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Tropic Isle, Culver City, CA (restaurant) |
Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4032
From: Santa Barbara, CA
|  Posted: 2011-01-28 6:33 pm Permalink
Name:Tropic Isle
Type:restaurant
Street:13222 Washington Blvd
City:Culver City
State:CA
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct
Description:
So who knew that Culver City was the hot bed of Tiki? Tiki Shaker posted a thread for the Bali Hai in Culver City and here is another one called the Tropic Isle. I grabbed some images of the matchbook and the menu.
 
The menu has a really cool map that has some graphics of the Tiki art-forms of the Pacific Rim islands, would love to see a better scan of that!
I think 1961Surf has the matchbook, so maybe he can post a better scan.
Here is the link to the Culver City Bali Hai thread.
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=34868&forum=2&start=last#end
DC
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Bora Boris
Mr. Unreasonable
Joined: Mar 25, 2005
Posts: 2490
From: Boogie Wonderland
| Posted: 2011-01-28 7:31 pm Permalink
DC you didn't notice that Tropic Isle and The Bali Hai had the same address?
So one of them "Hermit Crabbed" the other but who was there first? I'd guess that Tropic isle replaced Bali Hai?
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10914
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-01-29 02:33 am Permalink
Wow, another great find: This menu does not only use SOME of the Covarrubias Art Form map icons, it is simply an exact copy of the map:
Which makes this establishment the most bold of the all Covarrubias map "inspired" Tiki temples. Let's see who else used that 1939 concept:
Don The Beachcomber
The Islander LA (matchbook)
The Polynesian Torrance
...who else? I know there were others, can't think of them right now.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10914
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-01-29 02:47 am Permalink
And I wonder if the name of this place was inspired by the earlier Tropic Isle(s) of Curt/Manny/ and Herman (not Moe) down the street on Washington Blvd in Venice:
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=33895&forum=2
"Tropic Isle" is more a Pre-Tiki concept, and wasn't used much in the Tiki period anymore, so it's kinda curious it pops up on the same street again.
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4032
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2011-01-29 08:24 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2011-01-28 19:31, Bora Boris wrote:
DC you didn't notice that Tropic Isle and The Bali Hai had the same address?
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Bora Boris,
All I have to say is ...
I sure missed that one! Reminds me of the Hukilau / Islander Village post by Tiki Kate. Seems to me you pointed that one out as well.
DC
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4032
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2011-01-29 08:52 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2011-01-29 02:33, bigbrotiki wrote:
Which makes this establishment the most bold of the all Covarrubias map "inspired" Tiki temples. Let's see who else used that 1939 concept:
Don The Beachcomber
The Islander LA (matchbook)
The Polynesian Torrance
...who else? I know there were others, can't think of them right now.
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Bigbro,
Can't believe I did not see the direct copy of the Covarrubias map! Really botched this post.
Here are the illustrations from those three restaurants with the art map concept:
Don's Menu. The front is a combo of several Covarrubias murals (Flora-Fauna, Art Forms, etc.)
And the back is like the Economy mural.
Islander Matchbok
Polynesian Napkin.
I know there are more but I can't think of them either. Will have to consult the archives.
DC
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10914
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-01-29 11:42 am Permalink
Great, thank you DC. I really appreciate you scanning, posting and updating with all those images all the time, that's what keeps Tiki Central alive, and what Tiki to me is all about: the visuals, the eye candy, the art.
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4032
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2011-01-29 12:21 pm Permalink
Thanks Bigbro.
Here is a matchbook from the Frances Langford's Outrigger that incorporates some of the same imagery, just no islands.
DC
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10914
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-01-30 06:07 am Permalink
Yessss, that was one of the others, right. Interestingly (to some  ) so, this matchbook must have taken the icons directly from Don's menu, since the Wahine does not appear on any of the Covarrubias maps, and thus is one step removed in the transmission tradition of the maps. The Don's connection makes sense, since (as KailuaGeoff pointed out) :
>>Langford's Outrigger Restaurant designed and managed by Ed Lawrence, a hollywood set designer, seabee and architect who worked on the original Don the Beachcomber restaurants and did the set designs for Joan Crawford's "Rain"<<
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4032
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2011-02-02 11:03 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2011-01-29 02:47, bigbrotiki wrote:
And I wonder if the name of this place was inspired by the earlier Tropic Isle(s) of Curt/Manny/ and Herman (not Moe) down the street on Washington Blvd in Venice:
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And, there was a Coral Isle on Washington Blvd in Culver City that must have been located somewhere in between the two Tropic Isle locations! Who knew, Washington Blvd the hot-bed of Pre-Tiki in LA.
DC
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10914
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-02-03 09:04 am Permalink
How fun: Here are a few Polynesian islands that are not grouped in a triangle, but along a channel - The Washington Blvd channel!
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4032
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2011-02-05 11:57 am Permalink
Keeping with the "Island" theme, there was another tropical pre-tiki place on...you guessed it, Washington Boulevard in Culver City! This one was the Treasure Island bar that was located in King's Tropical Inn on the corner of Washington Blvd. and Adams (5800 block).
These images of the drink menu are from Mimi Payne's web site
DC
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4032
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2011-02-16 5:10 pm Permalink
Spotted another matchbook from the Coral Isle located on Washington Blvd on the web.
 
It was operated by Harold LaVon and offered Intimate Entertainment.
DC
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Trader Tom
Grand Member (7 years) 
Joined: Jan 26, 2006
Posts: 787
From: Hillsboro, OR
| Posted: 2011-03-21 7:03 pm Permalink
Here's one I've never seen before. The auction went a little high for me, but it's very cool nonetheless. Congrats to the new owner!
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Bora Boris
Mr. Unreasonable
Joined: Mar 25, 2005
Posts: 2490
From: Boogie Wonderland
| Posted: 2011-03-21 7:17 pm Permalink
 WOW!
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