Whitley Heights 101

Padre Terrace (Little Enclave)

Padre Terrace is located off the 1900 block of Whitley Avenue between Franklin Avenue and Emmet Terrace. The little enclave of unique houses, consists of five properties (in order from left to right on photo above): 6610 1/2, 6610, 6621, 6615, and 6607 Padre Terrace. The Ojai Apartments (below), which were built in 1926 and declared a historical cultural monument in 2006, sits in the front of Padre Terrace at 1929 Whitley Avenue. Padre Terrace was first named Mission Court until 1916, then became Padre Court and eventually transitioned to Padre Terrace.

6615 Padre Terrace was the first to be built in 1906 (according to the National Register of Historic Places), before Whitley Heights was recognized. The one-story bungalow is 2,356 square feet and consists of 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, but sits on a 8,879 square foot lot. However, a search of Los Angeles building permits indicated in 1922 the house was built on an empty lot by owner, Mrs. Wilbur Higby, architect P. Hale and contractor, Morrow and Baer so the date of construction is not clear. Wilbur Higby was a well-known stage actor at the time. Newspaper accounts have Mrs. William Johnson residing at 6615 Padre Court in 1918. The Higbys owned and rented several other properties in Whitley Heights including; 6607 Padre Terrace, 6614 Emmett Terrace, 6611 Emmet Terrace, and 1814 Whitley Terrace). Below is the front of 6615 Padre Terrace, out of view, on Padre Terrace. The curved Mission revival parapet roof can be seen from the back of the property on Emmett Terrace.

6615 Padre Terrace has been to home to actress/singer Carmen Miranda (according to National Register of Public Places) and actress Gloria Ann Simpson (1944). It is unclear the dates Carmen Miranda may have lived in this house as she was also living in Beverly Hills, Encino, Palm Springs, and Los Feliz at one time. Carmen was born in Portugal in 1909 and her family moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, soon after her birth. After finishing school, Carmen got a job in a local store, where she starting singing. RCA eventually signed her and she was dubbed “The Brazilian Bombshell”. Carmen continued to sing and started to act in movies and moved to New York at the end of 1939. She appeared in Down Argentine Way with Betty Grable and Don Ameche in 1940. Not only did audiences like her style of singing, her dress attire became one of the latest fads. Carmen met her husband, Dave Sebastian, the assistant producer of her 1947 film, Copacabana, whom she married that same year. They remained married until her death in 1955, in which she died of a heart attack at her Beverly Hills home. Carmen may have resided at the Padre Terrace residence sometime in the 1940’s during filming one of her movies.

Actress Gloria Ann Simpson (pictured below) starred in 11 films between 1951 and 1956 (until her death). Simpson lived at this residence prior to her acting roles with her husband, George Henry Simpson. Simpson can be seen on the 1956 episode The Big Wish on the television show, Dragnet and the 1957 movie, The Heart Within. Simpson also appeared on numerous radio shows between 1947-55.

6621 Padre Terrace was built in 1907, according to the National Register of Historic Places. The earliest building permit that could be located was in 1914 (after the house was built) with the address listed as 6621 Mission Court. The city directories have Frederick and Sue Belle Mann residing at 6621 Mission Court in 1913. 6621 Padre Terrace is a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom one-story bungalow, that also predates the established Whitley Heights neighborhood and consists of 1,436 square feet of living space. Below are the partial views of the Georgian Colonial home from Padre Terrace and Emmett Terrace.

Stage actors George and Percy Fawcett resided in the home from 1927-30. Actor George Fawcett is credited to over 150 silent films from 1915 through 1951 and was known to rival both Leonel and John Barrymore for movie parts. Fawcett married this second wife, actress Percy Haswell, and they remained married until Fawcett’s death in 1939. The Fawcett’s would host annual Christmas dinners or other gatherings with friends at the Padre Terrace house. Pictured below, is daughter Margaret, Percy and George. Margaret was also involved with the theater. Frank Fawcett, who was Paul Hurst’s stunt double in Gone with the Wind, resided at the Padre Terrace home in 1929.

