Success
The resort was initially a great success, with film and sports stars of the day as regular visitors. Several films were shot at the Norconian, and it was not unusual to see Buster Keaton or Babe Ruth on the golf course (in 1938, actress Lona Andre set a new record for speed in women's golf, shooting 156 holes in 11 hours and 56 minutes). Norma Shearer shot two films at the resort and could be seen riding the trails on horseback on many occasions. Will Rogers, who also shot several films in the vicinity, regularly utilized the Norconian air field. Tragically, in 1933, famed aviator Marshall S. Boggs (who piloted the first "blind" landing made entirely using radio signals in 1931) crashed and was killed while making a routine approach to this airfield.
The outdoor diving and swimming pools were in constant use for exhibition matches and AAU-sanctioned competitions, and many Olympic-caliber athletes swam and dove there, including Mickey Riley, Buster Crabbe, Esther Williams (destined for the cancelled 1940 Olympics and movie stardom), Sammy Lee, Dorothy Poynton, Georgia Coleman, Duke Kahanamoku, Arne Borg and many others. On May 20, 1928, the Norconian pools' grand opening was held (the resort opened in stages), and 18-year-old Cecily Cuhna (heir to the Cuhna fortune) set the world record for the 400-meter swim. On Lake Norconian, some of the fastest speedboat races of the day were held, including legendary female racer Loretta Turnbull ("The Queen of the Seas") and her boat "The Sunkist Kid".
Several films were shot at the resort – three in 1929 alone. The site became so popular that Fox Studios built complete Norconian sets in the sound stages of Hollywood. Norma Talmadge's first "talkie", New York Nights, premiered in nearby Corona (and quickly killed her career) with dozens of Hollywood stars in attendance. Before and after the premiere, many of them stayed at The Norconian.
Read more about this topic: The Norconian Resort Supreme
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—Marie Dressler (1873–1934)