Well well well, look who's having a birthday. It's GDB friend MS! Sue B. provided this fun scan of a 1956 birthday party. Note to self: buy polka-dotted curtains. You have to take a photo when a kid is blowing out candles on a cake, it's a law that actually goes back to President James Madison. Are the two girls singing "Happy Birthday"? They have glasses of milk, paper bowls with scoops of vanilla ice cream, and tea (or coffee) coups for... something. Bourbon? It goes surprisingly well with sweets. I hope MS has as much fun as these kids are having!
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I decided to scan a few brochures from vintage Anaheim motels; some of the names are familiar, others not so much. For instance, today's brochure is from the Sir RuDimar Motel, located at 615 W. Katella. "1/2 block from south entrance to Disneyland!". I love the sign, with portraying the brave Sir RuDimar in front of a Disney-ish castle. I wondered about the name of the place and truly could find no references that weren't motel related, does anybody know the origins of "Sir RuDimar"? I thought it could be a mash-up of two names. "Rudolph" and... something?? Or perhaps it is a literary reference that escapes me, since I only read romance novels.
Say, this place looks pretty nice! If they have an ice machine, I am definitely staying here. You've got to love that mid-century decor, not exactly beautiful, but somehow appealing in a way. You can walk to Disneyland, but you're also not too far from Movieland Wax Museum, Knott's Berry Farm, and Marineland of the Pacific.
I wish this brochure had some sort of date indicator, but no such luck. I'm assuming it's from the mid-to-late 1960s, or perhaps a bit later. Among the amenities: a heated swimming pool. Thermostatically controlled heat! Baby cribs. 21 inch TVs in every room (why would you even need a TV that large?). "All rooms on ground floor"... no stairs to climb.
Here's a vintage postcard. I found a 1991 LA Times article about this motel: Owners of the tiny, 26-room Sir Rudimar Motel, situated within Disney’s proposed Westcot Center expansion area, are considering selling the property to an outside group for what could amount to a whopping $142,307 per room.
Sailor Kennedy, administrative partner for the Coachman Patel partnership, said Friday that a group of Los Angeles-based attorneys--reportedly with no ties to the Walt Disney Co.--have offered about $3.7 million for the .75-acre property, which sits on the southwest border of the Disneyland parking lot.
Kennedy declined to identify who made the offer. The nearly 30-year-old Sir Rudimar is one of several properties not under Disney’s control within an area the entertainment company has reserved for a proposed $3-billion, 470-acre expansion.
I'm not sure if the sale went through or not (though it would be hard to resist an offer of $142,307 per room in 1991 bucks); however, the Sir RuDimar Motel was still around in 2002, when an online message board listed it as one of the motels near the park to avoid (along with The Alamo, The Riviera, the Frontier Motel, etc). My guess is that it started out charming and clean, and declined as the years passed, which is kind of sad.
And finally, here's another postcard view, which uses the same photo that we see on the inside of the brochure.
I hope you have enjoyed your visit to the Sir RuDimar Motel!
If it's not raining on my trip, I should be out hiking!
Major-
ReplyDelete"Note to self: buy polka-dotted curtains".
Polka dot curtains - to heck with that - I want polka dot glasses-!
Happy Birthday MS; and I hope it's polka dot-free-!
What is a Sir RuDimar-? (Any relation to Sir Galahad-?) I had no idea there was a Magic Circle around Disneyland. I guess it's better than 'a ring around the collar'-!
Thanks, Major.
Happy birthday, MS! Looks like Sue picked out a good cake for you. It has figures on top but I cant' tell what they are. The glasses have an interesting design; pinstripes on the bottom, polka-dots on the upper half. The bowls and plates have the same polka-dots. Must be a real dotty family. ;-) Major, how do you know if that's ice cream in the bowls? Maybe it's Cream of Rice cereal!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sue!
Major, obviously "RuDimar" is "Ru", as in "rue the day". "Di" means "the" and "mar" is "Sea". So, RuDimar means "he who rues the sea". Apparently, Sir Rudimar got seasick very easily. Although, in the photo, he has a big smile on his face. Probably because he is miles from the nearest ocean.
I wonder if that's Bubbles the whale in the Marineland pic? In the last photo, the lush landscaping would seem to indicate that the was a nice Motel, at least in the early years.
"out hiking"? Be careful to not get abducted by a passing UFO... or kidnapped by Bigfoot!
Thanks to Sue and Major.
Happy Birthday, MS! Hope you’re having a wonderful day and swimming in a heated pool or watching your favorite program on a 21” TV…or doing something else fun that you love to do! Hope you stop by….we haven’t heard from you in a while.
ReplyDeleteMajor, this is a fun post! In one motel scan, it says 23 rooms…in another it says 24 rooms. The owners can’t count. Maybe that’s why they didn’t sell their motel…they had no idea how big that offer number was! (It would’ve taken me a whole nano second to decide to definitely sell.)
Thanks, Major. Safe travels, and we’re looking forward to hearing from you soon. I hope you’re bringing back something for us. :o)
^ Ha! I meant 24 and 25 rooms, NOT 23 and 24. I guess I can’t count, either.
ReplyDelete:op
^ And the internet, in numerous places — including your (Major’s) quote above — states 26 rooms. :oD
ReplyDeleteIt's very possible those attorneys / speculators DID buy it, knowing Disney would come around sooner or later. Maybe Disney didn't like the asking price, or didn't want to buy until they were ready to immediately knock it down and start building on that space. Whatever the reason, the buyers would keep the place open and run it as cheaply as possible, not putting out money for upgrades or even maintenance. Disney would eventually buy it only for the land itself, and any investment in the motel proper wouldn't improve the selling price.
