The ‘Palace’ guard

Greg Risling

His friend and former boss “Wild” Bill Goodwin may be gone, but Gordon

Oliver has continued his tradition of hosting partner-swapping parties at

a West Side home.

In the year that has passed since the 75-year-old Goodwin died of a

massive heart attack, Oliver has made payments on the Surf Street home

dubbed the “Panther Palace” and kept the twice-a-week affairs going.

The parties -- particularly on Fridays -- have become so popular that

Oliver, 72, decided to close the doors for the next two weeks and will

require people to make reservations.

The club has also been the subject of a documentary movie titled “The

Life-Style,” which was submitted to organizers of the Newport Beach Film

Festival, but was not accepted.

The club’s mantra has never faded: freedom to express one’s sexuality

without pressure to participate.

“What we try to do here is make people feel comfortable,” Oliver said.

“There is a sense of security where people know if they don’t want to do

anything, they don’t have to.”

ANOTHER FRIDAY NIGHT

The Panther Palace is a simple, single-story home that looks like it was

modeled after the family house in “The Brady Bunch.” The couches are worn

and the cabinets are antiquated.

The home is more like a lair come every Friday night. The quiet

residential street that has few street lights turns into a bustling

thoroughfare around 8 p.m. Parking is hard to find and random loners are

left carrying food for the club’s potluck buffet.

The entry fee, or “contribution” as Oliver calls it, is about $40. There

is a one-time $10 charge for a lifetime membership card. The rest of the

money covers food, entertainment (karaoke), and maintenance costs.

Oliver said club rules mandate guests pay -- although if someone didn’t

fork over the cash, they wouldn’t be turned away.

“No one has ever done that,” he remarked.

The club is teeming with single, able-bodied men on Friday nights. Some

are young and athletic while others are old enough to get a senior

citizen’s discount.

It’s wall-to-wall testosterone and most of them have come for “Bubbles.”

Bubbles is a middle-aged woman who performs sexual acts with groups of

men.

The activities run the sexual gamut. There are the exploratory voyeurs

who watch but don’t touch. There are people who participate in group sex

in any number of rooms or poolside cabanas. And there are the single men

who come for Bubbles.

Oliver maintains that Bubbles doesn’t receive any of the money taken at

the front door. While some believe her actions are another form of

prostitution, Costa Mesa police have investigated the club and found no

criminal activity.

“What we are concerned about is that what’s going on is consensual and

limited to adults,” said Costa Mesa Police Lt. Ron Smith. “We have not

had any complaints in any of those regards. From our standpoint, it

doesn’t appear anything that we can enforce against.”

Five years ago, neighbors complained that loud noise, excessive traffic

and trash from the gatherings was affecting the area. City officials

reviewed the complaint but the club was allowed to keep its doors open.

Many neighbors have accepted the fact that twice a week there will be

parties at the home. But some residents thought the parties were limited

to swinging and were surprised to learn about Friday night’s event.

“They can do what they want over there as long as it remains behind their

doors,” said one neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous.

The Friday night affairs were attracting too many people, Oliver said.

Last week, there were more than 150 people, forcing Oliver to require

reservations from that point forward.

“We’ve had people come from around the country for this,” he said. “It

was getting to the point where we couldn’t handle all the foot traffic.

We are going to continue the parties, but on a limited basis.

SHINING STARS

The Panther Palace is renowned in the swinging community. Oliver runs an

advertisement every month in a lifestyle publication.

The documentary film that was barred from the film festival is being

shown at a West Hollywood theater.

“The Life-Style” was made several years ago, when Goodwin was still

alive. He and his wife, Dotty, started having couples over about 20 years

ago and the Panther Palace was born.

Oliver said the film festival’s decision was probably a good choice.

“The film wasn’t done properly,” he said. “They should have focused on

one person, but the filmmakers went all over the place. You don’t get a

real sense of what the lifestyle is really like.”

Oliver himself is not a swinger. The former U.S. Marine Corps officer,

who is single, said he can understand why many people would see this

lifestyle as taboo.

“My morals would probably say this seems wrong,” he said. “But I accept

it for what it is and accept people for the way they are.”

Oliver admitted he runs the club like a business, but doesn’t have any

permits. As long as people are having consensual sex, the parties will

continue.

“This place is here because people want it here,” Oliver added. “We are

providing an atmosphere for them that they enjoy. The people who don’t

understand it have no right to question it.”