a famous restaurant in
Hollywood,
California. In the early days of
Hollywood and the
motion picture industry, especially the 1940s, the Brown Derby was a popular
meeting place for
Hollywood stars.
a
chain of four well-known restaurants formerly located in
Los Angeles, which became famous during the early days of the
motion-
picture industry in
Hollywood. The first Brown Derby opened in 1926 and was built in the shape of the derby
hat (a
stiff felt
hat, with a round top and curved brim). The
Hollywood Derby (the
second to be opened) located a half a
block south from
Hollywood Boulevard became the most famous of all Derbies. It gained a reputation for great food and became
legendary as the center of the glamorous film
world and
host to movie
stars, celebrities and the
rich and powerful, drawn from the surrounding theaters, broadcasting and movie studios.
Following decades of
success, the
Hollywood Brown Derby was closed due to earthquake damage, and by 1985 all of the original
Brown Derbies had closed.