Scrivner's Carhop Drive-In Restaurants

 

Above, Scrivner's Drive-In at Cahuenga and Ivar in Hollywood.

The first drive-in restaurant with carhop service was in 1923, but the drive-in restaurants didn't take off until the 1940s and 1950s following World War II.

A prominent drive-in carhop restaurant in Los Angeles was Scrivner's. They had several locations. My parents and I went to the one in Inglewood at 3425 West Manchester Blvd. Many times, my parents mentioned seeing D.J. Art Laboe at the Inglewood restaurant in the 1950s whenever we heard him on the radio in the 1970s. Laboe apparently broadcast his radio shows from different Scrivner's.

Above, a carhop retrieving a tray in the 1930s.

What's a carhop?

According to Wikipedia:

A carhop is a waiter or waitress who brings fast food to people in their cars at drive-in restaurants. Carhops usually work on foot but sometimes use roller skakes.

Above, a vintage ad for Scrivner's with their list of locations.

The Inglewood Scrivner's location closed in the 1960s and demolished.. The Guardian convalescent hospital was built at the former restaurant's location.

There were other chains of drive-in restaurants besides Scrivner's. None of them exist today.

Above, Art Laboe (with microphone) and fans at a Scrivner's remote broadcast.

There are some 1950s-themed drive-in carhop restaurants springing up today such as Mel's Drive-In and Sonic. I have been to the Sonic in Gallup, but wasn't impressed with their burgers. It appears nostalgia is alive and well.

Classic Rock Music Monday

The stuff that now passes as "music", particularly rock 'n roll, leaves me cold. So, to start off the week, here's a video of a classic rock artist.

To start off this week, we have Chicago, formerly known as Chicago Transit Authority, with their 1970 hit, "25 or 6 to 4". This is a live version from 1970 with a great guitar solo by co-founder Terry Kath. Kath was such a great guitarist that he even had Jimi Hendrix praising him. 

I saw Chicago twice in concert (both times at The Forum in Inglewood, California). The first was in 1971 and the second in 1972.

From Wikipedia:

Chicago is an American rock band formed in Chicago in 1967. The group began calling themselves the Chicago Transit Authority (after the city's mass transit agency) in 1968, then shortened the name in 1969. Self-described as a "rock and roll band with horns," their songs often also combine elements of classical music, jazz, R&B, and pop music.

Growing out of several bands from the Chicago area in the late 1960s, the line-up consisted of Peter Cetera on bass, Terry Kath on guitar, Robert Lamm on keyboards, Lee Loughnane on trumpet, James Pankow on trombone, Walter Parazaider on woodwinds, and Danny Seraphine on drums. Cetera, Kath, and Lamm shared lead vocal duties. Laudir de Oliveira joined the band as a percussionist and second drummer in 1974. Kath died in 1978, and was replaced by several guitarists in succession. Bill Champlin joined in 1981, providing vocals, keyboards, and rhythm guitar. Cetera left the band in 1985 and was replaced by Jason Scheff. Seraphine left in 1990 and was replaced by Tris Imboden. Although the band's lineup has been more fluid since 2009, Lamm, Loughnane, and Pankow have remained constant members. Parazaider "officially retired" in 2017, but is still a band member. In 2021 he revealed he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

What does 25 or 6 to 4 mean? The short answer is that it was about the time.

The long answer (supplied by Ashley Underwood at Quora):

The long answer comes from Robert Lamm, who is a keyboard player, singer and songwriter for Chicago. Lamm explained on The Chris Isaak Hour: "I was living with a bunch of hippies up above Sunset Strip. One of the advantages of this particular house was that it was in the Hollywood Hills and I could look out over the city late at night. I wanted to try to describe the process of writing the song that I was writing. So, 'waiting for the break of day, searching for something to say, flashing lights against the sky' - there was a neon sign across the city. That song came from the fact that it was 25 or 6 to 4 a.m. in the morning when I looked at my watch - I was looking for a line to finish the chorus.

Classic Rock Music Monday

The stuff that now passes as "music", particularly rock 'n roll, leaves me cold. So, to start off the week, here's a video of a classic rock artist.

