Whitley Heights 101

2002, 2006 and 2008 Las Palmas Avenue

Pictured above, 2006 Las Palmas Avenue is lower left, 2008 Las Palmas is right above (peach colored house) and has no road access, and 2002 Las Palmas is the house on the right. The are a trio of homes that was build by one woman in the 1920’s.

2002 Las Palmas Avenue was the first of the trio built in 1920 and listed as the address, 6680 Whitley Place and architect was Marshall P. Wilkenson and owner, Jennie Walz Turner. The house originally was built with only six rooms and the addressed changed around 1921. The photo above shows the garage below the home prior to the addition being built and before 2008 and 2012 Las Palmas were built.

2002 N. Las Palmas Avenue is a three story home built in 1920 by Jennie Walz Turner, who moved to Hollywood with her three daughters from El Paso, Texas, after a bitter divorce. Jennie was the daughter of W.G. Walz, one of the pioneers of the city of El Paso. Mr. Walz actually died on Catalina Island on 1913 at the age of 62. He had moved to Catalina Island as he was in poor health. Jennie’s husband, Lewis Turner, was a wealthy businessman in El Paso and they started divorce proceedings in 1919. Virginia, one of the daughters, who was attending Stanford University at that time, was called as a witness for her mother in court.

As the story was told in court, Jennie was a prominent musician in El Paso and would often have cellist Robert Altman practice with her at home. Virginia stated in court that, “Daddy one referred to him as Mommy’s sweetheart”. Mr. Turner indicated to the court that he thought Mr. Altman visited the home too frequently, observed them having breakfast in kimonos and would go for midnight drives. Mrs. Turner indicated that she did not have enough freedom and that she married for more freedom. He was complaining not of her music, but of the late hours she and Mr. Altman kept. Mrs. Turner was accusing her husband of “extreme cruelty” and desertion, but the judge did not find evidence and granted him the divorce.

Mrs. Turner was not happy with the decision and appealed the case. She stated in her complaint that she did not suffer a mental breakdown, in which her husband accused her of having. She also indicated that her husband told the two older children that she was not fit to be a parent within the past year. Mr. Turner denied that he said that to the children. Once again, the court did not find any evidence of extreme cruelty or desertion. It was later revealed that Mr. Turner had a girlfriend named Bertha Hood and Mr. Turner accused her husband of having a drinking problem as he had been fined $250 for violation of the liquor law.

In June of 1921, Jennie’s eldest daughter, Virginia was engaged to Gerald B. Bernard of Berkley. By September, they were married in Riverside and Mrs. Walz Turner was building an one bedroom apartment above the garage where they would be residing. Pictured above, is the blue door on the side of the house where the apartment is located. In 1923, the Bernard’s were still living at 2004 Las Palmas as they announced the birth of their daughter and by 1925, they had relocated to Mexico City. Below is the living room area of the apartment that is located just above the garage.

After the Bernard’s moved out of the apartment, actor George Bernard rented it. Bernard did not start acting until the 1950’s and 1960’s; he is known for Paris Nights (1951), Gobs and Girls (1952). In 1926, novelist and screenwriter Lenore Coffee (pictured below), also rented the apartment. Coffee wrote over 80 screenplays between 1919-1969 and was under contract with MGM from 1929 to 1936. Coffee left MGM due to a salary dispute and went to Warner Brothers where she co-wrote two screenplays that Bette Davis starred in. Although her work in the 1950’s was less popular, she did well with the thriller Sudden Fear (1952) and musical romance Young at Heart (1954). Coffee met her husband, William J. Cowan, while writing The Volga Boatman (1926) while she was living here.

Following Coffee’s departure, Jennie’s youngest daughter, Marion took the apartment after marrying Charles Milton Anderson by March of 1928. The Anderson’s resided in the apartment until 1930, when stage and film director, George Cukor moved in. Cukor directed over 65 films between 1930 and 1981 and is best known for The Philadelphia Story (1940), Gaslight (1944) and My Fair Lady (1964). His last known work was directing one of Barbara Streisand’s songs in her movie album. While residing in this apartment, Cukor was just beginning his directing career in Hollywood and worked on 3 movies that year. Below is the front entrance of the apartment into the kitchen.

