Hollywood – IAMNOTASTALKER

August 12, 2020August 11, 2020

Dave’s Apartment from “Alvin and the Chipmunks”

My mom often calls me “DB” for Dumb Blonde. I can’t be offended as I’ve certainly earned the nickname thanks to countless airheaded antics over the years. Case in point – I recently got a request from @nic_fury on Instagram to dedicate a blog post to the apartment complex where David Seville (Jason Lee) lived in Alvin and the Chipmunks. As fate would have it, I stalked the locale years ago, but somehow never wrote about it. I decided to amend that and, since I had never actually seen the 2007 film, promptly streamed it. The only trouble was, I rented Garfield, another live-action/computer-animated flick from around the same time, instead. It took about twenty minutes of watching before I realized my mistake. Thankfully though, while I had the wrong movie, I had the right location. In Alvin and the Chipmunks, Dave lives at St. Andrews Bungalow Court in Hollywood, a charming complex that I stalked way back in 2009.

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The U-shaped site, consisting of 15 bungalows built around a lush courtyard hidden away from the street, was commissioned in 1919 by Fay Sudrow as an investment property. Per a National Register of Historic Places registration form compiled by the United States Department of the Interior, “The court is an example of an ‘owner/builder’ construction, a common practice in early Hollywood. Builder-built (as opposed to architect-designed) housing employs standard, inexpensive, wood-frame construction with minimal architectural and decorative refinements. The ‘agent’ employed to construct the complex is identified as W. Jones, and the eight-room duplex in the back was built by a contractor identified as Frank Pece. No architect was identified, which suggests that Frank Pece may have purchased architectural plans from a design service.”

That design service must have been top-notch because, “minimal decorative refinements” notwithstanding, the complex is nothing short of idyllic! Each of the 14 standalone bungalows, as well as the duplex units, originally boasted one bedroom and one bath, but many have since been transformed via the installation of an interior wall into two-bedroom spaces. According to the NRHP registration form, the Colonial Revival-style cottages feature coved ceilings, crown moldings, built-in buffets with glass-fronted cabinets, and front porches with “nine unique gable treatments.”

Due to shifts in the neighborhood and severe negligence, St. Andrews Bungalow Court fell upon hard times in the 1980s. It hit the auction block in 1987 and was set to be razed the following year. Demolition permits were even filed and, though they were fortunately revoked, the site was abandoned in 1989. Vandals soon descended, hurling the place into further disrepair. A guardian angel came in the form of the Hollywood Housing Community, which acquired the complex in 1992 and completely restored it, transforming the 700-square-foot bungalows into residences for those with special needs. The new and improved St. Andrews Bungalow Court opened for occupancy in December 1995. It remains in the hands of the Hollywood Housing Community today.

Per the NRHP registration form, the complex is an “outstanding example” of a bungalow court and is “unusual for its size and for the attention to individual detail bestowed upon each unit by its anonymous designers.” Situated just steps off Sunset Boulevard and across from a strip mall with a Burger King and a 7-Eleven, it is a bucolic little sanctuary, hidden away behind a white picket gate and arched hedges. One could easily pass right by without realizing the tiny oasis is even there. It reminds me quite a bit of the apartments where David Silver (Brian Austin Green) lived during the later years of Beverly Hills, 90210, which can be found less than half a mile away at 1547 North Serrano Avenue.

St. Andrews Bungalow Court pops up countless times throughout Alvin and the Chipmunks and, in fact, is a focal point of the movie.

Though the front gate was swapped out for the shoot . . .

. . . little else was altered.

The complex is just as adorable in real life as it appeared onscreen!

In the movie, David lives on the southern side of the complex, towards the rear. In real life, his unit is numbered 1520.

It is denoted with a white arrow in the Bing aerial below.

Onscreen though, the cottage is addressed 1958, which is a nod to Chipmunks creator, singer-songwriter Ross Bagdasarian Sr. His son, Ross Bagdasarian Jr., served as executive producer on the film and threw in many tributes to his father, 1958 being the year that two of his big hits, “Witch Doctor” and “The Chipmunk Song,” first reached number 1. (Side note – David Seville is actually Bagdasarian Sr.’s stage name. Figuring his full moniker was too long to fit on a 45, he went with a pseudonym, one that paid homage to the city in Spain where he was stationed during WWII.)

Only the exterior of St. Andrews Bungalow Court appeared in Alvin and the Chipmunks. The inside of Dave’s home was a soundstage-built set. Per Brian Carroll, assistant to the film’s Animation Supervisor, Chris Bailey, “The entire interior and walkway in front of the house was built on a soundstage at Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood. The director, Tim Hill, did a great job of mixing the exteriors shot at the apartment complex with the footage shot on stage.” The fact that a set was used is quite apparent while watching, though, as Dave’s residence is obviously larger than 700 square feet.

