Whitley Heights 101

6850 Iris Circle and 2251 Cahuenga Boulevard

In 1924, real estate broker John B. Elsbach purchased land on Iris Circle that reached down the hill to Cahuenga Boulevard and hired architect Carl Jules Weyl to build two identical artistic studio bungalows: 2251 and 2253 Cahuenga Blvd. Weyl built several other homes in Whitley Heights and then went to work as a set designer for Warner Brothers and remained there for the rest of his career. As art director, Weyl’s portfolio included; The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), The Letter (1940), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), Casablanca (1942), and Saratoga Trunk (1945). Included on the property was a three car detached garage on Iris Circle. Elsbach and his wife lived in the 2253 Cahuenga Blvd. cottage that was later renamed 6850 Iris Circle and then used both as rental properties.

After the Elsbach’s moved out in 1930, 6850 Iris Circle was rented by 28 year old Virginia Sullivan, who wrote for “Love Story Magazine” and later for Screenland Magazine in the 1940s. While she was living here, Sullivan became engaged to and married D.W. Tomlinson, a Naval Lieutenant who was already divorced with one child. At the time, Tomlinson was the leader of the “Three Sea Hawks”, the Navy’s first aerobatic team and was later referred to as the “Blue Angels”. Tomlinson gained famed after developing the dive bombing attack that coordinated multiple aircraft from different directions. This technique was applied and proved successful in WWII in the air battles over the Pacific. Tomlinson left the Blue Angels after he crashed his plane and almost died. He then bought his own plane and would transport people throughout the United States and Mexico.

Unfortunately, Tomlinson’s “dare devil” techniques would appear at times, even causing injury to others:

After having a daughter and six years of marriage, there was a very public and messy divorce in 1937. Both fought for custody of their 4 year old daughter and Tomlinson’s infidelities with the maid came out during the trial. Tomlinson was actually married six times and multiple children during all of the marriages. In the 1950s, Sullivan was a publicity director at WATO and married Charles von Fremd, a CBS-TV producer and former White House Correspondent, known for his covering of the Kennedy assassination from 1953 to 1957 and then shifted his reporting to space missions.

In 1934, actress Rachel “Rae” Daggett (1905-1977) rented 6850 Iris Circle with her mother and sister. They had been renting an apartment next door at Linda Vista Court. Daggett was a character actress and worked in films such as “Welcome Danger” starring Harold Lloyd, “Fighting Caravans” starring Gary Cooper, “Queen Kelly” starring Gloria Swanson and “It’s a Wonderful World” starring Claudette Colbert and James Stewart.

Following Daggett’s departure, composer Charles Rosoff (1895-1988) rented the bungalow for 4 years. Rosoff was active on Broadway in the following shows: Judy (1927) and Earl Carroll’s Vanities (1940). Rosoff also composed music for several films between 1934 and 1938. He also composed music for several movie soundtracks including; Monkey Business (1934), The Great Gatsby (1949) and (1974).

The other bungalow, 2251 Cahuenga Blvd., has access via a stairway on Cahuenga Blvd. Both homes are 1,1,61 square feet with 4 rooms (living/dining area, kitchen and two bedrooms).

In 1930, motion picture director Eric Locke (1887-1969) rented 2251 Cahuenga Blvd. Born in Germany, Locke first worked for Lubitsch Productions during the 1920s. Locke was the assistant director on two Paramount Studios films: Midnight Club (1933) and Desire (1936) starring Marlene Dietrich and Gary Cooper. He was also the “business manager” on The Merry Widow (1934) and The Devil is a Woman (1935) before working as a production assistant on Greta Garbo’s “Ninotchka” in 1939. Locke would then transition to the camera department and worked on Angel (1937) and Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife (1938).

Between 1937 and 1938 Director Lynn Shores and his wife, Emma, rented 2251 Cahuenga Blvd., with their daughter, actress Mary Janes Shores. Lynn (1893-1949) started as an assistant director in 1920s and was credited for over directing 20 films during the 1930s and 1940s. His portfolio includes; The Mark of Zorro (1940), Down Argentine Way (1940), and Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum (1941).

Mary Jane Shores (1925-2008) had six minor roles during the 1940s and worked with June Haver, Betty Grable, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, and Linda Darnell. Shores actually was discovered working in the mail room for 20th Century Fox Studios and was hired for “Diamond Horseshoe” in 1945. Then Paramount borrowed her to play a show girl on “Blue Skies” starring Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby. In May of 1946, she eloped with 23 year old Burr Smith, a former paratrooper lieutenant and was attending UCLA where he met the starlet. Shores graduated from UCLA in 1947 and settled on being a mother instead of acting.

The two bungalows were eventually sold individually with 6850 Iris Circle getting the 3 car garage. 6650 Iris Circle is 1,356 square feet with two bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. 2251 Cahuenga Blvd. is 1,161 square feet with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. These Spanish style cottages have retained their original features such as stained glass windows, wood beam ceilings in the living/dining areas, a fireplace in the living room, and brick patios with an antique wall fountain.