77 Sunset Strip / Hawaiian Eye, etc. (1 Viewer)

[Tom St Jones]

Just an analog guy in a digital world

As Joe Walsh says

 

[Rustifer]

Great commentary on a great episode. If I may respond to some of your observations, I think that a viewer of the episode upon its original airing would have no doubt that John Litel is supposed to be Dwight Eisenhower, who was well-known as an avid golfer. Moreover, the only two other living Presidents at the time, Herbert Hoover and Harry S Truman, were not golfers.

Yes, I've already given some thought to this question. Don't judge me!



I can accommodate you: It's the Sand Canyon Country Club in Santa Clarita.

I KNEW you'd have the answer to the location in question! Just knew it.

 

[criblecoblis]

I KNEW you'd have the answer to the location in question! Just knew it.

Well, you know that I share your fascination with locations. Wifey and I explored Sand Canyon thoroughly several years ago with a thought to buying a place there. We ended up getting a place in Piñon Pines, farther away but much more doable.

 

[Rustifer]

Well, you know that I share your fascination with locations. Wifey and I explored Sand Canyon thoroughly several years ago with a thought to buying a place there.

Once you identified the place, I immediately had to Mapquest it.

Sand Canyon Country Club, Santa Clarita

Hard to tell from this how close the clubhouse resembled to what was in the episode. Most likely would have gone through renovations at some point from 60 years ago. I did not see a mission with a bell tower nearby, however. Either it no longer exists or it was a fabrication in the story.

Randoms*:
When I was first hired at AIG and invited to the Southern California office some 20 years ago, I spent a couple of days at my boss' house in Dana Point--which is nowhere near Santa Clarita, of course. Our office was in Santa Ana, now referred to---for some reason---as South Coast Metro. So my stomping ground was everywhere in between, usually spending an inordinate amount of time at the rustic Hotel Laguna Beach for martinis on the deck overlooking the ocean. For a landlocked Indiana boy, it could get no better than that.
It nearly broke my heart to learn the hotel closed its doors at the end of last year. I liked to imagine that EZ or Roger Smith or Edd Bryrnes might have had a drink there at one time or two.

*This Random has absolutely nothing to do with your post. I just had a sudden need to flash backwards.

 

[MartinP.]

Yes, there's still lots of filming done in Santa Clarita! Although I haven't seen this episode, I was going to guess it might be Lakeside Golf Club, as it is just a stone's throw from Warner Bros. Studios and also is on Toluca Lake.

 

[MartinP.]

Just to show you what I meant by a stone's throw away...the golf course can be seen on the right.
Warner Bros. is on the left.

Very few people have ever seen Toluca Lake, center, because it's borders are all fronted by private homes. Some notables who have lived in
that neighborhood: Bing Crosby, W.C. Fields and Amelia Earhart. Many more.

 

[Dolly8]

You are correct, Dolly, regarding the layout of the parking lot. When I was spending a bunch of time in SoCal in the early 2000's, I would make regular "pilgrimages" to 8524 Sunset Blvd. to visit the exact spot of the former Dino's and "B&S" offices. By then they had become an office building and Tiffany Theater, respectively--but the drive-thru between the two (Kookie's primary valet parking territory) still existed. Many times I skidded down the steep incline to the parking area behind the buildings, which indeed was far bigger than depicted in WB's set replica of the area.

View attachment 54932
What the drive-thru looked like in 2004

Being the wistful fool that I am, I would actually stand in the lot for an hour or more trying to visualize what it must have been like in 1960. Once. a policeman accosted me as a "suspicious" fellow for hanging around for no apparent reason. When I tried to explain to him my nostalgic reasons, he looked at me like I just skated off the third ring of Saturn. As a young cop, he had no idea of the history of the area much less any recognition of the "77 Sunset Strip" TV show.

I have stated a jillion times on this thread how much I wish I had a time machine to return to this spot. Once there, I'm pretty sure I would not elect to come back to 2019.

 

[Dolly8]

You are correct, Dolly, regarding the layout of the parking lot. When I was spending a bunch of time in SoCal in the early 2000's, I would make regular "pilgrimages" to 8524 Sunset Blvd. to visit the exact spot of the former Dino's and "B&S" offices. By then they had become an office building and Tiffany Theater, respectively--but the drive-thru between the two (Kookie's primary valet parking territory) still existed. Many times I skidded down the steep incline to the parking area behind the buildings, which indeed was far bigger than depicted in WB's set replica of the area.

View attachment 54932
What the drive-thru looked like in 2004

Being the wistful fool that I am, I would actually stand in the lot for an hour or more trying to visualize what it must have been like in 1960. Once. a policeman accosted me as a "suspicious" fellow for hanging around for no apparent reason. When I tried to explain to him my nostalgic reasons, he looked at me like I just skated off the third ring of Saturn. As a young cop, he had no idea of the history of the area much less any recognition of the "77 Sunset Strip" TV show.

I have stated a jillion times on this thread how much I wish I had a time machine to return to this spot. Once there, I'm pretty sure I would not elect to come back to 2019.

