Venice Pier with the Ship Café visible on the right

Venice Pier with the Ship Café visible on the rightI don’t have a date for this shot of the Venice Pier but it’s probably circa 1910s or 20s. On the right we can see the Ship Café, which opened in 1905 by Baron Long (who went on to develop Agua Caliente in Tijuana and the Biltmore Bowl at the Biltmore Hotel.) It wasn’t an actual floating boat, just built to look like one—hey, this is Hollywood, after all. During Prohibition, it became a very popular speakeasy, and is where Alla Nazimova was first introduced to Rudolph Valentino. At the time, she dismissed him a “that gigolo” but later cast him in her production of “Camille.”

Exterior of Ship Cafe, Venice Beach, California Interior of Ship Cafe, Venice Beach, California

Venice Pavilion and Ship Cafe, circa 1910

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4 responses to “Venice Pier with the Ship Café visible on the right”

  1. Charles R Harris says:

    The lady from whose estate my parents purchased 208 North Monroe Street, Newbern, Dyer County, Tennessee,
    Katie Mooring Porter,
    spent an extended time in Venice, Santa Moncia as shown by the 21 Jun 1920 Census of the Venice area of Los Angeles. She rented an apartment at 39 Rose Avenue near the beach. The she came back to Newbern and restored the complete second floor in the mission style made poular by Frank Lloyd Wright. And that is where I grew up.
    And from which Big Charlie and I made the foot races up Monroe Street to Main Street and the Palace Theater for a Sunday afternoon matinee. We often ran into Connie Moorie, the wife of Richsrd Moore, who was as much a fan of “the flicks” as Daddy and I.
    I wonder what 39 Rose Avenue looks like today. Maybe I can see on vpike.com.

  2. Charles R Harris says:

    KATIE PORTER in VENICE at 39 ROSE AVENUE in 1920:

    Name: Katie M Porter
    Age: 47
    Birth Year: abt 1873
    Birthplace: Tennessee
    Home in 1920: Venice, Los Angeles, California
    Street: 39 Rose Ave
    Residence Date: 1920
    Race: White
    Gender: Female
    Relation to Head of House: Head
    Marital Status: Widowed
    Father’s Birthplace: North Carolina
    Mother’s Birthplace: Kentucky
    Able to Speak English: Yes
    Occupation: None
    Home Owned or Rented: Rent
    Able to Read: Yes
    Able to Write: Yes
    Neighbors: View others on page
    Household Members:
    Name Age
    Katie M Porter 47
    SAVE Cancel

  3. Charles R Harris says:

    Today 39 Rose Avenue is a residential site on a palm tree lined street with the beach and ocean in sight to the west. What a trip that must have been in 1920. Silent screen stars were beginning to build their “beach houses” only blocks away.

  4. Charles R Harris says:

    From Find A Grave:

    Name: Alla Nazimova
    Birth Date: 22 May 1879
    Birth Place: Yalta, Republic of Crimea, Ukraine
    Death Date: 13 Jul 1945
    Death Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States of America
    Cemetery: Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
    Burial or Cremation Place: Glendale, Los Angeles County, California, United States of America

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