Houlihan’s Old Place: The Era of the Funky Themed Restaurant

It was the post-hippie era, early- to mid-Seventies, but the hippie influence had permeated into the lives of regular citizens and lingered for awhile. The full name was Houlihan’s Old Place, squarely identifying itself, as a theme restaurant. Along with TGI Friday and Bennigan’s, Houlihan’s marked the beginning of the theme restaurant era. Gilbert Robinson… Continue reading Houlihan’s Old Place: The Era of the Funky Themed Restaurant

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Categorized as 1970s

Paramount Studios, 1970: Let’s Film on the Studio Today

One sub-niche of 1960s and 1970s television is the show that demonstrates the studio backlot for what it is. It’s a fascinating snapshot into the state of the backlot at that moment, with little embellishment. The Brady Bunch ends up at a mysterious ghost town with a menacing prospector. Tumbleweeds tumble. But it’s patently obvious… Continue reading Paramount Studios, 1970: Let’s Film on the Studio Today

Haverhill’s and Its Whacked-Out Ads

Haverhill’s: a weird stuff-emporium of the 1960s and 1970s, with goofy ads in big magazines like LIFE. Let’s start with the name, stylized as: haverhill’s. Why? Because this is post-apex America and it’s time to be humble. Fonts go Helvetica on us and upper-case bows meekly into lower-case. The ad copy, too, no longer is… Continue reading Haverhill’s and Its Whacked-Out Ads

Death Behind Flagstone: Tom Neal, Palm Springs, and Studio City

1965: Tom Neal House, 2481 N Cardillo Ave, Palm Springs, CA

Tom Neal was a middling movie actor from the late 1930s to the 1950s who was more known for his off-screen escapades than for his acting. Neal’s best role was in the curious film-noir, Detour. It’s non-copyrighted; check it out. As a young man, Neal was an amateur boxer with a good string of wins.… Continue reading Death Behind Flagstone: Tom Neal, Palm Springs, and Studio City