Ed Wood Wednesdays: The house from Love Feast (1969) (Guest Author: Shawn Langrick)

This lovely house in Northridge, CA has had quite a past.

I'm fascinated and, some might suggest, a bit obsessive with what I've termed Sacred Profane Places. These are not just random locations where early adult films were shot—although even the simplest location does still intrigue me—but places that are used so often you begin to recognize them better than the performers, and/or places that are so memorable they can outshine the actual action occurring in or around them. 

Some of these locations have always been well-known to dedicated film fanatics. Others have been mysteries for as long as folks like me (and, I'd wager, like you) have been taking adult films seriously. Some might even be considered Holy Grail locations. I've been fortunate enough to sift out a handful of my personal Holy Grail Sacred Profane Places, including: 

• The dive bar seen in Andy Milligan's Fleshpot on 42nd Street (1972).

• A residence that Vinegar Syndrome's Joe Rubin has termed the "Wicker House," which was used in scores of early '70s adult films. This is where the most likely mis-Ed-tributed film Bloomer Girls (1972) was shot.

• The dilapidated brothel from Ed Wood's The Only House in Town (1971).

I've found several  others, too. But the elegant abode featured in director Joe Robertson's Love Feast (1969), starring Ed Wood himself as lecherous Mr. Murphy, has remained elusive, even though Love Feast gives us very clear views of both its exterior as well as interior, which is far more information than the three locations mentioned above. Well, the place has remained elusive until now. That is why you're reading this, right? 

Ed Wood Wednesdays, week 231: Catching up with some recent reader feedback

What can I say? I love a cheap pun.

I have some very knowledgeable and attentive readers. This is mostly a good thing, but it can be a little worrying sometimes. Niche fandoms tend to attract people who are passionate and detail-oriented when it comes to their chosen subject matter, so I know that some complaints and corrections are (potentially) headed my way whenever I post a new article in this series. For the most part, however, Ed Wood's dedicated fans have been extremely generous in sharing books, articles, scripts, videos, photographs, and more with me. I'm truly grateful for that. Many articles in this series have come about because of the items people have sent me or because of the information they've shared with me.

Generally, the day I post a new Ed Wood Wednesdays article, I'll mention it on my various social media accounts, including the very active Ed Wood Jr. Facebook forum moderated by Bob Blackburn. These Facebook posts often inspire some interesting and informative responses. But social media is, by its very nature, ephemeral, so I wanted to document some of these responses before they evaporate forever from my memory.

The 2022 Ed-Vent Calendar, Day 6: The Cameo Room

The Cameo Room played a key role in the Ed Wood story. Twice!

Two days ago, I shared some B&W publicity stills from The Beach Bunnies (1976), a mostly-forgotten sex comedy that Ed Wood wrote for director Stephen C. Apostolof. Way back in 2014, I fleetingly mentioned a long-gone nightclub called the Cameo Room that is briefly glimpsed in that film. Back then, I complimented the club on its "very cool-looking neon signs" but admitted that I couldn't pin down an exact location for the place.

Well, this week, reader Shawn Langrick let me know a little bit more about the Cameo Room. In a Facebook forum about Ed Wood, he wrote:

The Cameo Room was at 5061 Sunset Blvd. and was around from 1946 until at least 1977. This pic from 1946 is pretty dark, but I'd bet a good dinner at the Brown Derby that it's the same sign.

Here's that pic he's referring to:

An ad for the Cameo Room from 1946.

Shawn also mentioned that the Cameo Room was where Ed Wood met his wife Kathy. And, sure enough, in a chapter of Nightmare of Ecstasy (1992) called "Marriage," Kathy Wood tells this anecdote:

Kathy describes the first three or four times she met Ed Wood.

I knew you'd want to see what the business looks like today. As of right now, 5061 Sunset Blvd. is an office building that's for sale. Astonishingly, though, it looks like the building is intact! The neon is gone, but the stucco walls and Spanish tile remain. And Ed Wood would have appreciated that there's a liquor store in the mini-mall next door.

The former site of the Cameo Room as it looks today.

Thanks again to Shawn Langrick for the cool Cameo Room research!