Time Capsule: An American Heyday in Acapulco, Mexico
Credit: Slim Aarons
The famous names attached to the place: President John F. Kennedy. Elizabeth Taylor. Frank Sinatra. Orson Welles. John Wayne. From 1940 to late 1970s, a swanky band of Americans passed through the once sleepy seaside fishing village of Acapulco, Mexico. Set on a stretch of rugged cliffs and golden sands, Acapulco was known for its natural beauty, calm blue waters and exceptional weather. It all started after the Duke of Windsor visited back in the twenties, followed by a influential Swiss nightlife musician-turned-hotelier Teddy Stauffer, dubbed “Mr. Acapulco” who at the time was friends with actor Errol Flynn (known for his infamous yacht excursions).
Back in those days, the crowd was fast and loose. Diversions came in the form of famed La Quebrada cliff divers (whose death-defying jumpers plunged from 135-ft cliffs into the Pacific Ocean), not to mention cocktail parties and rowdy discotheques. There were also celebrations. Elizabeth Taylor (who finalized her second marriage only days before) and her new husband, producer Mike Todd wed at the villa of the former president of Mexico.
To wit, it was said Todd flew in over 10,000 white gladioli flowers for Taylor. In 1946, Rita Hayworth (who was in town with her then husband Orson Welles filming the Lady From Shanghai) celebrated her 28th birthday aboard Flynn’s yacht Zacha. And in 1953, the Kennedys honeymooned at Las Brisas Hotel (where JFK, after a fishing excursion, caught an exceptionally large sailfish).
A duo of hotels cemented Acapulco as the de facto America-to-Mexico retreat. In 1954, Bo Roos, a top Hollywood business manager, purchased Hotel Los Flamingos with his buddy John Wayne. A small, unpretentious cliffside spot with spectacular views of the open sea, Roos also imported his Hollywood posse — including Cary Grant and Red Skeleton, who quickly became frequent visitors. In fact, Wayne liked it so much, he bought a house, as did actress Lana Turner. There was also Hotel El Mirador (est. 1933) whose sweeping views of the ocean gave celebrity guests front row seats to the famed cliff divers. It was also the site of the buzzy nightclub La Perla, where boozy drinks dovetailed with dancing and revelry.
At the time, the paparazzi were hardly a blip on the radar. In fact, the unofficial photographer of the rich and famous was mid-century darling Slim Aarons who famously said his job was “photographing attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places.” Along with his iconic poolside images, Aarons also snapped actors like Kirk Douglas and Ronald Reagan, alongside fashion designers Oscar de la Renta and Emilio Pucci.
And then along came Elvis. In 1963, the movie Fun in Acapulco was released. The film followed the jet-black-haired crooner as a boat hand who takes a job as a lifeguard at a local resort. Even cartoons gave a nod to the hot spot, when in 1964, the Flintones took a trip to “Rockapulco”. And, in good raunchy fashion, Grace Jones put on an outrageous New Year’s Eve show in the late 70s. Like all good things, the party finally ended. In the mid 1980s, Cancun became the new resort destination alongside the mounting instability (drug cartel fighting) in Acapulco. Still, like a warm, faded postcard of another era, the pop cultural relevance lives on.
