Movie Colony and Movie Colony East Communities
Movie Colony
Between 1930 and the late 1960's, the Movie Colony neighborhood became another retreat of Old Hollywood stars including Jack Benny, Cary Grant, Betty Hutton, Al Jolson and Marilyn Monroe. The El Mirador Hotel (now Desert Regional Hospital) was the neighborhood's crowing centerpiece at the time. Legend accredits The Movie Colony's origins to a poker game between fellow movie executives Darryl F. Zanuck and Joseph Schenck in which Zanuck won Schenck's private Palm Springs estate. Zanuck then introduced numerous established and upcoming stars through weekend retreats to his compound which featured a massive guesthouse and bar-centered great room. In contrast to the estate size homes and large lots of Old Las Palmas and Vista Las Palmas, the homes were smaller and more practical for weekend getaways. The Movie Colony is located in Central Palm Springs just blocks off Downtown and is home to approximately 170 residences. Architectural styles range from the pre-War era of Spanish Colonial Revival to Mid-Century Modernism, including the Abernathy Home designed by William Cody that Andy Linksy of ASK has represented twice.
The Movie Colony
Movie Colony East
From the Movie Colony, step across Avenida Caballeros and you'll find a community, Movie Colony East, whose history and architecture resembles its neighbor. Movie Colony East is a larger neighborhood now with approximately 700 homes. It was home to Silver Screen legends like Clara Bow, Judy Garland, Dorothy Lamour, Carmen Miranda and Frank Sinatra as well as notable musicians, playwrights and American legend Howard Hughes. Architecturally, the Movie Colony East is home to a number of the most well-known examples of Mid-Century Modernism such as the Frey 1 House by Albert Frey, designer of the Palm Springs City Hall and current Palm Springs Visitor's Center, as well as Frank Sinatra's Twin Palms Estate designed by E. Stewart Williams. ASK Palm Springs team members have proudly represented both the Twin Palm Estates and other fine architecturally homes by William Cody and Donald Wexler.
