This Southern Californian home is truly a piece of Hollywood history, with connections to everybody from The Rat Pack to a reported presidential love affair.
The Los Angeles estate, known as ‘Farralone’, was the long-time home of Frank Sinatra, after being built for Chase Manhattan Bank heiress-and-socialite Dora Hutchinson.
It has also been an iconic filming site for blockbuster movies and TV series such as Mad Men, Californication and Dreamgirls.
Perhaps most scandalously, it was reportedly also the location where John F Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe had their alleged but infamous affair.
Recently restored, updated and renamed to ‘Byrdview’, it is for sale at US$21.5 million, according to toptenrealestatedeals.com.
Located on 4.3 acres in the Chatsworth neighborhood, Farralone is perched on a hilltop with 360-degree views over Los Angeles, mountains and the surrounding 3000 acres of nature reserve.
Also included is a bar, formal dining area, a den/office, large chef’s kitchen with island bench, breakfast nook with views and top-of-the-line appliances, a number of fireplaces, and endless entertainment areas both inside and out.
Its private location away from prying eyes and long-gated access at the bottom of the pinnacle make the house extremely attractive to celebrities hoping for a true getaway.
Hutchinson’s guest list included Lucille Ball, Ava Gardner, Frank Sinatra and the rest of the Rat Pack.
When the excitement of the celebrity party scene started to wear thin, she moved back to her native New York City and rented the home to Sinatra, who stayed for almost 10 years.
Sinatra started a whole new era of entertaining at Farralone, reportedly taking it from elegant to a rowdy boy’s club vibe with his Rat Pack and political buddies.
Everyone who was anyone passed through Farralone’s doors, grounds and pool throughout Sinatra’s tenure.
Marilyn Monroe was one of the regular guests, and as legend goes, the property’s guest house, with its private pool, was the venue for her scandalous affair with John F Kennedy.
In more recent times, the property has been the backdrop for films, music videos, television sitcoms and fashion advertising.
The house and grounds have been seen in films such as Swordfish, Dreamgirls, Transformers and Bewitched. It has also starred in television series Mad Men and Californication and in music videos by Mariah Carey, Usher and Rihanna.
Futuristic architect William Pereira designed Farralone in 1948.
He was one of the most famous and prolific architects of the time, and had also been a filmset designer, director and producer for several 1940’s movies, winning an Oscar for his special effects photography work on Cecille B DeMille’s Reap the Wild Wind in 1942.
He later became a professor of architecture at the University of Southern California, where one of his students was Frank Gehry.
In his career, Pereira worked on more than 400 projects including the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and his most famous, the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco.
In 1963, Pereira made the cover of Time magazine for his work on the city masterplan for Irvine, California.
