Schwab’s Drugstore Lore

Schwab’s on Sunset Boulevard in 1949

You’ve probably heard of the famous Schwab’s Pharmacy, which from 1932-1983 functioned as a Hollywood mainstay and celebrity haunt. Schwabs was located at Sunset Blvd and Crescent Heights. This location also made it a favorite of the residents of the nearby Garden of Allah hotel and the Chateau Marmont.

Most people have heard of Schwabs from the legend that Lana Turner was discovered there. Owner Leon Scwhwab is quoted in the book Life at the Marmont as “swearing by the story” that Lana Turner was discovered at Schwabs. Although this is not true, (this myth is debunked by Lana Turner herself in her book The Lady, the Legend, the Truth) Leon would often call up studio executives when he spotted a newcomer with “star quality.”

Schwab’s was known for being a place to get information, and not just via the newspapers and magazines they sold but from the crowd that gathered there. Columnist Sidney Skolsky often used the drugstore as his unofficial office; it was a great place to gather celebrity gossip.

It was a hangout night and day for both up and coming and down and out actors, writers, and others in the film industry. It’s also interesting that Schwabs was a night on the town destination, but also a place you’d take your kid for a milkshake on a Saturday afternoon.

Schwabs is deeply ingrained in the DNA of Hollywood...you may recognize it from the film SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950). - although the studio built a replica of the interior, the exterior scenes were filmed on location as well as some interior shots.

Schwabs closed in 1983 and was torn down in 1988 to make way for a $40 million shopping center. You can still pick up a prescription and sundries at the CVS on the former site, but the Old Hollywood ambiance has disappeared.