Lotsapoppa

The actual spot where Crowe's apartment building stood is now the parking lot for The Magic Castle.

 

The Magic Castle

 

This building sits to the rear and to the right of  The Magic Castle boardering the parking lot.

The ghost of Bernard Crowe...

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UPDATE: Thanks, Trilby.

 Trilby, from the comments section:

What I'd most like to know is the documented date of the burn/shooting of Crowe. I've seen it both as the first week of July and the first week of August. Anybody?

Here's an article (a link to) that has a pic of what the Franklin Garden Apts. looked like during Tex's residence at Rosina's apt. It's my understanding their apt. was 2nd floor, left side, to the rear. Rosina had an off-on roommate (sp.?) who was a cast member of a production of "Hair". I'd better not name her, because she was extremely upset when I attempted to interview her awhile back. I was referred by a friend who "dated" her during that era, I'm fairly likeable and kind - yet her reaction was actually pretty hostile and proactively defensive. I found that interesting. Recently another name and e-mail address crossed my paws, another resident of the building in that era - hopefully she'll have some info. The trouble is, alot of the people I talk to remember specific details of the 60s about as well as I remember the 80s (the beginning and end, okay... The mid-80s not at all, really.).

http://bigorangelandmarks.blogspot.com/2008/10/no-192-site-of-franklin-garden.html?m=1

El Coyote

Robert and Toby Hendrickson with Deb. Yes, we sat in "Sharon's booth".

ColScott, Matt, Heineken & Margarita

ColScott & Mrs. Matt

Jiri & Mrs. Matt

Stacey, Jiri sends out a big HELLO!

Los Angeles PD now has the Tex Tapes

Los Angeles police have obtained the decades-old taped conversations between a Manson family disciple and his attorney.

Detective David Holmes says the department has had the tapes for a couple of weeks and Robbery-Homicide Division and the Los Angeles County district attorney's office are analyzing them.

Read more:

http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/05/23/37393/lapd-analyzing-manson-disciple-s-tapes-for-evidenc/.

Houses on Cielo: Clarification...

I'll interrupt this tour for a moment for clarification on the Cielo houses. A friend of the blog emailed these to us just now with expert commentary.

Here are two photos of Cielo as it existed the day after the murders.

The house closest to the gate in these photos is now the remodeled, white three story house closest to the new (and old) gate--and you can also now see the difference to where the gate stood then and now.

The second house (furthest from the gate in these photos) is now the third furthest from the gate in your photos with a new house (the tan/orange one) added in between the original two houses. The fourth house, furthest from the gate is also new and David Oman's house - 10100 Cielo Drive.

LaBianca

On the Black Bus

Harold True House

This picture show the proximity of the LaBianca and True homes.  Looking up True's driveway the LaBianca home is seen, noted by the red arrow.  The blue arrow is the roof of the True home.  It was noted by nearly everyone on the tour how close together the homes are in Los Angeles.

LaBianca Driveway

The LaBianca gate

The corner where The LaBiancas stopped at a news stand on August 10.

Bank of America now occupies the spot.

Dracena Drive (former Tex/Laberge residence in the midst of a remodel).
I spoke with the contractor. He was concerned as to why we were photographing the place. He was just pleased we weren't a rival contractor or an insurance company, it seemed.

ColScott in his natural state - disagreement. LOL.

Easton Drive / Rudy Weber

Matt speaking here: You know, after visiting Cielo and the proximity of Weber's house - these morons weren't escaping at the time. They went for that hose in the opposite direction of the escape route I would have chosen. Of course my sense of self-preservation is strong. Dissent, anyone?

The motive discussed.

(ColScott, Patty, Matt)

Zombie Apocalypse up Easton Dr. to Sebring's house.

The Rudy Weber hose.



DebS speaking here:  Until I went to the actual different places that come into play I did not realize how close Jay Sebring's home was to the Rudolf Weber home.  The two homes are  on streets that are a block apart and run parallel to each other.

Both streets dead end and are very narrow, if two cars going in opposite directions were to meet on either road one car would need to pull over to let the other pass.  I do not understand why the killers would choose to go up a dead end road like that.  Additionally, they must have gone past the Weber home to the end of the street and turned around, stopping at the Weber home to wash off on their way back down the street because Mr. Weber said that he tried to remove the keys from the ignition but the killers drove off and got away.  If they were headed up the road Weber could have intercepted them on the way back down.

The proximity of the Sebring home to the Weber home made me wonder if it was the intention of Tex and the girls to go to Sebring's home after the killings, perhaps to rob it of money or drugs, but turned up the wrong street when looking for Sebring's. LA is huge, what are the odds that the killers happened to drive up the street next to the street of one of the victim's?

Here's google map I made showing the two residences locations.  Weber's is A and Sebring's is the blue arrow.  Google places the two homes .3 miles apart.

Cielo Drive

Across the valley from the former 10050 Cielo estate is the former estate of Rudolph Valentino. 

This spot affords a beautiful view of Cielo Drive

The Valentino house

We were joined by two lovely young ladies (Lyle & Rebecca on the left) who are film makers.

Their current project is Claire Vaye Watkins' "Battleborn." 

ColScott paints a picture of the scene we are about to experience at Cielo Dr.

On the right is Max Frost - a friend of the blog who is very knowledgeable about all things Manson. He drove our "Black Bus" - no left turn unstoned.

Awww.

In the center is the monstrosity of a building that now occupies 

the location of the Tate house as seen from the Valentino estate.

Miss Patty

 The base of Cielo Drive

Where Billy Garrettson stopped earlier the night of August 9, 1969

 Almost (but not quite) tresspassing!
Moments later a lady with an ugly rear-end chastised us.

My iPhone stuck over the gate...

 Liz at current Tate house gate

"Tex's pole"


UPDATE

As requested, this is the current house. 

It totally doesn't fit into the landscape. Hideous if you ask me...

A new foundation was being cleared while we were there for a fifth house on the hillside.

MANSON at the Silent Theatre

Not-coincidentally, the diner we haunt near our Hollywood condo 

has a Sassy Bottoms wall...

Jay Sebring's Salon just happens to be on the next block from The Silent Theatre.

The Billboard in a vintage case.

Like when we were kids...

The facade of this magnificently restored old theater.

The Boss Lizzard with Robert Hendrickson before the screening.

Thank you, Robert and Toby. We love you both!

Michael & Bobot420 from The Backporch Tapes joined us.

Mr. Hendrickson fields questions following the screening.

He was fascinating, informative and funny.

Anybody who has the chance to attend this week - don't miss out!

There was a great reception area behind the theater to meet with Robert after the show.

The garden out back is beautiful. Congrats to the owners/restorers of this historic venue!

Afterwards we enjoyed some ...er... "refreshment"  (knowwhatimeanverne?)

out back with readers who recognized us.

We had a few extra t-shirts that we gave to some of the attendees. BTW a big shout out and thank you to all who purchased the shirts. Proceeds went to a Panda rescue, as we have a friend of the blog who loves pandas! You know who you are!