Whitley Heights 101

2000 N. Las Palmas Avenue

In 1919, silent screen director, Louis William Chaudet, (pictured below) purchased the land located at 2000 N. Las Palmas Avenue in hopes of building his dream home, for his bride, Allene, a pianist and harpist. They had just recently married in October of that year. At the time, Bill was 34 years old and Allene Hale was ten years younger than he. In 1922, the 4,265 square foot, 3 bedroom, 4 bathroom house was erected with the assistance of Mulford and Anson, contractors. The Chaudets lived in the home until Bill’s death in 1965. They had rented out the home several times during their ownership of the house. Above is an aerial view of the property that includes a swimming pool, jacuzzi, and three separate one car garages that are below the property on Las Palmas Avenue. Las Palmas Avenue turns into Bonnair Place as soon as the road curves past Chaudet’s home.

For the 40 decades that the Chaudets have owned 2000 Las Palmas Avenue, little has been altered. Bill had died the year he had remodeled the kitchens and bathrooms. After his death, one of the owners added the pool in 1973 and the jacuzzi in 1980. Below is a close up of the pool area that lies on the left hand side of the property. To the left of the pool area are the garages below on Las Palmas Avenue.

Louis William Chaudet was born in Manhattan, Kansas in 1884. Chaudet started working as a photographer and then a vaudeville comic before breaking into motion pictures as a director. Chaudet was extremely busy during the early years of California film production, directing many silent films for Nestor, the first motion picture company to settle in the “sleepy village” of Hollywood. Nevertheless, Chaudet failed to master the development of characters in his directed and was limited to low budget western movies. He retired as sound pictures developed.

Chaudet’s wife, Allene Hale, was born in Vermont in 1893 to Randolph and Frona Von Leibich (later changing the name to Hale); the family moved to New York in Allene’s teenage years. Her mother, Frona, started acting in 1919 and had a total of 10 acting parts; she was best known for playing Mrs. McLaughlin in the movie, Skinner’s Dress Suit in 1926. Frona had moved into the home with the Chaudets in her later years and died in 1933 at the age of 63.

Allene pursued a music career and became a pianist and harpist. A student of musician Anton Rubenstein, Allene was a teacher of harmony and piano. At age 14, she was a soloist of the Boston Festival Orchestra under Gustave Mahler. Allene played in concerts across the United States and began teaching in Chicago in 1916. In 1919, she opened a Hollywood Studio and her pupils included: Jackie Cooper, Gloria Swanson, Shirley Temple, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Allene died in 1985 in Van Nuys. Below, 2002 Las Palmas Avenue sits to the right of 2000 Las Palmas Avenue’s one car garage. Around the corner, the other two garages belonging to 2000 Las Palmas Avenue, are located to the right.

Below are the other two one-car garages that are located just below the property on the street.

One last interesting anecdote about the property: In 1953, five young men rented the property for about a year and it was dubbed, “Bachelor’s Haven”. Furrier, Alfred Winter, rented the home with his brother, Norman Winter, 25, a writer, and three longtime friends, Jay M. Taylor, 27, a UCLA law student, Bill Booth, 35, a service manager for a Van Nuys gas station, and Bill Daily, 34, a public relations director for the Lawrence Welk Organization. The young men would host weekly parties at the home. They would watch a movie, have a barbeque, or dance on the outside patio floor. Bachelor’s Haven was in full swing when one day, Alfred announced that he was engaged his girlfriend, Norma Siegal, breaking up the bachelor pad. Below is a photograph of the five men who famously made news for their single life at 2002 Las Palmas Avenue in 1953.