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Photos: Cecil B. DeMille's Gorgeous Former Estate In Los Feliz Is Up For Grabs
Before Steven Spielberg had turned sharks and extraterrestrials into bonafide moneymakers, and before the summer blockbuster was a formalized thing, there was director Cecil B. DeMille, whose films conveyed all the pomp and grandeur that Hollywood had promised us. There was Cleopatra (which pre-dated Elizabeth Taylor's take on the role), The Greatest Show on Earth (which nabbed an Oscar for Best Picture), and the wildly ambitious The Ten Commandments (which gave us Charlton Heston as Moses, and special effects that were worthy of Lucasfilm). Of course, DeMille would be further immortalized in Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard, when the washed-up Norma Desmond croons to the camera, "Alright Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."
Which is to say that DeMille was a power player among power players in Old Hollywood. And that it's no surprise that his former Los Feliz estate is impressive in both scope and refinement. The home, if we can call it that, is now up for grabs on the market. The $24,950,000 price tag will likely preclude you from making any real considerations. But we can dream, right? Isn't that the stuff Hollywood is made of?
Going into the guts of it, the property is located in the gated Laughlin Park in Los Feliz, right off DeMille Drive (your house gets its own street name!). Spread over 11,000 square feet, the estate includes six bedrooms and 10 baths; what is it with celebrity homes that have more bathrooms than bedrooms? It was built in 1913, modeled in the style of Beaux Arts. There's also a 40-foot-long pool (of course) that's replete with arched fountains. If you're still not impressed, know that there's also a rose garden and plenty of rolling lawns. The real estate agents also promise a glorious view of the Griffith Observatory amid the backdrop of an L.A. sunset. As a kicker, the property had gone through a six-year renovation to spruce things up. So you won't be living in a decrepit ruin (as Desmond was).
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