Pickfair

Before Brad and Angelina, before William and Kate, the hottest couple in town were Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. These two were talented film makes, actors, business owners, and dwellers of the most fabulous home in Hollywood.

Keep that grass green!

Doug purchased the hunting lodge for his new bride in 1919. But a hunting lodge wasn't good enough for the darlings of the silver screen. For 5 years they turned this humble house into history. Pickfair was 4 stories high with 42 rooms, horse stables, tennis courts, and had the first in ground home pool. 

As you can imagine, parties at this pad were massive. If you were invited to Pickfair to party, you were in. Oldies such as neighbor and BFF Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, eventual daughter-in-law Joan Crawford, Lillian Gish, Amelia Earhart, Albert Einstein and Franklin D. Roosevelt were among the guests. 

But like everything in Hollywood, the party eventually must come to an end. When Mary and Doug divorced in 1936, Mary continued to live there with her next hubby (talk about awkward) until her death. Soon after, the owner of the Lakers purchased the house kept it running and restored as Pickfair should be. In 1988  Pia Zadora bought the mansion and tore it down. 

Pia rebuilt the house but not as it was during Pickfair. Locals were outraged and I am sure she was not invited to the Fourth of July BBQ. In 2005 a company named UNICOM bought the house and surrounding property. The property is still there, located at 1143 Summit Drive, Beverly Hills. The original gates and pool are still around, but the facade is completely different.

I always get a bit sad when I find out that amazing, historic landmarks in Hollywood are demolished. Los Angeles has a thing about doing this to almost every special place that made tinsel town what it was. But maybe if all of these places were still around and functioning, they wouldn't be as special.

Pickfair postcard.