Don’t know which side I came down on that night. For the forces of evil, or good. But that is how it all got started, I guess. Yes, the legend of the Hollywood.
Been in a lot of bars my friend, pursuit has taken up much
of my life.
Many a swinging door should’ve passed. Some trouble saying ‘no.’
Just ask my wife.
There is the Buckhorn and Bee, Wolf Hotel, St. George,
Antlers and Zekes.
Millwood, Diamond Bell, Wynkoops, Town Pump, The Snort,
and Sally’s Peak.
Been in the “Face Bar,” Bull and Bear, Green Frog, The
Mayor, and Humpy’s.
Last Dollar Inn, Rick’s, Stumbling Monks, Toronado, Bomb
Shelter, and Gilly’s.
Bangers, Ebeneezer‘s, Hofbrau, Holy Grale, Rustic, Purple
Pig and McSorley’s.
But down near the river and back off of 145, was the start
of them all, my friends.
The first cut is the deepest, that's where this old boy began his
wayward life.
If you looked down street then, Taylors, Akin Merc and old Tade’s.
Dropped off stacks at the long counter, rounded edges, big mirror, where history was made.
The Rose brothers were in there that day, and Johnson, and
old Blue.
Watermelon, and Don Wallace, Manuel, Roelicker, One of the
Grubs, and Shag, too.
Spec Dillard, Tommy Rowell,
John McEwen and a Randall (off to the side shootin’ pool.)
Juke box in corner still blarin’ as Ellis and the band not
quite ready, sipped coffee from a cup.
Celebration in town tonight, if all goes as planned, Dolores
was likely to liquor it up.
It was Escalante Day I assume, and all-class reunion, I am
afraid.
The place was full of loggers, a cowboy and miner or two,
folks from the forest, and those never worked.
Dam builders, hippies, tourists too, several housewives (who, because of a husband) had been
irked.
Out in the street an
arm wrestling contest was just about to get underway.
Chain saws buzzin’, fire trucks yelped, and those that could
still see, watched the parade.
Football players
recalled moments of fame, I was on the same team, but remember just a jerk.
And then in the bar, all hell broke loose. Music playing,
sounded great -- part of
neighborhood.
Took my first drink, laser Jim Beam, Wild Turkey or some
concoction -- paralyzed, right where I stood.
“Please allow me to introduce myself,” said the fellow
nearby. “I’m man of wealth and fame.”
And I, the last devil in Dolores, had sympathy for him. In
fact, I recognized him by his first name.
Don’t know which side I came down on that night. For the forces of evil, or good.
But that is how it all got started, I guess. Yes, the legend of the Hollywood.
###
Hollywood Bar "the morning after." Photo by Sam Green, Cortez Journal.
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3 comments:
What a sad day it was when the Old Hollywood Bar went down.Folks from all over the nation knew of the Hollywood Bar and they all cried when it burned.A lot of good memories and people made it into our life.
I am sure that Dodd Harris was there in that mix. But he might have been bartending at the old Shadow Mountain or the Del Rio Bar. I think it was called "Bar Row".
My dad used to work at the Hollywood for a bit after WWII. And he would pour beer into a bowl there for his dog, Zip.
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