Unlike the last time we came across a house that purportedly once belonged to actress Marion Davies, this listing's claim is actually substantiated. Built in 1923, the five-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bath Beverly Hills residence--listed at $12.5 million--has also been home to Bing Crosby, producer Harry Cohn, and early Hollywood screenwriter Aleen Leslie. And an excerpt from the book "Hollywood: The Movie Lover's Guide," by Richard Alleman: "In the mid-1920s, William Randolph Hearst bought this beautiful mansion for his mistress, Marion Davies. Just to keep everything on the up and up—on paper, anyway—the house was bought in the name of Marion’s mother, Rose, who also lived there. Because Marion loved to entertain lavishly, a ballroom was immediately added to the house; according to Hollywood legend, this was accomplished in a week’s time with carpenters and craftsman working around the clock."
The home is located on approximately one-and-a-half acres near the Beverly Hills Hotel. More via the listing: "Glide up the circular drive to the crafted 2-story entry. To the right is a step-down paneled living room with leaded windows, fireplace and beautifully detailed plaster ceiling. Across the back of the home is a grand salon with doors opening to a large portico, tree-rimmed garden and pool."
Davies also loved to entertain in the recently remodeled Annenberg Beach House, described as her primary residence from 1929 to 1942, according to the Beach House's web site. The Santa Monica home "was the backdrop against which Davies and Hearst threw lavish theme parties, solidifying their reputation as the power couple of Hollywood. These parties guaranteed Davies’ renown as unequaled in generosity, but also contributed to a party-girl reputation." Now that's our kind of gal.
· 1700 Lexington Rd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 [Redfin]
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