Are the Stars Out Tonight?: The Story of the Famous Ambassador and Cocoanut Grove

Are the Stars Out Tonight?: The Story of the Famous Ambassador and Cocoanut Grove by Margaret Burk. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780937806005.

Out-of-Print original 1980 edition~ ARE THE STARS OUT TONIGHT “Hollywood’s Greatest Star Gone But Not Forgotten. The title is based on all of the stars who assembled at the Ambassador Hotel and Cocoanut Grove for seven decades to entertain and be entertained. Stories include the Cocoanut Grove, the early Academy Awards where Oscar got its name, the original Golden Globes, numerous award, fashion shows, and film premiers where guests and stars thrilled to the excitement and camaraderie of those early times. For actors, being discovered at The Grove was their step to fame. Guests were entertained by every renowned orchestra and entertainer, such as Abe Lyman, Gus Arnheim, Guy Lombardo, Paul Whiteman, Phil Harris, Harry James, Sammy Davis, featuring Ella, Bing, Lena Horne, Nat King Cole, Merv Griffin and hundreds of other headliners. They mingled with Howard Hughes, Tilden, Einstein, the Kennedys, Winchell and hundreds of other greats. Entertainers and musicians playing the Cocoanut Grove, the greatest showplace west of New York, knew they had arrived. Swimming, tennis, golf, horse shows and tournaments made the hotel a major sports capitol. Attending Stars Night were the film industry, major producers, writers and directors, and stars Garbo, Dietrich, Barrymore, Shearer, Crawford, Bette Davis, Gable. Later when the hotel served as a location for film-making, guests were thrilled to watch their favorite actors at work. We watched Marylin Monroe winning a swim competition, several Miss Universes and other beauties crowned… and being discovered. Films and television include: The Graduate, Pretty Woman, Marrying Man, The Baker Boys, Dallas, Cheers, Forrest Gump, Minority Report, Quantum Leap, The West Wing, The Practice, etc. featuring stars such as: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Adam Sandler, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Kim Bassinger, Jamie Lee Curtis and Julia Roberts.