BORDER CAFE (1937)

Yeah, well, I thought it might offer a few more places other than jail and a ranch. Apparently, the only place in Verde, Texas, in 1937 is the Border Cafe. 

 

  

                                                                                    1937

                                                            Beal, Armida, Carey

                                        

                                                                   A cautionary tale
            

A long bar makes an excellent spot to stand and watch the nightly entertainment. The comedic singer Dominga will pay you a table-side visit when she's not tripping over the feet of a New England born and bred city boy. A raised seating area allows extra people to enjoy the floor show of a three-piece trio playing guitar, accordion, and a bongo accompanying Dominga.

                                          Table side entertainment

And now the story:

The spoiled son of a senator packs up and vacates his father's house for the wanderlust offered in faraway Verde, Texas, a location chosen on a whim when he asks the ticket agent where the man's hometown is. Once there, the senator's son finds love with a Mexican singer who may or may not be involved with a syndicate honcho exploiting ranchers for cattle protection money. 

John Beal plays spoiled, silver-spoon boy Keith Whitney. Armida plays Dominga. Rounding out the cast is veteran cowpoke Harry Carey, Sr., Marjorie Lord, and Paul Fixx probably best known as the sheriff on The Rifleman. 

Written by Lionel Houser from a story by Thomas Gill, the movie is directed by Lew Landers.

2 cervezas out of 5.

Better stops will be planned for the Lonely Street Bar Noir Pub Crawl. Until then, be sure to settle your tab.

HUNT THE MAN DOWN

 

Tonight's stop along the Lonely Street Bar Noir Pub Crawl takes us through 1950's HUNT THE MAN DOWN.   This B-Level crime drama offers a variety of interesting locations to visit.

The first stop is ironically named Happy's Place. Located along a secluded, dark street in some part of Los Angeles, Happy's Place is owned by none other than Happy himself. A jovial man, Hap will gladly drive a patron home.

Secluded location.

Happy offering to drive the Professor home.

Ashtrays cleaned nightly.

Happy's: A warm and cozy place.

Standard L-shaped bar with plenty of backless, upholstered stools awaits customers. For a more intimate experience, booths line the wall opposite the long leg of the bar. A piano is located next to the cigarette machine. Humorous sketches of past patrons decorate the walls.  The bar is always stocked.

                                      The first of the hanging lights.

Happy's Place also starts a theme seen throughout this stretch of the crawl: Watch for hanging light fixtures.

After leaving Happy's, why not go for a round or two at the apparently more popular Jimmy's Bar? All the partygencia hangs out here. Another long, L-shaped bar, the seats fill quickly. Crawlers spill into smaller rooms with tables and interesting artwork on the walls. Noisy, smoky, crowded. Nothing says 'rub elbows' better than time spent at Jimmy's, the kind of place that could jostle a guy's arm.

                                                     Hanging light No. 2.

The partygencia.

A little farther down the road, right in the heart of Skid Row is Joe's, a pool hall with beer on tap or in a bottle. Two green-felt topped tables await the serious pool player or the more commonly seen hustler. Don't let the run-down, dive bar lull you, Joe has rules for his guests. Adhere or find a new location for your recreation.

Just around the corner from Skid Row. 

                                         Hanging light No. 3.

                                                                 Haning light No. 4.

                                               Rules of the club.

If you need a break, perhaps a little unique entertainment is appropriate. The Show Box Theatre is just the ticket you didn't realize you needed. Marionette and early audio-animatronics perform nightly for audiences packing the small theatre. Guests are invited to tour backstage after each performance.

                                           Things on strings.

                                         Gig Young and Frank Cady

A final stop on this part of the Crawl is Charlie's. At least, that's what I'm calling it.  The only other sign is a goblet of beer under a K or an R. Two swinging doors open into or out of the cramped establishment. Once again, customers can belly-up to an L-shaped bar for a glass of what some call poison. I think this joint is in need of a bar rescue as there is zero atmosphere. Maybe Charlie was going for a sports bar theme judging from the pictures of boxers on the walls.

                                                        Charlies; or, The Goblet Bar

Serving poison

  

                                                    Boxer painting beneath hanging light no. 5.

And now the story:

After a burglar named the Paper Bag Bandit is foiled in his attempt to hold up Happy's Place after hours, the would-be hero of the night turns out to be a fugitive who has been hiding in plain sight for ten years.  Upon hearing the man's story, a public defender launches a quest to prove the man is innocent of murder.

