Jeffrey Stanton Santa Monica Pier A History from 1875 to 1990, Donahue Publishing: Los Angeles, CA, 1990, 1928, 1920s, 1919
Chapter 3 Pier Expansion and Rebuilding (1919-1928)
[Because all the contractors' bids were high, the City decided to build the new pier itself, and this time with creasoted pilings . . .]
" . . . The pier officially opened without fanfare on January 19, 1921 . . . "
" . . .
"Cutthroat competition began in 1920 when Ernest Pickering doubled the size of his Ocean Park Pier . . . He rebuilt and enlarged the pier's dance hall and added eight new amusement rides including a new racing roller coaster. The Kinney Company, in answer to the competition, upgraded their Venice Pier with a new roller coaster and several other attractions, but then faced disaster when their pier was destroyed by fire five days before Christmas.
" . . .
"The Looff family agreed that their pier needed a dance pavilion and entered into a lease agreement with Cramer and Reed . . . The completed building's style would be oriental with turrets and towers.
"The Palisades Pavilion dance hall opened Saturday June 4, 1921. It was managed by P.A. Bishop who had operated Abbot Kinney's Venice Pier Dance Hall before the disastrous fire. Silvey's Orchestra featuring Frank Lewis, Harry Rowe, Bernard Saenz, and Chadwick Silvey [played] Friday and Saturday night and on Sunday afternoons.
"During the following year there was talk about extending the Municipal Pier another thousand feet to accomodate more fishermen, and the possibility of constructing a large harbor. Speakers at a dinner of the Greater Santa Monica Club at the Sunset Inn on June 9, 1922 discussed the proposed harbor. Five hundred diners, representing all the bay cities, listend to Jack Davis of Douglas Aircraft Company explain that his company was building torpedo sea planes for the government and they needed a protected harbor for practice. They hoped to interest the federal government in funding a Santa Monica Harbor.
"Commodore Soiland of the Southern California Yachting Association said, "A safe anchorage in the Santa Monica Bay will make it a haven of the yachting fleet on the Pacific, if not the world." . . .
" . . . There was the 1921 mid winter expo and carnival that featured an aerial circus, huge electrical displays and an auto show, and a weekend in 1922 when Ted Miller, the star rider of the L.A. Motorcycle, jumped from the pier into the ocean. . . . The 1923 [annual picnic] attracted ten thousand people who came for a free lunch. They were served from several hundred picnic tables loaded with food. Children were treated to free amusement rides that day.
" . . . it was announced on February 26, 1923 that [the Looff family] would sell their pier . . ." p. 45
"Finally, in mid September a syndicate headed by E.B. Conliss, D. B. Pascoe and C.D. Terry, all local businessmen, made an offer to the Looff estate that was accepted.. . .
"The syndicate's Santa Monica Amusement Company had ambitious plans. . . . Frank Prior and Fred Church, Venice's famed roller coaster builders were commissioned to design a superlative $75,000 twister coaster . . . Arthur Looff . . . would supervise its construction. . . .
"E.B. Conliss assured the public . . . quality amusements . . . Kramer as Pier Manager . . . freedom from rowdyism . . .
"The eighty foot high Whirlwind Dipper roller coaster opened on March 30, 1924 . . . Mayor Steele was present to handle the brakes for the first car . . .
" . . .
"The Whirlwind Dipper was a 'Bobs' design, short for bob sled, that Fred Church had perfected first on the Venice Pier then refined in his Ocean Park Pier designs. His newly patented cars with three point suspension and a shorter wheel base enabled the cars to negotiate the banked sharper turns he favored . . . This allowed Church to design fast but compact roller coasters especially suited for the limited space on amusement piers . . .
". . . during April and May. . . The Aeroscope ride was moved seaward of the coaster and installed on a new platform . . .
" . . . owners . . . selected T.H. Eslick to design the La Monica Ballroom and supervise its construction. He had achieved international fame in designing amusement palaces worldwide. Since the building would be the largest ballroom on the west coast, Eslick had to sink extra strength pilings down to bedrock to support its weight. He chose a Spanish theme for the La Monica's exterior and a modified French Renaissance motif for the interior of the huge 227 x 180 foot building. To add grace to the building, the ballroom's gray Spanish stucco exterior was crowned with a dozen towering minarets, each was twelve feet square and rising fifteen feet to twenty feet above the roof line. The minaret's caps were outlined with hundreds of lights at night.
