As an LA native, I’ve watched in horror along with everyone else at the fire-related destruction in Los Angeles this last week. Some of my friends have lost their home and all possessions, particularly in Pacific Palisades. For my friends here in the industry, fellow film historians, and fans of classic movies, there’s an added layer of shock as chunks of Hollywood history have vanished. Landmarks like the Will Rogers Ranch – literally gone with the wind…
For the worldwide Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy fans who gather each June in LA to celebrate their lives, one of the highlights is a driving tour around town, visiting their homes and landmarks, and walking in their paths. One of the favorite spots is a house Nelson Eddy owned in Pacific Palisades, at 17720 Porto Marina Way, just off Pacific Coast Highway. It was built in 1930 by the great black architect, Paul Williams, the “architect to the stars” also the designer of the LA County Courthouse and the famous Theme Building at LAX. The man was a genius and artist. My understanding from the owner was that originally the back outdoor staircase from Nelson’s house took you down right onto the beach. Later they re-routed Pacific Coast Highway to wedge between the short, narrow street of houses and the beach, into the wide driving route we now know. At the beginning of the street, just before Nelson’s house, is the famous Thelma Todd Sidewalk Cafe, now housing commercial offices. The photo below shows how it looked back in the day, before she was brutally murdered in the garage behind the building.
Paul Williams designed Nelson’s house and the entire street, I was told. There was also originally a stables there down the road for the stars’ horses. Nelson used to ride his horse on the beach.
The house was originally owned by Lawrence Tibbett. We toured the house awhile back and much of the original remains, from the Malibu tile spiral staircases to an original fireplace and both bathtub and shower plumbing. It also has the original choir loft built for these singers to entertain friends in the spacious living room overseeing the ocean. Below is an older shot of the house, although it’s unknown what color the house was originally. The 360 degree “widow’s walk” to the right was Nelson’s attached studio, affording him privacy but also a spiral staircase to lead him into the main house, where his mother Isabel Eddy had the master bedroom and her maid the second bedroom. Nelson used this house as an escape for privacy in 1939, to get away from the problems with his recent marriage to Ann Franklin.
Several people have emailed or messaged me, asking about the fate of Nelson’s house. Thanks to Mary Lynn Shearer; as of today (which coincidentally is the 60th anniversary of Jeanette MacDonald’s passing), she discovered it was miraculously spared! See the map above that shows Nelson’s house marked in black, which would indicate there was “no damage.” The house next to it was “affected” and the next 3 up the block are noted “destroyed.” Below, the beach house as it looks today.
To sum up, the only two properties on this strip that survived are Thelma Todd’s cafe (as it looks now) and Nelson’s beach house.
Granted this is just a lesser, tiny miracle in the scheme of things but still thankful for small blessings!
