Hollywood in Carmel

The Cypress Inn marks the Carmel Film Festival with old-style cocktails.

CINEMATIC CARMEL: While there are a few towns around California that have Old Hollywood ties, there are few towns that still kind of look Old Hollywood, even with the passing decades. Carmel is pretty much at the top of that list. Yep, it has long been a getaway for stars, and, yep, a certain Mr. Eastwood is a famous local, and, yep, Doris Day owns the dog-sweet Cypress Inn, but just the feel of the cottages and cypress trees and picturesque beaches would make any travel brochure writer pull out a dozen Hollywood comparisons, and none would be a stretch (we're fighting the urge right now). And when the Carmel Art & Film Festival rolls along each autumn, as it is about to on Wednesday, Oct. 10, you can bet that a lot of the classic spots around the burg'll be doing their spiffy best to be Tinseltown-ready.

FEDORA THURSDAYS: Which mentioned the Cypress Inn, which is known for its '20s-era Spanish architecture, its famous owner (Ms. Day, as mentioned), its very warm welcome of pups of all sort (courtesy of the animal-supporting Ms. Day, natch), and the Hollywood people who frequent it when looking for a low-key getaway. Let's also give it a few more spotlights of the Hollywood sort: The hotel is launching Fedora Thursdays in October; wear an old-style, beautifully brimmed, Rat Pack-ready chapeau to the bar during Thursday happy hours -- so think 4:30 to 7 p.m. -- and enjoy 2-for-1 drinks. (The cocktails are pretty Hollywood and stiff, mind you.) As for the film festival itself? It is five days long, there's a free screening on Carmel Beach, there'll be tons of cultural- and gallery-based activity, and, yep, there's an award named after Clint. It's a small town party feting a big town to the south, with plenty of local ties. We'll raise a martini to that.

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