Greta Garbo’s ‘Camille’ returns to Palm Springs, site of 1936 premiere
The movie “Camille” had its world premiere at Palm Springs’ Plaza Theatre on Dec. 12, 1936, the theater’s opening night, with some of the stars — possibly including the mysterious Greta Garbo — in attendance.
On Friday (Dec. 12), the romantic drama will get a special screening at 7:30 p.m. at the Plaza. After a $34 million restoration, the long-shuttered theater reopened Dec. 1, in time to mark its own 89th anniversary.
“We’re going to look at what transpired on that fateful evening,” Jim Cook, the theater’s historian, tells me with mock drama of the 1936 premiere. “It was a grand event.”
Rare photos and film footage will be shown, the history will be recounted and Turner Classic Movies hosts Ben Mankiewicz and Dave Karger will come onstage to talk about the movie, its production and its director, George Cukor, prior to the screening.
“It was an eventful day in the desert: a world premiere of a major MGM film,” says Cook, who co-wrote the newly published “Desert Dream to Silver Screen,” a history of the Plaza Theatre. “They almost always occurred in Hollywood or New York, with rare exceptions.”
A red carpet was rolled out for stars Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore and others. The press was there, including Time magazine. Actor Ralph Bellamy, a Palm Springs luminary, was master of ceremonies.
What of the movie’s biggest star, though?
“The question was always, did Greta Garbo show up? We don’t know for certain,” Cook admits.
The reclusive star was documented as staying at the estate of director Edmund Goulding in Palm Springs’ Mesa neighborhood that week.
Years later, Plaza manager Earle Strebe disclosed that Garbo had indeed been present at the Plaza, visiting his office as a courtesy and then watching some of the film incognito. “She probably snuck in after all the stars had gone in,” Cook theorizes.
Interestingly, after promising two new movies each week, Strebe found he couldn’t deliver and closed the Plaza Theatre in January 1937 — only a month after the splashy opening. He reopened it quickly after arranging for community programming to fill the gaps between films.
Tickets for the “Camille” screening are available online or at the box office. The price had been quoted to me as $19.36, duplicating the movie’s year of release. Neat symbolism, right? However, Ticketmaster shows the price a dime higher, for reasons no one could explain to me on Monday.
Regardless, Cook says, “what show can you go to in a fabulously restored theater for that price?”
The Plaza’s intent is to screen “Camille” every year on Dec. 12 — meaning that 2026 will be the round-numbered 90th anniversary.
More Plaza
For obvious reasons, I only dabble in coverage from distant locales like Palm Springs or Joshua Tree, where we have no reporters, no delivery and only a scattering of online subscribers.
That said, going to those towns once or twice a year for pleasure and returning with a column is a modest way of expanding this column’s horizons beyond the Inland Empire proper (wherever it is). Besides, some of you know those places.
Case in point: the warm response to my Nov. 21 column on the Plaza Theatre. Many of you have memories of the theater going back decades.
“My last movie there was 1974’s ‘The Parallax View,’” reports John Evans, a Claremont native who now lives in Oak Hills. “I wish Claremont had saved the Village Theatre.”
Susan Radder of Chino went to the Plaza Theatre for movies, concerts by the Mills Brothers and Kay Starr, and in later years the Fabulous Palm Springs, a live revue made up of senior-aged performers.
“The intimacy of the theater and the caliber of the performers made it a one-of-a-kind experience,” Radder shares.
“My recollection of it goes back to the 1950s when my parents would take me there as a treat,” says Jack Caselles, now of Claremont. Watching “Jaws” there in 1975, he adds, “the two moms on my right and left, frightened by the shark, sank their nails simultaneously into both my forearms.”
That bites.
Peace Tower at 100
The Peace Tower is among the most-photographed features on Riverside’s Mount Rubidoux. Dedicated on Dec. 13, 1925, the 40-foot stone tower is the subject of an exhibit on its creation and history, “On Peace and Friendship,” at the Mission Inn Foundation’s new headquarters, 3598 Main St.
And Friends of Mount Rubidoux, which put together the exhibit and its companion book, is organizing a walk up the mountain and re-enactment of the dedication. That takes place Saturday (Dec. 13), one century later to the day.
Gather at 2 p.m. at Huntington Rock, where the paths meet on the east side, for the walk up. I plan to be there.
In 1925, “they were up there on a cold winter day,” Glenn Wenzel, president of Friends, told me last week with a grin. By contrast, Saturday is predicted to be 73 degrees. That’s one update to the re-enactment no one will object to.
brIEfly
The Festival of Lights, Riverside’s signature event on and around the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, was named best Christmas light show in the nation by Newsweek, topping such contenders as Austin, Texas; St. Augustine, Florida; and New York City. “We beat some pretty good cities,” said Philip Falcone, the council member for downtown. Another reason for Riverside to glow.
David Allen writes Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and goes dark the other days. Email dallen@scng.com, phone 909-483-9339, and follow davidallencolumnist on Facebook or Instagram, @davidallen909 on X or @davidallen909.bsky.social on Bluesky.