 

[Rustifer]

Just to show you what I meant by a stone's throw away...the golf course can be seen on the right.
Warner Bros. is on the left.

Very few people have ever seen Toluca Lake, center, because it's borders are all fronted by private homes. Some notables who have lived in
that neighborhood: Bing Crosby, W.C. Fields and Amelia Earhart. Many more.

I'm familiar with the area. There used to be (may still be) a Morton's across the street from Warner Studios where I had many a business dinner. I'll let Rob duke it out with you as to which was the logical setting for "The Disappearance" episode.

 

[Gary16]

Just to show you what I meant by a stone's throw away...the golf course can be seen on the right.
Warner Bros. is on the left.

Very few people have ever seen Toluca Lake, center, because it's borders are all fronted by private homes. Some notables who have lived in
that neighborhood: Bing Crosby, W.C. Fields and Amelia Earhart. Many more.

Bob Hope

 

[Dolly8]

I can't do screen caps. I have yet to figure out how to burn 77 Sunset Strip episode mostly from Daily Motion from the internet to the computer contained HP dvd recorder/player.

I have come upon some proof from 77 Sunset Strip :

Season 1, Episode 28: Violence for your Furs":

1. Season 4, Episode 28, "Violence for you Furs", (This isn't the one that I was thinking of in the dark of Dino's).. Approximately at 5 minutes into episode: Dino's parking lot in the dark, Stu's car is parked at edge of ramp that is behind the building. This back edge of Dino's building is rarely seen. The ramp severely declines to a lower parking lot. this view is rarely seen. In approximately the middle of the picture can be seen what I think are those orange & white road barrels marking the road edge.

2. Vertical line coming down the middle of the picture approximately 60% across screen, I think it is a steeply descending road coming down a mountain. There's a car or two driving down with round shaped headlights.

3..There's also a car valet, in uniform with a cap, running from before the right side of the 77 Sunset Strip awning to the car valet station in front of carport back wall support for the roof..

4. Looks like there may be a garage (or building) down on next level ( same as lower level as Dino's parking lot?) when looking in space between Dino' & left side of 77 Sunset Strip awning.

5. At 7 minutes, I like how Roscoe moves his hat on his head.
6. At 7 minutes, Dino's in the light.
7. At 19 minutes, Dino's in light, Jeff's car parked in back with its back end near road decline. Also, showing sharp decline & lower level parking lot with a parked cars.

8. At 19 minutes, Dino's in the light, Dino's with a space between Dino's carport wall & 77 Sunset Strip awning.

9. At 29 minutes, Dino's in light, car with back end at start of down ramp,& cars parked at lower level.

10. At 29 minutes, Dino's in light,space between Dino's car port wall & 77 Sunset Strip awning showing building on lower parking lot area.


Season 4, Episode 30," The Pet Shop Caper":

1. At 20 minutes, Dino's front door almost starts at the front edge of the carport. I never realized Dino's front door was like that.


Season 4, Episode 30, The Steerer:

1. At 24 minutes, side of 77 Sunset Strip building facing Dino's in the light has the Mary Webb Davis sign on it. Also, I didn't think the 77 Sunset Strip building was that deep.

2. At 46 minutes, Dino's in the dark, Mary Webb Davis sign and car headlights on lower level parking lot.

3. At 56 minutes, Dino's in light, about the same as above.



Season 3, Episode 8, "Double Trouble":

1. At 0 minutes, Dino's lot in the light, best view I have found with little looking of the steep deline to the lower lot and cars parked on lower lot.


Season 4, Episode 31, "Ghost of a Memory":

1. At 43 minutes, Dino's in the light, steep decline down to lower parking lot and car valet by car valet station.
2. At 58 minutes, Dino's in the light, about the same as above.



Season 1, Episode 3, "A Nice Social Evening":

1. At 5 minutes, at approximately, there seems to be road with cars driving down a major hill.
2. At 10 minutes, Dino's in light steep decline to lower lot & some nice street view of Mary Webb Davis Building.
3. At 22 minutes, Jeff seems to have a mustache.

 

[criblecoblis]

I'm familiar with the area. There used to be (may still be) a Morton's across the street from Warner Studios where I had many a business dinner.

The Morton's is still there, as is the Smoke House. As a matter of fact, we were at the Smoke House just last week.

 

[Rustifer]

The Morton's is still there, as is the Smoke House. As a matter of fact, we were at the Smoke House just last week.

Ahhh. Good to know that particular Morton's is still around. Always meant to go to the Smoke House for a chunk of prime rib and garlic bread. Sure wish I had.

 

[Dolly8]

Episode Commentary
"Flight From Escondido" (S4Ep35)

I've always been a sucker for airplane disaster movies--all the Airport series, the High and the Mighty, No Highway in the Sky, The Crowded Sky, et al. They reinforced my fear of flying (which I eventually overcame), plus there's just a fundamental fear of loss of control in a metal tube that soars 30,000 feet above the earth. Still, makes for exciting stories.

