CELEBRITY REAL ESTATE

Former Hollywood home of Billy Haines, Tallulah Bankhead

Our heart skipped a beat when we spotted this listing on the MLS for one unit of a duplex in the Hollywood Hills. Built in 1926, the duplex at 1712 N. Stanley Avenue, was once the home of Billy Haines, the legendary interior designer beloved by Old Hollywood glamourpusses such as Joan Crawford, Carol Lombard, and Claudette Colbert.

And according to the book Tallulah!, Haines also rented the home to his friend Tallulah Bankhead for a time in the early 1930s. Alas, the listing is skimpy on pix, and the ones it does have aren’t very satisfying. (Anyone else have a pet peeve about photos where a TV is on? We also detest it in Youtube videos.) Nevertheless, here’s the description: “Gated, formal entry with amazing panelling, beautiful courtyard patio, incredible living room with high ceilings and fireplace, den or office, spacious kitchen, 3 bedrooms, pets are welcome. Perfect for single or couple with artistic flair.” Monthly rent for the unit is $3,995.–Pauline O’Connor

SOURCE: Curbed LA

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CELEBRITY REAL ESTATE

Brentwood house where Marilyn Monroe died on the market for $3.6 million

By Martha Groves

Los Angeles Times

The Spanish colonial revival house in Brentwood where Marilyn Monroe died of a sleeping-pill overdose in 1962 is for sale for $3.6 million, according to a realty website.

The rambling four-bedroom, three-bathroom house on 5th Helena Drive features thick walls, casement windows, polished concrete and terra cotta tile floors, original wood beamed ceilings and period hardware and tiles.

Built in 1929, the “hacienda” and pool sit on 23,000 square feet of tree-filled grounds, according to the website of David Offer, with Prudential California Realty.

The listing was first reported by Curbed LA, a website that tracks commercial and residential real estate news.

The house stands behind tall gates at the end of a cul de sac. Offer’s website describes it as: “The crown jewel and largest property of all the Helenas (one of Brentwood’s most romantic and coveted locations) affording lovely vistas and great privacy & seclusion yet in close proximity to San Vicente shops & restaurants and the Sunday Farmer’s Market.”

“Marilyn Monroe Found Dead. Sleeping Pill Overdose Blamed.” So read the Los Angeles Times headline on Aug. 6, 1962, the morning after the 36-year-old actress was found by a worried psychiatrist who broke into her bedroom to find her lifeless on her bed, clutching a telephone receiver.

Wrapped in a pale blue blanket, her body was strapped to a stretcher and carried to a station wagon that transported it to the Westwood Village Mortuary.

The Times reported that Monroe had only recently bought the $75,000 house and that it was partially furnished.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times

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CELEBRITY REAL ESTATE

Harry Warner

Harry Warner Hanock Park Estate Now A Short Sale

By Dakota

Curbed LA

Monday, April 20, 2009

Even the hallowed hood of Hancock Park is not immune to short sales. This weekend, Harry Warner’s seven-bedroom five and-bath estate came back on the market after originally being priced at $4.75 million. Built in 1923 by Warner Bros studio co-founder Warner, the estate was designed by architect Burnside Sturges, according to Luxist.com. Here’s what the LA Times said about the place last fall: “In 1923, Harry Warner, the eldest of the four brothers who established Warner Bros. studios, commissioned this 14-room Georgian Colonial-style house in Hancock Park, which was becoming the address for many of Los Angeles’ moneyed denizens. Warner didn’t keep the place too long, however. He sold it after a few years to help finance one of the industry’s first talking pictures, “The Jazz Singer” (1927), starring Al Jolson.” Now offered at a “hugely reduced” $3.675 million, the sprawling 5,555 square foot Georgian Colonial mansion was initially listed in September 2008 and underwent two price changes before being taken off the market in January. Besides the typical great estate amenities (large over-sized pool, tennis court, and detached guest house), this mansion still boasts the original screening room in the basement where Harry and his many Hollywood friends used to hang out. — 501 S. Rossmore Avenue

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John Barrymore’s Windsor Square Home For Sale

Former Barrymore home, 454 South Windsor Boulevard, Los Angeles

The Windsor Estate, a 1918 home that was once the residence of John Barrymore and Dolores Costello, is on the market again, listed for $6.495 million. (Click on 454 S WINDSOR Blvd for more information and photos)

Actress Drew Barrymore’s grandparents, legendary actor John Barrymore and his third wife, actress Dolores Costello, lived in this Windsor Square home in the 1930s.

They were having marital troubles at the time and soon divorced, but she stayed in the house with their two children until the early ’50s, when she sold the property to bachelor attorney Odell McConnell.

The house, Mediterranean in style, was built in 1918 and had a famous resident before Barrymore and Costello. Lawrence Tibbett, who starred at the Metropolitan Opera as a principal for 27 seasons, lived in the home with his uncle.

After the young baritone made his 1923 debut at the Met, his uncle sold the property.

About this property:

• The home has a secret garden off the breakfast room; a kitchen garden; a greenhouse; and the main garden, including a pool and a mosaic pond with a fountain. There is also a trellis on a terrace.
• Size: There are six bedrooms and 6 1/2 bathrooms in 6,276 square feet. The lot is 27,000 square feet.
• Features: Original features include a spiral staircase, carved paneling, intricate friezes and the Batchelder tile floor. Newer features are an updated kitchen, a family room and a steam room.

