Little Miss Sunshine in CA, Pt. 1

It was a case of perfect timing - just when I needed my bestie of 30+ years most, Christy (aka Little Miss Sunshine) came to visit me in California. It had been seven years since we’d last hung out in person, but it was as if no time had passed at all. Some say she’s the Grace to my Will, but since I never really cared for the Grace Adler character (self-centered, whiny, and obnoxious), I will skip that comparison and just say I am grateful to still have her in my life! Faithful readers of my blog will not be surprised to find out that the first stop for us when she arrived was Station Tavern for a “light snack” of their legendary tater tots. For Christy, it was love at first bite. 



And because it’s all about the food, our next event was dinner at Sonny’s in University Heights, one of my new faves.



This is the go-to place when my friend Kevin and I grab dinner, so he tagged along for the ride and got to meet Christy. With Kevin, it’s typically a text at 6pm-ish: “Sonny's?” Nothing else needs to be said other than “yes” or “no.” Back to Sunshine…of course she enjoyed the Pepp Rolls.



I really love the vibe of this place, and so do Kevin & Christy!



The dessert options at Sonny’s are meh, so we headed over to Jeni’s afterwards.





The next morning, Christy had her first addictive taste of the vanilla bean lattés at Communal Coffee in South Park:



Making ourselves more presentable, we drove over the bridge to Coronado Island into Nirvana, aka Little Frenchie’s:



In the early years of our friendship, this is what we did:



Now we sample French pastries. A much better choice!



We kind of walked off the calories with a stroll along the beach in front of the Hotel del Coronado:



…just like Marilyn Monroe did in 1959 for “Some Like it Hot.”



A cute tiki sand sculpture:



Inside the Hotel del was this display with pieces related to Frank Baum and his Oz books:



Christy had never seen the Crown Room before. That wooden ceiling is GOR-GEOUS!



The prices of gas in Indiana looked much better after Christy saw what they were in San Diego!



We attempted to catch a movie at Coronado’s Village Theatre, but unbeknownst to me it had shut down and was undergoing a change in ownership. Nothing like a dinner at San Diego’s best Italian restaurant, Il Posto, to make things better!







Until the next meal…this concludes Pt. 1 of Little Miss Sunshine’s California visit!
 
See more of my photos at my main website.

The Hotel del Coronado: Reality vs. Set

The Hotel del Coronado in San Diego has proudly heralded its association with the 1959 Marilyn Monroe movie, “Some Like it Hot.” Many scenes were actually filmed at the hotel and the nearby beach. When Sweet Sue’s band arrives in Florida, the bus is actually dropping them off at the Hotel del. Above Marilyn is on the porch with Tony Curtis (in drag) and below, Jack Lemmon (also in drag) gets assistance from an older wealthy millionaire (Joe E. Brown):



The shot below is also from the entrance area to the del, circa 1959, with Tony & Marilyn.



You can try to match up the shots at the hotel today but it would be difficult as the building has gone under many renovations since the 1959 movie. This was how it looked under construction during its most recent remodel in 2021:



How the hotel looked in 1950, pre-Marilyn:



Compared to this 2021 remodel shot:



One brilliant comic bit between Lemmon, Curtis (doing his best Cary Grant imitation), and Marilyn was shot on the beach behind the hotel:



This trio of July 1962 gals were on the very same beach. Wonder if they realized they were standing exactly where Lemmon, Curtis, and Monroe had been?



Tony and Marilyn share a kiss on the steps of the hotel when he drops her off after their first date. In real like, Tony’s infamous quote about kissing Marilyn when asked how it was replied, “It’s like kissing Hitler.” Years later, he attempted to say he had no malice towards Marilyn, but was making a joke. Whether that was true or not, his remark fell flat.



Towards the end of the movie, Curtis and Lemmon attempt to escape the mob by running through the Hotel’s lobby, which was shot on a soundstage:



How the lobby looked in March 2008:



…and August 2012:



…and this year:



Have you been to the del?

See more “Some Like it Hot” photos at my main website.

Little Frenchie Bistro

Little Frenchie Bistro on Coronado Island had been on my bucket list for at least a year. Finally, I gave it a try…and have been back three additional times!



