Tom’s Tour of Stars Homes To Get As Close As Possible To The Hollywood Sign

Up the block at the northwestern corner of Doheny Dr. and Sunset is Gil Turner’s liquor store where Halle Berry drove her car through the front bay window. Leaving her car sticking into the store she walked two blocks up Doheny to her home (1164 N. Doheny Dr.) and went to bed. The sheriffs woke her up the next morning and she said she didn’t remember a thing. She also drove her car through the bay window of the Land Rover dealership down the block on the south side of the street.

Turn right on Doheny Rd. from Sunset and on the right side of the street is Sierra Towers (9255 Doheny Rd. 310-888-3787) where Cher lives in the penthouse. Mathew Perry who played Chandler on “Friends” lives there. Peter Lawford (Rat Pack) lived there until an earthquake swayed the tallest building in Beverly Hills. He moved out a couple of weeks later.

At the first stop sign and on the left side of the street is the home (400 Doheny Rd.) where Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe lived while they were married. Even after their divorce Joe was jealous of his ex-wife and paid a private detective to follow her, certain she was seeing someone. The private investigator kicked down the wrong door in the apartment building and Joe was sued big time.

I was an ambulance driver for Schaefer’s Ambulance in the early 70’s. Schaefers was the company that picked up Marilyn Monroe the night she died. The rumor among drivers who had been working for Schaefer’s at the time of her death was that an ambulance picked her up alive and while enroute to the hospital got a call from the dispatcher who ordered them to return Marilyn back home. It is illegal in California to return someone home once you’ve loaded them into the ambulance so if this did happen it would mean someone powerful had the means to contradict state law. The story then goes that a few hours later the same ambulance was dispatched back to Marilyn’s home to find her dead.

Doheny Road is named after the Doheny family, one of the richest families in the 20’s. Edward L. Doheny had only one son, Edward (Ned) Jr., and built a huge mansion for him as a wedding present. The house, sitting on 22 acres of choice real estate, took three years to build at a cost of 3.1 million dollars.

Six months after Ned moved in with his new wife, Lucy, he was shot dead on February 16^th, 1929 by Hugh Plunkett, who then turned the gun on himself. Or so the story goes.

Lucy Doheny didn’t call the cops for six hours, which fueled the Hollywood rumor mill that Plunkett was having an affair with Ned and when Lucy found out she shot both of them in a fit of jealousy. Plunket met the Doheny family while working a service station owned by the father of Lucy Smith, who later married Ned Doheny. After the younger Doheny marriage Plunkett became the family chauffeur.

He served in the Navy during WWI, and after the war became an increasingly close confidante to Ned Doheny, eventually serving as personal secretary. Testimony about Plunkett’s unstable behavior over the previous six months, and Dr. Fishbaugh’s testimony about the family’s concern for Plunkett’s sanity, reinforced the finding that he was the murderer. No formal inquest was ever held.

It is now a city park called Greystone (905 Loma Vista Dr. 310-285-2534). If you Google the park you’ll find pages of movies that have been shot there including “Rush Hour” with Jackie Chan climbing over the front gate. George Clooney in “Batman and Robin” drove the Batmobile through that gate. “Witches of Eastwick” - “Tarzan of Greystone” and “X Men” were all shot here as well. As you drive a few feet and look over the wall on the right, you’ll see the school and home of the good mutants in “X Men”.

Down the block and after the street curves to the right was the home of Ozzie Osbourne (512 N. Doheny Rd). where his reality MTV series “The Osbournes” was shot. While a grad student in Vancouver, Canada I worked as a bodyguard to Ozzie for an entire evening at one of his concerts. I walked next to him for more than three hours and he never said a word to me. Last year one of his avid fans, a young lady from Australia, told me she wanted to see Ozzie Osbourne’s home so I drove her over here. She sat down on that top step and just as I was taking the picture Ozzie’s bodyguard opened the door and asked, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” It was the best photo she could ask for. Ozzie moved out not long after although I doubt that had anything to do with his move. There are two front red doors. You can see where a gargoyle was on each door and a missing metal plate on the right door. That plate read, “Ignore the Dog. Beware of the Owner”.

The new owner of the home is Christina Aguilera (512 N. Doheny Rd). The next drive way gives you a view of her two bedroom windows. She once told Ellen Degeneres that on Sundays she and her husband have a tradition of never wearing clothes around the house.

Past the next stop light and on the left side is a long white house (612 Doheny Dr.) where Carol Burnett once lived. After her daughter died of cancer she said the house had too many memories so she moved out.

Turn right at Calle Vista Street as it winds uphill to the new 35 million home of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Rumor has it that Cruise paid four thousand dollars to have that street declared a fire lane, which made it illegal for tour buses to drive on.

