Friday, June 2, 2023

The Rockford Files - EPISODES: Only Rock 'n' Roll Will Never Die: Part 1 & 2 (1979) Filming Locations: Castle Kashan 23800 Malibu Crest Drive Malibu, CA, Sovereign Hotel, Santa Monica, CA, Villa Cinzano Restaurant / Villa Terranza Restaurant on Sunland Blvd.

ABOVE PHOTO: WOW WOW WOW Marcia Strassman in that dress is smoking hot! She played reporter Whitney Cox.
 
Marcia Strassman close-up in the Rockford Files TV Show, episode  Only Rock 'n' Roll Will Never Die: Part 1 & 2 (1979)
as Whitney Cox.
 
ABOVE PHOTO: Michael Champion played the
cool Dwight Deleau.
 
ABOVE PHOTO: James Garner's own brother Jack Garner played Capt. McEnroe.
Jack Garner played many different roles on the Rockford Files over the years.
Sadly Jack Garner passed away in 2011.
 
 
 ABOVE PHOTO: Kristoffer Tabori and Lenny Baker played rock and rollers.
 
ABOVE PHOTO: James Garner went undercover as Jimmy Joe Meeker.
Very cute Marion Yue played an Asian Country & Western Singer named Chiyoko Takao.
Jesse Dizon played Jerry Ito. 
 
 ABOVE PHOTO: A face seen over and over again in so many shows, Stanley Brock played mobbed up wiseguy Bernie Seldon.
 
ABOVE PHOTO: The Bronx Greek, George Loros played his 4th role on the Rockford Files as Eddie Lo Presti. In this episode Eddie fell head over heels for Marcia Strassman who played a reporter named Whitney Cox.
Hey Eddie... Here's a secret, I DID TOO!
 
 ABOVE PHOTO: Alan Chappuis and Jean-Paul Vignon play mobbed up brothers.
 
 ABOVE PHOTO: Another beautiful actress was squeezed into this Rockford Files episode, Leigh Christian played the blonde sexy bimbo Diane Bjornstrom.
 
 
 ABOVE TWO PHOTOS: I love when the Rockford Files makes it easy for me to figure out a filming location.
Jim Rockford picks up a Western Union Telegram with the actual address of this location.
Castle Kashan 23800 Malibu Crest Drive Malibu, CA
It was destroyed by a fire in 2007.
 
Castle Kashan and Malibu Presbyterian Church fall victim to flames.
By Larry Gordon, Ann Brenoff and Jack Leonard, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers 
October 22, 2007
Two of Malibu's most prominent and beloved landmarks -- one a palace of secular dreams and the other a center of religious devotion -- were destroyed Sunday.

Lost to the flames was the Castle Kashan, the fairy-tale-like structure that stood for 30 years atop a Malibu hill, recognizable from below by its turrets and round towers. Also ravaged was Malibu Presbyterian Church, a high-steepled place of prayer and community action that had barely escaped destruction in the November 1993 infernos, which burned more than 300 homes in Malibu, Topanga and Calabasas.

The castle, filled with paintings and Elvis Presley memorabilia, was one of several homes of socialite-philanthropist Lilly Lawrence, known as "Princess Lilly." Castle Kashan was named after the village of her father, Reza Fallah, a former Iranian oil minister under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

About 6:30 a.m., Lawrence and a house guest were trapped inside her sprawling home, but they managed to escape.

Wearing a bathrobe, slippers and oversized sunglasses, Lawrence returned later to survey the wreckage and retrieve some belongings and emerged about 1:40 p.m. with friends carrying shopping bags. She thanked firefighters who remained outside battling the blaze.

"My possessions don't possess me. My house does not possess me," she told them. "I'm thinking about our boys in Iraq. I'm thinking about you boys." 

Earlier this year, the six-bedroom, eight-bathroom castle overlooking Malibu Lagoon was listed for sale at $17 million. The 10,500-square-foot compound was in escrow briefly -- "for a minute" -- at an undisclosed price before Lawrence canceled the sale, she said Sunday. Lawrence said might consider rebuilding: "I'm keeping an open mind."

The mansion was built in 1978 by a doctor, Thomas Hodges. Lawrence bought it in 1998 and spent a considerable fortune on remodeling. Television shows such as "The Rockford Files" were shot there and the castle was available to rent for weddings amid its romantic archways and lion sculptures. 

Lost in the fire were many works of art, family heirlooms, Faberge eggs and museum-worthy collections. Lawrence's library included signed photos from U.S. presidents.

Firefighters were able to rescue a few paintings, including one believed to be a portrait of Lawrence's father, and piled some furniture and mementos in a dry fountain outside the house. Included was a snapshot of a woman shaking hands with President Lyndon B. Johnson.

The castle's staircase was red-carpeted and a Cinderella-like glass slipper was kept on a step, attesting to Lawrence's humor and style.

An incongruous feature was the rock 'n' roll room that Lawrence, a die-hard Elvis fan, had decorated with the couch-like seat from a 1959 Cadillac and a "Gates of Graceland" mural. Lawrence said among the few things she grabbed during her evacuation were Presley's Army fatigues, which she bought many years ago from Graceland.
 
ABOVE PHOTO: Not the first time this hotel building was used on the Rockford Files. The Sovereign Hotel in Santa Monica, CA
 
 ABOVE PHOTO: Does anybody know if this was the old Villa Cinzano Restaurant (Villa Terranza Restaurant) on Sunland Blvd? Please let me know.
 
 ABOVE PHOTO: This residence location has been identified (06/02/2023) 3947 Ridgemont Drive, Malibu, CA 90265

Thanks to the blog viewer who posted this info
 
 
 
ABOVE THREE PHOTOS: Unknown building which was suppose to be a courthouse. Anybody have any ideas? Thanks!
WE HAVE AN ANSWER:
Malibu Civic Center. 23541 Civic Center Way
Thank you to the alert viewer who left us this information.
 
 ABOVE PHOTO 1: Jan Teige and Laura Teige in the Rockford Files as the twin roller skaters in episode: Only Rock 'n' Roll Will Never Die (1979)
 
ABOVE PHOTO 2: Jan Teige and Laura Teige in the Rockford Files as the twin roller skaters in episode: Only Rock 'n' Roll Will Never Die (1979)
 
 ABOVE PHOTO 3: Jan Teige and Laura Teige in the Rockford Files as the twin roller skaters in episode: Only Rock 'n' Roll Will Never Die (1979)
 
ABOVE PHOTO 4: Jan Teige and Laura Teige in the Rockford Files as the twin roller skaters in episode: Only Rock 'n' Roll Will Never Die (1979)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

The unknown location that is supposed to be a courthouse is actually the Malibu Civic Center. 23541 Civic Center Way

Angel Martin said...

Hot babes ..

Anonymous said...

^ 3947 Ridgemont Drive in Malibu is the house you're looking for. Google maps didn't go down the street yet but real estate sites show you the images of the house. In the scenes where you see the ocean you can see Malibu pier and the point behind it so you can sort of draw an imaginary line up the hillside to find the spot. X

Anonymous said...

Very interesting, any word on the cause of the fire?

Zoey said...

Hi nice readding your post

Anonymous said...

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3947-Ridgemont-Dr-Malibu-CA-90265/20552697_zpid/