Before Malibu became the beachside addressed favored by Hollywood’s celebrated, the place to build was along Ocean Front (now Pacific Coast Highway.) In 1926, MGM chief, Louis B. Mayer, had his leading set designer, Cedric Gibbons, come up with a 20-room villa at 624. A few doors down from them lived Anita Loos (author of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”.) Paramount founder, Jesse Lasky and his wife Bessie were known for the Sunday night parties at 609. 20th Century-Fox president, Darryl F. Zanuck, had a beach house at 546, which he called “Surf Cottage” and which was anything but a small little cottage. Sam Goldwyn was at 602, and of course, the mother lode was the 110-room palace that William Randolph Hearst built for Marion Davies at 415. So it was almost inevitable the MGM production head, Irving Thalberg and queen-of-the-lot, Norma Shearer, would build another Gibbons-designed house at 707 Ocean Front. I don’t have a date on this photo, but they moved in around 1931, so I assume it was taken there. Ironically, because of Thalberg’s delicate health, he needed quality sleep, so he had the rooms in his French Norman style home soundproofed so that he wouldn’t be disturbed by the sounds of the ocean.
The home of Irving Thalberg and Norma Shearer at 707 Ocean Front, Santa Monica, California, circa 1931
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Beaches, MGM, Santa Monica. Bookmark the permalink.
In case anyone is wondering, this is before they extended the beach outwards by what seems like a mile or so.
The best part is that the house is still there, nearly unchanged from the outside, and still a glorious design. The current address is 707 Palisades Beach Road, with a 2021 estimated market value of $32 million.
I’ve driven by this house countless times but never knew it belonged to Thalberg and Shearer. I
t always fascinates me to see such a non-beachy house, like this English half-timbered house and Davies’ humongous Georgian-revival, right on the beach.
When it comes to LA architecture, the governing rule was “Anything Goes.”
Another fun fact: Barron Hilton and his wife bought this house from thalberg, before barron bought his bel air estate.
That IS interesting. Thanks for stopping by, Eddie.
There are interior images of this house on Zillow. It was for rent last year, so the entire house was photographed. It has definitely been renovated several times over the years, but the library and its fireplace appear to be original.
Thanks, Justin. I’ll be sure to check that out.