The Duke of Catalina

The Duke of Catalina: Duke Fishman, the "Original Greeter" at Avalon. Landing on Catalina Island in 1933 after living in a South Seas orphanage for most of his life, a 27-year-old Duke finds work as a lifeguard on the island. After a short stint as a houseman at the Annandale Golf Club, Duke becomes Avalon's "Goodwill Ambassador” - Avalon Harbor is Catalina’s main attraction. Duke leads tourists in singing the town's signature song "Avalon" as they disembark their steamships. Duke is also notable as the original, advertising character for the cleaning product “Mr. Clean." In 1975, he has open heart surgery and gives up his lifeguard duties in Avalon, but continues his role as Avalon's greeter. In 1977, his health deteriorates, and he returns to his small trailer in Palm Springs - as he did every fall. After 40 years, Avalon decides not to renew his contract as "Official Greeter,” and on December 22, 1977, a friend finds Duke dead in his trailer from a heart attack. He was 71. He is interred in Avalon's Cemetery. The position of "Official Greeter" has remained vacant since his death. 

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35 Years.

This is a photo of my husband and me with heartthrob Tab Hunter in 2016. Hunter had been with his partner, Allan Glaser, for 35 years when he passed away yesterday, July 8. “We were walking home, and he collapsed in my arms in our front yard," said Glaser. "He said he couldn’t breathe, so I called 911, and we went to the hospital . . . This was sudden and unexpected.” A blood clot caused Hunter to go into cardiac arrest. I hope Glaser finds a little peace in knowing that his and Hunter's relationship has been an inspiration to us. I hope I'm lucky enough to get to spend 35 years with my husband. 

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The Hottest Couple You Never Knew

They would’ve undoubtedly been the hottest couple back in the day if only they were able to come out. Tab Hunter and Anthony Perkins met in 1956, at the pool at the iconic Chateau Marmont on Sunset Blvd. -  John Belushi died of a drug overdose in Bungalow 3 at the hotel. The couple had a three-year romance that would’ve ended both of their rising careers if word got out. The pair kept their love a secret from even their closest friends. Hunter later recalled in the Jeffrey Schwarz’s documentary, "Tab Hunter Confidential,” that he would go out on “dates” with starlets like Debbie Reynolds, arranged by the studio and lapped up by movie magazines; sometimes, he and Perkins would double-date with women and then go home together. If you haven't checked out the documentary, "Tab Hunter Confidential," do so tonight in celebration of Hunter's life. Hunter died of a heart attack yesterday, June 8, at the age of 86. He is survived by his partner.

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Tab Hunter (July 11, 1931 – July 8, 2018)

Rest in power Tab Hunter. 🌈 By chance, I posted a variation of this edit on Saturday. Hunter passed away yesterday, June 8, at the age of 86. His partner calls the death “unexpected and sudden.” This photo is of Hunter sharing a laugh with Sal Mineo and Natalie Wood at the Academy Awards.

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Marilyn of Avalon

Before she was Marilyn Monroe, she was Norma Jeane Daughtry. At 16, Norma Jeane has two options: Ship off to yet another orphanage, or marry the boy-next-door and set sail for Catalina - an island off the coast of Southern California. Norma Jeane is no dumb blonde - she isn’t even a blonde. According to Norma Jeane's soon-to-be-husband, James Daughtry, the island paradise is where Marilyn Monroe is born. In an interview, Dougherty says: “I would marvel at how she’d ‘turn on’ when she was walking and knew men were looking at her. She’d do ‘the walk’ seen later in millions of her films, but back then, she was just learning to do it, and she was very, very good at it!”

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Jim Morrison: Death Theory 3

DEATH THEORY 3: Marianne Faithfull is known for her legendary music and her rock n’ roll lifestyle of drugs and sex with Mick Jagger, but did you know that in 2014 Faithfull revealed to Mojo that her boyfriend at the time, a heroin dealer named Jean de Breteuil, was responsible for Morrison's demise? “He went to see Jim Morrison and killed him,” Faithfull tells Mojo. “I mean, I’m sure it was an accident. Poor bastard. The smack was too strong? Yeah. And he died. And I didn’t know anything about this. Anyway, everybody connected to the death of this poor guy is dead now. Except me.” The singer goes on, recalling a "sense of foreboding" when Breteuil told her he was heading out to Morrison's Paris apartment. She decided to stay behind and "take barbiturates." My kind of girl.

