Nostalgia (Los Angeles, San Diego, Burbank: school, airplanes, license plates)

[benshaton]

[kansaslady]

I miss the drive-in movies that were safe and fun. When we were little kids we could wear our pjs to the movies and go up front and play on the swings, etc., before the movie started. We never had to worry about anyone bothering us. The snack bar food used to really be great back then too.

When we got older we'd pack the car full of friends (some hidden in the trunk) and had a great time. Some even climbed over the fence Back then (50's and 60's) it was like going to a great car show as well. And of course the back rows were reserved for the "steamed up" windows

Does anyone else remember the 'money tubes' at the old J.C. Penney and/or department stores? The cashier would put your money and the sales ticket in the cylinder container (a small version of what we now use at the drive-thru windows at banks) and it would travel up the tube to the accounting department upstairs where change would be made and then sent back down the tube to the cashier. That thing always fanscinated me.

Lots of fond memories of growing up in that era.

[Gidget]

Oh, I love the picture of the KMET bumper sticker. "A little bit of heaven,
94.7, KMET Weedledee..." Ace Young, Paraquat Kelly. KLOS held a memorial the day KMET abruptly went off the air. Can't remember the station that replace KMET...KLOS referred to it as a "rinse and spit" station. When I was really little the big rock stations were KFWB and KRLA.

The old phone number prefixes...instead of saying 846-1898 my parents would say TH6-1898 or Thornwall6-1898. I think Glendale was "Citrus" and Canoga Park was "Diamond." Hollywood might have actually been "Hollywood" with "HO" for short.

And the Santa Claus who lived for years on a store rooftop in Carpenteria along the 101? He now resides incongruously in Oxnard along the freeway. Weird.

Which reminds me of Santa's Village near Arrowhead.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Gidget

Oh, I love the picture of the KMET bumper sticker. "A little bit of heaven,
94.7, KMET Weedledee..." Ace Young, Paraquat Kelly. KLOS held a memorial the day KMET abruptly went off the air. Can't remember the station that replace KMET...KLOS referred to it as a "rinse and spit" station. When I was really little the big rock stations were KFWB and KRLA.

The old phone number prefixes...instead of saying 846-1898 my parents would say TH6-1898 or Thornwall6-1898. I think Glendale was "Citrus" and Canoga Park was "Diamond." Hollywood might have actually been "Hollywood" with "HO" for short.

And the Santa Claus who lived for years on a store rooftop in Carpenteria along the 101? He now resides incongruously in Oxnard along the freeway. Weird.

Which reminds me of Santa's Village near Arrowhead.

I typed out the little KMET gingle then bailed out earlier this morning.

I haven't heard "Paraquat Kelly" in 25 years. Awesome.

Now, what are Dr. Demento and Rodney on the Rock doing these days? Jim Ladd? Bob Coburn? the Real Don Steele?

And of course the legendary 93 KHJ.

[benshaton]

I know that the Real Don Steele and Robert W. Morgan are pushing daisys. I think both of them passed away about 10 years ago from Lung Cancer.

However Lloyd Thaxton is still alive and kicking.

Lloyd Thaxton

[Sorcerer68]

When Nirvana Nevermind came out, I knew KNAC's days were numbered. Now, thanks to the internet plus hair plugs and plastic surgery, we can still enjoy our metal through the air and in person...

[Reivax]

Originally Posted by GoodbyeCalifornia

And for the person that mentioned Sambo's...I haven't been up that way since 1999 but at that time the last remaining Sambo's was still open in Santa Barbara. And I have the refrigerator magnet I bought there to prove it. LOL.

I ate at the Sambo's in Palm Desert a few times as a kid. It was connected to a hotel where we stayed when we visited Palm Springs.

Can anyone remember the restaurant owned by the Skipper on Gilligan's Island? I remember the TV commercials, and wishing I could go there, but my parents never took me!
I searched Google, the restaurant was called "The Lobster Barrel" and was on La Cienega. I never would have remembered that name!

How about the Pussycat Theatre (adult movies) at corner of Balboa Blvd and Main St. on Balboa Peninsula? What a weird place for a porn theatre.

the restaurant Belisle's that had absurd servings, on Harbor and Chapman.

A museum in LA, don't know where, it had old props from movies and TV shows. The TV commercial had Billy Barty, and the only thing I can remember from my one visit was a scale model of that submarine in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

the Japanese Deer Gardens in Buena Park

[Reivax]

Originally Posted by Gidget

The old phone number prefixes...instead of saying 846-1898 my parents would say TH6-1898 or Thornwall6-1898. I think Glendale was "Citrus" and Canoga Park was "Diamond." Hollywood might have actually been "Hollywood" with "HO" for short.

I remember that on a TV commercial as a kid, "Richmond-9...."
Might have been carpet store, or carpet cleaners. For some reason I remember the carpet part.

[JustPassinThru]

Originally Posted by Charles

I typed out the little KMET gingle then bailed out earlier this morning.

I haven't heard "Paraquat Kelly" in 25 years. Awesome.

Now, what are Dr. Demento and Rodney on the Rock doing these days? Jim Ladd? Bob Coburn? the Real Don Steele?

And of course the legendary 93 KHJ.

Would like to add Art Laboe, Hunter Hancock, and Wolfman Jack, who were legends in their own time, but your mention of Dr. Demento reminded me of my favorite DJ, Elliot Mintz, who also aired on KPPC.

Did a Google search and learned that Elliot, in addition to doing PR work for George Lennon and Bob Dylan in the past, is now doing PR for the Hilton family. That should keep him busy for awhile.

[jdavid93225]

Originally Posted by benshaton

Wow! This one brings back some memories, too. I didn't listen to KMET very much, but did listen to Dr. Demento once in a while. The next thing I knew, one of L.A.'s trademark radio stations was off the air. This is true of several other stations in the L.A. area, too, or at least they changed format from what they were known for years earlier. A few examples: KLAC (AM 570) and KZLA (93.9 FM) Country, KMPC 710 - the Nostalgia Station (I believe it has changed format), KHJ Hit Radio AM 930 with Rick Dees, and so on.