Klein oversees every decision at The Terrace with an iron—or, should we say, brass—fist. “I’m really proud of the brass [paired] with wood that i s seen throughout the hotel,” says Klein, who personally selected The Terrace’s custom highboy tables with brass bases, wooden tops, and brass hardware. He adds that when a vendor recently brought in chrome screws for the pool’s new chaise lounges, they were swiftly rejected because they weren’t brass.

That strict adherence to aesthetics may seem excessive, but for Klein, The Terrace spells big business: The restaurant comprises 25 percent of the hotel’s total income. Klein attributes that relatively high figure to the number of special events held there, especially CAA’s annual Golden Globes soirée, as well as other high-profile premiere parties. He still remembers the initial phone call from [Vanity Fair editor] Graydon Carter seeking an Oscar-party replacement for Craft: “He called me at home one Sunday and said, ‘What would you do if I wanted to have my Oscar party there?’ I said, ‘I’d name my firstborn after you.’ We’re lucky because there wasn’t a lot of competition—there’s no really old-school, classic hotel that has a modernity to it like we do.”

And therein lies the real charm of the Sunset Tower Hotel and The Terrace, which successfully manage to bridge the gap between old and new Hollywood. “It’s not just the Daniel Craigs and the Jennifer Anistons—I’ve seen Bernie Brillstein and Olivia de Havilland,” says Campos- Greenberg. “The Terrace is the frame in which we see Los Angeles as Carole Lombard or John Wayne must have. It’s very time- and place-specific, which I think is the charm.”

Cunningham agrees: “When I’m here, I think of Jean Harlow sitting next to me or Marilyn smoking a cigarette. This building is just so iconic—everyone who is anyone has been through those doors.” 8358 W. Sunset Blvd., LA, 323-848-6677