I found this photo interesting for a couple of reasons. I love how this restaurant – Willards (at the corner of Los Feliz and Hillhurst, near the entrance to the Greek Theater) – bills itself “Far Famed Chicken Steak Dinners.” I’ve never heard of that expression before – “Far Famed” – perhaps they didn’t think their fame was big enough to be “world famous” but that their famed dinners at least went far…as what? The L.A. City Limits? This photo appears to be dated 1939.
“This is the house that serves the chickens whose feet never touch the ground.“
In 1940, this location became a Brown Derby restaurant.
Willard’s original restaurant opened 1928 at 9625 West Pico Blvd, Los Angeles.
Oh, once again, eating food whose “feet never touched the ground” isn’t appealing. But, I’m sure it was good eating, yes, if you didn’t read that first.
“Far-famed.” Interesting, how they spoke in them olden days.
Spoke? As in corney advertising?
Or as in Mid Atlantic like Katharine Hepburn?
Unless you call it “Transatlantic” *dahhling*
However I think you mean the corny adds lol!
I was born at Cedars of Lebanon now Cedar Sinai. But the physical building is the Merrick building … that big now ugly blue scientology building. I went to Los Feliz elementary and was raised on Alexandria and Hollywood blvd. I am 100% native I still live here in east Hollywood on Ambrose and Vermont before I was on Kingswell and Hillhurts. I have seen this place through so many changes I just pray they do not tear it down like everything else around me. Do you know of the Crane building on Highland and Willoughby ? I have wonderful pics of the place inside and out. I never heard of anyone ever write about it. The Crane building had these amazing art deco side walks like the Security Pacific bank did. The one next to the Clem building on Wilshire and La Brea I remember they had glitter in them too and boy the really were something else like flashes of light I have never seen glitter like that in my life! I was young 2 or 3 or a last life lol. However sadly today they have not one sparkle left! Oh I really loved that . I’m 42 and feel like it was all yesterday!
Hi Hilary. Thanks for taking the time to share your memories. No, I don’t know the Crane Building so if you have any photos in emailable format, I’d love to see them!
Funny, I had not thought about the term far-famed for a long while, but we used to use it a lot – seems it fell out of fashion around the end of WWII – it just was another way of saying something was known far and wide but shorter to say far-famed. It was different then being world famous. Had not thought of the Oleander (OL) prefix for phones either in a long time!
Thanks, Beachy. That makes total sense.
Willard’s was my favorite restaurant as a small child. My dad had me on weekends, and this was his shoot-the-moon choice. My little kid memory still believes this was the best fried chicken ever, and the corn bread was great, molded to look like ears of corn.
I loved the Brown Derby places w/the hat design. Monte Cristo Sandwiches 🙂
Up until the the early 1970’s there was a Willard’s cafe on Western, between Beverly and Oakwood on the east side of the street. Used to have breakfast there every now and again. Pretty certain the only commonality was the name but the old guy working the grill had been there since the mid ’40’s. Long, long, gone now.