Hollywood houses and vintage apparel popular viewing in Palm Springs

Palm Springs was the perfect getaway for the Hollywood set. Warm and sunny in the winter, isolated from prying eyes and gossips yet within the 100-mile two-hour rule imposed by Hollywood studios: contract actors could travel no more than 100 miles (two hours) away in case scenes had to be shot or re-shot.

In the '30s, Spanish revival bungalows were the architectural style of choice. After World War II that changed drastically.

Following the leads of Le Courbusier, Walter Gropius, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright, area architects like Richard Neutra, E. Stewart Williams, Albert Frey, Donald Wexler, William Francis Cody and William Krisel shifted the focus to one level, on-slab getaway houses with clean lines and floor-to-ceiling glass windows open to the mild, sunny weather. Practical and inexpensive, these houses and buildings came to be known as Mid-Century Modern and the Palm Springs area has the world's largest concentration of them.

The Good Girls took a Mid Mod Design tour with Lyle Boatman, who set the period and pointed out prime examples of the style as well as homes and businesses built for the stars.

Racquet Club Estates, designed by Palmer and Kisel and built between 1957 and 1964, was to consist of 1,600 three bedroom one bath houses with exactly the same 1,200 square foot floor plan. The cost was $10,000 apiece; population of Palm Springs almost doubled. There are several, like this one, you can rent.

In 1961, Wexler designed houses with steel structures. Only six were built because the price of steel rose dramatically. Originally priced at $20,000, the two bedroom one bath homes like this one with the saw tooth roof, now sell for $1 million plus.

"The House of Tomorrow," designed by William Kisel, is known today as where Elvis and Priscilla Presley spent their honeymoon.

Edgar J. Kaufman recognized good architects. He not only hired Frank Lloyd Wright to design his "Falling Water" summer home, he selected Richard Neutra to design his winter escape, the "Desert House," in 1946. The roof top terrace is known as a "gloriette."

Chrysler would have you believe Delores and Bob Hope lived in this contemporary space ship built on a mountain, but it was only used for entertaining during the golf tournament the company sponsored.

The couple preferred the more modest 1971 mid-century modern on a golf course.

Frey and Chambers designed the striking Tramway Enco Gas Station, now Visitors Center. That jutting roof was not merely for decoration: it protected un-air-conditioned cars from the sun and temperatures that can reach into the 100s and from up to 70 mph winds that whip through the valley.

Want to live the lifestyle?

How about Frank Sinatra's former Twin Palms digs at 1148 Alejo Road? The Chairman of the Board originally wanted Georgian but was talked into a more desert-friendly style which he commissioned from E. Stewart Williams in 1947. Later he lent the four bedroom home to Joan Crawford for the film The Damned Don't Cry. It has had some updating, but our guide Lyle says there is still a crack in the master bedroom mirror where Ava Gardner threw a Champagne bottle at Sinatra. He also says that for a smashing party, there is room for 300 tables around the pool.

Cost: $2,500 a night.

Want more than a piano-shaped pool?

432 Hermosa, built for Dinah Shore in 1964 by Donald Wexler, offers 6 bedrooms, 7 1/2 baths plus a one bedroom guest house, a grand piano, pool and a tennis court on 1.3 acres with views of the San Jacinto Mountains. According to Lyle, back door neighbors Kirk and Ann Douglas's children liked playing tennis on a second court so much that in her will she deeded it to the Douglases. We hear Leonardo di Caprio is the current landlord.

Cost: $3,750 a night plus housekeeping fee.

A good source for all things mid century is Modtraveler.net.

Bargains for the Body

Chanel at Gallery 24.

 A lot cheaper and easier to take home are the sometimes bargain priced vintage designer apparel and accessories in boutiques throughout the valley. Here are a few to get you started, but do NOT go on Wednesdays as most will be closed.

Dazzles, 1035 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs. Owner Mike Soules, a former Jacksonville, FL resident whose best neighborhood friend was David Hasselhoff, has amassed an amazing collection of vintage jewelry from Bakelite and snazzy sunglasses to Eisenberg Ice to Carmen Miranda worthy fruity assemblages.

Mitchells, 106S. Indian Canyon, Palm Springs, stylish clothing for men and women fine clothing. Michael Karp is known for his lush collection of Pucci, which never goes out of style in resort climes.

Gallery 24 Jewelry, 457 N. Palm Canyon Dr. #9, Palm Springs, is a gem with an irresistible motto: "Jewelry because great sex doesn't last forever."
Carlos has an inside track on Chanel beauties and the rich and famous turn to his designer jewelry when they don't want to take the real thing out of the bank. Hats, bibelots and bejeweled belts, too.

Iconic Atomic, 1103 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, is so '50s-'60s you expect to hear Desi telling Lucy she has some 'splainin' to do. From appliances and decor to accessories and women and men's wear (the largest supply for men, we hear), this is the place to find everyday mid-century artifacts.

Marga's Repeat Boutique, 73-900 El Paseo, Palm Desert, had some of the best prices on her pleasing array of women's clothes and accessories. Both Good Girls found jewelry here.

After all this looking around and shopping we were ready for some mid century culinary therapy so we followed the Rat Pack's lead and headed to Melvin's in the befabled Ingleside Hotel.

Ingleside Hotel

 You can't do justice to a scene of frequent infamous revels without an adult beverage so we began with martinis.

 

Found the fab shades at Dazzles.

We had lovely salads but looked with longing at the enormous chicken pot pie.

Eventually reality has to interrupt one's trip back in time.

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