Wilbur
Loos "Wil" Wright, Jr (July 28, 1914 - October 9, 1981) was born in
Cincinnati, Ohio. Back in the day of the depression, he moved to Hollywood to
get in on the ground floor of Technicolor.
Queer Places:
3574 Raymar Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45208
9932 Robbins Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
1888 Rising Glen Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Wilbur
Loos "Wil" Wright, Jr (July 28, 1914 - October 9, 1981) was born in
Cincinnati, Ohio. Back in the day of the depression, he moved to Hollywood to
get in on the ground floor of Technicolor.
Two of his boyhood friend were already there, and they were working in motion pictures. One was Bill Walsh, later a producer for Walt Disney (Mary Poppins), and the other was Martin Conley, former newspaper man, who was writing screen scenarios.
Another boyhood friend was well on his way to stardom. His name was Tyrone Power.
In those day the Chamber of Commerce broadly advertised "Come to California for Sun and Fun, But Don't Come Looking for Work."
Wilbur's sheepskin reading: BA degree in English, University of Cincinnati (Ohio), was still wet with printer's ink, but he couldnt find a steady job, especially not in Technicolor. Walsh and Conley had better luck. They were picking up weekly pay checks.
One day, the three got together over a cup of coffee and nostalgically talked about back home in Cincinnati end Grader's ice cream parlor where they used to drop in daily for an ice cream cone on their way home from St. Mary's School.
Inspired, they conceived the idea of starting an ice cream business of their own. Bill and Mart between them had $250. They pooled their resources. Since Wil had no money to contribute and was unemployed, he volunteered to go back to Ohio and learn how to make ice cream that memories are made of.
Wil Wright, Jr, by George Platt Lynes
Eight months later and with Grader's blessing, Wil returned to Hollywood with several five-foot oar-like wooden ladles, never-to-be-revealed recipes, and visions in his head of sundaes selling like hot fudge!
They rented a store on Santa Monica Blvd., and Wil and Mart devoted full time to readying it for the public. Not only did they plan to sell the best ice cream they'd ever tasted but they planned to serve it in an old-fashioned type emporium the likes of which sophisticated Hollywood had forgotten about.
Their search up and down the coast for ice cream chairs and marble tables waa long but rewarding. Ignoring the traditional white-walled interior, they striped their walls with peppermint design. Hie public found the decor as delicious as the ice cream.
Then came the war. With Wil, Mart and Bill joining the colors, their business dream melted temporarily.
When peace came, the three returned to Hollywood, iced up the creamers and opened another branch, this time on the famed Sunset Strip. Bill, still a partner, returned to making motion pictures and Wil and Mart took over operations of the plant.
Word of mouth (full) spread the news that Wil Wright's served the most ambrosial of ice creams and, before you could say Robert "Chocolate Mint" Hope, Wil Wright was by popular appointment the Royal Ice Creamer to the stars.
His success is attributed to the public's good taste for 23 different ice cream flavors, eight delectable ices, 13 varied sodas, nine plain sundaes, four fancy sundaes, meringue glace, water ice bouquet, European ice frappe, freezes, and . the one-to-a-customer banana split.
Wil Wright's ice cream was known throughout California. It was available in stores and restaurants from San Francisco to Upland and in Arizona, Nevada and Texas.
Upon graduation in 1944, Randy Jack joined the Navy. After WWII, with his Naval tour of duty completed, Jack settled in Los Angeles, where he embarked on a relationship with Wil Wright. In the George Platt Lynes' biography, The Daring Eye, author Allen Ellenzweig refers to Randy Jack as “Wil Wright’s favorite.” In August of 1947, the two of them rented a room in Lynes’ Hollywood home. The New York-based photographer was in the midst of his “Hollywood period” working for Vogue magazine. Lynes – who always lived beyond his means and was notoriously bad with money management – decided to take in roommates to share chores and expenses. This arrangement did not last long because, as Lynes wrote to a friend, “Wil can’t bear not to be boss and that is one thing he can’t be. Not here.” Wright also resented George’s influence on Jack, encouraging him to pursue a career as a dancer. When Wil moved out after a couple of months, Randy stayed and found his way into Lynes’ bed as well.
The last Wil Wright's officially opened in 1966 in Tarzana at 18721 Ventura Blvd., was Harper Groff-designed and was the first Wright's shop to stand as an independent building unit. Another first was the serving of food as well as ice cream.
A good-looking bachelor, Wil Wright lived on Hollywood Hills in a French country house which he shared with his two dogs, Ethyl, whom he found in a gas station, and Shad, a Lhasaapso (Burmese temple dog), and two parrots, Annie and Alfredo.
For a man whose ambition was to make it big in Technicolor, Wil Wright's dream came true after all. He was surrounded by color. Orange, lemon, lime, pineapple yellow, pink grapefruit, strawberry, raspberry and peach.
Wil Wright was found stabbed to death in his Hollywood Hills home on October 9, 1981. A friend, identified only as an interior decorator, found the body when he came to visit at the home on Rising Glen Road about 3 p.m.
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