"Owlwood" Estate (Los Angeles, California)

USA / California / Westwood / Los Angeles, California / Carolwood Drive, 141
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141 South Carolwood Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90024


Designed by architect Robert Farquhar, it was commissioned by Florence Quinn, the former wife of department store mogul Arthur Letts Sr., the visionary behind the creation of Holmby Hills.

Later it was owned by producer, Joe Schenck, after he divorced Norma Talmadge.

Later the home of Sonny and Cher, and of Tony Curtis. The estate now includes two adjacent lots: the site of Jayne Mansfield's 'Pink Palace'; and and the site Sonja Henie's mansion -both landmarks demolished to expand the grounds.

Roland Arnall (deceased), former head of Ameriquest Mortgage and former US Ambassador to the Netherlands purchased Owlswood from Engelbert Humperdinck in 2002. New owners now.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_M._Schenck
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_D._Farquhar
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonja_Henie
articles.latimes.com/2002/sep/29/realestate/re-hotprop2...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_Arnall

www.zillow.com/homedetails/141-S-Carolwood-Dr-Los-Angel...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjAespPA2K4
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owlwood_Estate
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   34°4'47"N   118°25'34"W

Comments

  • South Carolwood Drive. This Tuscan style mansion was designed by architect Robert D. Farquhar and was built in 1936. It has just over 12,000 square feet of living space with 20 rooms, including 6 bedrooms. It was purchased in the 1940s by famed film pioneer Joseph M. Schenck. It was later the home of Tony Curtis and later Sonny & Cher. This home was featured in Architectural Digest in the 1974 May / June issue right after Sonny & Cher had the interiors redone by interior designer Ron Wilson. The estate was for sale in 2001 for $39,900,000, which actually included two estates that had been combined into one estate--the original Owlwood estate (as described above) and the former estate of Esther Williams which included an 8,400 square foot Gordon Kaufmann designed Spanish styled residence built in 1925. I've heard, however, the Esther William residence has been torn down and only Owlwood still exists. Does anyone know for sure?
  • Yes, the Esther Williams former home has been removed as has "The Pink Palace", former home of Jayne Mansfield, Cass Elliot, & Englebert Humperdinck. These were the only three homes on South Carolwood which is now a private drive for Owlwood. I read the current owner of the property is the president of Ameriquest.
  • yes - I read that too. Wonder where it was :-)
  • According to "Unreal Estate", a book by Michael Gross, besides the Pink Palace, 10060 Sunset Blvd. was the other house, orginally built for Edwin Janss, then owned by Jack Warde, followed by insurance executive, Wiliam Osco, pornographic movie producer. It was later sold to Ghazi Aita.
  • I worked for Ghazi Aita 1979 - 1993 running the estates (Owlwood & next door 10060 Sunset Blvd - where The movie, My Tudor was filmed.) I became fully involved in Ghazi Aita's 5 offshore corporations when he was appointed ambassador to the UN as he had to divest his business interests. Greg Hagins (deceased) and I were contacted several times by Mr. Gross during the writing of his book.
This article was last modified 11 months ago