead, this place looked like it might have been stripped of most of its interesting character and truly needed a good cleaning. At least there were some vintage signs, both neon and otherwise:







The main lobby area:







Unlike most Union Stations I have visited, I found this one the hardest to find interesting things to shoot. Still, it was good to see that the building was in use and functioning as a train station!

See more Portland, Oregon photos at my main website.

Early Morning on Sunset Pt. 3: Hollywood High

My only previous shots of Hollywood High School were of the Mural that was being painted back in 2002 by Eloy Torrez. Built in 1910, this Art Moderne classic was right on my way home as I was dashing down Sunset with my camera early one morning last month.



Who would ever think that a high school could be a work of art?



The lettering style is a favorite of mine, very much like that used in Burbank at the Disney Studio.



The clouds added to the beauty of this quiet morning.



Oh the beautiful round corners of Art Moderne. If only life were this smooth!



The designs in the concrete blocks are reminiscent of what Frank Lloyd Wright used in many of his buildings.



To think that Judy Garland, Sarah Jessica Parker, Mickey Rooney, Carol Burnett, and Lana Turner actually got their diplomas here!



See more Daveland Hollywood High School photos at my main website.