Built in 1929, these premises housed movie studio wardrobes, served as
a commissary for these surrounding studios, and portions of the original film
Casablanca were filmed here. Various businesses have always catered to the
famous and notorious characters throughout Hollywood history.
The Cat and Fiddle continues this tradition…
Londoner Kim Gardner was an integral part of the British invasion of the 60s and 70s. He was the bassist in innovative British bands such as The Creation, The Birds and Ashton, Gardner & Dyke. In 1973, Kim’s musical career brought him to New Orleans to record an album with Jackie Lomax and George Harrison. It was here that he met his future wife and fashionista Paula Gardner. At the time, Paula had the first and only vintage clothing store in the French Quarter named The Cocky Fox. Kim and Paula eventually decided to move to Los Angeles and marry, while continuing with their respective careers. In 1982, Paula became pregnant with twins and Kim decided to open a pub in the Hollywood area because there wasn’t one! This same year, the first Cat and Fiddle was opened at 2100 Laurel Canyon Blvd. A few years later, due to overwhelming success, they were forced to move to a larger and more commercial location–6530 Sunset Blvd–and the rest is history…
Sadly, Kim Gardner passed away in 2001, but the Cat and Fiddle remains family-run.
Mother-daughter team Paula and Ashlee Gardner run the Cat and Fiddle full time. USC graduate Ashlee is also a consult