You can check out what a portion of one of the real bungalow interiors looks like here. The production team incorporated some of the actual design elements into the set, namely the built-ins, glass-fronted cabinets, and checkered kitchen floor.

St. Andrews Bungalow Court was also featured in 2009’s Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, though the footage, featured solely in establishing shots, looks to have been re-used from the first movie. It doesn’t appear that any actual filming of the follow-up took place on the premises.

In an odd twist, at one point in the “squeakquel,” Toby Seville (Zachary Levi) is shown walking to his car, supposedly parked outside of St. Andrews Bungalow Court. The vehicle is actually a good three miles away on the 1300 block of North Ogden Drive, though. (Parking in Dave’s neighborhood must really suck!) I recognized the spot where filming took place immediately thanks to the house visible behind Toby, which is one of my favorite movie residences of all time! Long time readers of the site should recognize it, as well – it’s Stu’s (Ed Helms) home from The Hangover!

The interior of Dave’s apartment in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel was also a set, albeit slightly altered and enlarged from the one in the original movie, but no less charming.

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Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: St. Andrews Bungalow Court, aka Dave’s apartment complex from Alvin and the Chipmunks, is located at 1514 –1544 North St. Andrews Place in Hollywood.

August 10, 2020August 10, 2020

Ace and Avis Amberg’s House from “Hollywood”

There’s something about filming at a real place instead of a set that lends authenticity to a production, especially a period piece. As Jon Favreau said on the subject, “I came up through independent film, where you’re usually shooting on location. I hate when it looks like you shot on a set instead of on location.” Director Ryan Murphy must ascribe to the same filmmaking style as he chose to lens much of Hollywood at real spots. Doing so gave the Netflix miniseries a richness that otherwise would have been lacking. From Golden Tip Gasoline to the Deco Building to Henry Willson’s (Jim Parsons) office, the show truly brought Old Hollywood to Technicolor life, despite being shot in 2020. Nowhere was this more apparent than at the stately mansion belonging to Ace Studios head Ace Amberg (Rob Reiner), his wife, Avis (Patti LuPone), and their daughter, Claire Wood (Samara Weaving).

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The handsome estate, which sits on a tree-lined street in Windsor Square, was designed in 1921 by architect Frank Meline, who also gave us the Ruskin Art Club, aka Chief Irving’s (Lance Reddick) residence from the Amazon series Bosch.

Though it looks considerable in size from the street, it is actually much larger than the sprawling exterior would have you believe.

The massive pad boasts 6 bedrooms, 4 baths, an incredible 7,310 square feet (!), a marble entry canopied by a 2-story skylight, multiple fireplaces, painted ceilings, stained glass pieces, a detached 2-car garage, a pool, a 0.41-acre lot, and what a 1991 real estate listing described as a “Sistine Chapel-like ballroom.” You can check out some early photographs of the interior here.

In 1923, original owner Jefferson L. Byrne sold the property to prominent developer/theatre magnate Joseph Toplitzky. He promptly hired Morgan, Walls & Clements (who were behind the aforementioned Deco Building, also featured in Hollywood) to do some renovations, including adding a bath and enclosing a porch. Toplitzky commissioned the firm once again in 1927, this time to add a bedroom, bathroom, and dressing room to the home.

The exterior of the mansion is actually only featured once on Hollywood and very briefly at that. In the episode titled “Meg,” Avis and Claire wake up to a burning cross in their front yard, put there in protest of the controversial movie Ace Studios is producing.

Outside of the opulently-framed front door, we don’t get a very good look at the place. So how did I find it, you ask? Thanks to a page on OnLocationVacations detailing a January 14th, 2020 shoot for Hollywood at 415 South Windsor Boulevard, which I came across while researching the show’s various locales. One look at the address on Google Street View told me it was the Amberg residence.

The exterior may have been neglected a bit onscreen, but the breathtaking interior appeared numerous times throughout the limited series’ 7-episode run. I was stunned at the intricacy of it all. Every inch of the place seemed prettier than the last. They just don’t make houses like that anymore!

