Montrose Bowl is Built: 1940

“Vintage bowling” is a hip thing today. Celebrating classic Americana is popular with younger generations and so bowling alleys have seen a resurgence in popularity, adding full bars and live music. While some “vintage” bowling alleys have been newly constructed, like Lucky Strike Lanes in Hollywood and Downtown LA, other ancient bowling alleys have been restored, such as Highland Park Bowl. We’re lucky enough to have a true vintage bowling alley here in Montrose, the Montrose Bowl at 2334 Honolulu Ave. The exterior is original, dating back to 1940 when it was built, while the interior is ’50s-style. That particular décor is thanks to the filming of the 1998 movie “Pleasantville” which, when finished, left its ’50s set design behind. In the next couple of weeks, I’ll write about the beginnings of this Montrose gem that we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy for decades.

In the first half of the 20th century, bowling grew in popularity, becoming part of the social fabric of America. But bowlers in the Crescenta Valley had to bowl in far-off Pasadena. And so it was with huge fanfare that Montrose began to build its own bowling alley at the beginning of 1940, funded by a local doctor. By May the building was finished and the interior bowling alley was installed. The local newspaper, The Ledger, was going absolutely nuts over its opening, carrying front page headlines about its progress.

Articles detailed the unique construction techniques used to build a state-of-the-art bowling alley. Huge supporting beams were topped by a regular subfloor. Next a second subfloor of two-by-fours, capped by a layer of Celotex. Celotex was a very early fiberboard made from cellulose and sugar cane fiber used for insulation and sound-deadening. The last layer was the lane material itself. The takeoff and half the length of the alley was three-inch thick maple, carefully fitted to be perfectly smooth. The last half was high-grade hard southern pine, also three inches thick. This is what set the Montrose Bowl apart from the others, that the takeoff area was the same material as the lane. Each lane was an 85-foot unit rather than the standard 61 feet, making Montrose Bowl a standout nationally.

Semi-automatic pin setting machines were being installed. These machines still required “pin boys” to work at the end of each lane. They would pick up the knocked down pins and load them into a frame, then lower the frame down and release the now upright pins. They would also roll the ball back to the bowlers. This was a first job for many young locals. It was loud and dangerous, resulting in crushed fingers and broken ribs as the pins flew, and the boys often had to service more than one lane at a time.

On the bowlers’ end, there was to be a new “Hydro-Chek” machine that slowed down the returning balls and a photo-electric foul line recording device. “Tele-score” devices projected the scores onto screens above the bowlers – pretty advanced equipment for that era. Behind the bowlers were brown leather theater-style seats. Orell “Val” Valentine (late of the Valley Pharmacy’s soda fountain) was manning the snack bar, serving up sandwiches, soft drinks, malted milk, candy and tobacco. Brown and buff was to be the interior color scheme. Modern air conditioning would keep bowlers comfortable.

While the interior of Montrose Bowl has changed slightly, the exterior is today very close to how it is described in 1940. Green tile and glass bricks and the sign over the door, just like now. What’s sadly missing today is the big green, white and red neon “Bowling” sign that rose from the roof.

Managing the entire operation was the father and son-in-law team of Edward “Eddie” Betts and Robert “Bob” Saunders. The management team of Eddie and Bob had formed just a year previously when Eddie’s daughter and Bob met and married at La Crescenta Presbyterian Church.

Next week we’ll hear about the grand opening ceremonies of the Montrose Bowling Center. It was a grand affair, and took place from May 29 to June 2, exactly 80 years ago.

  mike lawler