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Health & Fitness

Tragic Loss of Hollywood Glamor Homes

Rudolph Valentino’s Falcon Lair was bulldozed in 2006. Mary Pickford’s gorgeous, elegant Pickfair Estate was destroyed by Pia Zadora so she could build a tasteless, garish palace. And Jayne Mansfield’s “Pink Palace” is nothing more than a footnote in Los Angeles’ architectural history.

The loss of these historic homes is a travesty that could have been avoided if strong preservation laws had been in effect. I firmly believe that municipal governments have a responsibility to ensure that homes of historic and/or architectural significance are preserved by their owners.

Probably the most egregious example of a tragic loss is Beverly Hills’ Pickfair, a classically beautiful English country style house designed by renowned California architect Wallace Neff for silent-film stars Pickford and her husband Douglas Fairbanks. It was one of the most celebrated homes in the world, and Life Magazine described it as "a gathering place only slightly less important than the White House, and much more fun."

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The property was a hunting lodge when purchased by Fairbanks in 1919, and it was transformed into a 4-story, 25-room mansion complete with stables, servants’ quarters, tennis courts, a large guest wing, and garages. Ceiling frescos, parquet flooring, wood paneled halls of fine mahogany and bleached pine, gold leaf and mirrored decorative niches, all added to the authentic charm of Pickfair. The property was said to have been the first private home in the Los Angeles area to include an in-ground swimming pool, in which Pickford and Fairbanks were famously photographed paddling a canoe.

Then along came actress Pia Zadora and her husband Meshulam Riklis, who announced they were planning renovations to the famous estate, but revealed in 1990 that they had in fact demolished Pickfair – and a new larger "Venetian style palazzo" was going to be constructed in its place. There was a public outcry, but the damage had been done – irrevocably.

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Today, this most likely would not occur, thanks to an historic preservation ordinance adopted by the City of Beverly Hills in January 2012. (I served on the Beverly Hills Design Review Commission, which laid the groundwork for preservation guidelines that were ultimately adopted by the city.) But unfortunately, the process moved too slowly for Beverly Hills to preserve many of its many architectural gems. Not only has the city lost Hollywood glamor homes like Pickfair, it has seen many lovely houses torn down to make way for ugly McMansions and what I call “Muddled-terranean” eyesores.

Pickfair is not the only example of a loss in Beverly Hills. A lovely, four-acre estate that Valentino purchased in 1925, Falcon Lair was a nice example of Spanish Colonial Revival style. Situated above Benedict Canyon, the property was to be Valentino’s castle-like retreat from public life. He imported many Italian plants to turn it into more of an Italian villa and he added two-story garage with servants’ quarters, along with stable for his blooded Arabian horses. But now, only the outer gates and fence structure and garage area remain from Valentino’s time since most of the property was bulldozed eight years ago.

Of course, there have been sad losses in Los Angeles, too – though it has a far better track record than Beverly Hills in terms of preservation. It might seem frivolous to put Jayne Mansfield’s “Pink Palace” in the same category of significance as Pickfair or Falcon Lair, but for pure over-the-top kitsch, the actress’ home has value. After all, L.A. has elevated tacky to an art form.

A look at Life Magazine’s photos of Mansfield’s home in Holmby Hills makes you think of Barbie’s dream house (and don’t forget, L.A. is also the birthplace of the iconic doll).   Don’t you think it would be great fun if the home had been saved? But sadly, it was razed as part of a sprawling estate that includes Owlwood Estate, which is pretty but not a one-of-a-kind home that epitomizes L.A. in all its kooky glory.

Fortunately, it’s not all bad news when it comes to the L.A. area’s wonderful Hollywood Glamor architectural heritage. Buster Keaton’s 1926 Italianate villa in Beverly Hills, with more than 20 rooms (some hidden) and secret passages, was saved from demolition in 1998 by two developers, who restored it to its original architectural glory. Charlie Chaplin’s stunning Moorish Style estate in the Hollywood Hills, Moorcrest, has been renovated with great sensitivity. And La Loma de Los Vientos (“Hill of the Winds”) in Newhall, which houses the William S. Hart Museum (named for the silent-screen cowboy movie star), is open to the public.

In many cases, kudos go to developers, property buyers and private historic preservation organizations for saving gems such as Buster Keaton’s villa. But in cases like Pia Zadora’s decision to raze Pickfair, strong government regulations are needed. Let’s hope these lamentable losses serve as a wakeup call to ensure that another Pickfair disaster never happens again.

 

Eleanor Schrader is an award winning architectural and interior design historian, professor and consultant who lectures worldwide on the history of architecture, interiors, furniture, and decorative arts. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

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