Shooting inside the palatial estate must have transported LuPone and her costars straight back to the 1940s, the period in which Hollywood was set. Being on location, in general, inspired the actress, whose Avis character was loosely based upon Irene Selznick, daughter of MGM co-founder Louis B. Mayer. In a move highly unconventional for the time, Irene separated from her husband, Selznick International Pictures head David O. Selznick, in 1945 and relocated to New York, where she went on to become a successful theatre producer. She even gave Marlon Brando his big break in A Streetcar Named Desire! Irene, like Avis, was a definite trailblazer. As part of her research, LuPone read Selznick’s 1983 autobiography, A Private View, which served to further immerse her in the world of historic Tinseltown. As she told Entertainment Weekly, “I became obsessed with Old Hollywood having read that book. Every time we were someplace, I’m looking around for what is left. And we were shooting at Paramount one day and the driver took us from Paramount back to our studio and I passed the Hollywood Dream apartments and just the idea of people’s lives . . . Now when I look at the old movies and I see the girls that are, you know, sort of the t*ts and a** in the background, what was their life? Was their life what we’ve heard their life was? Or, you know, was it legitimate? I mean, I’m still blown away!” Oh yes, the magic of Hollywood can definitely do that to you!

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Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: The Amberg residence from Hollywood is located at 415 South Windsor Boulevard in Windsor Square. Judge Crawford’s (Bob Gunton) house from Fracture is two doors down at 435 South Windsor.

July 31, 2020July 31, 2020

Rock and Archie’s New Apartment from “Hollywood”

Ryan Murphy’s latest streaming foray, Hollywood, may be getting some serious side-eye from critics (as evidenced here and here), but I’ve got nothing but love for it! Sure the Netflix miniseries is campy, idealistic, and not entirely factual despite depicting some real-life characters and circumstances. But it is also fun, upbeat, and joyous – not to mention delivered at a time when audiences most need all of the above! And boy, does it showcase some fabulous Los Angeles locales! One spot that immediately caught my eye was the apartment screenwriter Archie Coleman (Jeremy Pope) secured for his actor love, Rock Hudson (Jake Picking), in episode six, “Meg.”

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It is there that Archie, down on one knee, professes his love to Rock and presents him with a key to their new place, a fabulous two-story apartment complete with a gorgeous stone fireplace, carved ceiling beams, retro sconces, and a towering wrought iron staircase. Though the dreamy space only appeared in one brief segment, it sure made an impression! Thankfully, it was a snap to track down!

At the top of the scene, Rock is shown making his way through the building’s lush central courtyard. One look at the French Normandy-style architecture and abundance of foliage, and I knew the locale was most likely in or near Park La Brea, a neighborhood in L.A.’s Miracle Mile District abundant with similar complexes. So I used Street View to poke around the area and wound up locating Archie and Rock’s new place at 6412 West Olympic Boulevard in Carthay, just a few blocks south of where I thought I would.

The 8-unit building was originally constructed in 1934, so its fits the late ‘40s-era setting of Hollywood perfectly, though its architecture really is timeless.

God is in the details, as they say, and this spot is chock full of them!

From the stucco work to the wrought iron grating to the door and window framing, the design is sublime.

I was especially taken with the boy and girl silhouette portraits that decorate the two turrets on either end of the building.

It is the complex’s northwesternmost unit, which can just barely be seen in my photo below, that stands in for Archie and Rock’s new home on Hollywood.

Addressed with a “3” in the episode, the door (which was swapped out for the shoot) is actually marked “6418 1/2” in real life.

Though pretty enough to have been a set, for inside shots the production utilized the unit’s actual interior! You can check out some listing photos of it taken by Apartment Equities LLC here.

The space couldn’t be more Old Hollywood if it tried, so it is easy to see how it wound up on the show. I was smitten with every last bit of the ambiance featured in the scene – the candles, the single lit lamp, the staircase, the ceiling beams, the ornate fireplace, and the warm wooden floors. Talk about romantic!

The interior reminds me quite a bit of the apartment where Emily Friehl (Amanda Peet) lived in A Lot Like Love, one of my favorite spaces in the entire history of moviedom, which likely explains why I was so drawn to it.

Pretty much every unit in the building is spectacular in real life, as you can see in the various MLS photos below. That front door, amirite! Sadly, per apartments.com, there are currently no vacancies, otherwise I might be tempted to pack my bags and leave the desert!

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine, and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Archie and Rock’s new apartment complex from the “Meg” episode of Hollywood is located at 6412-6418 West Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles’ Carthay neighborhood.

July 20, 2020July 19, 2020

Henry Willson’s House from “Hollywood”

Just when you thought I was done blogging about locales from Hollywood, here I am with a new spot! A couple of months back, an anonymous reader informed me that the Buck House, an architecturally famous pad in the Mid-Wilshire area, portrayed the residence of lecherous powerhouse agent Henry Willson (Jim Parsons) on the popular 2020 Netflix miniseries. Even though the exterior was never shown, I was intrigued and promptly headed over to Google to bring up images of the place. Doing so only intrigued me further! Featuring clean lines, windows galore, and unique Streamline Moderne built-ins, the Buck Residence is stunning! To the top of my To-Stalk List it went and I made it over there for some socially-distant stalking a few weeks later.

