"Since the 1920s, Palm Springs has been Hollywood's desert playground for celebrities to relax and escape from the hustle and bustle of showbiz. The legendary "Two-Hour Rule" of Hollywood studios put Palm Springs on the map as a perfect getaway. Actors under contract had to be available within two-hours from the studio just in case last minute film/photo shoots had to occur. Several celebrities stayed and purchased hideaway homes in Palm Springs, such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., George Hamilton, Bob Hope, Albert Einstein Bing Crosby, Kirk Douglas, Cary Grant, and Jack Benny.

 

Several ladies were frequent visitors including Marilyn Monroe, Dinah Shore, Kitty Carlisle, Lily Tomlin, Elizabeth Taylor and Susan Sommers. Famous couples did rendezvous in Palm Springs including Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, Steve Lawrence and Edye Gorme, Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner, Lucy and Desi, Elvis and Priscilla, David O. Selznick and Jennifer Jones, President Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower, President Ronald and Nancy Reagan, and Walter and Lee Annenberg and several others.

 

A new generation of Hollywood A-listers has succumbed to the lure of the desert and the relaxing privacy it offers. Palm Springs is being rediscovered by today's Hollywood stars, especially during the Palm Springs International Film Festival held annually in January.  Founded by then-mayor Sonny Bono, the star-studded events attracts celebrities such as Clint Eastwood, John Travolta, Ron Howard, Halle Barry, Leonard DiCaprio, Anne Hathaway, Dakota Fanning and many more."