YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW
Launched in 1990 by Sonny
Bono and hosted by the Palm
Springs Film Society, the Palm
Springs International Film
Festival (PSIFF) takes place
each year in January. Though
the Festival does feature
American independent films,
the focus from its inception
was to shine a spotlight on international cinema. The event
is noted for screening most
foreign Oscar nominees and
attracts around 135,000 people, with about 70% coming
from outside of the Coachella
Valley, including Canada and
Europe. A Black Tie Awards
Show, which attracts famous
George Clooney at the Palm Springs Film Festival
actors and filmmakers, marks
the beginning of the festivities. Every national entertainment show
and television network, as well as over 1,400 daily newspapers, covers the event. (psfilmfest.org)
Since the launch of the PSIFF, the city has become a film festival
destination, welcoming the Festival of Native Film & Culture, Palm
Springs Film Noir Festival, Palm Springs International Short Film
Festival, and the Cinema Diverse Film Festival, attracting Hollywood
stars and film devotees throughout the year.
In the world of film and fame, Palm
Springs has been Hollywood’s back
lot since the 1920s. Rudolph Valentino filmed The Sheik and a French
Foreign Legion movie. Theda Bara
filmed Salome in 1922. Fatty Arbukle made several films. The landscape was perfect for westerns and
African safari films and many were
made. Often Cahuilla Indians were
extras, rriding horses dressed in exotic costumes. 2103 saw the premier
of the award-winning movie, Behind
The Candelabra. Starring Michael
Douglas and Matt Damon, the film
chronicles the life of “Mr. Showmanship” Liberace, who spent much of
his time at his Palm Springs home.
Other films shot in Palm Springs
include The Player (1992), Ocean’s
Eleven (2001), Mission: Impossible
III (2006), Diamonds Are Forever
(1971), Sahara(1943), The Scorpion King (2002), and Lost Horizon(1937). Additionally, hundreds
of television series, commercials and
photo shoots have been successfully
produced here for years.
All of the glitz and glamour aside, the citizens of Palm Springs are
first and foremost passionate animal lovers. Nearly everyone has a
dog, cat, or bird or two, and advocacy for their well-being and rights.
To that end, a new state-of-the-art 8 million dollar Animal Shelter
was built and opened in 2011 at 4575 E Mesquite Ave. Supported by
the non-profit Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, which is
dedicated to responsible pet stewardship and humane treatment of
animals, the 19,000 square feet of state of the art facility offers adoption services, a retail center, and officially has the capacity to hold
154 cats and 91 dogs.
Looking forward, the future looks bright for the City of Palm Springs.
Propelled by a myriad of business-friendly programs initiated by local
government, the city is undergoing a renaissance buoyed by new development and capital investments. While our beautiful weather and
natural surroundings will always be a draw for new residents and visitors alike, exciting new initiatives are certain to assure Palm Springs’
place as the most hip, happening and ultra-cool destination in Southern California.
To learn more about the history of Palm Springs, visit the Palm
Springs Historical Society located on The Village Green in a lovely park-like setting at 221 S Palm Canyon Dr., in Downtown Palm
Springs. The Museum’s collection of artifacts provides a wealth of
information perfect for research and intrigue. In addition, they offer
seven different docent-lead walking tours from mid-October through
May. Call 760-323-8297 or visit PSHistoricalSociety.org
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Lee and George Liberace at Desert Circus
photo: Paul Pospesil
courtesy Palm Springs Historical Society
Samantha Brown, The Travel Channel