Milt Larsen, a writer on the TV show, “Truth or Consequence s”

High above the Highland Gardens and the Magic Castle is Yamashiro’s restaurant (1999 Sycamore Ave. 323-466-5125) built in 1911. Yamashiro (“Mountain Palace” in Japanese) boasts of having the oldest building in L.A., a 600 year old pagoda on its north slope. You can drive up the winding driveway and take in the incredible view of L.A. and the Hollywood Sign from there.

In the late 20’s Yamashiro’s served as headquarters for the ultra-exclusive “400 Club”. Created for the elite of Hollywood’s motion picture industry during its Golden Age, Yamashiro gave Hollywood its first celebrity hangout. In the post Pear Harbor paranoia, Yamashiro was mistakenly rumored to be a signal tower for Japanese submarines.

Driving down Sycamore turn right at Hollywood Blvd. and head west towards LaBrea. On the left at the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and LaBrea, are four silver statues. These represent the four ethnicities of acting with Mae West for White actresses, Dorothy Dandridge for Black actresses, Anna May Wong for Asian actresses and Dolores Del Rio for Hispanic actresses.

On top of this gazebo is a small statue of Marilyn Monroe from her famous skirt blowing scene in “Seven Year Itch”, shot on September 14^th, 1954 in front of New York’s Trans-Lux Theater.

It was the director Billy Wilder’s idea to turn that scene into a media circus. Every time her dress came up and the crowd started to get excited, DiMaggio just blew up. The couple later had a “yelling battle” in the theater lobby. Her makeup man, Allan Snyder, recalled Monroe later appeared on set with bruises on her upper arms. She later filed for divorce on grounds of mental cruelty 274 days after they were married.

Below the silver gazebo is the star for both Elvis and the Beatles. This is the beginning of the Walk of Fame, which extends east to Gower and Hollywood. (Gower is the street that gives you the best view of the Hollywood Sign.) When Hollywood was in its infancy the corner of Sunset and Gower was ground zero for the entire film industry. (Paramount Studios is still down on Gower and Melrose.) The stars also runs north to south on Vine Street between Yucca Street and Sunset Blvd. Created in 1958, there are approximately 2800 stars on the Walk of Fame. The first star was awarded to Joanne Woodward (Paul Newman’s wife) on February 9^th, 1960.

Names are submitted annually by May 31^st and the Walk of Fame committee meets the following month to pick the next year‘s group of honorees. If your name is selected you then have to pay $25,000 for “star maintenance” which means every morning at five in the morning, they steam clean the stars. This fee is typically paid by sponsors such as film studios and record companies.

Hollywood Chamber of Commerce gives away free maps to where all the stars on the Walk of Fame are. Their address and number is: 7018 Hollywood Blvd. 323-469-8311

Continue south on LaBrea. As you approach Sunset look across Sunset for two red brick buildings on the left side of LaBrea. (1416 N La Brea Ave 323-802-1500) This was the Charlie Chaplin Studios, built in 1917. Charlie Chaplin shot most of his movies between 1918 and 1952 here, including “The Gold Rush” in 1925.

In 1985 it was the A&M Recording Studios where “We Are The World” was recorded. A giant Kermit the Frog on the roof is your first clue as to who owns it now. The Henson family bought the studio in November of 1999.

On the right just as you turn west on Sunset is the El Pollo Loco fast food restaurant where Brad Pitt, before his first acting break, wore a chicken costume and clucked like a chicken on the sidewalk, trying to entice people to come in and eat there.

Heading west on Sunset you’ll see on the left Parisian Florist (7528 W Sunset Blvd. 323-876-3220) where Joe DiMaggio bought flowers for Marilyn Monroe and had an arrangement that they deliver flowers to Marilyn’s grave until Joe died.

On the right is the Bonham & Butterfield (7601 W. Sunset Blvd. 323-850-7500) auction house where O.J. Simpson had to auction off all his possessions after losing the civil trial.

At the next stop light at Stanley look to your right. That’s where Hugh Grant was arrested with Divine Brown, a Hollywood prostitute. He picked her up heading west on Sunset then drove up the street to the Bank of America ATM to get the cash. There were two LAPD vice cops eating at the All American Burger on Sunset and they recognized Brown in the passenger seat. They jumped in their car and followed Hugh Grant to arrest him. I wish I could have seen the expression on Hugh’s face as they knocked on his window.

