Death Drive 2007

We were late getting to Bob's because of my getting lost in Hollywood. Sorry!

We thought it incongruous that the Villa Capri, Jimmy's favorite restaurant had morphed into an also-ran snackbar. Great N.Y. Style Pepperoni Pizza, though.

Patsy, an immigrant from Italy, introduced pizza to Hollywood in 1939 when he opened his first Villa Capri. In Dean's day, Patsy D' Amore owned the Villa Capri at 1735 McCadden next to Don The Beachcomber's. Patsy lost his lease sometime after Dean's death and moved to nearby 1635 Yucca. Today neither building exists.

 Above, the street sign of McCadden Place off Hollywood Boulevard, less than 100 yards north is the site of the "Little Villa Capri" where James Dean often spent his nights.  The restaurant held 52 people and operated from 1950 to 1955.

Below is the Villa Capri site as it appears today. It has been a parking lot for many years. 

1219 North Vine, the Competition Motors SiteThis  building has replaced Johnny Von Neumann's Competition Motors where Dean bought both the 356 Super Speedster and the 550 Spyder. It is part of a building improvement project for the Armenian Church (not in frame) just to the right of it that existed in Jimmy's day. The only remembrance of Competition Motors is the still existing narrow cement driveway to the left of the building where you see the billboards.

Johnny Von Neumann's VW/Porsche dealership in Jimmy's day. Von Nuemann closed the dealership in the early sixties due to divorce.

In Valencia we came upon "Jimmy Dean's", a fast food restaurant that aside from the similar name, has absolutely no indication of any effort made toward honoring either our hero or the C&W singer. But we thought it interesting enough to take a picture of it while we stopped for shakes. Hey, we were there anyway! A very safe, noncommittal joint that just wants to sell good hamburgers is okay with us.

Old 99 Near Castaic Junction

Off Templin Highway. Old U.S. 99 is deserted

At "Violin Summit" James Dean was beginning some of the most scenic areas of his trip. Pyramid Lake did not exist at that time, but would eventually submerge a ten-mile stretch of this section of the 99 in 1967.

Weldon Summit, Old 99

Above: Beyond here, the gate leading to Pyramid blocks all except bicycle or foot traffic.

Above is the other side of the lake. Here the road emerges, however it is not Old 99. It has been replaced by a beautiful park. Access this area off Smokey Bear Road and go left. At the end you will see the south-bound old 99. The north-bound old 99 can be seen if you look to your right. It is in large cement chunks. The road was torn up to make way for the California Aqueduct. Hang a left there and travel down the south-bound old 99.

Below is the final stretch of Jimmy's Old 99 before it spilts off with the I-5 at the bottom of the Grapevine. To the right you can see his north-bound lane destroyed years ago to make way for the aqueduct. Beyond the red car, the road merges into the old 99's south-bound lane and eventually runs out at the bank of the I-5. Old 99 follows almost exactly the current I-5 alignment from that point. 

Above leading to the termination of the original 99.

 Below the Grapevine and its sharp descent into the valley. Jimmy would have been smoking it down this stretch. It was not long afterwards, at the bottom of this grade, that an opportunistic Highway Patrolman Hunter would spot his 550 and pull him over.

The Grapevine

 dEAN'S TRAFFIC STOP SITE.   

"California Highway Patrolman Otie V. Hunter was working the 2p.m. to 6p.m. shift, policing State 99 in Kern County. He was on Wheeler Ridge, cruising south toward the County line. He passed Mettler Station, which consisted of the Ranch House Cafe. Ahead was the Grapevine, the last stretch of mountain highway descending steeply and clearly visible in the shimmering air. It was nearly 3:30pm."

Warren Beath, The Death of James Dean WWW.AMAZON.COM 

Beryl's Cafe

 Actor Clark Gable would eat breakfast at this little cafe after hunting in the area.in the forties he was cited,about a quarter mile down the road, for bagging more than his share of ducks. Jimmy would have noticed this cafe. It is still standing and operating on old 99 now called Union avenue just before Bakersfield. 

Tree-line old 99. Dean followed this same road into Bakersfield.

On into downtown Bakersfield, California. Some insist Jimmy took the 166 to the 33 into Taft and then into Blackwell's Corner where the 33 meets the 46. This is not to be believed if you believe the October 1955 testimony of both Officer Otie V. Hunter, who witnessed Dean head beyond the 166 turnoff in the direction of Bakersfield, and the testimony of Dean's passenger and mechanic, Rolf Wuetherich. Rolf testified the trip took them through Bakersfield and left at Famoso onto the 466 into Cholame. The 466 turn off in Famoso was just eighteen miles north of where old 99 passes under this railroad bridge.

Above is just before the 46 (466 in 1955) turnoff to the left to proceed to Cholame. 

Blackwell's Corner: This building under construction at Blackwell's Corner will become the restaurant, Wine Tasting center and collectible shop. The building that now exists replaced the James Dean-era building after a mysterious fire destroyed it in July, 1968.

Cholame 27 miles sign across from Blackwell's Corner

Cholame and the intersection of Jimmy's Death looking east.

A 550 Spyder Replicar. No "130"?

Some guys have everything. A 550 Spyder

Warren got his picture taken with beautiful rockabilly bassist and Dean fan Fabiola Gomez.

"Dean Angel" Fabiola Gomez in a 550 Spyder

 Keepers of the Flame Matt and Glen Grant

Matt and Glen Grant, curators of the James Dean Memorial museum at the Seita Ohnishi memorial Monument. Six generations of Grants have lived and operated a cattle ranch just up the road. Please click on "Matt Grant" for his amazing account of the vehicles involved in September 30, 1955 and Glen's recollections of the day James Dean was killed coming through his home town. Glen has appeared in the movie "Junkman" financed by local millionaire H.B. Halicki. The film was shot in and around Cholame.