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There was a long line of people waiting for $1.50 box of See’s Candy.

While Cars Jam Neighborhood Streets

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Day, a marketing campaign by Amazon to promote its television show, lowered prices to 1959 levels in numerous establishments throughout Los Angeles on Thursday, the same year the show is set.

According to a Curbed LA report (“‘Maisel Day’ Did Not Go as Planned”) the “Santa Monica Police briefly shut down a 30-cents-per-gallon promotion for gas due to traffic delays caused by eager customers, according to ABC 7 reporter John Gregory.”

Gregory tweeted that the station was shut down at 10 a.m. but reopened at 11:45 a.m. with the 30 cents a gallon for gas. Amazon was working with the city to limit the number of cars in line.

One Pacific Palisades resident, who was near the intersection (Cloverfield and Michigan), early in the day said she saw a crash and that the traffic was horrendous.

According to the Wrap “Amazon’s ‘Maisel Day’ 30-Cent Gasoline Promo Causes Traffic Chaos,” Jean Williams, 54 made the trek from Inglewood, but said it was worth it. “She said the traffic on the freeway was backed up for ‘a good 20 minutes’ before she even exited for the station.”

Coming back from the San Fernando Valley around 2 p.m., this writer was stuck in traffic on the westbound 10 Freeway, with cars backed up in all lanes of that road until after the Cloverfield exit.

Meanwhile, other than long lines and people vying for parking on local streets, the day went smoothly at Palisades Village.

At 10 a.m. there was a marionette show at the small park, much to the delight of several small children.

One Palisadian said, “I think they should only give out the deals to those of us who were alive in 1959.”

People arriving at 9:30 a.m. for the 10 a.m. opening of See’s Candy, were about 50^th in line.

A See’s employee patiently passed out candy samples to those waiting to purchase a one-pound box of candy for $1.50. A guard was on hand to make sure that no one was cutting the line. By 11:30, according to one of the helpers, all 250 boxes slated for the event were gone.

There were long lines at the Bay Theater at 10 a.m. when tickets for 51 cents went on sale.

Many bargain hunters lined up early for the 51-cent movie tickets that Bay Theatre by Cineopolis was giving away. Most shows were taken by 12:30 p.m., but at 5 p.m., there were still a few tickets left for a 10:30 p.m. showing of “The Farewell.”

A Maisel Day helper signs up a man who wants a $3 haircut – 1959 prices.

At Gornick and Drucker, where $3 haircuts were available, people were already being scheduled into the afternoon at 10:15. A clerk was taking down phone numbers with a promise to call people when their appointment was about 30 minutes out. With two barbers doing about eight people an hour, about 72 men received the bargain cuts.

The Draycott restaurant also sold $2 glass of champagne during lunch and into the evening. (One per customer.)

By 3 p.m., where Hank’s was selling Reuben sandwiches for .85 cents, the line was gone. “My guess is that they ran out of food,” a resident reported. A Hank’s employee said they ran out of the Reubens around 2:30 p.m.

At 5 p.m. there was still a small line for McConnell’s. The ice cream shop was selling a scoop of ice cream for 25 cents.

“I can’t believe how many people are in the village. Horns honking and people fighting over parking spaces,” one resident wrote. “I think this is what some of us residents feared would be a typical day in the complex. So glad it’s not.”

The promotion was designed to highlight the comedy “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” which received 20 Emmy nominations. The Emmy show will be held September 22.

Children and adults were entertained with Rene’s Marionettes.

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