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Photos: Holmby Hills House Once Known For Lavish Hollywood Parties Is Up For Sale
For $79 million, you can own the former estate of the William and Edie Goetz, where the couple once threw lavish parties for the Hollywood elite.
This particular 11-bedroom home was built in 1938 and was designed by architect Gordon Kaufmann, who also worked on the L.A. Times building and the Hoover Dam. It sits on 4.38 acres in Holmby Hills. According to the listing, it boasts "high ceilings, grand public rooms, and ornate wrought iron details," as well as two swimming pools, a tennis court and a funicular. It was most recently owned by former Northwest Airlines chairman Gary Wilson, who added to the already massive estate when he picked up the neighboring property, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Louis B. Mayer was the co-founder of MGM, and therefore had the means to give this spectacular house to his daughter, Edie. She married producer William Goetz in 1930, and soon after, the two became known for their soirees, which they held here.
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According to Edie’s 1988 obituary, she “never worked a day in her life.” She was a true Hollywood socialite, hosting advance screenings in her very own screening room, while maintaining an extensive collection of Impressionist art. Her guests included the likes of Lana Turner, Joan Crawford, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant and Ava Gardner.
Director Billy Wilder (Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard) once said, "The highest accolade for someone coming into this town was to be invited to the Goetzes. The Goetzes had the best food, the best people and the best things on the walls." The parties came to an end after William's death due to stomach cancer in 1969.
Though Mayer bought his daughter the home, their relationship was less than stellar. According to the New York Times, Mayer and his daughter got in a fight over the election of 1952, when Mayer supported Eisenhower and the Goetzes favored Stevenson. He reportedly snubbed his own granddaughter, pushing his great-grandson in a stroller, four years later.
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