Even though I have now lived in the LA area most of my 70 years, I really connected with your location scout reminiscing. I'm a Bronx boy moved to the Village and then actual geographic Hollywood at 22, now in Santa Monica for some decades (my 3 Santa Monica children are now in South Slope and Ridgewood!).
When you mentioned Carlos & Charly's it brought back memories of the height of Cocaine Consumerism, before an evil connotation set in, before Mrs. Reagan's "just say no", before too many Hollywood people ruined their lives, health and finances, before crack or maybe while it was still in its infancy, maybe even before Richard Pryor set his ass on fire. As a life-long film worker (not yet officially retired from the industry but not knowing whether to call myself retired or just unemployed) I remember when EVERYONE openly did blow on movie sets, from the directors and talent to all working in the various crafts. Sometimes the crew supplied the producers and other times a producer might be selling to the crew. Sometimes on Teamster worked shows they had one driver who was the connection. Sometimes it was the prop department. I was on non-union pictures back then when powder was sometimes offered in lieu of overtime pay. Many would spend their meager $100/day low budget picture pay on a $100/gram bindle daily. All work boxes in the grip or lighting trucks had a mirror in the top drawer as well as the darkroom in the camera truck. You knew the fad was nationwide when on location in the middle of America, all the locals you met were spending their pay every weekend.
Anyway, I've digressed just to set the very specific time period. In Carlos & Charly's, you could give the bartender your credit card which he would cash out for a hundred bucks and hand you a gram of coke. One could also drive up to the parking valet at Le Dome, buy from him and then just pull back out of the parking lot.
Nelson, I love everything you put out on line and have read you since the VV. I'll have to start on your books now.
Even though I have now lived in the LA area most of my 70 years, I really connected with your location scout reminiscing. I'm a Bronx boy moved to the Village and then actual geographic Hollywood at 22, now in Santa Monica for some decades (my 3 Santa Monica children are now in South Slope and Ridgewood!).
When you mentioned Carlos & Charly's it brought back memories of the height of Cocaine Consumerism, before an evil connotation set in, before Mrs. Reagan's "just say no", before too many Hollywood people ruined their lives, health and finances, before crack or maybe while it was still in its infancy, maybe even before Richard Pryor set his ass on fire. As a life-long film worker (not yet officially retired from the industry but not knowing whether to call myself retired or just unemployed) I remember when EVERYONE openly did blow on movie sets, from the directors and talent to all working in the various crafts. Sometimes the crew supplied the producers and other times a producer might be selling to the crew. Sometimes on Teamster worked shows they had one driver who was the connection. Sometimes it was the prop department. I was on non-union pictures back then when powder was sometimes offered in lieu of overtime pay. Many would spend their meager $100/day low budget picture pay on a $100/gram bindle daily. All work boxes in the grip or lighting trucks had a mirror in the top drawer as well as the darkroom in the camera truck. You knew the fad was nationwide when on location in the middle of America, all the locals you met were spending their pay every weekend.
Anyway, I've digressed just to set the very specific time period. In Carlos & Charly's, you could give the bartender your credit card which he would cash out for a hundred bucks and hand you a gram of coke. One could also drive up to the parking valet at Le Dome, buy from him and then just pull back out of the parking lot.
Nelson, I love everything you put out on line and have read you since the VV. I'll have to start on your books now.
Thank you for your work!