The listing for this French Normandy Revival on Laurel View Drive purports that it was originally owned by scandalous silent film siren Barbara La Marr, and as much as we'd like to believe it, this claim seems highly dubious. For one thing, the house was built in 1926; Ms. La Marr died in January of that year at the tender age of 29 (cause of death: tuberculosis exacerbated by nasty heroin and cocaine habits). Furthermore, while there's plenty of documentation linking the five-times-married, twice-widowed actress to a Spanish-style hacienda in Whitley Heights, you'll be hard-pressed to find any evidence of her taking up residence at this address. It does, however, rate an entry in the dependable Movieland Directory—as the onetime home of the obscure and much-less-interesting silent film director Richard Wallace. Anyway, moving on to the house today: it's got seven bedrooms, seven baths, four fireplaces, some nice vintage features (e.g., wood paneling, decorative moldings, leaded glass, lots of built-ins), and some off-key updates (including but not limited to: ceiling fans, linoleum, mismatched wood flooring, and wacky murals). Other features include an oblong swimming pool and lovely views. Asking price for the .42-acre property is a highly specific $4.223232 million.
· 8170 Laurel View Drive [Estately]
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