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

 __________________________

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.

____________________________________

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.

 ___________________________________