Whitley Heights 101

6687 Whitley Terrace (1922)

6687 Whitley Terrace was built in 1922 by architect Arthur S. Barnes and owner, hotel manager, Jack A. Vanier. Jack, at one point of time, was the assistant manager of the Roosevelt Hotel. He and his wife, Johanna, owned the property until Johanna’s death in 1960. They lived at this property with their 5 children, until the children were old enough to move out. Below the property stairs and detached 2-car garage is seen just to the left of the vehicle. Eugene O’Brien’s balcony and garage located at 6691 Whitley Terrace is to the left of this residence.

The Vanier’s decided to downsize by renting 2139 Fairfield Avenue (from previous post All the Fairfield Drama) from 1946 until Jack’s death in 1942. hey rented out this property during that time. This 2,193 square foot Spanish hacienda has 3 bedrooms on the upper main floor and one bedroom downstairs. The home has dual access: 2044 Grace Avenue (upper floor) and 6687 Whitley Terrace (lower floor/2 car detached garage).

As the Vanier’s were still residing in this property in 1931, their son, Simeon, made the news as he and Eugene Bradley, were having drinks with salesman, Thomas O’Rourke at Henry’s Café in Hollywood. Henry’s Café was funded by Charlie Chaplin (silent screen star Henry Bergman being the owner) when it opened circa 1930 and was the first restaurant to stay open past midnight in Los Angeles at that time. O’Rourke was getting a bit belligerent and was ordered to leave the table so he picked up a butcher knife and put a gash in Bradley’s head. All three men were arrested and Simeon ended up getting acquitted on the charges by a jury trial. Later, Simeon led a quieter life after he moved to Palm Springs. (Below: Henry’s Café located at 6315 Hollywood Blvd.)

From 1932-1934, screenwriter Neville W. Reay rented 6687 Whitley Terrace from the Vanier’s. This residence is located to the immediate right of the Eugene O’Brien home (see post 6697 Whitley Terrace (1921)).

Reay’s father was the owner of publisher of the St. Paul News and other Minnesota newspapers. Young Reay had written one screenplay, A Tenderfoot Terror, in 1929. A year later, Reay, now asst. publicity director at Universal Studios, he married screenwriter Eleanor Griffith, who was known for Boys Town (1938), Imitation of Life (1959) and had 22 other writing credits. Reay and Griffith were living at this residence at the time of their marriage. In 1935, he married actress and former Broadway dancer, Vina Curtis at the Wilshire Chapel. At that time, Reay had been employed at Paramount Studios publicity department. That marriage only lasted a few years.

Between 1936 and 1938 Earl and Minibelle Hunt and their teenage daughter, actress Masha Hunt rented out 6687 Whitley Terrace. Marsha Hunt lived here while she worked at Paramount Studios. She moved out upon getting married to Jay Hopper, assistant head of the editing department at Paramount. She made 54 films in 17 years until she was unfairly “blacklisted” as she refused to testify about “communist influences” in 1947 and became known to be part of the “Hollywood Ten”.

Her marriage to Hopper only lasted until 1943; she married screenwriter Robert Presnell, Jr. in 1946.

One year before, Hunt had been invited to be on the board of the Actor’s Screen Guild. Disturbed by the actions of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), Hunt and her husband, Presnell, became members of the Committee for the First Amendment in 1947. That same year, they took part in Hollywood Fights Back, a radio program written by Presnell. The next day, Hunt flew with a group of about 30 actors, directors, writers, and filmmakers (including John Huston, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Danny Kaye) to Washington to protest the actions of HUAC. When she returned to Hollywood three days later, things had changed. She was asked to denounce her activities if she wanted to find more work; she refused. In 1950, Hunt was named as a potential Communist or Communist sympathizer (along with 151 other actors, writers and directors) in the anti-Communist publication Red Channels. Others included; Dallas star, Barbara Bel Geddes, Lillian Hellman, Lena Horne, Burl Ives, Arthur Miller, Eddie Albert and Harry Belafonte. Hunt has survived the two husbands and the blacklisting. She is now 104 years old and lives in Woodland Hills.

Writer Lucille Ann Chaplin rented the property from 1940-1946. In 1979, an undisclosed 2-story addition was completed on the house and in 2014, the spiral stairs were replaced with straight stairs in the rear of the property and kitchen and bathroom was remodeled. Below is the outside residence widows of the living room area and the remodeled staircase on the bottom level.