The Islander, Los Angeles, CA (restaurant)

Name:The Islander
Type:restaurant
Street:385 No. La Cienega Blvd.
City:Los Angeles
State:CA
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:operational

Description:
A classic tiki temple - The Islander restaurant in Los Angeles.

Saw this great postcard from the Islander on ebay, won by KC. Nice interior shots.

Here are a few other items from the Islander

Some additional images from the Life Mag photos.

DC

[ Edited by: Dustycajun 2009-01-19 12:43 ]

Here is another postcard from The Islander.

DC

Hot damn, thanks for copying that first postcard, DC, I have never seen interiors of that phenomenal place. I wonder what that back wall on the upper right was embedded with...probably also Abalone shells, like the ramp outside. Not much in terms of Tiki carvings, wonder where that big guy in the LIFE photo stood. Nice to see all the images in one place. Here's a close up of the Covarrubias concept-like map on the back of the matchbook:

The figure's head dress on the upper left points to the source, the "Igorot" carving on the Covarrubias Tiki map:

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2009-01-19 15:03 ]

Wow, this place is an amazing example of Tiki A Frame Architecture. And those rickshaws...amazing.

There is now an Acapulco Restaurant in this location, and from the looks of the satellite pics, some of those tall palm trees are still there.

Whatan amazing place.

Correction Tikiyaki, it used to be an Acapulco ~ Former Islander location on La Cienega for rent

The last time I drove by it was still for lease.

If you say "WOW someone should buy that place and fix it up!" you owe me Ten Bucks!

Wow, I went to a recreation of a Hell House (a fundamentalist Christian version of a haunted house) at that spot in October of 2007. It had a big maze like floor plan, so I'd imagine it was a remodel job. It's sad to know I was tromping through a vanished Tiki site.

The transformation of the building to what it is today is both shocking and disturbing to me.

Old question, but why in the HELL would anybody want to transform this building from its cooler former self in to the boring, generic, depressing thing it is now? WHY? Why are some people's imaginations so friggin bankrupt that they just want to dismantle something so creative and interesting looking. Speaking of imagination, this country and culture have lost most of theirs. And also.... Ah hell...now I'm just getting pissed and rambling. Forget it!!

On 2009-01-20 21:57, donhonyc wrote:
Old question, but why in the HELL would anybody want to transform this building from its cooler former self in to the boring, generic, depressing thing it is now? WHY? Why are some people's imaginations so friggin bankrupt that they just want to dismantle something so creative and interesting looking. Speaking of imagination, this country and culture have lost most of theirs. And also.... Ah hell...now I'm just getting pissed and rambling. Forget it!!

it's called the 1980's

Here is another postcard from the Islander. Another great exterior shot of the place at night. A bit odd to have the rickshaw superimposed on the roof. Also shows the rickshaws lined up outside the restaurant. Does anybody know the deal with these. Were they used to transport the guests to and from the parking lot?

This is the back of the card. What a description of the food and beverages!

DC

On 2009-01-22 09:21, Dustycajun wrote:
Here is another postcard from the Islander. Another great exterior shot of the place at night. A bit odd to have the rickshaw superimposed on the roof. Also shows the rickshaws lined up outside the restaurant. Does anybody know the deal with these. Were they used to transport the guests to and from the parking lot?

I'll have to look for my source, but I remember reading somewhere, that yes, the rickshaws were used to transport guests from the valet parking underneath, around the lagoon in the front, to the front door of the restaurant.

On 2009-01-22 07:59, ron-tiki wrote:

On 2009-01-20 21:57, donhonyc wrote:
Old question, but why in the HELL would anybody want to transform this building from its cooler former self in to the boring, generic, depressing thing it is now? WHY? Why are some people's imaginations so friggin bankrupt that they just want to dismantle something so creative and interesting looking. Speaking of imagination, this country and culture have lost most of theirs. And also.... Ah hell...now I'm just getting pissed and rambling. Forget it!!

it's called the 1980's

Indeed! In retrospect the 80s had some cool things going on, but even back then I remember thinking "how did things get so damn boring so fast?" No wonder the 60s had their first big revival then.

The eighties were strange. It was like some kind of really cheap pseudo deco/Bauhaus rip-off. I hated it when if first happened and I currently hate the resurrection of it that I've been noticing.

blah.

An old polaroid:

Beside the Tiki Room at Disneyland, my most vivid memories of Tiki growing up in Southern California were of driving by the Islander on La Cienega on our way to church each Sunday. The sight of those torches flaring at night on our way to and from Sunday-evening meetings were a vivid memory that later spurred me to get back into tiki in the 90s.

The weird thing is, Hubert was in that same Life magazine article!

Here are some scans from the inside of the drink menu from the Islander. It is one of the best ones out there in terms of the art and graphics. I think it even had a full two page spread in the BOT.

Here is the drink list.

Here are the PuPus.

DC

I managed to pick up one of those oversized postcards showing the interior of the Islander Restaurant that I posted earlier! I made some blow-ups of the four photos from the card so we can see the interior with more detail. What a cool place this was!

DC

When I 1st moved here to the land of LA I remember this place being called "Bloody Mary's" before Acapulco got a hold of it and turned it into the 80's monstrosity it became. I guess they were just trying to keep up with the bigger 80's monstrosity down the street-The Beverly Center! Aren't we lucky to have 2 such fine examples of 80's architecture within walking distance of each other?!

I came across some old publicity shots of celebrities dining at the Islander.

A couple of Sebastian Cabot and his wife. Check out the signature mug.

