"Rosecliff stayed in the Oelrichs family until 1941, then went through several changes of ownership before being bought by Mr & Mrs J. Edgar Monroe of New Orleans in 1947. Mr. Monroe, a southern gentleman who had made his fortune in the ship building industry, came to Newport with his wife Louise every summer to escape the summer heat of the Deep South. The two became well known for the large parties they threw at Rosecliff; many of which had mardi gras theme, the Monroes loved dressing up in fancy costumes for these parties. Unlike Mrs. Oelrichs' parties, which were stiff and formal, the Monroes' parties were laid back and easy going. In fact, the Monroe's are responsible for the creation of the rose, used as the namesake for Rosecliff. Because Hermann Oelrichs Jr had sold off all the furnishings in 1941, nearly all the furnishings visitors see at Rosecliff today are from the Monroe period of occupation. In 1971, Mr. and Mrs. Monroe donated the entire estate with its contents and a $2 million operating endowment to the Preservation Society of Newport County, who opened it to the public for tours. Mr Monroe often would come back to the estate for charity events up until his death in 1991. " Wikipedia
However, the 2013 film version starring Leonardo DiCaprio is a garish nightmare that I can’t get out of my mind! Here’s a notable faux pas that I observed in the movie. Fitzgerald is clear that the story takes place in the summer of 1922. However, the prevailing musical theme throughout the movie is Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin, one of my all time favorites. Guess what? It’s debut performance was February 12, 1924! That doesn’t work for me. How about you?!
Also, here’s some F. Scott Fitzgerald history you might enjoy. During the summers of 1935 and 1936, Fitzgerald spent his time at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC, writing (or not). The Grove Park Inn is still there, and they’ve kept Fitzgerald’s rooms as a shrine of sorts. On one of our visits there, my wife and I stayed only two doors down from his rooms! If you haven’t before, check it out when you travel north! LTJG Richard Bruce CSM Charles Hayden SGT Joseph Gunderson CW5 Jack Cardwell LTC Stephen F. COL Mikel J. Burroughs CPT (Join to see) SGT Mark Anderson
https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/florida/articles/legends-of-the-great-gatsby-eras-pink-castle-of-the-south/
LTC Stephen C.
Our favorite pink hotel is on the other side of the United States. It’s the Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki Beach. It’s known as the Pink Palace. It’s been there since the mid-twenties and was home to submariners during WWII. It’s our favorite place on the Islands.
“The Royal Hawaiian Hotel is a beachfront luxury hotel located in Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. One of the first hotels established in Waikiki, the Royal Hawaiian is considered one of the most luxurious and famous hotels in Hawaiian tourism, and in its 90-year history has been host to numerous celebrities and world dignitaries. The bright pink hue of its concrete stucco façade with its Spanish/Moorish styled architecture and prominent location on the wide sandy beach have earned it the alliterative nickname of ‘The Pink Palace of the Pacific.’”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Hawaiian_Hotel
Royal Hawaiian Hotel - Wikipedia
The Royal Hawaiian Hotel is a beachfront luxury hotel located in Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. One of the first hotels established in Waikiki, the Royal Hawaiian is considered one of the most luxurious and famous hotels in Hawaiian tourism, and in its 90-year history has been host to numerous celebrities and world dignitaries. The bright pink hue of its concrete stucco façade with its Spanish/Moorish styled architecture...
“Lucky Luciano, Dutch Schultz, and Al Capone—who was a frequent guest of the Seelbach—stayed at the hotel, often for clandestine poker games. One story from the 1920s involves Al Capone sneaking out through a series of secret stairways and tunnels when Louisville Police broke up one of these games. Hotel staff are frequently eager to show the Al Capone room (if it is unoccupied) and give its history.”
The story I was told was that the hotel employees would actually helped Capone escape. There was a door behind the bar that led downward and ultimately to the sewers beneath the street. Capone would resurface a block or so away. It sounds rather exotic, but that kind of stuff happened back then, so who knows?!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seelbach_Hotel
The Seelbach Hilton is a historic hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, founded by Bavarian-born immigrant brothers Louis and Otto Seelbach. It opened in 1905 as the Seelbach Hotel, envisioned by the Seelbach Brothers to embody the old-world grandeur of European hotels in cities such as Vienna and Paris. To do so in early 20th century Louisville, they employed a French Renaissance design in constructing the hotel.[5] Louis was already a restaurant...
https://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/things-to-do/arts-history/al-capone-florida.html
Al Capone's Florida Connection
Al Capone and Florida go way back. Here are some of the places where he left his mark, along with events that rekindle his bygone era.