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Jim Morrison: Death Theory #2

DEATH THEORY 2: Jim Morrison's friend and famed club manager, Sam Bernett, claims that Morrison died in the bathroom of the Rock & Roll Circus club in Paris - a club Morrison frequently visited while living in France. He says that Morrison shows up the night before he dies to score some heroin. He is successful in his pursuit and disappears into the club's restroom and never comes out. “When we found him dead, he had a little foam on his nose, and some blood too, and the doctor said, ‘That must be an overdose of heroin,'” Bernett says of the singer's death. According to Bernett, the dealers who sold Morrison the bad batch of drugs wanted to cover up the death, so, insisting he was only unconscious, they take him back to his apartment and place him the bathtub. He is found dead in the bathtub on the morning of July 3, 1971 by his girlfriend, Pamela Courson. 

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Room 32

This is not a photo of Jim Morrison's apartment in Paris where he died. This is Room 32 at the Alta Cienega Hotel in West Hollywood (1005 N. La Cienega Blvd.). This now run down room was once Jim Morrison's sanctuary where he escapes to whenever his girlfriend, Pamela Courson, kicks him out of their nearby apartment. He'd stumbles back to this room after drunken nights out at Barney's Beanery and unleashes his inner "Lizard King" with his groupies. He stays in this room while recording "L.A. Woman" across the street. The sound booth is now a stall in a restroom with a plaque commemorating Morrison's hit - I should know, I peed in this stall when it was an Italian restaurant. After his death in 1971, his fans made Room 32 their personal shrine to the man - the room now rents by the minute. 

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Three Jim Morrison Death Theories: #1

The cause of Jim Morrison's death is unknown - he dies in Paris, and an autopsy's not required under French law. The “official” cause of death is listed as “congestive heart failure,” but many theorize that he died of a drug overdose. Morrison, lead singer of The Doors, joined the 27 Club when he died on July 3, 1971. Morrison’s downfall begins at a 1969 Florida concert where he's accused of exposing himself in front of the audience. He is convicted of “indecent exposure and profanity,” leading promoters to cancel the band’s remaining shows. Morrison escapes to Paris in March of ’71 with his girlfriend, Pamela Courson. He gains so much weight in Paris that he becomes unrecognizable, leading many to worry that his health might be in danger. There are three main theories on how Morrison died - If I leave one out, let me know in the comments! THEORY 1: Morrison and Courson spend the night listening to records and snorting heroin - Morrison is known to be afraid of needles. The heroin they smoke is particularly strong and Morrison ODs. He's placed in a warm bath, which is said to help revive people OD-ing on heroin. It didn't work. His body is found the following morning in the bathtub. DEADINHOLLYWOOD.COM #jimmorrison #deadinhollywood #truecrime #zine #hollywood #drugs #OD #thedoors

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Child of God.

In’73, River Phoenix's family joins a controversial Christian movement: The Children of God (COG). The movement starts in ’Huntington Beach, CA in ’68 as Teens for Christ. The family settles in Caracas, Venezuela as COG missionaries. Phoenix rarely speaks of the cult. His mother quotes him in a ’94 “Esquire” article as having said, "They're disgusting, they're ruining people's lives.” An earlier interview in “Details” magazine, Phoenix himself states that he lost his virginity at age four while in the Children of God… "but I've blocked it out.”  When Phoenix resumes having sex at 15, the act takes place in a tent in the family’s backyard decorated by his parents. COG encourages members to imagine Jesus joining them during sexual intercourse and masturbation. Male members are cautioned to visualize themselves as women, in order to avoid a homosexual relationship with Jesus. Makes total sense, right?

Phoenix's parents grow disillusioned with the Children of God, opposing to the group's practice of "Flirty Fishing.” COG is being distorted by their leader, David Berg, who is becoming powerful and wealthy. Berg seeks to attract rich disciples through sex. He is accused of leading a cult which promotes the sexual abuse of women and children. Berg is also accused of pedophilia - he later recalls in his letters how he is taught to masturbate in church by another boy his age. When his mother caught Berg, he is forced to masturbate in front of his father. Oftentimes Berg will explicitly describe his sexual preferences and says that the one thing he regrets is… “Never sleeping with my mother.”

During the first 25 years, Children of God share their message with over 260 million people in over 100 countries. According to The Family International, 18 million of those people became followers of Christ. All religions are cults and all cults are dangerous

In the late 70s, Phoenix’s family leaves the movement, moving to LA. Phoenix is the eldest of 5 children. The family officially changes their name to Phoenix, after the mythical bird that rises from its own ashes, symbolizing a new beginning.

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