Yes, Bette Davis did sleep here
WHEN this Palm Springs hacienda was originally envisioned in 1933, it was called Villa Santa Lucia. The name didn’t stick, however. It has been known unofficially for decades as the Bette Davis estate, even though the film star never owned it.
Davis leased the self-contained guesthouse in the 1950s and ‘60s from the original owner, a Southern belle named Lulie Burroughs Morrison, who married a local ex-priest. She held title until 1983.
The new owner -- an entertainment executive -- has continued to keep a foot in Hollywood. Last fall, the estate was rented to actress Nicole Kidman.
About this house: The current owner has spent more than $1 million restoring and expanding the estate. The walled and gated compound is in the Old Las Palmas area of Palm Springs, where many stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age leased and owned homes. It has mountain views.
Asking price: $5,195,000
Size: There are five bedrooms and six bathrooms in 6,000 square feet, including the guesthouse. The one-level estate is on 1.3 acres.
Features: The compound has a library and a theater in the main house and a living room and a kitchen in the guest cottage. It also has a gym, a spa, a sauna, a caretaker’s apartment, a tennis court, a pool, an orchard, a formal rose garden and seven fireplaces.
Where: Palm Springs
Listing agent: John Nelson, Coldwell Banker, (760) 774-8587, and Ron de Salvo, Coldwell Banker, (310) 777-6233.
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To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos with caption info on a CD and a description to Ruth Ryon, Real Estate Section, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012. Questions: homeoftheweek@latimes.com.
