In the story "Icing on the Cake" from the Papago Salado StoryTour, created in 2012, our young narrator talks about the movie stars who stayed at the Hotel Valley Ho, including the wedding reception for Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner.
Located at 6850 E. Main St. (Indian School and 68th St) the Valley Ho became a kind of playground for Hollywood refugees, extending its hospitality to James Cagney, Rudy Vallee, Bette Davis, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Marilyn Monroe. Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis made the hotel their home while filming a movie together. Jimmy Durante got a kick out of spontaneously playing and singing at the grand piano in the lounge.
The Papago Salado StoryTour collection includes historical images and stories that connect the authentic history of the Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Tempe regions in Arizona with specific buildings and places. Audio clips provide short accounts about the people, places and events that shaped these communities. This project was sponsored by the Papago Salado Associations, Inc. in its efforts to support cultural heritage tourism within the regions. It was funded, in part, by an Arizona Humanities Council grant for the scholarly research and development of the project's content.
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