The Hotel del Coronado: Reality vs. Set

The Hotel del Coronado in San Diego has proudly heralded its association with the 1959 Marilyn Monroe movie, “Some Like it Hot.” Many scenes were actually filmed at the hotel and the nearby beach. When Sweet Sue’s band arrives in Florida, the bus is actually dropping them off at the Hotel del. Above Marilyn is on the porch with Tony Curtis (in drag) and below, Jack Lemmon (also in drag) gets assistance from an older wealthy millionaire (Joe E. Brown):



The shot below is also from the entrance area to the del, circa 1959, with Tony & Marilyn.



You can try to match up the shots at the hotel today but it would be difficult as the building has gone under many renovations since the 1959 movie. This was how it looked under construction during its most recent remodel in 2021:



How the hotel looked in 1950, pre-Marilyn:



Compared to this 2021 remodel shot:



One brilliant comic bit between Lemmon, Curtis (doing his best Cary Grant imitation), and Marilyn was shot on the beach behind the hotel:



This trio of July 1962 gals were on the very same beach. Wonder if they realized they were standing exactly where Lemmon, Curtis, and Monroe had been?



Tony and Marilyn share a kiss on the steps of the hotel when he drops her off after their first date. In real like, Tony’s infamous quote about kissing Marilyn when asked how it was replied, “It’s like kissing Hitler.” Years later, he attempted to say he had no malice towards Marilyn, but was making a joke. Whether that was true or not, his remark fell flat.



Towards the end of the movie, Curtis and Lemmon attempt to escape the mob by running through the Hotel’s lobby, which was shot on a soundstage:



How the lobby looked in March 2008:



…and August 2012:



…and this year:



Have you been to the del?

See more “Some Like it Hot” photos at my main website.

Desert View Tower

A few years ago, Willis’ groomer had suggested I visit the Desert View Tower. Photos of it looked interesting, but the fact that it was about 80 miles east of San Diego prevented me from rushing there. Finally, for a photo shoot I trekked out to this wild and wacky place that is literally in the middle of nowhere. Once you exit I-8, you travel down a rough little side road strewn with interesting decrepit structures, debris, and “art”:











Located in the In-Ko-Pah Mountains, the elevation is 3,000 feet here. The centerpiece of this little park is the stone tower, built between 1922-1928 by Bert Vaughn, a San Diego real estate developer who owned the town of Jacumba. Vaughn dedicated it to the highway/railroad builders who opened up the area, which previously took a month to travel between Yuma and San Diego’s beaches. The five-story/70' high Tower functions as a museum and an observation deck with a gift shop at the base. Unfortunately, there was an event at the tower the day I visited and I was unable to go inside. Looks like I’ll have to go back! During World War II, the tower served as a lookout post to ensure that Nazi forces were unable to enter the U.S. via Mexico.



Boulder Park is just steps away from the tower, and is the kind of thing that kids (and adults who still have a childlike yen for exploration) will adore. Imagine caves and rough stoney-paths, sprinkled with approximately 37 large carvings of animals and shapes that literally spring out from the huge boulders.



Unemployed engineer Merle T. Ratcliffe came to the area to recover from tuberculosis and ended up sculpting the quartz granite boulders for a dollar a day and a jug of wine over a two-year period during the Depression era of the 1930’s. The carvings and tower are registered as official California Historical Landmarks (#194 and #939.3).





This wacky place is DEFINITELY worth the journey! See more San Diego and environs photos at my main website.