Holmby Hills home built for motion picture pioneer Allan Dwan asks $35 million
A Westside estate built in 1939 for prolific early filmmaker Allan Dwan, whose long list of film credits include “Robin Hood” (1922) and “Heidi” (1937), and his second wife, actress Marie Shelton, has come up for sale at $35 million.
Designed by architect-to-the-stars Robert Finkelhor, known for his large-scale revival estates, the Colonial-style house sits across from the Playboy Mansion on about two acres of park-like grounds.
Marked by a large motor court, the front facade features sets of slender pillars, a two-story portico and an ornate frontispiece above the front door. Green shutters and flower boxes add a splash of color to the crisp white exterior.
The 6,055-square-foot interior features a formal entry with a grand center staircase, large-scale living and dining rooms, a center-island kitchen, a wood-paneled study and a library. The master suite has a fireplace for a total of six bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Across from the main house is a pool house, pavilion and swimming pool once featured in the 1981 film “Mommie Dearest.” Scenes from the television series “Beverly Hills, 90210” also were shot on the grounds.
Lawns, formal landscaping and a north-south tennis court complete the setting.
The house last changed hands six years ago for $11 million, public records show.
Christophe Choo of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage holds the listing.
Dwan, who died in 1981, made more than 400 movies over his career, which spanned the silents, talkies and the evolution of the wide screen. Among his credits were eight films starring Gloria Swanson, comedies such as “Brewster’s Millions” and his final film, “The Most Dangerous Man Alive” (1961).
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