So I was ecstatic that 77 SS produced an episode that entirely takes place on a DC-6. Granted, it's Hollywood's version of a plane's interior--aisles the width of most interstate highways, seats the size of barcaloungers, capacity for about 15 people, at least 6 flight attendants per passenger and a cockpit with technology slightly less than that found in an AMC Gremlin.

It's Jeff Spencer's job to escort spoiled jet setter Faith Merrick (Susan Seaforth) from tiny country Escondido back home to rich Daddy in LA. Accompanying them on the plane is a whole host of characters: A washed up actress (Elaine Devry) and her agent, a military general (Joe De Santis), an oil wildcatter, a sick lad and his mother on the way to a needed operation in America, and a bunch of oily-looking thugs. There's also an undercurrent of Cold War Communism intrusion into the American Way Of Life on board.

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Susan Seaforth, Elaine Devry, Phillip Carey, Joe De Santis

The plane is hijacked and the pilot (Philip Carey) is forced to turn towards Commie Country San Cristobal. Jeff attempts a run at the gun wielding hijacker, only to be soundly repulsed. "Next time you try something like that, I weel keel you!" snarls the bad guy. My Lab Retriever could voice a more convincing Spanish inflection. Gunfire ensues, but fortunately the aircraft is seemingly flying only about 17 feet above ground--so no decompression issues from holes being drilled into the fuselage. On a second try, Spencer gets the best of the hijacker and gains control of the ship. Distressingly, the plane is being chased by jet fighters dispatched from San Cristobal. The pilot slyly avoids confrontation by flying directly into a huge storm. I had to snort out loud when he flipped on the plane's windshield wipers. Yeah, that'll help when the wings get ripped off by hurricane force wind. Yet, the plane evades the commie jets and makes it safely to LA. Once again, the United States outwits the Red Peril.

Directed by Scotsman Robert Douglas and written by Paul Savage, this was not exactly a detective story, but still an interesting episode featuring the heroics of Jeff Spencer and some good interplay from guest stars.

Randoms:
Elaine Devry was somewhat lacking in luck when picking husbands. Her first, a high school boyfriend, was convicted of armed robbery and spent time in jail. She then became one in a long line of Mickey Rooney wives--married to him for 6 years which was practically a lifetime in Rooney marriage years.

Joe De Santis (of whom I wrote a Tidbit many pages ago) was born in New York City but interestingly almost never played an American.

Your usual grat & funny review with nice caps!!!!!!

 

[Lutz Koch]

Ahhh. Good to know that particular Morton's is still around. Always meant to go to the Smoke House for a chunk of prime rib and garlic bread. Sure wish I had.

Oh yes, those memories... Driving north on Hollywood Blvd... getting off on Barham Blvd, crossing the L.A. River to W. Olive, and then the Smoke House coming up to the left and WB studios straight ahead. Don't know how many times I took that ride, and each time I thought, "gotta visit that Smoke House some day"... but like Russ, I never got around to it. You get easily distracted in L.A. God, I love that city.

 

[Rustifer]

Your usual grat & funny review with nice caps!!!!!!

Thanks Dolly. Always appreciated

 

[Dolly8]

View attachment 54707 Not sure if this was previously posted.

I always enjoy seeing magazine covers, but the articles are usually missing. There's this website where you can find fan magazine covers for the actors in 77 Sunset Strip or any other actor or actress: www.famousfix.com. Just click on the website and enter what actor you want in its search box.. there are no articles though.

 

[Dolly8]

Fans of the multi talented Joey Heatherton really need to pick up the recently released Mr. Novak season one from Warner Archive...I humbly submit these screen caps for your consideration...yes, that's a young Bonnie Franklin too...
View attachment 54981
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I'm a little bit of a fan, ha, ha...this appearance in Mr. Novak season one's To Break a Camel's Back (Nov. 12, 1963) is among her earliest work in TV available on DVD, along with two appearances on the great Route 66...to bring it back to 77 Sunset Strip and the other Warner Detective shows, off the top of my head, I don't believe she appeared in any of the WB detective shows...but maybe I'm wrong in that?

Fabulous screen ca[s

 

[Dolly8]

Flash Gear,

Fabulous Screen Caps!!!!!

 

[Dolly8]

Yeah, Randall--I remember you or someone mentioning Joey in a Mr. Novak episode in that respective thread. It really makes me nostalgic for that series, but as you know I don't purchase DVD series so if it ain't on TV in a rerun--I'm never going to see it. Dammit.
Ms. Heatherton did NOT appear in any 77 SS or WB detective series from that era--I don't think she was quite afixed in the public eye at that point. Fortunately, we had Sherry Jackson to ogle as more-than-a-fair forerunner of the stunning and pneumatic Joey.

I've said it before and I'll say it again now---your screen caps always just blow me away.

On cable, I was perusing the channels and on one of the channels had Mr, Novack series on. I was looking through REELZ, CW, COZI, ESCAPE, BOUNCE, GRIT, COMET, TVLAND, IONHD,INSP, TNT, ETC. Maybe go to www.TVGUIDE.com and search for Mr, Knovak.