"The La Monica's interior was ingeniously designed to handle 5000 patrons at a time. The architect's simple yet perfect system of checking wraps, many spacious entrances to the dance floor, numerous ticket booths, a beautiful promenade and a mezzanine balcony furnished with upholstery chairs and doge divans gave everyone a pleasant experience. Refreshments were available at the La Monica Fountain and Cafe located on the east side of the mezzanine level.
"The ballroom's 15,000 square foot hard maple floor had beautiful inlaid patterns to break the monotony of its immense surface. Thirty-six thousand strips of maple in ten foot lengths were used to achieve the effect. Beneath it was a 'spring floor' made by layering the dance floor on an especially constructed subfloor.
"Thirty six bell shaped transparent chandeliers were suspended from the ballroom ceiling by gold ropes. The wall decorations, painted by Russian artists, depicted a submarine garden. The effect gave patrons the illusion of dancing on coral. The final cost of the building exceeded $150,000.
"The La Monica Ballroom opened with great fanfare on Wednesday evening July 23, 1924 at 7:30 p.m. The wealthy, the famous and numerous Hollywood silent screen stars arrived in limousines to attend the dedication of the structure by Mayor John C. Steele and his fellow Commissioners . . . dance[d] to the sounds of the twenty member La Monica Orchestra. Don Clark, director, had come directly from Paul Whiteman's Orchestra in New York City.
"Customers, who bought dance tickets for a dime, danced the Charleston, fox trot, waltz and pivoting, a dance where couples turned continuously as they moved rapidly around the dance floor. At the end of each five minute dance, attendents used a big long rope to herd the couples off the dance floor and keep them separate from the new group coming onto the floor. Single women would watch from the side until an eligible male would ask them to dance. Couples, who usually came together, traditionally occupied the loges.
"Roy Randolf operated his La Monica School for Dancing within the building. He offered classes primarily for adults in all aspects of ballroom dancing. In the late fall he staged a series of free Saturday matinees by and for children. Each week he featured a session devoted to folk and old fashioned dances of a particular country like Spain, Russia, China or Japan." p. 51
"While the Santa Monica Amusement Company's initial success was attributed to the opening of the La Monica Ballroom and the Whirlwind Dipper coaster, it also benefitted from the fire that totally destroyed Ocean Park's competing amusement zone in January 1924 and the growth of Santa Monica's nearby beach clubs. The Santa Monica Athletic Club approximately a half mile north of the pier debuted in 1922. It was followed in 1923 by The Beach Club and the Santa Monica Swimming Clubs that were built side by side. These clubs provided a steady stream of wealthy clientele who would patronize the pier's amusements and dance hall.{?} {I'm not sure what this would mean other than the clubs were someplace people could drink.}
"In December Jack and Tilford Harter of the H & H Holding Co. announced plans to build their two million dollar Casa del Mar beach club on the ocean front at Pico Blvd. . . .They obtained the Pico Pier franchise from the city in February 1925 . . .
" . . . There had been live bait boats like Mel Sheares' Ursula that serviced the pier as early as 1920 . . . in late 1921, Captain T.J. Morris began operating the first fishing excursion boats.
In 1925 Morris became head of . . . Morris Pleasure Fishing Company, charter boats that cruised for rock bass, barracuda, and yellowtail. His smaller boats were used as water taxis . . .
" . . . A.A. Hernage operated two fishing boats . . . The Owl Boat company [1926-1933] . . .
" . . . F.S. Volk, the proprietor of the tackle and bait house. . .
"At the end of March 1925, the Southern California Steamship Co. applied to the city to land their 660 passenger steamer Long Beach at the Municipal Pier. The ship was equipped with a big ballroom . . .
" . . .
"The company's La Monica Ballroom continued to do fabulous business. Guest orchestras led by Paul Whiteman and Glen Oswald appeared throughout the spring and summer seasons. The La Monica Ballroom Orchestra directed by Carol Laughner was hired for the 1925-26 winter session. the east coast band was unique in that all its members could sing like a glee club. They were on hand when Hearst's Los Angeles Examiner sponsored its first dance contest. The newspaper offered a $5000 prize to the best couple who danced the Charleston.
"One of the La Monica's most exciting nights was the Friday before Halloween 1925 when the ballroom was almost robbed. It started when four young men driving a car with red wheels held up the Montana Bus Lines office. The police set up a dragnet and located the car in the La Monica parking lot on the pier. Police headquarters telephoned Lincoln Hart, the ballroom's manager, to inform him that the dance hall was in danger of being robbed. He was advised that the police were on their way and to close if possible."
