Whitley Heights 101

6605 Lash Lane

6605 Lash Lane is now a triplex that was originally built as a duplex in 1920. Prior to the 101 Freeway construction, it was located at the corner of Odin Street and Whitley Terrace as 6605 Odin Street. The duplex backed up to actor J. Kerrigan Warren’s house that was on Cahuenga Boulevard. In the photo above, Warren’s house can be seen above the Lash Lane residence. Currently, there is a total of 2,168 square feet, 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms as each unit is a one bedroom apartment. Two are on Lash Lane: 6605 and 6607 and the last is 6840 Whitley Terrace.

Susan Warder built the bungalow duplex by architects Montgomery and Niebecker who also built 6655 Emmet Terrace in 1920. They were also responsible for building the Immaculate Conception School also in 1920. Warder’s son, Carroll, resided on the property. Carroll Warder was an interior decorator and a well-known painter at the time. Mrs. Warder and her son moved down to San Diego by 1936.

Actress Betty Norton resided at the Lash Lane bungalow in 1936, but got married that same year and the couple moved in with her parents. Norton had a roommate at this property at the time so they were not going to all live together. Norton worked for MGM between 1930 and 1932 and then toured with Henry Duffy Theater Company up until the time she got married when she retired from acting. Norton’s father, Charles, founded the Easter Sunrise Services at the Hollywood Bowl.

Perhaps the most notable tenant was play and screenwriter Morton Grant (1903-1980) and his wife, Elizabeth in 1938. Grant was credited for 38 films or television shows between 1937 to 1963. Grant’s first films were “Love is on the Air” in 1937 and “Accidents Will Happen” in 1938, which both starred Ronald Reagan. After that, most of Grant’s films were westerns which starred Tim Holt and Ray Whitley during the 1940s. However, Grant’s last film was “Holiday in Havana” in 1949 starring Desi Arnaz. In 1963, Grant wrote an episode for the television show, 77 Sunset Strip.

During the 1940s Valentine Lash and his wife, Violet, resided at 6605 Odin Street. Lash, a native of Russia, had worked for Hearst Publications since the age of 16 and eventually became the Circulation District Manager at the Herald Examiner. After this part of Odin Street was wiped out for the Hollywood Freeway, the city of Los Angeles decided to change the name of this part of Odin Street to Lash Lane in 1955.

Unfortunately, Valentine Lash died of a heart attack at 6605 Lash Lane in 1963; he was only 48 years old.

Below 6605 Lash Lane is seen behind the vehicle circa 1937. The photograph below it is the same area today. The Hollywood Pilgrimage Memorial Monument, which was originally erected in 1923, as a memorial to Christine Wetherill Stevenson, is seen in the distance.