Whitley Heights 101

6770 Milner Road

6770 Milner Road was built in 1922 by architect Thomas Rutherland for German-born owners John and Alexandrina Marquardt, two musicians who immigrated to the United States in 1886. John played the violin and Alexandrina played the harp. Both were involved with multiple orchestras throughout the US including; The Philharmonic String Quartet, The New York Philharmonic Club, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and during the 1920s and 1930s, appeared in many Los Angeles operas. They resided at 6770 Milner Road until 1924.

Originally, the Mediterranean style home was built as 6727 Milner Court with two stories on an upslope. However, several additions created a six level house either being advertised as a triplex or a duplex. In 1925, auctioneer Fred St. Clair and his wife, Annie, moved down the hill from 2020 Whitley Terrace Steps and resided at 6770 Milner Road until 1950 playing landlord to several tenants throughout the years.

The Russian-born Levitsky brothers lived in the apartment in 1934. Boris Levitsky was a violinist who often played on radio stations in Los Angeles and appeared on Frank Sinatra’s song “I Begged Her” circa 1945. His brother, Charles, played the piano.

Between 1942 to 1946 movie stuntman Eddie Aquilina resided in the apartment. In May of 1945, Aquilina was a merchant seaman a veteran of WW1 and WW2, who recently returned on a boat carrying evacuees from a Japanese internment camp at Santo Tomas. Aquilina was at Pearl Harbor during WW2 and was actually nicked during the bombing. A former film stuntman, Aquilina found 150 million worth of Japanese currency which he unearthed from the Philippines National Bank in Manilla and upon his return to Los Angeles, gave away to friends, restaurant acquaintances, and on job interviews. However, his landlord Fred St. Clair would not accept the Japanese money for rent and moved to evict him from 6670 Milner Road in 1945. Aquilina fought the eviction stating that he lived on the property for five years and he returned home after six months in South Pacific and serviced with the eviction notice. Aquilina’s attorney indicated St. Clair did not follow proper eviction procedures when St. Clair admitted he wanted the entire property for himself due to ill-health. Aquilina won the eviction fight and was able to remain in the apartment eventually moving out a year later. During the court proceedings, he was handing out the Japanese money to anyone who would take it.

Aquilina moved out to Palm Springs and focused on cooking, becoming a private chef to Mae West, Humphrey Bogart, Susan Hayward, and Liberace. He was also the head chef at Elton’s restaurant in the Palm Springs area during the 1950s. For the next 30 years he taught cooking classes and opened his own “Dial-a-Chef” business. Aquilina died at the age 86 in 1983.

Between 1993 and 1994, actor, producer, and screenwriter William Shockley resided at 6670 Milner Court. Born in 1963, Shockley first appeared in a minor role in Robo Cop in 1987. He appeared in several television shows and had minor roles in movies during the 1980s and 1990s including; Quantum Leap and In the Heat of the Night. Shockley’s first long term role was as Hank Lawson in “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” between 1993-1993, starring Jane Seymour. He has been active with minor roles with his last film, “Far Haven” in 2023. Below is Shockley on the set of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman with Willie Nelson.

During the 1990s, producer Gail Berman lived at 6670 Milner Road and was married to producer Bill Masters. Berman is known for producing The Addams Family (2019), The Addams Family 2 (2021) Elvis (2022) and more recently the television shows Monarch and Wednesday. Masters is known for producing and writing Grace Under Fire (1994-95), Caroline in the City (1996-97), and Murphy Brown (1997-98).

Indie actor and producer Mike Szymanski has owned the property since the 1990s. Szymanki has been an outspoken advocate against Whitley Heights Civic Association’s rules. A 2001 article in Los Angeles Magazine indicated the HPOZ “accused of maliciously meddling in the lives of residents”. Szymanski spent a month painting the exterior of the property and was sent a notice informing him white house paint had an “unacceptable texture” which started by a neighbor complaining. The HPOZ ordered him to repaint the home or, according to a city planner, he would face jail time. The same neighbor complained about flowerpots that were decorating the stairs so he replaced them with redwood flower boxes. However, they were the wrong color so he painted them white. Then HPOZ indicated the flower boxes could not be painted and had to be stained. Szymanski hired a lawyer indicating the gay couple who was complaining about his house was more concerned that he was bisexual rather than the building codes. Szymanski has created the San Francisco style house his own oasis that he is proud of.

Other movie industry tenants included producer Peter Guenther and director Kyle Schickner.