HUNT THE MAN DOWN stars Oscar winner Gig Young (They Shoot Horses, Don't They?)  as the public defender on a mission. It also features a cast of recognizable TV guest stars, most notably Frank Cady (Mr. Drucker) as the puppeteer. The script was penned by DeVallon Scott. George Archainbaud directed. The set decorators and art directors really went out of their way to design some memorable bars and clubs.

3 out of 5 bottles of hooch.

The Lonely Street Bar Noir Pub Crawl will continue. Until then, be sure to settle your tab.

                                          Random hanging light no. 6

2/27/23

DICK TRACY (1945)

 The 1945 movie adaptation of the titular detective Dick Tracy might not seem like it would offer a stop along the Lonely Street Bar Noir Pub Crawl but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to catch Jane Greer or Mike Mazurki, two veterans of film noir.

Jane Greer

Mike Mazurki

Call it a detour, a wrong turn, a dead end. Whatever you decide, it's worth a look at Steve Owen's Paradise Club. Where else are you going to catch Red Johnson and his Orchestra?

The most notable aspect of the Paradise Club is no one smokes. In fact, no one smokes anywhere. It's 1945 in Big City, America and not a single cigarette, cigar, or pipe gets lit. There's plenty of booze, and there's a homicidal maniac calling himself Splitface lurking about but as far as vices go, smoking does not come into play.

Each table offers an intimate seating of two to four people. Small lamps grace the white linen tablecloths.  Additional chairs can be added should your party grow.

Not much more can be said for Steve Owen's Paradise Club. It's a popular destination. Owned by her father, Judy Owen serves as hostess to the partygencia of the day.

The next location would only be a stop on a ghost walk or a tour of infamous crime scenes but I have to mention the Deathridge Mortuary. The composition of this brief scene is spectacular. Director of Photography Frank Redman creates a suspenseful mood in this and subsequent shots.

And now the story:

A spinster school teacher walking home alone one night is brutally slain by an assailant calling himself Splitface. As the investigation progresses, it appears each random victim is receiving extortion threats to pay up or die. When one of the victims pays and is still killed, Tracy and his team must find out what connects the two dead victims to a dozen other potential targets. 

Dick Tracy 1945 starred Morgan Conway as Dick Tracy. Anne Jeffery does a wonderful job as Tess Trueheart. Jane Greer plays an adorable daughter trying to protect her in-hiding father. Mazurki is as sinister as ever. Remember when Daniel Day Lewis taps his eye with a knife blade in Gangs of New York? Mazurki pulls a similar stunt dragging a knife over the scar splitting his face. 

Based on Chester Gould's comic strip, screenwriter Eric Taylor pens an original story involving all of the Dick Tracy regulars.  William Berke directs.

4 out 5 old fashions.

This brings the crawl to an end for now. It will continue as there are plenty of places to consider. Until then, make sure to settle your tab.

2/10//2023

ANGEL FACE

The 1952 noir Angel Face offers four locations to visit while on the Lonely Street Bar Noir Pub Crawl.  The stops appear early on in the movie in quick succession so if you want to visit them, be sure to catch the first twenty minutes or so.

First up is the open all-day diner, Harry's, where the special is always seventy-five cents.  A favorite of the staff of the Beverly Hills Hospital just across the street, Harry's offers sandwiches, beer, ale, and soft drinks in a traditional diner setting.  A counter and window booths provide seating. 

Open all day!

Harry will do the pouring.

For a little more substantial meal, there's always this place, a restaurant that's never named but appears to be quite popular. A kind of 'you've got to know somebody who knows somebody who can get you in' place. Reminds me of a time my wife and I were in Manhattan and we 'found' a Mexican restaurant in the basement of a building on 44th Street. The hostess looked surprised we asked for a table.  The only other customer stopped eating when she sat us, dropped some money on the table, and left. For the Lonely Street Bar Noir Pub Crawl, we'll call this establishment the second stop of the night.

                                                             Mitchum and Simmons

                       

The restaurant appears to have a European flair, most likely Italian from the artwork and checkerboard table clothes. Coffee, perhaps espresso pots are left for the guests. Like the gentleman at the Manhattan restaurant, our fallen hero and his femme fatale drop money on the table and leave.

