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Main Page The Actor’s Colony (3) Coventry, CT In the early 1930’s two retired vaudeville performers Bill and Mabel Loeser purchased some farmland from the Avery and Fitzgerald families. Being enterprising people they began telling fellow actors of their secluded lakeside get away and soon word spread like wild fire and other actors began building homes along the lake. Performer Caesar Ruiz and his wife Gracie built an interesting home with half a boat for their front porch. Caesar Ruiz was always surrounded by young people and had a reputation for having wild parties. He had the only speed boat on the lake and drove a miniature Austin sports car. Next door to Caesar Ruiz was a gray field stone house with a large breezeway which was called "The Breezeway". It was owned by a theatrical agent. Eventually they sold it to Caesar Ruiz who lived their for many years except when he & his wife would rent out the house. One of their renters was a man by name of Gomez whose father was the dictator of Venezuela, South America. Gomez had a very brief marriage to starlet Joyce Matthew’s who left Gomez and married the renowned film a Broadway producer. Some of the other actors who would summer by the crooked lake included Dagmar one of the original blonde bomb shells of the 1930’s and 1940’s, George Pete Hinkle better known as Singing Sam the Barbasol Man, Hank Keene an early country western singer and it is even rumored that Miss Lucille Ball weekended at the actors colony. The actors who stayed here gave back to the community by building and running gas stations, one opened a car dealership in near by Willimantic and Singing Sam opened the Fireside Restaurant on South Street which later burned down. Enter the parking lot at Nathan Hale Homestead on South St. At the back of the parking area there is a trail. Follow the blue trail. Pass the barway on the right. Soon you will see a tree on the left with many small rocks all around it’s base. Keep going. Keep your eyes open for a double Hemlock on the right, with a large bolder behind it. Between the medium and large bolder you will find Singing Sam. Continue on main trail. Take the next right. Follow to Y. Veer left. Trail soon bends left. Keep eyes open for 3 trunked tree on right. Dagmar is behind under a flat fallen stone. Turn and head back the way you came. At Y stay to the right. Follow back out to the main trail. Turn SOUTH-EAST. If trail is too muddy there is a byway between the wall and the main trail. At next intersection look down the trail on the left. This trail leads out to a small section of non lake side of the Actors Colony. Take 26 steps Southeast. Look left and spy a tree showing her roots. It has curly bark. To the back is America‘s favorite red-head! Although the actors colony was really down by the lake there were no suitable hiding places for these boxes in that area. If you would like to see the area where the actors played their summers away go back to South St., turn right out of the lot, at the rotary take 1st right onto South Street. Watch the street signs. On the left you will see Hinkle drive on the right you will see Lombard and Gable (hmm I think I recognize those names)! Just after Gable turn down (a left turn) Fitzgerald. At the end of the road you will see the stone homes to your right and in front of you which were actor homes. Turn left down the dead end and The Breezeway is on the right. Before you set out, please read the waiver of responsibility and disclaimer. Back to Main Page |