Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1254473
Pebble Beach has never been known to be a hotbed of crime, but Gala was the victim of some malfeasance. Thomas King, a Pebble Beach Lodge night watchman, helped himself to $2,000 in cash from the Lodge's safe and to make his getaway, he stole the Dalis' beloved 1941 Cadillac convertible. According an article in the June 8, 1944, Monterey Peninsula Herald, "The automobile was reported to have passed out through the Carmel-Del Monte Forest gate at about 3 o'clock this morning." Fortunately, King was apprehended, and the Caddy was returned to its rightful owners. History is silent on what hap- pened to the cash. During his time here, Dali also par ticipated in some local activities. He was a member of the Carmel Ar t Association at one time, and at one point served as a judge for a high school ar t competition. The Dalis departed Pebble Beach in the autumn of 1948 and as far as is known, they never returned. Gala passed away in 1982, fol- lowed by her husband seven years later. While most remember the couple for that unusual party they hosted in 1941, they spent much more time here in subsequent years, and the artist produced some important work while residing at Pebble Beach. Dali and Walt Disney collaborated on "Destino" (1945), a short film that was unfinished until resurrected by Roy Disney and completed in 2003. Dali poses on the terrace of the Pebble Beach Lodge. He lived at nearby "Cottage Row" off and on between 1941 and 1948. On September 2, 1941, the Bali Room of the hotel was converted into a Dali-esque fantasy world, conceived and realized by Dali with the help of well- known Monterey artist Bruce Ariss. Photo: Julian P. Graham photograph courtesy Pebble Beach Company Lagorio Archives Photo: Keystone -France / Getty Images 98 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 0