Saturday, September 5, 2015

Munchbox in the 50's

The Munchbox was built in 1956 and stands at 21532 Devonshire in Chatsworth. It looked very much back then as it does today judging from these fun now and then photos.

Back in 1969 it is said that Charlie could get a root beer float or a hot dog while waiting for Sadie to finish her shift as a topless dancer across the street at the Candy Cat. The Candy Cat by the way is still in operation today because, as its yelp reviewers reveal, everybody likes boobs and beer.

Also just across the street is a supermarket (formerly Gateway Market) where the girls would dumpster dive.


Thanks to Stoner Van Houten and Valley Relics Museum for the pic.  Mansonblog visited the Munchbox back in 2013, you can see that post here.





27 comments:

Suze said...

I'm only interested in two things, and that's
Titties and beer
You know what I mean?
what?
Titties and beer
Titties and beer
Titties and beer

Robert Hendrickson said...

Back when filming MANSON we would sometimes stop for hamburgers there.

Who would EVER have thought that a photo of that place would one day be of interest ?

The "Cat" accross the street - just before entering the military in 1965, friends took me there - I guess that was their way of saying: "Thank-you for GOING instead of me ?

Patty is Dead said...

Don't get the mushroom burger. Lol

Matt said...

I had a Hickory Burger. A total diet blower but damn it was good!


Patty is Dead said...

Patty wants to go in the Candy Cat but she's shy

AustinAnn74 said...

The word "munch" and "box" just goes hand & hand with anything and everything "Manson Family," doesn't it?

Derek Callella said...

I'm going there for a hickory burger tonight. Better than In-n-out

Patty is Dead said...

A historical point of interest: today is the fortieth anniversary of Squeaky's pointing a gun at President Ford!

Matt said...

Good one, AustinAnn. I busted a gut on that one.


Ajerseydevil said...

Hey Matt Happy birthday friend

Ajerseydevil said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ajerseydevil said...

Suze very cool that you're a Zappa fan going to see Zappa play's Zappa in Atlantic city end of the month it will be my 6 th time never had the pleasure of seeing Frank live before his untimely passing in the ,s

CarolMR said...

Wasn't Leno LaBianca connected to Gateway Market?

Matt said...

Yes Carol. Gateway is the chain of supermarkets that the LaBianca family owned.

orwhut said...

I wonder how well a Honolulu Hamburger would sell at the Munch Box.

CarolMR said...

Thanks, Matt.

Anonymous said...


I haven't been to Chatsworth in over 10 years - is it still as boring as hell? I can only imagine how boring it was 45 years ago.

You can see why kids from the area were drawn to Spahn Ranch and Charlie when there was nothing else in the area vying for their attention. I would think that most of them were just bored kids looking for friends to hang out with and something to do.

I'm always struck by how much Tex seems like a separate entity from the rest. Like some kind of evil cyborg or psychotic Mr Spock. You forget that he was even there. It's like he just showed up to kill people and left. I can picture all of them there, doing things, but I never picture Tex being among them, unless someone is being killed, in which case he's always front and center, because he always was.

And Chatsworth is the last place on Earth that I would expect a kooky idea like an Armageddon-style, end times race war to ferment.

Matt said...

Well, it's right over the hill from Box Canyon where they've always produced and exported whack-jobs to all parts of the universe.

Robert Hendrickson said...

YES Ziggy:

I can see it playing NOW ! "The Munch Box Murders" where topless dancers grab a "heart attack" burger for lunch and turn into MASS murders by night. Did the ex-con burger flipper infect the All-American burgers with mind altering drugs ?

One bite at the MUNCH Box and goodie-two-shoes "white" kids were on their way to bizzerko heaven. BUT not before stopping off at Armageddon Hell.

NOW playing at the Chatsworth Drive-in for One week ONLY.

Approved by Michelle Obama under the "Fast Food BAD program"


Max Frost said...

Coincidence?

http://www.prisonplanet.com/255849.html


P.s. Yum yum munch box yeah far out groovy!

Fiddy 8 said...

@Ziggy - I have fond memories of Chatsworth because that is where Stoney Point is located. Stoney Point is a world famous rock climbing "bouldering" park. Many of the world's best big wall Yosemite climbers got their start here as kids, before there were climbing gyms everywhere. If you were a kid who wanted to learn how to climb in 60s and 70s, this is where you could get lots of rock time in (with a grown-up's 30 minute drive) for a fun day trip to the north valley.

Anonymous said...


@Fiddy 8 - Thank you for that. I stayed at the Ramada a few times in Chatsworth and I don't know how many times, when I asked someone what there was to do in Chatsworth, heard the response "Well, there's the Northridge Mall...". ;)

@Max Frost - Did you ever see the movie Ishtar? There was a song in it that went - "Telling the truth can be dangerous business. Honest and popular don't go hand in hand. If you admit that you can play the accordion, no one'll hire you in a rock & roll band". I like Trump because he has no filter and tells it like it is. Which is probably why he isn't very popular in Washington at the moment.

@Robert Hendrickson - Sounds like a good movie. Will you be hiring Barbara Hoyt as "Hamburger Consultant"? Matt would probably make a good "Box Munching Consultant".



Max Frost said...

Great words Ziggy - absolutely true.

Whether people THINK they are 'republican' or THINK they are 'democrat' they should all LOVE Trump because he is talking about things that the whore puppet politicians never talk about - he is talking about the things that actually matter. He isn't part of that political monster machine that rules Washington D.C.

And he can't be bought - he already has all the money. That's a great clue.

Anonymous said...


@Max Frost - 2008 : Ron Paul vs Dennis Kucinich would have been an ideal matchup of 2 incorruptible politicians. But what did we get? Opuppet vs McWarmonger. I can see why so many people don't even bother to vote.

The situation in Syria might be escalating with Putin on the verge of annihilating ISIS on behalf of Assad. Will WW3 begin because Russia didn't let ISIS defeat Assad? How do they plan on selling that one to the public?

"Putin did something wrong."

"What's that?"

"He got rid of ISIS."



Max Frost said...

Yes Ziggy I agree 100%

What would've been even better is Ron Paul with Kucinich as VP.

Putin isn't playing ball with these evil assholes that control the U.S. Government...that's why they shot down that airliner and blamed him (even though all the evidence cleared him).

HellzBellz said...

Ziggy Says: ,,The situation in Syria might be escalating with Putin on the verge of annihilating ISIS on behalf of Assad. Will WW3 begin because Russia didn't let ISIS defeat Assad? How do they plan on selling that one to the public?

"Putin did something wrong."

"What's that?"

"He got rid of ISIS."

And because of all that going on overthere.... Who or Whatever keeps that shit going on overthere to make money and gain Power, they are causing an Exodus of refugees into Europe, Europe crumbles ....

Bryan Schroat said...

A burger place located across the street from a 70's strip club..Seems like there would be a Fur Burger on the menu.