Sardi's / Chi-Chi / Zardi's / Haunted House / Cave / Déjà Vu

 6315 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles 90028  | map |

Opened: The building was constructed in 1923. It's on the north side of the street, two lots west of Vine St. Early tenants included several small grocers and, beginning in 1927, the Chinese Garden Cafe. Frank E. Wright was the building owner. 

 

After a remodel by R.M. Schindler it reopened in January 1933 as Sardi's, a restaurant operated by Eddie Brandstatter that had no connection to the New York establishment of the same name. Later the restaurant had other names including the Chi-Chi and Zardi's. Subsequent users included the Arthur Murray dance studio and the Haunted House, a night club. It became the Cave Theatre in 1971. 

Original architect: Unknown

A c.1931 view of the building with "Chinese Garden" on its vertical. On the left it's Henry's Restaurant, in the building that would be remodeled in 1940 to become the Admiral/Vine Theatre. It's a detail from a  photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. On the right it's Vine St. and the Equitable Building, here seen with its added second tower.

 

 

Sardi's under construction on the right in 1932. Thanks to Garry Tellalian for locating the photo for a thread about the building on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

Sardi's architect: Rudolph M. Schindler did the 1932-33 remodel of the building. He also designed the furnishings. By this time the building was owned by the Gore Brothers, prominent theatre operators. Their favored architect, Clifford A. Balch, also worked on the re-design.

Schindler's plan for the renovations. It's from the Art, Architecture and Design Museum at UC Santa Barbara. Click on it for a larger view. 

 

A drawing by Schindler from the UC Santa Barbara collection. It's included in an extensive cataloging of Schindler drawings and photos on the blogspot site The (R.M.) Schindler List. 

 

 

The project was announced in the Times on July 10, 1932. The article that appeared with the illustration: 

"A long-term lease stipulating an aggregate rental of $78,000 and an immediate $20,000 building improvement on the property at 6313 Hollywood Boulevard was closed during the week as Eddie Brandstatter, film city caterer, revealed plans for a new entry into the Hollywood restaurant field. Plans for the building development are now being completed by Architects C. A. Balch and R. M. Schindler and construction is expected to start August 1st with the new cafe scheduled for opening by October 1st.

"Gore Brothers, Inc., will make the improvements. Brandstatter was formerly identified with the Montmartre and the Embassy Club, two of Hollywood’s smartest restaurants. The new cafe will be known as Sardi’s. Herman Sims, Hollywood real estate broker, represented both parties in the lease transaction."

 

 More news appeared in the July 24, 1932 issue of the Times: 

"Work started today on the reconstruction of the Gore Building at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street for occupation by Sardi’s, Eddie Brandstatter’s new restaurant. Occupancy will take place, according to Brandstatter, shortly after October 1st. Reconstruction is being done by Johnson & Aldous, contractors, under the supervision of C. A. Balch, architect. The expenditure, according to Balch will be approximately $20,000.

"Inside construction will be in charge of R. M. Schindler, architect. The restaurant will occupy the entire building with the elimination of the upper floor. There will be a seventeen-foot ceiling. The establishment when completed will be the largest and most up-to-date place of its kind in the West."

 

An opening ad appeared on January 3, 1933. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles researcher Noir City Dame for investigating the building for a discussion on her Noirish post # 19591. Also see a fine early history of the space on a Jazz Research page by James Harrod.

 

 

An early interior view from the Art, Architecture and Design Museum at UC Santa Barbara.

 

 

 

Another view of the furniture in Sardi's that was designed by Schindler. This photo by H.P. Woodcock is included on the 1930s post of The (R.M.) Schindler List. It also makes an appearance on a page about the chair from the Wright auction house.

 

 

A 1933 photo from the Art, Architecture and Design Museum at UC Santa Barbara. Note the billboard in the upper right for something opening March 3 at the Filmarte Theatre. 

 

 

A 1933 Mott Studios photo in the California State Library collection. Also see a daytime view from about the same angle. Next door on the Laemmle Building the billboards were advertising the Universal release "Rome Express," a film that opened March 10.  

 

The shoot for the August 1936 release "Hollywood Boulevard." It's a photo from the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, their MM-017-7. It makes an appearance in their "Movie Making" gallery with several other images from the shoot. See view 2, view 3 and view 4. The photo also is included in their Tumblr post "Hollywood Restaurants: Where Eating is High Art, Sport and Big Business."

 

 

The L.A. Times covered a fire at Sardi's in their October 2, 1936 issue. The restaurant is over on the left. It's the Laemmle Building on the corner. "Sardi's Cafe Rushes Plans for Rebuilding" was a small item in the November 3 issue of the Times. It reopened and ran until 1945. 

