I need a dog.
You can not walk in Beverly Hills without one. People will give you the stink eye and the 24/7 circling Po Po will stare you down. Pity that my landlord will not allow pets. It would be amazing if I could rent one. Case in point:
A month or so back I was dipping into yesteryear and discovered one of Carole Lombard’s residencies during 1933: 523 North Beverly Drive
The address was on a police report filed by Lombard when her sapphire ring went missing in March of 1933. I decided to venture on over. I walked up and down the street for a good five minutes searching for house # 523, receiving mental pat-downs from the neighbors that drove by. Finally I found the numbers printed on the curb. Folks, this is what I saw:
Impulse took over and I darted toward the construction workers. As nonchalantly as possible I asked,”What are you doing?” No one spoke English. I switched into Spanish gear and the workers told me they weren’t really sure what was happening. Some were tearing down and others building. One of them said he’d get his manager to come talk to me. Sensing this was the time to leave, I retreated to my car.
The manager came, photographed my license plate, and gave me the best “Can I help you?” that I’ve heard in some time.
“I just wanted to know what was happening to the house. Someone important used to live there,” I told him.
There’s a dramatic pause. “Who?”
“Carole Lombard.”
A longer pause. Just as I thought the man didn’t have a clue he blurted, “The actress. Oh yeah. . . Well . . . they are restoring the house . . .”
A few more minutes of awkward conversation followed before we part ways.
Thanks to real estate records we can do a time-dash. The home was build in 1928 by architect Roy Seldon Price for Charlie Chaplin’s wife, Lita Grey Chaplin. The interiors were done by set designer Harold Grieve. Actress Patricia Barry owned the home from 1959 until November 2010 when it looked like this:
Do I want to believe that the current owners are in fact restoring Hollywood history? Absolutely. But the past has taught the pessimist in me better. Based on photographs of the house just two years prior, I have to ask:
What is being restored??????
Sources:
Beale, Lauren. Los Angeles Times, May 15, 2010. Web Access. 1 February 2012. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/15/home/la-hm-0515-hotprop-20100515
Gussman Czako Estates. Web Access. 1 February 2012. http://www.gussmanczakoestates.com/properties/photos/523northbeverlydrive.html
Christmas has past but my wish for the bed above still lingers . . .
I want one. Badly. Since moving to L.A. in August I have been on the hunt for a sleigh bed to complete my new boudoir. I’ve found plenty but none with the exquisiteness like the one once owned by Miss Lombard. Behold the modern sleigh bed:
This is Macy’s Chalet sleigh bed. For $1,699 I can get fancy wood that slightly curls at the ends. Carole’s bed was lavishly upholstered with plush padding, had a backing, and detailed decor. In all fairness, I guess what I’m really looking for is a sleigh sofa. Nevertheless, I have scrounged furniture retailers online and by foot to no avail.
Some of you might be thinking, “Go antiquing girl!” Ah. But therein lies another great tragedy: bedbugs. Los Angeles is full of them. It’s heartbreaking really for an old soul like me to have to put a lifelong hobby on pause for fear of catching the bug. And so my friends, I’m back to dreaming. As I imagine the sweet slumber that a swanky sleigh bed could provide I ask each and everyone of you:
Where can I get a Lombard sleigh bed?
Remember a few months back CaroleLombard.org was raising funds to purchase a plaque for Carole Lombard and the 21 others who gave their lives for the betterment of this country.? Well, I’m happy to report that we’ve reached our goal and now have enough money to do so!!
Thanks to the individuals below, Carole Lombard is getting her own memorial!
Ladies and Gentlemen please give a BIG round of applause to:
Robert Jordan
Michael McComb
Carla Valderrama
Gwendolyn Kiste
Douglas Cohen
J Kristin Craig
Kendra Bean
Dwight Davis
Jennifer Henderson
Jacqueline Cassidy
Olympia Kiriakou
Deena Anderson
Cindy Madrulli
Stephen Rains
Elizabeth Langis
All of whom contributed to make this dream a reality! HURRAY!
Next Step is getting clearance from the Forest Service. (It’s looking more and more like THEY were the ones who removed the original plaque so getting everything squared away with them is muy importante).
More updates to follow but until then . . . do you think Missy is pleased? I’d like to think she’s smiling right NOW!!
Karl Malden, an Oscar and Emmy award-winning actor and Lombard co-star, died today at the age of 97.
No cause of death has been reported yet and funeral arrangements are still pending.
Malden landed his first movie role in the 1940 drama They Knew What They Wanted starring our Carole Lombard and Charles Laughton, (he played the role of Red), and went on to appear in approx 50 movies over 40 years.
