Welcome to the Tiki Central 2.0 Beta. Read the announcement
Celebrating classic and modern Polynesian Pop

Tiki Central / Locating Tiki / The Islander, Los Angeles, CA (restaurant)

Post #800679 by aquarj on Sat, Feb 15, 2020 10:43 AM

You are viewing a single post. Click here to view the post in context.
A

Here's a couple shots from the 1969 movie Model Shop. The movie's a real gripper - the characters and action are about as exciting as the line to board a Southwest flight in group C. French director Jacques Demy came to LA to make a movie in a fresh new place different from Paris, and so a lot of the movie is his version of a postcard from 1968 Los Angeles. Scenes pass through restaurant row on La Cienega, up Sunset, and into the Hollywood hills, so we get a quick street view of The Islander!

Setting up the scene... Gary Lockwood (the doomed Frank Poole in 2001) plays moody and aimless George. He sees Lola on the street, played by Anouk Aimee, who is also moody and aimless like everyone else in 1968, but she's French. George decides to follow Lola for the potential vicarious thrill of seeing what kind of errands she's going to run. I'd hate to spoil the rest of the action, but let's just say a desultory time is had by all!

George's green 1950 MG TD convertible follows Lola's white 1966 Mercury Park Lane convertible up La Cienega. The Islander's a-frame juts out in the distance, and you can just see the sign too.
![](http://www.goofspot.com/images/tc/vidcap_Model Shop LA1.jpg)

Lola's just passing The Islander
![](http://www.goofspot.com/images/tc/vidcap_Model Shop LA2.jpg)

Lola spots something in her rear-view mirror. Has she noticed George following her? Or is she admiring The Islander? Sacre bleu, quelle a-frame!
![](http://www.goofspot.com/images/tc/vidcap_Model Shop LA3.jpg)

That's about it for The Islander. But just for fun, here's a couple more sights on the streets, including Dino's Lodge on Sunset and then the Carolina Pines Jr, designed by Eldon Davis!

![](http://www.goofspot.com/images/tc/vidcap_Model Shop LA4.jpg)

![](http://www.goofspot.com/images/tc/vidcap_Model Shop LA5.jpg)

To be fair to the movie, it's probably trying for an American Graffiti feeling - it lacks the teenage magic, but it does feel like one long cruise. BTW, I learned about the cars here. I took the screenshots above, but it looks like that site has many more, posted by car lovers with ids of car types.

-Randy