Turn left at the first street, Selma. The new concrete home on the right at the corner replaced the original wooden house (1601 Genesee) that James Dean lived in while filming “Rebel Without A Cause”. The man who bought the original home thought it was a fantastic investment until he discovered it was riddled with termites and had to be torn down.

James Dean was born on a farm in Marion, Indiana on February 8, 1931 to Winton and Mildred Dean. Winton eventually left the farming life behind for a career as a dental technician, moving his family to Santa Monica where James would enroll in Brentwood Public School. He was encouraged to pursue a career in law, so he enrolled at Santa Monica City College, where he would eventually transfer to UCLA and change his major to drama. His father threw him out of the house for this decision.

James Dean was only 24 years old when in the early afternoon hours of September 30, 1955 he died near Paso Robles while driving his Porsche 550 Spyder. He was almost decapitated, the steering column imbedded deep in his chest. Dean was the only fatality in that accident. The studio chiefs had a nickname for James Dean who was known to be difficult. They called him “The Little Bastard”. Dean was so proud of his nickname that he painted it on the hood of the Porsche he died in.

Proceed two blocks to the next stop sign at Orange. If you head north the street becomes Grove. Turn left and the grey home on the right at the corner of Selma and Orange (1557 Orange Grove) belongs to Alan Hale Jr., the captain from “Gilligan’s Island”. His widow still lives there.

Two houses down on the left is a blue home. (1542 Orange Grove) This is where they shot “Nightmare On Elm Street”. The writer of the movie is from the East Coast and wanted a block that looked East Coast. The over hanging trees also made the block look spooky.

The green house across the street on the right (1537 Orange Grove) is where they shot the original “Halloween”. Jamie Lee Curtis came running out of that front door and run across the street and into a neighbor’s home (1530 Orange Grove) just down the block.

People are paid at least ten thousand dollars a day to allow a film crew to shoot in their homes. Down the block on the right side is the home (1527 Orange Grove) where the reality series, “The Hills” was shot. Turn right on Sunset and head west again.

The Arco at the corner of Fairfax and Sunset is the gas station where I met Charlize Theron. Drew Barrymore uses that same gas station and once had a problem there with a rented Mercedes when she couldn’t figure out how to gas it up. The attendant said Drew was laughing and very friendly to everyone. Patricia Arquette (“Medium” – “True Romance”) and Danny Bonaduce (“The Partridge Family” ) also use that same gas station.

I once saw a double decker bus with a camera crew on the upper deck traveling down Fairfax. As we got closer I recognized Danny Bonaduce holding a microphone. I had only two French tourists in the van so I turned to them and asked them if they had heard of Bonaduce. As with most Europeans, they didn’t. When we got closer I pulled up next to the bus and screamed, “Hey Danny! I love your radio show!” Danny jumped as though someone had finally caught up with him. Later I learned he was shooting a documentary for VH1. I wonder if my voice was edited out. On the southern side of Sunset just past Fairfax is the Directors Guild, a bronze colored building made to look like a movie camera.

Across the street is the car was used in Richard Pryor’s movie Carwash.

On the northwest corner of Sunset and Crescent Heights is The Laugh Factory. There are three main comedy clubs in L.A. The Comedy Store (8433 Sunset Blvd. 323-656-6225), The Improv (8162 Melrose Ave. 323-651-2583) and the Laugh Factory (8001 Sunset Blvd. 323-656-1336 ext. 1) I’ve been onstage a hundred times at both the Comedy Store and The Improv but have never even been in The Laugh Factory. That is where Michael Richards, Kramer from Seinfeld, used the N word and is now banned forever from appearing there.

Across the street in the left is a mini-mall where Schwab’s Drugstore used to stand. Schwab started the rumor that Lana Turner (Real name was Judy) was discovered in his drugstore but she was actually discovered in 1935 at Currie’s Soda Shop, across the street from Hollywood High school where she was a student.

Across the street from The Laugh Factory is a McDonald’s restaurant. At one time the famous apartment building, “Garden of Allah” stood there but was torn down for the parking lot in front of McDonald’s. Joni Mitchell wrote about it when she sang, “Paving paradise and putting up a parking lot”.

