Post #303296 by Son-of-Kelbo on Tue, May 1, 2007 2:10 PM

“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.”

Been so busy this past week or so, I was surprised to get a call from Jay Platt at the LA Conservancy yesterday afternoon. I hadn’t seen him since our get-together at Trader Vic’s BH on the last (and turns out it would indeed be the last) “Save Trader Vic’s 90210” gathering on March 17th, although we had briefly exchanged emails, and I was looking forward to catching up with what the LAC and ModComs had been discussing. He thanked me again for the research and phone logs I'd sent along last month, and then gave me the grim news. Closed?! What a thin blade was used here...

After all, those of us (you know who you are) who were there passing out our first “Save TV’s 90210” stickers to a packed house last St. Patty’s, were told by several members of the Staff they had been given the impression the place wouldn’t be closed until ’08. Well, “Forget it, Jake.” The Fix is In.

Hopefully the sum of these TC posts may serve as an example of how a group of people who cared about saving a legend got their “votes” at least noticed by some of the key “officials involved”, who possibly may have seen the writing could be starting on the opposite wall, if those who voted were joined by still more “voters” in the glare of any future open debate. Most especially before the Preservation Convention is held in LA this month, where a dedicated campaign may have gained some formidable allies.

That’s probably why there’s been no “Farewell Event” announced – the cowardly fashion of this quietly abrupt termination is as insensitive and inelegant -– and disrespective of our history -- as the rest of what’s planned to take TV’s place. ('Hey, like we’re gonna let “some little restaurant” stall the “Manhattanization of Beverly Hills”…? Sheesh, get outta the way, kid. We’re doin’ this our way, whatever it is anybody wants, get it?')

And I’ll say it here now, I’m calling every executive who had anything to do with formulating, approving, and executing this extermination of one of the world’s grand palaces of Polynesian Pop, beloved by its patrons high and low, complicit in what appears to be the craven attempt to close TV’s 90210 with as little noise as possible. I’m also calling upon them to redeem themselves in two ways:

1.) Throw Trader Vic’s a PROPER farewell. Tab’s on Benny, who’s not invited, but goes high on it anyway. Spend for a nicely produced video documentary, some quality Ken Burns-ish photomontage so everyone’ll see TVsBH's unique history and guests, intercut with some history on the life of Vic Bergeron, and coverage from the lavishly promoted and star-studded "Trader Vic's Farewell Bash" (did we mention that’s all on Benny?) AND,

2.) Do an “Indiana Jones”-level “archaeological rescue”: every bit of wood, rope, glass & iron. Insist that Trader Vic’s décor and architecture not be "parted out" and scattered to the wind, but carefully dismantled to be reassembled elsewhere -– with museum-caliber recreation. Like there’s not enough money and talent for this in Hollywoodland? Oh, please. Benny “and the gang” really ought to pony up a few mil for turning our hallowed ground into a f—ing driveway for the Bloatdorff, and it could be very good for his kharma, which he may want to look to, considering quite a number of TC Members do, in fact, own tikis, which we all know harbor strange and mysterious powers. So, decent $$, Benny, no scrimping.

Let us not suffer The Developers’ (and their Complicits’) quietly brutal victory without demanding an appeal as the vanquished to their invaders – throw a G**Damned Party, at least! Don’t knife her in the dark. ‘Cause I say that’s the way it looks to me. So go on put egg on my face. Make me a liar. THROW A REAL FAREWELL BASH, in and for this most urbanely storied of tiki bars. If the media won’t come for the mission, maybe they’ll show up for the wake.

I don’t know who else may agree here, but as for me those are my sentiments, as well as my appeal for a strangely ethical, sadly profitable demonstration of conscience from Among Those in power who may regard TV’s lore and memory as much as those who spoke out against her loss, and can make a good show of things if they want to. Let them show us they do understand and at least theoretically value the importance of special places in the world, even if money can indeed buy them.

These TC Threads now become part of Trader Vic’s BH lore, here in the century after she was built, chronicling her (as it would turn out) last months as a still-thriving, alluring and notorious adventure in drinking and dining, her reputation as glossy as ever. She will be remembered as a true oasis in a sea of palms swaying against a tropical sky, where the tikis came from Oceania (& Oceanic Arts), the rum from the Blue Caribbean, the fittings from “The Mutiny On The Bounty”, the personality from Old and New Hollywood -- and the food came on fire, sprinkled with a bit of stardust.

Aloha to the Fighters and the Voters, and all those who loved her and wished her well.

SOK

(ps: Last-minute checking before posting here with the Hilton's executive offices, according to whom, portions of the bar and decor have already been dismantled and are being refitted into the "C-55" venue. No "Trader Vic's branding" is to be evident, I was told, and Trader Vic's Beverly Hills is not going to reopen. What a brilliantly dirty move to rip her heart out to use as filler for some cobbled-up nightspot. Even if a resituation could've been negotiated, she's already been "chopped". Grrrrr.)

"Don't let it be forgot,
That once there was a Spot,
Where Blowfish all wore sunglasses,
and Tiki-times were hot..."

[ Edited by: Son-of-Kelbo 2007-05-01 18:04 ]