Yesterday, I watched a second-rate film noir from RKO called “Nocturne” (1946) because it starred George Raft and I wanted to see what the guy most famous for knocking back roles that made Humphrey Bogart a star was like. Turns out, he’s woefully wooden. But they did shoot on location a fair bit, including this scene at the Gotham Delicatessen. The Gotham opened in 1923 at 7050 Hollywood Blvd on the SW corner of Sycamore. It served breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktails, and takeout, including the Gotham Special Sandwich, which it advertised as being big enough for two. One account I read said: “There was no food on the face of the earth better than Gotham’s. You could get everything there. The food was unequaled. It was just like it was a banquet.” It was listed in the 1956 L.A. City Directory, so it had a long run. You can see more photos and a menu for its $1.25 4-course “dinner de lux” from 1941 HERE.
Does anybody reading this remember eating there? I’d love to hear about your memories.
That building is long gone, replaced by a generic skyscraper. This is how it looked in April 2018:
Was Raft a victim of his own success or limitations? Playing the same character numerous times and so well that public expectation, and perhaps studio dictates, prevented him from showing more range, or he simply didn’t have the charisma of Bogie and knew well enough to eschew the roles that required it? Let’s face it: Raft as seducer is about as ludicrous as it gets.
Then again, few others could’ve done justice to the character of Spats Colombo.
Raft’s performance in “Nocturne” is the only one I’ve seen outside Spats Colombo in “Some Like it Hot”which I’d forgotten he was in. Clearly it’s time to watch that movie again! But based on his Nocturne performance, I’d say he’s pretty limited. Perhaps he should have just stuck to dancing.