Last week’s news that the Continental Shop in Santa Monica was to close its doors for good prompted a flurry of calls and emails from local Brits dismayed that an icon of the expatriate community was coming to an end. In response we are publishing a more complete history of the shop, courtesy of owner Michael Clewer:
“The shop was founded in the 1930s by a Hungarian émigré named Mr. Farenc, but after the war he seems to have disappeared and his wife took over, adding British and European goods to the shop’s offerings. By the time Brian Clewer arrived in Los Angeles and started up his long-running radio show, Cynic’s Choice, Mrs. Farenc had been joined in the business by her sister. After a few years of advertising on Brian’s radio show Cynic’s Choice, the two sisters decided to retire and offered the shop to Brian Clewer who bought it in 1967. The shop had been located in various storefronts on Vermont Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard. Brian first had the shop during his tenure across from the Ambassador Hotel, but in 1970 a large retail space became available below the famous Cocoanut Grove and that started an almost 20-year incarnation as one of the famous shops in the Ambassador. Also at this stage, Brian started up the travel side of the business becoming the largest retailer of Laker Airways tickets in the United States. It also helped that Laker had a tiny ticketing office just next door to the shop hidden by the Doorman’s office at the Porte Cochere.
“When the Ambassador announced its closure in 1989 Brian and his wife Suzanne started searching for space in Santa Monica where the British community had long congregated, and the shop relocated to 407 Santa Monica Blvd for 2 1/2 years until that building was condemned to be replaced by a multi-storey office/retail building…something that never happened. After that location the shop moved to the current store on Wilshire, where it has remained for the last 26 years.
“There have been many celebrities who have made their way to the Contiental Shop. Anna Russel, famous for her 30-minute telling of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, came in many times to sign albums and visit Brian who played her tracks from her albums on his radio show. One time she had a signing on a rather hot day and instead of sitting in a chair at the desk provided, she took a seat in the open freezer/cooler that was in the shop, happily signing and greeting people while keeping very cool. Another time Gracie Fields and her husband Boris Alperovici were in town, staying at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Not thinking anything of the miles from Beverly Hills to the Ambassador Hotel they walked to the shop and delighted customers that day with some of her many famous songs. After their time at the hotel, they refused the offer of a cab and walked back to Beverly Hills. Angela Lansbury started shopping here in the 1980s as well, making her trek from the Westside to the Ambassador and becoming a dear friend to the family and staff of the shop.
“Once in Santa Monica more celebrities could be spotted crossing the threshold including actors such as Roddy McDowell, Stewart Granger, Faye Dunaway, Lynn Redgrave, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Patrick Stewart, Juliet Mills and husband Maxwell Caulfield, Judge Reinhold, John Mahoney, Jane Leeves, Kelsey Grammer, Jamie Leigh Curtis, Lyndsay Wagner and Jane Krakowski. Other regulars included film directors Val Guest, Mick Jackson, Jack Cardiff, John Frankenheimer and Ken Annakin, while musicians who visited included Morrissey, Matt Goss, Ozzie Osbourne, and David Bowie and his supermodel wife Iman. When answering the telephone at the shop it was sometimes surprising who could be on the other end of the line, many times it was Naomi Campbell ording a few chocolates and tea, actor Werner Klemperer ordering a Royal Shakespeare video of a play he was going to be in, Eddie Rabbit ordering some videos or Elizabeth Taylor and her staff ordering some tea and biscuits.
“In addition to the above, some of the most beautiful women that ever were seen in British cinema made the Continental Shop their local stop for groceries from home. In addition to Angela Lansbury were Jean Simmons, Maureen O’Hara, Hazel Court and Sarah Douglas. Angela, Jean, Hazel and Sarah came in frequently and have been great and dear friends. I remember one morning coming into the office and hearing a woman singing in the shop, it was Jean Simmons doing her song and dance routine from The Way to the Stars for Brian Clewer. Brian and Jean had both started at Rank Studios at about the same time, Jean in front of the camera and Brian in the advertising department. On one of Brian’s first days at Rank he arrived at the same time as Jean and held the door open for her, they both would joke that Brian was still doing it 60 years later. Of special note is the lengthy friendship with the Dotrice family also, Roy and Kay would come in frequently when they lived here, along with their daughters Karen, Michelle and Yvette, along with Karen’s children who we’ve watched grow up and move on to university.
“In the late 1960’s Brian was working for Cardillo Travel and brought his travel expertise to the Continental Shop, opening Ambassador International Travel, later named Continental Travel Shop. He led many tours to the Middle East, including one tour with Ann Miller, who would always be 30 minutes late so that she would make an entrance with the other assembled tourists waiting on her. In the 1970’s Brian also was leading tours to Rio, once with 150 clients for a hotel opening. After the collapse of Laker Airways, there was a huge void in the market for lower cost airline tickets so of course Brian was right in the fray, chartering planes from major and minor carriers to get to London. We sill have many customers who have been buying their plane tickets since they first arrived in Los Angeles 30 and 40 years ago.”
Michael told the BW that he plans to continue the air ticket side of the business with his contacts in the business after the closure of the shop. He also added that the thing they will miss more than anything are all the wonderful customers who have come in over the years, some only once a year, but they are all going to be missed.
“They are some of the nicest people in the world, always a friendly smile and a big hello for the staff,” said Michael. “Over the years they have become family, especially after the loss of Brian and Suzanne.”
