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Home built for ‘Wizard of Oz’ dance director Bobby Connolly sells in Encino #TBT

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A house built for “The Wizard of Oz” dance director Willian Harold “Bobby” Connolly has sold in Encino for $3.4 million.

The Mission-style main house, which dates to 1932, originally sat on 30 acres.

A later owner, Alvino Rey, a big band and swing musician, sold off portions of the home site, which is now less than two-thirds of an acre. Other owners of note included actor Gary Crosby, singer Bing Crosby’s son; and astronaut Gordon Cooper.

The so-called Woodley Estate came on the market in May at $3.999 million. The property had changed hands in 1999 for $900,000 and in 1975 for $131,000.

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The 3,674-square-foot house features vaulted wood ceilings, tile floors and skylights. A great room with a fireplace, a formal dining room, four bedrooms and three bathrooms are among the living spaces.

Clerestory windows bring light in the kitchen, which has brick accents. There’s a corner fireplace made of brick in the master bedrooms.

A 900-square-foot detached guesthouse contains one bedroom and one bathroom. An apartment off the garage has another bedroom and bathroom.

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Tile accents adorn the swimming pool and fountains. A brick fireplace creates a focal point on one of the many patios.

Pathways crisscross the grounds, which contain mature olive, citrus and fruit trees.

The film and stage choreographer, who died in 1944 at 46, worked on such other movies as “Cain and Mable” (1936), “Ready, Willing and Able” (1837) and “Fools for Scandal” (1938).

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Dana Cataldi of Partners Trust was the listing agent. Rita Whitney of Sotheby’s International Realty represented the buyer.

Twitter: @LATHotProperty

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