ReplyDeleteThere's also the matter of being such a tiny motel with no room to expand, increasingly hemmed in by noise, traffic, and density..And competition: rivals who either planned to stay in business and invested in upgrades, or sold out to chains that whole new hotels. Finally, I'm guessing the motel was taxed based on the market value of the land itself, likely far above its value as an operating business. More pressure on current owners to slash expenses and not invest. Also possible it changed hands a few times, either because speculators didn't have deep enough pockets for a long wait or more optimistic speculators made an offer.
It looks like the Sir Rudimar was located just east of the Alpine Motel, with the snow and icicles, which we have seen here on GDB. Apparently, the hotel was replaced by the Desert Inn and Suites, in 2004. So, I guess Disney never did acquire it......unless they secretly own the land that is occupied by the Desert Inn, the Alpine Motel, the car rental place in between those two businesses.
ReplyDeleteJB, yes....that is Bubbles, the pilot whale. She was captured in 1966 when she was only about 3 years old, performed at Marineland until 1987, and then moved to Sea World after they purchased Marineland.
Happy birthday, MS! And thank you, Sue and Major!
Happy birthday MS, many happy returns of the day! Enjoy that cake and open those Venetian blinds, after opening your presents! We had some blinds exactly like them!
ReplyDeleteI remember this motel because of the odd name and capitalization. But I had the location wrong, I thought it was on Harbor, up by Chao’s. Maybe there was another “knight in armor” themed place up there? The name reminds me of “Young Lochinvar, who came out of the west and through all the wide border his steed was the best”. I’ll guess it’s a made-up portmanteau of the owners names, or those of their girlfriends. It’s odd that it’s only one story, but the very residential style is typical for that early era. In some views the roof looks like shingles, but in others, like the sparkling white rocks that just say “motel modern”.
Terrific images, Major! More old motels, please, if you have them! Enjoy your hikes with cheese!
JG
Thank you, Sue for the birthday pics, wherever do you find them?
ReplyDeleteJG
Happy birthday MS! Sorry I'm late to this midnight party. You didn't trash the room I hope like last time.
ReplyDeleteThe motel sign says Frigepated which is how I was around girls in school.
Hope you're not hiking with an umbrella. Remember to take plenty of cheese in case you get lost.
Zach
Happy birthday, MS! I hope your day is full of milk and cake and good friends! I can practically hear the click-clack of those old-fashioned metal window blinds. Growing up in Western NY, we all watched a Canadian kids' show called The Polka Dot Door, with a catchy opening theme that's going to be stuck in my head all day, because these birthday kids have found the elusive Polka Dot Window.
ReplyDeleteI tried to make all kinds or anagrams out of "Sir RuDimar," but they all had extra r's, like I was trying to write with a joke Scottish accent. I think the Maj was probably onto something with the theory of business partners' names mashed together.
Third time is a charm.....browsers are being very picky this afternoon! Happy Birthday MS! Hope you are having as much fun as these kiddie winkies....before Disneyland was there a GDB? Was it like pen pals or something? Writing about Coney Island? or Knotts? Perhaps. I'm old enough to know what a pen pal is...I'm wondering if that is even a thought in anyones mind anymore? It was such fun seeing something in the mail that was for you. In any case....the RU-DIMAR....Sir...so the the DiMar (the sea) must have been knighted...it's interesting how these motels tried to evoke some Disneyland into the scheme...but the theme only was apparent in the sign....not in the decor...which was generally "mid century Anaheim tract...or mid century North Hollywood/Burbank adjacent tract...or Fountain Valley tract....the Motel actually looks like of cool...and I like the little privacy screens by the pool...probably for the Europeans that liked "au naturel" sunbathing...makes sense to me as a European. I don't think that is for GDB AFTER DARK...because my aunt told me once in a strong Norse accent "It's just the human body!"....that being said: the pool is very sparkly looking, and it's too bad that so few of these quaint motels no longer exist, as they were their own kind of "Disneyland" and part of that experience too. Luckily there ARE a few left...with their days numbered of course. The land is so valuable, so I get it. I think I've told the stories about moonlighting at the Heidi Motel front desk....as it was actually owned AND operated by Disneyland....but very "under the sheets" (excuse the metaphor). I think the TG's looked rather out of place when we showed up in Disneyland Business Professional....as: it wasn't "done up"....Security would stop by frequently, and DL custodial cleaned the rooms....Maintenance did their maintenance....and the audience was mostly Germanic tourists...drawn to Heidi....and the then "resident managers": basically an ex-DL security guard and his wife....regaled me in the stories of 'Ol Anaheim when she was an enclave of German immigrants...and the Heidi was a stones throw from the "Sir".....that little assignment didn't last long....we were trained in "if they don't look like families, tell them there are no rooms available"....and we were told to say that the "vacancy sign" was broken if they contested it. Ahhh...those were the days....of all the things I did at Disneyland: that may have been the weirdest one....and there were many weird ones. Thanks Major for the trip to MOTEL ROW, and a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to MS!
ReplyDeleteHey gang, Thanks, so much. Great to be remembered by the nicest group on the net. A special treat to see Melissa here once more. Polka dots beat chat bots every day. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteMS
ReplyDeleteYes Bu, here in LA we have a style called 'DingBats' - very standardized apartment buildings with absolutely fabulous signage like "Viceroy Gardens" on fluted columns, but with one palm tree and lots of asphalt. The logo being far more fun than the units, this place is pulling that trick too. Actually I think the name here is an excuse to use that famous "D" font.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, being a lovely day with my dog and lots of good foods.
MS