This is Pamela Mason from KABC served by Joe Tino

James Mason. Check out the outfit on the waiter in the background - nice pants!

DC

The bearded man holding the signature mug is NOT Sabastian Cabot.

But that IS Cabot in the photo below that one.

Ah -- I have great memories of dining there as a kid! ESPECIALLY of the spectacular torch-flanked entrance at night! I get chills just thinkin' about it!

And that pic of James Mason makes me feel particularly at home & nostalgic because James played my father in a film we did together in France. He was a total delight to work with and to know, and I miss him much!

Cheers! :drink: :tiki:

On 2009-02-18 20:26, KreepyTiki wrote:
The bearded man holding the signature mug is NOT Sabastian Cabot.

Correct. I believe it's actually E-Z listening trumpeter Al Hirt.

KreepyTiki and Donhonyc,

Thanks for the corrections, sorry for the mix-up. ARGHH. I can't believe that I would blow the ID on Al Hirt, the legend from New Orleans. Too fast with the fingers.

DC

I just scored a nice little souvenir food menu from The Islander.

The food selection looks wonderful. Must have been quite an experience.

DC

This strange postcard caught my eye this weekend.

It's a montage of famous restaurant signs along La Cienega.

Couple I found in a 1961 Dodgers scorecard magazine..

The Rockford Files: Season 1 episode 1. Backlash of the Hunter, Part 1 with Lindsay Wagner and The Islander!

Here is another Islander ad from a great brochure that Coco Joe found for LA restaurants.

It's like the food menu I posted, only for drinks. Makes you think that there is a matching souvenir drink menu out there too.

DC

I scored a small souvenir food menu from the Islander.

Great art on the cover.

Some nifty graphics on the menu pages.

Also a napkin from Archiva Tropika.

DC

I don't know if this has been posted elsewhere on TC, but I just heard (from Alison Martino of VIntage LA) that what little remained of the Islander building, and more importantly the palm trees and vegetation (which stood out like a sore thumb, saying "there used to be a Tiki restaurant here!") were all leveled about a month ago. A medical building is going up in its place. Too bad they couldn't incorporate the palm trees into the new building. If you want to see the last shots of the trees and building, check Google Maps because it's still there.

Caltiki Brent

Have you seen those pictures of the Islander ?

It's from a facebook page, dedicated to the 50's. I asked for more information. Amazing view of the inside, rickshaw...

**All the image links are busted, please see the re-posted images below. :down: **

[ Edited by: Bora Boris 2012-11-11 17:45 ]

Wow! The shots of the entrance with the lagoon and outrigger are amazing!

Sad that color versions of these probably don't exist.

[ Edited by: WestADad 2012-07-24 14:11 ]

WOW! WOW! WOW! Thanks for sharing those..they are AMAZING!

When someone discovers time travel zap me back to when those pics were taken!

And is that vicious virgin mug the monkey is drinking from?

Virani,

Those photos are amazing, thanks for posting them. Great to see that huge Abalone Shell wall, and that huge Tiki pole out front.

Have not researched Facebook much for historical Tiki. How did you find them??

DC

I've found those pics in a french page dedicated to the 50's (even if they have a lot from the 60's) : https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fifties/236019136488588

I asked them where they found those pictures, no news yet. they have an album with tiki postcards and pictures.

I'm sure those pictures are from the same photographer as the one for the Life magazine. maybe they published those for another mag...
Do you think they needed to go on top of the shield sign every night to lit up the torches ?

It seems that Virani's links for the Islander pictures have disappeared so I thought I would re-post them.

A pretty amazing ashtray that actually features the Islander logo tiki in its design.

It seems that none of the Islander mugs was actually based on their logo. There is the tiki mug made by Kelvin which is based on The Islander Tiki but I don't think it was actually used at The Islander (does anyone know for sure?).

I have seen that mug in a menu from the Kono Hawaii Restaurant

(courtesy of Arkivatropica)

Thanks Tattoo!

Please everyone use Tiki Central 's own image hosting, it's not perfect but it's easier and more stable than the others.

Yes, thanks Tattoo. Great pics.

So our existing Tiki Bars are missing live monkeys?

Oh how fondly I remember this place -- along with The Luau and Billingsley's Outrigger -- when I was a 1960's tiki-tike! I have particularly vivid memories of being taken into The Islander at night, walking up that zig-zagging walkway and then crossing the entry bridge over the mysterious lagoon below (complete with outrigger canoe) and past tall, flaming torches, all the while gazing up, open-mouthed, at that looming, towering facade with all those tiki poles and float lights! A Poly-Pop wonderland indeed! And I guarantee you that if The Islamder were to be suddenly ressurrected in its original location, just the sight of it alone -- especially at night -- would stop traffic and cause fender-benders! It was THAT spectatcular. And I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet on this thread, but their iconic sign is echoed by Tucson's Kon-Tiki, and more power to them for keeping a brilliant design wonderfully alive!

[ Edited by: KreepyTiki 2015-03-27 15:31 ]

OK, and Islander update. Nice press photo from ebay showing the Spurlin Tiki bowl in action!

And here's the bowl!

A couple of newspaper ads.

A series of news photos featuring the manager Joe Tenio.

This place was awesome and obviously had some star power.

DC

I found this little guy last night while I was out. I don't know what to call it. I assume it held soy sauce or cream for coffee. It's about the size of a shot glass.

Scored this killer all pink version of the vicious virgin bowl today!

Awesome find! I have never seen one without the turquoise drip glaze around the edge before.

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.

Lola's just passing The Islander

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!

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!



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