Whitley Heights 101

2139 Fairfield Avenue is another residence that was built in 1920 by architect Arthur S. Barnes. This is one of three homes on Fairfield Avenue that exist today as the others were either relocated or demolished during construction of the 101 Freeway in the 1950’s. The 1,656 square foot 2-story Spanish Colonial home has three bedrooms and three bathrooms, and a studio apartment with a separate entrance in the back. Although it has been updated throughout, its classic architectural features remain.

With all of the house charm, comes a list of tenants, some will be recognized and others that have an interesting story to tell. A widowed Elizabeth Freeman had the house built and it is unclear if she was living there or renting out the studio to others.

One of the first residents, according to the Movieland Directory, was cinematographer, Paul Ivano, who lived here in 1923. Ivano worked from 1923 through 1969 on many movies and television shows including, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Family Affair, and Red Snow (1952). Perhaps he was better remembered for his close friendship to actor Rudolph Valentino. Although Valentino was married to actress Natacha Rambova, they had somewhat of an open marriage and both were bi-sexual as and it was rumored that Rudy and Paul were lovers at one time.

In the early 1920’s, Valentino bought be piece of property in Whitley Heights located at 6776 Wedgewood Place (see below). Ivano was living near the home at 6820 Whitley Terrace in 1921 and Valentino had stayed with him for a period of time while wife, Natacha, was at the Wedgewood home. Both the Wedgewood and Whitley homes are no longer there. (Below: Valentino residence on Wedgewood Place).

According to the 1920 Los Angeles City Directory, actress Eleanor Boardman lived here during that year. She also lived at 2110 Fairfield Avenue in 1926 and briefly rented 2020 Grace Avenue (Topside Mansion) from Burton Holmes in the 1930s while she was married to director, King Vidor. She appeared in more than 30 films during her career, achieving her greatest success in director King Vidor’s The Crowd (1928). Boardman and her husband were both charged with Federal tax evasion in 1929 after Marjorie Berger was indicted for “fixing” income tax returns for well-known Hollywood stars. Boardman pled guilty and was fined $2,000.

In 1934, screenwriter Frank T. Daugherty listed this address as his home. He wrote four screenplays in 1928 and one in 1936 and then disappeared.

From 1934-36 scenario writer Carl Erikson and his wife (below), artist Verabel resided at 2139 Fairfield Avenue. On August 29, 1935, Erickson, 27, was found dead with a gunshot to his head as police ruled it was suicide. However, the autopsy indicated that it would have been impossible for Erickson to have inflicted the wound himself  as the bullet entered the back of the head.  Police felt Erickson was upset that his wife was going to divorce him.  His body was found by a hiker off Wonder View Place in an area known as “Lovers Lane”, near Warner Brothers Studio, where he was employed.  His gun was located underneath his body and his car was parked down the street.  There was a letter found on his desk at this residence indicating that his wife went to Reno to establish residency and file for a divorce.  His wife, Verabel Erickson, was a dancer and artist, and was still in Reno at the time of his death.  Erickson wrote 10 screenplays and was best known for the 1933 film, Mystery of the Wax Museum.   Erickson had recently bought four acres in Hollywood Hills and had plans to build a home there. After his death, Verabel took her maiden name, Champion, and continued to paint for the next 20 years.

Writer Oliver Drake (below) called this place home in 1942. Drake had written over 150 movies and television shows including, Lassie (1951), The Adventures of Superman (1956-57), and The Trail of Terror (1943). As he wrote many westerns, Drake was a former cattle rancher and he had a ranch near Pearblossom, CA, which was used for shooting many western films in the 1940’s and 1950’s.

Fun Fact: Twenty year old  Terry Harvey lived here in 1960. He actually broke up a fight between Frank Sinatra and a Moulin Rouge parking attendant during the time he lived at the Fairfield address. Sinatra arrived at the Moulin Rouge (a famous nightclub pictured below) with Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, and Milton Berle. Sinatra had been drinking all night and first confronted actor, John Wayne in the club about Wayne hiring a blacklisted screenwriter. Then he got upset with the parking attendant and Sinatra’s bodyguard assaulted him and had to be hospitalized. Sinatra was overhead saying, “Tell that guy not to sue me if he knows what’s good for him.  I’ll break both of his legs.”  He then took off with his bodyguard in a Cadillac.  The Moulin Rouge was popular in the 1960’s but then changed owners and name.

2139 Fairfield Avenue has remained in tact since it was built. In 1934, the Erickson’s took out two small windows and replaced with one sash window. In 1942, the windows were replaced and repaired. In the 1980’s, the foundation was repaired and more recently, new appliances and fixtures were replaced to give the living area a more “modern feel”.