Catalina

2005 • 52 minutes

About this movie

The film documents architectural achievements, many first of a kind buildings and innovations that transformed Catalina from a simple island into a modern day state-of-the-art playground. The film highlights many of the individuals including stars of the Big Band Era, Marilyn Monroe, and the island’s role as Hollywood’s secret playground for the stars. The island even played a role in helping to elect a President. We witness the island’s tragedy and heartache – deftly captured in the film with heartfelt interviews and a score that tugs at the emotions. Utilizing interviews with Jean-Michel Cousteau, heirs of the Wrigley family, residents and visitors of the island; we learn of William Wrigley, Jr’s dream of preserving the island’s natural beauty as well as providing a magical place for all to enjoy. The film concludes with Art Good Jazz Trax, Fender’s Catalina Island Blues Festival, and a visual kaleidoscope of modern day Catalina Island as an ecological paradise highlighting the revival of the island as a place of leisure and entertainment."