Jeffrey Stanton Santa Monica Pier A History from 1875 to 1990, Donahue Publishing: Los Angeles, CA, 1990, 1955
Chapter 5: Santa Monica Pier on the Skids (1941-1974)
"That summer [1954] was Spade Cooley's last year at the La Monica Ballroom. With his popularity waning, he moved to Ocean Park's Casino Gardens for his last year on television."
"In March 1955 Santa Monica's recreation director gave the Muscle Beach weightlifters an ultimatum. They either had to form a club that collected dues and carried liability insurance, or he would remove the weights from the beach. The problem started when a small boy picked up a barbell that was too heavy for him. It pull him forward and the barbell hit another boy on the head. the injured boy's parents sued the city for $200. The city carried no insurance on the playground.
"The Muscle Beach Weightlifters Club was formed with Dr. Paul Maclin as its president. Over one hundred members signed up and paid the annual two dollar membership fee. The club agreed to police the beach and get rid of troublemakers. The city was satisfied and made plans at a cost of $10,000 to rearrange the platforms and add bleachers for spectators.
"The city . . . decided to ban pinball games because they were considered games of chance . . . and it wasn't until the early 1970s that pinball games were allowed back on the pier.
"The Santa Monica Pier's new attraction for the 1955 summer season was the opening of the Hollywood Autocade in the La Monica Ballroom. It featured one hundred unusual automobiles ranging from a 1908 Moreland fire engine to Hitler's Auto-Union Hoch given to his fiance Eva Braun, to a $16,500 Dusenberg. One unusual car was a 1921 German Rumpler Drop Car, an amphibious vehicle designed to be dropped from dirigibles. the exhibit also included many motion picture star's cars like Jack Benny's Maxwell, Clara Bow's Rolls-Royce, and Rudolf Valentino's Lancia . . .
"Lamia's old charter boat office next to the Playland arcade . . . was leased to Gordon and Beryle Brunkow by Mrs. Newcomb. They operated a wholesale and retail gift shop that specialized in plaster of paris statues." p. 12