Whitley Heights 101

The House That Jack Built (and other tales on Milner Road)

In 1923, tract 5574 was established on the northwest side of Whitley Heights by “the father of Hollywood” H.J. Whitley, real estate developer Arthur C. Watson, his wife, Kathleen J. Watson, and New York socialite, Eleanor DeWitt. This tract had a total of 24 lots and Watsonia Terrace originally extended to part of Milner Road (lots 1, 2, and 3). Another part of Milner Road (which goes from Whitley Terrace to past Watsonia Terrace today, was called Clinch Terrace (named after Colin N. Clinch, a real estate developer who worked for Hollywood Hills Land Development Company).

However, two years later, Clinch was involved in a scandal and that part of the street was renamed to Milner Road. Clinch was arrested May 23, 1925 and locked up in a psychiatric hospital for attempting suicide five times in one day. His wife indicated he first attempted his life by swallowing poison, then by hanging himself in the bathroom three times, and finally by stabbing himself due to domestic trouble.

Apparently, 36 year old Colin Clinch attempted suicide after his lover, Kathleen Watson, came over to his house and ask his wife, Nan, to agree to a divorce. Nan did not agree to get a divorce and that is when Clinch felt compelled to kill himself. Kathleen Watson’s husband, Arthur, had worked with Colin at the Hollywood Hills Land Development Company. A few days after Colin was hospitalized, Nan sued Kathleen for $25,000 claiming she and Colin had been married for 8 years and had three children and Kathleen was trying to break up their marriage. Nan filed for divorce a few months later and was granted a divorce in December. Apparently, Kathleen was also involved with Maurice Luxford, another real estate developer. His wife, Nola Luxford, an actress, filed for divorce in July of 1925, indicating her husband was having an affair with Mrs. Watson. Arthur and Kathleen did divorce, but years later.

Arthur C. Watson migrated to Los Angeles from Ontario, with his wife, Kathleen. He previously owned the Nancy Hubbard candy stores in Hollywood and Los Angeles. Watson purchased 24 lots in Whitley Heights, sold 9 of them by June of 1923 and built 5 homes on Watsonia Terrace (now Milner Road) including his own home located at 6717 Milner Road (formerly 2030 Watsonia Terrace and 6717 Watsonia Drive until 1927). This home was built by architect, Nathan Coleman. The Watsons lived in Whitley Heights until 1928. Actress Gloria Stuart rented 6717 Milner Road in 1933 and moved out in 1934 after a rattlesnake came near her while sunbathing in the backyard.

Watson hired architect Benjamin B. Horner to build several homes in this area of Whitley Heights. 6746 Milner Road, 6747 Milner Road, 6753 Milner Road, 6757 Milner Road, 6760 Milner Road, and 6776 Milner Road, all built between 1922 and 1923. One of the homes, 6747 Milner Road (originally called 2035 Watsonia Drive), was built for actor Jack Mulhall (pictured below).

This house appeared in a 1925 edition of House Beautiful entitled “The Small House on the Hillside”:

Jack Mulhall (1887-1979) had 451 credits starting in 1910 up until 1959. Mulhall started as a character actor in many short films and worked his way to leading roles by 1917. A popular silent screen actor during the 1920s, some of his more prominent mid-career roles were in “The Three Musketeers” (1933), “Burn ‘Em Up Barnes” (1934) and “The Clutching Hand” (1936). In the late 1940s, Mulhall joined Blackouts, a stage revue produced by Ken Murray. After that production ended in 1949, he went on to appear on television programs during the 1950s. His last television appearance was on “77 Sunset Strip”.

In 1909, 21 year old Mulhall married Berthie Vuillet in New York City and a year later, their son, Thomas, was born. In 1912, Mulhall’s wife died and it appears that Mulhall sent the child to live with relatives as he moved to Hollywood by soon after. Mulhall remarried in Los Angeles to Laura Bunton in 1916 and they had a son named John who was born that same year. Laura died in 1921 and once again, he sent his second son to live with relatives so he could work. One year later, Mulhall married actress Evelyn Winans and the two remained married until Mulhall’s death in 1979. They are shown below while living in Whitley Heights in several movie magazines.

On December 28, 1924 Jack put this advertisement in the Los Angeles Times:

Jack and Evelyn remained at 6747 Milner Road until they sold it to director William Wellman in 1928 and moved into another house that Jack built in Beverly Hills. The Mulhalls bounced around Los Angeles until moving to the Fontenoy Apartments located at 1811 Whitley Avenue from 1956 to 1962.

The house next door to Jack’s used to be 2029 Watsonia Terrace and 6676 Milner Court and was built in 1923 by Arthur C. Watson and architect Benjamin Horner. According to the current owner, the house was built for actor Ramon Novarro. It could be possible. Novarro (1899-1968) was born into a strict Catholic family and lived with his parents most of his life. According to a 1928 issue of Picture Play Magazine, “He has always lived with his people instead of bachelor quarters. In an enormous old house in a sedate section of Los Angeles, he has with him, his entire family, with the exception of two sisters, who are nuns”. Novarro struggled with his Catholic religion as he was homosexual.