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The 1934 International-style stunner was constructed by architect R.M. Schindler for clothing store designer John J. Buck.

The sprawling L-shaped property, which surrounds a rear courtyard, boasts 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2,500 square feet, a brick fireplace, sliding glass walls, varying ceiling heights, clerestory windows (defined by Architectural Digest as “a row of windows well above eye level”), a 0.17-acre corner lot, and an attached 3-car garage with an upstairs apartment featuring its own private entrance.

In 1977, the dwelling was slightly remodeled, with one of the three original bedrooms opened up and combined with a breakfast nook. The kitchen and a bathroom were also updated at the time. Otherwise, the Buck House looks much as it did when Schindler completed it almost nine decades ago.

Today, the property, which is Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #122, operates as the Country Club art gallery.

You can check out some great interior images of it here.

The Buck House only appears once on Hollywood. After a rather tense dinner at The Prince in the episode titled “Outlaws,” Henry forces his client Rock Hudson (Jake Picking) to come back to his home to watch him perform the Dance of the Seven Veils.

805 S Genesee Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

The scene, which you can watch here, is insanely cringeworthy and perfectly showcases Willson’s eccentric and predatory personality, but I was more taken with the striking surroundings than anything else.

The production utilized a couple of areas of the house including the living room (above) and a den/office that was transformed into Henry’s bedroom.

As you can see in the MLS images from a recent listing as compared to the screen captures above and below, though some artwork and mid-century décor were added to the premises for the shoot, the place is still very recognizable from its onscreen stint.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine, and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: The Buck House, aka Henry Willson’s home from the “Outlaws” episode of Hollywood, is located at 805 South Genesee Avenue in Mid-Wilshire.

June 29, 2020June 28, 2020

The Chapel of the Gardens from “Hollywood”

Altadena’s Mountain View Mausoleum may not be Southern California’s most well-known mausoleum, but it’s certainly one of its prettiest. A true hidden gem, the place remained off my radar the entire time I lived in nearby Pasadena. I only learned about it in May 2019, years after I moved to Palm Springs, thanks to its appearance in a Season 4 episode of Lucifer. When I finally stalked the stunning site, the Grim Cheaper and I spent hours exploring its every nook and cranny, wandering the vast lower-level chambers, and admiring each inch of stained glass. So when its onsite bethel, The Chapel of the Gardens, popped up in the final episode of the new Netflix series Hollywood, I recognized it immediately. Though I blogged about Mountain View last October, I figure a write-up on the chapel itself is now due. (Warning: if you have yet to watch Hollywood – and really, what’s stopping you? – avoid this post as it is rife with spoilers.)

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I covered Mountain View Mausoleum’s history in my October column, but I’ll give you a brief recap here. The gorgeous sanctuary was designed by architects Clarence L. Jay and Cecil E. Bryan in 1925.

The sprawling Neo-Mediterranean-style site boasts countless deep corridors, a myriad of stained glass windows fabricated by Judson Studios, murals hand-painted by artist Martin Syvertsen, and a small blush-colored chapel known as The Chapel of the Gardens.

Though small, the space is serene, warm, and inviting.

Its mid-century feel notwithstanding, I am fairly certain the chapel is original to the mausoleum’s 1925 design.

Producer Ryan Murphy has long been familiar with Mountain View Mausoleum, having featured it in both 2015’s American Horror Story: Hotel and 2018’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. That, coupled with its decidedly 1950s aesthetic, must have made its use in Hollywood a no-brainer.

The Chapel of the Gardens only appears once on Hollywood, in the final episode titled “A Hollywood Ending.” It is there that the funeral for Tinseltown executive Dick Samuels (Joe Mantello) takes place. Though the name of the chapel is shown in the scene . . .

. . . I would have recognized it regardless. I’d know those pink walls anywhere!

Thanks to its retro look, the production team did not have to change much for the shoot.

The Chapel of the Gardens was not the only area of Mountain View utilized in the scene. Following the funeral, Henry Willson (Jim Parsons) approaches Ace Studios head Avis Amberg (Patti LuPone) and asks her to greenlight his film in the vestibule outside the mausoleum’s offices.

That room can be found at the eastern end of the Great Gallery.

