This California Ice Cream Chain Was Beloved By Many Stars From Hollywood's Golden Age

Wilbur Wright didn't succeed in Hollywood until he left show business for the ice cream business. And as soon as he opened Wil Wright's ice cream shop in Los Angeles, all the Golden Age stars came calling. Marilyn Monroe's favorite food at the shop was a hot fudge sundae, and Hollywood elites from Greta Garbo to Charlie Chaplin to Natalie Wood paid a visit at one point or another.

It all began in 1941, when Wright and his friends, Bill Walsh, a producer at Disney, and Martin Conley, a screenwriter, came up with a new business venture. They were friends from Cincinnati, Ohio, who had moved to Los Angeles to make it big in movies. While Walsh and Conley had made inroads in Hollywood, Wright hadn't. It turned out that his genius was in ice cream, not the big screen. He decided what Los Angeles needed was an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, and he was right. 

Wright and his friends opened the first shop in Beverly Hills — done up in a classic pink and white striped wallpaper, marble countertops, and wire-backed stools. As soon as it opened, Hollywood actors began frequenting the ice cream shop for its delicious treats and nostalgia factor. Wil Wright's had several things going for it, with the ice cream being at the top of the list. Elizabeth Taylor's favorite restaurants often included fine dining, but she would have this ice cream shipped to her on film sets.

Before starting Wil Wright's, Wilbur Wright returned to Ohio for eight months to learn the business at Graeter's, a storied ice cream company. Staff taught him how to make old-fashioned ice cream using the French pot method, which involves using a high milkfat mix to make rich ice cream in small batches. With this knowledge in mind, Wright's business developed flavors like the Nestlerode Bula, which was made with imported nuts and fruits. It also probably didn't hurt that the then-up-and-coming actress, Susan Hayward (who would later win an Oscar), was an early investor.

Like other eateries that have drawn in Los Angeles celebrities, such as Pink's Famous Hot Dogs, which has its own star-studded history, the location may have played a part in Wil Wright's success. The first Wil Wright's was in Beverly Hills, and the second was on the Sunset Strip. Hollywood couldn't get enough — everyone from Judy Garland to Frank Sinatra to Clark Gable was a regular. However, some actors complained that the rich desserts caused them to gain weight. One studio even forced actor Glenn Ford, who starred in "The Big Heat" and "Blackboard Jungle," to switch from the banana ice cream to strawberry ice because it was less "fattening."

Although actors were often required to maintain certain appearances for their roles (sometimes to extreme lengths), that didn't stop them from finding comfort at Wright's. The ice cream chain continued to grow and thrive for years before falling on hard times in the 1970s, and the company was eventually sold. There aren't any Wil Wright's parlors today — like many Hollywood legends, it was truly one of a kind.