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“…the kind of place crazy movie people built in the crazy twenties.” – No one summed it up better than Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard, although something about this Lloyd Wright creation feels a bit modern, despite the fact that it was built for silent film star Ramon Navarro in 1928.

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This is not the notorious home where Navarro was killed…it’s where he lived during the height of his career.  Legendary Art Director Cedric Gibbons was hired to do the interiors, and Navarro constantly made changes and additions.  The street address at first seems discreet, as the home is constructed into the side of the hill as was common to homes of that period.

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But then a bit farther up you see this:

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After you get over that, appreciate the creative use of copper on this mansion!

The street that runs behind the property actually gives you a better look at the historic home.  It’s changed celebrity hands a number of times, reportedly owned by Leonard Bernstein, Christina Ricci, and preservationist-minded Diane Keaton.  In a city that has razed many of it’s most interesting architectural treasures, it’s nice to see the Navarro house so well preserved.

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