The décor was swapped out for the filming in order to “retro”-fit the space, so to speak, and make it appear a bit more fancy.

Despite the changes, it is still very recognizable from its cameo.

Considering Mountain View Mausoleum’s popularity as a filming location (you can read about its many onscreen appearances here), I’d think The Chapel of the Gardens would have been used in additional productions, but I have been unable to unearth any.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine, and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: The Chapel of the Gardens, where Dick Samuels’ funeral was held in the “A Hollywood Ending” episode of Hollywood, is located inside Mountain View Mausoleum at 2300 North Marengo Avenue in Altadena. Both the chapel and mausoleum are open to the public daily.

June 10, 2020June 8, 2020

The Deco Building from “Hollywood”

Ryan Murphy’s latest Netflix series, Hollywood, is worth a watch for a slew of reasons, not the least of which is its locations. The Los Angeles featured in the 1940s-set show is nothing short of jaw-dropping! Even the seemingly mundane spots like the bank Jack Costello (David Corenswet) and his wife, Henrietta (Maude Apatow), briefly visit in episode 1 are drool-inducing! So I, of course, set out to ID it! Countless Zigzag Moderne elements were visible dotted around the striking space, leading me to do a Google search for “Art Deco,” “bank,” and “Los Angeles.” One of the first results kicked back was this L.A. Conservancy page detailing The Deco Building at 5209 Wilshire Boulevard in Hancock Park. I had never heard of the place, but headed right over to Google Images and was floored at what I saw – a pristine Art Deco time capsule hidden away on a busy L.A. street. Despite its stunning exterior, I had driven by countless times without even realizing it was there! I decided to promptly amend that by doing some socially-distant stalking of it just a few days later.

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The Deco Building was originally constructed as the Security-First National Bank in 1929. You can check out a photo of it from its early days here.

Designed by the Morgan, Walls and Clements architecture firm, the exterior is clad in stunning black and gold terracotta tile.

Sadly, it is one of the only black and gold Art Deco structures still standing in the city.

The Deco Building operated as a bank until 1970 and subsequently went through several different incarnations including a gold and silver wholesale dealership, a Persian rug showroom, and a cabaret/private club known as Zephyr. Following a restoration in 1999, the site was transformed into upscale office space.

Though the exterior is spectacular, it is the inside that is the real stunner.

The two-story space, which is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, features high ceilings, a mezzanine, gilded skylights, and intricate chandeliers. The vault, visible at the back of my photos above and below, even remains intact!

Considering its gorgeously preserved architecture, it is no surprise that the property wound up in a production like the historically-set Hollywood.

In the premiere episode, titled “Hooray for Hollywood,” Jack and Henrietta head to the bank building hoping to secure a $20,000 loan to buy a home, but they are unsuccessful.

Though brief, the scene is pivotal as the loan denial pushes Jack to agree to work as an escort at Golden Tip Gasoline, thereby setting off the series’ main storyline.

The short segment also gives us fabulous glimpses of The Deco Building’s interior and all of its grand detailing.

Hollywood is not the site’s only small-screen foray.

The Deco Building portrays the headquarters for Governor Charles Brooks’ (Richard Burgi) re-election campaign in the Season 2 episode of Lie to Me titled “Bullet Bump,” which aired in 2010.

And J (Issa Rae) has a job interview there in the Season 2 episode of The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl titled “The Call,” which aired in 2013.

The Deco Building also boasts a Disney connection! A portion of the Mickey’s of Hollywood store at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios was modeled after the structure. You can check out an image of it here.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine, and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: The Deco Building, aka the bank from the “Hooray for Hollywood” episode of Hollywood, is located at 5209 Wilshire Boulevard in Hancock Park.

June 3, 2020June 4, 2020

Jack’s Apartment from “Hollywood”

I’ve always considered myself extremely knowledgeable when it comes to historic Los Angeles locales. But Ryan Murphy’s latest series, Hollywood, absolutely schooled me on the subject, introducing me to countless architectural marvels and notable spots from decades past. The site that fixated me most was the stunning apartment building where show-biz hopeful Jack Castello (David Corenswet) lived with his wife, Henrietta (Maude Apatow). One look at the coffered ceilings, carved columns, and elaborate stuccowork had me wondering aloud, “Is that place real?” I promptly set out to find the answer to that query and am happy to report back that it is!

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An address number of “1737” was visible on the exterior of Jack’s building in the first episode, “Hurray for Hollywood.” I had a strong hunch the property could be found in Tinseltown, so I did a Google search for “1737,” “apartment building,” and “Hollywood,” and the first result kicked back was for La Leyenda, a historic complex situated at 1737 Whitley Avenue. One look at Street View imagery of the property told me it was the right spot. (As you can see below, a neon sign was also visible in the episode, but, for the life of me, I could not make out what it said, which turned out to be a good thing as the piece was just set dressing put in place solely for the shoot.)

