LAist: Neighborhood Project: Franklin Village

DonDPaul

Tue, 13 May 2008 16:00:05 -0800

Ratpicnic, I appreciate also your comments about the Villa Carlotta. I've lived in the Villa Carlotta for 23 years as of May 2008, and I also have the history of the building. It is a registered historical building. It was not...built for the servants of the Chateau Elysee. It was built on land not owned by Eleanor Ince. The boundary of the Ince estate, where the hotel was built by Mrs. Ince after his death (she had the home taken down and replaced with the hotel) is visible from the street by noticing the palm trees that line Franklin and Bronson Avenues on the south side that lead all the way to Gower. Those palm trees were installed by the Ince's to mark the boundary of their estate. It was huge. The Villa was partially funded by Hearst when Louella Parsons approached WRH and suggested something for Eleanor Ince. When it opened, it was referred to Nellie Ince's Villa Carlotta. Louella had an apartment on the first floor in the courtyard where she lived for 28 years. She wrote her articles in her "office," which was the breakfast nook next to the kitchen. She would call the Hearst newspaper office, and a messenger would be sent over, enter into the lobby, cross into the courtyard, where Louella handed the copy to waiting hands. She also was married in the lobby. The Villa was a hotel/apartment situation much like the Hotel Elysee and the Chateau Marmont. I possess an advertisement for all three properties on the same page, linked together. It was a place for writers, actors, directors, and all other industry individuals and has had its lengthy number of famous names. And that continues to this day. There is no underground tunnel. As assistant manager of the building, I have searched and searched...and physically it is impossible for such a tunnel to exist, based on the lack of an underground area save for the basement area that I have already inspected. Hope some of this is enlightening for you all. Thanks, DP

ratpicnic

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:46:21 -0800

gabrielle323: Thanks for your kind words about our article! In response to your question, the Villa Carlotta was indeed simply a servants' quarters building for the Chateau, built as part and parcel of the whole original property, with an underground tunnel between the two buildings and everything. But what you may also be asking is: What about the whole thing? Was the whole property meant to be a payoff from Hearst in exchange for silence from Thomas Ince's widow regarding her late husband's death? Unfortunately, the best answer we can come up with is: maybe. Thomas Ince died from a "heart attack" (but in reality perhaps was killed by Hearst) in 1924. Three years later construction began on the Chateau Elysee (including the servants' building that was only named the Villa Carlotta much later). As rich as Ince was, it is unlikely that his widow could have built the entire property herself using her late husband's money. It is likely that Hearst kicked in at least a good amount. It is also likely that Hearst felt personally compelled to help with the property because of feelings of guilt about Thomas Ince's death. But whether that guilt came as a result of feeling bad about a friend having a heart attack aboard his boat and not being able to help, or because he shot his friend, and his guilty conscience was being farmed by his friend's widow for some payola, we can't say. Hearst was a pretty cold guy generally speaking, so we tend to believe the latter.

gabrielle323

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:14:46 -0800

First of all, congratulations on a stupendous article. I own a house in Franklin Village and have never seen such a thorough review of the neighborhood. Secondly, I want to ask about Villa Carlotta. In researching your article, did you come across reports that it was built as a bribe to hush rumors that William Randolph Hearst shot Thomas Ince aboard the yachting vessel Oneida? I was a bit surprised at your explanation that it was simply the servants' quarters for the Chateau Elysee. Just wondering if you knew any more. Again, thank you for your truly phenominal contribution to the neighborhood project!

ratpicnic

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:45:05 -0800

More Neighborhood Project! More Neighborhood Project! More Neighborhood Project! More Neighborhood Project!

miss_mo2

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 23:56:21 -0800

Oh yes, and thanks for bringing back the Neighborhood Project. One of my faves!

Schimonie

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 09:04:10 -0800

#3, hence Disney's Tower of Terror ride...

