The Hollywood Restaurateur Who Passed Himself Off As A Russian Prince

Publish date: 2024-05-06

In its heyday, the Los Angeles Times says, Romanoffs was a place "to see and be seen." It was important to get one of the most prominently-placed booths; if you couldn't and had to sit at the bar, it meant your fame was fading, according to The Desert Sun.

Fans flocked to the restaurant to see their favorite celebrities, and some memorable moments occurred there between those celebrities. The famous picture of Sophia Loren's shock at Jayne Mansfield's cleavage was taken at Romanoffs. William Randolph Hearst Jr. got into a fight outside Romanoffs with his father's former lover's new husband. Myrna Loy and her ex-husband celebrated their divorce there, and gossip columnists Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper made peace there after a long feud. Other famous patrons included J. Edgar Hoover, Gregory Peck, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Errol Flynn, and Cole Porter (via the Los Angeles Times and The Desert Sun).

At the center of it all was the enigmatic Romanoff. Because of his fame, he cameoed in a dozen movies and performed on Broadway. The spotlight was always important to the man Life Magazine called "the most wonderful liar."

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