The Luau at 427 North Rodeo, Beverly Hills, opened in 1954 and closed 1978. It started out life as “The Tropics” in 1936 and was one of the earliest of the Pre-Polynesian Pop placed that catered to the motion picture industry. The Tropics was purchased by Steven Crane (an ex of Lana Turner) in 1953, and turned into the Luau. In a Vanity Fair article, Candice Bergin recalled, “The Luau was always where you were getting hit on by producer Sam Spiegel in the women’s room. It was very racy, very thrilling for a 16 year old to be in the Luau.”
The Luau was a happening place.
People went there to have a good time and the Luau delivered.
A great place to meet people in the entertainment industry, but no one talked business.
George Vreeland Hill
An industry place were nobody talked business??? I can’t imagine that!! Thanks for stopping by, George.
My father, John McClure, spent many evenings at The Luau with Igor Stravinsky, after long days of rehearsing and recording, early ’60s. Stravinsky had a regular table. My father said they would drink “sharks”, and I never knew for certain what that meant. Glad to find your image of a Luau drinks menu, which tells me it must have been a “Shark’s Bite”, a dark rum drink.
Wow, Hilary, he spent many evenings at The Luau with Igor Stravinsky??? Lucky him!