The two upper floors, badly water damaged, had decayed into a tomb for pigeons. In the early 1960s, the extended Mar family, after decades of renting, bought the 1909 four-story building that houses their restaurant. The Mars and three relatives who share ownership of the Far East were not part of the preservation effort, but it has had a big effect on their business. As history goes, it is an eclectic stretch: Along with the Far East, there are some Japanese eateries, several retailers, an old Buddhist temple (soon to house the Japanese-American National Museum) and a saloon named Koma. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Conservancy launched a campaign to assure that the turn-of-the-century block will not be bulldozed. Since then it has been used for location shots in other movies, a 7-Up commercial and the Lionel Ritchie video “Running Through the Night.” Its most recent role came last year, in an episode of the television drama “A Year in the Life.” Look Mar was used in two productions, but both times ended up on the cutting room floor. “Farewell, My Lovely” was the Far East’s first cinematic role. But in the 1970s, Hollywood and history buffs discovered the Far East-the whole block, for that matter. The Mar family, however, have always thought of themselves as purveyors of chop suey, not caretakers of history. Decades ago, the Far East’s booths were outfitted with curtains-you can still see the rod settings-but the fire marshal ordered them taken down. Sometimes, small changes were forced upon the Far East. Toni Amper, a City Hall secretary, likes the fast service as much as the food: “You can do it on a 45-minute lunch hour.” “It has all the ambiance,” he says, “of a Marine Corps mess hall.” Los Angeles Police Detective Tom Lange has been going there for almost 20 years for won ton and atmosphere. “Probably 95%-no, 98%-of our business is repeat business,” he says. “Why change something if it’s going OK?” Do Mar reasons. Other places took them down to allow for more seating. Once upon a time, the varnished partitions were commonplace in Chinese restaurants. And never have the owners considered dropping the term “chop suey,” an Americanization that many Chinese regard with contempt. One of the waiters has worked there 40 years. Look Mar’s son, Do, who runs the restaurant now, says their cuisine has undergone no significant changes in 50 years. The world changed, Los Angeles changed, but the Far East was set in its ways. Then the Civic Center expanded, creating more business. Japanese families returned, often renting the restaurant’s mezzanine for wedding receptions and wakes. Then came World War II, and the internment of the Japanese who had given the Far East so much business. “It was a bad time,” he said, shaking his head. Mar is 75 now, and although a stroke hobbled him about 20 years ago, he is at the counter almost every day, a genial host of few words. Mar, a native of Canton, was 22 when he, a brother and two cousins opened their restaurant in 1935. That is why, Look Mar explains, the Far East is in Little Tokyo, not Chinatown. “Japanese people like Chinese food,” the man behind the cash register says. It has always been a gritty little bit player. But then, among Los Angeles’ old-time eateries, the Far East was never a big star like Musso and Frank’s, not even a familiar character actor like Canters or the Pantry. The scene is fleeting, inconclusive-Marlowe, it turns out, found the wrong dame-and the Far East was barely noticeable. She’s in Camarillo and she ain’t comin’ out.”
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