Denny’s Adventures in Allee Willis’ “Willis Wonderland” (Part 62 – August 2010)

Submitted by denny November 20th, 2010
Certifikitsch Winner

This free standing bar holds some of the most incredible barware at “Willis Wonderland”. I can just imagine when I finally do get to invade the “Willis Wonderland Storage Unit”! The contents of this bar will be posted here in the series of “WW” postings.

I didn’t know serving certain drinks would have anything to do with making someone the perfect host. She doesn’t look like she wants that drink.

This is the empty box for the “Bar Aid” that sits on top of the bar.

I love this and this also sits on top of the bar pictured above.

Some of my favorite shakers at “Willis Wonderland” that sit with the “bar aid” pictured here.

Up close shot of the sliding glass, bar doors.

16 Responses to “Denny’s Adventures in Allee Willis’ “Willis Wonderland” (Part 62 – August 2010)”

  1. Allee Willis

    I usually don’t go for 1950s pieces that are as conservative as this bar – which probably isn’t conservative by most people’s standards but is by mine as I always go for very extreme Atomic shaped things – but it was in absolutely perfect shape when I found it about 20 years ago for $50 and it’s been very happy in Willis Wonderland ever since.

    The sliding glass doors with the swans on them are made of glass. The little door on top is mirrored on the inside and pulls down to become a serving shelf.

    I have tons of little cocktail books like the 50 Drinks Toasts you have a photo of here.

    I have several plastic Bar Guides but this one is the only one I ever got in the box. Some of the cocktail recipes are insane.

    I got the Atomic ceramic S&P’s at the Camden Lock flea market in London when I was there working with Pet Shop Boys in 1987.

  2. k2dtw

    Great post Denny…
    Allee, this little bar is fab… I’ve never seen one like it, do the glass doors have a image applied to the back??..
    Your bar guide is great, I love cocktail books, and art deco era etiquette and manners books. There are some great books just for men, put out by Esquire Magazine.

    • Allee Willis

      I’m not sure what the process is on the glass bar doors. To me it looks like the image is actually baked into the glass. If you look at one of the doors from the side you can see black in most of the 3/8″ thick glass and then there’s a layer of white about 1/16 of an inch thick in back of that. I poked my head inside of the bar, which is very hard to do because it’s filled with at least a few hundred vintage bar artifacts, and you can still see the black through the thin layer of white. It looks like it’s done how old silhouettes were done but I don’t really know much about those either.

        • Allee Willis

          No – I’m not even sure I know what they are. Do you collect them?

          Also, I’m pretty sure I’m going to be in Detroit in April when The Color Purple comes back to The Fox. You should come see the show.

          • k2dtw

            What???…really.. Wow…this could be cool, no shows booked for the dates.
            Are you going to be able to see Pee-Wee in NY???..

              • k2dtw

                WOW…so cool..
                I’ve never seen this, and I don’t think I know what I’m looking at, is this vinyl?..
                What year was this done?
                What is the second photo that has your picture???.. is that the B-side?

                • Allee Willis

                  It’s a vinyl picture disc of a song I wrote as the title theme for Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and sang as a duet with Paul. We also did a video. The song didn’t get used in the movie because some kind of legality with Danny Elfman prevented it and so the video never came out either. But the disk became a real collectors item. The second photo is the back of the record jacket. It’s photos of Pee Wee at his house and me at mine. Paul and I were best friends for years. He was even my date for the Grammys when I won Best Soundtrack for Beverly Hills Cop.

                  • k2dtw

                    How Thin Will The Reply Column Go???…smile
                    This is a great piece, I can’t believe I’ve never seen it?? I collected Pee Wee, and Bob collects Vogue Picture Disc…so we’ve always been looking for both?? Maybe I need more Toy Shows in my life…smile..

  4. denny

    I had the picture disc til it was lifted when I had a house party. Leave it to me to have to deal with the theft of a Pee Wee and Allee Willis picture disc.

    I have the song somewhere on cassette.

    • Allee Willis

      Used ones on Amazon start at $55. I’ve found a few on eBay for cheaper too. Make sure it comes with the cover if you find one.