In April 1972, a new single, "School's Out", was released by Alice Cooper upon the world. A couple of months later, the album of the same name was released. In-between, I graduated from high school. I thought at the time about the song, "How appropriate!"

The following year, a friend gave me two tickets for Alice Cooper's concert at The Forum in Inglewood, California. He and his girlfriend were both stuck in having to work on the night of the concert and couldn't go. Until I saw Rush's final concert in 2015, the Alice Cooper concert of their "Billion Dollar Babies" tour was the most entertaining I had attended. It was quite a show. 

Alice Cooper is still active. While looking for an appropriate video for this post, I noticed ads for tickets for an upcoming concert tour. Alice Cooper even made an appearance in Tim Burton's Dark Shadows (2012), causing Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) to remark that Cooper was “the ugliest woman I’ve ever seen.”

Here's Alice Cooper with "School's Out":

The Last Concert of Rush

Above, The Forum sign as we approched. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was the last concert of the rock band Rush.

The death of Rush's drummer, Neil Peart on January 7, 2020, made the August 1, 2015 concert at The Forum in Inglewood, California the last ever for Rush. Usually, my focus is usually on the lead guitarist. But in the case of Rush, my focus of attention was on drummer Peart. He was voted the greatest drummer of all time in a 2021 musicradar GOAT Hunt poll.

It was the final concert of their R40 tour.  

My daughter Amber treated me to the concert, which was the first time I stepped foot inside The Forum since a New Year's Eve concert by the Beach Boys on December 31, 1979. The place really hadn't changed much. It was also the first concert I've attended since the Beach Boys one.

If I remember correctly, cameras were not allowed, but most everyone there, including me, used their cell phone cameras. A bit redundant if that was the case.

Last night, I made two screen captures from a video of their last concert:

Here's some photos I made during the concert with my crappy old cell phone:

Next to an Alice Cooper 1973 "Billion Dollar Babies" concert, this was the best concert I've ever attended. It's a toss-up which was better.

UPDATE (3/11/22):

The following video is an excellent documentary on Rush's R40 tour that includes their last show at The Forum.

9 Years Ago: Shuttle Endeavor Towed In the Streets of L.A.

Above, Space Shuttle Endeavor on Manchester Blvd. in Inglewood, California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While attention is on the western part of Texas today as Star Trek actor William Shatner is about to be launched into space, a space milestone of sorts took place on this date nine years ago.

It was nine years ago today that the space shuttle Endeavor was towed through the streets of Inglewood and Los Angeles to its permanent home at Exposition Park in Los Angeles.

Above, a view of Endeavor's tail, engines and wing. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I got up around 2:45 am that morning and went to Inglewood to view the shuttle as it was being towed down Manchester Blvd. A sizable crowd was already on hand when I arrived.

This was the second time I saw the shuttle Endeavor in person. I witnessed its landing at Edwards Air Force Base following its maiden flight into space in May 1992

4.0 Earthquake Rattles Lennox-Hawthorne Areas

Image: USGS.

An early morning 4.0 earthquake hit the Lennox area of Los Angeles County this morning.

This is familiar territory as I used to live in Hawthorne and it was centered at the intersection of Doty Ave. and Century Blvd., near where the Hollywood Park Racetrack used to be and where a new NFL stadium is being built.

According to NBC Los Angeles:

A magnitude-4.0 earthquake was one of three in the same area early Monday that rattled parts of Southern California.

The quake was centered in the Lennox area. It followed earthquakes of magnitude 3.3 and 2.5 in the same part of southwest Los Angeles County.

According to CBS Los Angeles:

The large earthquake occurred at 4:44 a.m., with its epicenter at Century Boulevard and Doty Avenue, just south of SoFi Stadium and north of the 105 Freeway and east of the 405 Freeway, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Yum Burger Shoppe of Inglewood, California

Above, the Yum Burger Shoppe logo.

Back in the 1960s, there was a hamburger restaurant called Yum Burger Shoppe at 3300 W. Manchester Blvd. in Inglewood, California. It was across the street from the Academy Theater in the Morningside section of the city.

My parents, grandmother and I used to frequent Yum Burger when I was a kid. The burgers were great, but what I really liked were their homemade donuts. After church, we would go there for lunch and pick up a dozen donuts.

