Whitley Heights 101

Welcome to Los Nidos Court

Between Franklin Avenue and Camrose Drive, North Highland Boulevard used to be lined with single-family residences or duplexes during the 1920s. In 1919, widow Bertha J. Barker decided to build 7 duplexes located at 2011 to 2033 North Highland Boulevard and called the bungalow court “Los Nidos Court”. In 1929, the American Legion Hollywood Post would be built to the right of the bungalow court.

Barker’s husband was one of three brothers who opened the famed furniture store “Barker Brothers” who died in 1908. Architect Harry H. Whitley was hired to build the bungalows and built several other homes in Los Angeles that are named historic. The Los Nidos Court opened in 1920 and Barker purchased a 6 bedroom mansion behind the complex at 2025 North Highland Avenue, which she lived until her death, running the bungalow court apartments below.

Los Nidos Court, advertised as “attractive 4 and 5 room bungalows, among pepper trees and shrubbery” were furnished apartments and even had maid service twice per month. Barker rented the bungalow to widows and at times, movie stars.

2023 N. Highland Avenue was home to actor David Torrence (1864-1951) in 1923. David and his brother, Ernest migrated from Scotland to Hollywood to continue their acting careers in the early 1920s. Thompson is probably best known for playing the bishop in “Queen Christina” starring Greta Garbo in 1933 (pictured far right below) and a lord in “Mutiny in the Bounty” in 1935 before retiring in 1939.

Actress Molly Malone’s mother Violet, resided at 2021 N. Highland Avenue in 1924. Molly was a silent screen actress who starred in almost 100 films before retiring in 1929. She was known for acting alongside Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle in many film shorts.

Also in 1924, photoplayer Cyril Chadwick rented 2013 1/2 N. Highland Avenue. Born in London in 1879, Chadwick starred on Broadway and then transitioned to film 1913, appeared in 70 films until 1938. Cyril played Mr. Darling in “Peter Pan” in 1924 starring Betty Bronson and MGM’s “The Thirteenth Chair” in 1929 which starred Conrad Nagel and Bela Lugosi.

In May of 1931, 24 year old scenario writer Gerald Geraghty married Laolyn Northcutt and the newlyweds moved into Los Nido Court at 2023 1/2 N, Highland Avenue. Geraghty had just written four screenplays: Naughty Baby (1928) starring Alice White, Jack Mulhall, and Thelma Todd, Half Way to Heaven (1929) starring Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers and Jean Arthur, Street of Chance (1930) starring William Powell and Jean Arthur, and Slightly Scarlet (1930) starring Evelyn Brent. His father, Thomas, and brother, Maurice were also screenwriters and sister, Carmelita, was an actress.

In 1938, actor Frank McGlynn Sr. rented 2011 N. Highland Avenue. McGlynn (1866-1951), starred his acting career in 1911 with many film shorts, including “The Life of Abraham Lincoln” in 1915 and from then, he was often type-cast as the former president playing him 12 times on the screen and twice on Broadway.

On March 3, 1931, landlord Bertha Barker was found dead in her house just above Los Nido Court. According to the newspaper, 60 year old Barker suffered from insomnia. To get some rest, she took an anesthetic of chloroform which killed her. By 1933, the Barker family was selling the bungalow court.

The bungalows remained as rentals until in 1947, when the complex was purchased by Carl E. Mandal who turned the units into the Carlton Lodge, a 56 unit motel. He had opened another Carlton Lodge in Studio City, which remains there today.

The Carlton Lodge offered facilities for holiday parties, accommodating groups up to 55 persons, there was also a coffee shop/cocktail bar, a swimming pool with a patio/lanai and a sundeck on top of one of the units. This sounded like a great motor lodge; however, the lodge had its share of problems.

In March of 1952, police said a front door was broken and a stench bomb was set off. The Building Service Union had been picketing there. In 1954, Nina Clemens Gabrilowitsch, the only living relative of author Mark Twain, stayed at the Carlton Lodge on a long-term basis. Gabrilowitsch never met her grandfather as he died before she was born. Nina died in a motel room at the Carlton Lodge on January 17, 1966. Several bottles of pills and alcohol were found in the room. She was fifty-five years old.

In June of 1962, both Carlton Lodges were sold and an advertisement appeared to auction off all of the Hollywood location furniture and appliances:

In June of 1965, it was reported that the Carlton Lodge was delinquent in paying its taxes in the amount of over $15,000. In 1974, the motel changed ownership and all of the buildings were demolished. The motor lodge replaced with a 3-story hotel, below the construction of the hotel in 1968.

In 1968, Carlton Lodge reopened with the Burgundy Room which featured musical entertainment on the weekends.

The Burgundy Room was remodeled into the Hideaway Room & Coffee Shop and opened New Year’s Day in 1973.

In October of 1977, the hotel faced another scandal. The body of a 22 year old woman was found by the manager in one of the hotel rooms. She had been beaten in the parking lot and taken to the room where she died. By the 1980s, Carlton Lodge in Hollywood ceased to exist and the 3 story hotel became the Hollywood Inn and then the Courtesy Inn. Today, the 3 story hotel is a Best Western.