Lights, Camera, Rolling on Montrose Bowl

If you haven't been to , you may have seen it on TV.

Opening the double doors to the smallest bowling alley in operation in Los Angeles County instantly sends people into a time warp. The orange and blue "Bowling" sign over the eight-lane alley and the red vinyl seating reinforces that this is not an average alley.

"Everyone who comes in loves it," said Bob Berger, owner of Montrose Bowl. "[Customers] often say there's not any place like this anymore, so we keep it as original as we can."

The alley has had more than a few TV and film cameos. Frankie and Johnny, Pleasantville, Days of Our Lives and commercials are only a few projects that the alley has served as a location for.

Mark Shelton, a cameraman and producer living in La Crescenta, first entered the unique bowling alley 20 years ago, when he was working as a lighting technician on the made-for-TV movie Too Young to Die?

The film, starring Juliette Lewis and a then-unknown Brad Pitt, features a scene shot at the alley. The one-day shoot captured Lewis bowling with actor Michael O'Keefe. "I'd never seen an eight-lane bowling alley like that before," said Shelton. "It was this neat, quaint little bowling alley that was a period piece and pretty cool." The alley has remained in the back of his mind ever since. "It's been a staple of our community."

The alley is also a hotbed for star sightings. Jimmy Kimmel, Michelle Pfeiffer and Vince Vaughn have used the space to host events. Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, Jeff Foxworthy and George Lopez have enjoyed time in the alley for special events or filming projects.

The brushes with Hollywood have left no impact on Montrose Bowl, despite the rows of autographed photos of celebrities.

Berger inherited the bowling alley from his parents, immigrants from Austria and Germany, who truly experienced the American dream. Berger senior came to New York City with empty pockets and moved to California when he was scouted for his athletic abilities. Later, he met Maria; they wed and started a family.

In 1982 the elder Berger was a talented soccer player in the midst of a career transition. When he came across the then-suffering bowling alley, he seemed to purchase it out of the blue, surprising his wife, son and  himself.

"My dad never thought he would own a bowling alley," Berger said. "It was a dive when he bought it."

It wasn't easy, but eventually the alley received a steady stream of business.

Berger used to bring his friends in to help generate business before his parents discovered private parties were more lucrative. For a time, Montrose Bowl was only available for private parties. Eventually the business blossomed into what it is today, a bowling alley that offers open bowling and private rentals.

People from as close as down the street to as far as Orange County now make the trip to experience the retro alley.

Alyce Russel, president of the Montrose Shopping Park Association, recently celebrated a friend's 65th birthday at the alley. She recalls bowling at the alley when she was a child. "It is a lot of fun for the whole community," Russel said.

For Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce president Mike Perry, Montrose Bowl has been the go-to place for fundraisers and birthday parties. The convenience, price and Berger's catering service places the alley high on his list.

"We have always had a great time there," said Perry, who moved to the area in the 1980s.  "There are not a lot of recreational type things to do in the Crescenta Valley, so it's a nice thing to have here."

Its location in the heart of Montrose only adds to the ambience, he adds. Plus, the alley's array of libations makes one feel like they are at Oktoberfest all year round.  

Berger senior retired from the alley almost five years ago, but the younger Berger maintains the friendly vibe and vintage character of the alley originally implemented by his father. Every customer who comes in is to feel at home. The classic wood lanes have not been replaced by modern synthetic lanes, and a disco ball still lights up the floor.

Although cardigans and letter sweaters were the 1950s norm, automatic scoring was not. So the alley provides scoring cards, and bowlers do the math.

Unlike other alleys that frown upon bringing in outside food, Berger continues his father's tradition of encouraging his customers to bring in music, food and décor for their special event.

During those especially quirky events, Berger offers 70 types of beer and has served burgers to guests of a "white trash" party, men with fake afros during a 1970s-themed party and women dressed like Lucy Ricardo during a 1950s-themed gathering.

For nurses from the Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Montrose Bowl means a chance to forget work and bowl the night away. The pediatric nursing unit Five East has held its annual Christmas party at the alley for several years, according to Chris Lins, who takes charge of planning the unit's get-togethers.

"It's the perfect place for everyone to let off steam and not sit still," said Lins, who learned of the alley from a nurse at the hospital's ICU unit. The Laguna Beach resident appreciates that the alley is the unit's for the whole night, doesn't mind them bringing their own karaoke machine, and, most important, that Berger allows customers to bring in their own food.

Cooking, after all, is what the unit is known for. Nicknamed "Five Eats" because of several dishes staff bring to the office each week, the pediatric nursing unit enjoys whipping up their own treats.

"I love that it is so small and intimate," said Sherry Nolan, a nurse with the Five East unit. "I hope that they keep it this way. You don't find many places like this anymore."

Although Berger primarily oversees the day-to-day operation of the alley, his children, Alex and Britney, and his wife, Helga, provide some help during busy times. Berger senior and his wife, Maria, also come in occasionally, throwing the couple back into the days when they operated the bowling alley.

Continuing his parents' legacy was an easy decision for Berger when he took over the business 10 years ago. He is proud to continue the tradition and has no plans to change the alley's character.

"My mom and dad built this place up and made it a little easier on me," said Berger, whose days often end at 11 p.m.

"There is not a day that he doesn't remind me, and I don't remind him," he jokingly adds.

As the daylight fades, the phone continues to ring with requests for party bookings and bowlers begin to make their way through the charming doors. The sounds of bowling balls making contact with pins, upbeat music and laughter echo off the walls.

Montrose Bowl is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Beginning Jan. 3, 2011, everyone who participates in open bowling on Monday nights will be entered in a raffle for a trip to Las Vegas. Five trips will be raffled off from January through May.