Relive Catalina Island’s glory days in Celebrity Playground; an exhibition that presents the Catalina Island Museum’s extensive archive of material related to the many celebrities who played and worked on Hollywood’s favorite island.

 

Although Santa Catalina has been immortalized on the silver screen hundreds of times, it was also a popular playground for Hollywood’s greatest stars. During the 1930s and 40s—the island’s heyday—its close proximity to Los Angeles allowed stars such as Charlie Chaplin, Humphrey Bogart, Johnny Weismuller and John Wayne to sail or cruise their boats in the open ocean and reach Avalon Harbor in only hours. Upon arriving they found some of the most magnificent waters in the world. Abundant with big game fish, the island’s rugged coastline is dotted with coves, perfect for fishing, swimming or simply relaxing in the warm island sun. The island’s unspoiled interior, once stocked with exotic animals, was a hunter’s paradise. The elegant Hotel St. Catherine on Descanso Beach with its tennis courts, terraces and swimming pools was a preferred spot for a romantic rendezvous. The island’s 18-hole golf course offered an attractive diversion, and in the spring stars could even catch a Cubs game at the diamond nearby and chat with their favorite players. During the evening, Hollywood’s biggest stars mingled comfortably with islanders, who played a large role in the allure of the island. The restaurants and bars of the island’s two towns—Avalon and Two Harbors—were alive at night with music, which wafted through crowded streets, abundant with people drinking, dancing and–for lack of a better term–carousing. Stars indulged in the island nightlife freely and without restraint, comfortable knowing that their anonymity on the island—unlike in Hollywood—would never be compromised. Indeed, severe reprisal awaited any reporter who wrote of a star’s nighttime high jinks. The island’s allure for a quick weekend or lengthy holiday was irresistible. And as Errol Flynn so appropriately stated, Hollywood’s elite during this time were “so intoxicated with the sheer zing of existence, we were half-mad when we were technically sober…”

 

This entertaining exhibition will be on view from November 12, 2011 through January 29, 2012 at the Catalina Island Museum.

 

 

 

The Catalina Island Museum invites you to join us for the Opening Reception for Celebrity Playground: Hollywood’s Favorite Island on Saturday, November 12^th from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Tickets are free for members of the museum and $5.00 for the general public. 

 

The Catalina Island Museum is Avalon’s sole institution devoted to art, culture and the rich history of Santa Catalina Island. It is located on the ground floor of Avalon’s historic Casino, and is open 7 days a week, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information, the museum may be reached by phone at 310-510-2414 or at its website: CatalinaMuseum.org.