Exploring Palm Springs: Movie Star Homes

Today is the second installment of my "Exploring Palm Springs" series (see last Saturday for part one). I am taking a few days off of work, so I'll have time to post a week long series on "Exploring Palm Springs".

There are a number of movie stars and celebrities who have (or had) a home here. In some cases it was the hideaway, for others, the primary home. Without a doubt its heyday was in the 50's and 60's, partly driven by the constraints of the old Hollywood studio system, which required them to be able to report to work at a moment's notice. In recent years, young celebrities have flocked to the desert, renting homes, or in some cases buying a second home as a refuge. In this installment, I went around Palm Springs taking photos of a few celebrity homes. I generally won't post photos of anyone's home I know personally, otherwise I'd never get invited back!

Above left: Bob Hope's House, above right: Elvis Presley House

Movie stars come to Palm Springs for privacy, and to escape, which is why there is such tall and thick shrubbery lining their estates.

Above left: Former home of Lily Tomlin & above right: this is the "desert hideaway" that was used by Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and George Clooney before they filmed the last Ocean's Thirteen movie.

Above: Many celebrities homes are tucked away, behind gates that lead up to a hillside estate, so it's difficult to see much. Above right: One of the early homes of Frank Sinatra. Look closely to see that the pool is shaped like a piano, and the overhead was designed to produce a shadow during the day to look like keys on a piano, alongside the pool.

Above: Liberace's home. Look closely in the first photo to see a giant candelabra in front, which is a light.

Above: Recently renovated, known as the Joan Crawford Estate

Stay tuned all week, more to come...

-Rick Rockhill