“THE GARDEN OF ALLAH: COCKTAILS, SCANDALS & MISCHIEF”

“THE GARDEN OF ALLAH: COCKTAILS, SCANDALS & MISCHIEF” - 5/25/2026 (141)

Once upon a time, there was a magical, decadent hotel in Hollywood where stars could avoid the scrutiny of the public and studio executives and really let their hair down. And, boy, did they! It was a place where there were no rules, there was a party every night, and the rich and famous could frolic carelessly around the pool - and sometimes in the pool, fully dressed. This magical place was the Garden of Allah — the brainchild of actress ALLA NAZIMOVA. This week, we will discuss the magic, the mystery, the decadence, and the debauchery of one of Hollywood’s most famous hotels.

SHOW NOTES:

Sources:

Garden of Allah: Hollywood Homosexual Haven (2020), by Michael Hone;

Laid Back in Hollywood (1998), by Patricia Medina Cotten;

The Garden of Allah (1970), by Sheilah Grahame;

“The Garden of Allah,” by Jon Ponder, WestHollywoodHistory.org;

“The People V. Hill,” Stanford Law School;

“Forgotten Hollywood: The Garden of Allah,” September 22, 2022, by Meher Tatna, GoldenGlobes.com;

“Hedonist Hollywood’s Lost Garden of Allah,” October 13, 2020, by MessyNessy, MessyNessyChic.com;

“Hollywood's Hotel Hedonism: It's one of Tinsel Town's last untold stories...how stars from Sinatra to Olivier, Garbo and Monroe indulged their every vice at a VIP hideaway and clothes were not required!” May 15, 2015, by Tom Leonard, DailyMail.com;

“This Hotel Kept All of Secrets of the Rich and Famous…Until Now,” June 23, 2015, by Kirk Silsbee, Gentleman’s Quarterly;

Wikipedia.com

TCM.com;

IMDBPro.com;

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