Above, a vintage Yum Burger plate from the 1960s.

Somewhere around 1964, Yum Burger had a fire that gutted the restaurant, but, fortunately, the owners rebuilt the restaurant.

According to Restaurant Ware Collectors Network:

Yum Burger Shoppe was located at 3300 W. Manchester in Inglewood, CA. On the back of a 1951 menu, owner Arlow W. Nalder, who died September 26, 1969, welcomed patrons to the new home of Yum Burger so it either had a major renovation in the same location or relocated. Burgers and hot fudge sundaes were just 35 cents at that time.

Above, a 1950s Yum Burger menu.

The former location of Yum Burger is now a dentistry. The building's shape leads me to believe that it is the original Yum Burger structure, just extensively remodeled. The entrance faced diagonally at the corner of the block.

Here is the building today:

I could not find any photos of Yum Burger Shoppe. If anyone reading this has a photo of the restaurant, please forward a copy. I would be happy to post it.

Another favorite "burger joint" in Inglewood was Scotty's, near the 5th Avenue Theater. Unfortunately, I could not find any information on it. 

Time-Lapse Video of Space Shuttle Endeavour On The Streets of L.A.

Above, space shuttle Endeavour being transported on Manchester Blvd. in Inglewood, California
to the California Science Center in Exposition Park in Los Angeles. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

At about 4:00 in the morning on October 13, 2012, I headed down to Inglewood, California to view the space shuttle Endeavour being transported to its permanent home at the California Science Center in Los Angeles's Exposition Park.

Naturally, I brought along my camera took many photographs of the shuttle, including some directly underneath a wing.

The Los Angeles Times posted on YouTube a time-lapse video of the shuttle's journey from a hangar at Los Angeles International Airport to Exposition Park.

For your viewing enjoyment, here's the video:

A 1960s Halloween Tradition

Above, a publicity still of Abbott and Costello with the monsters.

Since tomorrow is Halloween, I thought I would recount a tradition that took place every year on Halloween in Los Angeles in the 1960s.

Back before the local news gobbled up air time, the CBS affiliate in L.A., KNXT Channel 2 (now KCBS), had late afternoon movies starting at 4:00 called The Early Show.

Above, the Monster with Bud and Lou in another publicity still.

Each Halloween, The Early Show broadcast the 1948 comedy-horror classic, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. This movie marked the final appearance of Universal's classic monsters: Frankenstein's monster (Glenn Strange), Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.). It also featured a "cameo" of the Invisible Man (Vincent Price). Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was the perfect way to have Halloween dinner before going out trick or treating for kids.

This annual Halloween tradition went on for many years in the 1960s until the expanded local news broadcasts eliminated The Early Show. It was fun while it lasted.

Above, a display of Bud and Lou with the Monster
 at a Monsterpalooza show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Interestingly, while the movie was first released on June 15, 1948, a sneak preview of the movie was held in (nearby to me) Inglewood, California at the Academy Theater on May 18, 1948.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was the final movie Bela Lugosi appeared in for a major movie studio.

Above, the Academy Theater in Inglewood in the 1940s. 

My mother told me that she and a friend saw it at a theater during its release.

Free Car Wash Day In L.A.

Above, The Beast and the Mustang getting their free wash. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The current rain we're now having in L.A. reminds me of the old days (when I was a kid) when it seemed to rain endlessly in November and December. It seemed more like Christmas when it rained. For Los Angeles, having rains around Christmas would be the closest we can get to a white Christmas.

I remember going with my parents to downtown Inglewood for Christmas shopping and it rained. These were the days before indoor shopping malls.

The end of the shopping day would have us at Ruby's Toyland (I think that's what the name was) on La Brea Ave. I'd have to wait in the car while my parents raided the place for my gifts. Ruby's was the place to buy toys back in the day. This was before Toys R Us, Target and Walmart.

One additional nice thing about this rain, The Beast and the Mustang are getting a free wash.

The rain is supposed to taper off later this morning. I'll be finishing up my Christmas shopping then.

Shuttle Endeavour To Be Joined By Last External Fuel Tank

Above, the space shuttle Endeavour in Inglewood, California in 2012. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in 2012, I joined throngs of people on the streets of Inglewood, California to view the transporting of space shuttle Endeavour during the early morning hours as it made its way to the California Science Center in Exposition Park in Los Angeles.