Actor John Warburton moved into 6621 Padre Terrace in 1930. Warburton starred in over 60 films and television shows. Warburton starred in Saratoga Trunk in 1947 with Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman. He had small roles in Perry Mason, Star Trek and The Wild, Wild West. Below is Warburton in The Secrets of the French Police in 1932.

Some alterations have been made on 6621 Padre Terrace. In 1940, owners Mr. and Mrs. R.C. Edgerton converted the screened porch into a dinette, raised the ceiling to regulation height, put gable over the front porch, and new windows in the living and dining rooms. Producer Maggie Friedman (pictured below) resided at the property in 2004. Friedman wrote and produced some episodes on Dawson’s Creek (2002-3), Eastwick (2009-10), and Witches of East End (2013-14).

6610 Padre Terrace, built in 1922, is a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom home consisting of 1,180 square feet, built by C. Houle. The property does not contribute to the Whitley Heights district due to substantial alterations to the home. Below, 6610 is the property on the right with the winding stairs leading up to the house. Stage director Arthur Rubin lived here in 1924.

6610 1/2 Padre Terrace (pictured below) shares a driveway with 6610 Padre Terrace and is the house on the right in the picture above. The bungalow was built in 1920 and consists of 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom and has only 834 square feet of living space.

Artist Frank Porfita lived at 6610 1/2 Padre Terrace in 1948 and at the age of 71, constructed a 11 ft. statue of Jesus, weighing 3 tons, and took three months to build. The statue was built to honor is wife, Rosita, and sat in this backyard in seclusion by the gardens surrounding it and the building on Franklin Avenue which blocked the view to others.

6607 Padre Terrace was built in 1922 by Mrs. Wilbur Higby as they had created a “compound” of homes with 6615 Padre Terrace, 6612-14 Emmet Terrace and 6607 Padre Terrace (pictured below). In 1923, Daisy Redmayne and her family was renting the house from the Higbys and apparently called Mrs. Carolyn Higby a “thief”; Higby sued Redmayne for $20,000.

This property backs up to the other Higby property located at 6612-14 Emmett Terrace; 6615 Padre Terrace is to the right of this property.

Stage and film actor Wilbur Higby starred in almost 80 stage productions and films for over 30 years. He had worked on the screen with Douglas Fairbanks, Marion Davies, and Constance Talmadge. Wilbur and his wife, Carolyn, were both vaudeville actors. Carolyn had two children from a previous marriage, her daughter Rita Huston, would reside at 1814 Whitley Avenue, 6603 Padre Court, 6614 Emmett Terrace, and 6611 Emmett Terrace. Wilbur died at his property on Emmett Terrace in 1934. Their daughter, Mary Jane Higby, was a popular radio star and ended up moving to 6611 Emmett Terrace with her mother and Rita after Wilbur died. Apparently, Carolyn, Rita, and Mary Jane were very close. Rita ended up getting married and moving to Arizona and Carolyn moved with her. Mary Jane would marry actor Guy Sorel in 1945. Actor Wilbur Higby and his daughter, Mary Jane, are pictured below.

6612-14 Emmett Terrace is located just behind 6607 Padre Terrace and was built in 1925, but renovated into a triplex in 1929. The 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom main unit has a den and a formal dining room. There is another 2-bedroom, 2 bathroom unit and a studio apartment in the back of the property. The property below has a detached 2-car garage, which may have been relocated from 6607 Padre Terrace, in order to build the other home.

During the 1920’s the address 6603 Padre Court was used and may have been a residence on Franklin Avenue or one of the above references homes. Wilbur Higby and Rita Huston used that address in 1924 and actor Sinclair C. Chapman listed that address (pictured below), was arrested in 1923 for “whipping” next door neighbor, Mary R. Hoyt, across the back with a riding whip. Chapman had won some contest for an acting contract, but the arrest ruined his reputation and he never acted again. Apparently, they had a dispute over “rubbish”. This address was used as early as in 1919 by Agnes and Lawrence Sparklin and up to 1927 by William Piddington.

