One of the most famous mansions in all of Hollywood has hit the market. Designed and built in 1941 by legendary architect and designer John Elgin Woolf, previous owners of the property include Sammy Davis Jr. and, later, Judy Garland! Now anyone can buy it! Well, if you have the cash, of course…
The Garland Mansion
In 1941, John Elgin Woolf built a home that he wanted to look more like a piece of art than a house. The following year, a bidding war broke out, with many celebrities of the time wanting to own the beautiful mansion. However, in the end, only one could win: Judy Garland, an American actress, bought the house with her second husband, Vincente Minnelli, and their daughter Liza Minnelli. Of course, the family had plenty of money to spend after Garland’s performance in the hit 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. Meanwhile, Minnelli also made steady, good money working as a stage and film director.
While the house was already beautiful, Garland and Minnelli transformed it, turning it into the iconic mansion it is today. For instance, they added a secret master bedroom hid behind some bookcases, later named “The Judy Garland Suite.” They also drastically changed the theme from a Victorian feel to an Art Deco vibe. While Garland did not hold onto the house forever, each celebrity owner would continue to leave their imprint on the home…
New Owners
After Garland and Minnelli owned the home, it changed hands from celebrity to celebrity. The actress and director sold the Minnelli mansion in the early 50s to Wally Cox, one of the popular actors and comedians of the decade. Just a few years later, Cox handed the house off to Sammy Davis Jr., a member of the Rat Pack. The singer not only added a recording studio to the mansion, but he also made it a much more social place. This included adding a pool and a fire pit! Apparently, the entire Rat Pack partied at the house back in the day. Meanwhile, the recording studio has been used by everyone from The Band to Bon Jovi. Now, you have the chance to own this fantastic property! If you have the cash, that is.
Currently, the 4,999-square-foot mansion is on sale for just $6.1 million. In addition to all the amenities listed above, the house also comes with 5 bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms, and maple floors and floor-to-ceiling windows throughout. Plus, the most recent owners converted the second living room into a home theater!
While this celebrity mansion is undoubtedly out of the range for most of us, a star might pick it up in the future! Who knows, maybe even Liza Minnelli will pick up her old family home!
Sources: Architectural Digest, Mortgage After Life