Dining with the Stars at the Hollywood Heritage Museum

, 3 Comments on Dining with the Stars at the Hollywood Heritage Museum

Back in April Patrick and I visited the Hollywood Heritage Museum for the first time, we also became members when we heard about the variety of planned exhibits slated for the year, and last month they opened a new exhibit, Out with the Stars, a look at Hollywood and its relationship with food and restaurants.

Exterior view of the museum, a small two story bar, with a steep pitched roof. The barn is painted a dark green with white trim. Red, white, and blue bunting hangs along the edge of the porch that wraps around half of the building. A large sign on the roof reads "Hollywood Heritage Museum Lasky-De Mille Barn, ets. 1913."

Myself, with my red hair down and wavy, wearing a white t-shirt featuring the exterior of the Mexican restaurant El Coyote on it, red and tan corduroy shorts, standing inside the museum, with a large banner reading "Out with the Stars Hollywood Heritage Museum" and featuring images of old menus and matchbooks from various restaurants.

As World War II raged, Hollywood stars did their part too, either directly in the war, or entertaining service members. One such place was the Hollywood Canteen. Entirely volunteer run, the Hollywood Canteen opened October 3, 1942, and inside service members could have the chance to interact with a variety of celebrities at the time, from Hedy Lamarr to Bette Davis to Joan Crawford to Roy Rogers and more. The Canteen also provided service members with postcards, where they could write home (with postage paid for by the Canteen) about their experience, or use it to collect autographs from the plethora of stars that happened to be there during their visit. A massive collection of the postcards are on display showcasing how hungry many were to get autographs.

Close-up of a placemat, with reads "Hollywood Canteen" in large red, white, and blue letters and features images of the variety of movie stars that visited.

Overall view of the room displaying artifacts from the Hollywood Canteen.

A collection of matchbooks, including an open one that has text reading "Please accept these matches with my very best wishes. Joan Crawford"

A laminated ID card of a dark haired woman, her photo sits in the lower left. Diagonally across the white card in rope script reads "Hollywood Canteen" and in the upper right corner is the logo, a red and white stripe waving flag with the letters "HC" in blue. Behind the card sits a red square armband that features a large blue star and the letters "HC" embroidered in white.

A collection of service uniforms dating to WWII.

A collection of postcards featuring autographs from the various celebrities that visited the canteen.

A postcard of the Hollywood Canteen with a line of service members out the door.

An autographed photo of Joan Crawford in a glamorous fur, her handwriting reads "Hello to the Canteen from Joan Crawford"

Large overview of the display case that houses a large collection of Hollywood Canteen postcards with autographs from the celebrities that would entertain service members.

A small green satin vest with four large yellow buttons hangs on a white fabric covered torso.

Various forms of identification for the Hollywood Canteen, including a red and white one for a bus boy, and a red white and blue one reading "Dale Tate Doorman"

A paper plate with a patriotic motif of a red and white stripe, and blue and white star shield and an eagle. Below are napkins, that are white with blue lettering reading "Hollywood Canteen For the Boys in the Service"

A datebook from Knott's Berry Farm noting a Japanese attack during World War II, along with table notes reading "We are trying hard to comply with sugar regulations please be patriotically economical in your use of sugar" and "Please note we are rationed on Coffee and Tea. If you can enjoy your dinner using only one cup it would be a patriotic gesture and a favor to us. If you must have a refill, there will be a 5c charge. Knott's Berry Place."

I also enjoyed the nod to Knott’s Berry Farm, and its efforts to help in cooperating with the rationing at the time.

In the main gallery artifacts ranging from menus to cocktail dresses to silverware to ashtrays to neon signs all from Southern California eateries or the personal collection of movie stars!

Overall view of one room, high on a table features mannequins dressed in glamours evening gowns.

Special attention is paid to major watering holes, such as the Brown Derby, which first opened in 1926, and the Ambassador Hotel, which opened New Year’s Day, 1921, and became iconic for its Coconut Grove. Lost today, remnants remain in the form of souvenirs and architectural fragments, such as the ones we saw on a walking tour a few years back.