Although The Ojai Apartments, 1929 Whitley Avenue, are not part of the Whitley Heights Historic District, they were deemed a historical cultural building in 2006 and should be included due to the architecture and history attached to the building. The Ojai Apartments were built in 1927 by owner Mr. D. Futernick, architect Frank H. Webster and Cooper Construction.

Frank Webster was also the architect for the Hotel Bonita (1929), deemed another historic landmark, on Hillcrest Road in Los Angeles. The Ojai Apartments is a Mediterranean Revival building that have 5 stories facing Padre Terrace and 4 stories circling around Whitley Avenue and Emmett Terrace. The roof consists of terracotta roof tiles and a neon sign facing the southside of the building. The apartment was originally built with 33 residences totaling 87 rooms. One-bedroom and studio apartments are offered.

In 1928, Futernick, along with architect, Hillier & Sheet, created an new, additional entrance to the lobby from Padre Court on the southside of the building. A storage room located on the northwest corner of the first floor was converted into an apartment. The elevator landing location was changed to the first floor instead of being near the stairway. The neon roof sign was also erected in 1928.

The building remain unchanged until 1952 when the outside of the building was repainted. In 1968, the parapet was corrected. In 1987 the fire escape was removed and the door to it removed. There were other repairs completed to keep the building up to code including the installation of fire sprinklers and a new roof.

The Ojai Apartments has seen its share of movie industry tenants: writer Del Andrews, editor Irving Applebaum, writer June Barondess, actress Sophia Berger, actress Grace Bloch, writer Olive Burchfiel, actor/stage manager Donald Campbell, director Harvey Claremont, actor Walter Craig, actress Viola Dana, actress Ethelyn Dectreaux, director Lonnie D’Orsa, actress Virginia Emmons, actor Maurice “Lefty” Flynn, actress Dorothea Bowen Forbes, studio stage director Robert Forbes, radio announcer John Forkum, actress Blanche Friderici, actor John Gilmore, actor Edward Hargrove, actor Marion Hargrove, director Jerome Lachenbauch, actor Horace Ledford, writer Grace Mack, actor Ted Mack, actress Vera Marshe, actress Dolores Mendes, actor Edward Peil, Jr., actor Edward Peil, Sr., actor Joseph Redmond, agent and studio publicity Eddie Rubin, actor Emmett Vogan, and actor Christopher Wood.

Del Andrews was a film screenwriter and director during the 1920’s. He is best known for his screenplay in All Quiet in the Western Front (1930) and directing The Wild West Show (1928). Andrews started at entry level positions in the industry and was able to work his way up to writing and directing by 1921. In 1916, he worked at Ince Studios as a head film cutter when a fire had started possible from a painter’s coat, catching the film room on fire. Thomas Ince was badly burned on his hands and face as he fought through the flames to safety. Del Andrews was so badly burned, it was thought that he would die. He was the last to leave the cutting-room as he was more concerned with saving some of the film. Andrews was rushed to Saint Catherine’s Hospital, in Santa Monica, the hospital that specialized in burns. Many others were also treated for burns and risked their lives to save other valuables in the studio. Luckily, Andrews survived the fire and was able to start directing movies for Ince in the 1920’s. Andrews was only in his 20s when he began directing. Andrews was residing in the Ojai in 1928 when he wrote and directed The Wild West Show.

Actress Viola Dana’s birthname was Virginia Flugrath, was a silent screen star, who had difficulty transitioning to sound pictures. She married her first husband, John Collins in 1915 and he died three years later during the influenza epidemic. Two years later, Dana began a relationship with Omar Locklear, a military veteran, an aviator an upcoming actor, and a married man. On August 2, 1920, he was flying a night while filming, “The Skywayman” when his airplane crashed. Not only was Viola present when the plane crashed, she had a premonition the night before that Locklear was giving her his personal effects. The experience caused her so much trauma, that she did not fly in a plane for 25 years! In 1925, Viola married Yale football star and actor Maurice “Lefty” Flynn, but divorced in 1929. He had been living with her in the Ojai Apartments. Her fourth and final marriage was to professional golfer, Jimmy Thompson from 1930 to 1945. She died in 1987 at the age of ninety.

