Pancho Barnes and Howard Hughes first crossed paths in the refined social circles of Pasadena in the early 1920s. Hughes’ parents spent their winters at the elegant Vista Del Arroyo Hotel, often seen at Sunday brunches at the Green Hotel, where Pasadena’s well-to-do families gathered. Among them were the Lowes….Pancho’s family….whose friendships and acquaintances overlapped naturally with the Hughes’s.
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]
At the Happy Bottom Riding Club, Pancho Barnes knew how to keep the good times rolling. During the Holidays of 1948 she cooked up an outrageous idea: an airborne treasure hunt! It would be the first of many held at the Happy Bottom Riding Club with the first one hosted on January 30, 1949.
Pilots took off from her airstrip, landed at four fields, and chased clues leading to a chest filled with 100 silver dollars, a gold-buckled belt and other goodies. Pancho’s flyer set the tone:
“Be sure to wear your Buccaneer clothes.”
“Fly in, tie down for free, camp for free or see if we can sardine you [Read More]
Howdy Friend,
You’re officially invited to saddle up and become an online member of the legendary Happy Bottom Riding Club ™, now revived and reimagined for the digital frontier.
Inspired by the bold, brilliant spirit of Pancho Barnes and her desert hideaway of mischief and camaraderie, the online HBRC ™ Membership is your ticket to a community that values fun, friendship, and fearless living.
As a member, you’ll enjoy:
In February 1935 Pancho Barnes traded her last remaining major asset, a bungalow apartment courtyard that she owned on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood for 80 acres of desert farmland. After many years of hard work (while a single mom!), she eventually enlarged the ranch to 360 acres, and transformed part of the desert farmland to become the world famous ‘Happy Bottom Riding Club.’
The Pancho Barnes Trust Estate Archive contains copies of letters that Pancho Barnes wrote to her friend, actor Duncan Renaldo (later of motion picture and TV fame as ‘The Cisco Kid’) discussing her ideas regarding the naming of her new desert ranch that she had recently purchased in February 1935.
In a letter dated February 5, 1935 Pancho Barnes writes, “Dear Duncan, I have been trying to think of a name to call the ranch. As it is surrounded to the South by dry lakes, the name ‘Rancho Lago Seco’ might be good. It’s euphonious, and whether or not a person knew Spanish, he would still be able to pronounce it. The name, of course, means ‘Dry Lake Ranch.’ Maybe you can [Read More]
The following interview was conducted in 2006 by the Pancho Barnes Trust Estate Archive with early hot rod Dry Lake racer Hyman “Blackie” Gold. Blackie became a friend of Pancho Barnes about 2 years after she relocated from Pasadena to Muroc on her Rancho Oro Verde. This interview features an excerpt from the coming book, VOICES FROM THE HAPPY BOTTOM RIDING CLUB. [Read More]
Born in Romania on April 23, 1904, Duncan Renaldo (birth name Vasile Dumitru Cughieaneas) was orphaned at an early age and never knew his birth parents. He was raised and educated in various European countries and arrived in the United States in 1917 as a stoker on a Brazilian coal ship. After his ship caught fire at the docks in Baltimore, Maryland, he was stranded and overstayed his 90-day seamen’s permit. He moved to New York, where he found a job as a janitor at a film studio. His attention to detail on movie sets earned him a promotion to set designer, and eventually, he began acting in [Read More]
Originally owned by the legendary aviatrix and entrepreneur, Pancho Barnes, this station wagon automobile originally was used to transport guests between Los Angeles and her Happy Bottom Riding Club dude ranch located in the Mojave Desert, where they were treated to laughter, camaraderie, live music, excellent meals, drinks and adventure. It was later gifted to one of Pancho’s hostesses as a wedding gift to ensure safe cross-country driving to Connecticut, where the automobile spent many years. It was well cared for by the hostess and her family, and eventually was sold to a car collector in Southern California. [Read More]
Vince Barnett (1902-1977) was an American film actor and comedian who specialized in playing practical jokes on his audiences. He was a licensed pilot since 1921. His initial involvement in Hollywood was writing screenplays for two-reeler silent movies of the late 1920s. He began appearing in films in 1930, playing hundreds of comedy bits and supporting roles. After World War II Barnett became a familiar face on television.
A master of disguise, Vince Barnett for years was known in Hollywood as a professional ribber, appearing at banquets and parties as a paid practical joker. His most famous prank was to show up at an event as “the worst waiter in the world.” He would insult the guests in a thick [Read More]