"Plain-clothes men arrived shortly afterwards to round up the bandits. The manager opened up the arsenal and issued pistols to his responsible help. The nightwatchman had palsy so instead he was given a cutlass. Each man was responsible for guarding a ticket booth. The police arrived in force shortly afterwards. They even brought a shotgun squad for backup . . .
" . . . Garfield Leon, Hart's assistant manager, explained that the young men were his friends and frequented the dance hall often."
"On Monday February 1, 1926 waves from a huge mid Pacific storm began to threaten the Santa Monica Bay piers. The waves built up throughout the day until they were breaking during the night atop a fifteen foot high building at the end of Ocean Park's pier. The landing stage at the end of Santa Monica's Municipal Pier soon crumbled under the highest breakers since 1916.
"The storm continued throughout the following day as the giant waves began pulling up pilings by their roots and hammering the standing timbers into kindling wood. The night watchman notified the owners that the dance hall's foor was buckling. Workers arrived immediately after midnight to remove everything of value including a $2000 grand piano. Even boats that had been dragged onto the pier for safety were taken off the pier to shore.
"Word spread quickly . . . that the pier's collapse was imminent. Thousands swarmed the ocean front and atop the palisades . . . Police had to establish fire lines . . ." p. 57
"High tide peaked shortly after noon on Wednesday February 3rd. William Murdoch, a noted construction engineer, predicted that if the structure could survive until 1 p.m. that day, it would surviv. . . .
"When the storm subsided slightly later that day, constuction workers found the ballroom floor buckled beyond repair. It had sunk three feet on the west side near the orchestra pit. The three principal owners were making determined plans to save the ballroom, but they were philosophical about the outcome. . . .
"Reconstruction began on Feb. 5th. Workers tore a hole in the side of the ballroom and moved a heavy pile driver inside. . . .
"The owners blamed the city. . . .
"The La Monica's interior was restored with loving care. The owners employed one hundred local artisans and construction workers. A.B. Rice, the famed dance floor builder, laid down the new dance floor. The ballrooom's decorations were the conception of the Russian artist V. Ulianoff and his partner John Thackento who painted the unusual motif, a mixture of Oriental, Russian and barbaric art. They used pale tints to blend in quietly with the lights and decorative schemes.
"Thousands including numerous Hollywoood celebrities attended the La Monica's gala reopening on March 25, 1926. Sally Rand, Follies girl and movie actress danced the Charleston and demonstrated various steps of the latest dance craze." p. 58
"The winter storm season wasn't over yet. On April 8th high seas, some say worse than the awesome February storm, tore the fishing fleet loose from their moorings near the Municipal Pier. Captain T.J. Morris, Paul Brooks and Lee Gregory tried to prevent a floundering launch, the W.K. from wrecking the Municipal Pier. They were washed overboard and the unattended boat was later dashed to pieces south of the pier in front of the Edgewater Club. When Charles Trecy and Jack Dugan tried to rescue the drowning men, their small skiff was capsized by a huge breaker. Lifeguards rescued them but were unable to help the three fishermen who were swept south under the Crystal Pier and crushed against its pilings. Morris's body was found a week later offshore in El Segundo.
"These two destructive storms prompted the Greater Santa Monica Club to revive their harbor plan to protect the pier. They hired Taggart Aston, consulting engineer . . . His plans were presented to members of the club and to Howard B. Carter, city engineer at their May 5th meeting.
" . . .
". . . R. J. Conners, the Edgewater Club's president opposed the harbor because it would end surf bathing in front of his club . . .
"Santa Monica's eleven beach clubs by the summer of 1927 were becoming a major political force in matters relating to the beach front. These clubs with a membership of 25,000 . . . extended one and a half miles from Pico Blvd. to the city's northern limit. The Casa del Mar, Edgewater and Breakers were located south of the pier, while the Deuville, Sea Breeze, Miramar, Club Chateau, Wavecrest, Santa Monica Athletic, The Beach Club, and Gables were located north of the pier.
"Most of the clubs had swimming pools, beach cabanas, banquet rooms and extensive social and sports programs . . . the Del Mar drew its membership from Santa Monica's and Los Angeles' business and professional people . . .
" . . ." p. 61
"In September 1927 the Santa Monica Amusement Company, which owned the Looff Pier and controlling interest in the La Monica Ballroom and the Whirlwind Dipper, was sold to a syndicate headed by Dr. Frank J. Wagner . . . Wagner was one of the four previous owners . . .
"City Council granted Dr. Wagner permission to expand the pier at their February 20, 1928 meeting . . . [who] died of a heart attack . . . June 27, 1928, age 55.
