Saturday, March 01, 2014

The Taj Majal, aliens, Earl Nickles & Capistrano

I just came across this scene from the 1967 TV show, "The Invaders," featuring Laguna Hills' landmark Taj Majal Building(1964) in a starring role! (Didn't you always suspect that the at least some of South Orange County was developed by fiendish space aliens?) I understand that until 1968 the building was still owned by developer Ross Cortese, who headquartered his Leisure World Laguna Hills project there. (Hmmm.... Do you suppose the name of the "Santa Margaretta Dam" in this episode was borrowed from our old Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores?)

Our friend, Earl Nickles (the last of the railroad barbers) will share his collection of vintage local farm equipment at the Yorba Linda Historical Society, 7pm, March 10, at the Yorba Linda Community Center, 4501 Casa Loma Ave. Earl grew up on the Tuffree Ranch, so he can speak to the story of local agriculture first hand. His presentations are always both entertaining and educational.

The annual Fiesta de las Golondrinas is coming later this month, with the swallows theoretically making their return to Mission San Juan Capistrano on March 19. The Swallows Day Parade and Mercado Street Faire will be held on March 22.
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5 comments:

  1. retrocounty7:08 PM

    Wow ! That is great ! When I play hooky from work Im at home watching The Invaders....or thumbing through old publications at one of my favorite places: the O.C. Archives

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  2. retrocounty7:12 PM

    The good old Taj Mahal before it became a medical center. They still play actual elevator music in the elevators.

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  3. Tris Mast10:25 PM

    It looks like they've modified that building quite a bit since '67. Those grand stairs seem to be gone now.

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  4. Anonymous5:43 PM

    Chris, The Invaders was not only shot in OC, but the flying saucer was influenced by a UFO seen in the OC. Taken by a worker near a freeway, saucer pictures were published in a local paper in 1965.

    There were also a couple of our neighbors who certainly acted exactly like the alien invaders in that series.

    - HB kid in exile on the east coast

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  5. retrocounty12:15 AM

    https://www.google.com/maps/@33.610537,-117.712844,3a,15y,63.07h,87.81t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1skJbh8OCTD4iYGuhfrv4-UQ!2e0!6m1!1e1

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