Ronrico, Damn! You know that area well! That apartment building is one of the few original buildings left standing along that Santa Monica beachwalk. Back in the early 60's we had the opportunity to buy one of the few beachfront homes about 50 yards or so south of that red hot dog stand. It was on the market for about $32,000 if I recall correctly. It's gone now and in it's place is a avery modern and very expensive condo complex.
Ronrico, how many times have you "fine dined" at Big Dean's? Are you knowledgeable enough to describe that place and give some detailed info? I've been in there a number of times for a beer and a burger and always took a few moments to look at the old photos on the walls but I never did get the full account of the history of Big Dean's. I have heard that it was originally owned by one of the old time Muscle Beach regulars. Who was "Dean" anyway? A wrestler?
And speaking of 'old time regulars', I was at Dean's a couple of years ago when those original old timers were all sitting on one of the beach benches getting interviewed for some major network TV show. I had a chance to talk briefly with a few of them about the old days and one of the guys had his scrap-book filled with hundreds of photos he had taken during the peak of Muscle Beach's popularity .... Young Reeves, and Eifferman, and Dillinger, etc. and dozens of circus performers who came down there when out of work to practice on a small piece of lawn just south of the pier and adjacent to the beach-walk. Right where the lifeguard headquarters is presently situated - it appeared.
Those photos have been posted here somewhere and I'll do my best to find them once again and repost them for you late GetBiggers. Maybe Ron can lend a hand if there is any interest.
Right now most of those old time photos are on a disk in one of my various abodes in Tahoe, Simi Valley, Las Vegas, or the SF Bay Area. (I move around a lot.)
Chainsaw! Damn! What a name?!!! Why "Chainsaw"? Yes, you are correct about the Hot Dog stand location but the "music" should be recalled even more so. It was the music from the Merry Go Round a few yards NW of the stand. Here's one for ya... Name the movie that that Merry Go Round was featured in. The principal character in that movie had his office in the back.
Crown/Max, here's the "mummy" picture you requested. You must have been a little kid when you saw him because my three year old niece calls him "the Mummy" too. I ran into him a couple of weeks back and he wanted to sell me a T-shirt but I politely declined. Another popular and upcoming Venice Beach character is Tree Man (Lionel) who stands ten feet tall. My favorite is the "Guido" character who impersonates passer-byers without them being aware of it.
I never did see the little black guy in Venice, but I think I did see him in Las Vegas once. Actually he was getting picked up for a ride home in a big limo.
Many years ago the original So Cal "characters" (bodybuilders and circus performers) hung out at Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, but the real characters of the world have grown and expanded and can now be found just about anyplace in Southern California ..... especially on sunny Saturdays and sunny Sundays in Venice Beach while the bodybuilder and circus characters have moved on to more expensive environments such as gyms and spas and European health farms. (Gotta tie this one in somehow.)
JWB, I don't know if Reeves or Eifferman ever stayed in that Muscle Beach building as pictured above, but I think you may be referring to "Muscle House" which I believe is documented somewhere here on the internet. I think that Pudgy Stockton was somehow connected with Muscle House but I forget those details. I was never able to get a Muscle House address so I never did manage to take a photo of the 'historical' location.
Drama... NOPE, it's not Caliber Fitness Headquarters.
NYCbull, No time at present to load these photos at any other site, but I'll be glad to send ya some via IM if and when I get some time to do so. I'm traveling a lot at present on a hunt for great real estate buys. In fact, just this past hour we got back from a great tour up Lendero/Decker Canyon (that's Malibu, folks) and back down Malibu Canyon seeing some damn spectacular hill-top homes priced at $3,000,000 plus ..... waaaaayyy plus! Not for myself but I have family in the movie business who work too much to go house hunting on their own.
Sorry... off track... That last bit of info was for my good friend, Salt, who may find something he appreciates on here. Thanks for reading anyway, Salt!