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(SOURCE: CurbedLosAngeles and Los Angeles Times, May 29, 2005)

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CELEBRITY REAL ESTATE

Samuel Goldwyn Estate Hits Market For First Time

First noted by Real Estalker, Samuel Goldwyn Jr. is selling his family’s estate on Laurel Lane in Beverly Hills. Built in 1934, and described as a Georgian-style mansion, the estate was frequented by stars ranging from Charlie Chaplin to Marlene Dietrich and the “property was often used as collateral to finance films produced by the senior Goldwyn.” There are no real interior photos, so you’ll have to make due with an excerpt off the listing:

“First time on market. Exquisite classic traditional architecture set on two beautiful Beverly Hills acres, nestled on a quiet cul-de-sac just behind the Beverly Hills Hotel. This superb residence has an ideal floor plan including fabulous patio loggias and wonderful yard, exceptional solar heated pool, patio and pool house. Sunken lighted professional tennis court is adjacent to lush fruit orchard.”

All that Hollywood history and glamour can be yours for $24 million. –  1200 Laurel Lane

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CELEBRITY REAL ESTATE 

Judy Garland / Sammy Davis Jr. estate for sale

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CELEBRITY REAL ESTATE 

Historic Pickfair Estate in Beverly Hills Hits Market

September 9, 2008,

by Marissa Gluck

A veritable bargain compared to the Spelling residence, historic property Pickfair has hit the market. The estate once owned by actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, and designed by architect Wallace Neff, is for sale in Beverly Hills. Of course, this isn’t the original Pickfair, since Pia Zadora and her husband tore down the original Neff mansion in the 1980s and put up a larger mansion in its place. The estate is now owned by Unicom Systems (sale price: $15 million in 2005 according to property records, $17.65 million according to Real Estalker,) and apparently is once again in need of restoration according to the listing. In addition to the 17-bedroom, 30-bath estate, the sellers will also negotiate to sell the art and sculptures and “would consider exchange for commercial property, business or other.” Listing price: $60 million.  — 1143 Summit Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210

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CELEBRITY REAL ESTATE

Harry Chandler chose Los Feliz as the site for his 24-room estate

The two-story, red-brick home has eight bedrooms and four bathrooms. There’s also a pool and a one-bedroom guesthouse.

By Diane Wedner
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

September 7, 2008

Harry Chandler, a major 20th century mover and shaker, newspaper publisher and Los Angeles real estate mogul, was instrumental in the development of the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood. He also helped launch a number of L.A. landmarks, such as the Ambassador Hotel and the California Institute of Technology.

When it came to building his own home, the Los Angeles Times publisher — from 1917 until his death in 1944 — chose five acres in the Los Feliz area, the hilly terrain at the southern end of Griffith Park. Among the first notables to settle in the architecturally significant neighborhood (director Cecil B. DeMille bought a home there in 1914), Chandler chose a lot with unobstructed views of the parkland and burgeoning metropolis. Construction of his estate, which began in 1914, was completed in 1916. Chandler’s wife, Marian, lived there until her death in the 1950s.

The 24-room Georgian-style manor, noted for its grand-scale architecture, red-brick construction, high-pitched slate roof and massive brick chimneys, features a two-story entry hall as large as the lobby of an opera house or theater. One wing of the house was designated for guests and staff, the other for family members. The gated estate has views of Santa Catalina Island, Century City, Glendale, Griffith Park (including the observatory) and downtown L.A.

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CELEBRITY REAL ESTATE

Wolf’s Lair comes with a lot of lore

(Michael McCreary / Los Angeles Times) 

Los Angeles Times HOT PROPERTY

July 5, 2008

One of Los Angeles’ true trophy properties is for sale: The so-called Wolf’s Lair is a castle that sits atop a hill overlooking downtown, Griffith Park and the Hollywood sign; on a clear day, it even has views of Santa Catalina Island. Asking price: $7.5 million, but that includes the 1920s speakeasy and all the history that comes with it.

The owners are former View co-host Debbie Matenopoulos and her husband, Lionsgate Entertainment’s Jay Faires.

(Michael McCreary / Los Angeles Times)

But the real celebrity here is the house. It sits on 3 walled and gated acres. There are eight bedrooms, six bathrooms and a heart-shaped, black-bottom pool. The guesthouse was designed by architect John Lautner.

Wolf’s Lair was built by Hollywoodland developer L. Milton Wolf. One story connected to the house is that Wolf, said to be a womanizer of young starlets, built a secret apartment under the gatehouse in which to do his entertaining while his unsuspecting wife slept in the castle a few hundred feet away.

The exterior of the gatehouse still looks like a Norman-style castle; the interiors have been reworked.

(Michael McCreary / Los Angeles Times)

Matenopoulos did a brief stint hosting Good Day Live, a nationally syndicated show. She is one of three hosts on E! Entertainment’s weeknight celebrity gossip series The Daily 10.

Faires is president of music at Lionsgate and founder of Mammoth Records.

The listing agents are Laura and Brian Moore of Keller Williams Realty, Los Feliz.

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