Morning Brief: Old Hollywood Hedonism, Vaccine Bonuses, And Vegan Hot Dogs

This newsletter was written prior to Sunday's news. For breaking and current news, please visit laist.com

Good morning, L.A. It’s August 23.

In the 1920s and 30s, Angelenos with enough money and the right connections could spend a weekend partying at a hedonistic mountain resort called Paradise Springs.

LAist contributor Justin Chapman reports that the getaway, situated on 165 acres in the Angeles National Forest, was owned by actors Wallace and Noah Beery. The brothers purchased it in the late 1910s with help from Charlie Chaplin, Will Rogers and Douglas Fairbanks.

Once it opened, Paradise Springs became a celebrity hotspot, attracting some of the biggest stars of the era including Chaplin, Rogers, Greta Garbo, Mae West, Mary Pickford, W.C. Fields, and more. The cost of a weekend getaway was $250, nearly $4,000 in today's dollars. That price tag included access to a private stone cabin, an Olympic-size swimming pool, tennis courts, 36 fish hatcheries, and of course, legendary parties.

"Everything was so illegal," said Bill Hunt, who worked at a Christian camp that later operated at Paradise Springs. "There was bathtub gin, gambling and a slew of beautiful would-be 'starlets' ready to make the acquaintance of visiting studio executives."

Things started to go downhill for the Beerys and Paradise Springs in the late 1920s. A series of upsets, including a divorce, a flood, vandals, and the birth of “talkies,” led to the ultimate end of the brothers’ mountainside utopia.

But the legend lives on. Read the whole story here.

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A., and stay safe out there.

What Else You Need To Know Today

• Orange County is offering non-profit organizations $20 bonuses for each COVID-19 vaccine dose administered at vaccination clinics they hold.
• The California Department of Public Health incorrectly listed a controversial nursing home operator as holding permanent licenses for two L.A.-area facilities, but officials say they won’t fix it.
• The list of Republicans running against Gov. Gavin Newsom in the upcoming recall election includes politicians, activists, and Californians of all stripes.
• If you have a compromised immune system and are considering a third vaccine shot, here’s what you need to know.

Before You Go ... Dodger Stadium's Vegan Hot Dog

The new plant-based Dodger Dog from Field Roast.

(Courtesy of Greenleaf Foods)

By now, you may have seen the billboards advertising Dodger Stadium’s first-ever vegan hot dog, made by Field Roast. The pea protein-based product will allow fans who eschew meat to take part in a baseball tradition; after all, if you didn’t get a Dodger dog, did you even go to a game?

Here’s the backstory on the forward-looking move by the boys in blue.