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Thanks for your personal observations
MR and
Rustifer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson
Well, I'm likely a bit older than you. I was a huge fan of the show for all your stated reasons not the least of which was Kookie's T bucket (actually Norm Grabowski's car). My friends and I were just coming into our first car owning years and my father operated a grocery store at the corner of Burton Way and Doheny Drive. One of the features of our store was free home delivery and I, of course, grew up in the store and drove (as vacation relief) one of our delivery trucks. I went past Dino's Lodge and the fictional Bailey and Spencer agency often. Not quite daily but several times a week. I always glanced into the driveway hoping to see some filming under way and maybe even a glimpse of the hotrod. In these times we also delivered to the Dean Martin family up on Mountain Drive. My few actual encounters with Mr. Martin were very pleasant, he was a pretty normal guy and seemed to have a nice family. This was in the days of his marriage to Jeannie. Really, really pretty in real life.
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In the late 1980's and early 90's, people would say you could often see Dean Martin at the Hamburger Hamlet at Sunset and Doheny Dr. (You could also see George Stevens' wife.) So I'd always look if I went there, but I never did get to see him.
If you Google "Dean Martin Hamburger Hamlet" you'll find several photos of him at the place. Most won't be the way you remember him, though, so beware.
Also, here's an interesting article about someone who staked (stalked?) him out there more than I did!
Richard Metzger: The Time I Met Dean Martin
http://dangerousminds.net/richard_metzger.html
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rustifer
Wow! I'm envious that you grew up in the neighborhood and had a chance to see the exact setup during that period. I, too, would have haunted the location in hopes of a glimpse of the T-bucket, Kookie, Efrem or Roger. Or even Roscoe! Seeing Suzanne (Jacqueline Beer) would have dropped me into a dead faint. Do you know she married Thor Hyerdahl of Kon-Tiki fame? She, Roger Smith and Edd Byrnes are the only ones still alive from the show. Roger, of course, is living his magical life married to Ann-Margret. There were a few episodes featuring Roger playing the guitar, which he would do in a unique manner of strumming and using it as a percussive instrument. Always with a cigarette stuck on the end between the tuning knobs.
My favorite episode was the "Silent Caper", written by Roger Smith where not a word was spoken during the entire show. Very cleverly done.
I suddenly have a hankering to fire up some reruns, mix a pitcher of martinis and light up an Old Gold and sit back and relive the good ol' days....
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I'd always heard about 77 Sunset Strip, and those other Warner shows that plugged into the formula...Hawaiian Eye, Bourbon Street Beat and Surfside-6...but until the last couple years, they weren't accessible. Now, you can see 77 Sunset Strip occasionally on Me-TV and Decades and Warner Archive used to have many episodes of it on their streaming service, as well as Hawaiian Eye. So I got to see a couple dozen episodes, but NOT the "Silent Caper" episode that you mentioned and that I'd heard about. (I missed Surfside-6 when it was on there.)
In the film Trumbo, his daughter is watching 77 Sunset Strip on TV when something happens.
The area where Dino's was and the 77 Sunset Strip office was located was still recognizable to an extent up until recently when everything was leveled for the massive Millennium project buldings, including the Petersen Bldg. across La Cienega. The sidewalk had a plaque embedded in it touting the location of the 77 Sunset Strip TV series. The sidewalk was still blocked off last time I went by there and I'm wondering if the plaque will remain there or if it was removed or even destroyed. (You never know.)
Every time I'd walk by and step on this I'd snap my fingers twice.
(In case you can't make it out, the plaque reads:
The Warner Brother's Television Series
"77 SUNSET STRIP"
Filmed On This Site
From October 19, 1958 To February 7, 1964.
I found this online, someone contacted the Mayor of West Hollywood a few months ago:
We were just contacted by The Honorable Lindsey Horvath, Mayor of the City of West Hollywood. She informed us that the contractor carefully removed the "77 Sunset Strip" plaque from the sidewalk in front of the new construction going on at Dino's old location, and they have it in storage. The plaque is to be re-installed as part of the new sidewalk that will be constructed for the middle parcel. The specific location of the plaque is called out on the construction drawings, and the location was reviewed by City Planning. To date, the development project is not far enough along to commence the sidewalk construction. Perhaps within the next six months they will be moving to that construction phase. We tell you all this as their is understandably a lot of concern about the historic plaque due to the current construction of the large new office buildings on the block. The plaque is an important part of TV history! Much thanks to the Mayor for her quick response.
Speaking of Surfside-6, LOL!
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