In the 1940s and 1950s, the author was a fledgling actor, part-time house painter, parking attendant, "snoop" for the Fred Otash Detective Agency, and manager of Googie's, a celebrated coffee shop next to Schwab's drug store. He was privy to all the gossip, brawls, and excitement that took place at the Mocambo, Ciro's, The Players, Crescendo, Villa Nova, and other glamorous night spots along the Strip.

The book that helped spark the retro craze for fifties architecture and introduced the term googie to the world is back! First published by Chronicle in 1986, this key survey of mid-century coffee shop and commercial architecture is still the standard work on the subject Googie Redux is a thoroughly revised and expanded edition of the classic and perennial top-selling book that rekindled the craze for 1950s coffee shop and commercial architecture. Long derided by critics as popular folly, the style - so named after John Lautner's eccentric Los Angeles coffee shop - was emblematic of Southern California's car-oriented architecture. By the time of the first edition's debut, these buildings were being demolished by the score. Alan Hess' 1985 Chronicle book did much not only to educate, legitimize, and popularize the style that characterized this endangered architecture, but it helped spark a resurgence of interest into midcentury modern design. Completely revised and significantly expanded in both text and images (some of them recently unearthed for this edition), this redesigned package features is still an entertaining and informative look at the rise, fall, and resurgence of the commercial architecture that changed the American landscape. Includes a greatly expanded guided tour of the iconic buildings in Southern California.

An affectionate history of the architecture, design, and décor of American chain restaurants, from their beginnings in the 1870s (the early Harvey Houses at railroad stations on the Western frontier) to the mid-1980s (McDonald's, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, etc.). Illustrated with more than 150 black-and-white or full-color photographs, paintings, architectural renderings, floor plans, postcards, and much more.--From publisher description.

Maila Nurmi, the beautiful and sheltered daughter of Finnish immigrants, stepped off the bus in 1941 Los Angeles intent on finding fame and fortune. She found men eager to take advantage of her innocence and beauty but was determined to find success and love. Her inspired design and portrayal of a vampire won a costume contest that lead to a small role on the Red Skelton show which grew into a persona that brought her the notoriety she desired yet trapped her in a character she could never truly escape. This is Malia’s story. Her diaries, notes, and ephemera and family stories bring new insights to her relationships with Orson Welles, James Dean, and Marlon Brando. Sandra Niemi—Malia’s niece—fills in the nuances of her life prior to fame and her struggles after the limelight faded and she found a new community within the burgeoning Los Angeles punk scene who embraced her as their own. , Includes rare photographs.

Sally Kellerman's portrayal of Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in Robert Altman's M*A*S*H remains a landmark performance. Throughout her long career Kellerman has been a real dame -- honest, down-to-earth, sultry, funny, and unfiltered. In Read My Lips, Kellerman shares colorful tales of her years as an up-and-coming actress in the early 60s, when Hollywood was a small neighborhood full of chance encounters. To pay for acting classes (ten dollars each, alongside the likes of Jack Nicholson) she waited tables at a coffee house on the Sunset Strip that was a hangout for Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen, and Warren Beatty. While she watered her lawn one morning in her bathrobe, Ringo Starr stopped in his convertible to say he'd just moved into the neighborhood and she should drop by; during the Vietnam War, she dated Henry Kissinger. Over the years, there were drugs, affairs, diets, and therapy, a music album, a marriage, and motherhood. As the innocence of the 1950s collided with the free spirit of the 1960s, everything felt new and exciting, and Sally Kellerman was right in the middle of it. In Read My Lips Sally transports us back to that unique era and shares the challenges and rewards of her marriage, children, and her iconic career.

For the first time in paperback, this valuable biography by the president of Marilyn Monroe’s UK fan club contains the most comprehensive collection of primary source material on Marilyn Monroe, covering all stages of her life. It includes seventy rare and unpublished photographs. They include locations from various periods of her life—the schools she attended as Norma Jeane, the ballroom where she danced with first husband Jim Dougherty, the street where Marilyn claimed she was attacked by an intruder, and candid shots of her on the sets of films. Morgan has also interviewed every single person accessible who knew or was related to Marilyn in any way, including the main players in her life, as well as work colleagues, and more casual acquaintances. More than fifty interviewees are featured, many who’ve never gone on the record before, including contacts from her orphaned childhood and early years—details of which until now have remained mysterious. Documentary sources range from the private testimony of her gynecologist, to the previously undisclosed Laurence Olivier papers relating to Marilyn’s time in England. Following a series of sensationalist biographies of Marilyn Monroe in recent years, this comprehensive, meticulously researched volume brings an important, fresh perspective to the many controversies in her life, and will serve as an essential sourcebook of documentary and photographic evidence.

For over 100 years, Huntington Beach, a.k.a. "Surf City, USA," has come to represent the true beach culture of Southern California. Originally called Pacific City, it was when railroad magnate Henry Huntington first ran his train line down in 1904 from Los Angeles, approximately 40 miles north, that the then-quaint beach town took on the name that made it famous around the state and around the world. In 1914, the legendary George Freeth put on a surfing exhibition the day the city's vaunted concrete pier was opened, which christened Huntington Beach as a soon-to-be surfing mecca. It became a boomtown after oil was discovered in 1920 and, several decades later, morphed once again into a cradle of aerospace engineering when companies such as Boeing arrived. Throughout its tumultuous and dramatic history, Huntington Beach has always boasted a cast of colorful and profound characters. From the first mayor, Ed Manning, to Medal of Honor-recipient Chris Carr, from the Zamboni family (who invented the ice-cleaning machine) to baseball star Jeff Kent: the list is almost endless. But it is not just professional athletes, actors, and rock stars; it is the teachers, crossing guards, merchants, and activists that give Huntington Beach its well-earned reputation as one of the most interesting and charismatic cities in the state.

Following a number of sensationalist biographies of Marilyn Monroe in recent years, this comprehensive, meticulously researched volume brings an important fresh perspective on the many controversies in her life. It is essential reading for anyone interested in Marilyn Monroe and the Golden Age of Hollywood. This new edition of Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed has been thoroughly revised and expanded to include an additional 60,000 words. It reveals a very different Marilyn from the celluloid invention. For the first volume, Michelle Morgan interviewed approximately 100 people who knew or were related to Marilyn in some way, including key figures in her life - family and friends, as well as work colleagues, and more casual acquaintances. This new edition includes information gleaned from many more interviews, as well as additional family background and many new stories. Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed is the most comprehensive Monroe biography yet. It covers her trip to England in great detail and gives the true story behind the making of The Prince and the Showgirl. Praise for the 2007 hardback illustrated edition of Marilyn Monroe, Private and Undisclosed: 'A gorgeous collection offering a fascinating insight into Monroe's personal life.' Woman & Home 'A touching portrayal of the star in her more private moments.' Empire 'This candid and often surprising study of the screen legend provides another view of her.' Red

Take an illustrated tour of America’s stylish and historic mid-century restaurants in this volume of color photographs and vintage ephemera. Over the years, the softly lit wood-paneled interiors, starched tablecloths, curved booths, tuxedoed captains, and tableside service that once defined continental-style fine dining have given way to more contemporary trends. Yet in American cities large and small, a few historic restaurants have maintained their classic character and old-school ambiance. With vivid new color photography and fascinating vintage ephemera, Classic Dining celebrates the great mid-century restaurants that continue to thrive in New York, the greater Miami area, New Orleans, Las Vegas, the Chicago area, Los Angeles, and across the United States. This volume also includes a directory of mid-century restaurants across America.