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1 - W.C. Fields The boozy comedic star who advised, “Never give a sucker an even break” and who wrote his hilarious films under noms de plume like Mahatma Kane Jeeves and Otis Cribblecoblis, is believed to have been a resident ofVenice. 2 - Stan Laurel The slender half of the Laurel & Hardy comic team (who made some of their Hal Roach films on theVenice Pier) lived his last years inVenice – he had a listed phone number and a welcome smile for visitors and fans. Shortly before his death in 1965 he helped with the failed attempt to save The Gas House inVenice, a hangout of the Beat Poets. 3 - Dennis Wilson Drummer/VocalistWilson was the Beach Boy who actually surfed. He lived in various locales around town and, during his rowdy days, referred to himself as “Dennis the Menace fromVenice”. 4 - Mae West Believed to be an earlyVenice resident, the saucy diamond-loving sex symbol toured the country with a well-oiled bodybuildermale revue that includedVenicemusclemaven JoeGold. 5 - Jim Morrison Walking along the beach in Venice, musician Ray Manzarek and poet Jim Morrison invented “The Doors”, the break-on-through band that included Robbie Krieger and John Densmore.The band name was taken from The Doors of Perception written by Aldous Huxley – a chronicle of experiments with mescaline. Morrison once lived on the canals and the Rip Cronk mural featuring him has become the signature worldwide image of “Venice Beach”. 6 - Janis Joplin Legend has it that this legendary woman of soul with the beautifully thrashed voice tried her first marijuana joint in a local coffeehouse and used to crash sometimes at the poetry/socialist bookstore that used to be at 5 Dudley (next to Sponto). Janis was a Texas gal who came to free-spiritedVenice shortly after finishing high school. Her hometown was rife with conservative prejudices but she could cross into Louisiana where the blues were live and the drinking age was 18. After success in San Francisco with Big Brother & The Holding Company (she was soon driving a Porche with a psychedelic paint job), Janis came back toVenice to perform her signature bluesy rock at the Cheetah Club. Drug and alcohol binges though plagued her short career – she died of a heroin overdose in 1970 at the age of 27. 7 & 8 - Daniel Samakow + James Evans Your restaurateur hosts enjoy providingVenetians with comfortable great places to eat like James Beach and The Canal Club. Danny, a painter and graduate of Cal-Arts majored in Happenings and Environments, the perfect training for a restaurateur. Dan and James, longtime community boosters, take special pride in the décor of Danny’s which celebrates the fascinatingVenice timeline in this historicWindward location. 9 - Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Chaplin’s “Little Tramp” character, perhaps the world’s most recognizable comedic incarnation, was born right here - he first appeared in the 1914 film“Kid Auto Races atVenice”. Running only 6 minutes, it features newsreel photographers trying to record a soap box derby while Charlie suffers any indignity to get himself in the shot.This simple piece of goofing around launched a phenomenon. The location for the film was Westminster and Main. 10 - Buster Keaton The second of the three greatest silent film comics, Keaton, like Chaplin and Lloyd, used Venice attractions for some of his screen classics. “The Cameraman” features a wonderful segment inside the saltwaterVenice Plunge with Buster sporting a ridiculous oversized rental wool bathing suit, complete with stenciled “V”. He got his start from friend Roscoe “Fatty”Arbuckle (also aVenetian) who became owner of the Tigers baseball team 4 years after the franchise returned to the city ofVernon from its short stint (1913-15) inVenice. 11 - Gregory Hines Gregory Hines, the stylish tap dancer, choreographer, director, producer, writer, singer and host lived inVenice with his sweetheart Negrita Jayde until his untimely death at age 57. Ms. Jayde, a professional bodybuilder, started her career with the Miss Venice Beach Contest in 1983. Hines tap danced and sang on Broadway in "Eubie" and "Sophisticated Ladies," and in films like "The Cotton Club," "White Nights" and "Bojangles." Now he's dancing up a storm in Heaven. 