He took home an Academy Award for his 1951 portrayal of Mitch in A Streetcar Named Desire, a role which he also performed on Broadway.
His second Oscar nomination was for 1954′s On the Waterfront.
His best known TV role was Lt. Mike Stone on the 1970s crime drama The Streets of San Francisco.
You will be missed Karl but your movies and memory will live on!
A few weeks back we posted a caricature of Carole Lombard produced in 1991. Well the artist, Pierre Montiel, was kind enough to contact CaroleLombard.org and mail us another one of his masterpieces! Check it out below:
THANK YOU THANK YOU MR. MONTIEL!
If you have photos or artwork you’d like to donate to, please e-mail info@carolelombard.org
La Lombard’s homes are starting to flood the market these days and we LOVE it.
First there was the ranch and now the Spanish villa at 6861 Iris Circle in L.A.’s Whitley Heights neighborhood that Carole Lombard and William Powell once called home has come on the market at $1,395,000.
That’s the cheapest yet!!
Anyways, here’s the description:
“Built by architect-builder Bruce McCaskill in 1926, the four-bedroom, 3 3/4 -bathroom house has been restored and qualifies for Mills Act property tax benefits. Classic details remain throughout the house, including original ironwork, vaulted ceilings in the foyer and a grand staircase.
The gated two-story home has 3,238 square feet of living space and views of the Hollywood Hills and Hollywood sign. An enclosed garden courtyard has a spa and fountain.”
Take a peek inside.
Original ironwork, vaulted ceilings in the foyer and a grand staircase:
The Living Room with a view of the Hollywood Hills:
Covered Patio:
One of you spectacular readers should pick it up and throw a party!
The listing agent is Tim Swan from Prudential California Realty, Beverly Hills. Tim can be reached at 310-777-2817.
Maybe the current owners will have an open house when we arrive in L.A. on May 30th . . .
An Encino home built on almost an acre of the former estate of Clark Gable and Carole Lombard is on the market right now for a cool $4.2 million.
The sellers are Sam Haskell, former head of worldwide television at the William Morris Agency and chairman of the Miss America organization, and his wife, Mary, a recording artist and Miss Mississippi 1977.
Here’s the description of the property:
“Built in 1963, the gated traditional has seven bedrooms and 5 1/2 bathrooms in 6,622 square feet of living space. A crystal chandelier is the focal point of the two-story foyer. There is a sweeping staircase, a screening room with a pub-like bar, a wood-paneled library and a separate guest unit with a mini-kitchen. A covered outdoor dining room overlooks the grounds, which include rolling lawns, a pool and spa, a gazebo, a sports court and brick patios.”
Here’s a picture of the actual home for sale:
Lynne Weiss of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Sherman Oaks and Dan Ross of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Malibu Colony share the listing.
You can contact Lynne for more informaiton at: Lynne@LynneWeiss.com
Dan can also be reached by e-mail at: DanielRoss@ColdwellBanker.com
Do we really need an introduction? Everyone knows Tally! She’s the beautiful lady with a big collection of Lombard-ilia which she generously shares with all of us at CaroleLombard.org. Well she’s back with some more goodies for you and I’m just going to pass this post right to her. Take it away Tally:
“Hi there! A few more; including at last THE Black Seal Coat. This was sold via auction in California donated by The Peters family, although I do not know which branch. Anyway, included with it were smaller photos of these pictures of her wearing it with Clark. The lines and esp the collar match exactly, also the size. It has been, aside from the enclosed burgundy cocktail dress, the ONLY one of Carole’s clothing with a LABEL. (The cocktail dress was however, made FOR her by Vogue Magazine, hence the label “Vogue Special Edition”, and a note amidst the COAs that this dress was made for her and the date, “Sept 15, 1939″).”
“Anyway, back to the Seal coat, it is lines beautifully and there are no moth signs or tears. It looked like it once sported a belt. There are 3 original buttons down the front. (Likely hung perfectly on that flawless figure!) Unfortunately the matching hat that is shown in the picture did not come with it, but the imagination soars, seeing how beautiful she looked in it, especially with that blonde hair!”
Carole Lombard’s Seal Coat:
Close-Up of Carole Lombard’s Seal Coat:
Carole Lombard’s Burgundy Dress:
Close-Up of Carole Lombard’s Burgundy Dress:
“Lastly is another beauty, an all mink stole with tails, and a matching mink hat! Unfortunately no pictures yet but it is signed again in the COAS as Carole Lombard’s and a date of “February 2, 1938 / Banton”. No labels so it is again especially made for only 1 Lady! Truly a beauty, FOR a Beauty!”
Carole Lombard’s Mink Stole and Hat:
Close-Up Inside:
Tails:
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