Whitley Heights 101

6613 Odin Street

“The Dog and Pony Show”

6613 Odin Street was one of the first homes built in the area of Whitley Heights (before it was the heights) in 1914. Before this area was bulldozed to make way for the Hollywood Freeway, Odin Street used to run from Whitley Terrace (near Cahuenga Blvd.), cross over on Highland Avenue and end adjacent to the Hollywood Bowl. 6613 Odin Street was two lots away from Whitley Terrace and stood next to 6615 Lash Lane and diagonal from 6830 Whitley Terrace, who properties that are still standing today. Below is the area that exists today. This property would have been located at the bottom of the hill after the apartment complex, which is located to the right of all the vehicles. In 1955, this section of Whitley Terrace was renamed to Lash Lane which consists of the duplex next door, the 2 building apartment complex at 6615 Lash Lane and a residence across the street, 6614 Lash Lane, which was built in 1989 (an existing one room house was demolished in its place). 

Below is the area of Whitley Terrace and Odin Street in 1935. The apartments located at 6615 Lash Lane would be in the grassy area located between this property and 6605 Lash Lane. Both this property and the house across the street, 6616 Odin Street were both likely demolished. The arrow showing above 6616 Odin Street is the one room building that was demolished in 1989 (6614 Lash Lane). 

The house located at 6613 Odin Street was originally built as a six room, one story bungalow built by the Wilson Brothers for Will Pursel. However, in 1929, Pursel added another floor and converted the property into a duplex. This property remained in the Pursel family until 1950. One tenant lived in the house in 1950 and then there are no records of anyone living in the home after that and was most likely demolished around that time. There are no records of a permit being issued to demolish or relocate the property.

William Pursel moved into 6613 Odin Street with his wife, Maude, and two sons, ages 13 and 8 at the time after it was built in 1914. Pursel’s parents also moved into the bungalow in 1914. Pursel’s father, Peter, had purchased the Sunset Livery Boarding & Stable (pictured below) from George Knarr sometime after 1910 and ran the business with William. George Knarr, who originally owned the stables, not only cared for the horses and carriages of Hollywood’s more affluent residents, but rented horses and wagons to tourists and was the first site of electric sign in Hollywood. Cowboy stars and stunt men would keep their horses at the livery and stay at the Sackett Hotel when filming in Hollywood.

William’s father, Peter Pursel was born in 1836 in Pennsylvania and married his first wife, Mary, in 1861 in Kalamazoo, Michigan and had a son named Jesse a year later. Mary died three years later at the age of 28. Peter then married Sarah Fox in 1867 and had a daughter and two sons. The family not only trained horses and dogs, but opened an entertainment business called “Pursel’s New Modern Shows” in 1909 (see below).

They traveled all over the United States, performing in vaudeville shows, but were based out of Omaha, Nebraska. Peter’s oldest son and William’s step-brother, Jesse, ran the company, while Peter entertained others as a slack wire artist. William trained horses and had a Exmoor pony named “Peter Pan” who was one of best little trick horses on American stage in 1915. Peter Pan was also known as the “The Educated Pony” and would perform acts on stage.

When the family moved out of Los Angeles, they took over the Sunset Livery Boarding & Stables located on Sunset Boulevard as early as 1909. Jesse eventually moved to Los Angeles from Chicago in 1911 with his wife and 16 month old daughter. However, the baby had been fed spoiled milk on the way and died of poisoning along the way. The Pursel’s rented out horses for early day western films and often acted as stuntmen as riders on the horses in the films. William performed trick riding for Douglas Fairbanks and other silent screen producers.

In 1912, one of the neighbors, Ann Marion Strong, who lived next door to the Pursel’s on Hudson Avenue, got arrested for killing one of their dogs. Jesse informed authorities that she poisoned one of their valuable fox terriers. Pursel, a former circus man, kept trained animals that disturbed her sleep and ruined her lawn. She put out poison wishing to kill the chickens who came on her lawn and killed the dog instead.

By 1914, the Pursel’s moved to the bungalow on Odin Street after it was built. Peter died in 1922 while living in the bungalow. William continued to travel with his pony across the United States performing in vaudeville acts. He would rent out 6613 Odin Street when he was on the road. In 1924, screenwriter Bertram Millhauser (1892-1958) rented 6613 Odin Street. Millhauser had over 70 screenwriting credits between 1911 to 1960. He authored “Hot Leather,” the story of boxer Jimmy Dolan. He started his career as a stenographer in the advertising department of Pathe and moved up to the script department where he worked on the Pearl White serials. Millhauser became a writer and producer for Cecil B. DeMille. During the 1940s Millhauser worked at the Universal studios on the Sherlock Holmes film series which starred Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. He also co-wrote “The Scarlet Claw” which was one of the best of the Universal film series.

Millhauser started writing short films for actress Pearl White in 1911. In 1932, he co-wrote the screenplay for the film “Sherlock Holmes” with Arthur Conan Doyle and then “The Life of Jimmy Dolan” starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Loretta Young. Millhauser then went on to write “Ever in My Heart” (1933) starring Barbara Stanwyck, “Jimmy the Gent” (1934) starring James Cagney and Bette Davis, “Test Pilot” (1938) starring Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, and Spencer Tracy, and “Big Shot” (1942) starring Humphrey Bogart. During the 1940’s, Millhauser wrote two other Sherlock Holmes films and by the 1950s, he transitioned to television. However, just before his death in 1958, he wrote his last film called “Pay or Die!” starring Ernest Borgnine.

In 1927, character actor, Sydney Jarvis, rented 6613 Odin Street. Jarvis (1838-1979) was born in Ontario and was credited for 77 roles between 1927 to 1939. His first minor role was in “Casey at the Bat” starring Wallace Beery and Zazu Pitts. Jarvis was often cast in small parts as a townsperson, judge, police officer, party guest, and prison guard. His most notable films included; The Mysterious Lady (1928) starring Greta Garbo, A Woman of Affairs (1928), also with Garbo, Madame X (1929), The Mysterious Island (1929), starring Lionel Barrymore, Loose Ankles (1930) starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Loretta Young, Feet First (1930) starring Harold Lloyd, and Grand Hotel (1932) starring Greta Garbo. Jarvis is pictured below with Harold Lloyd in “Movie Crazy” which aired in 1932 in which he played the director. Jarvis appeared in the film “The Life of Jimmy Dolan” and would have met the screenwriter and past tenant of his house. His other films included; The Thin Man (1934), The Count of Monte Cristo (1934), and his last film “Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation” starring Peter Lorre in 1939 right before his death.

The Pursel’s owned this property even after William’s death in 1941 and Maude’s death in 1945. One of the son’s continued to reside in the home with his wife and daughter until they moved to Monrovia in 1950. Ruby Usher, a well-known artist, rented the home in 1938 when she won the prestigious first prize award for “California Society of Miniature Painters” for her painting “Virginia Walker”. Ruby Usher (1889-1957) was a California and Nebraska artist, illustrator and etcher. She lived in Summit, NJ before moving to Los Angeles in the 1930s, and a fire destroyed most of her work in 1943 when she resided at 6764 Wedgewood Place (demolished in the 1970s for widening of the freeway) where she lived from 1940 until her death in 1957.