12, 13 & 14 - Tony Bill, Liza Minnelli + Dudley Moore Tony, Liza, and Dudley were partners in 72 Market St. – theVenice restaurant that was ground zero for the glitterati for 18 years. Minnelli and Moore could often be found by the piano – sometimes on, sometimes under. Actor (“Come BlowYour Horn”), producer (“The Sting”), director (“Flyboys”) Bill is a longtime resident and collector of Venice history. Postcards from his collection are seen throughout the deli.Tony Bill’s production studio on Market St. has been home to a fabled list of filmmakers and performers for over 30 years. 15 - Ray Bradbury Our most prolific and successful resident author has written three mysteries set inVenice (Death Is A Lonely Business, A Graveyard For Lunatics, Let’s All Kill Constance). If you travel East from here onVenice Blvd. you will see the old brick power station on your right – now a printing studio.The little detached garage next door was once Bradbury’s humble studio and the place where he wrote “The Martian Chronicles”. 16 - Lou Ferrigno Another featured star of “Pumping Iron,” Ferrigno became the youngest ever bodybuilder to become Mr. Universe. This Gold’s Gym alumni overcame a childhood infection that led to the permanent loss of 80% of his hearing. His famous physique brought him a television series (“The Incredible Hulk”) in 1977 and film roles like “Hercules”. 17 - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger The most famous bodybuilder in the world, our future Governator was introduced to Gold’s Gym by legend JoeWeider in 1968. His mainstream attention came from the film “Pumping Iron”. “Conan the Barbarian” established him as an action star. His Honor Arnold has owned property here for years and has a restaurant, Schatzi’s On Main, famous for it’s cigar bar and authentic Austrian cuisine. The unlicensed t-shirts featuring Arnold’s muscular frame are certainly the longest selling souvenirs on theVenice boardwalk. 18 - Joe Gold In 1965 Joe Gold opened his now world famousVenice gym. He welded the specialized equipment himself to help turn men into supermen (the ladies soon followed).The beefcake factory was a featured location in “Pumping Iron” (1977).Gold was a Navy man duringWWII and injured during a torpedo attack in the Philippines. He spent many years sailing the world with the merchant marines before settling down to build his historic gym.Gold made the muscles that made the modern Muscle Beach. 19 - Shari Robins Chef extraordinaire for Danny’s as well as being the founding chef for James’ Beach and Barney Greengrass as well as overseeing the Canal Club. Shari has worked with some of the greatest chefs in America including Eli Zabar, Larry Forgione, JonathanWaxman and Bruce Marder. Shari has had her food written up in most major food publications including Gourmet and Food & Wine magazines. 20 - Angelica Huston Daughter of the director John Huston, Academy AwardWinning Actress and the star of such films at “Prizzi’s Honor” and “The Addams Family”, Huston is married to local artist Robert Graham. Graham, who is famous for his bronze figures, created a statue of Duke Ellington for the St. Marks Jazz club that once was in this location. It was a model for the life-size statue now in Central Park, NewYork. 21 - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa The 41st Mayor of Los Angeles is a UCLA graduate and popular progressive leader. Villaraigosa completes a significant cycle in the history of this area. He is the first Hispanic mayor of Los Angeles since 1872 – a time when the Ballona Land Grant was held by the Machado family. 22 - Oliver Stone Film director Stone spun twoVenice stories into Oscar winning gold. For “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989) he co-wrote the screenplay with fellowVietnam vet and anti-war activist Ron Kovic – they worked together on the story at The Sidewalk Café. For “The Doors” (1991) Stone came toVenice for authentic locations. |
