A Classic Los Angeles Life

A CLASSIC LOS ANGELES LIFE

Just to give readers a feel for how cool life can be in Los Angeles, I offer this short write up by a friend of mine who personifies what I like about Los Angeles. The account is of particular note in that it touches on Harry Dine's Men's Clothing Store that was on Hollywood Blvd. in the Golden Era (30's to 60's) as part of the Egyptian Movie Palace Building (on the left side). We'll keep her name anonymous!

Harry Dine once worked as a model. He moved from Dallas to LA to manage Harris &
Frank (same block as Bullock's downtown), and eventually opened his
own store on Hollywood Blvd in the early 1930s. Harry was charming,
beautifully dressed, and very successful. He loved horse racing and
had boxes at three race tracks. He played golf and belonged to
Hillcrest Country Club (being Jewish that's the only one he could
belong to). He and my grandmother had a beautiful house in Los Feliz
(before my time) and a small house in Malibu right on the ocean
(luckily in my time). After they sold their house, they moved to a
lovely garden apartment at Park La Brea. My brother and I had
wonderful times at Park La Brea. In those days, it was safe for
children to be on their own. We had skates you attached to your shoes
and loved roller skating on sidewalks. There weren't sidewalks where
we lived. We roamed over to Farmers Market and the La Brea tar pits.
I especially loved spending the night at the beach house. I thought
having two places to live as my grandparents did was wonderful. The
Farmers Market is still one of my favorite places. Sometimes, I take
my mother and we always get the same thing. We have it figured out.
My son loves going here, too. My husband doesn't get it and he's no
fun to go here with.

I used to love going to the racetrack with Harry and Kay (I called
them by their first names). I used to like to go to Crossroads of the
World with Harry where he got his hair cut. He also had his nails
manicured with clear polish.

Harry loved good food and went to fine restaurants. My grandmother
was an excellent cook, and Harry would often get recipes from
restaurants for things he liked so my grandmother could fix them at
home.

My Dad used to talk about all the wonderful restaurants he went to
with his parents that were gone before my time. I always felt very
gypped even though I got to go to some good places like King's
Tropical Inn, Musso's, Fog Cutter's, Don the Beachcomber's, The
London Grill, Pig 'N Whistle, C.C. Brown's, Diamond Jim's, Tick Tock Tea Room,
(a real favorite of mine), and others.

My mother grew up living in various nice houses in Hancock Park. She
had a privileged childhood, too, since her father was a judge. Both
of my parents went to LA High school and then to USC where they
dropped out to get married. They were only 18 and 20. Then, it was WW
II which my mother says was so much fun. She said wives would travel
around with their husbands, everyone was young, everyone was
friendly. I was born in Yuma on an Indian reservation where my Dad
was stationed at the end of the war.

My parents had an apartment in Hollywood that they sublet during the
war. It was at this apartment that my mother realized they didn't
have a maid. She didn't know how to cook, didn't know what she was
going to do. The first thing she learned to make was fudge. I think
it was the first thing that came in a mix.

My mother was right about not wanting my Dad to go to work for Harry
after the war, but my Dad insisted. I remember when Hollywood was
still wonderful. Little did people know then how Hollywood Blvd
would end up deteriorating. My Dad lost the store around 1960. My Dad died 12 years ago, and Mom still lives in the same house they first moved into - it was going to
be temporary until they could buy something nice.

Harry's wife collected fine French antiques. My Dad always knew fine
food, fine clothes, and fine furniture. My Dad loved finding
treasures and passed this on to me. I'm a collector like my Dad was.
However, I'm on restriction until I start getting rid of things I
really don't want anymore. I don't want more stuff. I've changed.

I was lucky when I started working in the Wilshire area in January
1969 because there were still many wonderful places left. I had lots
of friends at work and went out to lunch every day. Sheraton Town
House, Brown Derby, Bullock's Tea Room, Bull 'n Bush, Ollie Hammonds,
Blum's, Los Feliz Inn (one of my favorites), Little Joe's, Costa
Grill, Taylor's, and many more. We often walked over to the Chit Chat
(on your extinct list) and I didn't much like that place or Al's
coffee shop (think it was called) that was attached to it. I loved
the place next door! It was called the Hi Ho, wonderful food, talk
about a time machine! You stepped down into it like you did at The
Cove. It was in an old apartment building. I've often wondered what
is there now.

Years ago, I was in a bookstore with my husband. I was tired and
wanted to leave but he was taking his time looking. There was a book
about collecting linen postcards by the front door where I was
impatiently waiting. I picked it up thinking it was the dumbest thing
I ever heard of. I was hooked on postcard collecting after only two
minutes. No surprise that the first thing I started collecting was
restaurants I'd been to or heard my father talk about.