Looking for a nightcap after a filling meal? Head off to the popular Club Macombo. Smoky and probably over the capacity limit,  the Macombo packs in the 20-40 year-old demographic. Not much else is known about this club, except that couples quickly lower inhibitions while moshed in the crowd.

                                                     Hold me closer, tiny dancer...

If a catty lunch is required the next day for the mistress to throw it in the face of the girlfriend that she was out with her boyfriend when he said he went right home after work, then look no further than this unnamed sidewalk cafe.  Quaint, out in the open along a busy Beverly Hills boulevard. Table-side service is offered.

                                                 When the waitress knows what you're doing

And now the story of Angel Face:

When ambulance driver Frank Jessup shows up at the home of Dian Tremaine, the young woman is smitten. After treating Dian's stepmother for essentially a panic attack, Dian follows Jessup and his partner, Bill Crompton, back to the Beverly Hills Hospital where she kind of happens to pop into Harry's while Jessup is on the phone with his girlfriend, Mary, a nurse at the same hospital. A whirlwind affair begins and by the time Jessup realizes what Dian is plotting, he's in too deep.

Angel Face was written by Frank S. Nugent and Oscar Millard from a story by Chester Erskine. Directed by Otto Preminger and produced by Howard Hughes, the movie stars Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons. The venerable character actor Kenneth Tobey does a solid turn as Mitchum's meat wagon partner. Mona Freeman appears as Mary, the jilted girlfriend. Herbert Marshall takes on the role of the beloved father, Charles Tremaine, while Barbara O'Neal shows up as the hated stepmother. Jim Backus in his pre-Thurston Howell III days takes on the role of the district attorney. Leon Ames gives a stellar performance as defense attorney, Fred Barrett, coolly dropping lines like, '"It doesn't matter if you're guilty. It matters what we make the jury think."

Angel Face is a classic noir. Only thing missing is a moody rendition of a title song by a chanteuse.  4 out of 5 boilermakers.

2/1/23

HIGHWAY 301

Highway 301 stretches from Biddles Corner, Delaware, to Sarasota,  Florida. For the sake of the Lonely Street Bar Noir Pub Crawl, the distance traveled will be shortened. Shrink the route some more and it puts the locations within reach. 

During the 1940s, five men robbed banks, payroll vans, and businesses along Highway 301. They became known as the Tri-State Gang because they followed a path Highway 301 cut through Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. According to the movie, these heists, though violent, were carried out to give the men a clothing allowance, an entertainment expenditure, and enough leftover cash to eat like Gatsbys all around town.

This brings the bar noir pub crawl to its first stop along Highway 301 and that is Club Madrid. 

When you're alone and life is making you lonely you can always go....

After a particularly brutal bank job in North Carolina, the gang decides to celebrate with their girlfriends. They take them to Club Madrid, a place dripping with 1940s chic.

Musical chairs at Club Madrid

Intimate circular tables, covered with white linen and topped with centerpiece lamps, were spread around a dance floor in the center of the dining room. Ladder back chairs with upholstered seats were grouped as many as eight to a table just big enough to hold drinks, ashtrays, and ladies' clutches. Patterned carpeting surrounded the dance floor which was framed by crowned columns and topped by a tented ceiling. Club Madrid was a place for an upscale celebration by the affluent or by patrons hoping to rub elbows with them.

Unless, of course, you were a gang of thieves that slapped, punched, and throttled to get your way or to silence someone who talked too much. Secrets stayed kept at the Club Madrid--or else...

Contrary to the swanky Club Madrid the following two stops along Highway 301 catered to the everyday, working-class Joes.

Up next was the kind of dive that hid behind a second name.  Durphy's was painted on the frosted glass window in that kind of old saloon font seen in westerns. Dave's, the name above the double doors, lit up the night inside a neon frame over the Durphy's window. It was literally the kind of place someone would kick the bucket in front of during a fight.

Where the bar has two names

For the final stop of the night, nothing said munchies like a visit to the Golden Poppy Cafe, continually referred to as 'that chop suey place' by the leader of the gang. 

                                                             That chop suey place

An L-shaped counter and a row of booths provided seating opportunities for patrons. A postcard carousel offered a keepsake memory of any visit. Additional sundries were available at the register. The menu was light but undoubtedly filled with traditional dishes. 

                                                                     Room for one more

Wall-sconced lamps offered a warmer, cozier feel to the diner. Napkin dispensers and ashtrays were available on every table. A booth comfortably held four guests.

