The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-12-23
MOVIE STARS
ARE FANS FOR
FANCY REALTY
Market For Castles About
Gone But PLAYERS Invest
Nearly 800 Millions
By FREDERICK c. OTHMAN
". P. Hollywood Correspondent

u. P. Hollywood Correspondent
HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 90. (UP)
-You-with your movie admis-
sions-have bought the picture
stars exactly $275,975,000 worth
of fancy real estate. Since you
footed the contracting bin and
bout the swimming pools and paid
for the trick chandeliers. you
really desire a report on who
spent your money, and how.
Buy Price, the movie-critic-
observation-disclosures and the
man who makes q speciality of
selling mansions to the stars, pro-
vided the figures. Fact is, he pro-
vided all the facts, and if. you're
interested he'll be glad to sell you
Pickfair, on which, Douglas Fair
banks and Mary Pickford spent n
cool $1,O00,000, for only $780,
900.
"It's a bargain" he muttered,
"only there isn't much market for
castles any more"
Two years ago, he said, the pic
ture makers owned Sl49,670,00O
worth of property. Their invest
ment has nearly doubled in two
years and the tax rolls in parts of
Southern California read like
Hollywood Who's Who.
Most concentrated investment
is the ocean front at Santa
Monica, where such film folks as
l.. B. Mayer, Sam Goldwyn, Nor
ma Shearer, Bebe Daniels, and
Norma and Constance Talmadge
have spent more than 81 100000
for the sand in a four-block
stretch.
Marion Davies, Norma Tai
madge, Richard Barthelmess and
Miss Daniels own the most resi-
dental property, some Of it rent
ed, some of it vacant, and some
of it surrounded with high fences
for their own use. Miss Davies.
for instance, owns eleven acres in
the heart of Beverly Hills and 30
lots at the Beach. ........-
Winfield r. Sheehan, Douglas
Fairbanks and Louis d. I.ighton
own the biggest ranches. Phil
GoldStone owns the most apart
ments and hotels. Mayer, JOS. M,
Schenck, Harold Lloyd, Carl La
emmle, Mary Pickford, c. B. De
Mile, Clarence Brown and Harry
Beaumont own everything from
storage warehouses to Bungalow
coutrs, and walk-up apartment
houses to Spanish Haciendas.
The country. squires. (and squir-
esses) include Leo Garlic, Bar
bara Stanwyck, Will Hays, Vice.
Fleming, AL Jolson. Bing Crosby
Edward Everett Horton, Spencer
Tracy, Joel McCrea, Gene Ray
mond, Carole Lombard, Richard
Dix, Clark Gable, Dick Powell,
Bill Boyd and Gary Cooper.
Most expensive single estates
belongs to Lloyd. 1t cost him well
over 100000. Laemmle's house
next door, cost nearly as much.
Price is the kind of a real es-
tate man who advestises mice lit
tie estate with view, a snap at
100000" None of those $500
down, $3.50 q month bungalow
deals for him. He once was re-
ported to have been called in to
sell home in Brentwood. He
looked over the house and the
grounds and said:
What! No swimming pool?"
The owner admitted that there
wasn't.
Then what do you mean vast
ing my time OH q house without
the ordinary conveniences?" he
demanded, as he Stalked away. =,
This story, he insisted, is a
canard, though it does indicate
that none of his movie actor
clients are much interested in six
room, one-bath houses. Il
eve studied them these many
years." he said, land l still can't
do any generalizing about what
an actor will want in the way Of
real estate. Some want views,
particularly the English. Then
there was AL Jolson, who wanted
a place with view. He didn't
want to see anybody-and he did
not want anybody to see. him.
"A few months ago Phil Harris
came in to buy a house. He said
he wanted one close in, but with
wild life nearby. So took him to
a house in the Hollywood hills
and that must have been my
lucky day. There were two deer
in the front yard. j had Harris