La Leyenda, Spanish for “The Legend,” was designed in 1927 by Leland A. Bryant, the prolific architect who also gifted Los Angeles with the Sunset Tower Hotel, Granville Towers, Harper House, Romanesque Villa Apartments, and Afton Arms.

Initially boasting 59 units, the 6-story Spanish Colonial Revival-style structure is chock-full of ornate detailing including Churrigueresque carvings, wrought iron doors, and the prettiest fire escape I ever did see!

It is stunning!

Those lampposts!

La Leyenda even seems to make rainbows spontaneously appear!

The locale’s carved stucco exterior reminds me quite a bit of The Shelley, aka the Seinfeld apartment building.

During the heyday of Hollywood, such stars as Mary Astor, Bing Crosby, El Brendel, Marie Prevost, Johnny Weissmuller, and Hal LeSueur resided on the premises. In more recent years, Flea and Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers called the place home.

Today, the building, Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #817, boasts 66 apartments, a gym, a laundry room, a large garden complete with a fountain, what one listing describes as “movie star closets” (I don’t know what a movie star closet is, but it definitely sounds like something I want!), and the most gorgeous lobby I’ve ever seen!

As soon as I saw Jack walk across the grand space in Hollywood’s first episode, I was smitten! What I wouldn’t give to see that lobby in person! I seriously need to befriend someone who lives there!

Thankfully, the building’s exterior is just as stunning! Surprisingly, it is only shown once on the series, when Henrietta returns home from a day at work to find Jack cooking her dinner in Hollywood’s premiere episode.

Jack and Henrietta’s apartment interior was, I believe, just a set, though one modeled closely upon actual La Leyenda units, one of which you can see photos of here. I am obsessed with all of the vintage tile and built-ins!

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: La Leyenda, aka Jack’s apartment from Hollywood, is located at 1737 Whitley Avenue in Hollywood.

May 29, 2020June 2, 2020

The Oviatt Penthouse from “Hollywood”

There’s no denying that Henry Willson (Jim Parsons), the Hollywood character based upon the real-life post-war power agent to the stars, is despicable. But he’s also, hands down, one of the best parts of the show! Those one-liners, amirite? I couldn’t help but smile every time he came onscreen. The only thing better than his pithy comments was his incredible, mid-century office! The ziggurat lighting sconces, shiny wood paneling, and marble fireplace were enough to make me drool! Thanks to the space’s unique detailing, I recognized it immediately as the Oviatt Penthouse, the sleek Art Deco former home of clothier James Oviatt. I got to tour the grand site, situated on the 13th floor of downtown L.A.’s Oviatt Building, while scouting wedding venues back in 2008 and was completely taken with it – so much so that I brought my mom back to see it just a few days later. She was equally taken, describing it as having the feel of an Old Hollywood train car. Though the Grim Cheaper and I did not end up getting married there, the Oviatt Penthouse left an indelible impression, so I, of course, identified it straightaway when it popped up on Hollywood.

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The exquisite 10-room suite was created in 1928 by Parisian interior design firm Saddler et Fils (French for “Saddler and Son”).

Replete with gleaming marble, ornate chandeliers, Lalique glasswork, moire wall coverings, hand-carved parquet flooring, and burled maple, mahogany and thuya built-ins, the Oviatt Penthouse is a definite stunner!

Interestingly, the master bath is one of the space’s most lavish and talked-about areas, featuring carved lacquer-covered terra cotta walls, a Lalique glass skylight, a brightly-tiled steam/massage room, two sinks (one strictly for shaving), a large step-down bathtub, and a bidet.

With a hideaway toilet, the powder room is also pretty darn unique! (And yes, I know it looks like our tour guide is flipping off the camera below, but, in reality, I just happened to catch him at an unfortunate moment while he was pointing out features of the latrine.) Now you see it . . .

. . . now you don’t!

The powder room features a hidden sink, as well!

The Oviatt Penthouse also has an upper and lower terrace, the latter of which is reached via the curved staircase pictured below. During James’ tenure, the spaces were comprised of a tennis court, a small pool, a putting green, gardens, and a sunbathing beach made complete with sand brought in from the French Riviera.

James, who lived as a bachelor there until marrying his wife, Mary, in 1945, called the penthouse his “castle in the air.” The couple remained on the premises until their deaths in the 1970s.

