Schwab’s Pharmacy

Los Angeles, 1941

Schwab’s Pharmacy holds a lasting place in America’s cultural memory, especially in Hollywood history. A surviving menu from the Golden Age of film offers a glimpse into this once-iconic hangout where movie stars, hopeful newcomers, and studio insiders crossed paths.

Opened in 1932 on Sunset Boulevard near the studios, Schwab’s became famous for its counter service. In the photo below, gossip columnist Sidney Skolsky and Ciro’s nightclub owner Herman Hover sit at the center of that counter. Paramount later recreated this setting for the 1950 film Sunset Boulevard, starring Gloria Swanson and William Holden. 

It’s no surprise that in a town full of press agents, some of the old stories about Schwab’s are more myth than fact, such as the famous claim that Lana Turner was “discovered” there. Even so, the drugstore played a role in the everyday lives of stars like Marilyn Monroe, Ava Gardner, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean. Composer Harold Arlen once said that “Over the Rainbow” came to him as he and his wife drove past Schwab’s on their way to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. They pulled over to the curb, where he scribbled the melody on a piece of manuscript paper by the light of the neon sign. In 1940, F. Scott Fitzgerald had a heart attack at Schwab’s while buying a pack of cigarettes. 

At the time, it wasn’t unusual for a drugstore to have a lunch counter and soda fountain. However, a sign in the window advertised “Breakfast—Lunch—Dinner,” suggesting Schwab’s operated as much as a restaurant as a pharmacy and place to pick up sundries. This menu from April 1941 lists a surprisingly wide variety of substantial meals at affordable prices—likely part of its appeal for struggling actors looking for work.

Schwab’s grew into a small chain in Los Angeles before closing for good in 1983. Today, the original site is just another strip mall with a coffee shop and CVS—hardly a landmark of Hollywood glamour and excitement.