A distinguished Beverly Hills estate once owned by Hollywood producer Armand Deutsch has hit the market for the first time in almost two decades, with an asking price of just under US$20 million (AUD $30.8 million).
Built in 1959, the main residence on North Beverly Drive was designed by architect George MacLean, with interiors by designer Billy Haines, who counted celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Joan Crawford and Betsy Bloomingdale among his clients.
Mansion Global reported that in 1972, Deutsch added a guesthouse, known as the “Whim House”, created for screening parties and gatherings and designed by William Stephenson, which is the same architect behind Ronald and Nancy Reagan’s Pacific Palisades home.
Deutsch, grandson of longtime Sears president Julius Rosenwald, produced films at MGM in the 1950s, including Kind Lady, The Girl Who Had Everything and Three Guys Named Mike.
The property hosted prominent figures ranging from the Reagans to Sinatra and the Annenbergs.
One of Reagan’s presidential inauguration parties was held at the property, and Secret Service security tape remains in the attic as testament to its history.
Deutsch lived in the home until his death in 2005, aged 92. The following year his estate sold the property to oncologist-professor David Agus and actress Amy Agus (daughter of Maury Povich) for US$6.85 million (AUD $10.6 million).
Since then, the owners have invested more than US$4 million (AUD $6.2 million) in renovations focused on system modernisation rather than a redesign.
Listing agents Mauricio Umansky and Farrah Brittany of The Agency Beverly Hills say the interiors remain largely original to Haines’s 1959 vision, preserving the home’s mid-century character while upgrading HVAC, security, electrical and plumbing systems, and installing dual Class A fire-rated roofs.
The estate spans nearly 7,600 sq ft with six bedrooms and ten bathrooms. Grounds include a swimming pool, outdoor fire-pit lounge and a central courtyard between the main house and the Whim House, shaded by mature pepper trees and described by the owners as their favourite retreat.
The listing marks the first time this notable mid-century Hollywood-linked estate has been on the market in nearly twenty years.