The Oviatt Penthouse was completely restored in 1977 and then again in 1988 and today is used as a special events venue.

During the latter renovation, a wall was taken down, combing the property’s second bedroom with the dining area to create more space for revelers.

The terrace accoutrements were also removed to make the outdoor area special-event friendly.

Otherwise, the flat was left largely unchanged and simply restored to its original glory. As a 1988 Los Angeles Times article states, “Guests stepping from the elevator now will see virtually the same flooring spaces that Oviatt and his architects laid out 60 years ago.” You can check out additional photos of the penthouse here, as well as a video tour here.

Henry Willson’s office appears several times throughout Hollywood, first popping up in the episode titled “Hooray for Hollywood: Part 2” in the scene in which aspiring actor Rock Hudson (Jake Picking) has his initial meeting with the agent.

The penthouse’s living room was utilized for all of Henry’s office scenes.

Though outfitted with a desk, bookshelf, and other furnishings for the shoot, producers really didn’t have to add much to transform the space into a 1940s-era talent agency.

For whatever reason, the room’s intricate chandeliers were swapped out with more conventional ones. The originals would have fit better with the time period, as well as the accompanying décor, so it was a bit of an odd move. Otherwise though, the office is perfection!

Additional areas of the penthouse appeared on Hollywood, as well, including the dining room, which portrayed Henry’s waiting room. The space was heavily dressed for the shoot and the wall mural covered over, rendering it largely unrecognizable as you can see in the screen capture and matching photograph below.

The master bedroom also made an appearance . . .

. . . as did many of its actual furnishings.

The penthouse’s spectacular hallway, which is capped by a canopied ceiling painted with a night sky, was featured, too. The bold geometric carpeting running the length of it is a nod to both The Shining and Murphy’s American Horror Story: Hotel (the latter was also shot at the Oviatt Building!). It looks as if the carpet was even left intact after Hollywood wrapped.

The Netflix series isn’t the penthouse’s first cameo.

Bugsy Siegel (Warren Beatty) very briefly takes a telephone call in the master bathroom in the 1991 biopic Bugsy.

Max Hoover (Nick Nolte) and Elleroy Coolidge (Chazz Palminteri) break up a party there in the 1996 drama Mulholland Falls.

And thanks to fellow stalker Gilles I learned that Mylene Farmer also shot her “California” music video at the penthouse in 1996.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: The Oviatt Penthouse, aka Henry Willson’s office from Hollywood, is located on the top floor of the Oviatt Building at 617 South Olive Street in downtown L.A. The space is not open to the public, but can often be viewed via the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Art Deco Walking Tour.

May 27, 2020May 31, 2020

Golden Tip Gasoline from “Hollywood”

Who knew what we needed right now was a happy retelling of Hollywood history? Ryan Murphy, apparently! And he sure delivers with his new Netflix series, aptly titled Hollywood. Loosely based upon an actual high-end prostitution ring run out of a 1940s Tinseltown gas station, the show is a feast for the eyes when it comes to locations! Apartment buildings, offices, restaurants – every spot featured is prettier than the last. At the center of it all is Golden Tip Gasoline, a gleaming yellow and white Streamline Moderne site that had me drooling as soon as it came onscreen. So, of course, I set out to find it. Thankfully, doing so was a snap thanks to this Eastsider article which chronicled the October 2019 filming of “a new Netflix drama set in 1940s Hollywood” at Luis Lopez Automotive. One look at the photos of the Atwater Village repair shop dressed in all of its retro glory told me it was the right place. So to the top of my To-Stalk List it went and I headed over there while doing some socially-distant stalking in L.A. last week.

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Luis Lopez Automotive was originally constructed as a Mobil station in the 1930s. You can check out an early photo of it here. It is amazing how little of the structure has been altered over the years!

Per Eastsider, the adjacent repair shop was added sometime in the 1940s.

The locale didn’t become Luis Lopez Automotive until Luis Lopez Sr. took over in 1968. The photo of him featured on the homepage of the shop’s website looks like it was ripped straight out of a scene from Hollywood!

Luis’ son, Luis Lopez Jr., worked at the garage throughout his childhood, eventually becoming full-time in 1995. He runs the place today.

With its sleek lines, dotting of palm trees and brilliant blue sky backdrop, the shop is definitely cinematic!

I couldn’t stop snapping photos!

Considering its picturesque aesthetic and retro look, it’s no surprise the site wound up in Hollywood. It is out of Golden Tip Gasoline (a double entendre if I’ve ever heard one!) that Ernie West (Dylan McDermott) runs his very lucrative prostitution ring, employing young Hollywood hopefuls like Jack Castello (David Corenswet) and Archie Coleman (Jeremy Pope) to, ahem, “service” Tinseltown’s elite.

