Whitley Heights 101

6824 Whitley Terrace

Architects McCann & Leech were responsible for building all five homes at the end of Whitley Terrace near Cahuenga Blvd. 6824 Whitley Terrace is the second house from the left (2-story white residence) and was built in 1915; the bungalow style home consisted of 1,429 square feet with three bedrooms and one bathroom.

The residence has remained in tact of its original form other than a roof update in 2019. Below is an aerial view of the house in the 1920s before the 101 Freeway was built. 6824 Whitley Terrace is the second house to the left where Whitley Terrace meets Odin Street. The house looks to have a u-shaped driveway on Whitley Terrace. Stairs lead down to a walkway in the rear of the home.

Director John G. (Jack) Blystone (pictured below) resided at 6824 Whitley Terrace between 1916-1917 and worked for L-KO Motion Picture Company at the time. The company was only in existence from 1914-19 and was known for producing comedy short films. Blystone was named Director-in-Chief in 1915, but then left for Fox Sunshine a few months later. Jack directed a total of 110 movies between 1914-1938. In 1938, Jack died of a heart attack in his Beverly Hills home at the age of 45. He was married to Gwendolyn Davis at the time of his death. The newspapers dubbed his death part of a Hollywood superstition of three people dying around the same time that are connected to one another. On the the day of his death, Warner Oland also died. Jack was responsible for hiring Oland as the villain on the Charlie Chan movies. A few days earlier, Pearl White died. Pearl White had also starred in the same Charlie Chan movies.

Director Roy S. Clements (pictured below) resided at 6824 Whitley Terrace from 1920-1936. Clements was credited for 136 films between 1914-1937 and had married stock (non-speaking) actress Neva West. Clements was also president of the Motion Picture Directors Association at one time. When Clements retired from directing, he became a miner and restored one of the local mines. He died in 1948 at the age of 71.

Country-western singer and actor Gene Autry and his wife, Ida, resided here between 1937-38. Born Orvon Grover Autry in 1908, he was raised in Texas and moved to New York in the 1920s to start his singing career. He then relocated to Hollywood, California to start his acting career in the 1930s. He was said to be residing at 6824 Whitley Terrace before moving to a home in Studio City. According to the book, “Public Cowboy #1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry”, Gene, his wife, and daughter drove to Hollywood in his brand-new Buick and found a spacious, two-story craftsman-style home at 6824 Whitley Terrace on a winding road with breathtaking views of the Hollywood Hills. Built in 1915, the house was located in a chic enclave known as Whitley Heights, filled with Mediterranean-style mansions that belonged to many movie stars. On a hilly lot populated with eucalyptus and pine trees, the wood-shingled home’s three bedrooms could comfortably accommodate Ina, Gene, and his siblings. Ina immediately jumped into furnishing and decorating the rental property. Below is Gene and Ida Autry in the Hollywood home.

Between his singing and acting career, Gene served in the Air Force during World War II and part of his service was broadcasting a radio show for one year. While he was gone, his contact at Republic Studio was suspended and tried to void the contract when he returned home. The courts ruled in favor of the studio so he returned to Republic Studios and finished the contract with 4 more movies. He then went to Columbia Pictures and made over 100 films. Below, many websites have identified this house belonging to Gene Autry. While some indicate this is the Whitley Heights residence, others have suggested it was his home in North Hollywood.

In 1951, he opened his own production company, Flying A Productions and bought Melody Ranch in San Fernando Valley. Many “B” westerns were filmed at Melody Ranch including the initial shows of Gunsmoke. Gene sold the ranch in 1990 after his horse died. The family who bought the ranch restored it to the Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio and Melody Ranch Studios on 22 acres. The ranch has the Melody Ranch Museum open year-round; and one weekend a year, the entire ranch is open to the public during the Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival, another legacy of Autry’s multiple talents.

In the 1950s, Gene was part-owner of the Hollywood Stars, a minor league baseball team. In 1960, Gene acquired radio broadcasting rights of a new baseball expansion team and then became the owner of the Los Angeles Angels. In 1966, the team moved to Anaheim and became the California Angels. Gene remained tied to the team until his death in 1983. Presently, the residence if full of overgrown trees that blocks the view of the house on Whitley Terrace. Below is a partial view of the roof on the left, that sits next to condominiums.

From 1939 until 1956, British actress Winifred Harris Lambart and her son, Richard Lambart, resided in this home. Richard was listed as the owner of the property and identified as an actor when they first moved in. Winifred was listed as the widow of Captain Harry Lambart.

Winifred, pictured above, has been cited as staring in 80 movies, most of which she played non-speaking and uncredited parts. She had such parts in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1941 and played an uncredited English woman in Casablanca in 1942. What is most interesting is that on a Petition For Naturalization document in 1954 in item #8, she first indicates that she has two children. However, the 2 is crossed out with two x’s and replaced with a 1. Below, her son, Eric is listed as being born in England. Richard is typed underneath, but also typed over with x’s. On a 1940 census, both are listed living at this property and Richard is listed at Winifred’s son and born in Atlanta, Georgia.

Winifred is listed once again as his son on a 1940 draft card as show below. He also described his job as a “freelance actor” working at “various studios”, a.k.a unemployed actor.

In 1951, Richard was involved in an incident with the next door neighbor living at 6830 Whitley Terrace. Singer, Nannette Sarkin, claims Richard drenched her with a garden hose from an open window while she was in her living room. Richard claimed that he was only watering his ivy plants and the water accidentally went inside her home. Richard, now a salesman, was charged with battery, disturbing the peace, and property damage; he had to go to trial on the incident. In August 1951, a jury cleared him of any wrong doing to the former radio star. Sarkin testified that he had flooded her kitchen while watering his ivy trellis. She then stated that when she protested, he turned the hose on her. Richard’s mother, Winifred testified that Sarkin soaked herself when she dropped a running hose after she had threatened to soak the Lambart residence.

6824 Whitley Terrace is the second house from the intersection of Whitley Terrace and Odin Street. What was left of Odin Street was renamed as Lash Lane in 1955.