Buster Keaton's Italian villa

Buster Keaton's Italian Villa
Postcard view of exterior, fountain, landscaping
Interactive map of the Buster Keaton's Italian Villa area
Alternative names
Buster Keaton Estate
General information
Location1004 Hartford Way, now 1018 Pamela Drive
Coordinates34°05′06″N 118°25′11″W / 34.0850°N 118.4197°W / 34.0850; -118.4197
Completed
1926
CostUS$300,000 (equivalent to $5,455,827 in 2025)
ClientBuster Keaton, Natalie Talmadge
Design and construction
ArchitectGene Verge

Buster Keaton's Italian villa is a historic home of California, United States. The original address was 1004 Hartford Way in Beverly Hills.[1] Somewhat less opulent than Pickfair or the Harold Lloyd Estate, the house was grand by any other measure, and has been described as one of Beverly Hills' most celebrated properties.[2][3] It was the second of two homes Keaton built in Beverly Hills during his creative heyday to share with his wife, actress Natalie Talmadge, their children, and their extensive friend group.

History

In 1924, American film actor-director-producer-stuntman Buster Keaton secretly built a house in Beverly Hills for him and his wife Natalie to live in, but upon seeing it, she rejected her gift. She had to keep up appearances, especially in comparison with her actress sisters Norma Talmadge and Constance Talmadge, and she thought the house was too small and insufficient in that it lacked for servants' quarters.[4]

Keaton tried again. He bought another lot, behind the Beverly Hills Hotel, and collaborating with architect Gene Verge and his special effects man, Fred "Gabe" Gabourie, he designed a new mansion.[4] The house had five bedrooms and quarters for six servants.[5] It had at least 20 rooms total.[3] The footprint was 11,000 square feet (1,000 m2).[6] The style was California Italianate.[7] It was constructed in 1926 for $200,000 and furnished for roughly $100,000.[8] It originally had a U-shaped driveway lined with 42 palm trees that cost $14,000.[9][4] Among other unusual details was a "mechanized trout stream overhung by an aviary that followed the property line between Buster's land" and Tom Mix's house.[10] Keaton, a fairly skilled amateur engineer, designed some of the furniture, including a mirror and dresser set for Natalie's suite of rooms.[11] Her closet had a secret door.[12]

The house sat on 3 acres (1.2 ha).[3] The backyard had a 30-foot (9.1 m) "Romanesque" swimming pool.[7] The gardens were designed by a landscaper who had previously worked for Pope Pius XII.[7]

The house was used to shoot Parlor, Bedroom, and Bath in 1931.[12] Buster Keaton and Natalie Talmadge divorced. He declared bankruptcy. She got the house and sold it in September 1932.[12][4]

After the Keaton–Talmadges sold out, the home was later bought and sold by a chain of movie stars including Cary Grant and James Mason.[13] Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton were roommates in the guest house in the 1950s.[9] Pamela and James Mason, who bought the house in 1949, discovered that the home was a de facto silent movie treasure trove that had preserved copies of several important movies and at least one lost film. Keaton had edited his films in a shed on the property. When he moved out, he left behind several film prints in the padlocked shed, and there they remained, forgotten, for 30-odd years.[9] In the 1950s the Masons sold off part of the lot, including the steps, the swimming pool, and half the driveway.[9] Pamela Mason lived in the house by herself until 1997.[14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Atkinson, Janet I. (1988). Los Angeles County Historical Directory. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-89950-301-1. OCLC 18106218.
  2. ↑ "Inside the Stars' Homes". Los Angeles Times. July 1, 1999. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  3. 1 2 3 Wanamaker, Marc (2005). Early Beverly Hills. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-3068-0.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Legendary Estates of Beverly Hills – Pamela Drive". Hilton & Hyland. November 2, 2023. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  5. ↑ Dardis (1988), p. 116.
  6. ↑ Leitereg, Neil J. (September 30, 2016). "Buster Keaton estate in Beverly Hills comes full circle after $16.2-million sale". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  7. 1 2 3 Higham & Moseley (1990), p. 125.
  8. ↑ Curtis (2022), p. 314.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Damfinos (2003), p. 4.
  10. ↑ Damfinos (2003), p. 7.
  11. ↑ Damfinos (2003), p. 9.
  12. 1 2 3 Ryon, Ruth (June 17, 2001). "Turning Back Clock on 1920s Villa". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  13. ↑ World Biography. Institute for Research in Biography. 1954. p. 754.
  14. ↑ Weddle, David (2003). Among the Mansions of Eden: Tales of Love, Lust, and Land in Beverly Hills. Harper Collins. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-06-019817-6.

Sources

  • n.a. (October 2003), Buster Keaton's Italian Villa: Then and Now, The Damfinos: The International Buster Keaton Society{{citation}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  • Curtis, James (2022). Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
  • Dardis, Tom (1988). Keaton, the Man who Wouldn't Lie Down. Limelight Editions.
  • Higham, Charles; Moseley, Roy (1990). Cary Grant: The Lonely Heart. Avon Books.
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