File this one under the heading of “Coulda Been Shoulda Been.” This is an artist rendering of a proposed location of a Brown Derby restaurant at the northwest corner of Hollywood and Vine. Over the years, that corner has seen a succession of eateries: from 1932 to 1940, it had been the CoCo Tree Café, then a Melody Lane from 1940 to 1955, when it became a Hody’s restaurant. Around 1970 it became a Howard Johnson’s until 1986. Now it’s . . . a parking lot. How great would it have been if this recreation of the original Brown Derby could have filled this space? It would be a perfect place for all of us golden Hollywood fans who missed it the first time around.
**UPDATE** – it looks like a (rather pathetic) version did make it to that location in the 1980s.
here’s a photo of the brown derby in the mid 1980’s at the NW corner of Hollywood and Vine. It only lasted a very short time at this location after the vine street location closed in 1980. I remember it at this location in 1985.
Wow! So they put in a Brown Derby into that location after all…well, sort of, I guess. Looks like it was just a cafe with a painting of a brown derby nailed on the front! Thanks for sharing this one – I’ve never seen (or heard) of that before!
wow, nor have I heard of this Brown Derby attempt!!
Got to see if I can find more photos of that era?
Glad I am not the only Hollywood Historian who have missed this , Martin:))
Still looking forward to chat over coffee!!
After the original vine one lost its lease, the restaurant relocated to that site. They were going to build the grand rendering building, but it turned out very cost prohibitive, considering the business was beginning to suffer at their original location. They relocated the furniture and caricatures from the original location, and painted a derby on the front. They had caricaturist Douglas Bunn continue drawing caricatures of their current celeb patrons. I have one of them from 1987. The restaurant closed in 1989. The Brown Derby company still exists licensing the restaurants. Walt Disney World has an exact recreation of the Vine Street location, with the caricatures, same tasting recipes etc , and MGM Detroit used to have one as well as a restaurant in Albany NY that is now closed. My dream is to buy the parking lot and rebuild a Brown Derby in that location, either in the architecture of the rendering or Wilshire location architecture, with the signature hat entrance relocated from the hideous mall and reused and restored.
Thanks for all that, Taylor. I didn’t know the Brown Derby company still exists. When I ate at the one in Florida, it never occurred to me they’d need to license it! I DO hope you’re able to see your dream come true. If you rebuilt the original Brown Derby, I certainly eat there – and on a regular basis too. And I bet a good percentage of the 4000 people who follow me on Facebook would too!
What and where was the Brown Derby where the movie stars would go to? I know there was one on Wilshire near the Ambassador, but it seems like there was more than one in the 30’s.
I thought so Martin, Thanks so much. Wanted to know if you have any [ictures of Auto Dealers other than the one for Auburn on Wilshire? I would love to see some from the late 20s or early 30s. I know that Jean Harlow bought her 32 Packard somewhere near where Century City is today. Any ideas?
I believe many of the car dealers were on Wilshire and downtown LA.
Thanks, John
Another reason the proposal at Hollywood and Vine didn’t go through was because the Hollywood Architectural committee turned it down saying that they “didn’t want Hollywood to become like Las Vegas”. Walter Scharfe stomped out of the meeting. I think they made a big mistake.
Thanks for that info, Gary. I wasn’t aware of the reasons why that project never went ahead. It seems like the perfect place to have a Brown Derby, and a darned sight better than the parking lot that’s there now.
File this one under the heading of “Coulda Been Shoulda Been.” This is an artist rendering of a proposed location of a Brown Derby restaurant at the northwest corner of Hollywood and Vine. Over the years, that corner has seen a succession of eateries: from 1932 to 1940, it had been the CoCo Tree Café, then a Melody Lane from 1940 to 1955, when it became a Hody’s restaurant. Around 1970 it became a Howard Johnson’s until 1986. Now it’s . . . a parking lot. How great would it have been if this recreation of the original Brown Derby could have filled this space? It would be a perfect place for all of us golden Hollywood fans who missed it the first time around.
here’s a photo of the brown derby in the mid 1980’s at the NW corner of Hollywood and Vine. It only lasted a very short time at this location after the vine street location closed in 1980. I remember it at this location in 1985.
http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibris/aleph/a19_1/apache_media/94PN9ATXQY1FUBGXEK2QIY92AHV2H6.jpg
Wow! So they put in a Brown Derby into that location after all…well, sort of, I guess. Looks like it was just a cafe with a painting of a brown derby nailed on the front! Thanks for sharing this one – I’ve never seen (or heard) of that before!
wow, nor have I heard of this Brown Derby attempt!!
Got to see if I can find more photos of that era?
Glad I am not the only Hollywood Historian who have missed this , Martin:))
Still looking forward to chat over coffee!!
After the original vine one lost its lease, the restaurant relocated to that site. They were going to build the grand rendering building, but it turned out very cost prohibitive, considering the business was beginning to suffer at their original location. They relocated the furniture and caricatures from the original location, and painted a derby on the front. They had caricaturist Douglas Bunn continue drawing caricatures of their current celeb patrons. I have one of them from 1987. The restaurant closed in 1989. The Brown Derby company still exists licensing the restaurants. Walt Disney World has an exact recreation of the Vine Street location, with the caricatures, same tasting recipes etc , and MGM Detroit used to have one as well as a restaurant in Albany NY that is now closed. My dream is to buy the parking lot and rebuild a Brown Derby in that location, either in the architecture of the rendering or Wilshire location architecture, with the signature hat entrance relocated from the hideous mall and reused and restored.
Thanks for all that, Taylor. I didn’t know the Brown Derby company still exists. When I ate at the one in Florida, it never occurred to me they’d need to license it! I DO hope you’re able to see your dream come true. If you rebuilt the original Brown Derby, I certainly eat there – and on a regular basis too. And I bet a good percentage of the 4000 people who follow me on Facebook would too!
What and where was the Brown Derby where the movie stars would go to? I know there was one on Wilshire near the Ambassador, but it seems like there was more than one in the 30’s.
The one most popular with the stars was the Vine Street Brown Derby.
Which one was in the shape of the brown derby? Was it the one on Wilshire Blvd.? Which one was the first one built?
Thanks Martin
The hat-shaped Brown Derby on Wilshire opposite the Ambassador Hotel was the original.
I thought so Martin, Thanks so much. Wanted to know if you have any [ictures of Auto Dealers other than the one for Auburn on Wilshire? I would love to see some from the late 20s or early 30s. I know that Jean Harlow bought her 32 Packard somewhere near where Century City is today. Any ideas?
I believe many of the car dealers were on Wilshire and downtown LA.
Thanks, John
No, I don’t. But I wonder if the Petersen Automotive museum (at Wilshire and Fairfax) might have come photos in their archive.
Another reason the proposal at Hollywood and Vine didn’t go through was because the Hollywood Architectural committee turned it down saying that they “didn’t want Hollywood to become like Las Vegas”. Walter Scharfe stomped out of the meeting. I think they made a big mistake.
Thanks for that info, Gary. I wasn’t aware of the reasons why that project never went ahead. It seems like the perfect place to have a Brown Derby, and a darned sight better than the parking lot that’s there now.