1742 North Gardner Street

 

Originally subdivided by Mr. Hollywood himself, real estate magnate, CE Toberman, this neighborhood has always provided respite for the creative individuals of the entertainment industry.- Read more about CE Toberman in our recent blog on 1847 Camino Palmero 

 

 

Circa 1919: Within the year after Brothers Sam, Jack, Harry and Albert Warner, opened Warner Bros. Studios on nearby Sunset Boulevard, builder Lee Campbell was contracted to break ground at 1742 North Gardner. Campbell is perhaps best known for his work on the Highland Camrose Bungalow Village. Highland Camrose was a scattering of 14 wood-sided homes built between 1916 and 1923 for employees of movie studios in Burbank and Studio City. The village would go on to house numerous future super stars: Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Marilyn Monroe and Tyrone Power, Linda Ronstadt and Jackson Browne, to name a few, and was added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1989. More modest than Whitley heights, Highland Camrose had been sited on land that was once a portion of the Rancho La Brea, a Mexican Land grant.

 

“The houses were meant to be durable, comfortable and charming, composed of natural materials that were economic and required low maintenance.” – Courtesy of: hollywoodheritage

 

Constructed during same time frame as Highland Camrose Bungalow Village, 1742 North Gardner reflects archetypal California Arts and Crafts characteristics meant to invoke harmony with nature, restfulness and simplicity. Over the years, many industry notables have resided on this placid block of North Gardner.

 

 

Samuel Goldwyn, the founding contributor and executive of several Hollywood motion picture studios, including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, lived in a home at the corner of Gardner and Franklin.

 

 

One of Hollywood’s finest character actors, Barry Fitzgerald, lived in the home next door to 1742 North Gardner. He’d played in both John Ford and Alfred Hitchcock films before he took up residence in Hollywood and went on to give outstanding performances in such films as The Long Voyage Home (1940), and How Green Was My Valley (1941). Fitzgerald is perhaps most fondly remembered for his performance in The Quiet Man, but he won the Academy Award For Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of gruff, aging Father Fitzgibbon in Going My Way (1944).

 

 

Interesting fact: Fitzgerald was the only player ever nominated for the Academy Award for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in the same year for the same role in Going My Way. After he received this double nomination, the Academy immediately changed their rules to prevent this from happening again, rules which have remained unchanged to this day!

 

 

1742 North Gardner’s original features have been preserved the way the builder intended. Hardwood floors gleam throughout,

 

 

and that’s Batchelder tile on the fireplace alongside a distinctive custom inglenook that was, no doubt, built on-site.

 

 

Impeccable custom shelving showcase objets d’art and books. The living room flows naturally into the dining room.

 

 

1742 North Gardner’s open floor plan is indicative of the Craftsman movement, as is the built-in hutch in the formal dining room.

 

 

The French doors in the sunroom draw the visitor out into the tranquil yard that’s perfect for casual entertaining and visiting with neighbors.

 

One coy neighbor, whose family has resided and owned property on North Gardner for a century, says the block has always been well-connected to Hollywood.

 

 

Iconic television actor Raymond Burr once lived at 1722 North Gardner. He won two Emmys for the role of Perry Mason, which he played for nine seasons between 1957 and 1966. His second hit series, Ironside, earned him six Emmy nominations, and two Golden Globe nominations. Burr was beloved on North Gardner, and remembered as “very neighborly.” Despite his fame, the actor often visited with his neighbors. Burr eventually moved up to the top of North Sierra Bonita. Read More about the Raymond Burr Estate on our Blog:

 

 

Burr died in 1993 of cancer, but his legend lives on having been ranked #44 on TV Guide‘s 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time in 1996.

 

 

1742 North Gardner’s shy neighbor, who still resides on the block, says today is a modern version of the Old Hollywood he remembers–sans telephone party lines.

 

 

1742 North Gardner’s kitchen houses a vintage O’Keefe and Merritt range, farm sink, and top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances, of course. The built-in desk is one of the timeless features of Craftsman homes–as useful now as a century ago.

 

 

Modern details, such as Carrera countertops, dovetail nicely in this family-oriented space, as does the breakfast nook with a custom China cabinet.

 

 

The master bedroom suite features an exquisitely large master bath. When it’s time to pamper oneself, there’s a luxurious claw-foot tub.

 

 

 

Industry notables still enjoy the peaceful rise up North Gardner–it remains only minutes away from the studios. Producer and studio executive, Liz Glotzer, once lived in 1742 North Gardner. She headed Castle Rock Entertainment, and more recently was named head of King Size Productions, which will be based at CBS Television Studios.

 

Glotzer began at Castle Rock Entertainment at its inception in 1987, and during her time there, the company produced over 90 films including When Harry Met Sally, Honeymoon in Vegas, A Few Good Men, Best in Show, The Polar Express, and Miss Congeniality. Glotzer has also served as a producer and executive producer on 17 movies. Her credits include The Shawshank Redemption, Friends With Benefits and Two Weeks Notice. Before Castle Rock, Glotzer was at the Samuel Goldwyn Company – recall that Samuel Goldwyn was also a resident on North Gardner and we’ve come full circle!

 

 

Shy neighbor says the celebrities who live here now are very private — Jeremy Renner recently sold a “Hollywood Hills below Runyon Canyon home that had once belonged to 1930s and ’40s screwball filmmaker Preston Sturges for @ $4.5 Million.

 

 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, stargazers need only lace up their hiking shoes to spot celebs:

 

“Nobody famous eats at The Ivy anymore. The Polo Lounge isn’t the celebrity magnet it used to be, either. No, if you want to spy stars and other industry hotshots in public these days, you have to take a hike in Runyon Canyon, arguably the best spot in town for encountering the rich and renowned (and stepping in their dogs’ poop).

“For a while, you would see Charlize Theron and her son here a lot, entering from Mulholland Drive,” says one Runyon regular. Another frequent visitor recently spotted CAA partner Bryan Lourd at the park, “looking pensive.” Natalie Portman, Orlando Bloom, Justin Bieber, Channing Tatum, Kathy Griffin, Alexander Skarsgard and Elle Macpherson are all Runyon fans. Amanda Seyfried lives next door, as does Fifty Shades of Grey director Sam Taylor-Johnson and Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball. Until recently, Matthew McConaughey also owned a home nearby — and could frequently be seen strolling through the park (shirtless, naturally).” The Hollywood Reporter: Why Hiking Runyon Canyon Is the Best Way to See the Stars