 

 

A 1937 Federal Writers Project photo from the Works Progress Administration collection at the Los Angeles Public Library. The photo makes an appearance on a page by Martin Turnbull that also has views of a Sardi's matchbook. 

This c.1937 view is from the Herald Examiner collection at the Los Angeles Public Library. Also see a few additional Sardi's photos in their collection. 

 

The post-fire look following a re-design by architect J.R. (Julius Ralph) Davidson. It's a 1937 Julius Shulman photo taken from the back of the dining room appearing on a page about the rebuild on the website of the UC Santa Barbara Art, Architecture and Design Museum. The six photos on the page are from the collection of the Getty Research Institute. 

 

 

 

A 1937 shot that appears on a Jazz Research page filled with photos and clippings about the building. Their interest revolves around the later use of the space as the jazz club called Zardi's. Martin Turnbull also has this photo on one of his pages about the building.   

 

 

 

 Looking toward Hollywood Blvd. Photo: Julius Shulman - 1937 - Getty Research Institute  

 

 

"Dual Air Conditioning." It's a Sardi's ad located by James Harrod for his Jazz Research page.

 

 

"As Famous as Hollywood Itself." Sardi's items on display at the 2024 Hollywood Heritage exhibit "Out With the Stars" curated by Darrin Barnes and Angie Schneider. 

 

 

A Sardi's menu at the "Out With the Stars" exhibit.   

 

 

A c.1937 photo by Herman Schultheis that's in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.  

Tom Breneman started broadcasting his "Breakfast at Sardi's" radio program in 1941. When he realized all the money the restaurant was making because of his show, he opened his own restaurant over on Vine St. and renamed the program "Breakfast in Hollywood." See a Wikipedia page. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Ethereal Reality for locating this photo (he thinks on eBay) for his Noirish post #8890.

 

Thanks to Hector Acuna for locating this c.1942 photo for a post on the private Facebook group Mid Century Modern. The theatre next door, at the time called the Admiral, was running "Keeper of the Flame" with Tracy and Hepburn. 

 

A 1944 view that appeared on the blog The Black Dahlia in Hollywood. The shot is featured in Ethereal Reality's Noirish Los Angeles post #3988. Bruce Kimmel did the research: "As always, the Admiral was very late to the party - This is sometime around July 18, 1944. 'Footlight Serenade' came out in 1942 and 'Dark Command,' the second feature (Walter Pidgeon, John Wayne, Claire Trevor), was 1940. I want to go to Sardi's, don't you?"

 

It reopened in August 1945 as Chi Chi's. This Christmas season 1946 shot by an unknown photographer is in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. Note the vertical above the former Sardi's space. 

 

In June 1947 it was Sardi's Chi Chi and by October just Sardi's again. Fixtures were auctioned in June 1948 after which the premises were rebranded as Eddie's. 

 

In the 1950s it was called Zardi's. Stan Getz was on the marquee in this Christmas 1953 shot. Beyond the Security Bank vertical the edge of the "Cinerama" neon is visible on the far roof tower of the Warner. Thanks to Eric Lynxwiler for sharing this photo from his amazing collection. It's on Flickr. See the next shot in the collection, a 1950 Christmas view of the Hollywood Theatre. Eric is the author, with Tom Zimmerman, of the Angel City Press book "Spectacular Illumination: Neon Los Angeles 1925-1965." Also see Eric's 2016 book "Signs of Life: Los Angeles is the City of Neon."

 

A detail from a September 1954 photo located by Sean Ault. That was the last month for Red Car service on the Hollywood line.  

 

For a short period around 1960 and 1961 it was an Arthur Murray dance studio. Yes, in this shot it's mostly Hody's -- but the Arthur Murray signage is down there on the left. Thanks to Sean Ault for locating the photo when it was for sale online.

The Arthur Murray signage at night. Thanks to John Nelson for locating this 1961 shot for a post on the private Facebook group Southern California Nostalgia. Note the Cinerama neon down the street on the towers of the Warner.

 

 

Much later in life, the space was the Haunted House nightclub. It's a c.1965 photo from the David Dulkowski collection.  

 

A 1966 view of the Haunted House. Thanks to Sean Ault for sharing the photo from his collection.  

