The Pink Palace Revisited: Behind Closed Doors at the Beverly Hills Hotel

Built by an oil company that struck water, the Beverly Hills catered to wealthy Easterners wintering in Southern California. It's owners have included Irene Dunne, Loretta Young and Hernando Courtright, a flamboyant showman who made the Beverly Hills the most chic place in town. Gable had his affair with Lombard here. Yves Montand with Marilyn Monroe, John Kennedy with a gagglt of girls - during the Presidential campaign. Evelyn Keyes with Mike Todd, pre-Elizabeth Taylor. Howard Hughes kept four bungalows, but allowed the plumbing to be used in only two of them. Ali McGraw fooled around with Steve McQueen, who wasn't her husband. Joanne Woodward with Paul Newman, who was. It's said that more movie deals have been made in this dimly-lit cocktail lounge than in all the studio offices in town. Paramount Pictures was sold over drinks to Gulf and Western. Arthur Miller talked Clark Gable into doing The Misfits, the film that killed him. Cary Grant conseled Lance Reventlow on the fine points of divorce during the latter's shedding of Jill Saint John. President Sukarno of Indonesia ogled Marilyn Monroe across the room and then decided to transfer his entourage of two hundred from the Ambassador to the Beveryl Hills. Warren Beatty spotted Leslie Caron among the artificial plants and began his pursuit. Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra started a brawl and were officially banned. W.C. Fields requested and received a table for two - for him and his man-eating plant. This is a look at the people and hapopenings that have made the Beverly Hills one of THE spots to be seen - and not be seen. Here is glamour, gossip, and an absorbing study of how a legend was made.