The battle for Beverly Hills : a city's independence and the birth of celebrity politics / Nancie Clare.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Clare, Nancie, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Celebrities.

History.

Rich people.

Beverly Hills (Calif.)--History.

Beverly Hills (Calif.).

Beverly Hills (Calif.)--Social conditions.

Beverly Hills (Calif.)--Biography.

Rich people--California--Beverly Hills--History.

Celebrities--California--Beverly Hills--History.

Social conditions.

California--Beverly Hills.

Genre:

Biographies.

History.

Physical Description:

xi, 270 pages ; 22 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : St. Martin's Press, 2018.

Summary:

The untold history of Beverly Hills and how, against all odds, it remained an independent, exclusive, and glamorous enclave through the efforts of Hollywood's film pioneers. If you look at a map of the sprawling city lines of Los Angeles, you'll notice a distinct hole in the middle. That is Beverly Hills, and there's a reason why it remains an island in the sea of LA. It's a tale inextricably linked with the dawn of cinema, a celebrity couple using their reputation to get what they wanted politically, and of course, the age old conundrum of California: water. For film stars who moved out to California in the early 20th century, Beverly Hills was a refuge from tabloid-heavy Los Angeles. It was also a societal blank slate: unlike Los Angeles, saddled with the East Coast caste system, Beverly Hills' developers were not picky about who settled there. It was the perfect place for Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks who both came from mixed-ethnic, impoverished backgrounds. It allowed them to become among the first actors to reach 'superstar status' through hard-work and keen entrepreneurial instincts--and to keep their steamy affair out of the press. Today, listening to a celebrity advocating a cause doesn't raise an eyebrow. But in 1923, it was something new. This is the story of how the stars battled to keep their city free from the clutches of a rapacious Los Angeles and lay the groundwork for celebrity influence and political power. With a nuanced eye and fantastic storytelling, The Battle for Beverly Hills is an irresistible tale of glamour, fame, gossip, and politics.

Contents:

Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas and the Invention of Beverly Hills

The Beverly Hills Hotel and the Birth of Its Namesake City

Setting the Stage

A Crash Course in Influence

Veni, Vidi, Vici

The War Against Hollywood and the Lasting Legacy of Bad Behavior

Meanwhile, in Beverly Hills ...

"California's Floating Kidney Transplanted from the Midwest"

Dramatis Personae

Playing with Fire

On Their Own.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781250121349

1250121345

OCLC:

1010642606