Located on Orange Avenue, the main drag of Coronado Island, it is an adorable bistro that is about as close to a Parisian café that you will find in San Diego. Good food, service, and atmosphere. A triple threat.



Warning: while you may want to try everything on the menu, you should pace yourself. I over-indulged on my first visit, which taught me to taper my choices upon my return. The Parisian Hot Chocolate with Valrhona chocolate is rich beyond compare. The swirled concoction on the left is not soft-serve ice cream for breakfast; it was freshly whipped chantilly cream to go along with the beverage. There are no words.



The pastry basket is the perfect starter for any meal. Fresh-baked cheese danish, butter croissant, and chocolate croissant. Advice: split each one!



If you like sweet, the Nutella Crepe is an excellent choice, with strawberry, banana, toasted almonds, and powdered sugar.



If it’s savory you crave, I recommend the Croque Monsieur (not pictured) paired with the Jardin Salad (below):



The Bruléed French Toast is out of this world, too. Not as heavy as you might think, it was delicious!



I would definitely recommend a reservation; this place fills up fast, even with the outdoor seating!

See more Coronado Island photos at my main website.

Paramount on Location, Pt. 2

In 1935, the Paramount film “Coronado” was filmed on Coronado Island in San Diego, using the famous Hotel del Coronado for many of the exterior locations, including the opening titles. The film starred Johnny Downs, Betty Burgess, Jack Haley, Andy Devine, Leon Errol, and Alice White.



Above is a production still that used the hotel’s pool. The detail image shows Betty Burgess with either a blurred Johnny Downs or his stand-in. In the finished film, his hair is more tousled.



A synopsis of the film edited from the Turner Classic Movies site:

Wealthy Walter and Gloria Marvin (Berton Churchill and Nella Walker) and their troublesome son Johnny (Johnny Downs) come to stay at the Hotel Coronado in southern California. To keep Johnny out of mischief, the manager asks house bandleader Eddie (Eddy Duchin) to give Johnny a part in the band, and asks singer June Wray (Betty Burgess) to perform a song that Johnny wrote. June lives with her poor father Otto (Leon Errol), who intensely dislikes her sister Violet's (Alice White) new sailor husband, Chuck Hornbostel (Jack Haley), because he was too poor to buy her a ring. Believing Johnny to be poor and starving, June befriends him, buys him a meal, and takes him dancing with Chuck and Vi. Johnny inadvertently wins a talent contest but uses the prize to buy a bracelet for Vi in Chuck's name. After June pleads with the manager Carlton to give Johnny a job in the band, she discovers he is actually from a wealthy family and thinks she has been deceived. Walter visits with Otto and they agree to try to keep their unsuitably paired children apart by exaggerating their differences.

You’ll have to watch the film to see how it ends. Another production still showing the hotel’s pool:





The vintage postcard image below shows the location of the pool in proximity to the hotel:



Another vintage postcard image showing the pool:



How the pool looked in July 1962:



…in March 2008:



…and December 2012:



A few more production shots from the movie, taken on Coronado Island:



This detailed view shows Johnny Downs on the right:



…and Betty Burgess on the right:



One last production shot of the Island:



Tent City? That’s right!



From 1900 until 1938, the Hotel del Coronado’s Tent City was a popular camp-style destination for travelers who couldn’t afford to stay in the hotel. Designed like a small city, its grid of dirt streets eventually became well-worn thoroughfares, lined with mature trees. An early getaway brochure described the accommodations: “A furnished tent comprises electric lights, matting on boarded floor, comfortable beds and cots, bedding, wash-stand, mirror, tables, chairs, rockers, camp-chairs and stools, necessary cooking utensils, clean linen, daily care of tent, and laundry service of tent linen.” Tent City also featured restaurants, a soda fountain, library, grocery store, shops, a small hotel (the Arcade), theatre, bandstand, dance pavilion, merry-go-round, shooting gallery, swimming floats (one with a high-diving board), its own police department, and daily newspaper.



See…I couldn’t make this stuff up. TENT CITY!

Want to see the whole flick? It’s embedded below, courtesy of archive.org:



See more Classic Movie & TV photos at my main website.