Samoa Lanes Bowling Alley, Santa Monica, CA (other) - Locating Tiki

D Dustycajun Tiki Socialite Santa Barbara, CA Joined: Nov 16, 2007 Posts: 5295	D Dustycajun Posted posted on Sat, Apr 23, 2011 12:39 PM Name:Samoa Lanes Bowling Alley Type:other Street:5th and Broadway City:Santa Monica State:CA Zip: country:USA Phone: Status:defunct Description: Here is another location from a genre that is one of my favorites - Tiki bowling alleys. I picked up this matchbook from the Samoa Lanes that was located in Santa Monica. You can see that there was a large Tiki-like figure on the top of the bowling alley sign out front. The back of the matchbook lists the amenities - I am thinking that the lounge had to have some Poly Pop style. Dr Z posted these award plaques from the Samoa Lanes that show a better image of the logo Tiki. Sure would love to see a photo of that sign. The sister location was the Civic Lanes that had a very cool mid-century design I found a little bit of info on the developer: In 1960, Lesser developed a bowling alley in Indio, California, at a cost of $750,000 (5,445,364 when adjusted for inflation). In 1959, he built the $2 million (15,069,874 when adjusted for inflation) “Beach City” Santa Monica Civic Lanes in Santa Monica, California, also designed to house the Santa Monica Civic Club, and Samoa Lanes at 5th and Broadway in Santa Monica, both with 24 lanes “equipped with automated pinsetters, a billiard room, children’s playroom, coffee shop, and cocktail lounge”. By 1962, Lesser had developed nine bowling alleys. The biggest was Parkway Lanes in El Cajon, developed at a cost of $1 million with 60 alleys. It featured five acres for parking. The facility had “varied entertainment rivaling the best in night clubs”, according to the Los Angeles Times, with headliners such as Louis Prima, Lili St. Cyr, Johnny Ray, Frankie Lane, and Roberta Linn who appeared at Parkway, developed by Lesser with Irvin Kahn and George Hirsch. Lesser and Ted Bentley developed Legion Lanes into a 44-lane bowling alley from the Hollywood American Legion Stadium boxing arena, at El Centro and Hollywood Blvd., for $2 million ($14,520,971 when adjusted for inflation). The facility included a playroom for children, cocktail bar, billiard room, and snack bar. NBC provided its lot for temporary parking during construction, and Milt Enright became manager of the facility. From back in the day when bowling alleys were hip. DC

Name:Samoa Lanes Bowling Alley
Type:other
Street:5th and Broadway
City:Santa Monica
State:CA
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct

Description:

Here is another location from a genre that is one of my favorites - Tiki bowling alleys. I picked up this matchbook from the Samoa Lanes that was located in Santa Monica. You can see that there was a large Tiki-like figure on the top of the bowling alley sign out front.

The back of the matchbook lists the amenities - I am thinking that the lounge had to have some Poly Pop style.

Dr Z posted these award plaques from the Samoa Lanes that show a better image of the logo Tiki.

Sure would love to see a photo of that sign.

The sister location was the Civic Lanes that had a very cool mid-century design

I found a little bit of info on the developer:

In 1960, Lesser developed a bowling alley in Indio, California, at a cost of $750,000 (5,445,364 when adjusted for inflation). In 1959, he built the $2 million (15,069,874 when adjusted for inflation) “Beach City” Santa Monica Civic Lanes in Santa Monica, California, also designed to house the Santa Monica Civic Club, and Samoa Lanes at 5th and Broadway in Santa Monica, both with 24 lanes “equipped with automated pinsetters, a billiard room, children’s playroom, coffee shop, and cocktail lounge”.

By 1962, Lesser had developed nine bowling alleys. The biggest was Parkway Lanes in El Cajon, developed at a cost of $1 million with 60 alleys. It featured five acres for parking. The facility had “varied entertainment rivaling the best in night clubs”, according to the Los Angeles Times, with headliners such as Louis Prima, Lili St. Cyr, Johnny Ray, Frankie Lane, and Roberta Linn who appeared at Parkway, developed by Lesser with Irvin Kahn and George Hirsch.

Lesser and Ted Bentley developed Legion Lanes into a 44-lane bowling alley from the Hollywood American Legion Stadium boxing arena, at El Centro and Hollywood Blvd., for $2 million ($14,520,971 when adjusted for inflation). The facility included a playroom for children, cocktail bar, billiard room, and snack bar. NBC provided its lot for temporary parking during construction, and Milt Enright became manager of the facility.

From back in the day when bowling alleys were hip.

Post #586213 by Dustycajun on Sat, Apr 23, 2011 12:39 PM