Random California
Like the title of this post says, I have some random vintage images of California for you today, starting with this 1960 photo of the Desi Arnaz hotel, in Indian Wells (in the Coachella Valley in Riverside County). That's desert country, friends. It was founded by Lucille Ball and Desi back n 1957
Ol' Desi's hotel looks pretty modest - and yet awesome nonetheless. I love the simple caricature of him in the orange sunburst. What form! Good followthrough, weight on the back foot, shoulders square, mind free of distractions.
Here's a vintage postcard view of the pool area. It's fairly pretty if you like the desert, which I do. The hotel is still there, though it has been upgraded, and is now known as the Palm Springs Hotel.
Here's another postcard view of the pool (scrounged from the interwebs). This is definitely the place to be, since the swimmers are all curvy young ladies. Yessiree!
This next photo is from June, 1959, and shows the front of the Warner Bros. Studio entrance in Burbank. At first I thought (hoped) that this is where the famous "Termite Terrace" (of Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies fame) was located, but that was on Warner's Sunset lot. Still, it's a neat vintage view of a legendary studio!
6 comments:
I believe I've seen a postcard of Lucy and Desi's Palm Springs home, but I didn't know that they owned a hotel out there. Ha ha, that lady is facing the wrong way on the diving board....unless she was going to do a back-flip, but that would just be crazy. I wonder if the people standing in the doorway of the Warner Studios were anyone famous? I'm also wondering if that building is still standing today?
Major-
Mid-century America at its finest. I didn't know "The Ricardo's" owned a hotel in Indian Wells - or anywhere else for that matter. As I'm away from home for a few days, I can only view the "unenlarged" images on my phone, but it appears there's a 1960 Ford on the street right there.
@Tokyo Magic!-
The old administration building is still there, home to some executive offices. I wonder what happened to the sign, first appearing during The Depression, that stood in the median at the confluence of Pass & Olive Avenues proudly proclaiming: "Warner Bros. Pictures - Combining good citizenship with good picture making"-?
Happy birthday Walt Disney
I love the Indian Wells hotel sign along with the rock and cactus garden out front and sparkly white gravel roof. Lots of vintage motel coolness! Thanks, Major.
Nanook, thank you for that info! And yes, happy birthday to Walt Disney!
I'd bet Desi's hotel was all full up for the big Carrot Festival in the Coachella Valley that Bugs was trying to find:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOFNTfWsQrQ
That motel is the bee's knees, Major.
I went to a convention in Indian Wells once. It was a surreal place where the "lifeless" desert comes right up to the edge of the irrigated golf course. The mountains looked like the moon, not a plant in sight.
JG
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