RMS QUEEN MARY - 40 Years in Downtown Long Beach California

A month long celebration!

April 2007

Rainbow Harbor, Downtown Long Beach California

The Queen Mary celebrates her 40 year love affair with Long Beach CA by opening her doors for free to residents of Long Beach for the entire month. Present proper ID at the ticket booth betwwen 10 AM and 6 PM for your free pass. Howard Bell, President and CEO of RMS Foundation, Inc., said "This 40th Anniversary seems the perfect time for the community to rediscover not only the historic aspects of this city icon, but also the many exciting and diverse entertainment options the Queen Mary now has to offer”. “We look forward to showcasing the 'new' Queen Mary during the 40th Anniversary celebration," Bell said. "This is an exciting time for the Queen Mary - and the community."

In 1967 the Queen Mary (built in 1936) was withdrawn from service to the Cunard line and brought to rest in Long Beach Harbor. She was to become a floating hotel, open to the public. She was outfitted with restaurants, shops and tours open to the public. Did you know that the Queen Mary transported troops during World War II and served as Winston Churchill's headquarters at sea? She was painted gray and nicknamed "The Gray Ghost". The Queen Mary transported over 800,000 troops and traveled 660,000 miles. The Queen Mary is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Learn more about the history of Long Beach.

Hollywood has had a long love affair with Long Beach California. Elizabeth Taylor spent her first honeymoon at the Hilton Hotel on Ocean Boulevard, which is now the Breakers Hotel right here in Downtown Long Beach. She married Nicky Hilton, son of Conrad Hilton. The Breakers Hotel Penthouse in Downtown Long Beach has since been converted to the magnificent restaurant The Skyroom, my personal favorite for a very special evening.

Long Beach was known as the motion picture capital of the world until post World War I when Hollywood developed around the glitz of the era. With its perfect Southern California climate, Long Beach afforded the perfect setting for the industry. There were eight film houses, two stock companies, roller-coasters and bath houses at the historic Pike, along the shore of Downtown Long Beach. This was the home of the Balboa Amusement Production Company, the world's most prolific silent-film studio. W. C. Fields and other stars lived in beautiful mansions in the Long Beach Historic Bluff Park neighborhood along Ocean Boulevard and First Street, many of which remain in the families to this day. Yes, Hollywood Loves Long Beach.

In June the RMS Queen Mary opens a new Exhibit celebrating Hollywood's love affair with Long Beach CA:

The Sun Deck Gallery aboard the historic Queen Mary in Downtown Long Beach, California, is proud to present Rockin' Hollywood, a new exhibition featuring 80 images of classic rock and movie legends by photographer Michael Childers. The exhibit will open June 15 and run through September 6, 2007. An opening reception with Michael Childers is scheduled at the Gallery on Sunday afternoon, June 17, from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m., and the public is welcome to attend. Read More...