The Star Studded Streets of Beverly Hills (Part 2)

Introduction

Although we have covered celebrity-lined streets of Old Hollywood including Roxbury Drive and Rodeo Drive in previous articles, there are many other streets in Beverly Hills and its surrounding areas that were also home to many stars over the years. In this continuing series, we will explore the streets that these Hollywood legends called home over the years.

Our second installment of this series (Click Here to read Part 1) features the celebrity homes of Beverly Drive, Rexford Drive, Maple Drive, and Summit Drive, located in Beverly Hills.

Beverly Drive

610 N. Beverly Drive

610 N. Beverly Drive has a fairly lengthy Hollywood pedigree. Built in 1919 on a nearly 2-acre lot. The first star to call it home was Paola Negri, who was one of the best paid actresses in Hollywood during the silent era, earning $3,000 per week at Paramount during the early 1920s.

The next famous owner of the home was the legendary short subject producer Hal Roach. Roach lived here with his family for many years. In 1961, Roach sold the house to Jack Hansen, who owned the restaurant The Daisy as well as the posh clothing store, Jax both based in Beverly Hills.

The architecture of the home was inspired by the White House, but incorporated elements including an outdoor pool and flora and fauna complimenting the climate of Southern California instead of the Mid-Atlantic region. Sadly, the house was demolished, and two houses were built on the spacious lot.

“It was a magical place to live.”

– Maria Carpenter, daughter of Hal Roach

612 N. Beverly Drive

612 N. Beverly Drive was built in 1931, containing 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms within its 6,000 square feet of living space. This house was owned by director John Sullivan and his wife actress Maureen O’Sullivan.

The Farrow’s lived at this home for many years. The Farrow children often played with the Roach kids next door. In fact, Mia Farrow and Hal Roach’s daughter Maria Carpenter remain lifelong friends.

Rexford Drive

805 N. Rexford Drive

805 N. Rexford Drive was the home of Kirk Douglas. Built in 1921, this 3,000-square-foot home contains six bathrooms and four bedrooms.

Some of the features of this property include mature trees in the backyard that provides seclusion, as well as a pool, hot tub, and a guest house.

815 N. Rexford Drive

815 N. Rexford Drive was built in 1938 on just over an acre of land. This house was the home of Get Smart star Don Adams. The house contains eight bedrooms and eight bathrooms and is 6,600 square feet.

910 N. Rexford Drive

Edward G. Robinson called 910 N. Rexford Drive home. This Tudor-style home was built by famed architect Samuel Marx, who also designed The May Co Department Store at Fairfax and Wilshire Blvd. An avid art collector Robinson had Marx construct an area specifically to display his collection. In addition to his art collection, Robinson also had a love of dogs and would be seen frequently walking his canine friends around the neighborhood.

“When my husband Al (Martino) bought the Rexford house, E.G. Robinson told him that he had watched our house being built and remodeled (before we bought it) and preceded to tell him that he really liked our kitchen. It was a St. Charles kitchen which was popular at the time.”

– Judi Martino, who lived at 927 N. Rexford Drive

Over the years the Beverly Hills home has been extensively renovated. The property currently has eight bedrooms, ten bathrooms and is over 12,500 square feet. To read more about Edward G. Robinson and his home read Alison Martino’s article (Here).

912 N. Rexford Drive

Singer and actress Jeanette MacDonald called 912 N. Rexford Drive home and prior to her living there it was the home of director DW Griffith.  The property contains four bedrooms, seven bathrooms and is 9,600 square feet.

919 N. Rexford Drive

Built in 1929, 919 N. Rexford Drive was the home of Mickey Rooney. This house is 5,100 square feet and contains seven bedrooms and five bathrooms.

927 N. Rexford Drive

927 N. Rexford Drive was the home of popular singer and actor Al Martino (The Godfather), as well as his daughter, acclaimed Los Angeles historian Alison Martino of Vintage Los Angeles fame.

The house was built in 1923 by renowned architect Elmer Grey. It contains five bedrooms and six-and-a-half bathrooms within its 6,500 square feet.

Some of the most interesting features are things that Martino incorporated into the house during his decades of ownership. These include a fireplace that used to belong to Robert Goulet, as well as a bar that was once owned by notorious gangster Bugsy Siegel.

1005 N. Rexford Drive

Oscar-nominated actor Clifton Webb lived at 1005 N. Rexford Drive. Unfortunately, his house was torn down in 1986 and replaced with a 14,000-square-foot mega-mansion. Little is known about the house that Webb lived in. The current house boasts 8 bedrooms and twelve bathrooms.

