Drunk or sober, Musso & Frank was Orson Welles' first stop in Hollywood

April 7, 2:24 PMHistoric Hollywood ExaminerJames Mathers

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Studio 44

He was a huge, fat guy. A lot fatter than I'd remembered. I'd seen him in some movies like Citizen Kane and some other one with Ava Gardner, or maybe he directed that one, I don't know. All I know is that he was drunk and wanted to know if I knew who he was, once I packed him into my cab out of the Biltmore downtown. My first fare of the night.

"Motorman!" he yelled from the dark in his rich baritone.

"Driver is okay." I replied.

"I prefer something that evokes grander imagery, like teamster or drover perhaps."

"Drover's fine." I muttered. "And where may I drove you?"

"Haw haw!" He broke up. "Haw haw wa-haw haw!" He sounded like a mule. "Do you know who I am?" he bellowed.

I got his beadies in the rear-view. They were like pig's eyes, all munched up inside a red, puffy face. But they were bright, and I saw him in there. "Yeah, you're the guy in that movie with the sled on the fire. The one with Orson Welles in it."

"I AM Orson Welles!" he bellowed...again.

"Yeah yeah, where to rosebud?" I droned. And then the eyes warmed up and so did his laugh, more of a chuckle now.

"God, it's the people that make this town great." he said. A nice, mellow voice. "I hate coming back to Hollywood, until I talk to a local cabbie and dine at Musso & Frank, my favorite restaurant. Got my own booth y'know...and Jesse the waiter, my best friend Jessie..." Slurring a bit.

"Musso in five." I droned low. Me the man now.

"Take me down the Boulevard, end to end." He said. "I need redemption, and I have a feeling that you're the only one who can possibly find it for me." Then he flopped unconscious on the seat.

Musso & Frank Grill, on the Boulevard at 6667 since the 20s. One of the oldest, along with Nickodell's over by Paramount, the Brown Derby down on Vine and Scandia up on the strip. And guess what? Orson Welles does have his own booth, right up front. Me and Jessie hauled him in, walked him over and dumped him in it.

And it also turns out Jessie Chavez is the most famous waiter in town. Been at Musso since the twenties. Started out as bus-boy, worked his way up to headwaiter. Anyway, Welles shoved a fifty at me, and out on the curb his best friend slipped me another twenty. Then he said thanks. The beginning of a great shift.