23 - Ron Kovic ThisVietnam veteran went from gung ho Marine to anti-war activist and veteran rights advocate – a journey recounted in his autobiography, “Born on the Fourth of July”. 24 - Harold Lloyd The bespectacled silent film comic (3rd of the 3 greats) made several classics inVenice. Abbot Kinney installed a miniature steam train so that visitors could tour the sights – and available real estate – of his new resort. Lloyd can be seen riding off in the little train in “Number Please” (1920).On off hours he loved to compete in dance contests and won cups at venues like the popular Ship Café. 25 - Orson Welles For his 1958 noir cult classic “Touch of Evil,”Welles starred, directed, and wrote the screenplay adaptation.The seedy state ofWindward and the St. Marks Hotel made it easy for the area to pass for a Mexican border town.The 3-minute tracking shot through the area has become legendary. 26 - Tongva Native American This young woman represents the Tongva/Gabrielino Native Americans, first known inhabitants of the Los Angeles Basin. “Topanga” and “Malibu” (Maliwuu) are from the Tongva language.The thatch for their dome-shaped homes came from the grasses along Ballona Creek. Incredibly, the tribe whose ancestors met Cabrillo in 1542, is currently in a fight to gain federal recognition. 27 - Jay Adams The youngest of the Dogtown Z-Boys grew up inVenice and made his name as one of the world’s greatest skateboard freestylers. Stacy Peralta and Craig Stecyk recounted the story in their documentary “Dogtown and Z Boys” (2001). It was given a dramatic turn a few years later in “Lords of Dogtown”. A surfer/skater for life, Adams named his son “Venice”. 28 - George Freeth Freeth (born in Oahu in 1883) revived the ancient royal sport of surfing after it had been suppressed by black clad missionaries (too sexually stimulating they thought!). Abbot Kinney hired the young athlete who was billed as “The man who can walk on water!” Freeth organized theVeniceVolunteer Life-Saving Corps and received the Congressional Medal of Honor for saving the lives of a group of Japanese fisherman whose boats had foundered off theVenice coast. 29 - Duke Kahanamoku Where friend and mentor George Freeth popularized surfing in the US, Duke became surfing ambassador to the world. The Olympic gold medalist (1912) often exhibited his style on a redwood “log” by the Venice Pier. Kahanamoku’s classic image is central to any illustrated history of surfing. 30 - Aimee Semple Mcpherson Radio televangelist “Sister Aimee”, who built the 5300-seat Angeleus Temple in LA, faked a drowning death off Venice. 2 individuals died in rescue attempts. She turned up a month later claiming to have been kidnapped but had actually been off on a spree with one of her married employees. 31 - Myrna Loy While a student atVenice High, Myrna (thenWilliams) was 16 years-old when she posed for a statue that used to grace the school grounds. The statue, by sculptor HarryWinebrenner, is seen briefly in the film“Grease”. Loy, the future star of “The Thin Man” series, also graced a “Spirit ofVenice” float for the 1922 Rose Parade. 32 - Pamela Anderson The pneumatic sex symbol star of “Baywatch” was often inVenice for location shooting. The actress and “Playboy” centerfold is rumored to have made at least one boardwalk performer’s day with a $100 tip! 33 - Abbot Kinney “The Doge” cameWest from NJ after a European tour and making his fortune in tobacco. As a developer and conservationist, Kinney, who could speak six languages, had many passions - forest preservation, plant cultivation, public libraries, and the plight of Native Americans (with friend and “Ramona” author Helen Hunt Jackson). He then focused his tireless energy on making his “Venice of America” dream city the site of a cultural renaissance. When the chautauqua clunked he settled for a carnival and camel rides. Either way, the charming beach resort community with its canals, lagoon, amusement pier and Italianate architecture was an instant success. 34 - Peter Goulds Part of the upper tier of the generously diverse Venice art community, Goulds is the Founding Director of the internationally known L.A. Louver Gallery and art representative for many famous artists including David Hockney, Ken Price, and Tony Berlant, who’s large piece of Saint Mark, made for this location when it was the St. Marks Jazz Club, can be seen on your right as you enter Danny’s. 35 - Arthur Reese Reese is acknowledged as the first African American businessman and resident ofVenice. His artistic skills were such that Abbot Kinney named him the official town decorator. He dressed up the streets and entertainment centers for events, and oversaw the construction of imaginative floats and giant papier mache heads for local Mardi Gras parades. His spirit is kept alive today by events like Carnevale and the Mardi Gras parade. Many of the photographs of old Venice are courtesy of the Arthur Reese Foundation through the Venice Historical Society. His family still resides in Venice. 