Though the station does boast a yellow and white color scheme onscreen, production did away with its amber paint trim for the shoot, I’m guessing to give it a cleaner look.

A secondary overhang and additional pumps were also added to the northeast side of the station for the filming.

Though my images above and below were taken from slightly different angles than the screen captures, they show what that area looks like in real life.

Despite the alterations, Luis Lopez Automotive is still very recognizable from its Hollywood stint.

The only thing missing is the fabulously retro Golden Tip sign.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine, and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Luis Lopez Automotive, aka Golden Tip Gasoline from Hollywood, is located at 2751 Fletcher Drive in Atwater Village.

May 18, 2020May 31, 2020

The Petitfils-Boos Residence from “Hollywood”

My stalking backlog is ridiculously large, so much so that I often forget places I’ve been. Case in point? The Petitfils-Boos Residence. (With a name like that, you’d think I would have remembered it, right?) I stalked the historic Windsor Square mansion way back in November 2012 (which is crazy to me – looking at the photos, I feel as if it was just yesterday!) after it made a brief appearance on Dexter and then it promptly slipped my mind. Though I was reminded of the place when I saw it pop up on Feud: Bette and Joan in 2017, I somehow quickly forgot about it again. It was not until I spotted the pad in an episode of the new Netflix miniseries Hollywood recently that I decided it was finally time for a post! So here goes!

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The Italian Renaissance Revival-style mansion was designed in 1922 by architect Charles F. Plummer for Walter M. Petitfils, one of the confectioners behind the gorgeous Dutch Chocolate Shop in downtown L.A. Walter didn’t stay on the premises long – in 1927 he sold the pad to his friends Henry and Cassie Boos, hence its hyphenated, hard-to-pronounce name.

Not only is the property absolutely HUGE – between the main house and the guest house, it measures a total of 10,120 square feet! – but it looks even bigger than it actually is thanks to its V-shape and diagonal placement on a corner lot.

The 2-story estate boasts an 8,594-square-foot main house with 4 bedrooms, 5 baths, walnut paneling, stained glass windows, archways, murals hand-painted by Dutch artist Anthony Heinsbergen, and a Gladding, McBean terra cotta tile façade. There’s also a 1,526-square-foot guest house, a 0.74-acre lot, a pool, a hot tub, a BBQ, multiple gardens, a loggia, a courtyard, and a detached 2-car garage. You can check out some interior images of it here.

Every square inch of the place is stunning – even the front gate! With those dripping topiaries, the residence looks straight out of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Not only is the property listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but the Los Angeles Conservancy procured an easement on the entire frontage, assuring no alterations can ever be made to the exterior.

Considering the manse’s Old Hollywood feel, its appearance on the 1940s-set Hollywood must have been a no-brainer for producers. The residence pops up in the episode titled “Hooray for Hollywood: Part 2” as the supposed former Beverly Hills home of Bugsy Siegel – “Might even be the house he got shot in!” according to Ernie West (Dylan McDermott) – where Jack Castello (David Corenswet) escorts Avis Amberg (Patti LuPone) to an estate sale of the slain gangster’s belongings.

While there Avis bids on – and wins – a soup tureen that she says Bugsy borrowed from her and never returned.

Hollywood is hardly the Petitfils-Boos Residence’s first rodeo.

As I mentioned, the estate was featured on Dexter in 2012. In the Season 7 episode titled “Are You . . . ?”, it masks as the Ukrainian mansion of Isaak Sirko (Ray Stevenson).

In 2014, it portrayed the home of Governor Paul Lane (Joel Gretsch) and his family in the Season 1 episode of Scorpion titled ‘”Single Point of Failure.”

Jennifer Aniston posed there for People magazine’s 2016 World’s Most Beautiful issue. You can see some video clips of the shoot here.

Jennifer Garner also posed at the mansion in 2016 for the March issue of Vanity Fair. You can watch a behind-the-scenes video of the shoot here.

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The Petitfils-Boos Residence played Hedda Hopper’s (Judy Davis) home – or as she calls it, “the house that fear built” – in the pilot episode of Feud: Bette and Joan, which aired in 2017.

And it popped up several times as the dwelling of Police Commission President Bradley Walker (John Getz) during the fourth season of Bosch, which aired in 2018.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: The Petitfils-Boos Residence, aka Bugsy Siegel’s house from the “Hooray for Hollywood: Part 2” episode of Hollywood, is located at 545 South Plymouth Boulevard in Windsor Square.