“Forgotten Hollywood”- Chaplin Put Montecito on the Map…
Manny P. here…
“`Montecito, the California coastal enclave devastated by this season’s deadly mudslides, is known as Oprah Winfrey’s hometown. Ellen DeGeneres, Al Gore, Rob Lowe, Patrick Stewart, Drew Barrymore, and Jeff Bridges either live there or own part-time homes there. Chef Julia Child lived there late in life. But, it was Charlie Chaplin, the biggest star of another era, who helped make it a haven for celebrities. To the south is the Pacific Ocean; and to the west is Santa Barbara.
“`In his first visit and fell in love with the area and its Mediterranean climate, ocean views, and canyon serenity. At the height of his fame in 1928, Chaplin led a small group of investors, including Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle, who built the Montecito Inn, which he called the cream of the coast, a posh getaway two blocks from the ocean, that became a local landmark. In 1942, Chaplin, age 53, married 18-year-old Oona O’Neill, at a Montecito event that scandalized the entire nation. In its hotel lobby, there is a life-size statue of Chaplin. It is a nostalgic reminder.
“`The deadly mudslides that ravaged the town came a month after a massive wildfire drove many residents from their homes and blackened the nearby mountains. With no vegetation left to absorb the rain, the slides came quickly in the midst of a torrential downpour. Tennis great Jimmy Connors was among those stranded and airlifted by the Coast Guard.
“`My prayers to the residents of Montecito.
Until next time> “never forget”
This entry was posted on Thursday, January 11th, 2018 at 5:33 pm and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
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