It seems that some of what was Roland West's property near the Sidewalk Café is for rent.
Reblogged from
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2014/09/rent_the_odd_guesthouse_at_pac_pals_notorious_possibly_murderous_castillo_del_mar.php
Today's Craigslist sift yields a listing for a "one of a kind guest house in the picturesque Castellammare neighborhood of Pacific Palisades." Per the
ad, the approximately 500-square-foot guesthouse features "stunning white water ocean views," a full bath and kitchen, original oak floors and brass hardware, built-in closets and drawers, and a beamed ceiling, while its 3,900-square-foot lot comes with a pond and waterfall, date palms, Chinese elms, and a "small additional 'tree house' that makes for the dream office or studio space." While the posting notes vaguely that the guesthouse "was once the
chauffeur's quarters for a historic property built in 1927," Old Hollywood nerds and fans of E!'s late, lamented
Mysteries & Scandals might recognize it as belonging to
Castillo del Mar, the onetime estate of director Roland West and the site of actress
Thelma Todd's mysterious death.
Todd, best known for her comedic work (like the Marx Brothers'
Monkey Business and
Horse Feathers), was also partners with West in a popular nearby roadside cafe, as well as his sometime mistress.* She was only 29 when she was found dead in the property's garage the morning of December 16, 1935, a victim of carbon monoxide poisoning. Officially ruled as accidental, Todd's death continues to be the source of much speculation to this day, which you can read about
here and
here, should you care to. And should you care to reside in the guest unit, monthly rent is
$2,500.
*The term "Mistress" implies that Thelma Todd was being kept by Roland West - which was not the case. She was not dependent on him financially.
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