Lindsay William-Ross

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 08:19:15 -0800

mwhitney: the map at the top of the post indicates that Gower at Franklin is within the Franklin Village boundaries, so to include the 101 Cafe (located one very tiny block West of Gower) makes perfect sense. Last month, as part of our Late Night Eats series we ran a write up of Cafe 101: http://laist.com/2007/10/13/late_night_eats_7.php i would have to agree that the food on the main part of the "strip" is not very good. It's entirely possible, however, that i'm just loyal to this patch of Franklin's old days, back when ComedySportz and other plays were at the Tamarind Theatre (now UCB)and when the area was still somewhat more under the radar for a cool "hang-out" destination. You would have most definitely found me drinking a cappucino inside the Pig circa 1993 (good luck finding anyone in the dark, mind you). Two things haven't changed: Counterpoint is still awesome, and parking still sucks.

polaroidgirl

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:57:15 -0800

WOO HOO, welcome back Neighborhood Project!!

miss_mo2

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:37:30 -0800

@ben bang - the classes at Celebrity Centre. Not UCB - I know nothing about what goes on in there, but when I went to a course at the Celebrity Centre, it was simply to sell the Scientology created 'tone scale' or 'condition formulas'.

Komorinoko

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:19:05 -0800

I lived in Villa Carlotta, right on the corner of the strip for two years ... until I absolutely *could not stand* it anymore. Any charm and convenience you get from the shops and restaurants is totally outweighed by the fact that it takes 20 minutes to park every time you come home (fighting the valets for spots), fight your way through the throngs of people standing around on the sidewalk looking you up and down, and then listen to them drunkenly scream, fight, piss, puke, play instruments and god knows what else EVERY NIGHT between 2 and 3 AM. Yeah it's a great neighborhood ... just be sure to get a place with reserved parking and an apartment that doesn't face the street.

mwhitney

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:25:52 -0800

I can't believe you wrote all this regarding two blocks of Franklin, pretty much just the north side of the street. Man you need to get out more. Really, you are making it out to be way more than it is. Oh and how do you manage to throw the 101 Cafe in there when it's way down past Gower. If you do make it to this area... go all the way back on behind Mayfair (using the the street on either side, since the meet up). Eventually you'll hit a nice little part of Griffith Park with the Bat Caves (google it) and a nice little grassy area. Oh and if you are willing to go as far as Gower, check out that cloister of nuns that sell the pumpkin bread.

Celaphane

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:52:59 -0800

beautiful review. my favorite thus far of the "neighborhood project".

ben bang

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:51:04 -0800

Hey Miss Mo, which acting classes are you referring to? The UCB Theater is certainly in no way affiliated with Scientology if that's what you're suggesting. I saw a Valet cause a car accident one night while standing in front of the UCB. Complete with rolling SUV and a drunken near-fight afterwards. Thankfully the asshole didn't die. Needless to say I agree with the author that traffic and parking are heinous in this hood.

villager

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:50:25 -0800

You've got to be kidding me. I live in this neighborhood and the food on the strip has to be the absolute WORST in all of Los Angeles.

cutephase

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:19:19 -0800

“everyone is friendly with one another,” really? someone really said that? wow

Hypersquared

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 11:33:46 -0800

Franklin Village is not only among my favorite places to eat, drink, meet, snog, and shop for wine, it's also home to some of the freakiest shit I've ever heard about L.A. Every time I drive by the Hollywood Tower, or gaze at it from a window booth at the 101 Café, I think of my friend Alan who lived there for three years and eventually had to move because he became so fully convinced of its haunting. Alan is perhaps the most skeptical, pragmatically-minded person I know, but he had his mind changed about a lot of things while living there. And the stories he told me made me wonder how he lasted there as long as he did. Not just noises. Not just unexplained phenomena. But "I see dead people" kind of shit. Not to mention the corroboration of his neighbors who'd apparently long ago learned to shake it off. (By the way, the Hollywood Tower is singular. Mr. Powers might have been tipped off by the close-up photo of the buiding's sign.)

90039

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:27:46 -0800

I am getting really sick of LA doing, being, compared to NY... Why can't LA be like LA... And what is with NY drivers....saw one back up from a stop sign and almost hit a car to make a u turn to park... haven't they heard of going around the block? Thanks for making locals and native Angelenos feel less at home. So how does LA "do" NY weather...hmmmm? It dosent. :)

miss_mo2

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 09:39:02 -0800

FYI - All those acting and how-to classes are ways to spread the tech of L Ron Hubbard. Those classes are not free from Scientology teachings - for those of you who seek freedom from religion.