With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Movie About The Los Feliz Murder Mansion Is In The Works
There's a film in the works about the abandoned Los Feliz Murder Mansion where in 1959, a doctor murdered his wife and attacked his teenage daughter with a hammer before overdosing on pills.
The film is being produced by Luisa Iskin and John Wunder for The Coalition group and written Joshua Melkin (Cabin Fever 2). The film is based on a longform article written by journalist Jeff Maysh for Medium.com, the Wrap reports.
The mansion sits empty at 2475 Glendower Place in Los Feliz. Built in 1925, the Spanish Revival Mansion was purchased by the Perelson family in the 1950s. In the wee morning hours of December 6, 1959, Dr. Harold Perelson took a hammer and struck his sleeping wife once in the head, killing her. He then entered the bedroom of his 18-year-old daughter, Judye, and hit her with the hammer. This time, however, his aim was off and Judye woke up. She screamed, ran into her parents' room, discovered her mother's body and ran out of the house. Perelson's two younger children, ages 11 and 13, woke up and Perelson told them they were having a nightmare and to go back to bed. Judye got the attention of a neighbor, Marshall Ross, who said he entered the home and watched as Perelson swallowed two Nembutals (a barbiturate) and 31 other pills, then laid down on Judye's bed and waited for death. He was dead by the time the paramedics arrived. Perelson's reasons for his horrific crime may have been rooted in financial troubles, though no one knows for sure.
What's been going on in the house since is a bit of a mystery. The house was sold to Emily and Juan Enriquez in 1960 via probate auction, but if the couple moved in, they didn't stay for long. The house sat empty until Emily died in 1994, and then the house went to her son, Rudy. Rudy never moved in either, though it has been said that he uses the house for storage purposes.
Support for LAist comes from
Some curious folks who have explored the house said they saw a Christmas tree and unwrapped presents inside. The Perelsons were Jewish, so the holiday decorations may not have been theirs, and it's unclear whose presents they were. Neighbors mostly don't like thrill seekers poking about the house, but have said that occasionally a burglar alarm at the home will go off without provocation.
This wouldn't be the first time Hollywood has jumped on a spooky story or a piece of grisly true crime. A woman who lives in the house that The Conjuring was based on is suing Warner Brothers, saying that she is constantly being disturbed by trespassers looking for ghosts on her property. The new season of American Horror Story was partially inspired by the dark history of the Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, and Sony Pictures announced plans last year for a film called The Bringing, based on the death of a Canadian tourist whose body was found on the roof of the hotel in a water tank in 2013.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Users of the century old Long Beach wooden boardwalk give these suggestions to safely enjoy it. -
The Newport Beach City Council approved a new artificial surf park that will replace part of an aging golf course. -
The utility, whose equipment is believed to have sparked the Eaton Fire, says payouts could come as quickly as four months after people submit a claim. But accepting the money means you'll have to forego any lawsuits. -
The City Council will vote Tuesday on a proposal to study raising the pay for construction workers on apartments with at least 10 units and up to 85 feet high. -
The study found recipients spent nearly all the money on basic needs like food and transportation, not drugs or alcohol. -
Kevin Lee's Tokyo Noir has become one of the top spots for craft-inspired cocktails.
Best of LAist