When Michael Eisner invited the first guests to the Disney-MGM Studios in 1989, he told them, “We welcome you to a Hollywood that never was — and always will be”. Set in the Golden Age of Hollywood, the Disney-MGM Studios took guests back to a time when Tinseltown reigned supreme, and there was magic in the movies. While many were drawn to the park for its behind the scenes look at the how movies were made, and the promise of being able to see entertainment production in action, it was the reverence and testament to classic Hollywood that gave the park its heart and soul.
Sid Cahuenga’s One-Of-A-Kind Antiques and Curios shop, in a way has served as barometer for the rest of the park. In the Disney-MGM Studio’s heyday, Sid Cahuenga’s was the home of Tinseltown Treasures including: Disney posters, signed celebrity photographs, movie costumes, books and more.
The store opened to guests on May , 1989, with the rest of the Disney-MGM Studios. Located at the front of the park, Sid’s was one of the first locales that guests could visit in the “Hollywood that never was and always will be.”
Like the rest of the Disney-MGM Studios, Sid Cahuenga’s One-Of-A-Kind Antiques and Curios shop had an elaborate backstory that placed the shop in the middle of Hollywood’s Golden Age. The story goes that Sid Cahuenga and his wife moved from the Midwest to Hollywood in the 1920s. As the movie industry boomed around them, their Hollywood property became valuable, and real estate agents tried to purchase the couple’s house. Being big movie fans, however, the Cahuengas refused to sell. Instead, they capitalized on the tourists who passed by their home, with Sid deciding to make some extra money by showcasing the movie memorabilia he had collected over the years.
Eventually deciding to sell some of his collectibles, Sid initially put the items for sale on his front porch and yard, before deciding to remodel some of his house and create a store. With business booming, he realized that he would need to restock his supply. To do so, he bought a large flatbed truck (that could be seen outside his house), which he used to travel around town buying, or finding, used items from the movie studios.
Inside his store , guests could rummage through Sid’s collection, looking for a cinematic collectible. Beside’s featuring unique collectibles, the store had another asset-Sid Cahuenga himself.
For 16 years Sid Cahuenga met and entertained guest’s inside his shop. With a touch of old-time showmanship, actor Danny Dillon portrayed Sid, warmly greeting guests who came to see his collection.
Dillon’s wife, Pam Brody, remembered “People would come into the store and ask if Sid was there. He’d go into his bag of tricks and do impersonations. He’d talk about vaudeville.”
Danny Dillon passed away in 2005, and the character of Sid Cahuenga was not recast. Instead, Disney decided to retire a character that had been a prominent part of the park from the day it opened.
With the “Golden Age of Hollywood” slowly being removed from the studios, Sid Cahuenga’s continued to limp on into its third decade. In the late 2000s, some of the unique Hollywood merchandise began to be replaced with more conventional Disney art. Finally, in November 2013, Sid Cahuenga’s One-of-a-Kind Antiques and Curios shop closed. The location reopened as a MyMagic + hub shortly afterwards. Today, with the classic Hollywood themeing rapidly disappearing from the park, Sid Cahuega’s serves as a PhotoPass hub. Although some Hollywood memorabilia is still showcased on the walls, and the Sid Cahuenga facade remains, the unique store that sold treasures from Hollywood’s past only is now just another piece of Tinseltown history.
Justin Hermes is a Columnist for the Boardwalk Times.