After the next stop light at Foothill turn left and head down towards Sunset. The last home on the right side was Frank Sinatra’s (915 N. Foothill Rd.). Read Tina Sinatra’s book, “My Father’s Daughter: A Memoir” (10/10/2000)

At the bottom of the hill and right at Sunset on the right side are trees with a green band around them. Those are the new trees that had to be planted after Lindsey Lohan jumped the curb and crashed into the small trees that were there, barely missing a huge palm tree. She ran from the scene and called her assistant telling him to get the car. By the time he got there the Beverly Hills police had searched the car and found cocaine. After a trial she eventually served 50 minutes due to overcrowding of the jails.

Continue left on Lexington. The third house on the left side of the street is Dr. Phil’s (1008 Lexington Rd.). He was standing in the driveway last year and waved when I honked so at least he is friendly to his fans. His wife kicked him out last year so to work things out he took a cruise with her. While they were gone he had the entire home remodeled as a surprise for her. It must have worked because she’s on his show daily.

Two blocks down Lexington at the next stop light across the street and on the right side is the mansion of the young rapper Bow Wow (1001 Beverly Dr).

Proceed up Lexington and turn right at Hartford then right again at the first stop sign which is Benedict Canyon. You’ll see a huge castle looking mansion on the distant hill straight ahead. That was the mansion of the silent film star Valentino.

The first stop light is Tower Rd. Look to the right to see the yellow house, which is Jay Leno’s (1151 N. Tower Rd.). A few more feet, look to the right and behind Leno’s you’ll see the top half of a white house with three windows facing you. That’s the home of David Beckham.

It’s difficult to slow down for photos but after you tour Green Acres Dr. a few blocks up you have to turn around and there is much more time to slow down in the right lane in the intersection on the way back down Benedict Canyon.

A few blocks ahead turn left on Green Acres. The house immediately on the right is Jackie Chan’s (1705 N. Green Acres Dr.). The house on the left was the last home Michael Landon (Bonanza, Little House On The Prairie) lived in (1700 N. Green Acres Dr.) before moving his family to Malibu where they lived until his death. I remember hearing on the news one day that Landon had gone grocery shopping and left the keys in his Ferrari. It was gone when he came out of the store.

Straight ahead and behind the wall of roses was the home of Bea Arthur (Maude, Golden Girls) who recently died (1710 N. Green Acres Dr.). Across the street was the home of Betty White.

Next to Bea Arthur’s home is Kathy Bates (Misery, Titanic) house (1720 N. Green Acres Dr.).

At the top of hill is the huge estate (23,114 sq. ft. house alone on a 212,943 sq. ft. lot) of P. Diddy (1740 N. Green Acres Dr.). When he’s having one of his parties, at least twenty valets will be standing outside the front gate and no parking is allowed along Green Acres.

Turn right on Benedict Canyon and proceed to Roxbury. If you turned left and drove about a mile up Benedict Canyon you would see George Reeves home (TV’s Superman) (1579 Benedict Canyon Dr.) which Toni Mannix, (married to Eddie Mannix, a studio thug) bought for George for the price of $12,000. It’s on the left hand side of the street.

Looking up at those bedroom windows is chilling knowing Reeves either shot himself or was killed up there on June 16^th, 1959 three days before he planned on marrying new girlfriend Lenore Lemmon. Reeves received numerous death threats after leaving Toni including phone calls, traffic accidents and even one incident in which George would wreck his car before discovering that all of the brake fluid had been drained from the car’s lines.

There has always been rumors that he was killed because the spent shell casing was found underneath his body, no fingerprints on the gun found by his body, no powder marks found on Reeve’s body, he had several fresh bruises and the location of the entrance and exit wounds did not line up with the path of the bullet indicated by its entrance into the wall. A car parked across the street was heard speeding off shortly after the gunshot.

At Roxbury turn right. At one time that street was door-to-door stars. Immediately on the right was the home of Agnes Moorhead (“Bewitched”). The next house once belonged to Madonna. The next house on the right was George Gershwin’s (1019 N. Roxbury Dr.) then the next house belonged to his brother Ira Gershwin (1021 N. Roxbury Dr.).

The next house was Rosemary Clooney’s where George Clooney lived for years when he first arrived from Tennessee. They tore down the original house Rosemary Clooney lived in and built what’s there now.

The huge tan house around the curve and on the left side of the street is Peter Falk from “Colombo” (1004 N. Roxbury Dr.). He has Alzheimer’s now but for a long time you would see him out walking his dogs. The red brick house next to Falk’s was Jack Benny and Mary Livingston’s (1002 N. Roxbury Dr.). He had it in his will that she would get a rose every day of her life. The next house (1000 N. Roxbury Dr.) is where Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz lived when their children were very young.