 

It morphed into the Cave Adult Movie Theatre in 1971. The February 5 opening featured "The Ways of the Harlot" on the big screen. It was day-and-date with the Yale in Santa Monica. Thanks to Mike Rivest for the research. He shared the opening ad on Cinema Treasures. The site's contributor Hollyweird notes: 

 

"The interior was all done up like an actual cave. The curved cave ceiling and walls. The uneven cave floors. Some of the seating areas were partitioned off into almost booth like areas with low cave walls. The atmosphere was very sleazy inside and as far as the management was concerned there was a policy of pretty much anything goes. It was not uncommon to see some pretty wild stuff going on in the audience as well as on the screen."

 

Seating Capacity: As the Cave it was around 100. Christopher Crouch discusses the decor as it appeared in "Angel," a film from 1984:

"In addition to showing the exterior, two scenes take place inside; when the killer attempts to hide among seated patrons/is confronted by the manager and in a follow-up scene when he is discovered by police/flees. The giveaway that they actually shot the scenes inside the Cave is a faux stalactite visible to the left of the screen, framing an exit door, when they briefly flash to the movie being played (the 1983 adult film 'Sweet Alice'). At the time of filming, the auditorium looked to be small (under 100 seats) and had a red/black color scheme."

 

 

A 1973 shot by Ed Ruscha from the Getty Research Institute collection. Thanks to Timothy Haack for locating it for a 2020 Facebook post that featured 30 photos by Mr. Ruscha of various sites related to a Frank Zappa album. Thanks to Alison Martino for sharing the post on her Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page in 2023. 

There over 70,000 Ruscha items now available for browsing. A few places to start: Sunset Boulevard, 1965-2010, undated (58,167 digitized items) | Hollywood Boulevard, 1973-2005, undated (4,292 digitized items) | Santa Monica Boulevard, 1974 (4,956 digitized items) | Melrose Avenue, 1975 (3,724 digitized items) |  Specifically about Sunset Blvd., see the Getty Research Institute's site "12 Sunsets." Their October 2020 Press Release discusses the project. 

 

 

Thanks to the Classic Hollywood/Los Angeles/SFV Facebook page for locating this 1978 photo. It later popped up in a post for the Lost Angeles Facebook group. Over at the Vine it was "Coming Home" with Jane Fonda, Jon Voight and Bruce Dern.

 

Thanks to the now-vanished website American Classic Images for this April 1981 photo.  

 

 

Looking west with the Vine Theatre just beyond and one of the towers of the Warner/Hollywood Pacific down the street. It's an image from some mid-1980s footage appearing in Episode 5 of the 2022 Netflix series "The Andy Warhol Diaries." Thanks to Donavan S. Moye for spotting the theatres and getting the screenshot.  

 

Looking east from under under the Vine marquee c.1985. It's a photo that once appeared on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.

 

 

Thanks to the McAvoy family's Historic Hollywood Photographs collection for this c.1986 view west. It's their #HB-544, included as one of 226 photos in their gallery Hollywood Boulevard 1941-1990. The Vine's second feature, "Victimas de la pobreza," was a 1986 release.

 

 

A c.2000 shot by Ken Roe. Thanks to Ken for sharing this photo on Cinema Treasures. Note the storefront on the right branded as the Hollywood Cabaret.

 

 

The theatre later became a Déjà Vu Showgirls location. This was the look of the entrance in August 2024. Photo: Bill Counter   

 

 

The long, long lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024 

Status: Déjà Vu Showgirls had shut down in 2020 due to Covid restrictions. After a renovation it came back to life in the fall of 2023.

 

 
The Cave in the Movies: 

 

Christopher Crouch notes: "The Cave Theatre's lobby, along with the neighboring Howard Johnson’s (now an empty lot), were utilized in the opening segment of the 1979 adult film 'Candy Goes to Hollywood.'"

 

The Cave makes an appearance in Robert Hammer's film "Don't Answer the Phone!" (Crown International, 1980). It's a grisly exploitation film with a serial killer and lots of semi-naked women. Featured are James Westmoreland, Nicholas Worth, Ben Frank and Flo Lawrence. The cinematography was by James L. Carter. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for a shot a moment later than this one as well as views of the Chinese, Paramount, Egyptian, Pantages and Pussycat Sunset theatres. Thanks to Cinema Treasures contributor Ken C. for noting the Cave's appearance in the film. 

 

 

We get a scene in front of the Cave in J. Lee Thompson's "10 to Midnight" (Cannon Group, 1983). Charles Bronson stars as a cop on the trail of a psychopath who is targeting young women. The film also stars Lisa Eilbacher, Andrew Stevens and Gene Davis. Adam Greenberg did the cinematography. Thanks to Brian Michael McCray for spotting the theatre in the film. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for more views of the Cave and Vine theatres, a quick look at the Pantages, and lots from an earlier scene at the Aero.  