Director Lonnie D’Orsa resided at the Ojai Apartments in 1928. He worked as an assistant director, producer, and production manager on films and television shows. He was the assistant director in For Whom the Bell Tolls in 1944 and the production manager of the tv series Medic from 1954 to 1956. D’Orsa was somewhat careless with his personal life. In 1932, while D’Orsa was driving, he passed another vehicle and ended up hitting another car head-on. The other driver’s skull was fractured and police arrested a drunk driver who had rear-ended one of the cars involved in the collision. In 1933, D’Orsa had to claim bankruptcy due to having almost $15,000 in debt and only $200 in assets. In 1935, he was in another motor vehicle accident and was arrested for drunk driving. He had 2 actresses, Delores Casey and Mary Lou Dix, testify that he had not been drinking at the time. However, both girls testified that D’Orsa had taken a drink after his car had crashed into another car at the intersection of Sunset Blvd. and Gardner Street. A few months later, D’Orsa was nearly hit by a 300 pound ceiling beam that fell inside a movie studio. He was like a cat with 9 lives!

Actress Blanche Friderici and her husband, stage manager, Donald Campbell resided at the Ojai Apartments in 1928. Friderici started out as an acting teacher, but her eyesight began to fail her so she switched to acting. She appeared in 60 films between 1920 and 1934 including, Gentleman Prefer Blondes (1928), Mata Hari (1931), and her last movie, It Happened One Night (1934). On December 24, 1933, while on her way to attend a Christmas service at General Grant National Park in Fresno with her husband, she died of a heart attack in Visalia. She was 55 years old

Screenwriter Marion Hargrove lived here in 1936 and wrote for television shows such as 77 Sunset Strip (1958), Maverick (1957), Eight is Enough (1977), Fantasy Island (1978), and The Waltons (1975-81). He also wrote a bestselling book, See Here Private Hargrove, written just before the United States entered World War 2; the book was made into a movie in 1944 staring Robert Walker and Donna Reed.

Actress Vera Marshe lived in the Ojai Apartments in 1930. Marshe has been credited to over 70 film and tv show parts including; The Abbott & Costello Show (1952-53), Adventures of Superman (1953), Lassie (1956-58), The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1953-65), and Perry Mason (1959-66).

Actors Edward Peil, Sr. and his son, Edward Peil, Jr. lived at 1929 Whitley Avenue in 1930. Edward, Sr. was in over 433 films (mostly uncredited) including; Broken Blossoms (1919), The Big Cage (1933), and Dream Street (1921). Eddie Jr. was in 38 films (mostly uncredited), such as Citizen Kane (1941) and Oh Susanna! (1936). He started acting in his childhood, often credited as Johnny Jones.

Perhaps the most scandalous occupant was Rev. Robert Anderson Jardine, an ordained priest of the Church of England, who performed the marriage ceremony for the Duke of Windsor (Edward VIII) and his fiancé, Wallis Simpson, who became the Duchess of Windsor in 1937. Simpson was an American socialite who was divorced from her first husband and on her way to divorcing her second husband. Edward marrying a divorced, but still married woman, was seen as “unconstitutional” in England at the time. Jardine performed the “unroyal” wedding and Edward was eventually dethroned. Jardine’s career was ruined so he left for Los Angeles and moved into the Ojai Apartments in 1939. Jardine tried to capitalize off his notoriety of performing the wedding with little success. He and his wife, Maud spend the rest of his life in Mexico, penniless. He died in 1950 and was buried in an unmarked grave in Mexico. The whereabouts of the gravesite is unknown, even to his family.

As one can seen, this little enclave is unique and has a lot of history surrounding it. If you are ever traveling down the 1900 block of Whitney Avenue, stop by the Padre Terrace area to get a better look of the five houses that are some of the oldest homes in the Whitley Heights area.