The Lucite Wall in Kelbo's, Los Angeles - General Tiki

B bigbrotiki Tiki Socialite Tiki Island, above the Silverlake Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 11621	B bigbrotiki Posted posted on Thu, Apr 26, 2007 9:48 PM Hi Annabellie, it is always great to hear from relatives of original Tiki Bar owners. Are you Tom Kelly's granddaughter? I wish I had more images than these but at least I have an exterior: This building, with the lighthouse, was built after the original burned down in 1960. Apparently Tom and June Kelly lived in the penthouse apartment (complete with lap pool) above the restaurant. There also was a location on Fairfax avenue, of which I have never seen pictures. I used to go to Kelbos in the late 80s/early 90s, when Joey Cheezhee had his lounge revival events there. He actually might know a lot more about it, he became friends with Tom Kelly and must have heard lots of stories. It was an amazing place inside, a Beachcomber style, found art museum. I usually don't like to post material of this inferior quality, but for your benefit, here is a B&W copy of a brochure. Maybe someone here has an original, I would love to get a good color copy version of it: It has some really nice info about the resin window... ...and the map of the various artifacts is really great, too: What information can you contribute, I am always grateful for any tit-bits? Here is a close up of the cocktail menu lightboxes they had at every table, these must have been put in in the 70s: I also have three more photos from Kelbo's in my "Book of Tiki": The Tiki by the juke box, and the mug on page 178, and the sign on page 170 I somehow remember hearing that one of the two owners, either Kelly or Bouk, was involved with Horrace Heidt's band, that's why they had the "swing dance under the coco bowl" events up until the 80s, where lots of old folk gathered to exercise their dance legs: Here's a jacket pin I just dug up, this design was also on their T-shirts. And for the life of me I can't remember what bifcozz had posted above once, and what I got so excited about...and I sure wonder why it's not up there anymore!? Wooo...what happened? I just checked, and ALL of Biff's posts are erased! Did someone piss him off? Was he 86ed? Too bad, he had added some valuable material here. [ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2007-04-27 06:12 ]

Hi Annabellie, it is always great to hear from relatives of original Tiki Bar owners. Are you Tom Kelly's granddaughter? I wish I had more images than these but at least I have an exterior:

This building, with the lighthouse, was built after the original burned down in 1960. Apparently Tom and June Kelly lived in the penthouse apartment (complete with lap pool) above the restaurant. There also was a location on Fairfax avenue, of which I have never seen pictures.

I used to go to Kelbos in the late 80s/early 90s, when Joey Cheezhee had his lounge revival events there. He actually might know a lot more about it, he became friends with Tom Kelly and must have heard lots of stories. It was an amazing place inside, a Beachcomber style, found art museum.

I usually don't like to post material of this inferior quality, but for your benefit, here is a B&W copy of a brochure.
Maybe someone here has an original, I would love to get a good color copy version of it:

It has some really nice info about the resin window...

...and the map of the various artifacts is really great, too:

What information can you contribute, I am always grateful for any tit-bits?
Here is a close up of the cocktail menu lightboxes they had at every table, these must have been put in in the 70s:

I also have three more photos from Kelbo's in my "Book of Tiki":
The Tiki by the juke box, and the mug on page 178, and the sign on page 170

I somehow remember hearing that one of the two owners, either Kelly or Bouk, was involved with Horrace Heidt's band, that's why they had the "swing dance under the coco bowl" events up until the 80s, where lots of old folk gathered to exercise their dance legs:

Here's a jacket pin I just dug up, this design was also on their T-shirts.

And for the life of me I can't remember what bifcozz had posted above once,
and what I got so excited about...and I sure wonder why it's not up there anymore!?

Wooo...what happened? I just checked, and ALL of Biff's posts are erased! Did someone piss him off? Was he 86ed? Too bad, he had added some valuable material here.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2007-04-27 06:12 ]

Post #302164 by bigbrotiki on Thu, Apr 26, 2007 9:48 PM