Palm Springs Confidential: Playground of the Stars

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Palm Springs Confidential: Playground of the Stars (ISBN 1569802971) is the title of a non-fiction book written by Southern California film historian Howard Johns. It was published by Barricade Books in 2004.

The book created a minor controversy because it revealed the private addresses of hundreds of famous Hollywood celebrities, living and dead, who have resided in this fashionable tourist resort.

Each chapter of the book is divided into separate neighborhoods describing the streets and houses of such stars as Bob Hope, Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Liberace.

Johns said he wrote the book to preserve an important part of Palm Springs history. Indeed, it quickly became a coffee table fixture and conversation piece for inquisitive homeowners, many of whom were unaware of the local history. The book was well reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Palm Springs Life, The Desert Sun and The Bottom Line and sold out through four printings.

The international cable network Turner Classic Movies showcased Palm Springs Confidential: Playground of the Stars as their Book of the Month in August 2004. In addition, the book was selected for special promotion by the Palm Springs Desert Resort Communities Convention and Visitors Authority. It was also chosen by Insightout Book Club for sale to their members and picked by The Advocate for their Christmas gift catalog.

Among those readers who enjoyed Johns' informative book are fellow writers Sidney Sheldon, a longtime resident of Palm Springs, and Jackie Collins, who participated with Johns in a booksigning at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Oscar-nominated screenwriter Gavin Lambert, who appeared with Johns at the Round Table West literary luncheon held in the ballroom of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, was another fan of the book.

In 2006, Johns compiled an extensive 500-page sequel titled Hollywood Celebrity Playground (ISBN 156980303X) that described the colorful history of the cities that surround Palm Springs. Included are Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta and Indio.

Johns' new book raised people's eyebrows when he listed the names of well-known actors such as Tony Curtis, Mary Tyler Moore, and Don Johnson that underwent detoxification for alcohol and drugs at the Betty Ford Center. Several celebrities whose addresses were published in his books complained to local news media.