Whitley Heights 101

1830 Grace Avenue

Right before the legendary El Cabrillo apartments were built on the corner of Grace and Franklin Avenues, Garland Moorhead constructed a 8 unit apartment building right next door in 1926. The good news is the building still exists and qualifies to be designated as a historic building. Simply named “Grace Apartments”, the building has been untouched structurally since the 1920s.

One longtime tenant once worked in the wardrobe department for Charlie Chaplin Studios during the 1930s. Widow Winifred Ritchie resided in one of the units from 1933 to 1941. Ritchie, a former vaudeville actress, was born in Scotland and had married Billie Ritchie, another vaudeville performer who traveled the world with Jack Karno’s vaudeville act, the same company Charlie Chaplin started with. Eventually both Ritchie and Chaplin found themselves in Hollywood in front of the silver screen around the same time, in 1915.

Chaplin’s debut film “Making a Living”, was one of two films in which he did not portray his iconic role, “The Tramp”. His second film “Kid Auto Races at Venice” was the first film where The Tramp appeared. The film was released February 7, 1914 by Keystone Film Company, directed by Henry Lehrman. Then Lehrman left Chaplin and Keystone to start his own company. He hired Billie Ritchie to appear in his first film production, “Love and Surgery”, which was released October 14, 1914.

This is where the story becomes a “chicken or the egg” paradox. Who was responsible for creating “The Tramp”? Both Chaplin and Ritchie claimed they started the infamous role. Chaplin’s movie was released first so was he the original tramp? When Lehrman left Keystone and started his own production company, he realized how popular the role of The Tramp was and wanted to start his own version so he hired Billie Ritchie to appear in several of his films, playing his own version of a tramp.

In July of 1921, it was reported that Ritchie’s health was failing from the result of internal injuries he had sustained almost two years ago when he was attacked by ostriches while filming.  He died at his home located at 2050 Ivar Avenue on July 6, 1921.  His death certificate indicated Ritchie died from stomach cancer.  Ritchie’s widow, Winifred worked as a seamstress and was hired in 1935 by Charlie Chaplin Studios to work in the costume department.  She was credited as a costumer in Chaplin’s 1940 film of the “The Great Dictator.

Their daughter, Wyn, worked as a movie extra in five of Chaplin’s films: Payday, The Circus, City Lights, Modern Times, and The Great Dictator.  In 1928, Wyn rented a home nearby her mother’s apartment in Whitley Heights located at 2139 Fairfield Avenue.  She married musical composer Ray Evans (Bonanza theme song) in 1947.

Years later when Charlie Chaplin’s tramp outfit went up for auction, a story came out that when the two were working together in vaudeville,“The Mumming Birds” for the Alfred Karno Company. Ritchie offered to exchange roles playing the gentleman and gave the role of the tramp to Chaplin.  The shoes were too big for Chaplin, so he put them on opposing feet and Charlie Chaplin’s iconic creation was born.  Chaplin returned the suit after the performances, but reprised the character on film. When Winifred retired, she took the suit which was placed in the museum of Harry Brown, a stage doorman of many London Theaters between 1930-60.  This is definitely a “chicken or the egg” type of story.

1830 Grace Avenue no longer acts as an apartment building; rather they sold the units individually.  The units are currently assessed in the $800,000+ range.  From the rear of the property, the El Cabrillo building can be seen.