Across Roxbury from Lucille Ball’s old home is a large white house where Eddie Cantor lived. Across Lexington from Lucille Ball’s was Jimmy Stewart’s home. They tore down his house and built the house that’s there now for the new owners, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Antony.

Turn right on Roxbury at Lexington and again right at the dead end at Whittier. Turn left at the stop sign and you’re on Monovale Dr. which turns into Carolwood Dr. at the first stop sign. The first house on the left (105 N. Monovale Dr.) belongs to Ricky Martin, the singer.

The house at the first stop sign on your right side is the second home of Snoop Dogg (206 N. Monovale Dr.). He records and does all his partying there. One day I had a kid from the East Coast on the tour who loved Snoop Dogg. Snoop’s trash cans were out and one of those mirrored disco globes was sitting on the top of the trash. I asked the kid if he wanted it and of course he did. I got out of the van and walked over to pick it up. Just then the gate opened at Snoops place and a guard asked me what I was doing. I told him a kid in my tour loved Snoop Dogg. He said to go ahead and take it. I grabbed the globe and a beach towel at the top of the trash and gave it to the boy. That sure made his day.

Elvis Presley lived at 144 Monovale Dr.

While still at the stop sign look to your left. That huge castle-like mansion belongs to Sir Sean Connery (100 N. Carolwood Dr.). There’s a small gate on the left. A car with white walls was parked inside that gate for almost a year. It was covered but obviously an old car since it had white walls. One day it was gone. The large front gates are just to the left after the stop sign. Last year I was about to pull into Connery’s driveway to turn around when those gates started to open. I thought someone was coming out but it was Sean Connery racing past me in his Mercedes. The gates quickly closed quickly once he was on the property. Sean Connery’s mansion was leased to Michael Jackson at the time of his death. This is where he died and you’ll find several flowers and other mementos left by fans to the left of those front gates.

On July 4^th of 2008 I was taking a tour and about to turn left towards Sean Connery’s front gates when I noticed a car with two very serious looking men in suits in the front seats. Something struck me as unusual about the car and I told everyone on the tour that someone famous must be in that car. The driver motioned for me to continue turning left.

As I passed him on the driver’s side I could see he had one of those listening devices in his ear with a cord running down inside his suit jacket. More on that car in a minute.

Continue north on Carolwood and immediately to the left is a yellow house owned by Steve Martin (225 N. Carolwood Dr.). He was married last year so you’re seeing more people visiting now. Next to Steve Martin’s home is the house where Clark Gable lived (237 N. Carolwood Dr.). Tall wooden front doors mark his home.

Across Carolwood from Clark Gable is a house where I saw that unusual car now parked in the driveway. Two serious looking men in suits stood on the street just watching us as we stopped to look at the unusual car.

We all looked right to see Secret Service agents help Nancy Reagan out of the car. No celebrity lives there but they must be very politically powerful to get Nancy Reagan for a 4^th Of July party. We stopped and watched her for at least five minutes. She looked so frail. The two Secret Service agents on the street didn’t say a word to us. Four or five young Canadians on the tour said they never heard of Nancy Reagan.

The next house on the same side of the street as Clark Gable’s old home is Loni Anderson’s (“WKRP in Cincinnati”) place (245 N. Carolwood Dr.). She was once married to Burt Reynolds. I worked as a maintenance man for KTLA in the 70’s because I was trying to pitch a “WKRP in Cincinnati” script I had written. Everyone in the cast was friendly to, especially Howard Hesseman, but you couldn’t get near Loni Anderson.

Next is the most interesting mailbox I’ve ever seen on the left. A mailbox in a giant hand.

All of property on the left just past this mailbox belongs to Rod Stewart (391 N. Carolwood Dr.) although with all the trees and high fence there isn’t much to see.

The house next to Rod Stewart was where Walt Disney lived (355 N. Carolwood Dr.) and the estate is huge (127, 348 sq. ft.). Tina Sinatra wrote in her book, “My Father’s Daughter: A Memoir” (10/10/2000), that before Disneyland was built she, her sister Nancy & brother Frank Jr. would walk up to Disney’s home with Bing Crosby’s kids and Walt Disney would give them a ride on a small train around his property.

The next house is where Gregory Peck lived (375 N. Carolwood Dr.) but after this death they torn the house and all of the landscaping down.