The space shuttle has been a big draw for visitors and soon it will be joined by the last remaining external fuel tank.

The Los Angeles Times reported:

When the space shuttle Endeavour crawled through the streets of Los Angeles to the California Science Center in 2012, it was missing something: the giant external fuel tank on which it rode piggyback into space. 

There was a good reason. The external tanks, which attached to shuttles' bellies, detached and burned up in the atmosphere shortly after liftoff. Museum officials figured they'd have to settle for a fake in their exhibit. Then, last year, NASA agreed to donate the last one in existence. 

But the tank was in New Orleans and was about as tall as a 15-story building. Getting it to L.A. wouldn't be easy.

It will be interesting to see the transport of the tank as it goes through the streets as the space shuttle did. The operation to transport the shuttle was tricky enough, but the external tank is bigger and a lot more fragile. It is expected to hit the streets on May 21.

To read more, go here. 

L.A. Traffic

Above, here is one L.A. landmark I passed on the way home. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today's task was completed a while ago this morning.

I had to take Sierra down to the vet in Torrance for spaying. Luckily, I used to live in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County and knew the best and quickest route to getting there. They said that I can pick her up anytime tomorrow. I will definitely avoid the morning and afternoon rush hours when I do pick her up.

Getting down there from the San Fernando Valley wasn't too difficult. I got there in less than an hour. However, getting back home was another story. I expected a lot of traffic and that's what I received. It took me a good hour and a half to make the 30-mile trek back. Some of the time was used to cruise around the old neighborhood in Hawthorne. The businesses along Hawthorne Blvd. from Torrance to Lawndale and then Hawthorne were barely recognizable.

Interstate 405 going north was in its usual parking lot conditions, so I took the surface streets from Inglewood. There was a lot of traffic there as well. It was probably the worst in West Los Angeles. I managed to get back on the 405 at about Olympic Blvd. and the traffic began to thin out there. After passing Wilshire Blvd., the freeway opened up to clear sailing (almost) into the Valley.

Thank goodness it wasn't raining this morning!

Who Killed Steve Ballreich?

Above, Steve Ballreich.  Photo: Ballreich family.

On the night of Nov. 14, 1991, Stephen (Steve) Lynn Ballreich was shotgunned to death across the street from the Ramona Convent at the 1700 block of Marguerita Avenue in Alhambra.

Ballreich received two 12-gauge shotgun blasts: one to the face and one to the back.

To date, this murder is still unsolved.  Allegedly, the Los Angeles County Sheriff has some leads, but has been tight-lipped about them.

Ballreich was once the mayor of Alhambra at age 26, after having been elected to the Alhambra City Council in 1974.  He was also a political campaign consultant.  I knew Ballreich in 1972 when he was campaign consultant for state assembly candidate James Knapp in Inglewood, California.

Ballreich's modus operandi in campaigns was to have the campaign rent an apartment for "political purposes," which were mainly for his rendezvous with women.  I remember him being interrupted several times when we showed up for campaign signs in the dead of night.  He didn't get upset over the interruptions, but he did sport a sheepish grin.

Several former associates of Ballreich's complain that the authorities have not pursued the case.

According to an article in the Pasadena Weekly:

Ballreich's death was quick, brutish and seemingly well orchestrated. Residents who heard the shots summoned Alhambra police. Witnesses said they'd seen a dark, 1970s-era Camaro fleeing the scene. Nothing apparently ever came of that lead. 

In the immediate aftermath, fear clenched Marguerita Avenue. The nearby elementary school - the same one that Ballreich attended in the 1960s - went into lockdown after someone reported a prowler lurking. It was not the last suspicious sighting, not with a murderer running loose.

Police discovered Ballreich lying face up with what the coroner's office said was "massive open head trauma." The second wound came from a shot that struck him in the upper left side of his back and exited through his chest leaving a roughly seven-inch gash. Either of these gunshot wounds was lethal. 

The autopsy report said three salvos were fired, but only described two of them. Ballreich, it said, appeared to have been "walking on the sidewalk" when he was killed. This may be critical. While he was an avid runner, Ballreich was wearing underpants but not an athletic supporter at the time he died. Some have wondered whether he was meeting somebody that night.