"His widow hired Ernest Pickering to manage the pier for her. Pickering had been very active in the area since he installed his first rides on the Abbot Kinney Pier in 1909. He had owned the Pickering Pier in Ocean Park from 1919 to 1923, then moved to San Bernardino to manage Pickering Park, a small amusement area. He proved to be a capable general manager.
"The La Monica reopened for the 1928 season with T.S. Eslick as the new manager. Each week featured novel attractions, surprises and personal appearances. The opening night's attraction was the beautiful transcontinental horseback rider, Miss Vonceil Viking, whose horse galloped from New York City to Los Angeles in 120 days. Management held a La Monica Club night featuring old time dances staged with an old time orchestra, Carnival night on the lines of the big annual festivals in Europe and Collegiate Night featuring college dancing and prizes for the winning contestants.
" . . ." p. 64
[Page 46: 1924 photo of the Municipal and La Monica Piers shows the La Monica Ballroom and the Whirlwind Dipper roller coaster behind the Carousel building. There are signs for the Overlook Hotel & Apartments; the Royal Cafe serving fish and clam dinners; La Monica Ballroom Auto Park . . . House Auto Park; a Fish Market, Hollymaid Ice Cream; The La Monica School of Dancing (in what looks like Sinbad's) in front of the La Monica Ballroom;, but there seems to be a Fish Bait and Tackle and Auto Park immediately in to the east of the Ballroom; and the photo on page 47 shows "The 80 foot high Whirlwind Dipper roller coaster's track outlined by thousands of lights at night. The coaster, a Prior & Church 'bobs' design, had tight twisting turns along 3300 feet of track . . ."]
[p. 48: 1924 photo shows the La Monica Ballroom and the banquet hall next to the billiard hall had not yet been moved next to the ballroom; there is also a building on the seaward side of the Promenade, immediately to the south of the La Monica Pier which includes or is adjacent itself to a boathouse: there seems to be windows overlooking the beach and separated roofs or courts inside.]
[p. 49 is a 1928 diagram of the La Monica & Municipal Piers showing the location of the Looff Carousel & Hippodrome; Whirlwind Dipper Coaster; Bowling and Billiards; Bennett's Seafood Grotto; Auto Parking Area; Whip Ride; Circle Swing; Eli 24 Ferris Wheel; Shooting Gallery; Restaurant; Aeroscope ride; La Monica Ballroom; and at the very end, a Cafe.]
[Photo page 50 undated but shows the La Monica Ballroom nearly awash, afloat and captioned "The La Monica Ballroom was the largest ballroom on the west coast. It's 15,000 square foot dance floor could accomodate 5000 danceers. The building's Spanish Stucco exterior was crowned with a dozen minarets that were lit up at night. The Aeroscope ride was moved west of the roller coaster and raised on a pedestal.}
[Pages 52 and 53 1926 double page photo American Legion Long Beach Post #123 sponsored beauty contest during their annual Interpost Water Carnival and Mardi Gras on and in front of the Aero . . . and one can see in the mist Casa Del Mar Beach Club, the midway entrance to La Monica Pier and on the north side, a sign advertising Tango. On the right side among the spectators are the Santa Monica Municipal Band in Salvation Army uniforms and in the middle behind the contestants are members of another band in World War I helmets. At the very center is a trumpeter in a fez and pilot goggles.}
[Page 54 is a 1924 postcard of the crowds at Crystal Pier at the foot of Hollister St., The Rendezvous Ballroom on the Crystal Pier appears to be at the foot of Hollister on the sand.]
[Page 55, mid-1920s south of the pier view of the Breakers, Edgewater and Casa del Mar.]
[p. 56 1927 Movie Shoot south of the pier.]
[p. 57 1922 Barrs Flying Circus Flight over the Ocean Park Pier, the Dome Theater is clearly a dome.]
[Spectators gathered on the beach and on the playground equipment to watch the 1926 storm batter the SM Pier.]
[P. 59 1926 Photo of the La Monica Ballroom nearly falling into the sea.]
[P. 62 1927 photo of Evening Outlook newsboys; Owl Boat Co., fishing boats.]
[P. 63 1927 Sunday View north from the Crystal Pier to the Santa Monica Pier, packed solid with sitters and umbrella, as though it were a concert with "Tom's Place Pacific Fish Dinners Sandwiches Coffee East Side Drink Coca Cola Sealed in Sterilized Bottles" in front of the Del Mar Club and others. A difficult to read sign which may be repeated is EZ2TAN Salon, deciphered from a later photo.}