Posted by Joann Deutch on May 11, 2008 - 8:26:03 AM
Why, they all lived in Laurel Canyon during the heyday of their careers! In fact, they all lived at the same address. Originally built in 1925, this 10-bedroom, 8-bathroom, 8,022 square foot mansion served as home for the glitterati of Hollywood.
Beatrice Houdini, the widow of Harry Houdini, the magician, was said to have fully renovated the house during her stay in the 1920s. Harry Houdini’s mansion [built in 1915] at the intersection of Laurel Canyon and Lookout Mountain is a local landmark. Her renovations included a widow’s walk above the main turret. Her neighbor was Tom Mix.
Still having trouble figuring out where this house is? It’s just north of Lookout Mountain on the west side. You get the best view traveling down Laurel Canyon. The frontage is covered with mature trees. That’s 2451 Laurel Canyon (often mistakenly listed as 2431 Mulholland). The property title includes a description of Bungalow Land, which is the first development in Laurel Canyon, dating back to 1913. This Spanish mansion is a sight to behold.
Errol Flynn is reported to have taken up residence from 1930 through the 1940s, during the height of his career with Paramount Studios. This swashbuckler had quite a story. At 25, Flynn arrived in Hollywood in the early 1930's. In the beginning, this Tasmanian’s career was desultory, until "Captain Blood" filmed in 1935, making him Hollywood’s golden boy.
It is probable that Flynn grew to love the area, and the glamour associated with it while he lived at this house on Laurel Canyon. Flynn built himself his dream mansion, dubbed Mulholland Farm, which had a price tag of $125,000. The mansion was perfectly tailored for the bachelor life, perched on a spectacular mountaintop with a 360 degree view of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley.
In 1943 he was acquitted on charges of statutory rape of two teens. The term "in like Flynn" became slang when the star lived on Laurel Canyon. Apparently kids sang the ditty: “Twirl my nightie, tuck me in/Here comes Mr. Errol Flynn.” I could not have made this up if I wanted to.
Bugsy Siegel was another famous name associated with 2451 Laurel Canyon. When Bugsy lived on Laurel Canyon, times were not good to him. He threatened to kill Billy Wilkerson, forcing him to give up his interest in the Flamingo hotel. Bugsy was a cold-blooded “heavy” sent to California to control Al Capone's transcontinental race wire service, which was his betting service. Bugsy's luck turned bad. Construction costs had skyrocketed, and Bugsy grew careless. At a mob meeting in Havana in 1946, Lansky confirmed that Bugsy's girl, Virginia, had been depositing thousands in cash into numbered Swiss accounts. In its few weeks of operation, the Flamingo reported losses of up to $300,000. Bugsy's charm couldn't save him.
And in the ‘60s, along with other music heroes living in Laurel Canyon, Jimi Hendrix became “one of us.” He became an icon after his 1967 performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. We all remember the film of him playing mad guitar at Woodstock. While it appears that Jimi did not spend much time in Los Angeles, he was closely associated with other Laurel Canyon musicians. He was a friend of Frank Zappa and Peter Townsend. He opened for the Monkees’s US tour, and played at the “Whiskey.”
Look for the mansion as the setting for “Californication.”
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