In 1936, Cukor (pictured below) was assigned by producer David O. Selznick to work on “Gone with the Wind”. Cukor wanted to cast either Katherine Hepburn or Paulette Goddard as Scarlett O’Hara. Selznick did not want either as Hepburn had a string of movie flops and was viewed as “box office poison” and Goddard was rumored to be having an affair with Charlie Chaplin. Ultimately, Cukor did not end of directing Gone With the Wind and was replaced with Victor Fleming. Cukor’s role in the film was coaching actresses Vivian Leigh and Olivia de Havilland. He also did not receive the directing credit for The Wizard of Oz, although he was responsible for some cast and costume decisions. In the 1954, he directed his first color film A Star is Born with Judy Garland.

By 1933, Jennie Walz Turner put 2002 Las Palmas Avenue up for sale (she still had 2 properties adjacent to this property). In 1936, New Zealand born actress Nola Luxford (pictured below) rented the apartment at 2004 Las Palmas Avenue. Luxford was known for Border Justice (1925), Opened Shutters (1921) and The Flying Dutchman (1923). She was married to Glenn Russell Dolberg and William Bauernschmidt. She died on October 10, 1994 in Pasadena, California.

In 1938, actress Mary Maguire (below) became the new tenant at 2004 Las Palmas Avenue. The Australian born actress starred in 12 films from 1935-1942. While living at this address, Maguire had just finished filming Sergeant Murphy and had been released from her Warner Brothers contract after refusing the role in Mystery House. She went to Fox and filmed for more movies before signing with British Picture Corp.

Between 1940-42, actress Maria Ouspenskayla was next to rent the apartment. Maria Ouspenskaya was a Russian-born actress and acting teacher. As a child living in Russia, she was a stage actress and then moved to Hollywood and portrayed elderly women in several films between the years 1936-49. While teaching, one of her students was Anne Baxter, but the school closed down so she turned to films to make money. She died in 1949, at the age of 73, when she fell asleep in her bed while smoking a cigarette and the bed caught on fire. Her friend, Inez Simmons, who was staying at Ouspenskaya’s apartment at 1600 N. Martel Avenue, in Hollywood, got her out of bed but she had received severe burns on her legs and body.

During the 1940’s and 1950’s socialite and known Republican speaker, Mildred Taft Pinkham owned 2002 Las Palmas Avenue. Since then, the property has housed various owners, who have made some changes to the property.

2006 Las Palmas Avenue was also originally built by Jennie Walz Turner in 1921 to house her domestic staff. At the time, the building consisted of a garage and one 20 x 20 room over the garage. In 1938, Turner added a kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom giving the house a total of 1,530 square feet as it exists today. Turner had rented out the property after the addition was built.

Aspiring actor David King resided here in 1935. King was a victim of a violent carjacking also in 1935 at the property!. During 1938 and 1939, a voice teacher known as “Madame King-Clark” lived here and gave singing lessons as advertised in the local newspaper.

Also in 1921, Jennie Walz Turner built another residence behind 2006 Las Palmas Avenue. 2008 Las Palmas Avenue is a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1,833 sq. ft. residence that does not have a driveway and the sole access to the property is the 92 steps leading up to the house.

Frankenstein actor, Boris Karloff (pictured below) resided in this house in 1931. Boris Karloff made 14 movies during 1931, including Frankenstein. He started acting in 1919 and was credited for over 200 movies; he worked up until 1971. Karloff’s legal name was William H. Pratt and never changed it to Boris Karloff. He was married 6 times but only had one daughter by the fifth wife.

Jennie Walz Turner eventually sold all of the homes and went to live with one of her daughters in Apple Valley where she died in 1969 at the age of 92.