Further down Sunset on the right side just before the street curves to the left is the Chateau Marmont (8221 Sunset Blvd. 323-656-1010) where on March 4^th, 1982 John Belushi overdosed in bungalow #3. That night Belushi, with Cathy Smith, a former back-up singer for The Band and now a strung out addict and drug dealer, consumed large amounts of liquor and snorted even larger quantities of cocaine at the club On The Rox, then dined next door at the Rainbow Bar & Grill. Upon their return to the Marmont Smith injected Belushi with more drugs since he was afraid of needles. Robin Williams popped in and snorted a few lines of coke, but was creeped out by Smith. Sometime after 3:00 AM, actor Robert DeNiro knocked on Belushi’s door. He had been playing tag with Belushi all night. The scene inside the room was not pretty, so DeNiro decided to not stick around.

The next morning Belushi’s personal trainer, Bill “Superfoot” Wallace found him on the bed in the fetal position with a pillow over his head. When Wallace threw the pillow aside, he saw Belushi’s tongue sticking out of his mouth, a horrid discoloration of his body on one side where all the blood had settled.

On the right is Miyagi’s (8225 Sunset Blvd. 323-650-3524) restaurant named after the character in “The Karate Kid”.

Across the street is the world headquarters of National Lampoon, (8228 Sunset Blvd. 310-474-5252).

Down Sunset on the left side of the street is The Body Shop (8250 W Sunset Blvd. 323) 656-1401). In the 60’s it was the most popular strip joint in L.A. and for some reason the city declared it a Historic Monument so now although it’s run down and sleazy, they can’t touch it.

Further down the block on the left side is the Sunset Tracadero (8280 W Sunset Blvd. 323- 856-1079) owned by Prince.

Across the street is Cabo Cantina (8301 W Sunset Blvd. 323-822-7820). owned by Fabio who bartends there on some Fridays.

Down the street on the left side is The Standard Hotel (8300 Sunset Blvd. 323-650-9090). The sign is upside down letting you know it’s an unusual place. Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz used to own part of it. They have a huge glass cage filled with sand behind the front desk where they pay a woman to wear a bikini and pretend she’s at the beach.

On the right side is Carney’s (8351 W Sunset Blvd. 323-203-1128). A railroad train car, where Elvis loved to eat. It was his favorite restaurant in Hollywood.

On the right is the Saddleback Ranch Club (8371 West Sunset Blvd. 323-656-2007) where Terri Hatcher rode a mechanical bull in “Desperate Housewives”. There’s another Saddleback Ranch at Universal Studios.

Paris Hilton used to live a couple of blocks up Kings Road. Her powder-blue Bentley remained parked outside her small house because she had converted her garage into a closet. It was a narrow street and the neighbors hated her because of the paparazzi and tourists. The day she got out of jail, a TV truck drove into a neighbor’s car and not long after Paris had been “convinced” to move out of the neighborhood. While she was there though she would welcome the tour buses, walking over to talk with everyone.

Immediately on the right and next to the Comedy Store is the hotel now called “Andaz”. For years it was the Sunset Hyatt hotel. In the 60’s and 70’s it was nicknamed the “Riot Hyatt” because bands like Led Zeppelin and The Doors would destroy their rooms, throwing furniture and TVs from their balconies onto the street below. In the mid-70’s I working open mic nights at The Comedy Store when the paid comics went on strike. One of them went to the roof of the Riot Hyatt and jumped to his death. Mitzi Shore, the owner of The Comedy Store, soon came to an arrangement with the comics.

Further up Sunset on the right side is The Comedy Store, once Ciro’s, the most popular nightclub in L.A. for all of the movie stars. When Jay Leno first came to L.A. he was so poor he slept in the back stairwell.

I’ve been on that stage almost a hundred times and once had to follow Freddie Prinze. He was so funny. When he sat down he just stared at the floor and although he was surrounded by people, no one talked to him. He looked so lonely.

There are now three stages there, one just for woman comics. The names of comics who have performed there are written on the outside walls. Amateur night is Sunday night. Pauley Shore (Son-In-Law - Encino Man), Mitzi’s son, lives in the white house on the hill above and behind The Comedy Store.

