"LEGEND NEVER DIES"™ Blog

Famous film star Elizabeth Taylor’s first marriage was to Conrad ‘Nicky’ Hilton Jr., who was a businessman, socialite, and heir to the Hilton Hotel fortune. She was just 18 years old at the time of the marriage in October 1949, and he was 24 years old. Her husband liked to have fun and was known for his partying which included drinking and gambling. He had heard stories about the Happy Bottom Riding Club, and about its legendary proprietress Pancho Barnes, from several friends. He wanted to check it out for himself and wanted his new wife to have some fun.

In November 1949, Elizabeth Taylor and her husband Nicky ventured out to visit the famous Happy Bottom Riding Club. This iconic [Read More]

One particularly memorable evening at the Happy Bottom Riding Club, the whole gang was gearing up for another hayride and BBQ out in the desert. This time not only was Chuck Yeager attending, but also Pancho Barnes, her loyal Dalmatian dog Barney, ranch foreman Mac Mckendry as well as the head Hostess of the club, the platinum blonde Dallas Morley. They were all eager to join in on the festivities and spend some quality time together.

One early evening in October 1951 in the Mojave Desert, the sun was setting on another long day of filming the movie “Son of Paleface.” The cast and crew were tired, but none more so than the movie star, Bob Hope. The legendary comedian decided to take a drive to unwind and clear his head. As he wiped the sweat from his brow, he remembered a conversation he’d had with his good friend, comedian Milton Berle. Milton had mentioned a place called the Happy Bottom Riding Club, owned by a fascinating woman named Pancho Barnes. Intrigued, Bob decided it was the perfect time to pay Pancho a visit and surprise her. [Read More]