Circus Liquor
North Hollywood, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

A section on liquor store signs wouldn’t be complete without the clown at Circus Liquor in North Hollywood. Check out the smiling face, oversized shoes, and drum announcing the business below. This fellow is two-faced, though having traffic approaching from both directions gives him a pretty good excuse.

The store reportedly opened in 1959, with the towering neon clown joining the scene in the 1960s. Standing about 32 feet tall at Vineland Avenue and Burbank Boulevard, he became one of the Valley’s most recognizable roadside characters.

Movie fans may remember the parking lot from Clueless (1995), where Cher finds herself stranded and robbed while wearing a dress decidedly unsuitable for lying on the pavement. The clown, of course, continued smiling through the whole affair.

UPDATE: Circus Liquor is still open, and the big neon clown remains at his familiar corner. More than six decades of roadside duty, and this fellow still hasn’t traded the drum for a retirement watch. 10-26

Al's Liquor (Demolished)
Anaheim, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

Here's the cool marquee for Al's Liquor. Unfortunately, this immense sign was taken down sometime in early 2000. It's now sitting in the LA County Museum of Neon Art.

Unfortunately, the sign came down in early 2000. Another familiar piece of Anaheim’s roadside scenery disappeared, though this one managed to avoid the scrap pile. The Museum of Neon Art took it in, giving the old liquor store advertisement a second career as something worth preserving.

UPDATE: The original Al’s location is gone, but its giant neon pole sign survived. Museum reporting documented it in MONA’s Pomona warehouse in 2022. Quite a change from advertising party supplies to joining the museum collection. 10-26

See more Googie treasures at Roadside Peek's Spotlight on Orange County Googie.

Fox Liquor (Gone)
Long Beach, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out the stacked marquee at Fox Liquor & Delicatessen in Long Beach. The red script at the top, angled blue “LIQUOR” cabinet, and separate deli panel each get their own space. Then there’s the big red arrow cutting behind the post and pointing down toward the lot. Apparently, this sign wasn’t about to let anyone miss the driveway.

The shapes recall the late 1950s and early 1960s, when liquor stores could compete with coffee shops for the most interesting display along the boulevard. Fox had quite a combination, with flowing script above, block lettering below, and an arrow tying the whole arrangement together.

By the time of this view, peeling paint and missing neon had taken some of the shine off the sales pitch. The blue payphone sign nearby adds another reminder of the era. Once upon a time, stopping for a sandwich, a bottle, and a telephone call could all be handled at the same corner.

UPDATE: The old Fox marquee was reportedly removed in the early-to-mid 2000s. No preservation destination has surfaced for the stacked cabinets and sweeping arrow. Another familiar roadside combination apparently lost along the way. 10-26

Jet Stream Liquor
Burbank, CA
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

This beautiful neon sign the Jet Stream Liquor was (and more or less still is) located south of the former Lockheed Air Terminal. The sign depicts the very graceful Lockheed Constellation 4 engined triple tailed transport of WWII and airliner of the 1950's. Unfortunately, this sign has been bastardized, and the "Connie" altered to look like (more or less, mostly less) the single tailed Douglas DC-3. For airplane and just "plane" people, this is a classic sign that will be missed as the WWII Burbank terminal area gives way to development. Many thanks to Dan MacPherson for info.

Unfortunately, later alterations changed the airplane’s appearance. The triple tail gave way to something resembling a single-tailed Douglas DC-3, leaving aviation enthusiasts with a little identification trouble. Still an airplane, though apparently this Connie had undergone some unauthorized maintenance.

UPDATE: Jet Stream Liquor is still operating at 10922 Vanowen Street in North Hollywood, near Burbank. The airplane marquee reportedly remains, carrying its altered silhouette above the boulevard. 10-26

Market Liquor
Garden Grove, CA
Photo courtesy David Carrasco

Here is a nice neon shot of Market Liquor, located in Garden Grove, CA. Notice the nice bright red sign and the blue arrow pointing the way to the store. Many thanks to David Carrasco for info.

The blue curve gives the display something extra, especially against the dark sky. This was the beauty of neon: separate colors and shapes could turn a few words above a storefront into the most interesting thing on the block.

Market Liquor recalls the Orange County commercial strips that grew alongside the housing tracts during the 1950s and 1960s. Plenty of those everyday businesses advertised with displays like this. Unfortunately, finding the same combination of red lettering and blue neon along the drive has become a little harder.