From Frank Sinatra’s Bungalow to Bette Davis’ Beach House, These 5 Vintage Hollywood Homes Are for Sale
Old Hollywood homes for sale are shining a much-welcomed light on vintage real estate, which is seeing a massive resurgence on the current market. And no matter their style, those who consider themselves arbiters of style tend to have an affinity—or at least an appreciation—for anything vintage. Whether it’s a colorful skirt from Gianni Versace’s first collection or a 1980 Eero Saarinen Tulip armchair, there’s something enticing about pieces that have survived both the era of mass production and the evolution of trends. However, when people consider the realm of vintage, real estate rarely comes to mind, but homes erected more than a quarter of a century ago are just as—if not more—alluring than a piece of clothing or furniture. What’s more, vintage homes whose former residents were members of Hollywood’s elite carry a certain charisma that new-builds don’t.
Luckily for anyone with a soft spot for glamour, the Golden State is rife with Old Hollywood homes for sale. Linda May, estates director of Hilton & Hyland, explains, “They are collectors items, like a piece of art. It is about acquiring something special and rare. We are in a period right now during which people want to make a statement about who they are, and the lifestyle they want to live. Having a famous architect attached to a home—Paul Williams, John Woolf, Wallace Neff, James Dolena—adds another level of exclusivity because these estates are one-of-a-kind and simply cannot be duplicated today.”
May has handled quite a few of the Hollywood homes for sale, including the Georgian-style Beverly House that hosted only two families—Barron Hilton’s and Jay Paley’s (whose family founded the Columbia Broadcasting System)—in the 86 years it’s been standing, and it sold for $61.5 million over the summer. She also handled the sale of the Hearst Estate, an iconic mansion that was featured in flicks such as The Godfather, The Bodyguard, and Beyoncé’s Black Is King. Regardless of the celebrity who lived there, people will pay top dollar for real estate whose storied rooms have housed Hollywood royalty. These five California bungalows just hit the market, but we have a feeling they won’t be there for long.
Photo: Tyler Hogan courtesy of Linda May Properties1/5Beverly Hills
With both canyon and ocean views, the seven-bedroom estate where composer Maurice Jarre lived for many years is back on the market for nearly $50 million. Built in 1930, the English-style manor boasts quite a few of its original architectural details, including the Georgian-inspired plaster fretwork ceiling and the antique limestone fireplace. Another fireplace, this one outfitted in dramatic marble, resides in the well-appointed library, which features soaring coffered ceilings with a hand-stenciled design, bleached pine paneling, and a series of custom bookcases.
Just outside the office, the magnificent grounds, designed by Christine London, take over. Set among the nearly three acres of expansive lawns—decorated with mature oaks and neatly organized perennial gardens—you can enjoy everything from a heated gazebo to elaborate fountains. Also on the grounds is a two-story guest house, a stone and glass conservatory, an azure swimming pool, and a tennis court complete with its own loggia, bar, and bath.
Price: $42.5 million
Beds/Baths: 7 bedrooms, 9 full baths, 2 half baths
Square footage: 16,439 square feet
Photo: Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty2/5Laguna Beach
A Normandy-style estate built into one of Laguna Beach’s famous cliffs, this 1929 estate was once home to Hollywood legend and All About Eve starlette Bette Davis. And even though it’s been several decades since the petite Academy Award winner called it home, locals still refer to the six-bedroom bungalow as the Bette Davis House. Certainly that won’t change, but dubbing it the Ocean View House wouldn’t be very far off considering the uninterrupted ocean views available from nearly every room—especially the terrace. The home doesn’t just sit perched above the ocean; it’s quite easily accessible. There’s a private-access path that leads directly from the house to the sandy beach below.
Before the famed Davis moved in with her husband, artist and former boxer William Grant Sherry, the home was occupied by the man who built it: Charles H. Prisk, a newspaper publisher and owner of the Pasadena Star-News and Long Beach Press-Telegram. He enlisted the then-coveted Laguna Beach architect Aubrey St. Clair to design the three-story, white-stucco mansion.
Price: $16.9 million
Beds/Baths: 6 bedrooms, 5 full baths, 3 half baths
Square footage: 5,472 square feet
For more information, please click here.
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Photo: SAE Photography for Sotheby’s International Realty3/5Chatsworth
Seemingly every generation has a select group of stars that are considered Hollywood royalty, and throughout the 1950s and early ’60s, that stylish set was the Rat Pack. Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop, and, of course, Frank Sinatra essentially ruled Hollywood, and their impressive homes scattered throughout the Golden State were proof. Sinatra’s seven-bedroom, William Pereira–designed dwelling in Chatsworth—the San Fernando Valley suburb outside central L.A.—was definitely the party house among Hollywood’s elite. In fact, for a brief time during his decade in the Byrdview Estate, Marilyn Monroe lived in the guesthouse.
Though it’s seen several owners since the “Strangers in the Night” singer lived there, it’s remained relatively untouched—save, of course, for contemporary updates. The house’s main draw is its mostly glass composition, allowing for sweeping panoramic views of the mountains and Chatsworth Preserve. The vistas are even more sumptuous from the 50-foot-long pool and 2,000-square-foot covered lounge. Did we mention that the separate guest house also has its own pool?
Price: $21.5 million
Beds/Baths: 7 bedrooms, 7 full baths, 2 half baths
Square footage: 8,161 square feet
For more information, please click here.
Photo: Nathaniel Williams for Sotheby’s International Realty4/5Los Angeles
Built in 1962 on lower Bel Air’s Stradella Road, the William R. Stephenson–designed four-bedroom home is a midcentury masterpiece complete with all of the characteristics of the still-popular design movement, including an abundance of glass, organic materials, sharp angles, and a completely open floor plan, which Welsh singer Tom Jones appreciated when he lived here.
Each of the bedrooms features exceptional views, but the primary suite is easily the most coveted space in the house with its private viewing deck, wet bar, fireplace, walk-in closet, and floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the surrounding canyon and city views. The coolest view, however, is of its next-door neighbor, a contemporary mansion the real estate industry has dubbed The One as its spot on the top of the list of the world’s most expensive private residences.
Price: $8.19 million
Beds/Baths: 4 bedrooms, 6 full baths
Square footage: 4,320 square feet
For more information, please click here.
- Architecture + DesignStep Inside June Diane Raphael and Paul Scheer’s Character-Filled Los Feliz Home
Photo: Chris Miller5/5Palm Springs
If there could only be one home of midcentury architecture, then it would be Palm Springs, where some of the biggest names in architecture defined the design movement. And the exclusive Las Palmas Heights enclave, a 1972 Buff, Straub & Hensman–designed ranch house is finally on the market. The original owner—Jerry Zarowitz, the unofficial don of Caesar’s Palace—wanted his Palm Springs haunt to look like the iconic hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, so if it looks familiar, it’s supposed to. Since Zarowitz sold the five-bedroom desert mansion, it went through five years of significant renovations without sacrificing the original midcentury bones.
Price: $11.8 million
Beds/Baths: 5 bedrooms, 5 full baths, 2 half baths
Square footage: 8,000 square feet
For more information, please click here.