Turn right at the next stop sign and down to the second stop sign at Benedict Canyon. Turn right and right again after passing across Lexington. Turn right on Bedford, which will take you back to Sunset. Turn right on Sunset. As the street winds west you’ll see a number of statues on the left (1000 Sunset Blvd.). That’s the home of the director John Landis (“Animal House” - “Blues Brothers” - “Thriller” video -“Twilight Zone”).

Some people mistakenly believe that’s the home of Bill Cosby because of similar statues. Judy Garland (Birth name: Frances Gumm) lived in this house when she was in her early twenties.

Landis was at the top of his game but his career went south after Vic Morrow and two Vietnamese children were killed when a helicopter came crashing down on them while filming “Twilight Zone”. Landis was tried but acquitted. His career was never the same. Michael Jackson once came to visit him at his office on Universal Studios lot.

Landis asked Michael Jackson if he wanted to go on the “Back To The Future” ride. Michael left and came back wearing a cape, wig, hat and mask. Landis told him, “Yeah, Michael. Now you won’t stand out.”

Just past Beverly Glenn and on the right side are the gates to Bel Air. If you turned left on Beverly Glenn you get down to the Playboy Mansion and Aaron Spelling’s huge estate. Spelling’s place is so huge they tore down Bing Crosby’s place just for part of this huge mansion.

Turn right and pass through the open Bel Air gates. Bel Air was founded by Alphonzo E. Bell in 1923. President Reagan lived at 666 St. Cloud but had the address changed to 668 because Nancy objected to the satanic overtones of 666. Exterior shots for the TV show “Beverly Hillbillies” were shot at 750 Bel Air Road.

Proceed straight until the road curves uphill and to the left on Copa De Ora. Stop at the stop sign and look to your right. The huge white mansion was used for exterior shots in “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” (417 N. Amapola Ln.). Will Smith used to memorize not only his but the other actor’s lines as well when he first started in the show. If you looked at his lips while other actors are speaking their lines you’ll see his lips are moving.

Continue ahead and immediately on the right is a huge red brick castle once lived in by Dean Martin (363 N. Copa De Oro Rd.). He sold the home to Tom Jones who sold it to its present owner, Nicholas Cage. I’ve seen the second set of gates open only once and that was when they were having a party for one of the kids. He married a waitress a few years ago. As of November 2009 this mansion was in foreclosure due to massive debts Cage owed the IRS, among others. He blamed his investment counselor.

The Hilton family house is at 380 N. Copa De Oro Rd. The driveway on the left is the scene of the famous “Mother’s Day’ driveway theft where Paris had her bag of gifts for her mother stolen when she was trying to get through the paparazzi and into her own mother’s home.

Turn left at the first stop sign and again at the first block. The first house you’ll see belongs to Debra Messing (10475 Bellagio Rd.) from “Will and Grace”. A few homes down and on the left side is a huge southern style mansion belonging to Richard Gere (10445 Bellagio Rd.). You’ll find a Buddha on each side of his front door. The home next to Gere’s was Dabney Coleman’s mansion (10431 Bellagio Rd.) in the movie “9 to 5” with Dolly Parton and Jane Fonda.

Turn left on Sunset. If you turned right at Sunset instead the next stop light would be Hilgard. That’s where UCLA campus starts. It extends all the way down to Veteran. (There is a huge veteran’s cemetery to the left.) All of the sororities are on Hilgard. Westwood Village extends from south of campus down to Wilshire Blvd.

They used to have all the so-called Hollywood movie premieres in Westwood Village because for the longest time nobody wanted to be in Hollywood at night. Once the Kodak Center was completed, security was beefed up with thousands of security cameras all over the area around Hollywood and Highland. Now they’re having movie premieres again at the Chinese Grauman Theater.

They continue to have movie premieres in Westwood at either the Fox or Bruin Theater, which are across the street from each other. I met Barbara Streisand in a yogurt shop next to the Fox. It’s now a Starbucks.

As you head back east on Sunset you’ll approach the residential part of Rodeo Drive. At the stop light you’ll see the Beverly Hills Hotel on the left (9641 Sunset Blvd. 310-276-2251). It was opened on May 12, 1912 and started by Margaret J. Anderson and her son, Stanley. The Sultan of Brunei owns it now. Howard Hughes used to live in one of the bungalows and one year spent $10 million there to house all of his girlfriends.

Celebrity interviews are held at either at the Chateau Marmont or the Polo Lounge (310-276-2251) at the Beverly Hills Hotel. It’s called the Polo Lounge because there used to be a polo field across the street where Spencer Tracy and Clark Gable used to play polo. Anyone can go to the Polo Lounge and hang out there hoping to see a celebrity. At one time legend has it that Mia Farrow and Marlene Dietrich were banned from the Polo Lounge for wearing pants. As a side note horses were banned in the city of Beverly Hills in 1930.