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Sportsmen's Lodge
The Sportsmen's Lodge is a hotel located on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, Los Angeles, California. Operating under various names (including "Hollywood Trout Farms") since the 1880s, the Sportsmen's Lodge is a San Fernando Valley landmark and long remained a popular spot for celebrations, dinners and public events. Located in the heart of the Valley's studio district, the Sportsmen's Lodge was a popular gathering spot for cast and crew in old Hollywood, including Clark Gable, Bette Davis, John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Ava Gardner, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.
The original Sportsmen's Lodge opened in the 1880s before the movie business existed and before Studio City had its name. A history of Studio City published by the Studio City Sun describes the Lodge as an "enduring symbol of lost rural Valley life." The Sun notes that the site has had many owners since the 1880s but was "always a geographic crossroads for travelers because of its proximity to the river, the canyons, and watering holes created by a natural artesian spring." In the days before freeways were built across the Valley, "all traffic passed along Ventura Boulevard’s two dirt lanes in the sparsely populated Valley, and 'when people were starting to take road trips, this was an oasis at the end of the road.'"
In the first half of the 20th century, the Sportsmen's Lodge was known for its trout-fishing lake where families came to catch and eat their own dinners, cooked courtesy of the lodge's restaurant. In the 1910s, the Lodge was called "Hollywood Trout Farms" and was described as "a ramshackle collection of huts." The ponds were augmented with man-made lakes in the 1920s, and fish were grown and delivered from as far as Las Vegas and San Luis Obispo. From the late 1930s until the end of World War II, it was known as "Trout Lakes".
The Sportsmen's Lodge became the place to hang out for cast and crew members working at the nearby Republic Studios. The heart of Republic Studios was its B-westerns, and many western-film leads, including John Wayne, Gene Autry, Rex Allen, and Roy Rogers, became stars at Republic. Movie posters signed by Hollywood cowboys who stayed there still hang on the walls of the Lodge's coffee shop. Some of Hollywood's silver screen cowboys long gathered at the Sportsmen's Lodge for the annual Golden Boot and Silver Spur Awards.
In 1945, the property was renamed the Sportsmen's Lodge, and a formal restaurant and cocktail lounge were added. Guests were given rods and bait to catch their fish and make dinner. Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis and John Wayne are reported to have taught their kids how to fish at the Lodge's trout ponds. According to one account, the Lodge's trout ponds "drew luminaries such as Tallulah Bankhead, Lena Horne, Bette Davis, and Joan Blondell, who baited hooks with liverwurst and drank martinis as waiters served dinner on white tablecloths. When celebrities such as Clark Gable frequented the Lodge, rates were $9 for a single room and $25 for a suite.
A small pier adjacent to the restaurant catered to celebrities who worked in nearby studios. The pier was said to be Clark Gable's favorite fishing spot, and Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were regulars.
Syndicated entertainment columnist Ron Miller wrote that the "venerable" Sportsmen's Lodge was his favorite Valley hangout. Miller wrote about the old days at the Lodge when character actor Jack Elam had a luxury suite on the top floor while working on the movie "Easy Street". Miller recalled that Elam was a drinking man and "mornings were not his best time." On one occasion, Elam walked into the Lodge's coffee shop with a bewildered look on his face. "He'd forgotten where he'd parked his car the night before because he'd had a snootful. I remember him telling the waitresses he was pretty sure it was parked, 'Somewhere in the valley.'" According to Miller, one "well-seasoned" waitress coddled Elam through breakfast and assured him: "That's all right, Darlin'. We'll help you find it after breakfast. Now you'd better eat something, Jack."
As the San Fernando Valley grew in the years after World War II, the urban sprawl sprung up around the Sportsmen's Lodge and its trout fishing lakes. In 1962, the modern Sportsmen's Lodge Hotel was built adjacent to the original lodge. When the hotel was built, the lakes became home to a family of swans and some of the Valley's first fine dining establishments, frequented by legendary Hollywood stars.
