“I OFFER THE FOLLOWING AS A comparison to the responses of other readers of the magnificent Santa Monica Daily Press Q-Line question of the week. Fifty years ago as a young salesman, I paid a sales call to a customer in Downtown Los Angeles next to Clifton’s Cafeteria. After my sales visit, I stopped into Clifton’s for a piece of pie and a cup of coffee. The pie was 15 cents and the coffee a nickel. The refills for the coffee were free. The next day, I paid a sales visit in the Inglewood area. Across the street from my customer’s office was a McDonald’s hamburger stand that was selling hamburgers five for a dollar. They had already sold millions of hamburgers at that price. I could have purchased a Wienerschnitzel sauerkraut hot dog for 15 cents at that time. A few days later, I paid a sales visit to a confectioner on the old Santa Monica Ocean Park Pier home of the Aragon Ballroom. After the visit, I walked over to a pizza stand that was selling the most delicious melt-in-your-mouth pizza with the thin crust and only cheese and soft toppings for 15 cents a slice. A bit pricey at the time, but well worth it. Across from the pizza stand was a mile-high hammer shaved beef sandwich served on a kaiser roll for 35 cents. Well out of my budget, but I knew that I would have to have one of those sandwiches soon. Sure enough, on payday I headed straight to that sandwich stand for the mile-high sandwich for 35 cents. A kosher pickle was free. As I sat there enjoying my sandwich, I looked up to see the famous orchestra leader Lawrence Welk walking up toward me. He had walked down from the Shangri-La Apartments he owned on Ocean Avenue. Even though, it was summer, Mr. Welk was wearing a top coat over his tuxedo on his way to lead his orchestra at the Aragon Ballroom, which he also owned. As he approached, I said,“Good evening Mr. Welk.” With a broad smile he returned my greeting. Only in America could I be standing eating high on the hog and meet a musical superstar and all for 35 cents. Trust me, folks, those were the days.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 5, 2007. Read the original PDF.