Wells, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Fritz Kreisler, Tony Duquette, Amelia Earhart, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Joan Crawford, Noël Coward, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt, Pearl S. Buck, Charles Lindbergh, Max Reinhardt, Arthur Conan Doyle, Thomas Edison, Gloria Swanson, the Duke and Duchess of Alba, the King and Queen of Siam, Austen Chamberlain, Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko,[11] the spiritual teacher Meher Baba, and Sir Harry Lauder. I know it was just a house, and the actors were but human. Pia was very nice, but I was indeed shocked that she razed the entire historic property that was the original Pickfair! That was the last straw for the BH city council, which finally passed a law requiring owners to apply for a permit before substantially altering any structure in certain areas of town. From my research, Pickford herself spoke of hauntings, and I wonder if Zadora knew that this would go some way in explaining her vandalism. When the couple divorced in 1936, Pickford kept the estate, and eventually married Charles "Buddy" Rogers. Bad judgement by people with no love of history. During most of the 1920s, they were Hollywood’s power couple and an invitation to Pickfair was a golden ticket. Lost forever. I wonder, if they were going to demolish it, why they bought it in the first place.”. And I remember almost bursting into tears when I read Pia Zadora had it torn down. If I had a choice, I never would have torn down this old home. After reading your (most excellent) article, all I can think of is why in the hell didn’t these two self absorbed greedy people just MOVE? [15], Located at 1143 Summit Drive in Beverly Hills. In 1928, Will Rogers said "My most important duty as mayor of Beverly Hills is directing people to Mary Pickford's house".[10]. I think all your tidbits of Hollywood History would make a great book. She had something wonderful and one-of-a-kind, and she tore it apart like a petulant child. It was also beautiful with hand-painted art filled ceilings and beautiful details. How utterly awful that a glorious, historic mansion like that should be destroyed. I THINK IT’S ON A LOT OF YOU… JUST MY OPINION. While I disagree completely with the house being demolished, it absolutely WAS haunted – undoubtedly. Zadora says that she did her own research (really?) At the time Fairbanks and Pickford purchased this large estate located in San Ysidro Canyon in Beverly Hills, California they both knew that the 16-acre property had a reputation, people believed it was haunted. Olive Thomas, Jack’s wife passed away in Paris. It sure looks ugly now…, WHILE I AGREE HISTORY IS LOST, I FIND SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS JUST PLAIN MEAN AND CRUEL. On the National Register of Historic Places since 1984, Greenacres has been called “the most impressive movie star’s estate ever created.” The estate originally boasted a 44-room mansion, golf course, outbuildings, and 900-foot canoe run on 15 acres. The aforementioned comments were edited with extreme self control and all screaming frustrated obscenities were modified. Food for thought. Zadora said in the interview that as soon as she and her family moved into the house, a female ghost appeared to her children at night and would frighten them. In 1988 PickFair was purchased by successful business man Meshulam Riklis and actress Pia Zadora for just under $7 million. When the couple divorced in 1936, Pickford kept the estate, and eventually married Charles "Buddy" Rogers. They announced they were planning renovations to the famous estate, but revealed in 1990 that they had in fact demolished Pickfair and a new larger "Venetian style palazzo" was going to be c… PICKFAIR Heirs lose KEY to Fabulous ESTATE. Wow a talentless actress with a delusional mind how sad to tear down such a beautiful house with such history. At least, according to the books. A wonderful, grand house & home. This photo gives us a glimpse of Mary and Doug’s living room. She destroyed an irreplaceable piece of Hollywood history & is still catching grief about it to this day… as she should. I saw the TV show you referenced…….you’d think even Pia could come up with a better cover story than this. I’d met DF Jr while working @ a local TV station in FL. The Buss’ knew it was haunted. In 1988, Pia Zadora, the even-then-so-called actress and singer, and her husband at the time, Meshulam Riklis, bought the home from Buss for $7 million. At her death, Mary Pickford and Buddy Rogers had been married 42 years. You know good & well she never had any interest in living in Pickfair. I remember going up to Jerry’e suite for a few short minutes. On several occasions, Mary and her husband both had witnessed the spirit of a a female servant. Pickford's … Also scoffing & giggling to myself a little @ that pomp, lol. Yes?! Throughout that period, foreign-born Israelis like Riklis (Turkey) were buying BH mansions and doing this same thing. But most of us non-A-listers never got a chance to peek inside. I remember him helping him with his jacket and brushing it off. Pickfair was always a dream destination, it held much magic. In 2012, Pia Zadora claimed on