We see a lot of Hollywood Blvd. in Robert Vincent O'Neill's "Angel" (New World, 1984). Fifteen year old Molly is a high school student by day, working the street by night. The film stars Donna Wilkes, Cliff Gorman, Dick Shawn and Rory Calhoun. John Diehl is the killer preying on teenage hookers. Here outside the Cave the police getting the word out about the killer.

 

In "Angel" the manager of the Cave is telling a customer to get his feet off the seats. He recognizes the guy as the killer the police are looking for, finds the cops and the guy gets taken to a lineup. Molly recognizes him, a sloppy officer gets his gun taken, and the killer shoots his way out. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for a dozen shots from the film. 

 

 

John Candy and Eugene Levy, playing security guards on the trail of some corrupt cops, head into the Cave in Mark Lester's "Armed and Dangerous" (Columbia, 1986). Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting the theatre in the film. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for three more shots at the Cave plus views of the Paramount, the Egyptian, the Westlake and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.   

 

We get a this view of the Cave in "Jack's Back." (Palisades Entertainment Group, 1988). James Spader, Cynthia Gibb and Jim Haynie star in this tale of a serial killer in Hollywood paying homage to Jack the Ripper. Rowdy Herrington directed. The cinematography is by Shelly Johnson. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for a shot of the Warner Hollywood from the film. Thanks to Eric Schaefer for spotting the theatres in the film and getting the screenshots.

 

The Cave is seen down beyond the Vine Theatre in "I, Madman" (Trans World Entertainment, 1989). Thanks to Eric Schaefer for spotting the theatres in the film and getting the screenshot for a Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post. 

 

We get this look at the top of the Cave's marquee and the Vine Theatre beyond in Marc Rocco's film "Where the Day Takes You" (New Line Cinema, 1992). It's about a gang of teenagers living on the streets of Hollywood. The film stars Sean Astin, Dermot Mulroney, Laura San Giacomo, Lara Flynn Boyle and Will Smith. The cinematography was by King Baggot. Thanks to Eric Schaefer for spotting the theatres and getting the screenshot. He notes that this is part of a crane shot 39:30 into the film that swoops down the buildings and along Hollywood Blvd. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for two more views from the shot. 

It's noted by Vimegogta that the theatre and the Hollywood Tattoo Studio next door are featured in the 1994 film "Jailbait."

The building is fixed up as an establishment called "Sexy Vixens" in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (Sony, 2019). Thanks to Ovidi D. for the photo. The film stars Leo DiCaprio and his friend Brad Pitt as an actor and stuntman trying to get work in the business in 1969. The Manson murder case also figures into the plot as the guys live next door to Sharon Tate, played by Margot Robbie. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies pages for more photos of this building being redecorated as well as action at the Vine, Pantages, Ritz/Pussycat, Vogue, Cinerama Dome, Earl Carroll, Bruin and Fox Westwood Village theatres.  

 

 

The Cave, dressed up as "Hollywood Show World," is seen in Ti West's "MaXXXine" (A24, 2024). This image of Mia Goth and Halsey from an A24 photo by Justin Lubin appeared with Katie Walsh's review of the film in the L.A. Times. It's a horror film set in the 1980s that follows Mia after she survives a bloody incident and tries to become a Hollywood star. Also featured are Michelle Monaghan, Giancarlo Esposito, Elizabeth Debicki, Kevin Bacon, Lily Collins and Bobby Canavale. The cinematography was by Eliot Rockett. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for more shots at the Cave plus views of the Vine, Warner and Chinese from the film as well as during the shoot. 

 

More information: See the Vine Theatre page here on this site for additional photos. There's a page about the Cave/Deja Vu on the Cinema Treasures site. 

 

Deanna Bayless suggests some viewing adventures: 

"Three videos from the 1960s, courtesy of the Facebook group Vintage Los Angeles, showing The Cave when it was the Haunted House discotheque: Sonny and Cher visit the Haunted House: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxZyC1_Rjno. You can see the reason for the Cave’s rock-like walls, as it housed the wax museum of monsters that you had to pass through in order to get to the main room.

"The opening of the movie 'Girl In Golden Boots' from 1968, filmed in the Haunted House discotheque. The album cover of 'Pat & Lolly Vegas At The Haunted House' shows the famous dragon stage: http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-House-Pat-Lolly-Vegas/dp/B000I8OMVW

"You can see the neon cobwebs on the marquee around the 0:16 mark here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBmaX64TWSw. That and Part 2 were obviously taken late at night, so most of the marquees along Hollywood Blvd. are dark, but it’s still fun to see how many you can spot."

 

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