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Sportsmen's Lodge
The Sportsmen's Lodge is a hotel located on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, Los Angeles, California. Operating under various names (including "Hollywood Trout Farms") since the 1880s, the Sportsmen's Lodge is a San Fernando Valley landmark and long remained a popular spot for celebrations, dinners and public events. Located in the heart of the Valley's studio district, the Sportsmen's Lodge was a popular gathering spot for cast and crew in old Hollywood, including Clark Gable, Bette Davis, John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Ava Gardner, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.
The original Sportsmen's Lodge opened in the 1880s before the movie business existed and before Studio City had its name. A history of Studio City published by the Studio City Sun describes the Lodge as an "enduring symbol of lost rural Valley life." The Sun notes that the site has had many owners since the 1880s but was "always a geographic crossroads for travelers because of its proximity to the river, the canyons, and watering holes created by a natural artesian spring." In the days before freeways were built across the Valley, "all traffic passed along Ventura Boulevard’s two dirt lanes in the sparsely populated Valley, and 'when people were starting to take road trips, this was an oasis at the end of the road.'"
In the first half of the 20th century, the Sportsmen's Lodge was known for its trout-fishing lake where families came to catch and eat their own dinners, cooked courtesy of the lodge's restaurant. In the 1910s, the Lodge was called "Hollywood Trout Farms" and was described as "a ramshackle collection of huts." The ponds were augmented with man-made lakes in the 1920s, and fish were grown and delivered from as far as Las Vegas and San Luis Obispo. From the late 1930s until the end of World War II, it was known as "Trout Lakes".
The Sportsmen's Lodge became the place to hang out for cast and crew members working at the nearby Republic Studios. The heart of Republic Studios was its B-westerns, and many western-film leads, including John Wayne, Gene Autry, Rex Allen, and Roy Rogers, became stars at Republic. Movie posters signed by Hollywood cowboys who stayed there still hang on the walls of the Lodge's coffee shop. Some of Hollywood's silver screen cowboys long gathered at the Sportsmen's Lodge for the annual Golden Boot and Silver Spur Awards.
In 1945, the property was renamed the Sportsmen's Lodge, and a formal restaurant and cocktail lounge were added. Guests were given rods and bait to catch their fish and make dinner. Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis and John Wayne are reported to have taught their kids how to fish at the Lodge's trout ponds. According to one account, the Lodge's trout ponds "drew luminaries such as Tallulah Bankhead, Lena Horne, Bette Davis, and Joan Blondell, who baited hooks with liverwurst and drank martinis as waiters served dinner on white tablecloths. When celebrities such as Clark Gable frequented the Lodge, rates were $9 for a single room and $25 for a suite.
A small pier adjacent to the restaurant catered to celebrities who worked in nearby studios. The pier was said to be Clark Gable's favorite fishing spot, and Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were regulars.
Syndicated entertainment columnist Ron Miller wrote that the "venerable" Sportsmen's Lodge was his favorite Valley hangout. Miller wrote about the old days at the Lodge when character actor Jack Elam had a luxury suite on the top floor while working on the movie "Easy Street". Miller recalled that Elam was a drinking man and "mornings were not his best time." On one occasion, Elam walked into the Lodge's coffee shop with a bewildered look on his face. "He'd forgotten where he'd parked his car the night before because he'd had a snootful. I remember him telling the waitresses he was pretty sure it was parked, 'Somewhere in the valley.'" According to Miller, one "well-seasoned" waitress coddled Elam through breakfast and assured him: "That's all right, Darlin'. We'll help you find it after breakfast. Now you'd better eat something, Jack."
As the San Fernando Valley grew in the years after World War II, the urban sprawl sprung up around the Sportsmen's Lodge and its trout fishing lakes. In 1962, the modern Sportsmen's Lodge Hotel was built adjacent to the original lodge. When the hotel was built, the lakes became home to a family of swans and some of the Valley's first fine dining establishments, frequented by legendary Hollywood stars.
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