If Novarro resided at 6753 Milner Road, it would have been right after the house was built, circa 1923-1924 as actor Crauford Kent purchased this house in 1925 and lived in it until his death in May 1953. According to the Los Angeles City Directories, in 1924, Novarro resided with his family at 1340 Constance, but there was no mention of him in the 1923 directory. In early 1924, he was filming in the Florida Keys and returned in April and then traveled to New York to vacation before he started filming with Barbara La Marr in Hollywood. He left Hollywood in November of 1923 for New York to sail to Europe to film. Novarro returned to Los Angeles in March of 1924.

Dubbed the successor of Rudolph Valentino, Novarro starred opposite many female film stars including; Barbara La Marr, Alice Terry, Norma Sheerer, Joan Crawford, Helen Chandler, Greta Garbo, Jeanette MacDonald, and Lupe Velez.

Novarro owned 5609 Valley Oak Drive, known as the Samuel-Novarro house which was named a historical cultural monument. Novarro’s manager, Louis Samuel, hired Lloyd Wright to build this home, but embezzeled Novarro’s money in order to do it. Novarro took over the home in 1931 and hired Wright to finish the home. Actors Frank Conroy and Ralph Bellamy rented the home in 1932. According to the 1933 City Directory, Novarro moved back home to 22nd Street through 1934. Novarro moved back to Valley Oak Drive in 1936 and then sold it late 1938.

In 1964, Novarro purchased 3110 Laurel Canyon Drive, in Studio City. This is the home where Novarro was found murdered on Halloween night of 1968. Two young thieves, looking for hidden money (which didn’t exist), tortured the 69-year-old actor in his home, and eventually beat him to death. Some say Novarro was involved in a gay escort service and was killed by hustlers.

6753 Milner Road was purchased by English actor Crauford Kent in 1925. He had moved to Hollywood a year before with his wife, Constance. Known primarily as a character actor, he starred in over 250 roles up until his death in 1953. Kent made appearances in: Jane Eyre (1921), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), Daniel Boone (1936), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), A Christmas Carol (1938), The Letter (1940), Sampson and Delilah (1949), and his last Pat and Mike (1952).

The house next door, 6757 Milner Road, was known as 2025 Watsonia Terrace in 1925. Built in 1923 by Arthur C. Watson and architect, Benjamin B. Horner, this house is similar to the house next door. It was rented out by Francis X. Bushman for his wife, Beverly Bayne and son when he left for Italy to film, “Ben Hur”. Bushman was first married in 1909 and had five children with his first wife. During his early silent film years, he started having an affair with his co-star on many films, Beverly Bayne. In 1918, he was the subject of a national scandal as his affair with Bayne became public. Subsequently, his first wife filed for divorce and three days after his divorce was final, Bushman and Bayne were married but the studio insisted they keep the marriage discreet so it would not affect Bushman’s career.

Although Bushman’s career dwindled with the invention of talking pictures, he was selected to play the part of Messala in “Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ” which premiered in 1925. He traveled to Rome to film some of the scenes and then decided to stay abroad to do some traveling. This did not sit well with Bayne who was at home, taking care of their son. When Bushman left the country, he rented out 6757 Milner Road for Bayne and his son.

While Bushman was galavanting around Europe, Bayne secretly filed for divorce and built another house located at 2108 Sycamore Avenue (now 6970 Camrose Drive which is still there). Bayne moved into the house while Bushman was still overseas.

When Bushman returned to the United States, he found out Bayne had filed for divorce and moved out of the rental home in Whitley Heights. He then rented the huge house on top of the hill located at 2020 Grace Avenue, a former hotel. At that time, Bushman lived across the street from Rudolph Valentino and the first night he moved in, he heard Rudy and his wife quarreling. The next day Rudy came by and asked if he could store 4 of his vehicles in the garages and asked which was his bedroom (possibly to find out if Bushman heard them quarreling). After that, the fighting subdued but Natacha left for NY and filed for divorce. Below, the red arrow indicates 2020 Grace Avenue and the blue arrow shows where Valentino’s home was located.

Bushman’s 4 eldest children moved in with him in Whitley Heights: Ralph, 23, who was married, and his 3 sisters made themselves at home which annoyed the staff. Bushman then found out he was broke during the Stock Market Crash of 1929. Bushman had a “rent to own” clause on this property. On New Year’s Day in 1930, Bushman was thrown out of the Whitley Heights home; he signed a “Lease-to-Buy” contract indicating he would forfeit the property if he missed more than 2 payments. He paid $100,000 for it and put another $40,000 into improvements. He moved to Santa Monica.

After 1925, amid the Clinch scandal, the Bushman-Bayne divorce, and Mulhall losing his golf clubs, the road was changed to Milner Road and things got a lot quieter (at least for a while). The question is-did Ramon Novarro live in Whitley Heights?