Season 4, Episode 4 of the BIO channel's Celebrity Ghost Stories that the real reason she demolished Pickfair was not due to termite infestation but because it was haunted by the laughing ghost of a woman who allegedly died there while having an affair with Douglas Fairbanks. Below is a stereoptican slide of Pickfair. All I know is that supposedly Pickfair is gone because of a ghost. I asked if they’d excuse me as I’d love to see the grounds. Shame shame shame on you Pia!!!!!!!! It was the historic estate bought in 1919 by silent film actor, Douglas Fairbanks for his new bride, Mary Pickford, known to everyone as “America’s Sweetheart.” Pickfair had four stories, 25 rooms, stables and tennis courts. You can skip to the end and leave a response. She just brought it up to get a little publicity for herself. Notable pieces in the collection included furniture from the Barberini Palace, the Baroness Burdett-Coutts estate in London, and Louis XVI furniture from the Countess Rodezno and Lord Leverhulme collections. Pickford received few visitors in her later years, but continued to open up her grand home for charitable organizations and parties, including an annual Christmas party for blind war veterans, mostly from World War I. Some of the world celebrities that visited Pickfair included George Bernard Shaw, Albert Einstein, Helen Keller, H.G. After Pickford’s death, her third husband Buddy Rogers sold Pickfair to Los Angeles Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss for $5.4 million in 1980. Please. and determined that the ghost was the mistress of Douglas Fairbanks, and the woman actually died on the estate. I loved this home, it had a history, it had a very important sense about it and you can deal with termites, and you can deal with plumbing issues, but you can't deal with the supernatural. Let me say this – I spent a significant amount of time at Pickfair in my youth, as I was friends with Jerry Buss’ son. That mansion should still be standing as an icon to Hollywood old Style. http://www.silentsaregolden.com/articles/lpolivethomasdeath.html. She was also a … Unicom International bought the mansion in 2005 for $15 million. Not sure if it was where Ms Pickford had her’s originally. In regards your clumsy attempt at shaming some of the vitriolic comments on here, I could not disagree with you more. In 1988, it was purchased by actress Pia Zadora and her husband Meshulam Riklis. She should have kept the termites excuse bc at least that was a bit more believable. "You would have thought I had … But you can’t deal with the supernatural.”. The house sits on 2.7 acres.”. Thanks again Allan for such an excellent article. After Pickford died in 1979, Rogers was reportedly visited by a woman in a long, white gown that he believed was Mary. If so, how did Pia Zadora find out the “truth” in her so-called “research?” Once again, she doesn’t say how she came by that information in the interview, but producers of the show recreate a scene of her reading through books and paper. THE SHAME ISN’T ON PIA…. I so remember this when it happened and have been quietly (or not so quietly) cursing these two ever since. Back in the early 2000’s. Not defending her at all, but to your point about ghosts leaving the house once it’s torn down, the only example I can think of is Clifton Webb, who supposedly haunted his beloved estate on Rexford Drive until it was demolished, whereupon he moved his haunting act to the halls of the Abbey of the Psalms Mausoleum where he is interred. It had a history; it had a very important sense about it. Remodeled by Wallace Neff in a mock Tudor style,[1] it took five years to complete. BEVERLY HILLS. Some individuals taste seems to be arrested in their toes!!!!!!!!!! The land was sold to Lloyd by P.E. Oct 27, 2014 - It's long been known that Pickfair was haunted. I HEAR A LOT OF MEAN SPIRITED PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO THINK THEY ARE ABOVE IT ALL BUT SADLY ARE GUTTER LEVEL….. I’M SURE NO ONE TELLS YOU WHAT TO DO , HOW TO DO IT OR HOW TO SPEND YOUR MONEY AND LIVE YOUR LIFE. The lights shone brightly and the jazz music played loudly throughout Pickfair, the famed Beverly Hills mansion, and although Prohibition was the law of the land at the time, champagne and other alcoholic beverages flowed freely. Phillips sold the property to actor Douglas Fairbanks in 1918. [5] They announced they were planning renovations to the famous estate, but revealed in 1990 that they had in fact demolished Pickfair and a new larger "Venetian style palazzo" was going to be constructed in its place. and determined that the ghost was the mistress of Douglas Fairbanks, and the woman actually died on the estate. Trash with cash, destroying an iconic landmark. Doug and Mary lived there as husband and wife for the next seventeen years until their divorce in 1936. Money rules their lives. When they divorced in 1936, Pickford kept the estate, and eventually married Charles "Buddy" Rogers. I am British and adore old Hollywood which I think is definitely due for a huge revival in interest. When he died, Getty really did give money to 12 women. ", The only remaining artifacts from the original Pickfair are the gates to the estate, the kidney-shaped pool