Maple Drive

300 N. Maple Drive

Actress Jean Harlow rented 300 N. Maple Drive during her rise to fame. Like the Beverly Hills homes of Clifton Webb and Jeanette MacDonald, this house was also demolished in favor of a larger home. Little is known about the house that Harlow lived in. The current house is 7,100 square feet and contains 9 bathrooms and 7 bedrooms. It was built in 1993.

511 N. Maple Drive

511 N. Maple was the home of Hollywood legend Dean Martin during his final years. Built in 1978 this house contains three bedrooms and three bathrooms with a total square footage of 3,200.

616 N. Maple Drive

Built in 1926, 616 N. Maple Drive was the home of Rhoda actress Valerie Harper. This 5,100 square foot home contains five bedrooms and seven-and-a-half bathrooms.

617 N. Maple Drive

This house was the home of writer Louella Parsons. The house was built in 1924. It contains five bedrooms and three bathrooms and is 4,000 total square footage.

622 N. Maple Drive

622 N Maple Drive was the Beverly Hills home of War of the Worlds (1953) actor Gene Barry. This 6,800 square foot home contains seven bedrooms and eight-and-a-half bathrooms. It was built in 1927.

720 N. Maple Drive

720 N. Maple was the home of legendary Hollywood couple George Burns and Gracie Allen. The house contains seven bedrooms and six bathrooms and is 6,000 square feet in total. It was built in 1935 for Burns and Allen who lived there for the rest of their lives, raising their adopted children, Sandra Jean and Ronald John, within its walls in the process.

Allen was an avid art collector and amassed an impressive collection over the years including paintings by Grandma Moses, Orry-Kelly, and Robert Strong Woodward. Allen also collected bronze antiques as well as fine china and silver.

During their time at the Beverly Hills home, it was decorated three separate times – first by Harold Grieve, then by Bill Haines, and lastly by Paul Berry.

“When Bill Haines was working on the house, he wanted us to collect more art. He started us off with some bronze pieces, but who knows what they’re all about? I never paid any attention to the bronzes, other than to notice that they look like animals and cowboys.”

– George Burns

Burns’ favorite room in the house was the library. This room had a cigar closet where the comedian kept his Don Diego cigars from the Dominican Republic. He would frequently have small dinner parties in this room instead of the home’s actual dining room.

“I always serve the good cigars to my guests. Cigars keep my vocal cords loose—besides, I don’t know what else to do with my hands.”

– George Burns

The swimming pool was only used frequently by Burns and the children but not by Allen. She had a lifelong fear of drowning and was afraid of the water. When the children noticed that she never swam they began to remark that she couldn’t swim otherwise she would use the pool. Allen assured them that was not the case.

She then took private swim lessons at an undisclosed location to learn how to swim. When she was confident she could swim well enough she swam the length of their pool one time to prove to her kids that she could swim. She never wore a bathing suit or entered that pool for the rest of her life afterward.

The house also contained a billiard room even though neither Burns nor Allen played. Burns liked to have the room set up for billiards so that when his friends including Jackie Gleason came over they could enjoy it along with a sip of booze.

Years after Allen’s death Burns was asked why he never downsized to a smaller house in his twilight years. He stated:

“(I lived) in a trunk a good part of my life. Remember, I was in vaudeville. Grace and I were married thirty-eight years—there were eleven years in vaudeville, nineteen years in radio, eight years in television. And I like to live in a place that I know blindfolded, where I can find my cigars without looking. Mary (wife of Jack) Benny says it’s time for me to move, but I tell her I can’t move, because I finally know where my handkerchiefs are.”

Summit Drive

1050 Summit Drive

1050 Summit Drive was built in 1934 for movie mogul David O. Selznick and was later the home of Sammy Davis Jr., Katherine Hepburn, and Tonight Show legend Ed McMahon.

Built in 1934, the colonial house was designed by Roland Coate. It measures 12,500 square feet and features seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms.

1085 Summit Drive

1085 Summit Drive was the home of Charlie Chaplin in the 1930s and 40s. Built in 1922, it was known as “The Breakaway House” because it was built both hastily and cheaply by studio carpenters. Renovated in 1970 the 11,600-square-foot house contains seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms.

1143 Summit Drive

1143 Summit Drive was the home of Chaplin’s United Artists partners Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. Dubbed Pickfair, this property has such a legendary history it actually has its own Cinema Scholars article (Click Here to read it).

1151 Summit Drive

1151 Summit Drive was the Beverly Hills home of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, as well as Sammy Davis Jr. Built in 1938, the 10,900 square foot house contains seven bedrooms and five bathrooms. As can be seen in the below picture the house has been heavily renovated over the years.

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Vintage L.A.’s Alison Martino Takes Us Down Memory Lane (Click Here)

Scholars’ Spotlight: Hal Roach (Click Here)

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