Los Angeles had so many Troc’s, it’s hard to keep track of them all! The most famous one was, of course, Café Trocadero at 8610 Sunset Blvd, opened by the Hollywood Reporter’s Billy Wilkerson. There was also the Trocadero Café at 6600 Hollywood Blvd, as well as the New Trocadero Café at 1761 West Jefferson Blvd. Just recently I came across this other one: the Club Trocadero at 8524 Sunset Blvd. Judging by the cars parked out front and the banner advertising the entertainment – Ernie Andrews and the Platters – I’d say this photo was taken circa mid 1950s. In 1958, this venue changed to something far more famous—Dino’s Lodge, owned by Dean Martin, was used as a location for the TV series “77 Sunset Strip.”
Hi, Martin, I was just reading a website article about Dino’s and this location at 8524 Sunset Blvd. According to the author, after the Club Trocadero the location became the Alpine Lodge. It wasn’t particularly successful. The owners approached Dean Martin about using his name in exchange for a percentage of the profits. When they put up the sign people obviously thought Dean Martin owned the place. I thought so, too, but the writer notes, “Contrary to report,” explained an April 1958 edition of the Los Angeles Times, “Dean Martin does not own the restaurant on the Strip … They just use his name and give him a percentage.” It was a large percentage. Fifty percent.
Los Angeles had so many Troc’s, it’s hard to keep track of them all! The most famous one was, of course, Café Trocadero at 8610 Sunset Blvd, opened by the Hollywood Reporter’s Billy Wilkerson. There was also the Trocadero Café at 6600 Hollywood Blvd, as well as the New Trocadero Café at 1761 West Jefferson Blvd. Just recently I came across this other one: the Club Trocadero at 8524 Sunset Blvd. Judging by the cars parked out front and the banner advertising the entertainment – Ernie Andrews and the Platters – I’d say this photo was taken circa mid 1950s. In 1958, this venue changed to something far more famous—Dino’s Lodge, owned by Dean Martin, was used as a location for the TV series “77 Sunset Strip.”
Hi, Martin, I was just reading a website article about Dino’s and this location at 8524 Sunset Blvd. According to the author, after the Club Trocadero the location became the Alpine Lodge. It wasn’t particularly successful. The owners approached Dean Martin about using his name in exchange for a percentage of the profits. When they put up the sign people obviously thought Dean Martin owned the place. I thought so, too, but the writer notes, “Contrary to report,” explained an April 1958 edition of the Los Angeles Times, “Dean Martin does not own the restaurant on the Strip … They just use his name and give him a percentage.” It was a large percentage. Fifty percent.
If links are permitted, here’s one to that article:
http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2011/07/dining-at-dinos-lodge.html