Portal:Famous Visitors

Santa Catalina Island, the only island with a city complete with guest accommodations, served as a playground for Hollywood’s greatest stars, particularly prior to World War II in the 1930s and 1940s. No private invitation was needed. Due to its close proximity to Los Angeles, many stars owned yachts and could sail or cruise to the island in a matter of hours. The Hotel St. Catherine ran a weekly column in the local newspaper called “Lobbying at the Hotel St. Catherine.” Each week, Harry Grattan, proprietor of the St. Catherine’s gift shop, would report his celebrity sightings. Charlie Chaplin, Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Joe Schenck, Betty Grable, Norma Shearer, Irving Thalberg, Richard Arlen and Johnny Weismuller were all frequent visitors, as were Humphrey Bogart, and John Wayne. Others, including Tom Mix, owned homes at Avalon. Actress Natalie Wood died near the Isthmus in 1981.

Visits to the larger privately owned Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands were by private invitation, a privilege enjoyed by John Barrymore, Richard Diebenkorn, Governor Earl Warren, Jr., Jane Fonda, and only a handful of others.

For 27 years (1910-1937), Pelican Bay on Santa Cruz Island was leased to Ira Eaton, and his camping resort played host to dozens of trips by film companies using the island as a filming location. Many silent film stars, including Gloria Swanson, had their first roles on the island. Renowned ARTISTS also painted en plein aire.

Huell Howser