The Plantation Cafe
One of Fatty Arbuckle's shortlived post scandal careers was as the proprietor of Fatty Arbuckle's Plantation Cafe in 11700 on Washington Blvd. in Culver City, across the street from the site of Arbuckle's elementary school -- opened back when the sunset Strip was merely a dirt road. Lavishly decorated by the head of the MGM art department, the cafe opened in 1928 with star studded fanfare, performances by the Talmadge sisters and was part, along with the Cotton Club, and King's Tropical Inn, of the hopping Culver City club scene. Culver City was close to the coast -- convinient for the bootleggers to bring in their wares. The clubs drew the non-famous in hopes of of dancing side by side with the stars while listening to the likes of Louie Armstrong, Lionel Hampton or Eddie Frazier and the Plantation Orchestra.The club's name was spelled out on the front lawn in flowers and Arbuckle himself was presented with a life-sized statue of himself made entirely of blossoms.
Los Angeles is a fickle town and when the stock market crashed in 1929, the Plantation Cafe suddenly found itself empty as even the rich and famous stayed home and pinched pennies. Arbuckle sold his interest in the restaurant and nightclub and went east to New York.
The Plantation House remains, as part of Culver Studios. Why the Plantation motif remains a mystery.
posted by kuaptic. @ 11:07 AM
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