Onetime home of Rudolph Valentino’s ex fetches a buyer in Hollywood Hills
The name of silent film actress Jean Acker may not ring a bell, but that of her ex-husband, screen legend Rudolph Valentino, likely does. He had the distinction of being a 1920s sex symbol and film icon.
Now a Craftsman house once owned by the former Mrs. has sold in the Hollywood Hills for $1,638,880.
Built in 1912, the bungalow was bought by the actress in the 1920s. Her four-year marriage to the Italian actor ended in divorce in 1923.
The Hollywood pedigree of the property picked up again in the 1930s when the cabin-like retreat became the home of actor Leonid Snegoff and his wife, jazz and ragtime pianist Madge Mullen Snegoff. Other creative owners, including a voice actor and an author, have since occupied the 2,363-square-foot house.
Clad in gray shingles and trimmed in white, the home features the original hardwood floors, windows and hardware.
Skylights brighten the living room, which is anchored by a decorative brick fireplace. Built-in cabinetry lines one wall in the formal dining room.
There’s also a studio/office, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and an outdoor spa.
Acker, who died in 1978 at 84, was in the 1919 films “Checkers,” “Lombardi, Ltd.” and “Never Say Quit.”
Valentino, who died in 1926 at age 31, is remembered for his roles in such silent films as “The Sheik” (1921), “The Eagle” (1925) and “The Son of the Sheik” (1926).
Tatiana Tensen of Sotheby’s International Realty was the listing agent. Frieda Hassid of Compass represented the buyer.
Twitter: @laurenebeale