and pool house, remnants of the living room, as well as the two-bedroom guest wing that played host to visiting royalty and notable film celebrities for over half a century. It had held the love affair of Hollywood’s sweethearts. It’s not like people were dropping like flies at Pickfair so shouldn’t it be fairly easy to identify this laughing ghost? Kinda LAME ! After she died in 1979, Rogers reported being visited by a woman in a long, white gown … But omg, it was spectacular. I will also say this – I was very unhappy that it was torn down, as previously stated it was a landmark of Hollywood history. It’s very strange also he didn’t write an autobiography (at least if he did I am not aware of it.). HOME. Afterward, the house stood vacant for a few years until it was sold to Los Angeles Lakers owner, Jerry Buss, who continued to update and care for the historic estate. The glamourous mansion is now up for sale at $60 million. The property was said to have been the first private home in the Los Angeles area to include an in-ground swimming pool, in which Pickford and Fairbanks were famously photographed paddling a canoe.[6]. BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) _ Pickfair, the romantic estate where legendary movie stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks once reigned over Hollywood, has been demolished to build a palatial home for actress Pia Zadora. Fairbanks and Pickford divorced in January 1936, but Pickford continued to reside in the mansion with her third husband, actor and musician Charles "Buddy" Rogers,[4] until her death in 1979. In 1928, Pickford's mother died of breast cancer. May 30, 1979 Mary Pickford, who became "America's sweetheart" as the first great Hollywood film star, died yesterday at Santa Monica Hospital in Santa Monica, Calif., following a stroke. Pinging is currently not allowed. I believe Pia and her husband are liars when they said they leveled it because of ghosts. Mary Pickford, Canadian-born American motion-picture actress who was ‘America’s sweetheart’ of the silent screen and one of the first film stars. Three years later, in 1979 at age 86, she died of a stroke. I believe Mary wasn’t happy that Jack married Olive. An attempt to disguise the fact that it was her lack of taste, class, and intellect that led her to raze the Hollywood equivalent of Buckingham Palace by blaming GHOSTS? What’s new? “This is the first time I’m coming out publicly saying that termites weren’t the real reason we had to raze Pickfair. She doesn’t name the woman, say how the woman died or how she came to this conclusion. This is too nauseating to read about the “nothing” Pia!! Surely a marvellous, atmospheric biopic could be made about these great old stars? In The Simpsons, Krusty the Klown's mansion is named "Schtickfair" in an homage. Zadora says that she did her own research (really?) Defending herself, she claimed the house was allegedly in a run-down condition and was riddled with termites. Return to "Homes of the Stars" page. We were picking up Jerry Buss! Pickfair was an 18 acres (7.3 ha) estate[1] in the city of Beverly Hills, California, originally designed by architect Horatio Cogswell for attorney Lee Allen Phillips of Berkeley Square as a country home. Great story Allan. then said we were picking up his friend. Zadora says that she did her own research (really?) Photos of the original Pickfair estate in the 1920′s give us a glimpse of Doug and Mary’s life. Although, it’s more likely that Pia Zadora is making a weak attempt at excusing poor judgement, while hoping to get her name publicized once again. During that time they entertained heads of state, royalty and Hollywood royalty. I was gobsmacked to say the least! During her busy lifetime, silent screen diva Mary Pickford Pickfair collected opulent furnishings, decorative art, jewelry and fittings to adorn PICKFAIR, the Beverly Hills Georgian manor she and Douglas Fairbanks Sr. constructed in Beverly Hills when they married.. The Academy Honorary Award was presented to her in the formal living room of Pickfair, and televised on the 48th Academy Awards. Pickfair was where Buss’ daughter and now Lakers President and co-owner Jeanie Buss spent her late teens and early 20s. Pickfair was the original Beverly Hills mansion in which all the stars of the day not only wanted to get an invite to but it was this lavish estate that they tried to duplicate in their own homes during and after the 1920s, It's an important estate, one that shaped the landscape of once was dusty dirt roads and orange groves. Two years later, Miss Zadora revealed that instead of renovating Pickfair, she had it razed and constructed a huge purported “Venetian style palazzo” in its place. A director pal asked me to go see the women’s basketball competition @ The Forum. I loved this home. Some people do not feel the presence of spirits in the way others may. After Pickford died in 1979, Rogers was reportedly visited by a woman in a long, white gown that he believed was Mary. All that remains of Pickfair are the gates to the estate, the pool, and the 2-bedroom guest wing that was used by various celebrities and royalty throughout the years. 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