Remembering The Factory and Studio One

“The building housed many businesses until 1967 when a consortium of Hollywood’s upper level swells, headed by Paul Newman, Anthony Newley, Jerry Orbach, director Richard Donner and Peter Lawford, to name some, turned it into their own private playground and called it THE FACTORY!”<div>

“You could put your name on a list and like a regular pool hall, get to play whoever won the game before you were called. Eventually, I was able to play pool with Paul Newman, Minnesota Fats himself, Jackie Gleason, Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen and once, even Frank Sinatra, to name a few.”

“On August 8, 1969, I was talking to an actress and her best friend outside the club. I’d known her for a couple of years and when she was engaged to Phillipe Forquet, who starred with Sandra Dee and James Stewart in “Take Her, She’s Mine,” I visited them and she made dinner for us several times. We were laughing about old times, for about 15 minutes and then they went into the club. The next night she and her best friend were brutally murdered by The Manson Clan. Their names were Sharon Tate and Jay Sebring.”

“He converted the back end of the club into “The Backlot” with it’s own special entrance on Robertson Blvd. He booked great talent into that room such as, Madeline Kahn, Joan Rivers, Ike & Tina Turner, Wayland Flowers, Chita Rivera, Bernadette Peters and Jim Bailey (who set Weho ablaze by completely becoming Judy Garland, Peggy Lee and Barbra Streisand, to name only 3).”

https://wehoonline.com/2021/10/01/remembering-factory-studio-one/

</div>

wehoonline.com

Remembering The Factory and Studio One - WEHOonline.com

ADVERTISEMENTIt all began 86 years ago when The Mitchell Camera Corporation built their factory off Santa Monica Boulevard between Robertson Boulevard and La Peer Street.  They claimed their cameras lensed …