Santa Monica Beach House
Located at 1038 Palisades Beach Road at the base of the California Incline, the house has deep ties to Hollywood’s Golden Age. It was home of many celebrities including silent film actress Norma Talmadge, Cary Grant & Randolph Scott, Brian Aherne, Howard Hughes, Princess Grace Kelly and prince Raineer of Monaco, and Roman Polansky & Sharon Tate among others.
Norma Talmadge
1038 Ocean Front in Santa Monica was built by Los Angeles architect Paul Roe Crawley for the silent film actress Norma Talmadge.
The Norman style home was completed in the summer of 1929. At that time, Santa Monica was a magnet for celebrities.
In the mid 1930s, Talmadge sold the house to Cary Grant, where he lived for many years with actor Randolph Scott.
Cary Grant & Randolph Scott
In the 1930s the house was co-owned by a legendary movie actor Cary Grant and his friend, Randolph Scott, who starred in many Western movies.
Cary Grant continued to live there during the years he was married to Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton.
Brian Aherne
British stage and screen actor Brian Aherne (1902-1986) was one of the top character actors of Hollywood in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. He was Oscar-nominated for Juarez (1939).
In late 40s Brian Aherne, bought the house from Cary Grant & Barbara Hutton.
Eventually Aherne spent less time in movies and more time in Europe, renting out the Beach House.
Howard Hughes
One of the house residents was the famous aviator, Howard Hughes, an American record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and one of the most influential and richest people in the world. Hughes was a man with a lifelong penchant for films, fast planes and beautiful women. He produced and directed Hell’s Angels, and The Outlaws with Jane Russel.
Howard Huges lived in the house for 2 years in the 1950’s, a period in time during which he was a movie director and involved with Ava Gardner.
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Princess Grace Kelly and prince Raineer III of Monaco
Princess Grace would occasionally rent it out when the house when visiting her roots in Hollywood.
Grace had been in Cannes to promote her film The Country Girl when a French journalist arranged a meeting between her and the Prince at the palace. Prince Raineer proposed to Grace during his trip to America in December 1955 and they married in 1956. Grace received the World Film Favorite-Female award at the 13th Golden Globes in Los Angeles in February 1956. This was one of her last public appearances in Hollywood.
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Roman Polansky & Sharon Tate
In 1967 when Paramount contracted Roman Polanski to write and direct the movie Rosemary’s Baby, he and his wife, Sharon Tate rented the house for the time of working on the movie.
Polanski, in his autobiography “Roman by Polanski” (1984) writes: “They [Sharon’s parents] brought us a present: a Yorkshire terrier puppy, sired by Guinness, which I promptly christened Dr. Saperstein, after the sinister character in Rosemary’s Baby.”
In early 1969 the couple moved out to another house located in Beverly Hills.
On August 9, 1969, members of Charles Manson’s cult kill five people in movie director Roman Polanski’s Beverly Hills, California, home, including Polanski’s eight months pregnant wife, actress Sharon Tate.
Tribute to Sharon Tate
At the time of the murders (on August 9, 1969) Polanski was out of town, but his wife and her friends, including coffee heiress Abigail Folger, were shot or stabbed to death.
The savage crimes shocked the nation and turned Charles Manson into a criminal icon. Manson has been the subject of numerous movies and books, including the best-seller Helter Skelter.
This video by George Smith is a tribute to Sharon Tate showing her and Roman during their happy days in Santa Monica Beach House. The music is of the time when they lived there from albums Be my Baby and Stoned Love
Jennifer & Royce Diener
In 1979 Royce and Jennifer Diener purchased the home from Mr. Aherne.
They were the first non-movie star people to live in this house. Mr. Diener was the president and CEO of American Medical International, was on the board of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for 25 years and he spearheaded the successful campaign to refurbish the Hollywood Bowl.
Beach house resident timeline
- 1920’s Norma hired the popular Los Angeles architect Paul Roe Crawley to design her house in French Normandy style. In the summer 1929 the house was ready for move-in. Norma lived in the Beach House for 5 years
- mid-30’s, Norma sold the house to actors Cary Grant and Western star Randolph Scott
- several years later, Scott moved out and Cary Grant continued to live in the house with his new wife, Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton
- late 1940’s British actor Brian Aherne bought the house from Grant
- Eventually Aherne spent less time in movies and more time in Europe, renting out the Beach House
- Howard Huges lived here for 2 years in the 1950’s, a period in time during which he was a director and involved with Ava Gardner
- Composer Irving Berlin spent a summer here composing
- Princess Grace would occasionally rent it out when visiting her roots in Hollywood
- 1967(68) – Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate rented the Beach House
- 45 years ago, Aherne sold the House and passed along the architectural plans to his long-time friend, retired business executive Royce Diener and wife Jennifer. The couple restored the beach-front property to its original look.
Photo Credits
Norma Talmage https://mubi.com/it/cast/norma-talmadge
Cary Grant and Randolpf Scott photo – from the BestLife’s articcle The up-and-coming actors lived together.
Brian Aherne photo from European Film Star Postcards
Roman and Sharon photo from instagram groovysharon
Howard Hughes photo from Smithonian Magazine
Grace Kelly and Prince Raineer of Monaco royal-family-history on Instagram
Jennifer & Royce Diener, Karen Weinstein | Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra | Flickr