| Although it is located some two hundr fortymiles north of Hollywood, the Neptune Pool at HEARST CASTLE is nonethelessone of the most famous and opulent pools in Hollywood lore. William RandolphHearst first connected with the world of Hollywood in 1917 when he metand fell in love with a young starlet named Marion Davies. Not especiallyfond of the castle, Davies preferred to stay at the hundred-ten-room SantaMonica beach house that Hearst maintained for her. While guests at thecastle included such dignitaries as Sir Winston Churchill, George BernardShaw and Calvin Coolidge, Davies was happiest when her Hollywood friendssuch as Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson, Errol Flynn, CaroleLombard and young Jimmy Stewart came to visit. Fortunately, Hearst lovedto be around the youthful movie crowd. He hired some of the stars to appearin Davies' movies, and he was known to hide new contracts under their platesat the dinner table. Guests had their choice of swimming in an indoor pool,or in the Greco-Roman style Neptune pool, which holds 345,000 gallons ofwater, and is filled (even today) with mountain spring water. The poolarea has seventeen dressing rooms that could accommodate the forty to fiftyguests Hearst usually entertained on weekends. Hearst himself was an accomplishedswimmer and often went into the pool with one of his many pet dachshunds. | Completed in 1912, the Spanish-style BEVERLY HILLS HOTELlooked liked an oasis in the bare, dusty terrain of its surroundings. Thehotel, a huge success almost from the beginning, was packed with guestsfrom the icy midwestern and eastern states. Many who came decided to stayand establish homes and businesses nearby. Soon the hotel sat in the middleof America's wealthiest neighborhood. The hotel's now legendary Polo Loungeopened in the thirties. Since swimming became Hollywood's favorite pastime,a huge swimming pool was added in 1935. By the forties, when this picturewas taken, the "Pink Palace," as it was called, had become theultimate playground of the rich and famous: the Astors, Vanderbilts, Fords,Rockefellers and Kennedys joined the likes of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor,the Prince and Princess of Monaco and the Queen of Holland. They all stayedat the hotel, mixing with Polo Lounge regulars such as John Banymore, MarleneDietrich, W.C. Fields, Marilyn Monroe, Orson Welles and Frank Sinatra,creating the movie-star appeal that gave the hotel its cachet. |
