After graduating from Leuzinger High in Lawndale in 1934, David Lloyd George Dennee got a job working at the Continental Baking Co. in Beverly Hills.
He soon worked his way up from route driver to district manager. The ambitious Dennee wanted to run his own business, however.
He left Continental in 1944 to own and operate Dennee’s Hancock Oil service station at 913 N. La Brea in Inglewood.
In May 1946, Dennee entered into a partnership with Ray Fletcher to operate Fletcher and Dennee’s Goodyear tire sales and service store at 451 N. Hawthorne Blvd. in Hawthorne. He bought out Fletcher to become the store’s sole owner in 1948.
During this period, Dennee made a decision that would change his business and his life irrevocably. He had noticed the growing popularity of a new phenomenon: television. Demand for the big boxes with the tiny screens had been growing during the 1940s, but began to explode following the end of World War II.
On the face of it, the addition of the newfangled devices to his more traditional inventory of tires, auto parts and accessories in 1947 might seem odd. But Dennee had read the market well. The technology continued to improve, the sets became less bulky, and sales continued to rise.
In June 1949, he opened a separate store strictly devoted to selling televisions. He used his flair for promotion to boost the opening of Television Exposition at 110 E. El Segundo Blvd. near Hawthorne Blvd. Dennee backed up his operation with a full staff and ten service trucks.
In addition to selling TVs, he also moved into large appliance sales: refrigerators, washing machines, stoves and other appliances. Since most of these items came in the color white at the time, he called the store he opened with extravagant fanfare at 364 N. Hawthorne Blvd. “Lloyd Dennee’s White House.”
He turned its July 29, 1950, grand opening into a major public event, staging a full parade and enlisting entertainment stars such as singer Frankie Laine, starlet Randy Stuart and pro wrestling champion Baron Leone to appear. More than 25,000 people lined the streets of Hawthorne for the day-long event.
Longtime Los Angeles area television personalities Stan Chambers and Bill Welsh helmed a TV broadcast of the spectacle on KTLA Channel 5, described as the first live show telecast from the city of Hawthorne.
Dennee continued to grow his business during the early 1950s. By 1952, he’d opened “Manchester House” in Inglewood at 2112 Manchester Ave., and another branch in Torrance at 1875 Carson St., near the downtown “five points” intersection of Carson and Cabrillo Ave.
He also opened a used merchandise store he called “Value Vault” in Hawthorne at 360 N. Hawthorne Blvd., next to his “White House.”
As the 1950s wore on, a variety of factors caused sea changes in the retail television business. More and more outlets began selling the sets, and the market began to reach saturation. Television set technology became more reliable, and larger retailers began to crowd out the smaller independent stores.
Lloyd Dennee’s outlets continued to do well, but a tragic accident shook the business on April 19, 1955. Dennee and Edwin Peters, manager of Dennee’s Hawthorne flagship store, were both killed when Dennee lost control of his 1951 Cadillac on a curve on Highway 1 between Laguna Beach and Dana Point.
The Dennee’s stores were in the midst of a major remodel at the time. Dennee’s wife Maxine took control of the business and saw the remodel through to completion. She also staged a major promotional gala in 1956 celebrating the revamping of the stores.
It was the last such massive celebration at the stores, which began transitioning into furniture and home furnishings during the next few years. The “Television Exposition” store and other locations eventually were shuttered.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Dennee’s Distinctive Furnishings was operating at 12814 Hawthorne Blvd. in Hawthorne. Lloyd Dennee’s son David was its president.
Currently, descendents of Lloyd Dennee own and operate Dennee’s of Santa Ynez, a successful furniture and interior design business in the community of Santa Ynez, northwest of Santa Barbara.
Sources:
Dennee’s of Santa Ynez Instagram page.
Daily Breeze archives.
Los Angeles Mirror archives.
Orange County Register archives.
Torrance Press-Herald archives.