Above, the 1700 block of S. Marguerita Ave., Alhambra.  The Ramona Convent is to
the left of Marguerita Ave.

It is odd that the Alhambra Police nor the L.A. County Sheriff have vigorously pursued the murder of someone so prominent in the San Gabriel Valley.

Theories of Ballreich's murder run the gamut of revenge over bad drug deals, political retribution, angry boyfriends/husbands to Bill and Hillary Clinton ("The Clinton Body Count").

The Pasadena Weekly article seems to have brought out a few details on Ballreich's life and detectives decided to take another look.

Chip Jacobs wrote that Ballreich's murder may have been due to gambling in an article from November 30, 2006.  The article indicated that detectives were pursuing this motive following the Pasadena Weekly article.

However, since the Jacobs article, there has been no word on the investigation into Ballreich's murder.

The Ballreich murder continues to sit unsolved.

Estimated One Million Witnessed Shuttle's Move; Crime Down

Above, Endeavour early Saturday morning in Inglewood.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It has been estimated that about one million people witnessed the space shuttle Endeavour move through the streets of Inglewood and Los Angeles as it made it way from LAX to the California Science Center in Exposition Park.

Also, crime in the city was down during the time of the shuttle's move.

According to the Los Angeles Times:

But in recapping the LAPD's efforts to patrol the crowds, [L.A.P.D. Chief] Beck told the Police Commission on Tuesday that the spectators were perhaps the best he's ever seen. "I maybe have never been involved in policing a crowd that was so positive and so proud," he said. 

Crime rates for the city during the shuttle's weekend journey, he said, were the lowest in months.

To read the full article, and to see a fascinating time-lapse video of the shuttle's move, go here.

"Endeavour" Photos: 3rd Batch

This has been one long day.  I've been up since about 2:45 this morning.  Throughout the day, I've followed the progress of the shuttle Endeavour as it slowly made its way to the California Science Center in Exposition Park via live streaming video, courtesy of the California Science Center and CNN.

Here are some more pictures of the shuttle that I took early this morning:

The last photo (below) was taken with my cell phone.  I sent it to several people while I was there.

More "Endeavour" Photos

Here's some more photos of Space Shuttle Endeavour that I took this morning in Inglewood, California.

Space Shuttle "Endeavour" In Inglewood

Above, my first view of Endeavour on Manchester Blvd. in Inglewood.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My alarm was set for 2:50 AM, but I woke up about seven minutes before.

I decided to make the trek down to Inglewood, California (about 25 miles away) to view the Space Shuttle Endeavour on Manchester Blvd. as it is being hauled to the California Science Center.

Above, Endeavour is still an impresive sight!  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is scheduled to be at a viewing area at the Forum's parking lot at 8:00 this morning, but I heard one of the police in Inglewood say that it is two hours behind schedule.  Endeavour is supposed to arrive at the California Science Center tonight (good luck!).

Above, the crew section of Endeavour.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I got down to Inglewood and found that it was nowhere near the Forum.  I located it about 2-3 miles west on Manchester.  I found a parking space (surprisingly fast) in front of Inglewood High School.  Endeavour was about three short blocks west.

Above, the starboard wing.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After parking, I walked down Manchester and found that a lot of other people had the same idea.  There were several hundred people there, but they were all orderly and were enjoying seeing a spaceship on a city street.  Several news vans were also there covering the event.

Above, hundreds of thermal tiles under the starboard wing.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The shuttle was stopped in the street.  I saw it move only once during the time I was there.  On average, according to news reports, it is supposed to move at about two miles per hour.  It may have been stopped as crews were working to get some power lines out of the way.

Above, the tail section and engines.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I was able to get right up close to it.  I stood virtually under its starboard side wing tip.  The rocket engines on Endeavour are dummy ones.  The real ones were removed earlier.  It looks space-worthy yet.

Above, Endeavour drew a good crowd at 3:30 in the morning.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is amazing seeing an object about the size of a Boeing 737 being towed through city streets for sixteen miles.  It is truly one of those "once in a lifetime" kind of events.

I'm glad I went!