From John Gilbert to Elton John, the Stars Called It Home : Beverly Hills Estate Owned by Celebrities

"Only a few stars ever live in the same house for years and years. Instead, most show business personalities jump from property to property because of frequent marriages and career swings up and down. As a result, some Beverly Hills estates have intricate 'genealogies' just like Europe's royal families, with one star following another at the same address."

"In the 60 years prior to its demolition, this house had no less than five successive celebrity owners, each of whom adapted the house to his or her needs and tastes. Some just redecorated the house for a more up-to-date look; others added rooms or moved existing walls to change the floor plan."

"Gilbert, the dark-eyed, dark-haired romantic lead, reportedly earned $10,000 a week at the height of his career when he starred in MGM's 'La Boheme' with Lillian Gish in 1926, and in 'Flesh and the Devil' with Greta Garbo the following year."

Beverly Hills real estate broker Jeff Hyland explains that few celebrities maintain long-term residency in the same property, instead moving frequently due to marriages and career changes. This pattern creates intricate ownership histories at prestigious addresses. The 1400 Tower Grove Road mansion exemplifies this phenomenon, housing at least five successive celebrity owners over 60 years before demolition. Each owner modified the Spanish-style home built by actor John Gilbert in the mid-1920s, either redecorating for contemporary aesthetics or restructuring floor plans. Gilbert, a silent-film romantic lead earning $10,000 weekly at MGM's peak, furnished his home modestly compared to contemporaries like Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, using reproduction Spanish furniture.

Read at Los Angeles Times