36 & 37 - Simone Scharff + Werner Scharff Werner and Simone have been longtime supporters of business and the arts inVenice. Werner’s wise early investments in local real estate led to historic holdings.The Scharffs most visible contribution to the community endures in the incredible murals of Rip Cronk. Through a unique and generous patronage, Scharff buildings became Cronk canvasses which in turn became international icons of Venice. 38 - Ann Everest Friend and business partner ofWerner Scharff, Ann sharesWerner & Simone’s love of Venice. She continues his legacy of preservation and revitalization, most recently with this establishment. 39 - John Thomas Once a manager of The Gas House, big Beat Bohemian John Thomas stirred heads and hearts with his poetry - a growling deep voice made his readings powerful.Thomas was a commanding figure of Los Angeles’ avant-garde for 40 years. He came toVenice seeking a life of poetry and Zen simplicity in 1959. He called his “Conspiracy” (beginning in 1968) and finally his marriage (in the early 80’s) to poet laureate ofVenice, Philomene Long “My Resurrection” - she was his muse, igniting a renewed creativity that continued until his death in 2002. 40 - James Dean The perpetual Hollywood icon of tortured youth and 50’s sex appeal, Dean made the scene when he introduced his pal Dennis Hopper to theVeniceWest poetry lounge (now Sponto Gallery).The race car-loving actor who starred in “RebelWithout A Cause”,“East of Eden”, and “Giant” had perhaps the shortest brightest career in Hollywood history. 41 - Dennis Hopper Actor/Director/Painter/Photographer/Art Connoisseur and all-round counterculture bad boy, Hopper has been a long-time resident ofVenice in his Frank Gehry-designed home. “Easy Rider” helped define a generation and perhaps no one spun harder into the funnel of free love, drugs, and rock and roll than Hopper.That he came out the other end alive is a miracle. Hopper directed a study of LA gang violence “Colors” in 1988 and used several Venice locations including the current site of The Canal Club.One of Hopper’s pieces of art can be seen over the bar. 42 - Rip Cronk Pictured in self portrait with airbrush in hand, Cronk fits in well with the famous figures of Venice. He is very probably the artist most identified with this unique beach town.This is because, in a colony of artists, no one has more permanent public art on display than Cronk. His Scharff-sponsored works include “Venice Reconstituted” on the west side of this building, theVan Gogh inspired “Homage to a Starry Knight” on Ocean FrontWalk, “Morning Shot” on Speedway depicting Jim Morrison, and the 5-story portrait of Abbot Kinney on Venice Blvd. at Pacific. Cronk currently raises Paint horses under the gaze of Mt. Shasta and returns regularly for upkeep on his murals.The Deli is honored to present his latest work – yet another contribution of history and myth. | |||
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ARTIFACTS Papier Mache Head This depiction of Emil Zapata was created by Joanne Carrabio’sVenice HS art students for the 2005Venice Centennial Parade. It was part of an art history project initiated by Todd von Hoffmann to honor the work of Arthur Reese who created giant heads of this kind in pastVenice Mardi Gras celebrations.This project was made possible with the help of Sonya Reese Davis, granddaughter of Arthur, and instruction by Michelle Berne of Celebration Arts, a current master of the art of giant puppetry. Gondola This is an original gondola which used to ply the canals and lagoon of Abbot Kinney’s Venice-of-America and is the last known of its kind.The gondolas are believed to have come, not fromVenice, Italy as you might think, but from theVenetian Exhibit at the 1904 St. Louis Exposition. It’s certainly the most rare and valuable artifact of this area’s past. When asked how he came by such a prize,Werner Scharff remarked with typical offhand humor, “It’s easy – you just find a building that has one and you buy it!” Antique Bathing Costume This is an original bathing suit that would have been seen onVenice beaches from 1910 to about 1918. It belonged to Towyna “Mickey”Thomas (1908-1988), an actress who was married to Eddie Dolly (brother of the famous Dolly Sisters). Thomas may have worn it as part of a vaudeville routine. This wonderfully preserved suit is on loan from former Venetian Guy Anderson whose grandmother was friends with Thomas.
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