Across the street from The Comedy Store is the House of Blues (8430 Sunset Blvd. 323-848-5100), partly owned by Dan Akroyd. It cost 8 million to make it look like a shack. The food is excellent and they have a wide variety of music there. This is where the waitress and B movie star, Lana Clarkson, was picked up by the music producer Phil Spector then taken to his castle in Altadena, a suburb of Pasadena. She was shot dead by the end of the night. He got a hung jury the first time around but was convicted after the second trial.

Up the block on the left side is the Skybar (8440 Sunset Blvd. 323-848-6025), owned by Cindy Crawford and her husband Randy Gerber. This is where George Clooney and Brad Pitt hang out when they’re in town. You either have to be staying at the hotel there, be famous or a very hot, young lady. The bouncers almost always let hot ladies in.

Just past La Cienega on Sunset are a series of red awnings. This is where the TV show of the 60’s “77 Sunset Strip” was shot. Halfway between the red awnings is an archway where Dean Martin’s nightclub, Dino's, once existed.

On the left is Ketchup (8590 Sunset Blvd. 866-588-6203), a restaurant partly owned by Ashton Kutcher. His more famous restaurant, Bella (6639 Hollywood Blvd. 323-468-8815) is near the intersection of Las Palmas and Hollywood Blvd.

On the right at the corner and all along the left side of the street is Restaurant Row, where if you’re lucky you might see a celebrity dining.

Il Sole (8741 W. Sunset Blvd. (310) 657-1182) is the restaurant with red awning on the right side of the street and just down the block. It’s Jennifer Anniston’s favorite restaurant in West Hollywood.

There are three primary rock and roll clubs in West Hollywood. Just past the next light and on the left side of the street is a black building, The Viper Room (8852 Sunset Blvd. 310-358-1880), once owned by Johnny Depp. This is where on October 30^th 1993 the actor River Phoenix overdosed on the sidewalk just outside the front door. He was signed to star in “Interview With A Vampire” with Tom Cruise. After River’s death he was replaced in the movie by Brad Pitt.

It was 1:14 a.m. He was in full cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived. They rushed him to Cedars Sinai Medical Center where they arrived at 1:34 AM. ER physicians there did everything to revive him, including inserting a pacemaker. He was pronounced dead at 1:51 a.m. on October 31, 1993. Official cause of death was acute multiple drug ingestion. He was only 23 years old.

You can check out any celebrities’ death at http://www.franksreelreviews.com/morbidly-hollywood/blog If you click on the River Phoenix page, there is a link to the 911 call Joaquin made while his brother was dying on the sidewalk. Or simply click here for the 911 call: http://www.franksreelreviews.com/shorttakes/viperroom.htm The 911 operator keeps telling him that if he can’t calm down he should give the phone to someone else. Joaquin pleads, “But he’s my brother!” Their sister, Rain was giving River CPR but stopped when the 911 operator told Joaquin to stop. Christine Applegate (“Married With Children”) was at the club that night and witnessed the seizures.

On Oct 1, 1996 a paparazzo in the club snapped a photo of Mick Jagger embracing Uma Thurman. The photographer alleged that Mick’s bodyguard wrestled him to the ground and club employees confiscated the valuable film and handed it to a member of the Stones entourage, who destroyed the film The photographer claimed the photo would have been worth $1 million and sued both Jagger and the Viper Room. Mick settled out of court but a jury later ruled against the club awarding $600,000 in damages to the photographer.

At the next stop light on the right is the most famous rock club, The Whiskey A-Go-Go (8901 Sunset Blvd. 310-585-0579) where the house band in the 60’s was The Doors. Many rock bands have played there such as Motley Crue, Guns N’ Roses, Frank Zappa, Love. Goldie Hawn started off in show business as a Go-Go Girl, wearing a bikini and dancing in an elevated cage before being hired for “Laugh-In”, where she basically did the same thing.

Up the street on the right is the third club, The Roxy (9009 Sunset Blvd. 310-276-2229). Above it is a private club called, “On The Rox” where members such as John Belushi, Robin Williams and Keith Richards from “The Rolling Stones” used to openly do drugs. After Belushi overdosed they clamped down on the drugs somewhat but the club is still open.

Next to the Roxy is The Rainbow Bar & Grill (9015 Sunset Blvd. 310-278-4232) originally owned by the film director Vincent Minnelli. He proposed to Judy Garland there. Upstairs is an exclusive club called “Over the Rainbow”.