The Earl Carroll was another icon of Hollywood, featuring “the most beautiful girls in the world.” When it closed the building became home to many other forms of entertainment, including the infamous Aquarius, where Hair was performed. Its last tenant was Nickelodeon. You can learn more about it and see its exterior Aquarius revival, done for Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood here.

Southern California is also home to many tiki bars and Polynesian themed restaurants. From Trader Vic’s to Don the Beachcomber. And while not tiki, but still ocean themed, Los Angeles was also home to Pirates’ Den, a, you guessed it, pirate themed restaurant, which even included a bottle throwing room! For 25 cents you could throw six bottles at illustrations of World War II Axis leaders.

Movie stars couldn’t just eat out, they need to eat on the job too! And I loved the small display case featuring items from studio commissaries. Stars of course also dined at home, and I was really surprised by the variety of personal items that belonged to celebrities, including address books that noted their favorite restaurants, as well as dishes and silverware.

Collection of plates from the Ambassador Hotel.

Close-up of a beaded cape in white satin with red and gold beads.

A gold headpiece, appearing to be made of old gold coins.

A collection of souvenirs from the Brown Derby, including a cigarette box shaped like a derby, a table cloth with a map of the area, and salt and pepper shakers, also shaped like derbies.

Menu for the Brown Derby, featuring an image of the exterior.

Various menus from the Earl Carroll, including an ashtray.

A ceramic dish featuring a woman's legs and gold lettering reading "Earl Carroll Theatre.

Display case housing a collection of items from the Earl Carroll, a nite club.

A grey and white plate features a tiki mask and crossed spears along with a set of chopsticks, the sleeve reads "Trader Vic's"

Menu and napkins from The Western and Yamashiro

Two large tikis sit next to orange curtains.

Ashtray with a large tiki mask and spears, along with cigarette holders, both reading "Trader Vic's" on them.

A red and white menu from The Pirate's Den, featuring an illustration of a pirate.

A red, white, blue, and black matchbook for The Pirate's Den, featuring a pirate and crossed swords.

Large metal letters that once housed neon reads "Coffee Shop"

Menu and swizzle sticks from Musso and Frank's Grill.

Artifacts from Pig'n Whistle, including a menue featuring pigs dancing down a path, and a ceramic figure of a pig with a flute.

A neon sign reads "Spanish Food" in blue letters. Below a photograph of how it appeared on the restaurant El Cholo

Collection of plates and menus from various restaurants.

An ashtray from El Coyote. featuring an image of a sombrero, and text reading "Spanish-Mexican Food El Coyote Cafe 7312 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, Calif."

Ashtrays, sticker, and matchbook from the Garden of Allah.

A menu from the Walt Disney Studio featuring a sleepy Donald Duck holding a cup of coffee, and red script reading "Good Morning"

Menu for the MGM commissary, with images movies being made.

Menu for Paramount Pictures Cafe Continental, blue with grey detail and the logo of the Paramount mountain.

Eva Gabor's address book, noting she kept the information for the restaurant St. Germain.

A white plate with a colorful floral pattern, next to it a small card that reads "Kindly present this card at Pickfair Admit one only"

Collection of silverware, monogrammed with a T, belonging to Norma Shearer and Irving Thalberg.

Myself, with my red hair down and wavy, wearing a white t-shirt featuring the exterior of the Mexican restaurant El Coyote on it, red and tan corduroy shorts, and a red purse and red shoes, standing outside the barn.

Experience the glamour of old Hollywood dining at Hollywood Heritage Museum located at 2100 Highland Avenue in Los Angeles. Out with the Stars lasts through September 8. Learn more, including hours, on Hollywood Heritage Museum’s website.

What’s Nearby?

Crossroads of the World

Gower Gulch

Griffith Park Attractions

Various Hollywood Boulevard Attractions

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3 comments on “Dining with the Stars at the Hollywood Heritage Museum”

  3. “Dining with the Stars” sounds amazing! Combining Hollywood history with elegance is a fantastic idea. Thanks for sharing this exciting event!

    Reply