Now the story of Highway 301:

Nothing good is going to happen in this movie. That is not to say it's a poorly made film. It's the kind of film that telegraphs its message.  Right from the start, three sitting governors of the day addressed the audience with a warning of how dangerous the Tri-State Gang was. From there it's a Kelly's Heroes march to an inevitable, violent end. The movie is particularly rough on women.

Highway 301 was written and directed by Andrew L. Stone. Steve Cochran stars as gang leader George Legenza. The movie offers early performances by Richard Egan and Robert Webber. If a rating is needed, 3 out of 5 whisky sours.

And so ends this stop along the Lonely Street Bar Noir Pub Crawl. The tour will continue as long as venues like Club Madrid, Dave's and Durphy's, and the Golden Poppy Cafe open their doors. Until then, make sure you settle your tab.

1/29/23
 

THE BLUE GARDENIA

The Blue Gardenia emulated an unexpected trend in post-World War II America. Like so many other bars of the era, the Blue Gardenia was born in the wake of Polynesian Pop, more commonly known as tiki.  Customers found themselves completely immersed in the idyllic atmosphere of the South Pacific. The ubiquitous tiki bar wasn't limited to film or TV.  The 600-hundred-seat Hawaiian Gardens thrived for many years in Pontiac, Michigan, after opening in the early 1960s. The dinner club offered an erupting volcano every hour and a continuously flowing river all under a bamboo umbrella.

The Blue Gardenia mirrored this design. 

Rattan screens guided guests into a dining room decorated with bamboo wall panels. Peacock wicker chairs around bamboo tables topped with rattan thatching awaited patrons. Once seated, a flower girl navigated the maze of dining cubicles created by the large, fan-backs of the chairs to sell gardenias to the men to give to their dates.

Would you care for another Polynesian Pearl Diver?

A dance floor just big enough to accommodate three couples was sandwiched between the dining area and a low-rise stage. The orchestra area wasn't much bigger but did manage to hold an upright piano, a five-piece drum set, a bass fiddle, and several chairs for the brass. A mirror hung above the piano so guests could see the pianist's hands.

Contrasting the theme was the open-all-night dive bar, Bill's Beanery, where five cups of joe and two hamburgers cost a guy a buck forty. 

                                                 The burgers are cheap, but the company isn't.

Bill's also offered a limited variety of liquors. A glowing globe atop the cash register and next to the nearly empty shelves let customers know Pabst Blue Ribbon was available. 

                                                               Telegraphing the plot.

A row of booths faced the bar, each separated from the other by a gapped thatch divider that casts black and white checkerboard on the wall. Each booth has a table-side jukebox. For a nickel, the mood could be set.

And now the story of The Blue Gardenia:

When Norah Larkin, a switchboard operator, finally agrees to go out with the persistent and charismatic portrait painter, Harry Prebble, he takes her to the Blue Gardenia for dinner, dancing, and drinks. Norah gets the drinks. Lots and lots of drinks. Harry introduces her to the Blue Gardenia's signature drink, the Polynesian Pearl Diver. Harry tells the waiter to go heavy on the rum. 

'I'm not much of a drinker.'

After several PPDs, Norah agrees to go back to Harry's apartment to view his paintings. The night turns ugly and Harry winds up dead. Norah wakes, sees Harry laying on the floor, and runs from his apartment unable to remember anything of the events that night after leaving the Blue Gardenia. Did she do it? That answer comes later in the movie.

The Blue Gardenia was written by Charles Hoffman from a story by Vera Caspary. Fritz Lang directed. The production designer was Maurie Seuss while Daniell Hall covered art direction. Released in 1953, as the tiki movement spread,  the movie starred Anne Baxter as Norah and Richard Conte as intrepid reporter Casey Mayo. Conte, as many know, is remembered as Don Barzini in The Godfather. The Blue Gardenia also features Raymond Burr as Harry Prebble and Anne Southern as Norah's roommate, Crystal. Nat King Cole makes an appearance to sing the titular song, 'Blue Gardenia' written by Bob Russell and Lester Lee. Also appearing in the film is Richard Erdman who had a recurring role on Community as Leonard.

5 out of 5 Polynesian Pearl Divers.

The Blue Gardenia kicks off this bar noir pub crawl. The journey will continue with future stops along Lonely Street at various pubs, clubs, and hubs.

Until then, make sure to settle your tab.

1/29/23