Desert oasis at the hub of old Hollywood social scene is listed for sale
This Spanish-style home in Palm Springs, listed at $2.199 million, has a history steeped in old Hollywood.
It’s set in the Racquet Club West neighborhood, where celebrity sightings were once common. Clark Gable, Doris Day and Kirk Douglas were among the actors who thronged to the desert playground.
Comedic actor Charles Butterworth, one of the original members of the nearby Racquet Club, was an early owner of the house. But the compound is also often associated with actress Jane Wyman, who leased the home shortly after her 1949 divorce from Ronald Reagan.
The 1935 residence is set on about an acre with a putting green, an oval swimming pool, a detached casita and an outdoor kitchen. The 4,743 square feet of living space include a media room and five bedrooms. The master suite has two fireplaces, a walk-in closet and a large soaking tub. Colorful Spanish tile adorns the seven bathrooms. There are mountain views.
Butterworth, who died in 1946 at 49, had a distinctive voice that inspired the Cap’n Crunch commercials. Among his film credits are “This Is the Army” (1943) and “The Sultan’s Daughter” (1944).
Wyman, who died in 2007 at 90, won a best actress Oscar for “Johnny Belinda” (1948). She and Reagan met and worked together on the film “Brother Rat” (1938).
Dean Sipe and the Dean Sipe Group of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties have the listing.
Twitter: @laurenebeale
