Adam-12 Patrol Nudie's
Log 164: The Poachers, S3, Ep21, aired February 25, 1971
Not the most exciting episode crime-wise, but some classic San Fernando Valley places on Lankershim make cameos.
The theme here is businesses with horses on the roof.
In my mind, I once stood across the street and took photos of the cowboys on horses on the roof and have it as a real hold-in-your-hands photo. Quite possibly I just always meant to.
Just to tie in Phil Ochs [who I believe was America's best songwriter ever; he wrote topical songs and his technique was alliteration] -- Phil's best friend Andy's girlfriend Frances worked for Nudie. "She's working for the tailor, makes the western clothes." Phil Ochs' song about his friends, "Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Me."
Nudie's was often hiring!
I have a clean DMV record and know my way around the Valley. I want that job!
Almost nobody remembers when Kentucky Fried Chicken had a spin-off, Kentucky Roast Beef, but here it is on Adam-12:
Hard to catch it unless you really obsess over Lankershim Blvd maybe (hee!) but they pass the Silver Saddle Motel right next to the former Kentucky Roast Beef.
A couple of my own recent photos of the area (note the horse on the roof):
I recognized the Hub furniture store sign at 6418 Lankershim, just north of Victory, and I was very curious about that "Seaside" sign, especially as NoHo is nowhere near the sea. The "Seaside" sign is probably left over from a much earlier business, Bud's Seaside Service which existed in the 50s. By the 60s it was Rayes Shell. Not sure what it was in 1971, but the address is 6335 Lankershim.
Note: These drive-by shots heading south have jumped back and then back again -- the higher numbers are further north, so coming south, it was The Hub furniture store north of Victory and "Seaside" sign in the 6300 block south of Victory; the Silver Saddle and Kentucky Beef in the 6200 block south of Sylvan before Erwin; Nudie's way down just north of Morrison, getting closer to where Lankershim crosses Vineland.
Adam-12 Patrol North Hollywood is largely just Adam-12 drive up and down Lankershim.
Yet Tujunga and Moorpark is Adam-12 Square! (Make it happen! #Adam12Square)
Two more items: Whitnall Highway and an actor of note; Sinclair Paint in Studio City
Whitnall Highway, not really a highway, but a collection of giant high voltage towers:
Am I the only one that can't look at Whitnall without thinking "Withnail and I"?
Whitnall and Cartwright. Marty Milner lived on Cartwright in his younger days (further south than this, between Huston and Camarillo).
I like to think Milner just ad-libbed this classic comedy zinger, but probably not.
An actor of note in this episode, Scutter McKay. He passed away at only 45, but not before having been in costume on both Pufnstuf and The Land of the Lost. He was on Adam-12 twice ["Log 153: Find Me a Needle" was the other]. I was surprised to learn he had been Freddie the Frog on the New Zoo Revue (oh how I loved that show!) -- and both imdb and Wiki list only Yanco Inone. Whoever's doing the New Zoo Revue blog (please let there be one!), please research this one.
I suspect he was my height, and that is how I would look size-wise compared to the giant officers of Adam-12. Then we head down to Ventura Blvd to Sinclair Paint: For that one other person on earth who wondered "how many Sinclair Paint locations were there in the San Fernando Valley in 1972?"
Not knowing the exact location of this Texaco knocks the wind out of my sails:
At another point the dispatcher sends them to the in-joke of a non-existent street called McWhirter 😀 That's where I'll say this Texaco was, Lankershim and McWhirter!