The Smiley Smile Message Board

from todays LA Times:

Old Hollywood lingers at Chez Jay

By Margaret Wappler, Los Angeles Times
 
February 24, 2012

When piped-in music and a bar's history perfectly align, it makes for a sweet cocktail of synchronicity, a besotted wink from the intimate interior that makes all the drinkers lean into their liquor just a little bit more.

On a recent Sunday night, the ramshackle Chez Jay, a beachcomber bistro in Santa Monica with a legendary past, was packed. Glasses twinkled, waiters rushed through the room delivering steaming steaks, and the Doors' "L.A. Woman" played overhead. "Driving down your freeways," Morrison growled, and it seemed like the room was right there with him, careening down Pacific Coast Highway.

Morrison was known to frequent Chez Jay, as well as a host of other famous regulars in its 53 years of business. Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Dean Martin, Lee Marvin, Judy Garland and even Marilyn Monroe would get seated in the curtained-off booth in the back, Table 10.

The restaurant, and that table in particular, is reported in the unpublished memoirs of now-deceased owner Jay Fiondella to have been the birthplace of many a screenplay, including work by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, as well parts of Warren Beatty's "Shampoo."

The Beach Boys hung out at Chez Jay too. Dennis Wilson, according to one of the bar stories long passed down, once dove over the low border wall in front of Table 10, igniting a brawl that probably didn't end in lush harmony.


full article @  http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-chez-jay-20120224,0,6031679.story

Has the incident where Dennis jumped the border and started a ruckus in Chez Jay's been documented in "The Real Beach Boy" book or elsewhere? I can't remember that one.

No recollections, "reference the book", "kiss my ass", nothin'?

Some nice memories of meeting there to honor Carl and Dennis's memory at the Carl walk in 2002

Never heard that particular story, but  stories of Dennis causing a "ruckus" in Chez Jay's are pretty much standard...Gaines book might have been the first documented mention, but there are a bunch of articles referencing DW causing trouble there, Jay himself used to mention Dennis in most of his interviews, with "trouble" usually being among the descriptions...I think he told me that other than Dennis that Chris Penn was his most troublesome customer.

Yep, Chris Penn was a holy terror in Santa Monica; (didn't you encounter him with me, in the bar underneath Digital Universe, Jon?)  Amazingly, Sean always seemed to behave himself in Jay's, usually privately in the backroom.  Hands down, though, Dennis was worse than both Penn's combined.  However, remember, Jay was off at sea those last months of Dennis' life.  Jay often told me Dennis would never have gotten away with what he did had he been around.

Mentioned it in another thread that I've got the feeling everybody in L.A. from famous to nameless has a Dennis Wilson story. I'd love to read a book collecting all those stories. Jon ?

Ed could fill a book with just his stories about Dennis.

A photography book would be wicked awesome as well!!

Of course he could.  Been hearing stories from him for many years.  But still no book (or any other format other than message boards).

Took awhile for the group to get back together too, didn't it?

Sometimes good things are worth waiting for...