Making Room for Grandkids

KNBC-TV anchorman JESS MARLOW, one of the deans of local broadcasting, and his wife, Phyllis, have put their Orange County retreat on the market and are getting ready to build or buy a larger home nearby.

Reversing a trend of letting veteran news reporters go, KNBC, Channel 4, re-signed Marlow last fall to a new, multi-year contract to anchor the 6 p.m. newscast and give commentaries. Marlow has been described by his colleagues as “the soul of the station.”

He joined Channel 4 in 1966 and since then, has filed many network reports and served as host of “Today” and anchor of the weekend edition of “NBC Nightly News.”

The Marlows, who marked their 44th wedding anniversary earlier this month, live in Pasadena, but they have had a getaway place in Monarch Bay, five miles south of Laguna Beach, since 1989. “We bought the view--of the water and the Ritz-Carlton,” Phyllis Marlow said.

But the 28-year-old retreat, with two bedrooms in about 1,850 square feet, wasn’t large enough for them as they looked at what she called “the long-term future.” “Eventually, we would love to live down there and keep a townhouse in the city,” she said.

The Marlows have one daughter, who has two sons, ages 10 and 13. The grandchildren do not like to share a room when they visit. “They live in Colorado and are getting ready to move to Virginia, but when they come out, they’ll stay longer, and as long as we’re going to do something about having a larger place, we want to accommodate them,” she said.

An architect looked at the retreat to see if it could be expanded. “But it’s a small lot, and we’ll need three bedrooms and some office space,” she said.

Phyllis Marlow has overseen the remodeling of five houses and the completely new construction of two, including their Pasadena residence, which she built about two years ago on a lot that she subdivided.

So she probably will build their next house, and it will be in Monarch Bay, a community in Dana Point. “I love to build,” she said, “and we love the area, because the air is clean, it’s a gated community, and we can get out and walk around.” Their retreat is near the beach and a beach club.

The house, which is on land that is leased at $2,700 a year, is listed at $849,000 with Jock Patterson of Patterson Parks Real Estate in Laguna Beach.

*

Singer BARRY MANILOW, who had a five-day Radio City Music Hall run earlier this month and will perform in May on CBS’ Murphy Brown at her son’s first birthday party, has put his Bel-Air home of about 13 years on the market.

“He just wants to move,” said Michael Sahakian of Rodeo Realty, who has the $2.71-million listing.

Manilow was no sooner home from New York and Las Vegas than he was off to London and was unavailable for comment, but he has other homes in Southern California where he may relocate, sources say.

Built about 25 years ago, his 5,000-square-foot Bel-Air home is on two acres and has a guest house, recording studio and projection room.

*

Talent agent exec ROGER VORCE, who took over last October as president of the Agency for the Performing Arts (APA) when former president Marty Klein died, has purchased a Hollywood Hills house for just under $1 million, sources say. The asking price was $1.2 million.

Built in the 1970s, the home has three bedrooms and is on a hill with breathtaking views.

Vorce, 62, a founder of APA in 1962, was head of the agency’s New York office when Klein died of an apparent heart attack at 51. John Gaines, the other longtime APA partner in Los Angeles, died a few weeks later, prompting Vorce to establish himself here, though he will maintain a residence in New York.

APA took such stand-up comedians as Steve Martin and Harry Anderson from nightclubs to movies and TV. After signing up Harry Belafonte as its first big client, the agency went on to represent the Doors, Johnny Cash and such actors as Bernadette Peters and Ned Beatty. Vorce himself was Liberace’s agent from 1961 until the entertainer died in 1987.

*

Actor/screenwriter DOUG BARR, who played Jerry Masterson in Jackie Collins’ “Lady Boss” TV miniseries in 1992 but may be best remembered as Lee Majors’ sidekick Howie Munson in “The Fall Guy” TV series, and his wife, actress/painter Clare Kirkconnell, have listed their Hancock Park home at slightly less than $1.5 million.

“I’m thinking about leaving town, but I’m not leaving the business,” he emphasized. After almost nine years in his Colonial-style home, built in 1919, he’s ready, he said, to buy a ranch somewhere, maybe Montana, and commute to Hollywood.

“The time is right, because we have a 3-year-old, and we should do it before he gets into school,” Barr said. “Besides, I’ve been writing more, so that gives us more flexibility than we had.” He wrote the TV movie “Fade to Black,” which aired on the USA Channel in February.

The Barrs’ 4,400-square-foot home has four bedrooms plus maid’s quarters, a sun room, paddle tennis court, spa and pool. It’s listed with Luke Daniels and Sue Ahn of Fred Sands’ Westwood/Century City office.